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75-684: In 1967, the Midland Valley Railroad was merged into the Texas & Pacific Railroad, which was absorbed by the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1983. MV reached Tulsa in 1904, and completed construction of its initial system in 1906 upon reaching Arkansas City, Kansas . The same year it opened a branch to the Glenn Pool oil field , which generated a lot of traffic and stimulated MV's revenues. MV extended that line as far as Kiefer but closed

150-533: A reservation in southwest Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in the area where most of them continue to reside today. On June 4, 1891, the affiliated tribes signed an agreement with the Cherokee Commission for individual allotments. Wichita relationships were mostly harmonious and cooperative. The Wichita were allies with the Comanche and traded with them. However, they were enemies with groups such as

225-450: A bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 12.7% of the population. 26.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 108.7 males. The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that

300-501: A branch line from Florence to El Dorado , in 1881 it was extended to Douglass , and later to Arkansas City. The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway . The line from Florence to El Dorado was abandoned in 1942. The original branch line connected Florence , Burns , De Graff , El Dorado , Augusta , Douglass , Rock , Akron , Winfield , and Arkansas City. Arkansas City grew steadily through

375-507: A former windmill manufacturer, was headquartered in Arkansas City near the turn of the 20th century; the now-defunct Kanotex Refining Company established a refinery and headquarters in the city in 1917. During the 1920s, Arkansas City had an active group of Ku Klux Klan . The group was mostly concentrated in south-central and south-east Kansas. The state took action to shut down the group, and most Klans disbanded by 1927. In 1928,

450-560: A history of intermarriage and alliance with other groups. Notably, the women of the Wichita worked with the Pueblo to harvest crops and engage in trade. Pueblo women were recorded to have intermarried with Wichita people and lived together in Wichita villages. The social structure was organized by ranking of each tribe. Tribes were also led by two chiefs. The Wichita tribes call themselves Kitikiti'sh or Kirikirish (" raccoon -eyed people"), because of

525-808: A home in Cowley County due in part to the workforce supplied by the two local colleges in the county. Both cities, only 11 miles (18 km) apart, now have large Wal-Mart stores (a new Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in Arkansas City in March 2006, and another has been constructed in Winfield, Kansas); conversely, both towns' (in Arkansas City—;the Burford, the Howard, and the Crest) movie theaters recently closed and were replaced by

600-538: A large role in the Wichita people's lifestyle. Increased access to horses in the mid 17th century caused Wichita hunting styles and seasons to become longer and more community-oriented. The Wichita economy also focused on horticulture, root-gathering, and fruits and nuts. Wichita people wore clothing from tanned hides, which the women prepared and sewed. They often decorated their dresses with elk canine teeth . Both men and women tattooed their faces and bodies with solid and dotted lines and circles. Wichita people had

675-618: A leak ever occurs). In recent years, there have been proposals to extend Amtrak passenger rail service for the Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City to Newton with new stops in Kansas at Arkansas City and Wichita , but it has not been approved yet. Arkansas City is situated along the northern bank of the Arkansas River and to the west of its confluence with the Walnut River . It

750-479: A loss of 400 jobs. Winfield State Hospital and Gordon Piatt Industries were closed in nearby Winfield with a combined loss of 973 jobs. Montgomery KONE Elevator and Central Plains Book Manufacturing at nearby Strother Field were also shuttered. Arkansas City is now home to state-of-the-art meat processor Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC which employs over 1100 workers. Several smaller manufacturing companies are expanding their operations while new start ups are finding

825-582: A population of about 12,000. His description of the Etzanoa was similar to that of Coronado's description of Quivira. The homesteads were dispersed; the houses round, thatched with grass and surrounded by large granaries to store the corn, beans, and squash they grew in their fields. Oñate's Rayados were certainly Wichita, probably the sub-tribe later known as the Guichitas. What the Coronado and Oñate expeditions showed

