Osawatomie is a city in Miami County,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, United States, southwest of

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,255. It derives its name as a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of two nearby streams, the Marais des Cygnes River (formerly named "Osage River") and Pottawatomie Creek.

History

Osawatomie's name is a compound of two primary Native American tribes from the area, the Osage and Pottawatomie. The name was said to have been thought up by

Ely Moore Ely Moore (July 4, 1798 – January 27, 1860) was an American newspaperman and labor leader who served two terms as a Jacksonian U.S. Representative from New York from 1835 to 1839. He was dubbed "labor's first congressman." Biography Moore ...

, an

Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the U.S. government. Agents established in Nonintercourse Act of 1793 The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the Un ...

and former

Congressman A member of congress (MOC), also known as a congressman or congresswoman, is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The t ...

, in order to settle a dispute on what to call the new settlement. The town is bordered by Pottawatomie Creek and the Marais des Cygnes River (part of the Osage River system), which are also named for the two tribes. The Emigrant Aid Society's transport of settlers to the

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

as a base for Free State settlers was key in the establishment of the community of Osawatomie in October 1854. Settled by

abolitionists Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. T ...

in hope of aiding Kansas's entry to the United States as a free state, the community of Osawatomie and pro-slavery communities nearby was quickly the targets of violence by pro-enslavement forces such as Border Ruffians."Miami County 2009 Visitors Guide", pages 8-10 In March 1855, abolitionists Reverend Samuel Adair and his wife Florella settled in a cabin near Osawatomie to serve as missionaries to the community. Florella's half-brother, John Brown came to

Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War, was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...

later the same year with a wagon of guns in order to help fight the pro slavery forces like his five sons, who were already living in another community in the area. Brown then came to Osawatomie to visit the Adairs and fight pro-slavery forces there. By 1856, having established himself as a leader of free state guerillas, Brown made Osawatomie and the Adair cabin his base. In a raid in May 1856, Brown killed five pro-slavery men along Pottawatomie Creek near the current town of Lane, Kansas. This was then referred to as the " Pottawatomie massacre", which inflamed the fighting throughout the Kansas Territory."Miami County 2008 Visitors Guide", pages 11-16 The second and main Battle of Osawatomie took place on August 30, 1856. Osawatomie played a key role throughout the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, serving as a center for Jayhawker activity. By 1857, Osawatomie had grown to a town of 800 and in 1859 hosted the first convention of the Kansas Republican Party. In recognition for Osawatomie's part in ensuring Kansas remained a free state, the Kansas Legislature established the Osawatomie State Mental Hospital in 1863, the first mental hospital west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. It admitted its first patient in 1866, and is still operational. By 1879, a railroad was built to serve Osawatomie, aiding its growth into a supply town and a main shipping point. As a result, Osawatomie grew to a population of 4,046 by 1910. Osawatomie was a division point for the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad from 1879 to 1985. Osawatomie was chartered in 1883 and in 1890 became a second-class city. The commission form of government was adopted in 1914.

Battle of Osawatomie

The first skirmish in Osawatomie took place on June 7, 1856. However, there was not much of a fight, and no blood was shed. The town's buildings were plundered, and some horses were taken. The larger, and main conflict known as the Battle of Osawatomie began August 30, 1856 as John Brown was camped just north Osawatomie and looking east for pro-slavery forces. A pro-slavery force of 250, led by John William Reid, came riding into Osawatomie from another direction. One of John Brown's sons Frederick Brown was walking to the Adair cabin at the time, and was shot. When Reverend Adair heard the shot, he sent his own son to warn and notify John Brown of the raid. Brown and 31 of the free state guerillas took positions to attempt to defend Osawatomie. Heavy gunfire took place for over 45 minutes, until Brown and his men ran out of ammunition. They retreated hoping they would be chased, and the community of Osawatomie would be left alone. However, despite the attempts of Brown to get Reid's men to follow, they instead looted and burned Osawatomie. Only three buildings remained standing when it was over.

Presidential visits

On August 31, 1910, President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

gave his famous New Nationalism speech in Osawatomie. The central issue he argued was government protection of human welfare and

property rights The right to property, or the right to own property (cf. ownership), is often classified as a human right for natural persons regarding their Possession (law), possessions. A general recognition of a right to private property is found more rarely ...

. On December 6, 2011, President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

gave an economic speech reprising many of Roosevelt's themes at Osawatomie High School.

