Plainville, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Plainville, Kansas
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Plainville Veterans Memorial (2016)
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Location within Rooks County and Kansas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Rooks |
| Founded | 1870s |
| Incorporated | 1888 |
| Named for | Plain |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.20 sq mi (3.10 km2) |
| • Land | 1.20 sq mi (3.10 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,149 ft (655 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,746 |
| • Density | 1,455/sq mi (563.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
67663
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| Area code | 785 |
| FIPS code | 20-56150 |
| GNIS ID | 2396222 |
Plainville is a city in Rooks County, Kansas, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,746 people lived there. The city got its name because it is located on flat, open land, also known as plains.
Contents
History of Plainville
Plainville began in 1877 when Washington Irving Griffin settled in an area called Paradise Flats. He lived in a sod house, which was the first building in the future city. Griffin wanted to open a post office.
To do this, he needed a signature from the local Justice of the Peace, Lambert P. Darland. Darland suggested the name "Plainville" for the new post office. Griffin then ran the Plainville post office and a small store from his home.
In 1888, Plainville officially became a city. It had 500 residents at that time. Dan E. Miller was chosen as the first mayor. The first city council included Dr. Volney M. Gray, Murray C. Knox, John Mullin, George Brooks, and David E. Mickey.
Railroad and Industry Growth
The Union Pacific Railroad built train tracks through Plainville in August 1888. These tracks ran near Mill Street. The train station was located at N First Street and Meridian Street. There was also a roundhouse at N First Street and Madison Street.
The Plainville Mill & Elevator Co. started in 1893. It was a big employer and bought a lot of wheat from local farmers. The first mill burned down in 1899 but was quickly replaced by a larger one. The flour made here was so good that the company won a gold medal at the 1904 World's Fair. Sadly, the mill burned down again in 1950. It was located on N First Street.
Fires and Oil Boom
In 1909, a large fire destroyed many businesses in Plainville. The fire started in a butcher shop on Mill Street. It quickly spread and burned down seventeen buildings. After the fire, new buildings were built using stone and brick. Many of these buildings are still standing on Mill Street today.
Oil was found in Rooks County in 1927. This discovery led to a big growth spurt for Plainville in the 1940s and 1950s. The Bemis-Shutts oil field, south of Plainville, is one of the largest oil producers in Kansas.
Geography and Climate
Plainville is located in the Smoky Hills area of the Great Plains. It sits north of Paradise Creek, which flows into the Saline River. Southwest of the city, Paradise Creek is dammed to create Plainville Township Lake.
Plainville is about 9 miles (14 km) north of the Saline River. It is also about 13 miles (21 km) south of the South Fork Solomon River. The city is in north-central Kansas, where U.S. Route 183 and K-18 meet.
The city covers about 1.24 square miles (3.21 square kilometers) of land.
Plainville's Climate
Plainville has a humid continental climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature each year is about 51.9°F (11°C).
On average, Plainville gets about 23.2 inches (589 mm) of rain each year. It also gets about 23.3 inches (592 mm) of snow annually. January is usually the coldest month, and July is the warmest. May is typically the wettest month.
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Plainville was 114°F (46°C) in 1940. The coldest temperature recorded was -29°F (-34°C) in 1989.
| Climate data for Plainville 4WNW, Kansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1904–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 83 (28) |
87 (31) |
94 (34) |
102 (39) |
103 (39) |
114 (46) |
116 (47) |
113 (45) |
112 (44) |
100 (38) |
88 (31) |
83 (28) |
116 (47) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.3 (5.2) |
45.0 (7.2) |
56.2 (13.4) |
65.4 (18.6) |
74.6 (23.7) |
85.9 (29.9) |
91.3 (32.9) |
88.9 (31.6) |
81.4 (27.4) |
68.5 (20.3) |
54.6 (12.6) |
42.6 (5.9) |
66.3 (19.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 29.3 (−1.5) |
32.3 (0.2) |
42.3 (5.7) |
51.5 (10.8) |
61.8 (16.6) |
72.9 (22.7) |
78.2 (25.7) |
76.2 (24.6) |
68.0 (20.0) |
54.8 (12.7) |
41.6 (5.3) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
53.3 (11.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 17.3 (−8.2) |
19.6 (−6.9) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
37.6 (3.1) |
49.0 (9.4) |
59.9 (15.5) |
65.2 (18.4) |
63.5 (17.5) |
54.5 (12.5) |
41.1 (5.1) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
19.9 (−6.7) |
40.4 (4.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −21 (−29) |
−19 (−28) |
−21 (−29) |
5 (−15) |
25 (−4) |
38 (3) |
45 (7) |
38 (3) |
26 (−3) |
6 (−14) |
−8 (−22) |
−29 (−34) |