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900-658: A school in his home when Arkansas City was first established. The public school system began development in 1872. Cowley College , formerly Cowley County Community College, is located between 1st and 4th streets, and Central and Adams Avenues in Arkansas City. Cowley is a community college and vocational/technical school with more than 68 majors and degree options. It began in 1922 in the basement of Arkansas City High School. Other campuses include: Aviation Tech Center ( Wichita ), Allied Health Center ( Winfield , Kansas), Career & Technical Education Center ( Mulvane , Kansas), and Bloomenshine Center (Mulvane). Its primary buildings are

975-471: A single facility halfway between the cities, just south of the Strother Field industrial park. B & B Theatres donated the two downtown buildings to non-profit organizations in each of the respective communities. The Ark City Burford Theatre and Commercial Building is undergoing a transformation/renovation that will become a new community arts center and gathering space. Construction began in spring 2006 on

1050-477: Is a city in Cowley County, Kansas , United States, situated at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Walnut River in the southwestern part of the county. As of the 2020 census , the population of the city was 11,974. The name of this city is not pronounced like the nearby state of Arkansas , but rather as / ɑːr ˈ k æ n z ə s / (the final "s" is pronounced, and it rhymes with Kansas). Over

1125-1008: Is as follows. The tribe owns the Sugar Creek Casino, several restaurants, the Sugar Creek Event Center, and Hinton Travel Inn in Hinton . It owns a smoke shop, travel plaza, and historical center in Anadarko. Their annual economic impact in 2010 was $ 4.5 million. The Wichita language is one of the Caddoan languages . They are related by language and culture to the Pawnee , with whom they have close relations. The Wichita lived in settled villages with domed-shaped, grass lodges, sometimes up to 30 feet (9.1 m) in diameter. The Wichita were successful hunters, farmers, traders, and negotiators. Their historical homelands stretched from San Antonio, Texas , in

1200-455: Is located at the junction of U.S. Route 77 and U.S. Route 166 , only four miles (6.4 km) north of the Kansas - Oklahoma border. Winfield , the county seat , is 13 miles (21 km) north of Arkansas City along US-77, and Strother Field , a general aviation airport, is about eight miles (13 km) north. Arkansas City is located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Wichita . According to

1275-531: Is located on the Eastern corner of 3rd and Washington, replacing the former Ark City Junior High School. Wichita people The Wichita people, or Kitikiti'sh , are a confederation of Southern Plains Native American tribes . Historically they spoke the Wichita language and Kichai language , both Caddoan languages . They are indigenous to Oklahoma , Texas , and Kansas . Today, Wichita tribes, which include

1350-685: The Battle of the Twin Villages . The Spanish army suffered 19 dead and 14 wounded, leaving two cannons on the battlefield, although they claimed to have killed more than 100 Indians. The alliance between the Wichita, especially the Taovayas, and the Comanche began to break up in the 1770s as the Wichita sought a better relationship with the Spanish. Taovaya power in Texas declined sharply after an epidemic, probably smallpox , in 1777 and 1778 killed about one-third of

1425-585: The Great Plains and found a large settlement of Indians he called Rayados . They lived along the Walnut River in the eastern part of Arkansas City. Extensive remains of Indian settlements have been found along six miles (9.7 km) of the Walnut River. The Rayados were the ancestors of the Indians later called Wichita . Wichita settlements from the 18th century are also found a few miles south of Arkansas City on

1500-642: The Kichai people , Waco , Taovaya , Tawakoni , and the Wichita proper (or Guichita), are federally recognized as the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco and Tawakoni) . The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes are headquartered in Anadarko, Oklahoma . Their tribal jurisdictional area is in Caddo County, Oklahoma . The Wichitas are a self-governance tribe, who operate their own housing authority and issue tribal vehicle tags . The current tribal administration