Geography

Osawatomie is located in southwestern Miami County along US Route 169 and Kansas Highway 7. The Marais des Cygnes River flows past the north side of the community and Pottawatomie Creek flows past the south side. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool dry winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Osawatomie has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Osawatomie is part of the

Kansas City metropolitan area The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 4,255 people, 1,562 households, and 1,023 families in Osawatomie. The population density was 810.2 per square mile (312.8/km). There were 1,799 housing units at an average density of 342.5 per square mile (132.3/km). The racial makeup was 87.38% (3,718)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(85.52%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 3.22% (137)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 1.01% (43) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 0.35% (15) Asian, 0.09% (4)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

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, 0.89% (38) from other races, and 7.05% (300) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 4.28% (182) of the population. Of the 1,562 households, 35.6% had children under the age of 18; 39.2% were married couples living together; 30.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 28.6% of households consisted of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.1. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 10.7% of the population. 27.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 108.7 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $51,307 (with a margin of error of +/- $16,869) and the median family income was $60,739 (+/- $9,457). Males had a median income of $37,192 (+/- $7,732) versus $26,556 (+/- $3,356) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $31,701 (+/- $2,634). Approximately, 16.8% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 27.0% of those under the age of 18 and 25.0% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 4,447 people, 1,644 households, and 1,075 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 1,891 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.1%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.0% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population. There were 1,644 households, of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.6% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% 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 3.09. The median age in the city was 34.6 years. 28.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,645 people, 1,781 households, and 1,130 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,947 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.21%

, 4.16%

, 0.47% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.04%

, 0.75% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population. There were 1,781 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were

living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,104, and the median income for a family was $37,172. Males had a median income of $30,650 versus $23,043 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $15,353. About 10.9% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the

, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

Historical places

Osawatomie has several historical places, five of which are listed on the National Historic Register: * The Mills House - A . Queen-Anne style home built in 1902 for William Mills. * Asylum Bridge - An unusual bridge built in 1906 connecting the community to the state mental hospital. * Creamery Bridge - In 1930, this bridge was built crossing the Marais des Cygnes River. A duplicate bridge crosses the Pottawatomie Creek. Osawatomie is between the two. Both bridges are on the National Historic Register. * John Brown Museum State Historic Site: The site of the Battle of Osawatomie is contained in the John Brown Memorial Park. Also, the Adair Cabin is exhibited there. * John Brown Lookout - Located north of 319th and Lookout Road, this high point in the county was used as a Civil War lookout. There is now a ladder there that can be used to cross the fence line for access to the lookout. An exhibit at John Brown State Historic site also features John Brown Lookout. Other historic places in or around Osawatomie include: * Midway Drive-In Theater - Located off of Old KC Road between Paola and Osawatomie is a drive-in theater, one of only twelve remaining in the state. This outdoor movie theater is still operational and shows movies, which used to be called "talkies", during the spring and summer months. * Flood Marker - A historic flood of the Marais des Cygnes River occurred in 1951. A marker was placed north of 343rd and one-half mile east of Columbia Road to show the height of the water, 50.3 feet, which has yet to be matched.

Community

The community of Osawatomie offers a museum and driving tour for learning of its history, and also offers its residents various opportunities for recreation. There is an 18-hole golf course, and the Osawatomie City Lake for fishing. The USD 367 Sport and Fitness Zone (O-Zone) is also in Osawatomie, which has two indoor pools, an outdoor pool, a gymnasium, weight room, indoor track, and offers programs for all ages. The Karl E. Cole Sports Complex in Osawatomie is used for athletic events such as baseball, softball, soccer, and youth football. Osawatomie hosts the John Brown Jamboree, an annual arts, crafts, and music festival each summer. Each October, the Talking Tombstones event is held at Oakwood Cemetery, with reenactments of historical figures buried there, to remember their lives and contribution to the community's history.

Film

On March 13, 2010, the short film '' Change for a Dollar'' was filmed in Osawatomie.'' theinkkc.com''

Government

The Osawatomie government consists of a mayor and eight council members.Elected Officials; City of Osawatomie.
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Education

The community is served by Osawatomie USD 367 public school district. Its four schools are: * Swenson Early Childhood Education Center (Pre-K and K) * Trojan Elementary (grades 1-5) * Osawatomie Middle School (grades 6-8) * Osawatomie High School (grades 9-12)

Notable people

* John Brown resided for 20 months in a cabin, now the John Brown Museum *

Lynn Dickey Clifford Lynn Dickey (born October 19, 1949) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildc ...

- NFL quarterback for fifteen seasons, chiefly with

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

* Derrick Jensen - pro football player * Lafayette Russell - pro football player and actor

References

External links

City of Osawatomie

Osawatomie - Directory of Public Officials

Osawatomie city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Miami County, Kansas Cities in Kansas Populated places established in 1854 1854 establishments in Kansas Territory