Hays Kansas KS Warrant Search

Hays, Kansas Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. It is the largest city in northwestern Kansas and an economic and cultural center of the region. Hays is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 20,013. History In late 1866, anticipating the construction of the Kansas Pacific Railway as far west as Fort Hays, a party from St. Louis, Missouri led by one William Webb selected three sections of land for colonization near the fort. In June 1867, to better serve the railroad, the U.S. Army relocated Fort Hays to a site near where the railroad was to cross Big Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill River. Seeing a business opportunity, Buffalo Bill Cody and railroad contractor William Rose founded the settlement of Rome, Kansas near the fort's new location. Within a month, the population of Rome grew to over 2,000. Webb, meanwhile, established the Big Creek Land Company and then surveyed and platted a town site, which he named Hays City after the fort, roughly one mile east of Rome. The railroad reached Hays City soon thereafter and constructed a depot there. The railroad's arrival, combined with a cholera epidemic that hit Rome in the late summer of 1867, drove Rome businesses and residents to relocate to Hays City. Within a year, Rome was completely abandoned. As the western terminus of the railway, Hays City grew rapidly, serving as the supply point for territories to the west and southwest.In its early years, Hays City was a violent frontier town characteristic of the American Old West. More than 30 homicides occurred in or near the town between 1867 and 1873, and it was the location of the original Boot Hill. Several notable figures of the Old West lived in Hays City at points, including George Custer and his wife Elizabeth, Calamity Jane, and Wild Bill Hickok who served a brief term as sheriff in 1869. Hays City became the county seat of Ellis County in 1870. By 1872, many of the rougher elements of the populace had left, mainly for Dodge City, and Hays City became more civilized. In 1885, the town was incorporated, and 'City' was dropped from its name.Volga Germans began settling the area in 1876, having found land suitable for the lifestyle and type of farming they had practiced in Russia. They brought with them Turkey Red Wheat, a type of winter wheat whose cultivation contributed to the agricultural transformation of the region. Bukovina Germans began settling in the area in 1886. These groups had a significant impact on the local way of life, establishing Hays as a regional center of ethnic German culture.Fort Hays closed in 1889. In 1900, the Kansas delegation to the U.S. Congress secured the fort's land and facilities for educational purposes. The following year, the Kansas Legislature established the Fort Hays Experiment Station, part of Kansas State Agricultural College, on the Fort Hays reservation and set aside land for the Western Branch of Kansas State Normal School, which opened in 1902 and eventually became Fort Hays State University. Fort Hays opened as a museum in 1955 and was later acquired by the Kansas Historical Society. In 1967, it became the Fort Hays State Historic Site.Several disasters have struck Hays over the course of its history. In 1895, fire destroyed 60 buildings downtown. Severe floods occurred in 1907 and 1951. In 1919, three Standard Oil gasoline tanks exploded, killing eight and injuring approximately 150 people. In 1935, the city experienced violent dust storms as part of the Dust Bowl.Hays began to modernize in the early 1900s with a power plant, waterworks, telephone exchange, and sewer system complete by 1911. Over the following decades, the city evolved into a regional economic hub. Development of oil fields in the surrounding area began in 1936 with Hays serving as a trading center and shipping point. Hays Regional Airport opened in 1961. Interstate 70 reached Hays in 1966. Today, Hays is a commercial and educational center for western Kansas. Geography Hays is located at 38°52′46″N 99°19′20″W / 38.87944°N 99.32222°W / 38.87944; -99.32222 (38.879399, -99.322277) at an elevation of 2,021 feet (616 m). The city lies in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains approximately 11 miles (18 km) north of the Smoky Hill River and 15 miles (24 km) south of the Saline River. Hays is immediately north of the confluence of Big Creek and Chetolah Creek. Big Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill River, runs through the southwestern part of the city. Chetolah Creek flows south through the eastern part of the city. Located in northwestern Kansas at the intersection of Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 183, Hays is approximately 134 miles (216 km) northwest of Wichita, 256 miles (412 km) west of Kansas City, and 311 miles (500 km) east-southeast of Denver.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.7 km²), all of it land. Climate Hays sits near the climatic triple point between the humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) and temperate semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) and has features of all three climates. It has hot summers with variable humidity and cool winters. The average temperature in Hays is 54 °F (12 °C), and the average relative humidity is 64%. Annually, Hays experiences extremes of heat and cold. Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 67 days a year and drop below 32 °F (0 °C) an average of 150 days a year. On average, Hays experiences 47 rainy days a year. Precipitation averages 22.7 inches (577 mm) per year, and snowfall averages 20.3 inches (516 mm) per year. Due to its geographic location at a climatic boundary, severe weather is common with tornadoes a major threat, especially in the spring and early summer months. On average, January is the coolest month, and July is both the warmest and wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Hays was 117 °F (47 °C) in 1934; the coldest temperature recorded was -26 °F (-32 °C) in 1905. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 20,013 people, 8,230 households, and 4,674 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,635.9 people per square mile (1,018.1/km²). There were 8,772 housing units at an average density of 1,155.3/sq mi (446.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.43% White, 1.09% Asian, 0.79% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.63% of the population.There were 8,230 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.96.In the city, the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 22.2% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.The median income for a household in the city was $31,501, and the median income for a family was $45,552. Males had a median income of $30,022 versus $21,793 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,565. About 6.7% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over. Economy The service sector constitutes most of the local economy with education and health care being two major industries. Hays Medical Center, Fort Hays State University, and Hays Public Schools are the city's three largest employers. Other major employers include local government, telecommunications firms, retail stores, and social services providers. Hays also hosts some manufacturing. EnerSys, a producer of sealed lead batteries, operates a plant in the city as does Adronics, an auto parts maker and Rans Designs a manufacturer of aircraft and bicycles. Other local companies manufacture oil field supplies, HVAC systems, and wheelchairs. Government Hays has a commission-manager form of government which it adopted in 1919. The city commission consists of five commissioners elected at-large every two years. One commissioner serves as mayor, presiding over commission meetings and representing the city at ceremonial events. The city manager is hired by the commission and is responsible for advising the commission, enforcing its policies, administering city employees, and preparing a proposed city budget. Colleges and universities Fort Hays State University North Central Kansas Technical College Primary and secondary education Hays Public Schools (Unified School District 489) operates ten schools in Hays:In addition, there are four Christian schools in Hays:High Plains Christian School (Pre-K-8) HaysSeventh-Day AdventistSchool (K-8) Holy Family Elementary School (Pre-K-6),Catholic school Thomas More Prep-Marian(9-12),Catholic school Transportation Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 40 run concurrently southeast-northwest immediately north of Hays. U.S. Route 183 runs north-south through Hays, intersecting I-70 immediately north of the city. A U.S. 183 bypass route runs around Hays to the west from U.S. 183 immediately south of the city to I-70 northwest of the city.Greyhound Lines provides long-distance bus service with a stop in Hays.Hays Regional Airport is located just southeast of the city. Used primarily for general aviation, it hosts one commercial airline with daily flights to Denver, Colorado.The Kansas Pacific (KP) Line of the Union Pacific Railroad runs southeast-northwest through downtown Hays in the southern part of the city. Print NewspapersThe Hays Daily News, daily The University Leader, weekly, the Fort Hays State University student newspaper Radio The following radio stations are licensed to and/or broadcast from Hays:AMFM Television Hays is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market. The following television stations are licensed to and/or broadcast from Hays: Events Hays is a regional center of German American culture due to the number of German immigrants who settled the area in the 1870s and 1880s. As of 2008, roughly 57% of the city population claimed German ancestry. The city hosts several events throughout the year which celebrate this heritage including two Oktoberfests. The Midwest Deutsche Oktoberfest takes place the third week of September. Fort Hays State University and The Volga German Society hold an Oktoberfest celebration on the first or second Friday in October. In addition, Polka Fest occurs in March, and the Ellis County Historical Museum hosts German Heritage Days in April.To celebrate Independence Day and to mark its early history as an Old West frontier town, the city hosts the annual Wild West Festival during the first week of July. Religion There are 27 churches in Hays. The majority are Protestant along with three Catholic Churches, a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation, and a Mormon church. Hays also hosts a Baha'i community. Sports Fort Hays State University's athletic teams, known as the Fort Hays State Tigers, compete in several sports in the NCAA Division II MIAA conference.Hays is also home to the Hays Larks, a collegiate summer baseball team in the Jayhawk Collegiate League of the National Baseball Congress. The team dates back to 1869 when local residents founded it as The Hays Town Team.