Fredonia, Kansas

History

Fredonia was laid out in 1868. It is named after Fredonia, New York. The first post office in Fredonia was established in August 1868.

It became a booming town with an emphasis on large industry. In May 1913, a large “vein of semi-anthracite coal” was discovered near the town. The coal that was found was “said to be of better quality than any other found in Kansas” at that time. With this discovery, it had the possibility of bringing in large amounts of money for the Wilson county area. A cement plant opened in Fredonia in 1907, supplying jobs to the community for more than 100 years, before it was closed in 2012. The economy in Fredonia was again boosted by the Archer Daniels Midland Company. The plant, which was obtained in 1928, operated as a soybean processing facility and supplied many jobs for the growing industrial town. In March 2003 the plant announced it would close its Fredonia branch effective immediately. Fredonia was a hub for oil development, a natural gas source, and had many railroad stations to import and export goods from the town. A large portion of the jobs in the town involved working at these plants which caused Fredonia to be greatly affected by their removal.

Fredonia was one of several Southeast Kansas communities to fall victim to severe flooding in late June and early July 2007. At least 10 inches of rainfall was recorded on the night of June 29 and additional rainfall was expected through the weekend of June 30 and July 1. On the night of June 30, a Topeka television station reported on its website that 100 people in Wilson County had lost their homes due to the flooding.

Geography

Fredonia is located at 37°31′59″N 95°49′33″W (37.532972, -95.825834). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.45 square miles (6.35 km²), of which, 2.44 square miles (6.32 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fredonia has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,482 people, 1,048 households, and 630 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,017.2 inhabitants per square mile (392.7/km²). There were 1,255 housing units at an average density of 514.3 per square mile (198.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.4% White, 0.1% African American, 1.6% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.

There were 1,048 households of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.9% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the city was 40.5 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 23.5% were from 45 to 64; and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,600 people, 1,135 households, and 703 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,083.4 people per square mile (418.3/km²). There were 1,297 housing units at an average density of 540.5 per square mile (208.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.27% White, 0.38% African American, 0.85% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.50% of the population.

There were 1,135 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city, the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,539, and the median income for a family was $34,459. Males had a median income of $28,657 versus $19,231 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,593. About 8.6% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Fredonia is classified as a second class city of Kansas, thus the city has a mayor-commission body with an elected mayor and two elected commissioners. The commissioners are not vested with any supervisory powers over specific departments. The city commission appoints a city administrator, who is responsible for the day-to-day administration of all city officers and employees.

The mayor of Fredonia is Bob McKenney. Bill Jones and Randal Harkrader are the two elected commissioners. Mike Ohrt is the City Administrator of Fredonia.

Education

Fredonia is located in USD #484. The mascot for each of the district's two schools is the yellowjacket.

Notable people