Salina is located at the intersection of
I-70 and I-35. It is a 3.5 hour drive to Kansas City and a 4.5 hour drive to
the Colorado border. It was headquarters to Grain Companies and is surrounded
by wheat fields that go on for hundreds of miles in every direction. It also
was home to Freight Companies and grew to include 40 manufacturing companies by
the 1970s. Currently there are only 5 manufacturing companies in Salina. But I
predict that will double in 2018. This is the best city, with the best people
anyone could hope to find and establish a manufacturing plant.
History of Salina Kansas
Salina is a city in and the county
seat of Saline County, Kansas,
United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located
in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade
center for north-central Kansas. It is home to multiple colleges.
Prior to European colonization of the area, the site of Salina was
located within the territory of the Kansa
people. Claimed first by France as part of Louisiana and later acquired by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it was within the area organized by the U.S.
as Kansas Territory in 1854. In 1856, a colony led by Preston
B. Plumb established the
first American settlement near the site at a location on the Saline River.
Settlers led by journalist and lawyer William A. Phillips founded Salina in 1858. During the following two years,
the territorial legislature chartered the town company, organized the surrounding area
as Saline County, and named Salina the county
seat. The westernmost town
on the Smoky Hill Trail, Salina established itself as a trading
post for westbound
immigrants, prospectors bound for Pikes
Peak, and area American Indian tribes. The town's growth halted with
the outbreak of the American Civil War when much of the male population left to join the U.S. Army.
In 1862, local residents fended off American Indian raiders only
to fall victim to a second assault by bushwhackers later that year. In May and June
1864, the Salina Stockade was built to protect the town against further Indian
raids. Troops were garrisoned in Salina until March 1865, and some may have
returned in June 1865. The stockade was probably used until at least spring or
summer 1865.
Growth returned with the soldiers after the war, and the town
expanded rapidly with the arrival of the Kansas Pacific Railway in 1867. Salina incorporated as a city in 1870. The cattle trade arrived in 1872,
transforming Salina into a cow town. The trade brought the city further
prosperity, but also a rowdy culture that agitated local residents. The cattle
trade relocated westward just two years later.
During the 1870s, wheat became the dominant crop in the
area, steam-powered flour mills were built, and agriculture became the engine of the local
economy. In 1874, Salina resident E. R. Switzer introduced alfalfa to area farmers, and its cultivation
spread throughout the state. By 1880, the city was an area industrial center
with several mills, a carriage and wagon factory, and a farm implement works. Salina was the location of the first garment
factory of jeans maker Lee, which opened in 1889.
Over the following decade, three railroads were built through
the city. The success of the wholesale and milling industries drove Salina's growth into
the early 1900s such that, at one point, it was the third-largest producer in
the state and the sixth-largest in the United States.
In 1943, the U.S. Army established Smoky Hill Army Airfield southwest of the city. The installation
served as a base for strategic
bomber units
throughout World War II. Renamed Smoky Hill Air Force Base in 1948, the base closed the
following year only to be reopened in 1951 as Schilling Air Force Base, part of Strategic Air Command. The re-opening of the base triggered an economic boom in
Salina, causing the city's population to increase by nearly two-thirds during
the 1950s.
The U.S. Department of
Defense closed the base
permanently in 1965, but the city of Salina acquired it and converted it
into Salina Municipal Airport and an industrial
park. This led to
substantial industrial development, attracting firms such as Beechcraft, and made manufacturing a primary driver of
the local economy.
Geography
Salina is located at an elevation of 1,224 feet. Located in
north-central Kansas at the intersection of Interstate
70 and Interstate
I-35, it is 81 miles north
of Wichita, Kansas, 164 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri, and 401 miles (645 km) east of Denver,
Colorado.
Salina lies in the Smoky
Hills region of
the Great Plains approximately 6 miles west-southwest of the confluence of
the Saline and Smoky
Hill Rivers. The Smoky Hill
River runs north then northeast through the eastern part of the city; the
Saline River flows southeast immediately north of the city. In the
northeast part of the city, the old channel of the Smoky Hill branches from the
river's current course and winds west, north, and back east before draining
back into the river. Mulberry Creek, a tributary of the Saline, flows northeast
through the far northern part of the city. Dry Creek, a tributary of Mulberry
Creek, flows north through the western part of the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.15 square
miles, of which 25.11 square miles is land and 0.04 square miles is water.
Climate
Salina lies in the transition area between North America's humid
subtropical and humid continental climate zones. Consequently, summers in Salina are
typically hot and humid, and winters are typically cold and dry. On
average, January is the coldest month, July is the hottest month, and May is
the month with the greatest precipitation.
