Paola (
/peɪˈoʊlə/) is a city in and the county seat of Miami County, Kansas, United States.[4] As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,602.[1]
History
Native American Indians, then Spanish explorers such as Francisco Vasquez de Coronado in 1541, and French missionary explorers in 1673 lived and traveled throughout the area of what is now Paola.
Settlement of the area primarily occurred however when Kaskaskia, Peoria, Wea, and Piankeshaw Indian tribes were forced to move to the area between 1827 and 1832.[5] These formed the Confederated Allied Tribe which was led by Baptiste Peoria who was of both French and Indian ethnicity. They called their settlement Peoria Village.[6]
By the 1840s, settlers were moving into the area, and several missionaries lived in and near "Peoria Village". One of those missionaries was an Italian priest who moved to the area in 1852. The priest, Father Paul D. Ponziglione, was credited with re-naming Peoria Village to Paola, after a small town on the coast of Calabria, Italy. The Peoria Indians of the area continued to call it Paola, because they had great respect for Father Ponziglione.[5]
By 1854 there was a large number of settlers who moved to the settlement and a town plat was laid out by 1855. In 1855, the First Territorial Legislature passed an act that incorporated the Paola Town Company. The Paola Town Company and specifically its member Baptiste Peoria are credited as being influential in the founding and development of Paola through the mid 1860's.[6] Following Kansas' admission to the Union in 1861, and after the American Civil War pressure to move the native American Indian tribes increased, and they were exiled to Oklahoma by 1868. Some individuals stayed and became citizens of the United States, however, their leader Baptiste Peoria left Paola with the tribe. From the late 1860s and through the 1870s, Paola grew and progressed, building its first school, jail, and bank.
The railroad came to serve Paola in 1870, which also aided its progress through this time.[5] Following the discovery of natural gas in 1882, Paola became the first town west of the Mississippi River to use it commercially and have the town illuminated using natural gas lanterns. In 1898 the Miami County Courthouse was built, designed by architect George Washburn. Several homes and buildings were designed by Washburn, including the Paola Free Library completed in 1906 and the Paola Park Square's Victorian-style gazebo from 1913. The library, courthouse, gazebo, and several homes are among those still in use today.[6]
Paola Park Square
Paola Park Square's Gazebo
Paola's town square has much historical significance, beginning with the Indian tribes who once lived in the area and used it as their primary gathering place.[6] Prior to their exile to Oklahoma, Indian leader Baptiste Peoria gave this area to the Paola Town Company (of which he was a member). The Paola Town Company later gave the square to the City of Paola, with the provision that no building be built on it. This provision has been honored to this day.[5] In 1867, the original gazebo was put on the square, and was a bandstand. In the 1800s the square was used as a track for racing horses in addition to serving as a central point for parades, celebrations, and other community events. In 1913, a new Victorian-style gazebo was built, designed by George Washburn. Today, the Paola Park Square is still honored as the center of the downtown area, and remains a central meeting and gathering place during various community events each year. The 1913 gazebo is still used, a common place for events such as weddings. Next to the gazebo are two replicas of the Wellsbach gas street lanterns that once illuminated Paola. A fountain in the center of the square was also added for people to enjoy.[6]
Paola is the largest city in Miami County, and is the county seat. Paola offers residents and visitors several choices for shopping, entertainment, and recreation. Annually, Paola hosts the Miami County Fair in July, the Roots Festival in August and the Harvest Festival in October. There is also a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, arrival of Santa, and carriage rides throughout the historic streets shortly after Thanksgiving. Also available is water recreation and camping at Lake Miola, a contemporary Aquatic Center in Wallace Park, the Swan River Museum, and the Miami County Historical and Genealogical Society, and a variety of events held at the Paola Community Center.[6]
Area events
Geography
Paola is located at 38°34′25″N 94°52′24″W / 38.57361°N 94.87333°W / 38.57361; -94.87333 (38.573599, -94.873456)[7]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11 km2), of which, 4.1 square miles (11 km2) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) of it (7.08%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 5,011 people, 1,927 households, and 1,244 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,229.9 people per square mile (475.4/km²). There were 2,009 housing units at an average density of 493.1 per square mile (190.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.43% White, 3.55% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.08% of the population.
There were 1,927 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,285, and the median income for a family was $50,804. Males had a median income of $36,209 versus $22,392 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,191. About 4.4% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Fort Scott Community College campus in Paola
- USD 368 offers education to children in grades K-12 with some education opportunities for adults as well.
- Cottonwood Elementary (grades K-2)
- Sunflower Elementary (grades 3-5)
- Hillsdale Elementary (grades K-5) (closed)[8]
- Paola Middle School (grades 6-8)
- Paola High School (grades 9-12)
- Paola Adult Education Center [9]
- Holy Trinity Catholic School is a private school offering education for grades kindergarten through eight.
- Fort Scott Community College is a community college with a satellite campus in Paola.[5]
Notable people
References
Further reading
- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
External links
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