Lenexa, Kansas

History

In 1857, twelve years before the town of Lenexa was platted, James Butler Hickok staked a claim on 160 acres (0.65 km²) at what is now the corner of 83rd and Clare Road.At about the same time, a census of the Shawnee Indians living in the area was being taken. One of the residents was listed as "Na-Nex-Se Blackhoof," the widow of Chief Blackhoof, who was the second signer of the 1854 treaty that ceded 1,600,000 acres (6,500 km²) of the Kansas Shawnee Indian reservation to the U.S. government. A few miles east in Westport, Missouri, was the start of the Old Santa Fe Trail. It meandered through the southeast part of Lenexa on its way to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Later, Hickok became a scout for the Free-State Army, a sharpshooter and eventually, Wild Bill Hickok. In 1865, shortly before Na-Nex-Se died, the Kansas and Neosho Valley Railroad was organized to take advantage of favorable new land laws. It later changed its name to Missouri River, Ft. Scott and Gulf Railroad, and in 1869 purchased a right-of-way from C.A. Bradshaw with the stipulation that the railroad build a depot on the property. Bradshaw then sold 10.5 acres (42,000 m²) to Octave Chanute, a railroad civil engineer, who platted a town in 1869. Legend states that the town was first proposed to be named 'Bradshaw', but he modestly refused and the name "Lenexa," a derivation of the name Na-Nex-Se, was adopted.

Geography

Lenexa is located at 38°57′53″N 94°45′34″W (38.964689, -94.759535). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 34.45 square miles (89.23 km²), of which, 34.10 square miles (88.32 km²) is land and 0.35 square miles (0.91 km²) is water.

Demographics

The median income for a household was $61,990, and the median income for a family was $76,321 (these figures had risen to $70,246 and $86,581 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,495 versus $32,166 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,212. About 1.8% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 48,190 people, 19,288 households, and 13,065 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,413.2 inhabitants per square mile (545.6/km²). There were 20,832 housing units at an average density of 610.9 per square mile (235.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.4% White, 5.8% African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.0% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.3% of the population.

There were 19,288 households of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.3% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the city was 36.6 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.2% were from 25 to 44; 28.5% were from 45 to 64; and 10.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

2000 census

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, there were 40,238 people, 15,574 households, and 10,559 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,173.8 people per square mile (453.2/km²). There were 16,378 housing units at an average density of 477.8 per square mile (184.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.50% White, 6.50% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 3.63% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.60% from other races, and 1.61% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.97% of the population. 24.8% were of German, 12.4% English, 12.1% Irish and 7.2% American ancestry.

There were 15,574 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

Largest employers

According to the City's 2015 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:

Government

Lenexa is the home of a Records Center managed by the National Archives and Records Administration. The facility stores federal records from agencies in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska including Department of Veterans Affairs and the Internal Revenue Service. The facility is also known informally as "The Caves" and is known to store items from the trauma room at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas, where John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead following his assassination.

Education

Lenexa does not have a public school district of its own. Instead, Lenexa students go to either Shawnee Mission School District, Olathe School District, or De Soto School District schools. It is also home to a handful of private schools. Lenexa's first high school, St. James Academy, opened in 2005. The Johnson County Library has a branch in Lenexa, the Lackman Library. Wichita based Friends University also has a branch in Lenexa, as does Brown Mackie College.

Events

Each June the city hosts "The Great Lenexa Barbecue Battle", which is also the Kansas State Championship. Lenexa was known as the "Spinach Capital of the World" in the 1930s and celebrates with the Spinach Festival every September.

Religion

Lenexa is home to the St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, a parish founded in Kansas City, Kansas in 1906 and moved to Lenexa in 2006. The parish constructed a new Byzantine style church and cultural center. The church hosts a SerbFest every year in the summer and a Food Festival and Bazaar in the fall.

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Lenexa include: