Chapman

History

The first settlement was made at Chapman in 1868, and the same year Jackman's mill was built on Chapman Creek, a little northeast of the present town. James Streeter and S. M. Strickler laid out the town in 1871. It was named after the Chapman Creek. The first post office at Chapman was established in 1866, but the post office was given the name Chapman's Creek until 1872. On the evening of June 11, 2008, a ½-mile wide tornado swept through Chapman. The tornado moved from the southwest side of town, through the central business district, and then on out of town. Many buildings and structures in the town were extensively damaged; most of the downtown area was obliterated and over 60 homes were destroyed. At least one person was confirmed dead in early reports. The American Red Cross estimated that 75 percent of homes had major damage or were destroyed. School buildings and churches took extensive damage and at least 200 people were displaced from the town. Sharon Watson, public affairs director for the Kansas Army National Guard, said the damage was "very reminiscent of Greensburg", a small city in southwestern Kansas that was similarly damaged during the tornado outbreak of May 4–6, 2007. By the end of 2009, the Tutwiler family had placed their house on the market, saying they wanted to leave the town of Chapman, citing "scrutiny and ill feelings" from several Chapman residents who claimed the family did not deserve the makeover had made residing in their new home extremely difficult. The Tutweilers have since relocated to an army base in Texas. Later that year the house was sold. On May 25, 2016, a large tornado tore southwest of Chapman, which was placed under a tornado emergency. The violent and long-lived wedge tornado was on the ground for and lasted for…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Chapman has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  583
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  553
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  527
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  438
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  436
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  388
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  361
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  345

Largest nearby schools

• Chapman High
  High · Chapman · 380 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Chapman Elem
  Elementary · Chapman · 290 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Chapman Middle School
  Middle · Chapman · 278 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• Enterprise Elem
  Elementary · Enterprise · 85 students · 9.4:1 ratio
• Blue Ridge Elem
  Elementary · Abilene · 66 students · 9.4:1 ratio