As is common in the region, Salina is prone to severe thunderstorms which may produce damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. On September 25, 1973, an F3 tornado passed through the southeast
part of town, injuring six people and destroying two houses and a trailer park.[24] On June 11, 2008, another EF3 tornado passed on the south side of the town,
severely damaging several buildings.[25]
The annual average temperature in Salina is 56.1 °F. The
monthly daily average temperature ranges from 31.0 °F in January to
81.1 °F in July. The high temperature reaches or exceeds 90 °F an
average of 62.6 days per year and reaches or exceeds 100 °F an average of
14.6 days per year. The low temperature falls below the freezing point,
32 °F, an average of 111.8 days per year and below 0 °F an average of
3.8 days per year. The hottest temperature recorded in Salina was 117 °F
on August 12, 1936; the coldest temperature recorded was −31 °F on
February 13, 1905.
On average, Salina receives 32.2 in of precipitation per
year with the largest share being received in May through August. The
average relative humidity is 64%. Snowfall averages 18.4 inches per year.
Demographics
The population of Salina was 918 in
1890, increased to 6,074 in 1900 and reached 26,176 by 1950. It nearly doubled to 43,202 by 1960 due to
the addition of the SAC Airforce base. The population dipped to 37,714 when the
base closed, but was back up to 41,843 by 1980 and was 47,707 in 2010.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 47,707 people, 19,391 households,
and 12,024 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was
86.2% White,
3.7% African American, 2.3% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.8% from some other race, and 3.3% from two
or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 10.7% of the
population.
There were 19,391 households of which 31.6% had children under
the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together,
4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, 11.8% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 31.6% of all
households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who
was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the
average family size was 2.99.[6]
In the city, the population was spread out with 25.1% of
residents under the age of 18; 9.9% between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% from
25 to 44; 25.3% from 45 to 64; and 14.3% 65 years of age or older.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,027, and the median
income for a family was $54,491.
Economy
Manufacturing, education, health and social services are
the predominant industries in Salina. Agricultural transportation is also a
major industry. Major employers in the city include:
Manufacturing
Schwan Foods is the largest employer with 2000 employees in
Salina. This facility produces Tony’s Pizza
and other frozen foods.
Exide Battery with 800 employees produces storage
batteries.
Great Plains Manufacturing with 650 employees produces farm
equipment
Philips
Lighting with 600 employees is
a global manufacturer of lighting solutions;
El Dorado
National with 255 employees is
a commercial bus painter.
Government &
Healthcare
Salina Regional Health
Center has 1,082 employees
USD 305 public schools
has 935 employees
City of Salina has 493
employees
Saline County has 277
employees
As of 2010, 71.0% of the population over the age of 16 was in
the labor force. 0.4% was in the armed forces, and 70.6% was in the civilian
labor force with 66.9% being employed and 3.7% unemployed.
The composition, by occupation, of the employed civilian labor
force was: 27.2% in management, business, science, and arts; 25.4% in sales and
office occupations; 19.4% in service occupations; 9.9% in natural resources,
construction, and maintenance; 18.2% in production, transportation, and
material moving. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the
working civilian labor force were: educational services, health care, and
social assistance (21.2%); manufacturing (17.8%); and retail trade (13.1%).
The cost of living in Salina is relatively low; compared to a
U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the city is 80.9. As of
2010, the median home value in the city was $109,700, the median selected
monthly owner cost was $1,070 for housing units with a mortgage and $396 for
those without, and the median gross rent was $599.
Government
Salina is a city of the first class with a commission-manager form of government which it adopted in
1921. The city
commission consists of five
members elected at large, one of whom the commission annually selects
to serve as mayor.
Commission candidates who receive the most and second–most votes are elected
for a four-year term; the candidate who receives the third most votes is
elected for a two-year term. The commission sets policy and appoints
the city manager, who serves as the chief executive, responsible for
administering the city government and appointing all city employees. The Salina
Fire department operates four stations inside the city.
As the county
seat, Salina is the
administrative center of Saline County. The county
courthouse is located
downtown, and all departments of the county government base their operations in
the city.
Salina lies within Kansas's 1st U.S.
Congressional District.
For the purposes of representation in the Kansas Legislature, the city is located in the 24th district of the Kansas
Senate and the 69th,
71st, and 108th districts of the Kansas House of
Representatives.
Education
Primary and secondary education
Cottonwood Elementary
School (K-5)
Grace E. Stewart
Elementary School (K-5)
Heusner Elementary
School (K-5)
Meadowlark Ridge
Elementary School (K-5)
Oakdale Elementary
School (K-5)
Schilling Elementary
School (K-5)
Sunset Elementary
School (K-5)
Lakewood Middle School
(6-8)
Salina South Middle
School (6-8)
Salina High School Central (9-12)
Salina High School South (9-12)
St. John's Military School (6-12), male only
Salina Christian
Academy (Pre-K-10)
Colleges and universities
Marymount College (closed in 1989)
Salina Normal University (closed in 1904)
Transportation
CityGo is the local public transport bus service, operating five routes in the city. CityGo
also provides intercity paratransit bus service to surrounding
communities.
