Pittsburg, Kansas
| Pittsburg, Kansas | |
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| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 37°24′37″N 94°41′59″W / 37.41028°N 94.69972°WCoordinates: 37°24′37″N 94°41′59″W / 37.41028°N 94.69972°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Crawford |
| Founded | 1876 |
| Platted | |
| Incorporated | 1880 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–Council |
| • Mayor | Marty Beezley [1][2] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.5 sq mi (32.4 km2) |
| • Land | 12.4 sq mi (32.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 942 ft (287 m) |
| Population (2010)[3] | |
| • Total | 20,233 |
| • Density | 1,618.6/sq mi (625/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 66762 |
| Area code(s) | 620 |
| FIPS code | 20-56025[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0469594[5] |
| Website | www.PittKS.org |
Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, in southeastern Kansas, United States. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and in southeastern Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,233.[3]
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[edit] History
On October 23, 1864, a wagon train of refugees had come from Fort Smith, Arkansas, and was escorted by troops from the 6th Kansas Cavalry under the command of Col. William Campbell. These were local men from Cherokee, Crawford, and Bourbon Counties. Their enlistment was over, and they were on their way to Fort Leavenworth to be dismissed from service. They ran into the 1st Indian Brigade led by Maj. Andrew Jackson Piercy near the current Pittsburg Waste Water Treatment Plant. They continued to the north when a small group of wagons broke away in an unsuccessful rush to safety. The Confederate troops caught up with them and burned the wagons. The death toll was three Union soldiers and 13 civilian men who had been with the wagon train. It was likely that one of the Confederates had also been killed. A granite marker memorial for the "Cow Creek Skirmish" was placed near the Crawford County Historical Museum on October 30, 2011.[6]
It was founded on May 20, 1876, and was originally named Iowa City. George Hobson and Franklin Playter are credited with being the city's founders, establishing a government after its beginnings as a coal mining camp in the 1870s. The city was incorporated in 1880.[citation needed]
Pittsburg is the home to Pittsburg State University, founded as a normal training institution. It has always had a strong manual and industrial arts program and has trained many of the area's public and private school teachers.
A relic of the city's coal mining days was the Pittsburg & Midway Coal Company, founded in 1885, and one of the oldest continuously running coal companies in the United States (even though its headquarters moved several years ago to Denver, Colorado after the Kansas mines closed). In September 2007, Chevron which owned the company, merged it with its Molycorp Inc. coal mining division to form Chevron Mining, thus ending the Pittsburg corporate name.[7] Midway referred to a coal camp in eastern Crawford County, Kansas that was "midway" between Baxter Springs, Kansas and Fort Scott, Kansas.[8] Kenneth A. Spencer, whose father was among the founders of the company was to play an important role in Kansas and Missouri philanthropy.[citation needed]
The city has a rich cultural heritage from many Southern and Eastern European mine workers who settled in and around Pittsburg and Southeastern Kansas. It is situated in a once productive coal field. It now relies heavily on education and government-related employment.
[edit] Area attractions
- Crawford County Historical Museum
[edit] Area events
Little Balkans Days is a celebration that is unique to Pittsburg. This celebration of the community's European ethnic heritage features games, entertainment, a parade, competitions, and arts and crafts. It is held in conjunction with the Labor Day holiday.[citation needed]
[edit] Geography
Pittsburg is located at 37°24′37″N 94°41′59″W / 37.410320°N 94.699816°W.[9] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.5 square miles (32 km2), of which, 12.4 square miles (32 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.48%) is water.
It lies 90 miles (140 km) west of Springfield, Missouri, and 137 miles (220 km) northeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 624 |
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| 1890 | 6,697 | 973.2% | |
| 1900 | 10,112 | 51.0% | |
| 1910 | 14,755 | 45.9% | |
| 1920 | 18,052 | 22.3% | |
| 1930 | 18,145 | 0.5% | |
| 1940 | 17,571 | −3.2% | |
| 1950 | 19,341 | 10.1% | |
| 1960 | 18,678 | −3.4% | |
| 1970 | 20,171 | 8.0% | |
| 1980 | 18,770 | −6.9% | |
| 1990 | 17,775 | −5.3% | |
| 2000 | 19,243 | 8.3% | |
| 2010 | 20,233 | 5.1% | |
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As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 19,243 people, 7,980 households, and 4,213 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,546.2 people per square mile (596.8/km²). There were 8,855 housing units at an average density of 711.5 per square mile (274.6/km²). The people are 89.73% White, 3.11% Black/African American, 1.08% Native American, 1.94% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 1.90% from other races, and 2.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.75% of the population.
