Victoria, Kansas
City
The Basilica of St. Fidelis (1997)
The Basilica of St. Fidelis (1997)
Location within Ellis County and Kansas
Location within Ellis County and Kansas
KDOT map of Ellis County (legend)
KDOT map of Ellis County (legend)
Coordinates: 38°51′14″N 99°08′51″W / 38.85389°N 99.14750°W / 38.85389; -99.14750[1]
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountyEllis
Founded1873
Incorporated1913
Named forQueen Victoria
Area
[2]
 • Total0.60 sq mi (1.55 km2)
 • Land0.60 sq mi (1.55 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[1]
1,933 ft (589 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total1,129
 • Density1,900/sq mi (730/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
67671
Area code785
FIPS code20-73775
GNIS ID2397136[1]
Websitevictoriaks.com

Victoria is a city in Ellis County, Kansas, United States.[1] As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,129.[3]

History

Commemorative statue of a Volga German pioneer family in Victoria (1997)

A group of British colonists led by a Scotsman named George Grant founded Victoria in 1873 on land he had purchased from the Kansas Pacific Railway. They named the settlement after Queen Victoria.[4] Grant intended for Victoria to be a ranching community and was purportedly responsible for bringing the first Aberdeen Angus cattle to the United States. Most of the colonists, however, were remittance men more interested in sports and dancing than in raising livestock. Their families soon learned of this and reduced the remittances, driving most of the colonists to leave by 1880. Some returned to Britain; others left for South America.[5][6][7]

In 1876, Volga Germans from villages near Saratov, Russia established the settlement of Herzog one half mile north of Victoria.[1] Herzog's Roman Catholic settlers built a series of churches which culminated in the construction of St. Fidelis Catholic Church, known as "The Cathedral of the Plains," in 1911. Herzog grew rapidly and later absorbed Victoria, eventually adopting the older settlement's name. Herzog was officially renamed Victoria in 1913.[8]

In 1942, the U.S. Army built Walker Army Airfield 3 miles northeast of Victoria. During World War II, thousands were stationed at the airfield, most for training in operation of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber aircraft. The military closed the base in 1946.[9]

In 1966, construction of Interstate 70 reached Victoria, passing north of the city.[6]

Geography

Victoria is located on Kansas Highway 255 (K-255) 1-mile (1.6 km) south of Interstate 70 in northwestern Kansas, Victoria is approximately 9 miles (14 km) east of Hays (the county seat), 129 miles (208 km) northwest of Wichita, and 243 miles (391 km) west of Kansas City.[10][11]

The city lies roughly 9 miles (14 km) north of the Smoky Hill River in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains.[12] The city sits on the east side of the North Fork of Big Creek, part of the Smoky Hill River watershed.[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.59 square miles (1.53 km2), all of it land.[13]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1920600—
19306376.2%
194088438.8%
195098811.8%
19601,17018.4%
19701,2466.5%
19801,3286.6%
19901,157−12.9%
20001,2084.4%
20101,2140.5%
20201,129−7.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 1,214 people, 496 households, and 316 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,068.1 inhabitants per square mile (798.5/km2). There were 530 housing units at an average density of 902.9 per square mile (348.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.5% White, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% African American, 0.1% from some other race, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 0.5% of the population.[14]

There were 496 households, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% 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 2.93.[14]

The median age in the city was 41.7 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 21.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.9% male and 49.1% female.[14]

The median income for a household in the city was $46,125, and the median income for a family was $64,000. Males had a median income of $35,875 versus $26,058 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,636. About 3.2% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.[14]

Economy

As of 2012, 61.5% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.0% was in the armed forces, and 61.5% was in the civilian labor force with 59.7% being employed and 1.8% unemployed. The composition, by occupation, of the employed civilian labor force was: 26.7% in management, business, science, and arts; 26.2% in sales and office occupations; 17.0% in production, transportation, and material moving; 15.9% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance; and 14.2% in service occupations. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: educational services, and health care and social assistance (24.1%); agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining (10.7%); and Wholesale trade (8.2%).[14]

The cost of living in Victoria is relatively low; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the community is 81.5.[15] As of 2012, the median home value in the city was $101,200, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,042 for housing units with a mortgage and $428 for those without, and the median gross rent was $555.[14]

Government

Victoria is a city of the third class with a mayor-council form of government. The city council consists of five members, and it meets on the third Monday of each month.[16]

