Editing Valley Falls, Kansas

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Valley Falls, Kansas
|settlement_type          = [[City]]

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Valley Falls Kansas 9-16-2014.JPG
|image_caption            = Downtown Valley Falls (2014)
|image_flag               =
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Jefferson_County_Kansas_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Valley_Falls_Highlighted.svg
|map_caption              = Location within [[Jefferson County, Kansas|Jefferson County]] and [[Kansas]]
|image_map1               = Map of Jefferson Co, Ks, USA.png
|map_caption1             = [[Kansas Department of Transportation|KDOT]] map of [[Jefferson County, Kansas|Jefferson County]] ([[:File:Kansas official transportation map legend.png|legend]])

<!-- Location -->
|coordinates_footnotes    = <ref name="GNIS"/>
|coordinates              = {{coord|39|20|35|N|95|27|38|W|region:US-KS_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Kansas]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Kansas|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Jefferson County, Kansas|Jefferson]]
|subdivision_type3        = [[List of townships in Kansas|Township]]
|subdivision_name3        =

<!-- Established -->
|established_title        = Founded
|established_date         = 1854
|established_title1       = [[Platted]]
|established_date1        = 1855
|established_title2       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date2        = 1869
|named_for                =

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     =
|government_type          = <!-- [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–Council]] -->
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              =

<!-- Area -->
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_20.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 24, 2020}}</ref>
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.71
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.70
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01
|area_total_km2           = 1.84
|area_land_km2            = 1.82
|area_water_km2           = 0.01
|unit_pref                = Imperial

<!-- Elevation -->
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name="GNIS"/>
|elevation_ft             = 942

<!-- Population -->
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census-2020-Profile"/>
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_total         = 1092
|pop_est_footnotes        =
|pop_est_as_of            =
|population_est           =
|population_density_sq_mi = auto
|population_density_km2   = auto

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone|CST]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 66088
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|area_code                = [[Area code 785|785]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 20-73300 <ref name="GNIS"/>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS ID]]
|blank1_info              = 478332 <ref name="GNIS">{{cite gnis2|478332|Valley Falls, Kansas}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://www.valleyfalls.org/|valleyfalls.org}}
}}

'''Valley Falls''' is a city in [[Jefferson County, Kansas|Jefferson County]], [[Kansas]], United States.<ref name="GNIS"/>  As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population of the city was 1,092.<ref name="Census-2020-Profile">{{cite web |title=Profile of Valley Falls, Kansas in 2020 |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile/Valley_Falls_city,_Kansas?g=1600000US2073300 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112191340/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile/Valley_Falls_city,_Kansas?g=1600000US2073300 |archive-date=November 12, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
Valley Falls was originally called '''Grasshopper Falls''', from the falls in the Grasshopper River (now known as the [[Delaware River (Kansas)|Delaware River]]).<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5zdAAQAAMAAJ | title=Biennial Report of the Board of Directors of the Kansas State Historical Society | publisher=Kansas State Printing Plant | author=Kansas State Historical Society | year=1916 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5zdAAQAAMAAJ/page/n316 209]}}</ref> The first settlement was made there in 1854, and the town was [[plat]]ted in 1855. Many of the town's streets were named after women pioneer settlers.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Qi9cXyTWt9EC | title=Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume 2 | publisher=Standard Publishing Company | author=Blackmar, Frank Wilson | year=1912 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Qi9cXyTWt9EC/page/n822 840]}}</ref>

==Geography==
Valley Falls is located at {{coord|39|20|35|N|95|27|38|W|type:city}} (39.342936, -95.460584).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|0.78|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|0.77|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.01|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-07-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=2012-01-25|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Climate===
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.  According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Valley Falls has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=143841&cityname=Valley+Falls%2C+Kansas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Valley Falls, Kansas]</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=right
|1860= 202
|1870= 603
|1880= 1016
|1890= 1180
|1900= 1078
|1910= 1129
|1920= 1218
|1930= 1238
|1940= 1241
|1950= 1139
|1960= 1193
|1970= 1169
|1980= 1189
|1990= 1253
|2000= 1254
|2010= 1192
|2020= 1092
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=[https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html U.S. Decennial Census]
}}
Valley Falls is part of the [[Topeka, Kansas]] [[Topeka metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-07-06}}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,192 people, 444 households, and 290 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1548.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 518 housing units at an average density of {{convert|672.7|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 96.2% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.1% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.0% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.1% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 0.5% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 444 households, of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.04.

The median age in the city was 40.8 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,254 people, 485 households, and 297 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,682.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 521 housing units at an average density of {{convert|699.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 96.89% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.72% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.12% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.40% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.16% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.72% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.64% of the population.

There were 485 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,018, and the median income for a family was $41,500. Males had a median income of $28,000 versus $21,771 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $15,626. About 5.1% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 19.6% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==
Valley Falls is governed by a mayor/council form of government. There are five council members. The day-to-day business of the city is conducted by the city administrator, and a part-time city clerk,  paid employees of the city.

==Education==
The community is served by [[Valley Falls USD 338]] public school district. It has one local grade school serving grades PreK-8 and one local high school serving grades 9-12.  The local sports teams are known as the Dragons and their school colors are black and gold.

==Notable people==
* [[Puella Dornblaser]], temperance activist, lived in Valley Falls and edited at a newspaper in Oskaloosa
* [[Moses Harman]], American schoolteacher and publisher of the anarchist periodical ''Lucifer, the Light-Bearer''. The periodical began as ''The Kansas Liberal'' and was published in Valley Falls.[https://www.loc.gov/item/sn85029141/]
* [[Lillian Harman]], American sex radical feminist and editor. Famous for her "free marriage" for which she was prosecuted under the Kansas Marriage Act of 1867. "''In a ceremony in Valley Falls, Kansas, on September 19, 1886, she joined Edwin Cox Walker, thirty-seven, in an “autonomistic marriage” that repudiated Christian and governmental ideas of marriage''."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lillian Harman (1869–1929) |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lillian-harman-18691929-chris-dodge |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=www.linkedin.com |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Fred Marsh]], professional baseball player, born in Valley Falls in 1924.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marshfr01.shtml | title=Fred Marsh | publisher=Baseball-reference.com | access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref>
* [[King O'Malley]], member of the [[Australian House of Representatives]] in the early 20th century, although he also claimed he was born in [[Quebec]], Canada
* [[George M. Stafford|George Stafford]], former chairman for the [[Interstate Commerce Commission]], was born and schooled in Valley Falls

==See also==
* [[Great Flood of 1951]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Valley Falls, Kansas}}
* [https://www.valleyfalls.org/ City of Valley Falls]
* [https://www.lkm.org/members/?id=38842917 Valley Falls - Directory of Public Officials]
* [https://www.usd338.com/ USD 338], local school district
* [https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/city-pdf/valley%20falls.PDF Valley Falls City Map], KDOT

{{Jefferson County, Kansas}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Kansas]]
[[Category:Cities in Jefferson County, Kansas]]
[[Category:Topeka metropolitan area, Kansas]]
[[Category:1854 establishments in Kansas Territory]]