McPherson, Kansas | |
|---|---|
City andCounty seat | |
 Sculpture ofJames B. McPherson (2004) | |
 Location withinMcPherson County andKansas | |
 | |
| Coordinates:38°22′17″N97°39′38″W / 38.37139°N 97.66056°W /38.37139; -97.66056[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | McPherson |
| Founded | 1870 |
| Incorporated | 1874 |
| Named after | James B. McPherson |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.48 sq mi (19.38 km2) |
| • Land | 7.43 sq mi (19.25 km2) |
| • Water | 0.050 sq mi (0.13 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,493 ft (455 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 14,082 |
| • Density | 1,895/sq mi (731.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 67460 |
| Area code | 620 |
| FIPS code | 20-43950 |
| GNIS ID | 485617[1] |
| Website | mcphersonks.org |
McPherson (/məkˈfɜːrsən/mək-FUR-sən) is a city in and thecounty seat ofMcPherson County, Kansas, United States.[1] As of the2020 census, the population of the city was 14,082.[3][4] The city is named afterUnion GeneralJames Birdseye McPherson, aCivil War general.[5] It is home toMcPherson College andCentral Christian College.
For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited byNative Americans. In 1803, most ofmodern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of theLouisiana Purchase. In 1854, theKansas Territory was organized, then in 1861Kansas became the 34thU.S. state. In 1867,McPherson County was founded.
McPherson was founded in 1870 by the twelve members of the McPherson Town Company.[6] In 1887, city officials began a failed attempt to have the community named the state capital.
The first post office in McPherson was established in 1873.[7] McPherson was incorporated as a city in 1874.[8]
As early as 1875, city leaders ofMarion held a meeting to consider a branch railroad fromFlorence. In 1878,Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and parties fromMarion andMcPherson counties chartered theMarion and McPherson Railway Company.[9] In 1879, a branch line was built from Florence to McPherson. In 1880 it was extended toLyons and in 1881 it was extended toEllinwood.[10] The line was leased and operated by theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line fromFlorence to Marion was abandoned in 1968.[11] In 1992, the line from Marion to McPherson was sold toCentral Kansas Railway. In 1993, after heavy flood damage, the line from Marion to McPherson was abandoned. The original branch line connected Florence, Marion,Canada,Hillsboro,Lehigh,Canton,Galva, McPherson,Conway,Windom,Little River,Mitchell, Lyons,Chase and Ellinwood.
In 1887, theChicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a main line fromHerington through McPherson toPratt.[12] In 1888, this line was extended toLiberal. Later, it was extended toTucumcari, New Mexico andEl Paso, Texas. It foreclosed in 1891 and taken over byChicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized asOklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad, merged in 1988 withMissouri Pacific Railroad, merged in 1997 withUnion Pacific Railroad. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".
By 1888, the community was at the junction of four railroad lines. Major industries have included a large flour mill, an insurance company headquarters, and an oil refinery.
TheNational Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and was routed throughWindom,Conway and McPherson.
In 1926, Dr.J. Willard Hershey ofMcPherson College -- replicating experiments of other scientists[13][14] -- claimed to have produced a synthetic diamond, among the first to have done so.[15] (Subsequently, other experimenters could not reproduce their synthesis, drawing doubt about Hershey's claim).[16][17]
In the late 1920s, oil was discovered inMcPherson County, Kansas.[18] As a result, the Globe Oil & Refining Company, (subsidiary of Lario Oil & Gas Company), constructed an oil refinery in the county seat: McPherson.[19] Built in 1933, the refinery was soon was producing 200,000 gallons of gasoline per day. This output necessitated a marketing campaign to promote the growing retail gasoline business. Lario, like many in the early radio days and before television, sponsoredAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball teams to generate excitement for their product in the sport sections of widely read newspapers. For a small sponsorship fee, Lario Oil & Gas was able to reach many more consumers than by conventional advertising.[20]
In the 1930s, the local refinery sponsored theMcPherson Globe Refiners basketball team in the (AAU-- basketball's official sanctioning organization at the time). They were coached byGene Johnson, former head coach of Wichita University (nowWichita State University). Coach Johnson was one of the innovators of the fast break and full-court press.[21][22][23]
