| Galena, Kansas | |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Image Map1: | Map of Cherokee Co, Ks, USA.png |
| Map Caption1: | KDOT map of Cherokee County (legend) |
| Coordinates: | 37.075°N -94.6353°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Kansas |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Cherokee |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1877 |
| Established Title1: | Platted |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1877 |
| Named For: | Galena |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 4.66 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 4.60 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.05 |
| Area Total Km2: | 12.06 |
| Area Land Km2: | 11.92 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.14 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Elevation Ft: | 925 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 2761 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 66739 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 620 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 20-25100 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 485578 |
Galena is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,761.[2]
Although the railroad was built through the territory of Galena in 1871, the community did not start until the discovery of lead there in the spring of 1877.[3] The first post office was established in 1877.[4]
The city was originally platted by the Galena Mining and Smelting Company and was to be known as Cornwall. The city was actually known as Short Creek when first established because of a nearby creek and was known as Bonanza briefly before taking the present name of Galena in 1877, which is named after the lead ore galena found in the area.[5] [6] The city was part of the tri state mining area and had over 30,000 inhabitants. After the mines closed in the 1970s, population decreased.
The Jayhawk Ordnance Works northwest of Galena, built during World War II, was a large ordnance plant producing ammonium nitrate. After the war it was privatized by its operator Kenneth Aldred Spencer and at one point was the world's largest producer of ammonium nitrate fertilizer in the world. It would form the basis for the Spencer Chemical Company's fortune which would eventually be funneled into numerous philanthropies throughout Missouri and Kansas. The Spencer family had been in the area because of their ownership of the Pittsburg & Midway Coal Company mining operation.[7] The plant is still in operation as the Jayhawk Fine Chemicals Corporation now owned by CABB.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.62sqmi, of which, 4.57sqmi is land and 0.05sqmi is water.[8] Galena is the eastern end of the segment of U.S. Route 66 that passes through Kansas.
In 1983 as a result of historic practices involved in the mining and smelting of toxic metals, including the deposition of lead, zinc, antimony and cadmium, the Cherokee County Superfund site was listed on the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL). These sites include the most serious abandoned hazardous waste sites in the United States and represent the priority list for remedial action under the Superfund program. The site consists of approximately 115 square miles, divided into seven subsites including Galena. The Cherokee County site encompasses the Kansas portion of the Tri-State district, the latter including Northeastern Oklahoma and Southwestern Missouri. Acidic waters in mine shafts throughout the site, chat piles, tailings impoundments, and surface waters both in mine pits and streams draining the site contain substantial concentrations of these toxic wastes.[9]
The population of Galena has dropped by 73% since 1900.
The 2020 United States census counted 2,761 people, 1,096 households, and 699 families in Galena.[10] The population density was 599.8 per square mile (231.6/km). There were 1,315 housing units at an average density of 285.7 per square mile (110.3/km).[11] [12] The racial makeup was 85.11% (2,350) white or European American (83.56% non-Hispanic white), 0.76% (21) black or African-American, 3.37% (93) Native American or Alaska Native, 0.29% (8) Asian, 0.18% (5) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 0.94% (26) from other races, and 9.34% (258) from two or more races.[13] Hispanic or Latino of any race was 3.26% (90) of the population.[14]
Of the 1,096 households, 29.2% had children under the age of 18; 41.0% were married couples living together; 31.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 30.5% of households consisted of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 3.3.[15] The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 11.4% of the population.[16]
24.6% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 110.6 males.
The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $30,649 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,806) and the median family income was $50,462 (+/- $10,225).[17] Males had a median income of $30,745 (+/- $11,631) versus $25,025 (+/- $2,900) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $26,133 (+/- $4,284).[18] Approximately, 21.4% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under the age of 18 and 15.8% of those ages 65 or over.[19] [20]
As of the census[21] of 2010, there were 3,085 people, 1,198 households, and 792 families living in the city. The population density was 675.1PD/sqmi. There were 1,429 housing units at an average density of 312.7/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 91.0% White, 0.4% African American, 3.0% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.6% of the population.
There were 1,198 households, of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.04.
The median age in the city was 39.1 years. 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.
The community is served by Galena USD 499 public school district. Galena is home to Galena High School. In 1916 the Kansas Supreme Court heard a case where the school superintendent separated the African American ("colored") children and had them taught together from various grades by an African American teacher. The court rejected the district's decision making and requires students of different backgrounds be taught together.[22]