Ellsworth

History

Once called "The Wickedest Cattletown in Kansas", the city is named for Fort Ellsworth, which was built in 1864. Due to speculation on imminent railroad construction, the population of Ellsworth boomed to over two thousand by the time it was incorporated in 1867. It has since been said, "Abilene, the first, Dodge City, the last, but Ellsworth the wickedest". Ellsworth was a bustling cattle town during the late 1860s, when the Kansas Pacific Railroad had a stop and stockyards there. Cattle were driven up from Texas to this point, and then shipped to major markets. Often cowboys had the run of the town. In 1875 Kansas Pacific closed its cattle pens, moving to another location. The cattle trade dwindled to almost nothing by the mid-1880s. During the late 1860s into the 1870s, Ellsworth was known for being one of the "wickedest" cattle towns, the scene of numerous killings following shootouts between drunken cowboys. The town sported numerous saloons, brothels and gambling halls, with prostitution being rampant. Wild Bill Hickok ran for Ellsworth County Sheriff in 1868, but was defeated by veteran Union Army soldier E. W. Kingsbury. Kingsbury was an effective lawman, but relied on local marshals to patrol the town, as he also had to police the county. Violence in Ellsworth was commonplace among the cowboys and people associated with them. Ellsworth marshal Will Semans was shot and killed on September 26, 1869, while attempting to disarm a rowdy man in a dance hall. For a time during this period, two small-time outlaws known only as Craig and Johnson began bullying people around the community, often committing armed robbery. After Semans' murder, they operated openly. Before long, citizens formed a vigilance squad and captured both men, hanging them in a lynching near…

Geography

Ellsworth lies on the north side of the Smoky Hill River in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains. Oak Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill, flows south past the eastern side of the city to its confluence with the river southeast of the city. Ellsworth is located at the intersection of K-14, K-140, and K-156 in central Kansas roughly west-southwest of Salina, Kansas. Ellsworth is approximately northwest of Wichita and west-southwest of Kansas City. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Under the Köppen climate classification, Ellsworth falls within either a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) if the isotherm is used or a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) if the isotherm is used. Summers are hot and humid and winters are moderately cold with wide variations in temperature. The average annual temperature is , and the average yearly precipitation is . Snowfall averages per year. On average, July is the warmest month, January is the coldest month and driest, and May is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in was on August 12–13, 1936, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 8, 1913.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Ellsworth High
  High · Ellsworth · 302 students · 13.1:1 ratio
• Ellsworth Elem
  Elementary · Ellsworth · 189 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Kanopolis Middle
  Middle · Kanopolis · 153 students · 15.3:1 ratio