Manhattan¹

 

city (1990 pop. 37,712), seat of Riley co., NE Kans., at the confluence of the Big Blue and Kansas rivers; inc. 1857. It is the trade and processing center of a farm area. Much of the economy is dependent upon Kansas State Univ. and nearby Fort Riley. The Tuttle Creek Dam and reservoir, with numerous recreational areas, is to the north. Damon Runyon was born in Manhattan.

City of Manhattan
Riley County Courthouse, Manhattan
Nickname: The Little Apple
Location within Riley County and Kansas
Coordinates: 39°11′30″N 96°35′30″W / 39.19167, -96.59167
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Counties	Riley, Pottawatomie
Settled	1855
Incorporated	May 30, 1857
Government
- Type	Commission-Manager
- Mayor	Tom Phillips
- Commissioner	Mark Hatesohl
- Commissioner	Bob Strawn
- Commissioner	Bruce Snead
- Commissioner	Jim Sherow
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2005)[1]
- City
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	66502–66503, 66505-66506
Area code(s)	785
FIPS code	20-442502
GNIS feature ID	04763783
Website: www.ci.manhattan.ks.us

Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. As of the July 2005 census estimate, its population was 49,462, making it the eighth-largest city in Kansas. Manhattan is the county seat of Riley County. A small part of the town extends into Pottawatomie County. It is the principal town within the Manhattan, Kansas Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Nicknamed The Little Apple in 1977 as a play on New York City's "Big Apple," it is most well-known for being the home of Kansas State University. Eight miles (13 km) west of the town is Fort Riley, a United States Army post. In 2007, CNN and Money magazine rated Manhattan as one of the ten best places in America to retire young.^[2]

History

Polistra and Canton

The Kansas-Nebraska Act opened the territory to settlement in 1854. That fall, George S. Park founded the first Euro-American settlement within the borders of the current Manhattan. Park named it Polistra (in some histories referred to as Poliska or Poleska).^[3]

Later that same year, Samuel D. Houston and four other pioneers founded a neighboring community near the mouth of the Big Blue River that they named Canton.^[4] Neither Canton nor Polistra ever grew to include anyone beyond their original founders.

Free-Staters

In March 1855, a group of Free-Staters traveled to Kansas Territory under the auspices of the New England Emigrant Aid Company to found a Free-State town. Led by Isaac Goodnow, the first members of the group selected (in conjunction with Samuel C. Pomeroy) the location of the Polistra and Canton claims for the Aid Company's new settlement. After the New Englanders arrived at the site, in April 1855 the various settlers agreed to join their three groups into one settlement named Boston.^[3]

In June 1855, the steamboat Hartford, carrying 75 settlers from Ohio, ran aground in the Kansas River near the settlement. The Hartford passengers accepted an invitation to join the new town, but insisted that it be renamed Manhattan, which was done on June 29, 1855. Manhattan was incorporated on May 30, 1857.^[3]

Early events

Early Manhattan settlers found themselves in conflict with Native Americans and the town itself was threatened by pro-slavery Southerners, but the proximity of Fort Riley protected the settlement from the major violence visited upon other Free-State towns during the "Bleeding Kansas" era.

The young town received an early boost when gold was discovered in the Rocky Mountains in 1859 and Fifty-Niners began to stream through Manhattan on their way to prospect in the mountains. Manhattan was one of the last significant settlements on the route west, and the village's merchants did a brisk business selling supplies to miners.

At the same time, Manhattan was fast becoming a center of education. In 1858, the Territorial Legislature chartered the private Methodist Bluemont Central College in Manhattan. In 1861, when the State of Kansas entered the Union, Isaac Goodnow, who had been a teacher in Rhode Island, began lobbying the legislature to establish a university in Manhattan. As an inducement, the Manhattanites offered to the state the physical plant of Bluemont Central College. The culmination of these efforts came on February 16 1863, when the Kansas legislature established Kansas State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University) in Manhattan.