1575-604: The Rio Grande Valley in search of a rich land called Quivira . In Texas, probably in the Blanco River Canyon near Lubbock , Coronado met people he called Teyas who might have been related to the Wichita and the earlier Plains villagers. The Teyas, if in fact they were Wichita, were probably the ancestors of the Iscani and Waco, although they might also have been the Kichai , who spoke a different language but later joined

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1650-519: The Rio Grande Valley, with whom they interacted. In the late 15th century, most of these Washita River villages were abandoned for reasons that are not known today. Numerous archaeological sites in central Kansas near the Great Bend of the Arkansas River share common traits and are collectively known as the "Great Bend aspect." Radiocarbon dates from these sites range from AD 1450 to 1700. Great Bend aspect sites are generally accepted as ancestral to

1725-644: The Texas & Pacific Railroad (T&P), a MoPac subsidiary on April 1, 1967. MoPac merged into the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in 1983. Operated as branch lines for a number of years, most of the Midland Valley has now been abandoned. Much of the former route has been converted from rail to trail, such as the 14.5 mile Osage Prairie Trail between Tulsa and Skiatook . Arkansas City, Kansas Arkansas City ( / ɑːr ˈ k æ n z ə s / )

1800-722: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 9.38 square miles (24.29 km ), of which 9.36 square miles (24.24 km ) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km ) is water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Arkansas City has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The 2020 United States census counted 11,974 people, 4,467 households, and 2,762 families in Arkansas City. The population density

1875-587: The Washita and South Canadian Rivers in present-day Oklahoma. The women of these 10th-century communities cultivated varieties of maize, beans, and squash (known as the Three Sisters ), marsh elder ( Iva annua ), and tobacco , which was important for religious purposes. The men hunted deer, rabbits, turkey, and, primarily, bison, and caught fish and harvested mussels from the rivers. These villagers lived in rectangular, thatched-roof houses. Archaeologists describe

1950-677: The Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma although the Tawakoni and Wacos still lived in Texas and were moved onto a reservation on the upper Brazos River . They were forced out of Texas to a reservation in Oklahoma in 1859. During the Civil War, the Wichita allied with the Union side. They moved to Kansas, where they established a village at the site of present-day Wichita, Kansas . In 1867 they were relocated to

2025-567: The 20th century, but by the 1980s, the community was facing economic challenges. The railroads shifted many of their crews to other stops, the old Rodeo meat packing plant, which for a short time was Morrell Meats, closed. The only passenger train that served the city, Amtrak 's Lone Star , was discontinued. In 1996 Total Petroleum closed their refinery in Ark City with a loss of 170 jobs. By 2003 other large employers in Cowley County closed operations. The Binney & Smith ( Crayola ) plant closed with

2100-634: The Arkansas River east of Newkirk, Oklahoma . By 1757, however, it appears that all the Wichita had migrated south to the Red River . The most prominent of the Wichita sub-tribes were the Taovayas. In the 1720s they had moved south from Kansas to the Red River establishing a large village on the north side of the River at Petersburg, Oklahoma and on the south side at Spanish Fort, Texas . They adopted many traits of

2175-503: The Brown Center Theatre, W.S. Scott Auditorium, Renn-Memorial Library, Kerr Building, Walker Industrial Technology Building, Ben Cleveland Wellness Center, Kerr Building, Galle-Johnson Hall and four separate dormitories: Storbeck, Kirke W. Dale, Docking, and Kimmell. The college also owns one of the old high school buildings (Ireland Hall), which houses its criminal justice and cosmetology classes. The most recent building, Webb-Brown,

2250-477: The French in the 19th century. French traders were eager to exchange their goods with Wichita settlements as they traveled from Louisiana to Santa Fe. The Wichita had a large population in the time of Coronado and Oñate. One scholar estimates their numbers at 200,000. Villages often contained around 1,000 to 1,250 people per village. Certainly they numbered in the tens of thousands. They appeared to be much reduced by

