Sterling, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Sterling is a city in Rice County
, Kansas
, United States
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,328. Sterling is home to Sterling College
.
In the 1890's, Jonathan S. Dillon sold groceries at his general store in Sterling. Later in 1913, he opened his first J.S. Dillon Cash Food Market in Hutchinson
. Later he expanded into the Dillons
grocery supermarchet chain.
, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (2.76%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,642 people, 819 households, and 538 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,861.3 people per square mile (718.4/km²). There were 963 housing units at an average density of 678.4 per square mile (261.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.42% White, 1.51% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.72% from other races
, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.
There were 819 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 32.9% from 18 to 24, 17.3% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,282, and the median income for a family was $40,739. Males had a median income of $32,381 versus $17,423 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,229. About 8.7% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
376. The district has two schools in Sterling:
is the largest employer in the city of Sterling. The Sterling Warriors play home games at the Smisor Stadium
.
/ K-14
state highway passes through Sterling. KDOT
has proposed converting K-96 into a 4-lane highway and bypass the cities of Nickerson
and Sterling. Numerous routes have been studied.
Schools
Photos and Videos
Maps
Rice County, Kansas
Rice County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas; it was named in memory of Samuel Allen Rice, Brigadier-General, United States volunteers, killed April 30, 1864, at Jenkins Ferry, Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 10,083...
, 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 2,328. Sterling is home to Sterling College
Sterling College (Kansas)
Sterling College is a Christ-centered, four-year liberal arts college located in Sterling, Kansas with a mission "to develop creative and thoughtful leaders who understand a maturing Christian faith." The school is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and...
.
History
Peace was the original name of this Quaker community. In 1876, the name was changed by two brothers after their fathers name Sterling Rosan.In the 1890's, Jonathan S. Dillon sold groceries at his general store in Sterling. Later in 1913, he opened his first J.S. Dillon Cash Food Market in Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
. Later he expanded into the Dillons
Dillons
Dillons is a grocery supermarket chain based in Hutchinson, Kansas, and is a division of The Kroger Company. Other banners under Dillon Stores Division include Gerbes in Missouri, Baker's in Omaha, Nebraska and a Food 4 Less store in Fremont, Nebraska...
grocery supermarchet chain.
Area attractions
- Charles K. Beckett HouseNational Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, KansasThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, Kansas.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Rice County, Kansas, United States...
(NRHPNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
), 210 West Main Street. - Cooper HallNational Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, KansasThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, Kansas.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Rice County, Kansas, United States...
(NRHPNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
), North Broadway Avenue. - Shay BuildingNational Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, KansasThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, Kansas.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Rice County, Kansas, United States...
(NRHPNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
), 202 South Broadway Avenue. - Sterling Carnegie LibraryNational Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, KansasThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, Kansas.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Rice County, Kansas, United States...
(NRHPNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
), 132 North Broadway Avenue.
Geography
Sterling is located at 38°12′38"N 98°12′16"W (38.210658, -98.204549). 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 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (2.76%) is water.
Climate
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 2,642 people, 819 households, and 538 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 1,861.3 people per square mile (718.4/km²). There were 963 housing units at an average density of 678.4 per square mile (261.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.42% White, 1.51% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.72% 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 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.
There were 819 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% 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, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 32.9% from 18 to 24, 17.3% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,282, and the median income for a family was $40,739. Males had a median income of $32,381 versus $17,423 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 $13,229. About 8.7% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
Primary and secondary education
Sterling is part of Unified School DistrictUnified 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....
376. The district has two schools in Sterling:
- Sterling High SchoolSterling High School (Kansas)Sterling High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, Kansas, USA operated by Unified School District 376, and serves students of grades 9 to 12.-Athletics:...
, 308 East Washington Avenue, Grades 9Ninth gradeNinth grade is the ninth post-kindergarten year of school education in some school systems. The students are 13 to 15 years of age, depending on when their birthday occurs. Depending on the school district, ninth grade is usually the first year of high school....
to 12Twelfth gradeTwelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
. - Sterling Junior High School, 412 North 5th Street, Grades 7Seventh gradeSeventh grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The seventh grade is the seventh school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 12–13 years old. Traditionally, seventh grade was the next-to-last year of elementary school...
to 8Eighth gradeEighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
. - Sterling Grade School, 218 South 5th Street, Grades KKindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to 6Sixth gradeSixth grade is a year of education in the United States and some other nations. The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11 – 12 years old...
.
College
Sterling CollegeSterling College (Kansas)
Sterling College is a Christ-centered, four-year liberal arts college located in Sterling, Kansas with a mission "to develop creative and thoughtful leaders who understand a maturing Christian faith." The school is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and...
is the largest employer in the city of Sterling. The Sterling Warriors play home games at the Smisor Stadium
Smisor Stadium
Smisor Stadium is a sport stadium in Sterling, Kansas. The facility is primarily used by the Sterling College for college football and men's and women's soccer teams. The stadium is also used for local high school and other community events.-External links:...
.
Infrastructure
Highway
K-96K-96 (Kansas highway)
K-96 is a state highway in central and southern Kansas. Its western terminus is at the Colorado state line east of Towner, Colorado, where it continues as Colorado State Highway 96; its eastern terminus since 1999 is at U.S. Route 54/U.S. Route 400 east of Wichita.The eastern terminus was once at...
/ K-14
K-14 (Kansas highway)
K-14 is a north–south state highway which runs most of the length of the U.S. state of Kansas. The highway runs through the central part of the state.-Route description:...
state highway passes through Sterling. KDOT
Kansas Department of Transportation
The Kansas Department of Transportation is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public roadways of the U.S. state of Kansas.-Organization:*Secretary of Transportation...
has proposed converting K-96 into a 4-lane highway and bypass the cities of Nickerson
Nickerson, Kansas
Nickerson is a city in Reno County, Kansas, United States. It was named in honor of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway president Thomas Nickerson when the town was founded in 1872. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,070.-Geography:...
and Sterling. Numerous routes have been studied.
Notable people
- Stephen CarlsStephen CarlsStephen Douglas Carls is the chair of the history department at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Carls began teaching at Union University in 1983 and prior to that taught at Sterling College in Sterling, Kansas for twelve years...
, author and teacher. - Nicolle Galyon, country music artist
- Windell Middlebrooks, film and tv actor.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, KansasNational Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, KansasThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, Kansas.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Rice County, Kansas, United States...
- Main Street Programs in the United StatesMain Street Programs in the United StatesOver the past several decades a national movement of Main Street Programs has emerged. These may be statewide or regional "coordinating programs" or "local programs." Programs determined to be "Designated" follow best-practices established by the National Main Street Center and/or statewide or...
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
CitySchools
- USD 376, local school district
- Sterling College
Photos and Videos
- KWCH 'One of a Kind' Kansas road trip in 2011: Photos, Video 1, Video 2, Video 3. Towns included were ColdwaterColdwater, KansasColdwater is a city in and the county seat of Comanche County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 828.-Geography:Coldwater is located at...
, Sterling, AtwoodAtwood, KansasAtwood is a city in and the county seat of Rawlins County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,194.-History:...
, LucasLucas, KansasLucas is a city in Russell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 393.-Geography:Lucas is located at at an elevation of 1,489 feet . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. It lies in the Smoky Hills...
, MarionMarion, KansasMarion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Kansas, United States. It was named in honor of Francis Marion, a Brigadier General of the American Revolutionary War, known as the "Swamp Fox". As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,927....
.
Maps
- Sterling City Map, KDOT
- Rice County Map, KDOT