Colby, advertised as "The Oasis on the Plains", is the county seat[3] of and largest city in Thomas County, Kansas, United States, with a total population of 5,450 as of the 2000 census. The city is also the site of Colby Community College and Colby High School.
History
In 1882, a post office was established near the center of Thomas County. Area homesteaders lived under harsh conditions in sod houses, creating demand for a town to provide lumber and other provisions to incoming settlers. J.R. Colby, a local land assessor and preacher, obtained a patent to establish the town in April 1884, and land was acquired for the town site three miles north of the post office in March 1885. The following month, the Kansas Secretary of State issued the Town Charter. Kansas Gov. John Martin named Colby the county seat in 1885, and the city was incorporated in 1886. The Union Pacific Railroad reached the city in 1887, and the Rock Island Railroad followed the next year.
Interstate 70 reached Colby in 1965, stimulating the growth of a local hospitality industry.[4]
Geography
Colby is located at 39°23′32″N 101°02′51″W / 39.392093°N 101.047532°W / 39.392093; -101.047532 (39.392093, -101.047532) on the High Plains in northwestern Kansas.[5] Prairie Dog Creek, a tributary of the Republican River, passes immediately north of Colby, and a small tributary of the creek flows southwest to northeast through the town.[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.7 km2), all of it land.
Climate
| Weather data for Colby, Kansas, USA |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Record high °F (°C) |
77
(25) |
81
(27) |
89
(32) |
98
(37) |
103
(39) |
110
(43) |
109
(43) |
106
(41) |
104
(40) |
97
(36) |
85
(29) |
83
(28) |
| Average high °F (°C) |
39
(4) |
45
(7) |
53
(12) |
63
(17) |
72
(22) |
84
(29) |
90
(32) |
88
(31) |
79
(26) |
67
(19) |
51
(11) |
42
(6) |
| Average low °F (°C) |
12
(-11) |
17
(-8) |
24
(-4) |
33
(1) |
45
(7) |
55
(13) |
61
(16) |
59
(15) |
49
(9) |
35
(2) |
24
(-4) |
15
(-9) |
| Record low °F (°C) |
-24
(-31) |
-22
(-30) |
-22
(-30) |
5
(-15) |
20
(-7) |
33
(1) |
42
(6) |
40
(4) |
21
(-6) |
7
(-14) |
-8
(-22) |
-32
(-36) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) |
0.40
(10.2) |
0.46
(11.7) |
1.20
(30.5) |
1.93
(49) |
3.60
(91.4) |
2.96
(75.2) |
3.95
(100.3) |
2.47
(62.7) |
1.39
(35.3) |
1.24
(31.5) |
0.81
(20.6) |
0.36
(9.1) |
| Source: The Weather Channel[7] 19 Nov 2009 |
Demographics
| Historical populations |
| Census |
Pop. |
|
%± |
| 1890 |
516 |
|
—
|
| 1900 |
641 |
|
24.2% |
| 1910 |
1,130 |
|
76.3% |
| 1920 |
1,114 |
|
−1.4% |
| 1930 |
2,153 |
|
93.3% |
| 1940 |
2,458 |
|
14.2% |
| 1950 |
3,859 |
|
57.0% |
| 1960 |
4,210 |
|
9.1% |
| 1970 |
4,658 |
|
10.6% |
| 1980 |
5,544 |
|
19.0% |
| 1990 |
5,396 |
|
−2.7% |
| 2000 |
5,450 |
|
1.0% |
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 5,450 people, 2,223 households, and 1,367 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,632.8 people per square mile (630.0/km2). There were 2,405 housing units at an average density of 720.5/sq mi (278.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.73% White, 0.64% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.98% of the population.
There were 2,223 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 16.4% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,615, and the median income for a family was $45,127. Males had a median income of $34,097 versus $21,706 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,872. About 8.1% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Interstate 70 runs east-west immediately south of Colby. U.S. Route 24 runs east-west through the city, intersecting K-25 which runs north-south.
Colby Municipal Airport is located on K-25 approximately 2 miles (3 km) north of the city.
Media
Print
Colby has one daily newspaper, The Colby Free Press, and one weekly newspaper, The Thomas County Herald.[8][9]
Radio
The following radio stations are licensed to Colby:
AM
FM
Television
The following television stations are licensed to Colby:
Points of interest
Situated in the heart of Colby is the multi-storied romanesque building/campanile courthouse which was constructed in 1907 by local firms Holland, JC & Squires, Frank, Crosby, and L. & Son. It is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located at 300 N. Court in Colby.
Other city buildings joining the courthouse on the National Register of Historic Places include the Colby Municipal Swimming Pool and City Bath House at 200 E. 5th St. (now locally referred to as "the public pool"), the Colby Community High School at 750 West 3rd St. (which is now used as an elementary/junior high school), and the art-deco sand-colored Colby City Hall, which was built in the 1920s by the architecture firm Suite & Blanchard. Throughout its 80-year history, the city-hall has served as a correctional facility, fire station, library and meeting hall.
Another noteworthy feature of Colby is Villa High Lake. The city-made reservoir is situated on the South Side of Villa High Park, which was created in the 1960s by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The park has playground equipment, picnic shelters, disc golf, and fishing.
Fike Park is located just north of City Hall at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Eighth Street. The park area was formerly known as Carp Lake. The park has gazebos, a volleyball area, horseshoe pitching pits, and tennis courts. In 1998 and 1999, over $100,000 was raised by civic groups and parents, with assistance from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and the City of Colby, for new playground equipment. In 2000, the tennis courts in this area were replaced and are used by Colby Community College and Unified School District #315. Colby Swimming Pool is located just south of the park.
Pioneer Memorial Library is located close to downtown Colby. Murals grace the walls of the young readers' room, and posters and plaques perk up the rest of the library.
The Prairie Museum of Art and History serves as a cultural center. The museum is a private, non-profit museum governed by the Thomas County Historical Society. The Society was founded in 1959 to preserve the history of Thomas County, Kansas. The museum occupies a 24-acre (97,000 m2) site just north of Interstate 70, between exits 53 and 54.
Notable natives
References
External links
