Parsons, Kansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Parsons, Kansas
City
Former Parsons Carnegie Library, now Parsons Carnegie Arts Center (2013)
Seal
Location within Labette County and Kansas
KDOT map of Labette County (legend)
Country	United States
State	Kansas
County	Labette
Founded	1870
Incorporated	1871
Named for	Levi Parsons
Area
• Total	10.72 sq mi (27.76 km2)
• Land	10.63 sq mi (27.54 km2)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.22 km2)
Elevation	902 ft (275 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,600
• Density	896/sq mi (345.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	67357
Area code	620
FIPS code	20-54675
GNIS ID	469782

Parsons is a city in Labette County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 9,600. It is the most populous city of Labette County, and the second-most populous city in the southeastern region of Kansas. It is home to Labette Community College and the Parsons State Hospital & Training Center.

History

Parsons was named after Levi Parsons, president of the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad. The town was founded in 1870 and incorporated the following year. It soon became a major hub for several railroads including the Missouri Kansas & Texas Railroad, Parsons & Pacific Railroad, Kansas City & Pacific Railroad, and the Memphis, Kansas & Colorado Railroad. During World War II it was home to the Kansas Ordnance Plant, which later operated for some years as the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant. In Spring of 2005, the munitions plant was placed on the BRAC list for closure. The community has rallied behind the current plant operator, Day and Zimmerman, to keep the company on the grounds after closure and to keep those jobs and more in the Parsons area. (See link to "Great Plains Industrial Park" in "External Links", below) Parsons is also home to the Parsons State Hospital & Training Center, which has been in operation since 1903 when it was opened as the Kansas State Hospital for Epileptics.

Main Street in Parsons (1908)

In 1957 the hospital was renamed Parsons State Hospital and Training Center. At that time it began providing programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. The Hospital occupies 43 buildings on 163 acres (0.66 km²). The hospital also includes residential services, the University Center on Developmental Disabilities and the Parsons Research Center for the University of Kansas, the Special Purpose School of the Southeast Regional Education Service Center. The Southeast Kansas Agricultural Research Center of Kansas State University is also located on the grounds, as is the Alzheimer's Association, Heart of America Chapter, Southeast Kansas Regional Office.

The first library began as a subscription library in 1904 and was located in city hall. Parsons Public Library, a Carnegie library, opened on May 18, 1909. A new library opened on April 18, 1977, and its former building has since been renovated to become a visual and performing arts center.

The sale of Katy Industries to Union Pacific, in 1988, eventually saw the loss of scores of railroad jobs and, in effect, severed a major part of Parsons' city history which stretched back to its 1871 incorporation. While, in return, the city received a million dollars to help it recover (and so that it would not file lengthy paperwork opposing the sale and thus delaying it), that money is kept in a fund by the city government, which uses the accrued interest on economic development projects. The only reminder of the Katy Railroad is now found in the local historical society's museum and of course the tracks, over which trains now speed through Parsons. The Kansas Army Ammunition Plant also was down scaled in the 1980s.

On April 19, 2000, an F3 tornado cut a devastating path of destruction through the center of Parsons. Eight hundred homes, one hundred twenty businesses, and hundreds of vehicles were destroyed or damaged.

On June 5, 2006 the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Parsons a 2006 Great American Main Street Award winner for its successful efforts in revitalizing its downtown area through historic preservation. The award was presented during the 2006 National Main Streets Conference in New Orleans. Parsons was one of only five cities receiving the 2006 award.

Parsons is the home of Dwayne's Photo, which became the last processor of K-14 Kodachrome film in the world and was the location of the final frame taken on the final roll of Kodachrome film produced.

The motion picture ZombieGeddon (2003) was filmed in Parsons in July 2002.

Geography

Parsons is located at 37°20′21″N 95°16′11″W / 37.33917°N 95.26972°W / 37.33917; -95.26972 (37.339070, -95.269747). The city is at the junction of U.S. Route 59 and U.S. Route 400. Along US-59, the city of Erie (the county seat of Neosho County) is 17 miles (27 km) to the north and Oswego (the county seat of Labette County) is 20 miles (32 km) south and east. Big Hill Lake is several miles to the west of the city, and Lake Parsons is situated northwest of the city.

The Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (KSAAP) is located southeast of the city. The facility was completed in 1942 to support World War II operations and consists of 21 separate facilities over 13,727 acres (55.55 km²). The installation is actively used as a munitions loading, assembly, and packing facility.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.70 square miles (27.71 km²), of which 10.61 square miles (27.48 km²) is land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km²) is water.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 10,500 people, 4,351 households, and 2,586 families living in the city. The population density was 989.6 inhabitants per square mile (382.1/km²). There were 5,034 housing units at an average density of 474.5 per square mile (183.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.3% White, 18.6% African American, 1.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.7% of the population.

There were 4,351 households, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.6% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

Points of interest

Civil War veterans bought a portion of Oakwood Cemetery in 1886 and named it Antietam Circle

• Parsons Arboretum
• Tri-City Airport
• Big Hill Lake
• Lake Parsons
• Neosho State Fishing Lake
• Oakwood Cemetery
• Parsons Historical Society Museum
• Forest Park

Education

College

• Labette Community College

Public

Parsons USD 503 public school district serves most of the city of Parsons:

• Parsons Senior High School (9-12)
• Parsons Middle School (6-8)
• Guthridge Elementary (4-5)
• Garfield Elementary (2-3)
• Lincoln Elementary (PreK-1)

Labette County USD 506 public school district serves southern and western parts of the city of Parsons:

• Meadow View Elementary (K-8)

Erie-Galesburg USD 101 public school district serves north of Parsons.

Private

• St. Patrick Catholic School (PreK-8)

Library

The first public library building in Parsons was the Carnegie Library, established in 1909. The Parsons Public Library moved to a modern facility in 1977.

Notable people

• Gilbert Baker, civil rights activist and creator of the pride flag
• Fred Bradley, Major League Baseball pitcher
• Gil Britton, Major League Baseball player
• Jamie Anne (Brown) Allman, actress
• Buck Clayton aka Wilbur Dorsey Clayton, jazz musician
• William Coffin Coleman, founder of the Coleman Company, and mayor of Wichita, Kansas
• William W. Cranston, civil war soldier and medal of honor recipient
• Walter Davidson, Sr., co-founder of Harley-Davidson Motor Company
• Pintip Dunn, author of young adult fiction
• , author
• Myron V. George, U.S. congressman
• Derrel Gofourth, NFL offensive lineman
• Bill Guthridge, college basketball coach
• George Harvey, professional football player
• Clancy Hayes, jazz musician
• Shaun Hill, NFL quarterback
• Jeff Kready, Broadway and television actor
• Roland Lakes, Wichita State and NFL lineman
• Deb Miller, Kansas Secretary of Transportation (2003–2012)
• Ajit Pai, former FCC Chairman
• George Pepperdine, founder of Western Auto and Pepperdine University
• ZaSu Pitts, film and television actress and comedian
• Payne Harry Ratner, Kansas Governor
• Clyde M. Reed, Kansas Governor and U.S. Senator
• Nell Donnelly Reed, businesswoman
• T. Claude Ryan, aviator, aerospace engineer
• Dan Smith, major league baseball player
• Clark Tippet, ballet dancer and choreographer
• Levi Watkins, heart surgeon and civil rights activist

Images for kids

• 

  1873 Forest Avenue now Broadway Avenue

See also

In Spanish: Parsons (Kansas) para niños