2325-565: The Glenn Pool-Kiefer section in 1936. Wichita, Kansas was reached in 1911, with the lease of the Wichita and Midland Valley railroad. Service to Wichita ended in 1966, and the northern section of the road was pared back to Barnsdall, Oklahoma . Passenger service ended in 1934. Competition from other railroads caused a decline in MV's fortunes, especially during the Great Depression . The line

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2400-525: The Midland Valley system occurred February 1, 1958. Westbound train 41 collided head-on with eastbound train 42 on the curve at Bokoshe, Oklahoma . Four crew members died and seven were injured. All three railroads were operated as more or less common property by the Muskogee Company until sale of all three to the Missouri Pacific Railroad (MoPac) in 1964. The Midland Valley was merged into

2475-614: The Osage and Pawnee", two other neighboring Indigenous groups. Historically, for much of the year, the Wichita lived in huts made of forked cedar poles covered by dry grasses. In the winter, they followed American bison (buffalo) in a seasonal hunt and lived in hunting camps. Wichita people relied heavily on bison, using all parts—for clothing, food and cooking fat, winter shelter, leather supplies, sinew, medicine, and even armor. Each spring, Wichita families settled in their villages for another season of cultivating crops. Eventually, horses played

2550-542: The Panis Piqués or Panis Noirs are included into the listing of Wichita sub-tribes, but it seems that there were no known separate sub-tribe which can be identified by this name. One Pawnee splinter grouping known as Panismahas moved from what is now Nebraska to the Texas-Arkansas border regions where they lived with the Taovayas. The Wichita people had a unified language system with minor dialectical differences based on

2625-629: The Pawnee, the Missouri, and the Apache. The Apache were the Wichita's worst enemies, having driven them out of their homes before contact with Europeans. The Wichita people's relationship with the Osage is ambiguous. It is said to have been "cautiously hostile", but many Osage groups attacked them in the 18th century, eventually driving them out of the Arkansas River Basin. Due to geographical isolation, it

2700-567: The Spanish as the Norteños (Northerners). The Wichita people and the Comanche attacked a Spanish military expedition in 1759. Afterwards, in response to the destruction by the Norteños of the San Saba Mission the Spanish and their Apache allies undertook an expedition to punish the Indians. Their 500-man army attacked the twin villages on Red River, but was defeated by the Wichita and Comanche in

2775-501: The United States. These sites are terraced around the Red River in Oklahoma and Texas, and they contain artifacts such as pottery, arrows, knives, clay figurines, and European trade goods. Extensive excavation of these sites revealed large ritualistic and burial structures common in the territory and culture of the Wichita people. After the man and woman were made they dreamed that things were made for them, and when they woke they had

2850-682: The Washita River Phase from 1250 to 1450, when local populations grew and villages of up to 20 houses were spaced every two or so miles along the rivers. These farmers may have had contact with the Panhandle culture villages in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles , farming villages along the Canadian River. The Panhandle villagers showed signs of adopting cultural characteristics of the Pueblo peoples of

2925-514: The West and the powerful Osage on the East. European diseases would also probably be responsible for a large decline in the Wichita population in the 17th century. In 1719, French explorers visited two groups of Wichita. Bernard de la Harpe found a large village near present-day Tulsa, Oklahoma and Claude Charles Du Tisne found two villages near Neodesha, Kansas . Regarding religion, La Harpe noticed that

3000-468: The Wichita people "had little of it". He did, however, gain knowledge on the presence of a Great Spirit that the Wichita worshipped. Coronado's Quivira was abandoned early in the 18th century, probably due to Apache attacks. The Rayados of Oñate were probably still living in about the same Walnut River location. Archaeologists have located a Wichita village at the Deer Creek Site dating from the 1750s on

3075-427: The Wichita peoples described by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and other early European explorers. The discovery of limited quantities of European artifacts, such as chain mail and iron axe heads at several Great Bend sites, suggests contact of these people with early Spanish explorers. Great Bend aspect peoples' subsistence economy included agriculture, hunting, gathering, and fishing. Villages were located on

