Russell, Kansas - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Russell, Kansas
City and County seat
Main Street in downtown Russell (2009)
Main Street in downtown Russell (2009)
Location within Russell County and Kansas
Location within Russell County and Kansas
KDOT map of Russell County (legend)
KDOT map of Russell County (legend)
Coordinates: 38°53′23″N 98°51′26″W / 38.88972°N 98.85722°W / 38.88972; -98.85722[1]
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountyRussell
Founded1871
Incorporated1872
Named forRussell County
Area
[2]
 • Total4.86 sq mi (12.58 km2)
 • Land4.86 sq mi (12.58 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[1]
1,828 ft (557 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total4,401
 • Density910/sq mi (350/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
67665
Area code785
FIPS code20-61825
GNIS ID475222 [1]
Websiterussellcity.org

Russell is the biggest city in Russell County, Kansas, United States.[4] It is also the county seat of Russell County. In 2020, 4,401 people lived there.[3]

History[change | change source]

1915 Railroad Map of Russell County

In 1871, colonists from Ripon, Wisconsin created Russell. It was named after the county.[5] Russell was incorporated and became the temporary county seat in 1872. After a two-year disagreement with Bunker Hill, it became the permanent county seat in 1874.[6][7] In 1876, Volga Germans, mostly from the area around Saratov and Samara in Russia, started moving in and around Russell.[8]

The first discovery oil well in Russell County was drilled west of Russell in 1923. An oil boom started and lasted through the 1930s, attracting settlers from Oklahoma and Texas. Petroleum production became an important part of the local economy.[9]

Russell came to national attention in the mid-1990s. This was because it was the hometown of U.S. Senators Bob Dole and Arlen Specter when both men campaigned for the U.S. presidency.[10] Dole was born and raised in Russell, and it remained his official place of residence throughout his political career.[11]

Geography[change | change source]

Russell is at 38°53′23″N 98°51′26″W / 38.88972°N 98.85722°W / 38.88972; -98.85722 (38.889807, -98.857113). It has an elevation of 1,827 feet (557 m).[12][13] It is in north-central Kansas at the intersection of Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 281. Russell is about 113 miles (182 km) northwest of Wichita, 231 miles (372 km) west of Kansas City, and 336 miles (541 km) east-southeast of Denver.[14][15]

The city is in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains. It is about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of the Saline River and 8 miles (13 km) north of the Smoky Hill River.[14][16] Fossil Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill River, goes just south of the city. It has been dammed to make a small reservoir called Fossil Lake.[16]

The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of 4.86 square miles (12.59 km2). All of it is land.[2]

People[change | change source]

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880861—
189096111.6%
19001,14318.9%
19101,69248.0%
19201,7000.5%
19302,35238.4%
19404,819104.9%
19506,48334.5%
19606,113−5.7%
19705,371−12.1%
19805,4271.0%
19904,781−11.9%
20004,696−1.8%
20104,506−4.0%
20204,401−2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census[change | change source]

The 2020 census says that there were 4,401 people, 1,930 households, and 1,091 families living in Russell. Of the households, 68.1% owned their home and 31.9% rented their home.

The median age was 42.9 years. Of the people, 90.4% were White, 1.2% were Black, 0.7% were Native American, 0.4% were Asian, 1.0% were from some other race, and 6.3% were two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.2% of the people.[3][17]

2010 census[change | change source]

The 2010 census says that there were 4,506 people, 2,041 households, and 1,216 families living in Russell.[18]

Infrastructure[change | change source]

Health care[change | change source]

Russell Regional Hospital is the only hospital in Russell. It was created in 1942. It is a private, non-profit, 54-bed general medical and surgical facility.[19][20]

Media[change | change source]

The Russell County News is the local newspaper. it is published weekly on Thursdays. It was a daily newspaper until 2000. It then became a twice-weekly newspaper from 2001-15.[21]

Russell is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market.[22]

Famous people[change | change source]

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

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Russell, Kansas". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. ↑ "The Early History of Russell County". Russell County Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2009-08-13. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  6. ↑ "The City of Russell, Kansas". City of Russell. Archived from the original on 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
  7. ↑ Blackmar, Frank W., ed. (1912). "Russell County". Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. Vol. 2. Chicago: Standard. pp. 613–615. Archived from the original on 2013-11-03. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  8. ↑ "Volga Germans". Kansas Trails. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  9. ↑ "Russell". Russell County Economic Development & CVB. Retrieved 2010-12-11.[permanent dead link]
  10. ↑ "Senators". Russell County Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2009-08-13. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  11. ↑ Stengel, Richard (1996-04-01). "Campaign '96: Russell, Kansas: You Can Go Home Again". Time. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
  12. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  13. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "2003-2004 Official Transportation Map" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. 2003. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  15. ↑ "City Distance Tool". Geobytes. Archived from the original on 2010-10-05. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "General Highway Map - Russell County, Kansas" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. 2010-10-01. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  17. ↑ "P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  18. ↑ "American FactFinder 2". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  19. ↑ "History". Russell Regional Hospital. Archived from the original on 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
  20. ↑ "Russell Regional Hospital". U.S. News Best Hospitals. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
  21. ↑ "Russell County News". Mondo Times. Retrieved 2012-04-28.
  22. ↑ "TV Market Maps". EchoStar Knowledge Base. Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  23. ↑ Anschutz, Philip F. (June 2004). "Whatever Happened to the Family Film?". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  24. ↑ "Wendall Anschutz Obituary: View Obituary for Wendall Anschutz by McGilley State Line Chapel, Kansas City, MO". Obits.dignitymemorial.com. Archived from the original on 2011-08-23. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
  25. ↑ "Barzilay, Judith Morgenstern". Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  26. ↑ "Obituaries". The Santa Ynez Valley Journal. 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  27. ↑ "Localettes". The Emporia Gazette. Emporia, Kansas. September 27, 1977. p. 2. Retrieved December 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ "Dole, Robert Joseph". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  29. ↑ Doocy, Steve (2009). Tales from the Dad Side. New York, New York: HarperCollins. p. 41. ISBN 9780061441639.
  30. ↑ "Biography of Marj Dusay". Marj Dusay. 2009. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  31. ↑ 'The Convention of 1846 (Wisconsin),' vo. 27, Milo Milton Qualife, Wisconsin Historical Society: 1919, Biographical Sketch of Asa Kinney, pg. 791
  32. ↑ Karla, Ward (2013-01-26). "James R. Line, who played on two UK championship basketball teams, dies at age 87". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  33. ↑ "Kenneth OCHS - Obituary". The Gazette. 2009-10-02. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  34. ↑ "About Arlen Specter - Timeline". United States Senator Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 2010-08-26. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  35. ↑ Nelson, Stanley R.; Nelson, Peter S. "Introduction and Early Years on Rutger's Ranch, Russell, KS". Walter Sutton's Chromosome Theory of Heredity: One Hundred Years Later. University of Kansas Medical Center. Archived from the original on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2010-11-21.

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