Greyhound
Lines provides bus
service westward towards Denver,
Colorado and eastward
toward Kansas City, Missouri. Bus service is provided daily southward towards Wichita,
Kansas by Bee Line
Express (subcontractor of Greyhound
Lines).
Salina Municipal Airport is located southwest of the city. Used primarily
for general aviation, it hosts one commercial airline (Great Lakes Airlines) under the Essential Air Service program.
Union Pacific Railroad operates one freight rail line through Salina. Its Kansas
Pacific (KP) Line runs northeast-southwest through the northern part of the City.
Salina is also the southeastern terminus of the Salina Subdivision of the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad.
Utilities
The city government's Department of Public Works is responsible
for water treatment and distribution, waste water removal, sewer maintenance,
and trash collection. Westar
Energy provides
electric power.[60] Residents primarily use natural
gas for heating
fuel; natural gas service is provided by Kansas Gas Service.
Health care
There are two hospitals in Salina: Salina Regional Health
Center, a 204-bed not-for-profit general medical and surgical facility; and
Salina Surgical Hospital, a specialized, 16-bed surgical facility.
Media
The Salina Journal is the local newspaper, published daily.
Salina is a center of broadcast media for north-central Kansas.
Three AM and 13 FM radio stations are licensed to and/or broadcast from the
city. Salina is in the Wichita-Hutchinson television market, and five television stations broadcast from
the city. These include two independent stations as well as ABC, Fox, and NBCaffiliates
which are satellites of their respective affiliates in Wichita. Salina is
also home to the only Public, educational,
and government access (PEG) cable
TV channels in the
state. Cox Communications is the main cable system serving the city, and customers
can see local programming and create their own programming to be shown on
channels 20 and 21.
Culture
Events
The city holds several community events throughout the
year. Each June, the Salina Arts & Humanities department holds the
Smoky Hill River Festival. Held in Oakdale Park and lasting three and a half
days, the Festival includes arts and crafts shows, music concerts, games, and
other activities.
Originally held as a downtown street parade in 1976 to celebrate
the United States Bicentennial, the festival proved popular enough for the
city to hold it every year. To celebrate Independence Day, the city puts on its All American Fourth and
Play Day in the Park which includes children’s games, music, and dance performances
in Oakdale Park. The Smoky Hill Museum Street Fair takes place in
September and includes a parade, a chili cook-off, and historic
demonstrations. In November, downtown Salina hosts the city’s Christmas
Festival which includes a 5k
run, a mile walk, live
music, dance performances, children’s entertainment and the Parade of Lights, a
parade of floats decorated with Christmas lights.
The city's private organizations host several annual expos,
fairs, trade shows, and various other events. Several of these pertain to area
agriculture including the Chamber of Commerce’s Mid-America Farm Expo in March,
the Discover Salina Naturally Festival in May, the 4-H Tri-Rivers Fair and Rodeo in August,
and The Land Institute’s Prairie Festival in September. Other annual events held in
the city include the Home Builders Associations of Salina’s Home and Leisure
Show in February, the ISIS Shrine Circus and Saline County Mounted Patrol Rodeo
in April, the Smoky Hill Sportsman Expo in August, Blue Heaven Studios’ Blues Masters at the
Crossroads festival in
October, and the Prairie Longrifles Wild West Trade Show in December as well as
several car shows and high school sports events.
Points of interest
Operated by the city government’s Arts & Humanities
department, the Smoky Hill Museum contains artifacts and exhibits on local
history, agriculture, and education with collections dating back to 1879. The
museum also offers public educational programs.
The Tony’s Pizza Events Center (formerly Bicentennial Center) is the
primary venue in the city for large indoor events. It includes a 7,500-seat
multipurpose arena and the 18,000 sq ft Heritage Hall convention
center. The Center hosts concerts, sporting events, and trade shows.
The Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure is a public zoo and wildlife
park located 6 miles west of the city near Hedville. In
addition to its animal exhibits, the zoo includes a wildlife museum.
Indian Rock is the tallest point in the Salina area and is home
to a park and several hiking trails.
Religion
There are more than 70 Christian churches in and around
Salina including the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Salina (Sacred Heart Cathedral) and the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of
Western Kansas (Christ Cathedral). The Roman Catholic Diocese has its regional
administrative offices in Salina as do the Presbytery of Northern Kansas and the
Salina District of the United Methodist Church which is based at Kansas Wesleyan University.
Sports
Salina is home to
the Salina Stockade professional baseball team, which will
play in the independent American
Association in 2017. Salina hosted
the Kansas Cagerz and Salina
Rattlers basketball teams. Salina hosts the National Junior College
Athletic Association Division I women's
basketball national tournament each season in the Bicentennial Center. Salina hosted
the Women's Big Eight basketball tournament at the Bicentennial Center. When the Big Eight became the Big
12, the tournament was
moved to Kansas City, Missouri.
