Independence, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Independence, Kansas
|
|
|---|---|
|
City and County seat
|
|
Memorial Hall (2017)
|
|
Location within Montgomery County and Kansas
|
|
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Montgomery |
| Founded | 1869 (Colfax) |
| Incorporated | 1870 |
| Named for | United States Declaration of Independence |
| Government | |
| • Type | Commission/City Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.67 sq mi (19.88 km2) |
| • Land | 7.67 sq mi (19.86 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 778 ft (237 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 8,548 |
| • Density | 1,114.5/sq mi (429.98/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
67301
|
| Area code | 620 |
| FIPS code | 20-33875 |
| GNIS ID | 485598 |
Independence is a city in Kansas, United States. It is the main city and government center (called the county seat) of Montgomery County. In 2020, about 8,548 people lived there. The city was named to celebrate the Declaration of Independence. It is also home to Independence Community College.
Contents
History of Independence
Independence was founded on land bought from the Osage Native Americans in September 1869. George A. Brown bought the land for $50. The Osage people had to move to what is now Indian Territory (Oklahoma) so that white settlers could move in.
George A. Brown first named the town Colfax, after Schuyler Colfax, who was the Vice President at the time. On August 21, 1869, a group of men from Oswego, Kansas came to settle there. They wanted Independence to become the county seat, which means the main city where the county government is located. Independence officially became the county seat in 1870.
A cool fact about Independence is that on April 17, 1930, it was the first city to use a permanent lighting system for a baseball game! This exhibition game was played between the Independence Producers and the House of David team. Independence won the game 9 to 1, and 1,700 people came to watch.
Another interesting story involves a monkey named Miss Able. She was born at the Ralph Mitchell Zoo in Independence. Miss Able, along with another monkey named Miss Baker, were the first monkeys used by the United States space program to fly into space and return alive. This happened on May 28, 1959.
Geography and Climate
Independence is located near the Verdigris River, just south of where it meets the Elk River. The city covers about 7.75 square miles (19.88 square kilometers) of land, with only a tiny bit of water.
Independence Climate
Independence has a climate with hot and humid summers. Winters can be chilly and change a lot, sometimes being very cold and sometimes milder. It rains a lot in the summer because of moist air coming from the Gulf of Mexico. Winters are usually drier.
| Climate data for Independence, Kansas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 78 (26) |
88 (31) |
98 (37) |
101 (38) |
102 (39) |
109 (43) |
115 (46) |
116 (47) |
111 (44) |
99 (37) |
88 (31) |
80 (27) |
116 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 68.5 (20.3) |
73.4 (23.0) |
81.2 (27.3) |
85.6 (29.8) |
89.3 (31.8) |
93.6 (34.2) |
100.0 (37.8) |
100.3 (37.9) |
95.4 (35.2) |
87.3 (30.7) |
77.4 (25.2) |
68.7 (20.4) |
101.7 (38.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 44.9 (7.2) |
50.0 (10.0) |
59.8 (15.4) |
69.1 (20.6) |
77.0 (25.0) |
85.6 (29.8) |
90.7 (32.6) |
90.3 (32.4) |
82.6 (28.1) |
71.6 (22.0) |
58.7 (14.8) |
47.5 (8.6) |
69.0 (20.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 33.8 (1.0) |
38.0 (3.3) |
47.5 (8.6) |
57.0 (13.9) |
66.3 (19.1) |
75.4 (24.1) |
80.2 (26.8) |
79.0 (26.1) |
70.9 (21.6) |
59.2 (15.1) |
47.0 (8.3) |
36.9 (2.7) |
57.6 (14.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22.7 (−5.2) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
35.2 (1.8) |
44.9 (7.2) |
55.5 (13.1) |
65.2 (18.4) |
69.6 (20.9) |
67.6 (19.8) |
59.2 (15.1) |
46.8 (8.2) |
35.2 (1.8) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
46.2 (7.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 6.4 (−14.2) |
10.9 (−11.7) |
19.4 (−7.0) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
42.0 (5.6) |
54.8 (12.7) |
61.5 (16.4) |
58.7 (14.8) |
45.4 (7.4) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
20.8 (−6.2) |
10.5 (−11.9) |
2.4 (−16.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −19 (−28) |
−23 (−31) |
−5 (−21) |
15 (−9) |
28 (−2) |
42 (6) |
46 (8) |
43 (6) |
29 (−2) |
16 (−9) |
5 (−15) |
−16 (−27) |
−23 (−31) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.44 (37) |
1.85 (47) |
2.88 (73) |
4.47 (114) |
6.76 (172) |
6.26 (159) |
4.29 (109) |
4.49 (114) |
4.12 (105) |
4.09 (104) |
2.40 (61) |
2.35 (60) |
45.40 (1,153) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.2 (5.6) |
0.9 (2.3) |
1.9 (4.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
2.1 (5.3) |
