Flagler, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Flagler is a Statutory Town in Kit Carson County
, Colorado
, United States
. The population was 612 at the 2000 census
.
The town was established in 1888 as a small settlement near the then-new Rock Island Railroad
, named Malowe after Rock Island Railroad attorney M. A. Lowe. (Prior to the settlement, the location had been home to a general store and post office named Bowser after the owner's dog.) The town was later renamed after Henry Flagler at the request of his daughter, who liked the area.
Flagler is near Exit 395 on I-70
and about 120 miles east of Denver
and Colorado Springs
.
Boxer Irish Bob Murphy
was born in Flagler. Author Hal Borland
moved to Flagler at age 15 when his father became publisher of one of the local newspapers, and attended high school there.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 612 people, 271 households, and 171 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,123.3 people per square mile (437.6/km²). There were 319 housing units at an average density of 585.5 per square mile (228.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.57% White, 2.29% Native American, 0.33% from other races
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.10% of the population.
There were 271 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $28,523, and the median income for a family was $43,542. Males had a median income of $29,821 versus $19,500 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $16,770. About 4.3% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
and corn
production. Flagler is also the self-proclaimed "Birdseed Capital of World," with a Wagner's Wild Bird Seed plant listed as the town's top private employer. Flagler is home to an all-purpose convenience store, small hotel, local supermarket, and numerous churches.
. The school's mascot is the panther, and students compete in sports such as Eight-man football
, volleyball
, basketball
, baseball
, and track
. Flagler's archrival is the Stratton Eagles
, which Flagler beat to end what was, at the time, the longest winning streak in Colorado
high school football history. Flagler Senior High School is represented by the colors orange and black, and is consistently one of the top-performing schools in the state academically http://reportcard.cde.state.co.us/reportcard/CommandHandler.jsp?cmdSelect=getReportCard&schoolID=29372&searchYear=2005.
Kit Carson County, Colorado
Kit Carson County is the 18th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 8,011 at U.S. Census 2000. The county was named for Kit Carson...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 612 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
The town was established in 1888 as a small settlement near the then-new Rock Island Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
, named Malowe after Rock Island Railroad attorney M. A. Lowe. (Prior to the settlement, the location had been home to a general store and post office named Bowser after the owner's dog.) The town was later renamed after Henry Flagler at the request of his daughter, who liked the area.
Flagler is near Exit 395 on I-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...
and about 120 miles east of Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
.
Boxer Irish Bob Murphy
Irish Bob Murphy
Bob Murphy, , was an Irish-American light heavyweight boxer who fought from 1945 to 1954. He was born Edwin Lee Conarty in Flagler, Colorado, but fought out of San Diego, California...
was born in Flagler. Author Hal Borland
Hal Borland
Hal Borland was a well-known American author and journalist. In addition to writing several novels and books about the outdoors, he wrote "outdoor editorials" for The New York Times for more than 30 years, from 1941 to 1978.-Early life and education:Hal Borland was born on the plains in Sterling,...
moved to Flagler at age 15 when his father became publisher of one of the local newspapers, and attended high school there.
Geography
Flagler is located at 39°17′39"N 103°3′57"W (39.294031, -103.065832).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...
, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 612 people, 271 households, and 171 families residing in the town. The population density
Population 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 1,123.3 people per square mile (437.6/km²). There were 319 housing units at an average density of 585.5 per square mile (228.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.57% White, 2.29% Native American, 0.33% 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 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.10% of the population.
There were 271 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% 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, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $28,523, and the median income for a family was $43,542. Males had a median income of $29,821 versus $19,500 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 town was $16,770. About 4.3% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The economy of Flagler and the surrounding area is composed largely of agriculture, specifically wheatWheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
production. Flagler is also the self-proclaimed "Birdseed Capital of World," with a Wagner's Wild Bird Seed plant listed as the town's top private employer. Flagler is home to an all-purpose convenience store, small hotel, local supermarket, and numerous churches.
School
Arriba-Flagler Consolidated School District #20 educates local children in grades preschool through 12th, as well as children from nearby Arriba, ColoradoArriba, Colorado
The Town of Arriba is a Statutory Town located in Lincoln County, Colorado, United States. The population was 244 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Arriba is located at , along Interstate 70....
. The school's mascot is the panther, and students compete in sports such as Eight-man football
Eight-man football
Eight-man football is a type of American football, generally played by small high schools. Rules and formations vary greatly among states and even among different organizations, but the one constant is eight players from each team on the field at one time, as opposed to eleven-man football, which...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. Flagler's archrival is the Stratton Eagles
Stratton, Colorado
Stratton is a Statutory Town in Kit Carson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 669 at the 2000 census. Stratton was named in honor of the gold miner and philanthropist Winfield Scott Stratton.-Geography:...
, which Flagler beat to end what was, at the time, the longest winning streak in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
high school football history. Flagler Senior High School is represented by the colors orange and black, and is consistently one of the top-performing schools in the state academically http://reportcard.cde.state.co.us/reportcard/CommandHandler.jsp?cmdSelect=getReportCard&schoolID=29372&searchYear=2005.