Lake Lotawana, Missouri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Lotawana, Missouri
City
Location of Lake Lotawana, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Jackson
Incorporated	1958
Government
• Type	Board of Alderman
Area
• Total	11.30 sq mi (29.26 km2)
• Land	10.31 sq mi (26.71 km2)
• Water	0.98 sq mi (2.55 km2)
Elevation	896 ft (273 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,310
• Density	223.97/sq mi (86.47/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	64064, 64086, 64029, 64070
Area code(s)	816
FIPS code	29-39980
GNIS feature ID	0720753

Lake Lotawana is a city in Jackson County, Missouri, United States. It is about 35 miles southeast of downtown Kansas City. The city is next to Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit. In 2020, about 2,310 people lived there. Lake Lotawana is part of the larger Kansas City metropolitan area.

The city gets its name from the large lake within its borders. The lake itself is said to be named after a Native American princess. Her name, Lotawana, means "sparkling water."

History of Lake Lotawana

How the Lake Was Created

Lake Lotawana was first thought of by Milton Thompson. He owned a large cattle farm nearby called Highland Farms. In 1927, he decided to create a new lake community. He had already built Lake Tapawingo, another lake area for wealthy business people from Kansas City.

Work on Lake Lotawana began in 1927. Surveying the land was finished by June 1928. The dam for the lake was completed in the fall of 1929. This was just before the Great Depression started. Because of a long dry period, the lake did not fill completely until the spring of 1935. Selling land around the lake was slow at first due to the Depression.

The Legend of Princess Lotawana

The name Lake Lotawana comes from a story about a Native American princess. Her name meant "sparkling water." The legend says she lived in the Catskill Mountains in New York.

The Civil War Era

The area where Lake Lotawana now sits was once a hiding spot. It was used by a group called Quantrill's Raiders during the Civil War. This group carried out attacks against Union Army units. They also targeted people in Missouri and Kansas who supported the Union.

There are stories that a battle happened here on August 13, 1862. It was near what is now called Quantrill's Cove. This battle was connected to the Battle of Lone Jack. Quantrill's group also led a well-known attack on Lawrence, Kansas, in 1863. This event is known as the Lawrence massacre.

After this attack, a Union General issued an order. This order forced people who supported the Confederacy to leave four counties, including the Lake Lotawana area. Many homes were burned, and people lost their property. There were rumors that stolen items from the Lawrence attack were buried near the Sni-a-Bar creek valley. This area later became Lake Lotawana. A place called Treasure Cove on the lake was named because of these rumors.

After the Civil War

After the Civil War, settlers returned to the area. They mostly developed farms around the valley. The Sni-A-Bar creek valley itself had a lot of trees. It was not as good for farming or raising animals.

There was a special sulphur spring in the area. People used to have picnics and religious meetings there. A Baptist minister named Joab Powell held revivals in what is now Waterfall Cove. His church was destroyed by a tornado in 1894.

Milton Thompson bought much of the land for the lake. He hired Oliver Sheley to survey the lake area. Mr. Thompson lived by the lake until he passed away in 1967.

In the early days, the lake had locked gates and guards. They checked for passes to enter the area. Many of the first homes were simple cabins. They were meant for summer vacations. Over time, both summer cabins and permanent homes were built. The dam needed many repairs in the 1930s and 1940s.

The Lake Lotawana Development Company first managed the area. The city officially became a fourth-class city on November 24, 1958.

Geography and Area

Lake Lotawana is located at coordinates 38°55′36″N 94°15′12″W / 38.92667°N 94.25333°W / 38.92667; -94.25333.

The city covers about 11.29 square miles (29.26 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 10.31 square miles (26.71 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.98 square miles (2.55 square kilometers), is water.

The lake itself has about 600 acres of surface water. It also has 27 miles of shoreline, which is a long way around the lake!

The city was originally much smaller, about 2.3 square miles. But in 2001 and 2004, the city grew. It added more land to the south, including the Barber property and other neighborhoods. Now, the city is about 11.3 square miles in total.

Education and Services

Local Schools

Students living in Lake Lotawana attend schools in the Lee's Summit R7 School District. Younger students go to Mason Elementary. Middle school students attend Bernard C. Campbell Middle School. High school students go to Lee's Summit North High School.

City Utilities

• Water is provided by Public Water Supply Districts 13 and 15.
• The City of Lake Lotawana provides sewer service.
• Natural gas service comes from Spire.
• Evergy provides electricity.

The city also has a plan for its future development. This plan was finished in 2017 and can be found on the city's website.

Population Information

Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 1,939 people living in Lake Lotawana. There were 840 households and 566 families. The city had about 188 people per square mile. There were also 1,299 housing units.

Most of the people living in the city were White (96.8%). A small number were African American (0.4%), Native American (0.3%), or Asian (0.5%). About 1.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 26.1% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (58.6%) were married couples. The average household had 2.31 people, and the average family had 2.75 people.

The average age of people in the city was 46.7 years. About 19.7% of residents were under 18. About 14.5% were 65 years old or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (51.7%) and females (48.3%).