The Refiners were best known for their tall centers,Joe Fortenberry (6–8) andWillard Schmidt (6–9) and their fast-break style of play. Billed as "The Tallest Team in the World", the Refiners often held their opponents to low scores because of the centers' ability to deflect shots on the way to the basket in what today would be calledgoaltending. The team invented the "dunk" (so named byArthur J. Daley, aNew York Times sports writer who witnessed it); two of the team's tallest players would demonstrate the technique before a game, to entertain the crowd and intimidate opponents, though the technique was not normally allowed in actual play.[21][22][24][25][26]
The Refiners won the AAU national championship in 1936 against the Hollywood Universal team. This earned them the right to compete for the first everUSA Olympic basketball team in 1936. Hollywood Universal narrowly beat the Refiners atMadison Square Garden and the USA team was composed of both Universal and Refiners players and one college student. Coach Johnson was selected to be the assistant coach. After a long journey by boat to Europe, the team played in alternating squads at the Olympics. The Refiners' portion of the team took the court to defeat Canada 19–8 in the final gold medal game on August 14, 1936, at theSummer Olympics -- the first team ever awarded Olympic gold medals in basketball.[21][22][23][26]
The Refiners' home court is now the McPherson Community Building at 121 East Marlin and can be toured by contacting the local Convention and Visitors Bureau. A mural in honor of the Refiners was completed in 2010 at the intersection of Kansas and Ash, south of their home court in preparation for the 75th anniversary celebration of their victory in 2011.[27]
From 1964 to 1967 (some say 1962 and 1967), the Alon company produced 245 "Alon Aircoupe" two-seat light planes in McPherson. The Aircoupe was an evolution of the influential and popularERCO Ercoupe, originally developed in the late 1930s byFred Weick forHenry Berliner's Engineering Research Co. ("ERCO"), in the Washington, D.C. area. Following ERCO's production, design was then acquired by various companies before being acquired by Alon (a contraction of the names ofBeech Aircraft Co. executives John Allen and Al Higdon, who formed Alon). The Alon company sold out toMooney Aircraft ofKerrville, Texas, who took production there, producing a radically revised version as theMooney M10 Cadet.[28][29][30]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.23 square miles (18.73 km2), of which 7.18 square miles (18.60 km2) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) is water.[31]
The community is located onU.S. Route 56, just west ofInterstate 135. McPherson is part of theLittle Arkansas River Watershed that ultimately empties into theArkansas River inWichita. Dry Turkey Creek is a wet weather stream that composes several enhanced lakes within the city limits. It feeds the Lakeside Park Lagoon before crossing under East Euclid Street and Kansas Avenue, where it then forms Wall Park Lake.
South and west of town are four units of the reclaimedMcPherson Valley Wetlands, acquired and managed byKansas Department of Wildlife and Parks,Ducks Unlimited, and theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Prior to 1880, this natural wetlands was an important waterfowl and wildlife habitat second only toCheyenne Bottoms in importance to migratory bird populations. These wetlands continue to see improvement and development.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, McPherson has ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[32]
| Climate data for McPherson, Kansas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) | 83 (28) | 94 (34) | 99 (37) | 106 (41) | 114 (46) | 117 (47) | 117 (47) | 109 (43) | 98 (37) | 89 (32) | 81 (27) | 117 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 64.7 (18.2) | 69.7 (20.9) | 79.6 (26.4) | 85.9 (29.9) | 92.5 (33.6) | 98.0 (36.7) | 103.3 (39.6) | 101.7 (38.7) | 97.2 (36.2) | 88.8 (31.6) | 75.2 (24.0) | 64.2 (17.9) | 104.6 (40.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42.4 (5.8) | 47.2 (8.4) | 57.6 (14.2) | 67.1 (19.5) | 77.0 (25.0) | 87.9 (31.1) | 92.8 (33.8) | 90.7 (32.6) | 83.3 (28.5) | 70.6 (21.4) | 56.3 (13.5) | 44.3 (6.8) | 68.1 (20.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 34.6 (1.4) | 44.4 (6.9) | 53.9 (12.2) | 64.7 (18.2) | 75.6 (24.2) | 80.6 (27.0) | 78.5 (25.8) | 70.4 (21.3) | 57.5 (14.2) | 43.8 (6.6) | 33.3 (0.7) | 55.7 (13.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 19.0 (−7.2) | 22.0 (−5.6) | 31.3 (−0.4) | 40.6 (4.8) | 52.3 (11.3) | 63.4 (17.4) | 68.3 (20.2) | 66.3 (19.1) | 57.6 (14.2) | 44.4 (6.9) | 31.4 (−0.3) | 22.2 (−5.4) | 43.2 (6.