Spring Hill is a city in

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

and

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...

counties in the

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Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...

, and 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,952.

History

In 1856, James B. Hovey named the community after a town near Mobile, Alabama."Miami County 2008 Visitors Guide", pages 17-18 "Being somewhat enthusiastic in my estimation of its future, it having all advantages of timber and water, and on a line that must be traveled between Olathe and Paola, I concluded to myself, as there was no one else to conclude with, that this was a good place for a town." – J.B. Hovey, 1857 Hovey served as the communities first

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

. Also that year, Hovey built the first building in town, the Spring Hill Hotel. The two-story structure, also known as the "Old Traveler's Rest" was located on the highest elevation in town. In January 1859 Celia Ann Dayton, a doctor in

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the ...

, became the first woman doctor in the state of

by moving to Spring Hill. She arrived with her adopted son Hiram Eugene, also a doctor, and her husband Amos arrived a few months later. Hiram was killed in January 1862 during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

after being discovered as a spy for the Union. Also in 1862, Celia divorced her husband, which was very uncommon for the time period. Celia frequently aided black refugees, and is reported to have been part of the

underground railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

. In the fall of 1862, Spring Hill avoided

Quantrill's Raiders Quantrill's Raiders were the best-known of the pro- Confederate partisan guerrillas (also known as "bushwhackers") who fought in the American Civil War. Their leader was William Quantrill and they included Jesse James and his brother Frank. ...

entering the town when a farmer talked to them on their way. He calmly convinced them there were soldiers in town, when there were not. This deterred them from continuing. However, a year later in 1863, the Quantrill Raiders did march on Spring Hill, looting businesses in town and stealing from local farmers. At least one citizen was killed. By the 1870s, Spring Hill was growing in population and commerce. However, a railroad to come right through the town wanted to bypass Spring Hill unless it paid $15,000 to grade the land there. The residents didn't want to share the costs, and the tracks were moved to approximately a half-mile east of the original town square. The town's businesses then quickly moved to be closer to the

train depot A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing suc ...

and tracks. In 1874, the country's economic depression hit Spring Hill. Also that year, swarms of grasshoppers devoured plant life, then moved on to items such as clothes, blankets and shoes. Even leather harnesses, pitch fork handles, and fence posts were not immune to them. As a result, water sources were polluted, and gardens and crops were devastated. Livestock were nearly inedible. In the 1920s the Spring Hill Rural High School District was established, and in 1926, the original city jail was constructed by A. H. Starbuck. By the 1950s most of the rural area surrounding Spring Hill also had electricity. In the 1960s Spring Hill's elementary and high school merged due to a state law requiring public schooling for kindergarten through the 12th grade. Spring Hill's growth had nearly stopped by the 1980s until community leaders decided to focus on attracting industry to develop there. This strategy drew new residents, followed by increased retail and service businesses. On May 20, 1957 around 7:00 p.m., an F5 tornado, known as the Ruskin Heights tornado, struck Spring Hill and surrounding towns. Elston Steel Factory along with 21 homes and 18 barns were destroyed in the storm, with most damage occurring between Allen and King Street, north of Jackson Street. The cemetery also received a lot of damage to the trees and gravestones. The only fatalities in Spring Hill was the Davis Family, including Isam Davis, his wife Barbara, and their daughters Tamara and Pamela (ages five and six). A neighbor reported they were killed trying to leave their home and make it to their station wagon to escape the storm. Their home was completely destroyed by the tornado and their bodies were found close to 207th Street and US 169 Highway (present day Webster Street). Davis Street in Spring Hill is named after the family. Incorporated in 1857, Spring Hill celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2007, honoring its history. Today, many community events occur annually, and include The King of the Hill Barbeque, the Spring Hill Fall Festival, and Hometown Holidays.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

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

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 5,437 people, 1,919 households, and 1,447 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...

was . There were 2,069 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.7%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 1.6%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 4.0% of the population. There were 1,919 households, of which 46.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.6% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.26. The median age in the city was 32.3 years. 32.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 34% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 8.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,727 people, 973 households, and 747 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,014 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.48%

, 0.81%

, 0.84% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.51% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.79% of the population. There were 973 households, out of which 44.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were

living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.17. In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 34.5% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $45,052, and the median income for a family was $54,375. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $24,713 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $19,642. About 3.5% of families and 4.7% 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 5.4% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Today, many community events occur annually in Spring Hill, and include The King of the Hill Barbeque, the Spring Hill Fall Festival, and Hometown Holidays. Also located in Spring Hill is a golf course, Sycamore Ridge, where several of Spring Hill's community organizations and businesses hold golf tournaments."2009 Miami County Visitors Guide", pages 11-12 The Johnson County Library includes 13 locations throughout Johnson County, including the Spring Hill Library.

Government

The Spring Hill government consists of a mayor and five council members.Spring Hill - Directory of Public Officials
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Education

Spring Hill serves as the center of the Spring Hill School District (USD 230), which includes 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school. Schools included in the district are: * Prairie Creek Elementary School (grades K-5) * Spring Hill Elementary School (grades K-5) * Wolf Creek Elementary School (grades K-5) * Timber Sage Elementary School (grades K-5) * Dayton Creek Elementary School (grades K-5) * Spring Hill Middle School (grades 6-8) * Woodland Spring Middle School (grades 6-8) * Spring Hill High School (grades 9-12

Notable people

Curly Brown Charles Roy "Curly" Brown (December 9, 1888 – June 10, 1968) was a professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of four seasons (1911–13, 1915) with the St. Louis Browns and Cincinnati Reds. For his career, he compi ...

(1888-1968), baseball pitcher *

Gary Burrell Gary may refer to: * Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary Places ;Iran *Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;Un ...

(1937-2019), co-founder and chairman emeritus of

Garmin Garmin Ltd. (shortened to Garmin, stylized as GARMIN, and formerly known as ProNav) is an American, Swiss-domiciled multinational technology company founded in 1989 by Gary Burrell and Min Kao in Lenexa, Kansas, United States, with headquarte ...

* Stephen J. Chamberlin (1889-1971), U.S. Army Lieutenant General

References

External links

City of Spring Hill

Spring Hill - Directory of Public Officials

USD 230
local school district
Spring Hill city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Johnson County, Kansas Cities in Miami County, Kansas Populated places established in 1856 Populated places on the Underground Railroad 1856 establishments in Kansas Territory