Beloit, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beloit, Kansas
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City and County seat
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Mitchell County Courthouse (2014)
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| Nickname(s):
"The Heart of the Solomon Valley"
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| Motto(s):
"We're glad you're here, and we hope you stay for awhile [sic]."
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Location within Mitchell County and Kansas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Mitchell |
| Platted | 1872 |
| Incorporated | 1872 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.94 sq mi (10.21 km2) |
| • Land | 3.92 sq mi (10.14 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,385 ft (422 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,404 |
| • Density | 864.0/sq mi (333.40/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
67420
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| Area code | 785 |
| FIPS code | 20-05775 |
| GNIS ID | 472339 |
Beloit is a city in and the county seat of Mitchell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,404.
History
On permanent organization of the county in 1870, Beloit was selected as the county seat of Mitchell County, Kansas, and is located northeast of the center of the county on the Solomon River. The town site of Beloit was first settled by A.A. Bell in 1868 with the idea of improving the water power and for some time was known as Willow Springs. Beloit is named after Beloit, Wisconsin. Beloit sits at the junction of the Union Pacific and the Missouri Pacific Railroads.
Local legend has it that the local Indians advised Bell to locate the town at a certain bend of the Solomon river to protect the town from tornadoes. To this date, downtown Beloit has been hit with a tornado only once, in November 1922.
The town of Beloit was platted March 26, 1872, and the original description as found in the recorder's office covers all of Section 9, and the south half of the southeast quarter and south half of the southwest quarter of Section 4, Town 7 and Range 7 west. The proprietors of the town were T.F. Hersey, A.A. Bell, George Campbell, Alexander Campbell, C.H. Morrill, Edward Valentine, W.C. Ingram, Daniel Kepler and Vinton Whitehurst. The town grew very rapidly, and in July 1872, was incorporated as a city of the third class. On March 10, 1879, Gov. John P. St. John proclaimed Beloit a city of the second class.
Beloit was home to the Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility of the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority.
On August 28, 2014, the city suffered a major hailstorm. The hail lasted for around 30 minutes and was the size of baseballs. The storm destroyed roofs, siding, windows, and caused heavy flooding. The storm was severe enough to be featured on the CBS Evening News.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.05 square miles (10.49 km2), of which, 4.02 square miles (10.41 km2) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) is water.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Beloit has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,835 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,455 | 33.8% | |
| 1900 | 2,359 | −3.9% | |
| 1910 | 3,082 | 30.6% | |
| 1920 | 3,315 | 7.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,502 | 5.6% | |
| 1940 | 3,765 | 7.5% | |
| 1950 | 4,085 | 8.5% | |
| 1960 | 3,837 | −6.1% | |
| 1970 | 4,121 | 7.4% | |
| 1980 | 4,367 | 6.0% | |
| 1990 | 4,066 | −6.9% | |
| 2000 | 4,019 | −1.2% | |
| 2010 | 3,835 | −4.6% | |
| 2020 | 3,404 | −11.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,835 people, 1,647 households, and 964 families residing in the city. The population density was 954.0 inhabitants per square mile (368.3/km2). There were 1,842 housing units at an average density of 458.2 per square mile (176.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.1% White, 0.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.
There were 1,647 households, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.83.
The median age in the city was 42.8 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.6% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 21% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.
Education
The community is served by Beloit USD 273 public school district, where two of its three schools are located: Beloit Elementary School and Beloit Junior/Senior High School.
Beloit also is home to St. John's Catholic Grade School and St. John's Catholic High School (Beloit, Kansas). St. John's Catholic High School contains an average of 60 students total each school year. This high school participates in the 1A, Division II category for extracurricular activities. The mascot for St. John's is the "Bluejay." On the other hand, Beloit Junior/Senior High School contains an average of 230 students per school year. This high school participates in the 3A division for extracurricular activities. The mascot for Beloit Junior/Senior High is the "Trojans."
Beloit is home to the North Central Kansas Technical College.
Notable people
- Sam Colson, former javelin thrower.
- Scott Fulhage, professional football punter with the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals.
- Margaret H'Doubler, educator.
- Gene Keady, college and professional basketball coach.
- Waldo McBurney, former oldest living worker in the United States.
- Nancy Moritz, United States Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and former justice on the Kansas Supreme Court. She was born in Beloit and lived in nearby Tipton, Kansas until the age of 15.
- Mathew Pitsch, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Fort Smith since 2015; former resident of Beloit.
- Dean Sturgis, baseball player.
- Rodger Ward, professional race car driver. Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.
See also
In Spanish: Beloit (Kansas) para niños
