Downs, Kansas
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 Location within Osborne County and Kansas | |
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| Coordinates: 39°30′12″N 98°32′37″W / 39.50333°N 98.54361°WCoordinates: 39°30′12″N 98°32′37″W / 39.50333°N 98.54361°W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Osborne |
| Founded | 1879 |
| Incorporated | 1879 |
| Named for | William Downs |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.12 sq mi (2.90 km2) |
| • Land | 1.12 sq mi (2.90 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,483 ft (452 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 800 |
| • Density | 710/sq mi (276/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 67437 |
| FIPS code | 20-18500 |
| GNIS ID | 2394559[1] |
| Website | downsks.net |
Downs is a city in Osborne County, Kansas, United States. In 2020, 800 people lived there.[3]
History
Downs started in the year 1879 when the Central Branch Railroad was extended to that point.[4] It was named after William F. Downs, a railroad employee from Atchison, Kansas.[5][6] Downs became an incorporated town in December of 1879. In 1910, 1,427 people lived there. There were two newspapers, a public library, flour mills, grain elevators, and an opera house.
Geography
Downs is at 39°30′12″N 98°32′37″W / 39.50333°N 98.54361°W (39.503305, -98.543500).[7] The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of 1.12 square miles (2.90 km2). All of it is land.[2]
People
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 465 | ||
| 1890 | 938 | 101.7% | |
| 1900 | 938 | 0.0% | |
| 1910 | 1,427 | 52.1% | |
| 1920 | 1,508 | 5.7% | |
| 1930 | 1,383 | −8.3% | |
| 1940 | 1,219 | −11.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,221 | 0.2% | |
| 1960 | 1,206 | −1.2% | |
| 1970 | 1,268 | 5.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,324 | 4.4% | |
| 1990 | 1,119 | −15.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,038 | −7.2% | |
| 2010 | 900 | −13.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
In 2020, there were 800 people, 384 households, and 202 families living in Downs. The population density was 714.3 inhabitants per square mile (275.8/km2). 92.8% of the people were White, 1.1% were Native American, 0.4% were Asian, 1.4% were from other races, and 4.4% were from two or more races. 2.4% of the people were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[3][8]
2010 census
In 2010, there were 900 people, 424 households, and 239 families living in Downs. The population density was 900.0 inhabitants per square mile (347.5/km2). 97.6% of the people were White, 0.1% were African American, 1.1% were Native American, 0.6% were Asian, and 0.7% were from two or more races. 0.9% of the people were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[9]
2000 census
In 2000, there were 1,038 people, 474 households, and 273 families living in Downs. The population density was 941.4 people per square mile (364.3/km²). 98.75% of the people were White, 0.67% were Native American, 0.29% were Asian, 0.10% were from other races, and 0.19% were from two or more races. 0.48% of the people were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[10]
Education
Downs is a part of USD 272 Waconda. The district elementary school is Lakeside Elementary School in Cawker City. The district high school is Lakeside High School in Downs; the mascot is Knights.[11]
School unification combined Downs and Waconda East schools into USD 272 in 2003. The combined high school became Lakeside Jr./Sr. High School in Downs.
Downs High School was closed because of school unification. The Downs High School mascot was Dragons.[12] The Downs Dragons won the following Kansas State High School championships:
- 1938 Boys Basketball - Class B [13]
- 1950 Boys Basketball - Class B [13]
- 1988 Boys Cross Country - Class 2-1A [14]
Downs Elementary School and Downs Junior High School was in Downs.[15]
Famous people
- Francis Schmidt, football and basketball coach
Related pages
- Meades Ranch Triangulation Station, the geodetic base point for the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27), which was used as a reference point until 1983.
- Waconda Lake and Glen Elder State Park.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Downs, Kansas
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2020 U.S. Gazetteer FilesUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICSUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ↑ Blackmar, Frank Wilson. Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. (1912)Standard Publishing Company. p. 541.
- ↑ Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States (1905)Govt. Print. Off.. p. 109.
- ↑ Heim, Michael. Exploring Kansas Highways (2007). p. 77. ISBN 9780974435886.
- ↑ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990 (2011-02-12)United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ↑ P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPEUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ↑ American FactFinderUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
- ↑ American FactFinderUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ Waconda USD 272USD 272. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- ↑ "Downs Dragons Hit Hard By Loss Of Veterans", The Salina Journal, 6 September 1951, p.14.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 KSHSAA BasketballKSHSAA. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ↑ KSHSAA Cross CountryKSHSAA. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ↑ Home. Waconda USD 272. April 9, 2002. Retrieved on February 25, 2017.
Other websites
- City
- Schools
- USD 272, local school district
- Pictures
- Historic Images of Downs, Wichita State University Library
- Maps
- Downs City Map Archived 2020-05-04 at the Wayback Machine, KDOT
Municipalities and communities of Osborne County, Kansas, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Townships | ||