There were 7,980 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.2% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.91. In the city the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 24.1% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 24.1% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,221, and the median income for a family was $36,674. Males had a median income of $26,312 versus $20,132 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,318. About 13.6% of families and 22.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
The Pittsburg government consists of a mayor and four council members. The council meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm.[1][2]
[edit] Education
[edit] Primary and secondary education
- Meadowlark Elementary School
- George Nettels Elementary School
- Lakeside Elementary
- Westside Elementary
- Pittsburg Community Middle School
- Pittsburg High School
- St. Mary's-Colgan High School, Parochial Catholic School
- Countryside Christian School, Private Christian School (K-4)
- Covenant Harvest, Christian School
[edit] College
- Pittsburg State University
- Fort Scott Community College, School of cosmetology
- Labette Community College, Cherokee Center
[edit] Library
- Pittsburg Public Library
- Leonard H. Axe Library, Pittsburg State University offers community library cards.
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Public transportation
- Bus System, Pittsburg Area Community Transportation (P.A.C.T)
- Taxi services
[edit] Airport
- Atkinson Municipal Airport, Aircraft based on the field 41
[edit] Medical
- Via Christi Hospital (formerly Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center) serves the area with services such as Regional Cancer and Heart Centers.
[edit] Media
The Morning Sun is the city's daily newspaper with a circulation of roughly 6,700 copies.[10] In addition, Pittsburg State University publishes a weekly student newspaper, the PSU Collegio.[11]
Pittsburg is a center of broadcast media for southeastern Kansas. Two AM and six FM stations are licensed to and/or broadcast from the city, and it is the second principal city of the Joplin-Pittsburg television market.[12][13] The market's CBS and Fox network affiliates both broadcast from the city as do an AMGTV affiliate and two other stations.[14][15][16]
[edit] Notable people
- Ralph Berry, Professional wrestler
- P.J. Forbes, former Major League Baseball player
- Hugh Gillin, actor
- Roy Glenn, actor
- Don Gutteridge, former Major League Baseball player and manager
- Alexander Howat, United Mine Workers of America leader
- Kerry Meier, current NFL football player for the Atlanta Falcons
- Dennis Rader BTK Serial Killer, born in Pittsburg
- Vance Randolph, folklorist
- Bill Russell (baseball), former Major League Baseball player, coach, and manager
- Paul White, broadcast journalism pioneer and CBS news director in the 1930s and 1940s.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Pittsburg - Directory of Public Officials
- ^ a b Pittsburg - Government
- ^ a b "2010 City Population and Housing Occupancy Status". U.S. Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL2.ST13&prodType=table. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Engraved memorial marker dedicated to lives lost in Cow Creek Skirmish; The Morning Sun; November 1, 2011.
- ^ Chevron executive bullish on growth of coal industry – Denver Business Journal – November 16, 2007
- ^ Former Mining Communities of the Cherokee-Crawford Coal Field of Southeastern Kansas – Kansas Historical Quarterly – Summer 1972
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Pittsburg Morning Sun". Mondo Times. http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/16/939/2421. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
- ^ "PSU Collegio". Mondo Times. http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/16/939/2419. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
- ^ "Radio Stations in Pittsburg, Kansas". Radio-Locator. http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=Pittsburg&state=KS&x=0&y=0. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
- ^ "Joplin-Pittsburg TV Market". EchoStar Knowledge Base. http://dishuser.org/TVMarkets/City%20Maps/Joplin.gif. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
- ^ "Stations for Joplin, Missouri". RabbitEars.Info. http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=print_market&mktid=178. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
- ^ "TVQ TV Database Query". Federal Communications Commission. http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/audio/tvq.html. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
- ^ "AMGTV Affiliates". AMGTV. http://www.amgtv.tv/html/amgtv_affiliates_7.7.2011.pdf. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
[edit] Further reading
- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pittsburg, Kansas |
- City of Pittsburg
- Pittsburg - Directory of Public Officials
- Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce
- Pittsburg, Kansas in the Kansas Encyclopedia
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