By the time the Kansas Pacific Railroad laid its tracks west through Manhattan in 1866, the 11-year-old settlement was already permanently ensconced in the tallgrass prairie. Manhattan has increased in population every decade since its founding.

Geography

Manhattan is located at 39°11.5′N, 96°35.5′W, or about 50 miles (80 km) west of Topeka on the Kansas River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 38.9 km² (15.0 mi²), almost all land.

Geographic features

Manhattan is located in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, which consists of continuous rolling hills covered in tall grasses. However, the current downtown area – the original site of Manhattan – was built on a broad, flat floodplain at the junction of the Kansas and Big Blue rivers.

Tuttle Creek Reservoir is located 5 miles (8 km) north of Manhattan. The lake was formed when the Big Blue River was dammed for flood control in the 1960s, and it is now a state park that offers many recreational opportunities. South of town is the Konza Prairie, a tallgrass prairie preserve jointly owned by The Nature Conservancy and Kansas State University.

Climate

Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low of almost 15°F in January to an average high of nearly 93°F in July. The maximum temperature reaches 90°F an average of 56 days per year and reaches 100°F an average of 9 days per year. The minimum temperature falls below the freezing point (32°F) an average of 118 days per year. Typically the first fall freeze occurs between the last week of September and the end of October, and the last spring freeze occurs between the first week of April and early May.

The area receives nearly 35 inches of precipitation during an average year with the largest share being received in May and June—the April–June period averages 33 days of measurable precipitation. During a typical year the total amount of precipitation may be anywhere from 24 to 46 inches. There are on average 97 days of measurable precipitation per year. Winter snowfall averages almost 16 inches, but the median is less than 10 inches. Measurable snowfall occurs an average of 10 days per year with at least an inch of snow being received on six of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 20 days per year.

Source: Monthly Station Climate Summaries, 1971-2000, U.S. National Climatic Data Center

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Temperatures (°F)
Mean high	39.5	46.8	57.5	67.9	77.5	87.1	92.5	90.8	82.1	70.7	54.5	42.9	67.5
Mean low	16.1	21.5	31.4	42.2	52.5	62.3	67.3	65.1	55.5	43.2	30.2	19.9	42.3
Highest recorded	74 (1939)	84 (1972)	95 (1907)	99 (1910)	103 (1934)	112 (1911)	115 (1936)	116 (1936)	112 (1947)	98 (1947)	87 (1909)	77 (1939)	116 (1936)
Lowest recorded	−31 (1947)	−26 (1905)	−12 (1948)	5 (1920)	23 (1907)	39 (1946)	38 (1902)	40 (1916)	26 (1995)	13 (1993)	−9 (1952)	−22 (1989)	−31 (1947)
Precipitation (inches)
Median	0.79	0.92	2.11	2.22	4.53	4.62	3.20	2.93	3.28	2.38	1.51	0.85	34.34
Mean number of days	5.4	5.2	7.9	10.0	12.0	10.9	8.6	9.2	8.1	7.7	7.0	5.2	97.2
Highest monthly	3.16 (1979)	2.48 (1997)	7.40 (1973)	9.52 (1999)	14.73 (1995)	11.55 (1977)	17.56 (1993)	7.25 (1977)	9.89 (1973)	6.49 (1973)	5.79 (1998)	3.40 (1973)
Snowfall (inches)
Median	3.7	3.2	0.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	1.7	9.5
Mean number of days	4.5	3.2	1.7	0.6	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.5	3.5	15.0
Highest monthly	16.2 (1985)	18.5 (1978)	9.0 (1998)	4.8 (1975)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.1 (1991)	8.8 (1975)	14.6 (1983)
Notes: Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation includes rain and melted snow or sleet in inches; median values are provided for precipitation and snowfall because mean averages may be misleading. Mean and median values are for the 30-year period 1971–2000; temperature extremes are for the station's period of record (1900–2001). The station is located in Manhattan at 39°13′N 96°36′W, elevation 1,065 feet.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1870			—
1880			79.5%
1890			42.7%
1900			14.4%
1910			66.4%
1920			39.6%
1930			26.9%
1940			15.0%
1950			63.4%
1960			20.7%
1970			19.9%
1980			18.4%
1990			15.5%
2000			18.9%

