Stilwell, Kansas
Stilwell is an unincorporated community in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
History[edit]
Stilwell had its start when the Missouri Pacific Railroad began to plan to extend the railroad from Kansas City into the south.[1] The railroad was initially planned to run through the town of Aubry, but due to the topography, the railroad decided to place the tracks a half mile to the east. This lead Michael O'Keefe, J. Larkin, W. A. Kelly, and A. J. Norman to file a plat for Mt. Auburn in 1886, which would eventually become Stilwell.[2] The first post office in Stilwell was established in June 1888 and the population of Aubry eventually declined.[3] It was renamed to Stilwell in 1889.[4] Like many towns along the line to the Gulf of Mexico, it is named for Arthur Stilwell, founder of what became the Kansas City Southern Railroad.[5]
Stilwell is mostly agricultural land, largely sod farms[citation needed], but in recent years has spawned suburban neighborhoods. Stilwell has affordable land and some farms are abandoned; however the large population growth of Overland Park, Kansas increased the demand for new neighborhoods, raising the land value in some areas.
Geography[edit]
Stilwell is located at 38°46′09″N 94°39′23″W / 38.76917°N 94.65639°WCoordinates: 38°46′09″N 94°39′23″W / 38.76917°N 94.65639°W.[6] It is west of Mission Road, about 10 miles southeast of Olathe, Kansas.
Climate[edit]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Stilwell has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[7]
Notable people[edit]
- Gary Burrell (1937–2019), engineer and entrepreneur, co-founder of Garmin GPS technology company
- Tara Cunningham, Gold Medalist in Women's Weightlifting at 2000 Summer Olympics
- Michael Stevens, host of the YouTube channel Vsauce
- Tom Watson, American professional golfer
References[edit]
- ^ Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume 2. Standard Publishing Company. p. 766.
- ^ Blair, Ed (1915). History of Johnson County, Kansas. Standard Publishing Company. p. 173.
- ^ "Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961, page 2 (archived)". Kansas Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 9, 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ House Journal of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Kansas: Sixth Biennial Session, Begun at Topeka, January 8, 1889. 1889. p. 1387.
- ^ "Aubry-Stilwell". Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ Climate Summary for Stilwell, Kansas
Further reading[edit]
External links[edit]
- "Stilwell". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 2006. Retrieved January 31, 2006.
Municipalities and communities of Johnson County, Kansas, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This community also has portions in an adjacent county or counties. | |