Salina hosts the
Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) Class 4AState Wrestling Tournament as well as the Class 3A &
4A Volleyball Tournaments, the Class 4A State Basketball Tournament, and the
Class 4A State Softball Tournament. Salina also occasionally hosts the Class 4A
State Baseball Tournament and one of the state championship football games.
Salina was home to
the Salina Bombers, an indoor football team playing in the Champions Professional
Indoor Football League from
2013-2014, then Champions Indoor Football.
Salina hosts the Salina
Liberty, the second indoor
football team from the city, who now play in the CIF.
Salina is the home of
the Kansas Wesleyan
University Coyotes, a 20-sport National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics athletics program. The Coyotes have been a member of
the Kansas Collegiate
Athletic Conference since 1928.
In popular culture
The 1980 teen comedy film Up
the Academy starring Ralph
Macchio was filmed
entirely in Salina, mostly on the campus of St. John's Military School.
Scenes in the 1955
movie Picnic, starring William
Holden and Kim
Novak, were filmed in
Salina (arrival of the train at the beginning of the movie; The Bensons'
mansion)
Millie Dillmount, the
fictional main character in the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie, is from Salina. She leaves home for New
York City, determined never to
return, as depicted in the opening number, "Not for the Life of Me."
In Alfred
Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo, the character Judy Barton (played by Kim
Novak) comes from Salina.
The Avett Brothers wrote a song titled "Salina" which was included
on their 2007 album Emotionalism.
Notable people
Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Salina
include former White House press secretary Marlin
Fitzwater, astronaut Steven
Hawley, former Governors of Kansas John
W. Carlin and Bill
Graves, radio
broadcaster Paul Harvey, pro football player Terence
Newman, Harry
Lee, inventor of Lee
Jeans
Comments
I moved my family from St. Louis to Salina Kansas in 1975
to join Schwan Foods. We bought a home on “the hill” where most high earners
lived. Our 6 kids were ages 2 through 10 and we didn’t waste any time finding
things to do in this pretty town of 40,000 souls. We were given a Terrier puppy
named Fonzie.
We immediately bought a large ski boat and camping gear and
trailered the boat to the surrounding lakes, Wilson, Milford and Kanopolis. We
camped and boated on weekends from March to October. There was always a wind
blowing in Salina. There were no bugs or poisonous snakes and no humidity.
We joined the Elks Club for swim, tennis and golf. We went
to the Community Theater for stage plays and some of our kids were in the plays. We found our favorite things to do. We loved to go to the
Brookwood Hotel that was expanded to become a family style restaurant.
We went out with friends to “disco dance” made mandatory by
the popular culture. We went to the Schwan’s parties all over the country with
Al and Doris Schwan in their Beech Piper airplane.
We flew kites and enjoyed watching our neighbor launch his
air balloon in the big open back yard of the school across the street from our
house. We stood in our back yard and watched tornados pass by on the ground 50
miles away.
We joined St. Mary’s Catholic Parish and the kids graduated
from the school. . I became the volunteer Parish Choir Director for St. Mary’s
Church We became leaders in Marriage Encounter and Engaged Encounter
We bought a horse and stabled this Morgan barrel-racing
champion at a friend’s farm close to our subdivision.
Salina was the kind of town where the “hill people” ran the
town and did it very well. I had community relations responsibilities for
Schwan’s and Rickel, so I ended up on the United Way Board and joined the Lions
Club. There were a number of executives from the manufacturing companies who
served in community groups with the locals. The grain and truck company owners
and retired plant managers took turns and handled elective office very well.
The citizens were very smart and appreciated what the “hill people” did.
I was involved in the Bicentennial Parade, the Smokey Hill
River Festival and the decision to build the Bicentennial Center. Salina was a
market town for the wheat farmers and they liked having a city where they could
attend events. We also had a young workforce who attended all the concerts and
events and loved it.
For the Bicentennial in 1976, I had the Schwan’s employees
smock up to staff a pizza stand and charge 10 cents a slice. I also had them
design and enter a float for the parade. We employed most of the “waiting
wives” from base housing and they chose to have them in their home country
costumes on a float with a big sign that said “Melting Pot” with a globe. It won first place.
I got to know everybody and had a great time. I wrote for
Kansas Business News and wrote articles for the Salina Journal and was famous
for my Conservative Satire.
Our kids got an idyllic childhood. They learned to earn
their own money by cutting grass, cleaning apartments, working retail and
babysitting. Our 8 years in Salina were fantastic. We bid our friends goodbye
and moved to Atlanta in 1983 when the kids were ages 10 to 18.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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