McFarland, Kansas

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McFarland is a city in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, United States. The population was 271 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
4 External links

[edit] Geography

McFarland is located at 39°3′12″N, 96°14′20″W (39.053241, -96.238934)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²), all land.

[edit] History

The history of McFarland follows a pattern found in many small Kansas towns. It came into existence because of the railroad, and had its boom days followed by a bust. The town lives on as a quiet bedroom community with little business, but actually shows a population increase as it moves into the new millennium.

Located in the beautiful Mill Creek Valley of Wabaunsee County, McFarland was founded by S.H. Fairfield in June of 1887. The town was platted at the junction point where the Rock Island Railroad branched northwest to Denver and the Pacific coast, and southwest toward the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Fairfield named his new town "McFarland" after his friend Judge N.C. McFarland of Topeka, because another town he had established about 1½ miles west of McFarland on the MAB Railroad was named Fairfield.

The land was surveyed, town lots laid out and sold, and a hotel, store, church, and four dwellings were soon built. After several years, the fledgling town began to grow as the Rock Island Railroad began to augment its facilities at the town site. In 1899, telephone lines from Alma reached McFarland and became the newest invention in town. By 1901, a roundhouse, coal chutes, ice house, pump house, sand house, filter house, section house, stockyards, eating house, depot, and 6 miles of side tracks besides the main lines had been constructed. As the railroad grew, so did McFarland businesses and residences. In 1903, McFarland became an incorporated 3rd class city and Dr. C.R. Silverthorne was elected mayor. In 1906, the population of the town was recorded at 317.

When the Rock Island Eating House burned down in February of 1911, the railroad moved quickly to replace it. By November of 1912, the new Rock Island Hotel and Eating House opened for business. The building and furnishings cost over $95,000 and the facility was named the Modoc, after the famous Modoc Club Singers from Topeka. In addition to the large dining and lunch rooms, it had 26 guest rooms. The hotel was modern even by today's standards with each room provided with running water and electricity from the railroad's power plant. The town didn't have electricity until the fall of 1917 when Rocky Ford Light Co. installed poles and lines, and many residents had their houses wired for lights.

Railroad activity in the town peaked in the 20's and the demand for local entertainment resulted in a new city park, a movie theater, (silent but accompanied by a piano) and a combination dance hall and roller skating rink. Highway 10 passed through the business route of McFarland and became a direct route to Topeka. In 1922, John Senne built a new garage to do repair work on motor vehicles. During the summer of 1929, L.J. Lamar built a car filling station on the old Denver House Hotel corner. As better roads were constructed, more motor vehicles were purchased and began to compete with the railroads. In August of 1934, the new school on the hill which cost almost $17,000 was dedicated. By the 40's, railroads were replacing the steam locomotives with diesel engines which no longer required frequent stops for fuel and water. Railroad jobs diminished and people began moving away to seek employment. During the 1950's, the town began to die as the Rock Island Railroad continued to reduce its facilities at the town. By 1954, the last working switch engine was moved to Topeka. Switching tracks and buildings (including the Modoc) were removed or torn down. The decline for the town continued in the 1960's when McFarland lost its school by consolidation with Alma. The completed Interstate 70 made it simple to work 30 or 40 miles away and McFarland became a bedroom community as well as a dying community. The 1970's seemed to usher in change and movement into the sleepy community. City water and sewer was put in and the dusty main street was smoothed and oiled. Street signs were installed by the Lions Club. New houses were being built and older homes remodeled. The younger generation restored the ball field and added lights while the Lions Club built a new concession stand and restrooms for the park.

In 1979, the Rock Island Railroad went bankrupt and the following year and the main line was purchased by the Cotton Belt Railroad, a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific. Since then the line has been sold to the Denver & Rio Grande RR, and now is owned by the Union Pacific RR. The branch line out of McFarland was abandoned and the rails were removed in October of 1984. In 1985, the McFarland Senior Citizens organization moved into their new building located where the Methodist Church once stood. By 1986, a group of McFarland folks realized that the next year would mark the 100th birthday of McFarland and plans were made for a centennial commemoration. In June of 1987, the grand celebration was held and was no doubt the largest festival ever to be held in the town. The festivity included a parade, arts and crafts, displays of McFarland and Rock Island Railroad memorabilia, games and contests in the park. Also occurring in the park were sky divers, a Blue Grass Band "The Last Kansas Exit" and a beef barbeque. The day concluded with a street dance on Main Street by the light of the moon.

The 1990's became a time of population growth (estimated at 280 in 1999) and improvement for McFarland. Although the business district only includes the Post Office operated by Effa Winkler with assistance from Sally Morrill, the residential area has filled with very few lots being vacant. Two churches remain in McFarland, including Trinity Lutheran which became part of the town in 1893, and Mill Creek Baptist which began services in 1954. In 1992, a Community Action Head Start branched out of Shawnee County and now provides care and training for pre-kindergarten children during the year except in the summer. By 1998, all of the city streets were chipped and sealed, making the dusty gravel roads history. With proceeds from the centennial celebration, the old Rock Island Depot was moved from the tracks to the north end of the city park. It is now the McFarland City Hall/Heritage Center, with memorabilia from the town and the Rock Island Railroad on display. The old city hall is now a garage for a fire truck. Ted and Lynn Drown have remodeled the old school on the hill into apartments. Larry Senne moved the old Murphy Hotel three blocks to the east and is refurbishing the building into a home.

The only railroad activity in McFarland today is the fast moving trains which pass quickly through the valley town. All that remains from the railroad are a couple of small buildings used by the maintenance crew who work out of McFarland, a microwave tower, and one main line track. It was a major transition to pass from a busy junction with many railroad facilities to another place where the train passes through.

Most of the people who live in McFarland today are there because they want to be. small town life, away from the heavy populated, traffic snarled and noisy city will always attract a certain number of people. Small towns will survive in the next millennium and will likely be subjected to the pressures of growth. They have much to offer and the secretes of the tranquil life will be told to a stressed society.

McFarland has passed the century mark but what will the future bring? What direction will the town take? Just ask those who live in the community today and in the years to come. It's up to them to determine the course and priorities of this Wabaunsee County town. It is a garden spot located in the prairies. It has life and bloomed during its season, but without nourishment and tilling, it will return to grass and die away.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 271 people, 105 households, and 72 families residing in the city. The population density was 581.3/km² (1,525.6/mi²). There were 115 housing units at an average density of 246.7/km² (647.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.15% White, 0.37% African American, and 1.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of the population.

There were 105 households out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,250, and the median income for a family was $45,250. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $23,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,419. About 7.1% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 11.5% of those sixty five or over.