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 2.5 (−16.4) | 5.8 (−14.6) | 15.1 (−9.4) | 26.4 (−3.1) | 37.6 (3.1) | 52.4 (11.3) | 58.4 (14.7) | 56.0 (13.3) | 43.0 (6.1) | 27.2 (−2.7) | 15.7 (−9.1) | 7.0 (−13.9) | −3.0 (−19.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) | −22 (−30) | −11 (−24) | 9 (−13) | 22 (−6) | 32 (0) | 47 (8) | 43 (6) | 27 (−3) | 12 (−11) | −3 (−19) | −21 (−29) | −22 (−30) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.90 (23) | 1.22 (31) | 2.35 (60) | 2.98 (76) | 5.42 (138) | 4.75 (121) | 4.19 (106) | 3.51 (89) | 2.97 (75) | 2.44 (62) | 1.56 (40) | 1.29 (33) | 33.58 (854) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.1 (10) | 3.3 (8.4) | 2.6 (6.6) | 0.6 (1.5) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.6 (1.5) | 2.9 (7.4) | 14.2 (35.65) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 4.2 | 4.7 | 7.0 | 8.7 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.9 | 8.4 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 85.5 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 8.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA[33] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[34] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,590 | — | |
| 1890 | 3,172 | 99.5% | |
| 1900 | 2,996 | −5.5% | |
| 1910 | 3,546 | 18.4% | |
| 1920 | 4,595 | 29.6% | |
| 1930 | 6,147 | 33.8% | |
| 1940 | 7,194 | 17.0% | |
| 1950 | 8,689 | 20.8% | |
| 1960 | 9,996 | 15.0% | |
| 1970 | 10,851 | 8.6% | |
| 1980 | 11,753 | 8.3% | |
| 1990 | 12,422 | 5.7% | |
| 2000 | 13,770 | 10.9% | |
| 2010 | 13,155 | −4.5% | |
| 2020 | 14,082 | 7.0% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 13,906 | [35] | −1.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2010-2020[4] | |||
The2020 United States census counted 14,082 people, 5,645 households, and 3,495 families in McPherson.[36][37] The population density was 1,891.7 per square mile (730.4/km2). There were 6,221 housing units at an average density of 835.7 units per square mile (322.7 units/km2).[37][38] The racial makeup was 85.0% (11,970)white orEuropean American (83.11%non-Hispanic white), 2.29% (322)black orAfrican-American, 0.82% (116)Native American orAlaska Native, 1.29% (182)Asian, 0.06% (8)Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian, 3.19% (449) fromother races, and 7.35% (1,035) fromtwo or more races.[39]Hispanic orLatino of any race was 7.48% (1,053) of the population.[40]
Of the 5,645 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18; 47.9% were married couples living together; 26.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 32.5% of households consisted of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[37] The average household size was 2.1 and the average family size was 2.6.[41] The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 18.4% of the population.[42]
22.6% of the population was under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.2 males.[37] For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 100.8 males.[37]
The 2016-2020 5-yearAmerican Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $57,931 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,181) and the median family income was $69,846 (+/- $6,510).[43] Males had a median income of $38,465 (+/- $4,682) versus $26,149 (+/- $1,423) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $32,004 (+/- $2,858).[44] Approximately, 4.8% of families and 10.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 7.9% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those ages 65 or over.[45][46]
McPherson College andCentral Christian College are located in McPherson.
The community is served byMcPherson USD 418 public school district. USD 418 has an Early Childhood center, four elementary schools (Eisenhower, Lincoln, Rosevelt, Washington), McPherson Middle School and McPherson High School. McPherson's mascot is the Bullpups.[48][49] Additionally, private school options are available at St. Joseph Catholic Church & School, serving students through sixth grade.[50]
McPherson was located on theNational Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, that was established in 1912.
Bus service is provided daily towardsWichita andSalina by BeeLine Express (subcontractor ofGreyhound Lines).[51][52]
TheMissouri Pacific Railroad formerly provided passenger rail service on a route from Eldorado although this had ended prior to 1946.[53] As of 2025, the nearest passenger rail station is located inHutchinson, whereAmtrak'sSouthwest Chief stops once daily on a route from Chicago to Los Angeles.[54]
McPherson has a dailynewspaper,The McPherson Sentinel.[55] and a weekly newspaper,The McPherson Weekly News,[56]
The followingradio stations arelicensed to McPherson:
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Municipalities and communities ofMcPherson County, Kansas,United States | ||
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