Gas

History

When natural gas was discovered in Elm Township in the summer of 1898 E.K. Taylor sold of his farm to some spelter companies and in October sub-divided the remainder into lots, which was the beginning of "Gas City". The place grew rapidly, the cheap fuel afforded by the immense supply of natural gas bringing in a number of large manufacturing plants of various kinds. In 1910 the population was 1,281, and the city had a bank, a daily and a weekly newspaper, an opera house, an international money order postoffice (first opened in August 1899) from which mail was distributed to the surrounding country by rural free delivery, several good mercantile houses, telegraph and express offices.

Geography

Gas is situated along U.S. Route 54 in Elm Township, the city is about three miles (5 km) east of the city of Iola (the county seat) and miles west of the city of La Harpe. The interchange between U.S. Routes 54 and 169 is about two miles (3 km) west of Gas. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  645
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  597
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  596
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  533
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  509
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  370
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  370
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  348

Largest nearby schools

• Humboldt Virtual Education
  High · Humboldt · 326 students
• Humboldt Elementary School
  Elementary · Humboldt · 322 students · 16.9:1 ratio
• Iola Sr High
  High · Iola · 313 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• Iola Middle School
  Middle · Iola · 246 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• Humboldt High School
  High · Humboldt · 185 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Humboldt Middle School
  Middle · Humboldt · 141 students · 14.1:1 ratio
• Marmaton Valley Elem
  Elementary · Moran · 135 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Marmaton Valley High
  High · Moran · 135 students · 9.6:1 ratio