Gorham

History

Beaten to the settlement of Wilson, Kansas by Bohemian colonists, Pennsylvania Dutch settlers from Philadelphia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania established a community on the Kansas Pacific Railway at the future site of Gorham in April 1872. Elijah Dodge Gorham, a settler from Illinois, gave the town its name when he platted it in 1879. Seeking to create a local trading center, he formally established the town in July 1886, gave land for a Catholic Church and cemetery, and started several businesses including a general store, grain elevator, post office, lumberyard, and a coal yard. Additional grain elevators and a stockyard subsequently opened, establishing Gorham as a farming community. The discovery of oil deposits in Russell County transformed the local economy in the 1920s. Companies including Texaco, Stanolind, and Sohio started operations in the area, stimulating Gorham's growth. A brick school building was built in 1922 followed by a second building in 1930 and another in 1949. By 1944, it had a diverse business community, two oil field production companies, and public schools. From the 1950s to the early 1980s, the city expanded further through the development of residential additions.

Geography

Gorham is located in west-central Kansas, approximately northwest of Wichita and west of Kansas City, and east of Denver. Located north of Interstate 70, it is roughly west of Russell, the county seat. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  395
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  374
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  370
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  337
• Western Meadowlark

  Sturnella neglecta Audubon, 1844 · Aves
  328
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  294
• Common Grackle

  Quiscalus quiscula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  291
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  233

Largest nearby schools

• Bickerdyke Elem
  Elementary · Russell · 228 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Russell High
  High · Russell · 207 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Ruppenthal Middle
  Middle · Russell · 186 students · 9.8:1 ratio
• Simpson Elem
  Elementary · Russell · 157 students · 12.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-06-16
  9 km SW of Natoma, Kansas
• M 2.9 — 2026-02-02
  7 km N of Hays, Kansas
• M 2.8 — 2025-12-04
  6 km NW of Wilson, Kansas
• M 2.9 — 2025-11-29
  5 km SW of Kirwin, Kansas
• M 2.6 — 2025-11-29
  6 km NE of Dorrance, Kansas
• M 2.7 — 2025-11-19
  8 km NE of Dorrance, Kansas