As of the census² of 2000, there were 44,831 people, 16,949 households, and 8,254 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,152.4/km² (2,983.9/mi²). There were 17,690 housing units at an average density of 454.7/km² (1,177.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.28% White, 4.86% African American, 0.48% Native American, 3.93% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.30% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.49% of the population.

There were 16,949 households out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.3% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.89.

The age distribution is 15.8% under the age of 18, 39.2% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 13.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 106.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.4 males. The general age distribution is typical of a university town; the sex distribution is not uncommon in areas dominated by major land-grant universities.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,463, and the median income for a family was $48,289. Males had a median income of $31,396 versus $24,611 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,566. About 8.7% of families and 24.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over. However, traditional poverty statistics can be misleading when applied to communities with large student populations, such as Manhattan.

Sites of interest

Visitors are drawn to Manhattan by Kansas State University sporting events, performing arts, lecture series, and the annual Country Stampede Music Festival – the largest music festival in Kansas.

The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art and the Kansas State University Gardens are located on the campus of Kansas State University. Next to campus is Aggieville, one of the oldest shopping and retail centers in the United States, with enough bars to satisfy the college crowd. Aggieville is also home to the longest continuously-operating Pizza Hut in the world.

Manhattan's Sunset Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Colbert Hills Golf Course, which is annually ranked by Golf Digest among the best in the state, is home to the Earl Woods National Youth Golf Academy and a host site for the First Tee program. Manhattan is also the birthplace of Damon Runyon, the "Inventor of Broadway," and his Manhattan house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The buildings which house The Flint Hills Job Corps Training Center west of town were once used as a nursing home and orphanage operated by the Fraternal Order of Odd Fellows.

The First Capital of the Kansas Territory is preserved nearby, on Fort Riley grounds.

Education

Manhattan is home to Kansas State University, Manhattan Christian College, Manhattan Area Technical College, the American Institute of Baking and The Flint Hills Job Corps Training Center. The town is also headquarters for the International Association for Jazz Education.

Manhattan has one public high school with two campuses (Manhattan High School), two junior high schools (Susan B. Anthony and Dwight D. Eisenhower), and eight elementary schools (Amanda Arnold, Frank V. Bergman, Lee, Marlatt, Northview, Theodore Roosevelt, Bluemont and Woodrow Wilson). The town also has two private school systems: Flint Hills Christian School and the Manhattan Catholic Schools.

Transportation

Manhattan Regional Airport is located 4 miles (6 km) west of Manhattan on K-18. The airport is served by U.S. Airways Express. Manhattan has no internal mass transit system, and bus and train service to and from the town has been discontinued over the past several years.

Notable residents

• Bob Anderson – founder of Runner's World
• Louis Chaudet – film director, writer
• Del Close – comedian
• David Fairchild – botanist, explorer
• Philip Fox – astronomer
• James Harbord – military officer, businessman
• Jonathan Holden – Poet Laureate of Kansas
• Lee Killough – author
• Mitsugi Ohno – glassblower
• Cassandra Peterson – actress (Elvira)
• Merrill D. Peterson - historian
• Deb Richard – professional golfer
• Damon Runyon – author
• Fred Andrew Seaton – politician
• Bill Snyder – football coach
• Gary Spani – football hall-of-famer
• Walter J. Stoessel – diplomat
• Samuel Wendell Williston – scientist
• Earl Woods – father of Tiger Woods

See also Johnny Kaw, fictional Kansas settler

Twin or partner cities

• Dobřichovice, Czech Republic (since 2004)