−29 (−34) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.64 (16) |
0.83 (21) |
1.40 (36) |
2.22 (56) |
4.10 (104) |
3.28 (83) |
3.95 (100) |
3.64 (92) |
2.24 (57) |
1.71 (43) |
1.15 (29) |
0.95 (24) |
26.11 (663) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.8 (12) |
5.4 (14) |
2.0 (5.1) |
1.2 (3.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.6 (1.5) |
1.9 (4.8) |
3.7 (9.4) |
19.7 (50) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.2 | 3.7 | 5.1 | 7.1 | 9.3 | 8.6 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 71.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.4 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 11.8 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Plainville Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 39 | — | |
| 1890 | 347 | 789.7% | |
| 1900 | 378 | 8.9% | |
| 1910 | 1,090 | 188.4% | |
| 1920 | 1,004 | −7.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,058 | 5.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,232 | 16.4% | |
| 1950 | 2,082 | 69.0% | |
| 1960 | 3,104 | 49.1% | |
| 1970 | 2,627 | −15.4% | |
| 1980 | 2,458 | −6.4% | |
| 1990 | 2,173 | −11.6% | |
| 2000 | 2,029 | −6.6% | |
| 2010 | 1,903 | −6.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,746 | −8.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, the census counted 1,746 people living in Plainville. There were 784 households and 475 families. Most of the people (95.42%) were white. A small number were black, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, or from other races. About 1.95% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 24.1% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in Plainville was 39.9 years. For every 100 females, there were about 105 males.
The average income for households was about $52,946 per year. For families, it was about $76,641 per year. A small percentage of families (1.5%) and people (4.4%) lived below the poverty line.
Arts, Culture, and Recreation
Plainville has several interesting places to visit. These include historical buildings and memorials.
Points of Interest in Plainville
- Plainville Township Hall (built in 1914)
- GAR Memorial (built in 1925)
- Plainville Township Lake dam (built in 1937)
- Rock Gym (built in 1937)
- Plainville Junior High School building (built in 1939)
- Plainville Rural High School (built in 1952)
- Scout House (built in 1964)
- Clarence Audburn Gilbert memorial (built in 1966)
- Veterans Memorial (built in 2016)
Parks and Fun Activities
Plainville offers several places for outdoor fun and sports.
- Max Malin Memorial Ballpark is a large baseball complex with multiple fields.
- Plainville City Park has a playground, a basketball court, and a swimming pool.
- Plainville Township Lake is just half a mile west of town. It's a great spot for fishing, picnics, and other outdoor activities.
- Rooks County Golf Course is a nine-hole public golf course. It is located 5 miles (8 km) north of Plainville.
Education in Plainville
Plainville has public and private schools for students.
Public Schools
The public schools are part of the Plainville USD 270 school district. There are two schools in the district:
- Plainville Jr-Sr High School
- Plainville Elementary School
The Plainville High School Cardinals sports teams have won several Kansas State High School championships:
- 1980: 3A Football
- 1985: 3A Football
- 1988: 3-2-1A Wrestling
- 1992: 3-2-1A Wrestling
- 2012: 2A Boys Track & Field
- 2013: 2A Boys Track & Field
- 2017: 2A Boys Track & Field
Private Schools
- Sacred Heart Grade School
Plainville Memorial Library
The Plainville Memorial Library is a public library. It has been serving the community since 1902.
Media and Infrastructure
Local Media
- Newspaper: Plainville has one weekly newspaper called Plainville Times.
- Radio Station: The radio station KFIX is officially licensed to Plainville. However, it broadcasts from Hays, Kansas and plays Classic rock music.
Transportation and Healthcare
- Roads: U.S. Route 183 runs north and south through Plainville. It crosses highway K-18 on the north side of town.
- Airport: The Rooks County Regional Airport is located seven miles (11 km) north of Plainville.
- Healthcare: The Rooks County Health Center is located on the north end of Plainville.
Notable People from Plainville
Many interesting people have lived in or were born in Plainville:
- Rob Beckley (born 1975): A Christian musician.
- Brent Collins (1941–1988): An actor.
- Dale Dodrill (1926–2019): A former NFL football player.
- Jack Hartman (1925–1998): A basketball coach.
- Jerry Moran (born 1954): A U.S. Senator.
- Carl Weeks (1876–1962): An entrepreneur and philanthropist (someone who gives money to good causes).
Images for kids
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Township Hall
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Rock Gym
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GAR Memorial
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Clarence Audburn Gilbert Memorial
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Scout House
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City Park
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See also
In Spanish: Plainville (Kansas) para niños
