Downs, Kansas

Downs, Kansas
City
Downs Carnegie Library (2014)
Location within Osborne County and Kansas
KDOT map of Osborne County (legend)
Coordinates: 39°30′12″N 98°32′37″W / 39.50333°N 98.54361°W / 39.50333; -98.54361Coordinates: 39°30′12″N 98°32′37″W / 39.50333°N 98.54361°W / 39.50333; -98.54361
Country	United States
State	Kansas
County	Osborne
Founded	1879
Incorporated	1879
Named for	William Downs
Area [1]
• 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  (2010)[2]
• Total	900
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	814
• Density	726.79/sq mi (280.73/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	67437
Area code	785
FIPS code	20-18500 [4]
GNIS ID	0472295 [5]
Website	downsks.net

Downs is a city in Osborne County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 900.^[6]

History[]

Downs had its start in the year 1879 when the Central Branch Railroad was extended to that point.^[7] It was named for William F. Downs, a railroad official from Atchison.^[8][9] Downs became an incorporated town in December of the same year. In 1910, the city had a population of 1,427. Business included 2 newspapers, a public library, flour mills, grain elevators, and an opera house.

Geography[]

Downs is located at

39°30′12″N 98°32′37″W / 39.50333°N 98.54361°W / 39.50333; -98.54361 (39.503305, -98.543500).^[10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.00 square mile (2.59 km²), all of it land.^[11]

Demographics[]

Historical population
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%
2019 (est.)	814	[3]	−9.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census[]

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 900 people, 424 households, and 239 families residing in the city. The population density was 900.0 inhabitants per square mile (347.5/km²). There were 508 housing units at an average density of 508.0 per square mile (196.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.6% White, 0.1% African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 424 households, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.6% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.68.

The median age in the city was 49.5 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.1% were from 25 to 44; 30.8% were from 45 to 64; and 26% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census[]

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 1,038 people, 474 households, and 273 families residing in the city. The population density was 941.4 people per square mile (364.3/km²). There were 543 housing units at an average density of 492.5 per square mile (190.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.75% White, 0.67% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.

There were 474 households, out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 29.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,808, and the median income for a family was $36,518. Males had a median income of $24,940 versus $16,302 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,001. About 9.0% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education[]

The community is served by Waconda USD 272 public school district. The district elementary school is Lakeside Elementary School in Cawker City. The district high school is in Downs, with the mascot Knights.^[12]

School unification combined Downs and Waconda East schools into USD 272 in 2003. The combined high school became Lakeside Jr./Sr. High School located in Downs.

Downs High School was closed through school unification. The Downs High School mascot was Dragons.^[13] The Downs Dragons won the following Kansas State High School championships:

• 1938 Boys Basketball - Class B ^[14]
• 1950 Boys Basketball - Class B ^[14]
• 1988 Boys Cross Country - Class 2-1A ^[15]

Previously the community had Downs Elementary School and Downs Junior High School.^[16]

Notable people[]

• Francis Schmidt, football and basketball coach

See also[]

• 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[]

Further reading[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Downs, Kansas.

• City of Downs
• Downs - Directory of Public Officials
• Historic Images of Downs, Wichita State University Library
• Downs City Map, KDOT