Lehigh

History

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau. In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1855, Marion County was established within the Kansas Territory, which included the land for modern day Lehigh. The source of the Lehigh name was not well documented. One of the rumors is the city being slightly higher altitude which was "lay high" above the prairie, the other rumor that it was named by representatives of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania who came to Kansas and considered settling the area in the 1870s or 1880s. Four and one-half miles north of Lehigh is the junction of the old Santa Fe Trail and Chisolm Trail, which is near the site of the municipal water well for the city. The Santa Fe Trail was active across Marion County from 1821 to 1866, and the Chisholm Trail was active from 1867 to 1871. As early as 1875, city leaders of Marion held a meeting to consider a branch railroad from Florence. In 1878, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and parties from Marion and McPherson counties chartered the Marion and McPherson Railway Company. In 1879, a branch line was built from Florence to McPherson, in 1880 it was extended to Lyons, in 1881 it was extended to Ellinwood. The line was leased and operated by the…

Geography

Lehigh is in the scenic Flint Hills and Great Plains of the state of Kansas. The county line is 3.5 miles west of Lehigh. The North and South Cottonwood River start a few miles northwest of Lehigh.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  771
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  686
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  604
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  603
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  519
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  499
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  498
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  416

Largest nearby schools

• Hillsboro Middle/High School
  High · Hillsboro · 327 students · 17.2:1 ratio
• Hillsboro Elem
  Elementary · Hillsboro · 313 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Goessel High
  High · Goessel · 160 students · 12.3:1 ratio
• Goessel Elem
  Elementary · Goessel · 134 students · 16.8:1 ratio