The town in popular culture

• In 1972, Glen Campbell recorded a #6 hit on the Country Music Charts with his song entitled "Manhattan, Kansas."
• The 1975 documentary Banjoman captures a legendary concert held in Manhattan on January 23, 1973, to honor Earl Scruggs. The concert included performances by Joan Baez, David Bromberg, The Byrds, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Doc and Merle Watson.^[5]
• The town features in Vernor Vinge's science-fiction novella The Ungoverned.
• The plot of the failed 1993 CBS television pilot The Elvira Show revolves around two witches, played by Elvira and Katherine Helmond, moving to Manhattan with their talking cat.^[6]
• Manhattanite Brandon Bellinger was a contestant on the television show Survivor: Guatemala in 2005.
• Manhattanite Dave Spiker was a contestant on the television show The Amazing Race 9 in 2006.
• Manhattan is a principal setting for the novel Was, by Geoff Ryman, a contemporary examination of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The book was recently made into a musical, which premiered at Northwestern University through the New American Music Theatre Program.
• The eponymous character in The Little Sister, by Raymond Chandler, is from Manhattan.
• From the TV Show The West Wing, fictional characters President Josiah Bartlett and Claudia Jean Cregg have a conversation about an incident that occurred in Manhattan during the first campaign for the Presidency.
• Jon Stewart once jokingly referred to it as "the Manhattan with values" on the Daily Show.^[7]
• The opening scene for the trailer to the film Friday Night Lights is Poyntz Avenue in downtown Manhattan; this was stock footage purchased for the trailer.^[8][9]
• The town was featured on a Strong Bad Email segment on Homestar Runner.^[10]

References

External links

Places in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, United States
Belvue • Emmett • Havensville • Louisville • Manhattan • Olsburg • Onaga • St. George • St. Marys • Wamego • Westmoreland (county seat) • Wheaton

Places in Riley County, Kansas, United States
Leonardville • Manhattan (county seat) • Ogden • Randolph • Riley

	State of Kansas Topeka (capital)
Topics	History | Governors | Education | Landmarks | People | Places | Geography | Demographics | Economy
Regions	Cherokee Strip | Cross Timbers | Dissected Till Plains | East Central | Flint Hills | High Plains | Kansas City Metropolitan Area | Osage Plains | The Ozarks | Red Hills | Santa Fe Trail Region | Smoky Hills | Southeast
Largest cities	Derby | Dodge City | Emporia | Garden City | Hays | Hutchinson | Kansas City | Lawrence | Leavenworth | Leawood | Lenexa | Liberal | Manhattan | Olathe | Overland Park | Prairie Village | Salina | Shawnee | Topeka | Wichita
Counties	Allen | Anderson | Atchison | Barber | Barton | Bourbon | Brown | Butler | Chase | Chautauqua | Cherokee | Cheyenne | Clark | Clay | Cloud | Coffey | Comanche | Cowley | Crawford | Decatur | Dickinson | Doniphan | Douglas | Edwards | Elk | Ellis | Ellsworth | Finney | Ford | Franklin | Geary | Gove | Graham | Grant | Gray | Greeley | Greenwood | Hamilton | Harper | Harvey | Haskell | Hodgeman | Jackson | Jefferson | Jewell | Johnson | Kearny | Kingman | Kiowa | Labette | Lane | Leavenworth | Lincoln | Linn | Logan | Lyon | Marion | Marshall | McPherson | Meade | Miami | Mitchell | Montgomery | Morris | Morton | Nemaha | Neosho | Ness | Norton | Osage | Osborne | Ottawa | Pawnee | Phillips | Pottawatomie | Pratt | Rawlins | Reno | Republic | Rice | Riley | Rooks | Rush | Russell | Saline | Scott | Sedgwick | Seward | Shawnee | Sheridan | Sherman | Smith | Stafford | Stanton | Stevens | Sumner | Thomas | Trego | Wabaunsee | Wallace | Washington | Wichita | Wilson | Woodson | Wyandotte

Donate to Wikimedia