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3150-505: The Wichita tribe. Turning north, he found Quivira and the people later known as the Wichita near the town of Lyons, Kansas . He was disappointed in his search for gold as the Quivirans appear to have been prosperous farmers and good hunters but had no gold or silver. There were about 25 villages of up to 200 houses each in Quivira. Coronado said: "They were large people of very good build", and he

3225-661: The Yscani or Iscanis of earlier times), and Guichitas or Wichita Proper; smaller bands are listed as well: Akwits (also Akwesh, Asidahetsh, or Asidahesh, a former northern Pawnee splinter group, which joined the Wichita), Itaz, Kishkat, and Korishkitsu (the two latter names may be a Wichita name for the Kichai). The Taovaya were the most important in the 18th century. The French called the Wichita peoples Panis Piqués (Pawnee Picts) or Panis Noirs (Black Pawnees), because they practiced tattooing; sometimes

3300-503: The advantage over the others in their houses and in growing of maize ". The Quivirans apparently called their land Tancoa (which bears a resemblance to the later sub-tribe called Tawakoni) and a neighboring province on the Smoky Hill River was called Tabas (which bears a resemblance to the sub-tribe of Taovayas). Settlements existed here until the Wichita were driven away in the 18th century. Sixty years after Coronado's expedition

3375-580: The age of 18 and 6.4% of those ages 65 or over. As of the census of 2010, there were 12,415 people, 4,802 households, and 3,030 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,326.4 inhabitants per square mile (512.1/km ). There were 5,646 housing units at an average density of 603.2 per square mile (232.9/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 79.4% White , 3.9% African American , 2.7% Native American , 0.6% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 8.7% from other races , and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.3% of

3450-406: The average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males. The median income for a household in the city

3525-488: The city's official fall festival, Arkalalah, was inaugurated. This annual event still draws thousands of visitors each October, and features a queen, a carnival, dozens of homegrown fair food vendors and a spectacular parade typically lasting two hours or more. During the 1955 Arkalalah celebration, retired Santa Fe steam locomotive 2542 was dedicated in Wilson Park, where it remains today. The city prospered through much of

3600-427: The city. The population density was 1,592.5 inhabitants per square mile (614.9/km ). There were 5,628 housing units at an average density of 749.2 per square mile (289.3/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 87.15% White , 4.51% African American , 2.69% Native American , 0.64% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 1.95% from other races , and 3.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.47% of

3675-447: The founder of New Mexico Juan de Oñate visited Etzanoa , the Wichita city. Oñate journeyed east from New Mexico, crossing the Great Plains and encountering two large settlements of people he called Escanjaques (possibly Yscani) and Rayados, most certainly Wichita. The Rayado city was probably on the Walnut River near Arkansas City, Kansas . Oñate described the city as containing "more than twelve hundred houses" which would indicate

3750-772: The geography of unique tribes. Derived from the Caddoan language, much of the Wichita language was indistinguishable between tribes they shared close alliances with. In 2018, the Wichita Tribes opened the Wichita Tribal History Center in Anadarko, which shares Wichita history, archaeology, visual arts, and culture with the public. The Wichita Annual Dance, a powwow , is held at the Wichita Tribal Park on US-281 , north of Anadarko, every August. Several sites spanning across different time periods are spread around

3825-494: The historical practice of tattooing marks around their eyes. The kindred Pawnee called them Kírikuuruks or Kírikuruks (" bear -eyed people") and the Arikara referred to them as Čirikuúnux (a reference to the Wichita practice of tattoos ). The Kiowa called them Thoe-Khoot (" tattoo faces"). Wichita people have been a loose confederation of related peoples on the Southern Plains, including such bands or sub-tribes as Taovayas (Tawehash) , Tawakonis , Wacos (who appear to have been

