Gorham, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Gorham is a city in Russell County
, Kansas
, United States
. As of the 2010 census
, the city population was 334.
by Bohemian
colonists, German settlers from Philadelphia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania
established a community on the Kansas Pacific Railway
at the future site of Gorham in April 1872. Elijah Dodge Gorham, a settler from Illinois
, gave the town its name when he platted it in 1879. Seeking to create a local trading center, he formally established the town in July 1886, gave land for a Catholic Church and cemetery, and started several businesses including a general store, grain elevator
, post office
, lumberyard, and a coal yard. Additional grain elevators and a stockyard subsequently opened, establishing Gorham as a farming community.
The discovery of oil
deposits in Russell County transformed the local economy in the 1920s. Companies including Texaco
, Stanolind, and Sohio started operations in the area, stimulating Gorham's growth. A brick school building was built in 1922 followed by a second building in 1930 and another in 1949. Gorham incorporated
as a city in 1941. By 1944, it had a diverse business community, two oil field
production companies, and public schools. From the 1950s to the early 1980s, the city expanded further through the development of residential additions.
Mandated by state law, Gorham's public schools joined Russell County Schools (USD
407) in 1967. Subsequent consolidation led to the closure of Gorham High School in 1984 and Gorham Elementary School in 1997.
region of the Great Plains
approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) north of the Smoky Hill River
and 11 miles (17.7 km) south of the Saline River
. Gorham is in north-central Kansas approximately 121 miles (194.7 km) northwest of Wichita
and 237 miles (381.4 km) west of Kansas City
. Located 1.2 miles (1.9 km) north of Interstate 70
, it is roughly 9 miles (14.5 km) west of Russell
, the county seat
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
was 1,670 people per square mile (644.8/km2). There were 171 housing units at an average density of 855 per square mile (285/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.8% White
, 0.3% American Indian
, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population.
There were 150 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples
living together, 2.0% had a male householder with no wife present, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% 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 2.76.
In the city, the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males age 18 and over.
As of 2009, the median income for a household in the city was $52,431, and the median income for a family was $56,563. Males had a median income of $33,636 versus $21,705 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $20,043. About 4.4% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
form of government. The city council
consists of five members, and it meets on the second Monday of each month.
407, Russell County Schools, based in Russell.
and U.S. Route 40
run concurrently east-west just over a mile south of the city. The old alignment of U.S. 40 runs east-west through the city, intersecting 176th Street, a paved county road formerly designated K-257
, which runs north-south.
The Kansas Pacific (KP) line of the Union Pacific Railroad
runs northeast-southwest through Gorham.
Schools
Maps
Russell County, Kansas
Russell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 6,970 for the 2010 census...
, 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
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, the city population was 334.
History
Beaten to the settlement of Wilson, KansasWilson, Kansas
Wilson is a city in Ellsworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 781.-History:The Butterfield Overland Despatch built a stagecoach station one-half mile south of present-day Wilson in 1865. Three years later, the Kansas Pacific Railway built Wilson...
by Bohemian
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
colonists, German settlers from Philadelphia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
established a community on the Kansas Pacific Railway
Kansas 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,...
at the future site of Gorham in April 1872. Elijah Dodge Gorham, a settler from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, gave the town its name when he platted it in 1879. Seeking to create a local trading center, he formally established the town in July 1886, gave land for a Catholic Church and cemetery, and started several businesses including a general store, grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
, 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...
, lumberyard, and a coal yard. Additional grain elevators and a stockyard subsequently opened, establishing Gorham as a farming community.
The discovery of oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
deposits in Russell County transformed the local economy in the 1920s. Companies including Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
, Stanolind, and Sohio started operations in the area, stimulating Gorham's growth. A brick school building was built in 1922 followed by a second building in 1930 and another in 1949. Gorham 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 1941. By 1944, it had a diverse business community, two oil field
Oil field
An oil field is a region with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum from below ground. Because the oil reservoirs typically extend over a large area, possibly several hundred kilometres across, full exploitation entails multiple wells scattered across the area...
production companies, and public schools. From the 1950s to the early 1980s, the city expanded further through the development of residential additions.
Mandated by state law, Gorham's public schools joined Russell County Schools (USD
Unified 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....
407) in 1967. Subsequent consolidation led to the closure of Gorham High School in 1984 and Gorham Elementary School in 1997.
Geography
Gorham is located at 38.880366°N 99.022682°W (38.880366, -99.022682) at an elevation of 1,913 feet (583 m). It lies in 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...
approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) north 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...
and 11 miles (17.7 km) south of the Saline River
Saline River (Kansas)
The Saline River is a tributary of the Smoky Hill River in the central Great Plains of North America. The entire length of the river lies in the U.S. state of Kansas. The river takes its name from the French translation of its Native name Ne Miskua, referring to its salty content.-Geography:The...
. Gorham is in north-central Kansas approximately 121 miles (194.7 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 237 miles (381.4 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...
. Located 1.2 miles (1.9 km) north of 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...
, it is roughly 9 miles (14.5 km) west of Russell
Russell, Kansas
Russell is the most populous city in and county seat of Russell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,506.-History:...
, 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....
.
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 city has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 334 people, 150 households, and 98 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 1,670 people per square mile (644.8/km2). There were 171 housing units at an average density of 855 per square mile (285/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.8% 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...
, 0.3% American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population.
There were 150 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% 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, 2.0% had a male householder with no wife present, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% 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 2.76.
In the city, the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males age 18 and over.
As of 2009, the median income for a household in the city was $52,431, and the median income for a family was $56,563. Males had a median income of $33,636 versus $21,705 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 $20,043. About 4.4% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Gorham is a city of the third class with 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. The 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...
consists of five members, and it meets on the second Monday of each month.
Education
Gorham lies within Unified School District (USD)Unified 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....
407, Russell County Schools, based in Russell.
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 east-west just over a mile south of the city. The old alignment of U.S. 40 runs east-west through the city, intersecting 176th Street, a paved county road formerly designated K-257
K-257 (Kansas highway)
K-257 was a state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas that ran approximately north–south in the west central part of the state.K-257 has its northern terminus at Gorham at the former U.S. Route 40. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 70 approximately one mile south of Gorham.It was given...
, which runs north-south.
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 northeast-southwest through Gorham.
External links
CitySchools
- USD 407, local school district
Maps
- Gorham City Map, KDOT
- Russell County Map, KDOT