WaKeeney, Kansas
City and County seat | |
 | |
 Location within Trego County and Kansas | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 39°1′24″N 99°52′53″W / 39.02333°N 99.88139°WCoordinates: 39°1′24″N 99°52′53″W / 39.02333°N 99.88139°W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Trego |
| Founded | 1879 |
| Incorporated | 1880 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.78 sq mi (4.61 km2) |
| • Land | 1.78 sq mi (4.61 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,448 ft (746 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 1,799 |
| • Density | 1,010.7/sq mi (390.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 67672 |
| FIPS code | 20-74450 [1] |
| GNIS ID | 472517 [1] |
| Website | wakeeney.org |
WaKeeney is a city in Trego County, Kansas, United States.[4] It is also the county seat of Trego County. In 2020 census, 1,799 people lived there.[3]
History
In 1877, James Keeney, a land speculator in Chicago, bought land at the place of modern-day WaKeeney from the Kansas Pacific Railway. He, and business partner Albert Warren, created Warren, Keeney, & Co., surveyed and plotted the site in 1878. They created a colony there in 1879.[5] They named the colony WaKeeney, a portmanteau of their last names.
They said it was "The Queen City of the High Plains", advertising and holding celebrations to attract settlers.[6] The colony grew quickly, but crop failures made settlers leave in 1880 as quickly as they had come. By 1882, all that was left were "five poorly patronized retail stores".[7] Years later, Volga Germans began settling the area.[5]
WaKeeney became the county seat in June 1879. It was incorporated as a city in 1880.[5][6]
Geography
WaKeeney is at 39°01′24″N 99°52′53″W / 39.023449°N 99.881455°W (39.023449, -99.881455)[2] at an elevation of 2,447 feet (746 m).[8] It is in northwestern Kansas at the intersection of Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 283. It is 162 miles (261 km) northwest of Wichita, 281 miles (452 km) east-southeast of Denver, and 284 miles (457 km) west of Kansas City.[9]
WaKeeney is in the High Plains region of the Great Plains. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Big Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill River.[10][11] A small tributary of Big Creek goes south from near the center of the city.[11]
The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of 1.78 square miles (4.61 km2). All of it is land.[2]
Climate
WaKeeney has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). It has hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature is 52.8 °F (11 °C), and the average yearly precipitation is 23.6 inches (600 mm).[12] Snowfall averages 25.2 inches (640 mm) per year.[13] On average, January is the coldest month, and July is both the hottest month and the wettest month. The hottest temperature ever in WaKeeney was 110 °F (43 °C) in 1980; the coldest temperature ever was -25 °F (-32 °C) in 1989.[14]
| Climate data for WaKeeney, Kansas | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26.1) |
84 (28.9) |
90 (32.2) |
102 (38.9) |
101 (38.3) |
110 (43.3) |
110 (43.3) |
107 (41.7) |
104 (40) |
98 (36.7) |
89 (31.7) |
79 (26.1) |
110 (43.3) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 40 (4.4) |
46 (7.8) |
55 (12.8) |
66 (18.9) |
75 (23.9) |
87 (30.6) |
93 (33.9) |
91 (32.8) |
82 (27.8) |
70 (21.1) |
53 (11.7) |
42 (5.6) |
66.7 (19.26) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 16 (-8.9) |
21 (-6.1) |
29 (-1.7) |
39 (3.9) |
50 (10) |
60 (15.6) |
65 (18.3) |
63 (17.2) |
53 (11.7) |
41 (5) |
28 (-2.2) |
19 (-7.2) |
40.3 (4.63) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −14 (-25.6) |
−14 (-25.6) |
−9 (-22.8) |
11 (-11.7) |
27 (-2.8) |
39 (3.9) |
47 (8.3) |
47 (8.3) |
24 (-4.4) |
12 (-11.1) |
−4 (-20) |
−25 (-31.7) |
−25 (-31.7) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 0.68 (17.3) |
0.77 (19.6) |
1.87 (47.5) |
2.17 (55.1) |
3.62 (91.9) |
2.57 (65.3) |
3.64 (92.5) |
2.95 (74.9) |
2.02 (51.3) |
1.33 (33.8) |
1.33 (33.8) |
0.66 (16.8) |
23.61 (599.7) |
| Snowfall inches (cm) | 5.5 (14) |
4.9 (12.4) |
4.9 (12.4) |
1.8 (4.6) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.3 (0.8) |
0.8 (2) |
2.6 (6.6) |
4.5 (11.4) |
25.3 (64.3) |
| Source: The Weather Channel;[14] National Weather Service[13] | |||||||||||||
People
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 418 | ||
| 1890 | 439 | 5.0% | |
| 1900 | 394 | −10.3% | |
| 1910 | 883 | 124.1% | |
| 1920 | 1,003 | 13.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,408 | 40.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,852 | 31.5% | |
| 1950 | 2,446 | 32.1% | |
| 1960 | 2,808 | 14.8% | |
| 1970 | 2,334 | −16.9% | |
| 1980 | 2,388 | 2.3% | |
| 1990 | 2,161 | −9.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,924 | −11.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,862 | −3.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
The 2020 census says that there were 1,799 people, 837 households, and 482 families living in the city. Of the households, 73.5% owned their home and 26.5% rented their home.