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3900-457: The latter part of the 19th century, and enjoyed a population explosion starting in 1891, when thousands of people moved into the area in anticipation of the Cherokee Strip Land Run . At the turn of the century, Arkansas City was a rival to Wichita in size and enterprise, boasting several busy rail lines , an elegant opera house, numerous fine hotels, a manufacturing base and a bustling agricultural economy. A popular swimming hole called Paris Lake

3975-422: The median household income was $ 46,331 (with a margin of error of +/- $ 4,847) and the median family income was $ 56,522 (+/- $ 5,710). Males had a median income of $ 33,097 (+/- $ 2,008) versus $ 26,731 (+/- $ 2,569) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $ 30,455 (+/- $ 1,980). Approximately, 12.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.9% of those under

4050-496: The nomadic Plains Indians and were noted for raiding, trading. They had a close alliance with the French, and in 1746 a French brokered alliance with the Comanche revived the fortunes of the Wichita. The village at Petersburg was "a lively emporium where Comanches brought Apache slaves, horses and mules to trade for French packs of powder, balls, knives, and textiles and for Taovaya-grown maize, melons, pumpkins, squash, and tobacco." The Wichita and their Comanche allies were known to

4125-472: The planned downtown revitalization streetscape. In 2006, the local physicians in Arkansas City banded together with the South Central Kansas Regional Medical Center (SCKRMC) board and the City of Arkansas City to build a new hospital, which opened in March 2011. In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed west of Arkansas City, north to south through Cowley County , with much controversy over tax exemption and environmental concerns (if

4200-442: The population. There were 4,802 households, of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

4275-409: The population. There were 4,855 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and

4350-573: The pre-Contact Plains. Several village sites contain the remains of unusual structures called "council circles," located at the center of settlements. Archaeological excavations suggest they consist of a central patio surrounded by four semi-subterranean structures. The function of the council circles is unclear. Archaeologist Waldo Wedel suggested in 1967 that they may be ceremonial structures, possibly associated with solstice observations. Recent analysis suggests that many non-local artifacts occur exclusively or primarily within council circles, implying

4425-430: The south to Great Bend, Kansas , in the north. A semi-sedentary people, they occupied northern Texas in the early 18th century. They traded with other Southern Plains Indians on both sides of the Red River and south to Waco . The Wichita made much of their own art, including ceramic pottery that greatly fascinated French and Spanish traders. To the untrained eye Wichita pottery was "virtually indistinguishable from

4500-448: The structures were occupied by political and/or ritual leaders of the Great Bend aspect peoples. Other archaeologists leave open the possibility that the council circle earthworks served a defensive role. One of these sites was the city Etzanoa , located in present-day Arkansas City, Kansas , near the Arkansas River , that flourished between 1450 and 1700. In 1541 Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado journeyed east from

4575-534: The things of which they had dreamed... The woman was given an ear of corn... It was to be the food of the people that should exist in the future, to be used generation after generation. —Tawakoni Jim in The Mythology of the Wichita , 1904 The Ancestral Wichita people lived in the eastern Great Plains from the Red River in Arkansas north to Nebraska for at least 2,000 years. Early Wichita people were hunters and gatherers who gradually adopted agriculture. Farming villages were developed about 900 CE on terraces above

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4650-405: The time of the first French contacts with them in 1719, probably due in large part to epidemics of infectious disease to which they had no immunity . In 1790, it was estimated there were about 3,200 total Wichita. Conflict with Texans in the early 19th century and Americans in the mid 19th century led to a major decline in population, leading to the eventual merging of Wichita settlements. By 1868,

4725-402: The tribe. After the United States took over their territory as a result of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the independence of Texas in 1836, all the related tribes were increasingly lumped together and dubbed "Wichita". That designation also included the Kichai of northern Texas, who spoke a different although a related language. The principal village of the Wichita in the 1830s was near

