Ellis, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Ellis is a city in Ellis County
, Kansas
, United States
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,062.
built a water station at the site of present-day Ellis in 1867 and then purchased the site under the Homestead Act
. Three years later, in 1870, the U.S. Post Office Department
opened a post office
at Ellis, marking the town's foundation. Kansas Pacific laid out the town in 1873, establishing a depot, a hotel, and a few shops. That same year, settlers from Syracuse, New York
, and later from Louisville, Kentucky
, arrived to work for the railroad. The first church opened in Ellis in 1873, the first school in 1874. Starting in 1875 and for the rest of the 1870s, Ellis was a cowtown
, serving as a shipping point for cattle herds from the south. Bukovina Germans
began settling in the area in 1886. Ellis incorporated
as a city in January 1888.
region of the Great Plains
. Big Creek, a tributary
of the Smoky Hill River
, runs east through the city and has been dam
med to form a long, narrow reservoir
, Big Creek Lake. Ellis is in northwestern Kansas on Interstate 70
roughly 13 miles (20.9 km) west-northwest of Hays
, the county seat
. It is approximately 146 miles (235 km) northwest of Wichita
and 260 miles (418.4 km) west of Kansas City
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, Ellis has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.
was 1,718.3 people per square mile (663.5/km²). There were 959 housing units at an average density of 799.2 per square mile (299.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.9% White
, 0.2% African American
, 1.0% from other races
, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.0% of the population.
There were 868 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples
living together, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32, and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city, the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males age 18 and over.
As of 2009, the median income for a household in the city was $41,133, and the median income for a family was $48,036. Males had a median income of $41,114 versus $23,333 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $21,908. About 6.8% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.
form of government with a city council
consisting of six members. The mayor
and all council members are elected for two-year terms.
388 provides public primary
and secondary education
with two schools in Ellis: Washington Grade School (Grades K-8) and Ellis High School (9-12).
There is one Catholic school
in Ellis, St. Mary's Catholic Grade School (Pre-K-6).
and U.S. Route 40
run concurrently
east-west immediately north of Ellis. K-247
runs north-south from I-70 to 3rd Street in northern Ellis.
The Kansas Pacific (KP) line of the Union Pacific Railroad
runs east-west through Ellis.
, where he became a machinist's apprentice and developed his expertise for metal working and machinery. In the summer of 1993, the Chrysler Corporation recognized Chrysler's hometown by sponsoring a parade and Chrysler festival, attended by several members of the Chrysler family. A prototype Dodge Viper
was loaned to the museum for one year.
Founded in 1994, the Ellis Railroad Museum features items and photographs from Ellis's railroading past. A 5000 square feet (464.5 m²) model train exhibit is also on display. Outside the museum is a miniature railroad that runs on a one mile (1.6 km) loop track, called the BK&E Railroad. This stands for the "Buddy King and Ellis Railroad", named for its primary donor the late Francis "Buddy" King, a former mayor of Ellis who died in office in 1994.
Schools
Historical
Maps
Ellis County, Kansas
Ellis County is a county located in Northwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 28,452. Its county seat and most populous city is Hays...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,062.
History
The Kansas Pacific RailwayKansas Pacific Railway
The Kansas Pacific Railway was a historic railroad company that operated in the western United States in the late 19th century. It was a federally chartered railroad, backed with government land grants. It operated many of the first long-distance lines in the state of Kansas in the 1870s,...
built a water station at the site of present-day Ellis in 1867 and then purchased the site under the Homestead Act
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
. Three years later, in 1870, the U.S. Post Office Department
United States Post Office Department
The Post Office Department was the name of the United States Postal Service when it was a Cabinet department. It was headed by the Postmaster General....
opened a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
at Ellis, marking the town's foundation. Kansas Pacific laid out the town in 1873, establishing a depot, a hotel, and a few shops. That same year, settlers from Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, and later from Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, arrived to work for the railroad. The first church opened in Ellis in 1873, the first school in 1874. Starting in 1875 and for the rest of the 1870s, Ellis was a cowtown
Cowtown
- Places :Australia* Cowaramup, Western AustraliaCanada* Calgary, AlbertaNew Zealand* HamiltonUnited States* Columbus, Ohio* Fort Worth, Texas* Wichita, Kansas* Vacaville, California- Other uses :...
