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Valley Falls, Kansas facts for kids

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Valley Falls, Kansas
Downtown Valley Falls (2014)
Downtown Valley Falls (2014)
Location within Jefferson County and Kansas
Location within Jefferson County and Kansas
KDOT map of Jefferson County (legend)
Country United States
State Kansas
County Jefferson
Founded 1854
Platted 1855
Incorporated 1869
Area
 • Total 0.71 sq mi (1.84 km2)
 • Land 0.70 sq mi (1.82 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
942 ft (287 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,092
 • Density 1,538/sq mi (593.5/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
66088
Area code 785
FIPS code 20-73300
GNIS ID 478332

Valley Falls is a city in Jefferson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,092.

History

Valley Falls was originally called Grasshopper Falls, from the falls in the Grasshopper River (now known as the Delaware River). The first settlement was made there in 1854, and the town was platted in 1855. Many of the town's streets were named after women pioneer settlers.

Geography

Valley Falls is located at 39°20′35″N 95°27′38″W / 39.34306°N 95.46056°W / 39.34306; -95.46056 (39.342936, -95.460584). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.78 square miles (2.02 km2), of which 0.77 square miles (1.99 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, Valley Falls has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 202
1870 603 198.5%
1880 1,016 68.5%
1890 1,180 16.1%
1900 1,078 −8.6%
1910 1,129 4.7%
1920 1,218 7.9%
1930 1,238 1.6%
1940 1,241 0.2%
1950 1,139 −8.2%
1960 1,193 4.7%
1970 1,169 −2.0%
1980 1,189 1.7%
1990 1,253 5.4%
2000 1,254 0.1%
2010 1,192 −4.9%
2020 1,092 −8.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

Valley Falls is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,192 people, 444 households, and 290 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,548.1 inhabitants per square mile (597.7/km2). There were 518 housing units at an average density of 672.7 per square mile (259.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.2% White, 2.1% African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 444 households, of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.04.

The median age in the city was 40.8 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

Education

The community is served by Valley Falls USD 338 public school district. It has one local grade school serving grades PreK-8 and one local high school serving grades 9-12. The local sports teams are known as the Dragons and their school colors are black and gold.

Notable people

  • Puella Dornblaser, temperance activist, lived in Valley Falls and edited at a newspaper in Oskaloosa
  • Moses Harman, American schoolteacher and publisher of the anarchist periodical Lucifer, the Light-Bearer. The periodical began as The Kansas Liberal and was published in Valley Falls.[1]
  • Fred Marsh, professional baseball player, born in Valley Falls in 1924.
  • King O'Malley, member of the Australian House of Representatives in the early 20th century, although he also claimed he was born in Quebec, Canada
  • George Stafford, former chairman for the Interstate Commerce Commission was born and schooled in Valley Falls

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Valley Falls (Kansas) para niños

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