Victoria lies within Kansas's 1st U.S. Congressional District. For the purposes of representation in the Kansas Legislature, the city is located in the 40th district of the Kansas Senate and the 111th district of the Kansas House of Representatives.[16]

Education

Primary and secondary education

The community is served by Victoria USD 432 public school district, and operates two public schools in the city:[17]

  • Victoria Grade School (Grades Pre-K-6)
  • Victoria High School (7-12)

Infrastructure

Transportation

Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 40 run concurrently east-west roughly one mile north of Victoria. K-255 runs north–south from I-70 to Victoria's northern city limits.[10]

The Kansas Pacific (KP) line of the Union Pacific Railroad runs northeast–southwest through the southern part of the city.[10][18]

Utilities

Water distribution, sewer maintenance, and trash removal are the responsibility of the city government. Midwest Energy, Inc. provides electric power.[19] Local residents primarily use natural gas for heating fuel; service is provided by Kansas Gas Service.[15][19]

Media

Victoria is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market.[20]

Culture

The Basilica of St. Fidelis (1997)

Events

The Herzogfest is Victoria's annual community festival, held to celebrate the city's ethnic German heritage. Held in August, it includes music concerts, a tractor pull, games for children, and other local entertainment. There is delicious food from the German heritage and other vendors.[21]

Points of interest

The Basilica of St. Fidelis, known as "The Cathedral of the Plains", is located in Victoria. Local Roman Catholic residents, having outgrown a series of church buildings as their population grew, began construction of the church in 1908.[8] Built from native limestone based on plans by noted church architect John T. Comes, St. Fidelis Catholic Church was completed in 1911.[8][22] William Jennings Bryan gave the church its nickname during a visit in 1912.[23] In June 2014, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salina dedicated the church as a minor basilica, renaming it the Basilica of St. Fidelis.[24]

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Victoria include:

Sister cities

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Victoria, Kansas
  2. ↑ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Profile of Victoria, Kansas in 2020". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  4. ↑ Heim, Michael (2007). Exploring Kansas Highways. p. 32. ISBN 9780974435886.
  5. ↑ "Homesteading in Ellis County - Victoria". Kansas Heritage Project. Fort Hays State University. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
  6. 1 2 Pfeifer, Mary (August 2, 2000). "History of Victoria". City of Victoria. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Victoria". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 "Homesteading in Ellis County - Herzog". Kansas Heritage Project. Fort Hays State University. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Army and Air Force Wings Over Kansas". Kansas Historical Quarterly. Kansas State Historical Society. 25 (1): 334–360. Spring 1959.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "General Highway Map - Ellis County, Kansas" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. June 1, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  11. ↑ "City Distance Tool". Geobytes. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  12. ↑ "2003-2004 Official Transportation Map" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. 2003. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  13. ↑ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 20, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  15. 1 2 "Victoria, Kansas". City-Data. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  16. 1 2 "Victoria". Directory of Kansas Public Officials. The League of Kansas Municipalities. Archived from the original on December 14, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  17. ↑ "USD 432". USD 432. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
  18. ↑ "UPRR Common Line Names" (PDF). Union Pacific Railroad. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  19. 1 2 "Utilities in Victoria". City of Victoria. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Kansas". TV Market Maps. EchoStar Knowledge Base. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  21. ↑ "About the Herzogfest". Herzogfest, Inc. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
  22. ↑ Dary, David (December 17, 1972). "The Cathedral of the Plains". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
  23. ↑ "St. Fidelis Church Titles and Honors". St. Fidelis Catholic Church. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
  24. ↑ Weller, Doug (March 17, 2014). "Kansas church, dubbed 'Cathedral of the Plains,' named minor basilica". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on March 18, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  25. ↑ Dean, Rick (August 11, 2004). "Starting over again". Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  26. ↑ Forsythe, James L. The English Colony at Victoria, Another View. Retrieved 29 July 2013
  27. ↑ "Nate Dreiling - 2013 Football". Pittsburg State University. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  28. ↑ "James (Scotty) Philip, Saving the Buffalo". Black Hills Visitor. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  29. ↑ Graham, Ruth (September 3, 2019). "Theodore McCarrick Still Won't Confess: Banished in the dead of night to a mistrustful Kansas town after sexual abuse allegations, the defrocked archbishop of D.C. speaks publicly for the first time since his fall from grace". Slate. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Interactive City Directory". Sister Cities International. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.

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