7.4 (18.76) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.8 | 5.7 | 8.3 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 9.3 | 8.0 | 7.4 | 7.1 | 7.7 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 93.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 4.9 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Population of Independence
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 435 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,915 | 570.1% | |
| 1890 | 3,127 | 7.3% | |
| 1900 | 4,851 | 55.1% | |
| 1910 | 10,480 | 116.0% | |
| 1920 | 11,920 | 13.7% | |
| 1930 | 12,782 | 7.2% | |
| 1940 | 11,565 | −9.5% | |
| 1950 | 11,335 | −2.0% | |
| 1960 | 11,222 | −1.0% | |
| 1970 | 10,347 | −7.8% | |
| 1980 | 10,598 | 2.4% | |
| 1990 | 9,942 | −6.2% | |
| 2000 | 9,846 | −1.0% | |
| 2010 | 9,483 | −3.7% | |
| 2020 | 8,548 | −9.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2010-2020 |
|||
In 2020, the city of Independence had 8,548 people living there. About 79% of the people were white, and about 5.5% were Black or African-American. Around 8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Education in Independence
Independence has several schools and a college.
Colleges in Independence
- The main campus of Independence Community College is located just outside the city. Another campus, ICC West Campus, is inside the city. Over 1,000 students attend ICC each semester.
Public Schools in Independence
The public schools in Independence are part of the Independence USD 446 school district.
- Independence High School (grades 9–12)
- Independence Middle School (grades 6–8)
- Jefferson Elementary School (grades 3–5)
- Eisenhower Elementary School (Pre-Kindergarten–grade 2)
Private Schools in Independence
- Zion Lutheran School (Pre-Kindergarten–grade 8)
- St. Andrew School (Pre-Kindergarten–grade 8)
- Independence Bible School (Pre-Kindergarten–grade 12)
Special Education
- Tri-County Education Co-operative provides special education services for all grades.
Transportation in Independence
Roads and Highways
Independence is located where two major roads meet: US-75 and US-160.
Railroads
Two railroad companies serve Independence:
- The Union Pacific Railroad is one of the largest railroads in the United States.
- The South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad is a smaller railroad that operates in the area.
Airports
The Independence Municipal Airport (IDP) is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) southwest of the city center.
Fun Events in Independence
- The Neewollah Festival happens in late October. "Neewollah" is "Halloween" spelled backwards! It's a big celebration for the community.
Places to Visit in Independence
- The Independence Community College is home to the William Inge Center for the Arts. This center keeps the writings of famous playwright William Inge, who grew up here. They also host an annual festival and have a program where writers can live in his childhood home.
- You can visit the childhood home of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family, which is a historic site near Independence. This is the place described in her famous book Little House on the Prairie. You can see a cabin like the one they lived in and a old post office.
- At Riverside Park, you can find a Corythosaurus dinosaur replica. This dinosaur was part of a big exhibit at the 1964 New York World's Fair!
- Elk City Lake and Elk City State Park are about five miles west of Independence. They have six hiking trails, and two of them are even recognized as National Trails.
- Montgomery County State Lake is about 4 miles (6.44 km) south of the city. It's a great spot for boating and fishing.
- Riverside Park and Ralph Mitchell Zoo are located on the northeast side of the city. The park has playgrounds, picnic areas, tennis courts, miniature golf, a miniature train, and a merry-go-round. The Ralph Mitchell Zoo has many different animals. This zoo was also the birthplace of Miss Able, the monkey who flew into space! The park is also home to Shulthis Stadium and Emmot Field, where the first night baseball game was played. Baseball legend Mickey Mantle also started his professional career here.
Famous People from Independence
- Taylor Armstrong, a TV personality from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
- Sheila Bair, who used to lead the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Gerry Bamman, an actor
- Donald Graham Burt, an Academy Award-winning production designer
- Scott Hastings, a basketball player in the NBA
- William Inge, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Academy Award-winning screenwriter
- Bill Kurtis, a television journalist
- Alf Landon, a former Governor of Kansas
- Mickey Mantle, a famous baseball player who started his career in Independence
- Harry F. Sinclair, who founded Sinclair Oil
- Vivian Vance, an actress
See also
In Spanish: Independence (Kansas) para niños
