Independence, Kansas
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Independence is a city located in Montgomery County, Kansas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 9,846. It is the county seat of Montgomery CountyTemplate:GR.
On April 28, 1930, Independence was the site of organized baseball's first night game. The Independence team lost 13-3 to Muskogee, its Western Association rival.
Almost 76 years later, on 11 April 2006, the small city made national news when it was reported that a young woman was abducted at gunpoint and held for about 15 hours by an unknown man driving a white van, who allegedly kidnapped the high school student from her front yard and forced her to jog to a lumberyard nearby, where the man's vehicle was parked; an 'Amber Alert' was issued, and camera crews roamed the streets, seeking interviews with friends of the alleged victim. However, on 13 April, Independence faced the embarrassment of learning that the incident was only a hoax on the part of the young woman, and that she had actually spent the day by herself not far from town.
Independence hosts the annual Neewollah Parade and festivities on 31 October each year. Neewollah is of course Halloween spelled backwards. The high school colors are orange and black.
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Geography
Image:KSMap-doton-Independence.png Independence is located at 37°13'42" North, 95°42'41" West (37.228251, -95.711392)Template:GR, along the Verdigris River just south of its confluence with the Elk River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.9 km² (5.0 mi²). 12.9 km² (5.0 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 9,846 people, 4,149 households, and 2,609 families residing in the city. The population density was 764.9/km² (1,979.4/mi²). There were 4,747 housing units at an average density of 368.8/km² (954.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.00% White, 7.17% African American, 1.16% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. 3.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,149 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,574, and the median income for a family was $37,134. Males had a median income of $26,552 versus $20,017 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,496. 13.1% of the population and 11.4% of families were below the poverty line. 18.7% of those under the age of 18 and 13.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Notable Natives
- William Inge, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.
- Bill Kurtis, television journalist
- Miss Able, space monkey