, serving as a shipping point for cattle herds from the south. Bukovina Germans
Bukovina Germans
The Bukovina Germans were a German ethnic group that mainly lived from about 1780 to the 1940s in Bukovina, part of present-day western Ukraine and northern Romania...
began settling in the area in 1886. Ellis incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
as a city in January 1888.
Geography
Ellis is located at 38°56′10"N 99°33′33"W (38.936211, -99.559269), at an elevation of 2,119 feet (646 m). It lies on the western edge of the Smoky HillsSmoky Hills
The Smoky Hills are an upland region of hills in the central Great Plains of North America. They are located in the central United States, encompassing north-central Kansas and a small portion of south-central Nebraska. The hills are a dissected plain covered by tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie...
region of the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
. Big Creek, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Smoky Hill River
Smoky Hill River
The Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, running through the U.S. states of Colorado and Kansas.-Names:The Smoky Hill gets its name from the Smoky Hills region of north-central Kansas through which it flows...
, runs east through the city and has been dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
med to form a long, narrow reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
, Big Creek Lake. Ellis is in northwestern Kansas on Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
roughly 13 miles (20.9 km) west-northwest of Hays
Hays, Kansas
Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
. It is approximately 146 miles (235 km) northwest of Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
and 260 miles (418.4 km) west of Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, Ellis has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.
Climate
On average in Ellis, January is the coolest month, and July is both the warmest month and the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Ellis was 110 °F (43 °C) in 2003; the coldest temperature recorded was -24 °F (-31 °C) in 1989.Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 2,062 people, 868 households, and 556 families residing in the city. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,718.3 people per square mile (663.5/km²). There were 959 housing units at an average density of 799.2 per square mile (299.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.9% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 0.2% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 1.0% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.0% of the population.
There were 868 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32, and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city, the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males age 18 and over.
As of 2009, the median income for a household in the city was $41,133, and the median income for a family was $48,036. Males had a median income of $41,114 versus $23,333 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $21,908. About 6.8% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Ellis has a mayor-councilMayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
form of government with a city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
consisting of six members. The mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and all council members are elected for two-year terms.
Education
USDUnified school district
A unified school district or unit school district is a school district which includes both primary school and high school under the same district control....
388 provides public primary
Primary education in the United States
Primary education in the United States typically refers to the first six years of formal education in most jurisdictions. Primary education may also be referred to as elementary education and most schools offering these programs are referred to as elementary schools...
and secondary education
Secondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
with two schools in Ellis: Washington Grade School (Grades K-8) and Ellis High School (9-12).
There is one Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
in Ellis, St. Mary's Catholic Grade School (Pre-K-6).
Transportation
Interstate 70Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
and U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
run concurrently
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
east-west immediately north of Ellis. K-247
K-247 (Kansas highway)
K-247 is a state highway running entirely within the U.S. state of Kansas. Its northern terminus is at I-70/US-40 . Its southern terminus is at 3rd and Washington in Ellis. Its official length is listed as , making it the shortest state highway in Kansas.-References:**...
runs north-south from I-70 to 3rd Street in northern Ellis.
The Kansas Pacific (KP) line of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
runs east-west through Ellis.
Points of interest
Ellis is the site of Walter P. Chrysler Boyhood Home and Museum. Chrysler, founder of the Chrysler Corporation, grew up in Ellis. When he was 17, he began his career working in the railroad roundhouseRoundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
, where he became a machinist's apprentice and developed his expertise for metal working and machinery. In the summer of 1993, the Chrysler Corporation recognized Chrysler's hometown by sponsoring a parade and Chrysler festival, attended by several members of the Chrysler family. A prototype Dodge Viper
Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
was loaned to the museum for one year.
Founded in 1994, the Ellis Railroad Museum features items and photographs from Ellis's railroading past. A 5000 square feet (464.5 m²) model train exhibit is also on display. Outside the museum is a miniature railroad that runs on a one mile (1.6 km) loop track, called the BK&E Railroad. This stands for the "Buddy King and Ellis Railroad", named for its primary donor the late Francis "Buddy" King, a former mayor of Ellis who died in office in 1994.
External links
CitySchools
- Ellis USD 388, local public school district
- St. Mary's Elementary, private catholic school
Historical
Maps
- Ellis City Map, KDOT
- Ellis County Map, KDOT
- Topo Map of Ellis area, USGS