Smith Center, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Smith Center is a city in and the county seat
of Smith County
, Kansas
, United States
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,665.
, the city has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.
Smith Center is near the geographic center of the continental 48 states of USA.
of 2000, there were 1,931 people, 852 households, and 534 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,659.9 people per square mile (642.7/km²). There were 987 housing units at an average density of 848.4 per square mile (328.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.17% White, 0.21% Native American, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races
, and 0.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.
There were 852 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 32.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,857, and the median income for a family was $36,316. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $20,667 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,500. About 8.7% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
state championships, claiming the Class 3A title in 1982, 1986, and 1999, and five consecutive Class 2-1A state championships in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. The five consecutive state championships tied a Kansas State High School Activities Association
record previously set by Denton-Midway (1984–88), Lawrence High
(1989–93) and Hutchinson (2004–08). The 2008 football season is the subject of the book Our Boys A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen by Joe Drape, a New York Times reporter. The Redmen won 79 consecutive games, dating from the start of the 2004 season through the 2009 season, before falling to Centralia in the 2009 state championship game.
On October 30, 2007, the Smith Center Redmen scored 72 points in the first quarter against Plainville
, beating a national record for most points in a quarter by a high school football
team had been held by Prescott, Arizona
, which scored 66 in 1925.
SCHS also has strong programs in girls volleyball, boys and girls basketball, wrestling and track. The Redmen track team won the 2005 Class 2A state championship. The wrestling team won the 2008 and 2007 3-2-1A State title and finished 2nd in 2006.
The Redmen's primary rivals are Norton and Phillipsburg High Schools, two towns located west of Smith Center on U.S. Route 36
.
Schools
Historical
Maps
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....
of Smith County
Smith County, Kansas
Smith County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 3,853 for the 2010 census. Its county seat is Smith Center. It is named in memory of Maj. J. Nelson Smith, who was part of the 2nd Colorado Cavalry, killed in action at the Battle of Westport on October 21,...
, 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 1,665.
Geography
Smith Center is located at 39°46′43"N 98°47′7"W (39.778550, -98.785141). According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.
Smith Center is near the geographic center of the continental 48 states of USA.
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 1,931 people, 852 households, and 534 families residing in the city. 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 1,659.9 people per square mile (642.7/km²). There were 987 housing units at an average density of 848.4 per square mile (328.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.17% White, 0.21% Native American, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 0.10% 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 0.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.
There were 852 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% 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, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 32.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,857, and the median income for a family was $36,316. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $20,667 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 $15,500. About 8.7% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The Smith Center government consists of a mayor and five council members. The council meets the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at 7PM.- City Hall, 119 W Court.
Athletics
The Smith Center Redmen boast one of Kansas' more successful high school football programs. Under the leadership of coach Roger Barta, the Redmen have won eight Kansas State High School Activities AssociationKansas State High School Activities Association
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.The KSHSAA was...
state championships, claiming the Class 3A title in 1982, 1986, and 1999, and five consecutive Class 2-1A state championships in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. The five consecutive state championships tied a Kansas State High School Activities Association
Kansas State High School Activities Association
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.The KSHSAA was...
record previously set by Denton-Midway (1984–88), Lawrence High
Lawrence High School (Kansas)
Lawrence High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Lawrence, Kansas, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is one of the two public high schools located in the city. Lawrence High enrolled 1,260 students in the 2007-2008 school year...
(1989–93) and Hutchinson (2004–08). The 2008 football season is the subject of the book Our Boys A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen by Joe Drape, a New York Times reporter. The Redmen won 79 consecutive games, dating from the start of the 2004 season through the 2009 season, before falling to Centralia in the 2009 state championship game.
On October 30, 2007, the Smith Center Redmen scored 72 points in the first quarter against Plainville
Plainville, Kansas
Plainville is a city in Rooks County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,903.-19th century:The area was first settled in 1877 by Hiram Keas. Plainville, previously known as Paradise Flats, was established in 1888, in Rooks County, Kansas...
, beating a national record for most points in a quarter by a high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team had been held by Prescott, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
, which scored 66 in 1925.
SCHS also has strong programs in girls volleyball, boys and girls basketball, wrestling and track. The Redmen track team won the 2005 Class 2A state championship. The wrestling team won the 2008 and 2007 3-2-1A State title and finished 2nd in 2006.
The Redmen's primary rivals are Norton and Phillipsburg High Schools, two towns located west of Smith Center on U.S. Route 36
U.S. Route 36
U.S. Route 36 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an intersection in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, where it meets U.S. Route 34. Its eastern...
.
Notable people
- Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, silent filmSilent filmA silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
star - Mitch HolthusMitch HolthusMitch Holthus, the "Voice of the Kansas City Chiefs", is the play-by-play announcer for the Kansas City Chiefs on KCFX and the Kansas City Chiefs Football Radio Network. Additionally, he hosts "Chiefs Insider" on television station KCTV, Kansas City....
, radio announcer for the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... - Mark SimoneauMark SimoneauMark Lee Simoneau is a former American football linebacker who played for ten seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Kansas State and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played for the Falcons from 2000–2002, before he was...
, National Football League linebacker for the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... - Steve TaskerSteve TaskerSteven Jay Tasker is a broadcaster for CBS Sports, who previously was a wide receiver/gunner in the National Football League. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Northwestern...
, National Football League wide receiver for the Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Albert F. "Jud" WagnerAlbert Wagner (veteran)Albert Frederick 'Jud' Wagner was, at age 107, the last surviving Marine American veteran of the First World War.-Biography:...
, Kansas' last confirmed World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veteran
Further reading
- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
External links
City- City of Smith Center
- Smith Center - Directory of Public Officials
- Smith Center - Chamber of Commerce
Schools
- USD 237, local school district
Historical
Maps
- Smith Center City Map, KDOT
- Smith County Map, KDOT