Spearville, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spearville, Kansas
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Location within Ford County and Kansas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Ford |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Incorporated | 1885 |
| Named for | Alden Speare |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.63 sq mi (1.63 km2) |
| • Land | 0.63 sq mi (1.63 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,457 ft (749 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 791 |
| • Density | 1,256/sq mi (485.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
67876
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| Area code | 620 |
| FIPS code | 20-67125 |
| GNIS ID | 2395923 |
Spearville is a small city in Ford County, Kansas. In 2020, about 791 people lived there. You can find Spearville along Highway 50.
Contents
History of Spearville
Spearville started in March 1873. It was built on a part of the famous Santa Fe Trail called Dry Ridge. The city got its name from Alden H. Speare. He was a director for the railroad and the head of the company that planned the town. For a while, people spelled the name as both Spearville and Speareville. By the 1890s, everyone agreed on "Spearville."
The first people to live permanently in Spearville were Jonas Stafford and his family. They moved there in January 1875. Mr. Stafford worked for the Santa Fe railroad. His wife and daughters opened a place to eat for the railroad workers. The first post office in Spearville opened in June 1877.
In October 1892, a group of outlaws robbed the Ford County Bank. One of the robbers was quickly found and caught.
Spearville is known as the "City of Windmills." This is because many windmills were used in the late 1800s. They helped pump water from underground. Today, there are large wind farms around the city. These farms have more than 350 wind turbines.
Geography and Climate
Spearville's Location
The United States Census Bureau says that Spearville covers about 0.60 square miles (1.6 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Weather in Spearville
The weather in Spearville has hot and humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate. On climate maps, it is shown as "Cfa."
Population of Spearville
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 156 | — | |
| 1900 | 157 | — | |
| 1910 | 576 | 266.9% | |
| 1920 | 629 | 9.2% | |
| 1930 | 703 | 11.8% | |
| 1940 | 603 | −14.2% | |
| 1950 | 610 | 1.2% | |
| 1960 | 602 | −1.3% | |
| 1970 | 738 | 22.6% | |
| 1980 | 693 | −6.1% | |
| 1990 | 716 | 3.3% | |
| 2000 | 813 | 13.5% | |
| 2010 | 773 | −4.9% | |
| 2020 | 791 | 2.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
What the 2010 Census Showed
In 2010, there were 773 people living in Spearville. There were 300 households, and 218 of these were families. The city had about 1288 people per square mile. Most people living in Spearville were White (95.5%). About 8.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Many households (34.7%) had children under 18. Most families (64.0%) were married couples living together. The average household had 2.58 people. The average family had 3.08 people. The average age in Spearville was 39.9 years old.
Education in Spearville
The local public schools are part of the Spearville USD 381 school district.
Transportation in Spearville
Major Highways
Spearville Wind Energy Facility
The Spearville Wind Energy Facility started working in 2006. It has 67 large GE Energy 1.5 MW wind turbines. These turbines can produce 100.5 megawatts of power. When it opened, it was the second largest wind farm in Kansas. The Gray County Wind Farm was larger. Later, the first part of the Smoky Hills Wind Farm opened. This made Spearville's wind farm the third largest.
Notable People from Spearville
- Willie Cauley-Stein: A professional basketball player.
- Rick Dvorak: An American football player.
- Ignatius Strecker: He served as the Archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas from 1969 to 1993.
See also
In Spanish: Spearville para niños