4800-427: The upper terraces of rivers, and crops appear to have been grown on the fertile floodplains below. Primary crops were maize , beans, squash, and sunflowers, cultivated for their seeds. Gathered foods included walnut and hickory nuts, and the fruits of plum, hackberry , and grape. Remains of animal bones in Great Aspect sites include bison , elk , deer , pronghorn , and dog, one of the few domesticated animals in

4875-464: The west bank of the Arkansas River. European-American settlers first congregated in the area where Arkansas City now stands in the 1860s. Settlers established a town in 1870. They had difficulty choosing a name; early names included Adelphia, Creswell, and Walnut City before the present name was chosen. The first post office in Arkansas City was established on May 16, 1870. In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built

4950-590: The years there has been much confusion about the regional pronunciation of "Arkansas", which locals render as / ɑːr ˈ k æ n z ə s / rather than / ˈ ɑːr k ən s ɔː / . Throughout much of Kansas, residents also use this alternative pronunciation when referring to the Arkansas River . The city is also known as "Ark City". Present-day Arkansas City sits on the site of an ancestral Wichita city, Etzanoa , which flourished from 1450 to 1700 and had an estimated population of 20,000. In 1601, New Mexico Governor Juan de Oñate led an expedition across

5025-450: Was $ 29,158, and the median income for a family was $ 39,962. Males had a median income of $ 30,665 versus $ 19,919 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 15,933. About 12.4% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over. The community is served by the Arkansas City USD 470 public school district. Professor H. B. Norton first hosted

5100-512: Was 1,285.2 per square mile (496.2/km ). There were 5,382 housing units at an average density of 577.7 per square mile (223.0/km ). The racial makeup was 69.69% (8,345) white or European American (64.56% non-Hispanic white ), 3.13% (375) black or African-American , 3.17% (380) Native American or Alaska Native , 0.43% (52) Asian , 0.79% (94) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian , 8.43% (1,010) from other races , and 14.35% (1,718) from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race

5175-439: Was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age in the city was 33.8 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 22.7% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 11,963 people, 4,855 households, and 3,102 families residing in

5250-429: Was 21.82% (2,613) of the population. Of the 4,467 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18; 40.2% were married couples living together; 30.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 32.3% of households consisted of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 3.0. The percent of those with

5325-437: Was difficult for the French and Spanish to trade with the Wichita. The French traded with the Wichita primarily for their horses during the 16th century. The Wichita sensed that trading with the French would be ideal. Their migration in 1714 was partly motivated by their desire to move closer to European traders. The Wichita first gained their European commodities in the mid 18th century, inspiring them to maintain close ties with

5400-530: Was impressed with the land, which was "fat and black." Though Coronado was impressed with Wichita society, he often treated the Wichita poorly in his expedition. Even after Wichita migration, some settlements were thought to have remained in northern Quivira in 1680. It was also noted: "They eat meat raw/ jerky like the Querechos [the Apache ] and Teyas . They are enemies of one another...These people of Quivira have

5475-635: Was known as one of the Muskogee Roads . Muskogee, Oklahoma was home to the Midland Valley's headquarters and shops, and its owner, the Muskogee Company , operated out of Muskogee even though its corporate headquarters were in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . In 1925, the Midland Valley acquired the Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway , and the Muskogee Company purchased a third railroad Oklahoma City-Ada-Atoka Railway in 1929. The most serious accident on

5550-539: Was located west of downtown; the lake—and the hot springs at Geuda as well—was mired with silt in a flood about 1919. Nearly 20 years later the WPA would build the Paris Park pool in the same spot. African Americans were not allowed to swim in the Paris Park pool during the era of segregation and used a separate facility colloquially referred to as "the black pool" by local residents. The Kirkwood Wind Engine Company,

5625-404: Was that the Wichita people of the 16th century were numerous and widespread. They were not, however, a single tribe at this time but rather a group of several related tribes speaking a common language. The dispersed nature of their villages probably indicated that they were not seriously threatened by attack by enemies, although that would change as they would soon be squeezed between the Apache on

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