Augusta, Kansas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Augusta is a city in Butler County, Kansas, at the confluence of the Walnut and Whitewater Rivers. The population was 8,423 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 Landmarks
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Augusta is located at 37°41′33″N, 96°58′48″W (37.692425, -96.979886)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.4 km² (4.4 mi²). 10.4 km² (4.0 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (8.82%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 8,423 people, 3,277 households, and 2,307 families residing in the city. The population density was 807.0/km² (2,091.1/mi²). There were 3,585 housing units at an average density of 343.5/km² (890.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.07% White, 0.18% African American, 0.83% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.68% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.59% of the population.

There were 3,277 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,818, and the median income for a family was $51,886. Males had a median income of $36,465 versus $24,747 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,094. About 4.1% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

The confluence of the Whitewater River (Kansas) and the Walnut River was originally inhabited by Native Americans, who found the tableland ideal for hunting and fishing. In 1868 C.N. James settled in the area and built a log home to serve as a general store and trading post. He paid $40.00 for the land title from the U.S Land Office. He named the new settlement after his wife, Augusta. The James family original log cabin structure still stands at its original location.

The first train rolled into Augusta in 1881 to support the growth of livestock production and increased agriculture in the area. Shortly after the turn of the century two railroad companies would serve the town, the Santa Fe and the Frisco.

The discovery of oil and natural gas in Butler County lead to further growth and became a major source of employment for many years.

[edit] Landmarks

The Augusta Theater, now home to the Augusta Arts Council, is a classic example of Art Deco. It was the first theater to be illuminated entirely by neon lighting.

Augusta Chamber Website