Russell Kansas KS Warrant Search

Russell, Kansas Russell is the most populous city in and county seat of Russell County, Kansas, United States. The population was 4,696 at the 2000 census. History In 1865, the Butterfield Overland Despatch established a short-lived station named Fossil Creek Station along its route from Atchison, Kansas to Denver near the site of modern Russell. In 1867, the Kansas Pacific Railway reached the area and built its own station, also named Fossil Creek, later just Fossil, north of the Butterfield station. That same year, the Kansas state legislature established the surrounding area as Russell County. In 1871, colonists from Ripon, Wisconsin established a permanent settlement at Fossil Station, renaming it Russell after the county. Russell was incorporated and named the provisional county seat in 1872, and, after a two-year dispute with neighboring Bunker Hill, it became the permanent county seat in 1874. In 1876, Volga Germans, mostly from the area around Saratov and Samara in Russia, began settling in and around Russell.The first discovery oil well in Russell County was drilled west of Russell in 1923. An oil boom ensued and lasted through the 1930s, attracting settlers from Oklahoma and Texas. Petroleum production became a staple of the local economy.Russell came to national attention in the mid-1990s as the hometown of U.S. Senators Bob Dole and Arlen Specter when both men campaigned for the U.S. presidency. Geography Russell is located at 38°53′23″N 98°51′26″W / 38.88972°N 98.85722°W / 38.88972; -98.85722 (38.889807, -98.857113) at an elevation of 1,827 feet (557 m). It lies in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains approximately 5 miles (8 km) south of the Saline River and 8 miles (12 km) north of the Smoky Hill River. Fossil Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill River, passes immediately south of the city where it has been dammed to form a small reservoir, Fossil Lake. Located in north-central Kansas at the intersection of Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 281, Russell is approximately 113 miles (182 km) northwest of Wichita, 231 miles (372 km) west of Kansas City, and 336 miles (541 km) east-southeast of Denver.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²), all of it land. Climate Lying in the transition zone between North America's humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) and humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), Russell experiences hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature is 54 °F (12 °C), and the average relative humidity is 64%. Russell has four distinct seasons with temperatures exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 63 days a year and dropping below 32 °F (0 °C) an average of 140 days a year. The city is located near the eastern edge of Kansas's semi-arid steppe climate, and precipitation is sometimes scarce. On average, Russell experiences 49 rainy days a year. Precipitation averages 26.32 inches (669 mm) per year, and snowfall averages 24.2 inches (615 mm) per year. On average, January is the coolest month, July is the warmest month, and May is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Russell was 114 °F (46 °C) in 1980; the coldest temperature recorded was -24 °F (-31 °C) in 1989. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 4,696 people, 2,057 households, and 1,250 families residing in the city. The population density was 956.9 people per square mile (369.3/km²). There were 2,436 housing units at an average density of 496.4/sq mi (191.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.13% White, 0.96% African American, 0.57% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.There were 2,057 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.The median income for a household in the city was $26,217, and the median income for a family was $37,813. Males had a median income of $25,109 versus $17,757 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,690. About 11.3% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over. Economy The economy of Russell is based primarily on agriculture with wheat gluten and ethanol manufacturing facilities located in the local industrial park. Russell County is also one of the leading petroleum producing counties in Kansas. Government Russell has a council-mayor-manager form of government. The city council consists of eight members, two elected for each city ward. The council sets policies and approves the city budget. The city manager is hired by the council, enforces its policies, serves as its chief adviser, prepares the city budget, and administers city government personnel. The mayor presides at council meetings, serves as spokesperson for the city, and represents the city in intergovernmental relations. Primary and secondary education Russell County Schools (USD 407) is based in Russell and operates four public schools in the city:Simpson Elementary School (GradesK-2) Bickerdyke Elementary School (3-5) Ruppenthal Middle School (6-8) Russell High School (9-12) Libraries The Russell Public Library was opened in a Main Street building on March 1, 1901, with donated books and furnishings. In May 1907, a Carnegie library opened with a $5,000 Carnegie grant. A children's room was added in 1947. A current library was dedicated October 26, 1962. Transportation Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 40 run concurrently east-west immediately south of Russell, intersecting U.S. Route 281, which runs north-south through the town, at Exit 184. A U.S. 40 business route follows U.S. 281 north 1.5 miles to its intersection with the old alignment of U.S. 40, which runs east-west through Russell. The business route then follows the old alignment east, ending at its intersection with I-70 at Exit 189.Russell Municipal Airport is located off the U.S. 40 business route southeast of the town.The Kansas Pacific (KP) Line of the Union Pacific Railroad runs east-west through Russell. Media Russell has one newspaper, The Russell County News, published twice a week.Radio station KRSL broadcasts from Russell on both 990 AM and 95.9 FM, playing a Classic hits format.Russell is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market. KAKE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Wichita, operates a translator station (K38GH) in Russell which broadcasts on analog channel 38. KBSH-DT, KOCW, and KSNC, the respective satellite stations of the CBS, Fox, and NBC affiliates in Wichita, are located in neighboring counties, placing Russell within their broadcast radius. Smoky Hills Public Television, the PBS affiliate for western Kansas, has its headquarters in nearby Bunker Hill. Events The city hosts the annual Russell County Free Fair during the last week of July. Sponsored by local businesses and organizations, the Fair includes a 4-H livestock sale, carnival, live music, and other entertainment. Other annual events include a Saint Patrick's Day parade, the Independence Day Freedom Fireworks Celebration, Chilifest in September, a Veteran's Day parade, and Weihnachtfest, a Christmas festival held the first Saturday after Thanksgiving.Every ten years since 1941, Russell has held Prairiesta, a festival commemorating the city's foundation and celebrating its heritage. Held in June, the festival includes a parade, carnival rides, live music, arts and crafts exhibits, and a historical pageant. Points of interest Located in downtown Russell, the Deines Cultural Center is a non-profit art gallery that hosts exhibits featuring the work of local and regional artists. Its permanent collections consist of paintings by Birger Sandzén and the wood engravings of local artist E. Hubert Deines. In addition, the Center also hosts concerts, recitals, lectures, readings, and workshops. The Center opened in 1990 with the Deines family's donation of its building, the Deines engravings, and a cash endowment to the city of Russell.The Fossil Station Museum, also located in downtown Russell, displays artifacts from Russell County history dating back to the mid-1800s. Home to the Russell County Historical Society, the museum is housed in the former sheriff’s office and county jail, a fortress-like structure constructed of native “post rock” limestone in 1907.The Russell County Historical Society has restored and maintains two examples of early limestone homes built in Russell, the Gernon House and the Heym-Oliver House. The Gernon House was built in 1872 by blacksmith Nicholas Gernon, one of the town’s original settlers, and doubled as a smithery. The Heym-Oliver House was built by settler Nicholas Heym in 1878.The Oil Patch Museum, located just north of I-70 Exit 184, houses exhibits on area geology and the history of local petroleum drilling, production, and transportation. Notable natives and residents Philip Anschutz, billionaire businessman Bob Dole,U.S. Senatorfrom Kansas,Senate Majority Leader Marj Dusay, actress Arlen Specter,U.S. SenatorfromPennsylvania Walter Sutton, geneticist