Matfield Green

History

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. The historic Native American tribes of Kansas are many, including the Kansa, or "Wind People," from whom the name of the state is derived. Also included are the related Osage, Pawnee, and Wichita. From the west and north ranged the Comanche and Apache, as well as the Kiowa, Cheyenne and Arapaho. 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 1859, Chase County was established within the Kansas Territory, which included the land for modern day Matfield Green. Matfield Green was named after Matfield, in England. The village green at Matfield in Kent is known as Matfield Green. In 1870, Bazaar Township, Chase County, Kansas, which included Matfield Green at the time, had a population of 376, growing to 1,096 by 1880. In its heyday, at the beginning of the 20th century, Matfield Green grew to about 350 residents and possessed a bank, grocery store, livery and blacksmith, hardware, flour mill and lumberyard, and even a hotel for visitors. It also had its own schools. A post office existed in Matfield Green from January 11, 1867 to September 30, 1995. Like many small towns in Kansas, Matfield Green struggles to maintain its existence. It is helped by a small colony of artists…

Geography

Matfield Green is located at (38.159609, -96.562013), in the scenic Flint Hills of the Great Plains, and located within the boundary of the Matfield Township. 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, Matfield Green has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Eastern Meadowlark

  Sturnella magna (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  335
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  293
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  209
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  205
• Barn Swallow

  Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  203
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  187
• Dickcissel

  Spiza americana (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  182
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  177