The median age was 47.4 years. Of the people, 93.6% were White, 0.6% were Asian, 0.2% were Black, 0.1% were Native American, 0.4% were from some other race, and 5.2% were two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the people.[3][15]
2010 census
The 2010 census says that there were 1,862 people, 864 households, and 500 families residing in the city.[16]
Infrastructure
Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 40 run concurrently southeast-northwest just south of WaKeeney. They intersect U.S. Route 283, which goes north-south through WaKeeney. U.S. 283 goes east-west for one mile in downtown WaKeeney. It is concurrent with U.S. Route 40 Business and the old alignment of U.S. 40.[17]
Trego WaKeeney Airport is on the west side of U.S. 283. It is just south of I-70.[18] The airport is publicly owned. It has one concrete runway. It is used for general aviation.[19]
Union Pacific Railroad has one freight railroad, the Kansas Pacific (KP) line, through WaKeeney. It goes east-west through the WaKeeney.[17][20]
Media
The Western Kansas World is the local newspaper. It is published once per week.[21]
K231BG is a translator of radio station KJIL in Copeland, Kansas. It broadcasts from WaKeeney on 94.1 FM. It plays a Contemporary Christian format.[22][23]
WaKeeney is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market.[24]
Famous people
- Charles Harris Garrigues (1903-1974), journalist[25]
- Steve Gotsche (1961- ), former PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour golfer[26]
- Andrew J. Harlan (1815-1907), U.S. Representative from Indiana[27]
- Frank Mechau (1904-1946), painter[28]
- Mike Schreiner (1969- ), Green Party of Ontario leader[29] and Member of Provincial Parliament in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2018 election
- Orrin Upshaw (1874-1937), U.S. Olympic tug of war athlete[source?]
WaKeeney, Kansas Media
West side of Trego County Courthouse (2017)
Kansas Veterans' Cemetery (2017)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Template:Cite gnis2
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2020 U.S. Gazetteer FilesUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICSUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ↑ Find a CountyNational Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Homesteading in Trego County - WaKeeney. Kansas Heritage ProjectFort Hays State University. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 HistoryWaKeeney, Kansas. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
- ↑ Blackmar, Frank Wilson. Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume 2 (1912)Standard Publishing Company. p. 858.
- ↑ US Board on Geographic Names (2007-10-25)United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ City Distance ToolGeobytes. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
- ↑ 2003-2004 Official Transportation Map (2003)Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 General Highway Map - Trego County, Kansas (2013)Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
- ↑ Historical Weather for WaKeeney, Kansas, United States of AmericaWeatherbase. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 NOWData - NOAA Online Weather DataNational Weather Service Forecast Office - Dodge City, KS. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Average weather for WaKeeney, KSThe Weather Channel. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
- ↑ P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPEUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ↑ American FactFinderUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 City of WaKeeney [Map] (May 2007)Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
- ↑ WaKeeney, KSGoogle Maps. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
- ↑ 0H1 - Trego WaKeeney AirportAirNav.com. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
- ↑ UPRR Common Line NamesUnion Pacific Railroad. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
- ↑ About this Newspaper: Western Kansas world. Chronicling AmericaLibrary of Congress. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
- ↑ K231BG-FM 94.1 MHz. Radio-LocatorTheodric Technologies LLC. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
- ↑ Station Information ProfileArbitron. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
- ↑ Kansas. TV Market MapsEchoStar Knowledge Base. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
- ↑ Garrigues, George. He Usually Lived With a Female: The Life of California Newspaperman Charles Harris (Brick) Garrigues (January 2006). Los Angeles: Quail Creek Press. ISBN 978-0963483010.
- ↑ Caywood, Kurt. Taking aim at the PGA Tour (1999-07-20)Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
- ↑ Harlan, Andrew Jackson (1815-1907)Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
- ↑ Frank Mechau Jr.askART. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
- ↑ Profile: Green Leader Mike Schreiner (2011-08-26)CBC News. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
Other websites
- City
- Schools
- USD 208, local school district
- Historical
- History of WaKeeney Archived 2009-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
- Maps
- WaKeeney City Map Archived 2015-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, KDOT
