Hugoton, Kansas

Hugoton () is a city in and the county seat of Stevens County, Kansas, United States.

History

thumb|left|Hugoton, 1891

Settlers from McPherson established a settlement in what was then west-central Seward County in 1885. They originally named this settlement Hugo in honor of French writer Victor Hugo, but then changed its name to Hugoton to distinguish it from Hugo, Colorado. Hugoton's first church, Hugoton United Methodist, was also the first in Stevens County and was founded in 1886; it is still active as of 2019. The first post office in Hugoton was established in April 1886.

In 1886, the Kansas Legislature reestablished the surrounding area as Stevens County, and Gov. John Martin designated Hugoton as the interim county seat. This set off a violent county seat war with nearby Woodsdale. Hugoton became the permanent county seat in 1887, but the conflict continued, culminating in the Hay Meadow Massacre of 1888.

During the 1890s, economic decline drove many residents to leave for newly opened territories in the American Southwest, and the population declined significantly. Natural gas was discovered southwest of the city in 1927, leading to the development of the Hugoton Natural Gas Area and the transformation of Hugoton into a major center of natural gas extraction.

Hugoton reportedly served as a temporary home for infamous criminals Bonnie and Clyde. They lived in the unincorporated areas near Hugoton, assuming the aliases of Jewell and Blackie Underwood. Jewell operated a cafe, Jewell's Cafe, and Blackie reportedly worked on area farms. Locals believed they ran a bootlegging operation out of the cafe. Clyde was officially in prison during the time they are claimed to be in the Hugoton area, but locals still insist Jewell and Blackie were Bonnie and Clyde. Receipts from Jewel's Cafe were found in the duo's vehicle after their deaths in a 1934 shoot-out.

In the mid-1930s, Hugoton, along with much of Kansas and parts of other nearby states, suffered the effects of the Dust Bowl, which ravaged the Great Plains in waves between 1934 and 1940. Southwest Kansas was hit particularly hard between 1932 and 1936. The famous "Black Sunday" dust storm that marks the naming of the Dust Bowl as a geographic area encompassing most of the mid-United States and affecting the entire country, hit Hugoton and neighboring towns in multiple counties and in Oklahoma early on April 14, 1935.

Geography

Located in southwestern Kansas at the intersection of U.S. Route 56, K-25, and K-51, Hugoton is approximately north of Amarillo, west-southwest of Wichita, and southeast of Denver.

It lies in the High Plains region of the Great Plains, approximately southeast of the Cimarron River. It also lies within, and is the namesake of, the Hugoton Natural Gas Area. The Hugoton natural gas field is the largest such field in North America and the second largest in the world.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Hugoton has a semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) with hot, dry summers and cold, dry winters. The hottest temperature recorded in Hugoton was on June 25, 1911, which along with Clay Center on the same day, is the highest temperature recorded in Kansas in June. Hugoton also holds the state record high for March. The coldest temperature was on January 7, 1912.

|source 2 = National Weather Service

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Hugoton had a population of 3,747, with 1,355 households and 976 families. The population density was 1,800.6 per square mile (695.2/km). There were 1,573 housing units at an average density of 755.9 per square mile (291.8/km).

The median age was 35.1 years. 28.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 8.1% were from 18 to 24, 25.8% were from 25 to 44, 21.9% were from 45 to 64, and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.1 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

Of the 1,355 households, 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 56.1% were married-couple households, 17.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Of the 1,573 housing units, 13.9% were vacant; the homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 16.8%. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 7.0% of the population.

Income and poverty

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $56,786 (with a margin of error of +/- $12,361) and the median family income was $61,318 (+/- $8,164). Males had a median income of $35,417 (+/- $6,805) versus $17,364 (+/- $7,595) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $26,972 (+/- $4,981). Approximately, 12.7% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.0% of those under the age of 18 and 16.1% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 3,904 people, 1,413 households, and 993 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,560 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.0% White, 0.8% American Indian, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Asian, 10.1% from some other race, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 36.4% of the population.

There were 1,413 households, of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71, and the average family size was 3.32. As of 2011, the median home value in the city was $79,300, the median selected monthly owner cost was $991 for housing units with a mortgage and $445 for those without, and the median gross rent was $628. The mayor and the council members are elected for four-year terms.

As the county seat, Hugoton is the administrative center of Stevens County. The county courthouse is located downtown, and all departments of the county government base their operations in the city.

Hugoton lies within Kansas's 1st U.S. Congressional District. For the purposes of representation in the Kansas Legislature, the city is in the 39th district of the Kansas Senate and the 124th district of the Kansas House of Representatives.

Hugoton Primary School (Grades Pre-K-2)
Hugoton Intermediate School (3-6)
Hugoton Middle School (7-8)
Hugoton High School (9-12)
Hugoton Learning Academy (7-12), charter school

Heritage Christian Academy, a Christian school, offers preschool and classes for grades K-8.

Transportation

U.S. Route 56 and K-25 enter Hugoton concurrently from the north, intersecting K-51, which runs east-west, in the southern part of the city. Both U.S. 56 and K-25 then run concurrently with K-51 to the west.

A line of the Cimarron Valley Railroad passes through the northwestern corner of the city.

Media

The Hugoton Hermes is the city's sole newspaper, published weekly.

Two radio stations are licensed to Hugoton: K222AK, a translator station of NPR affiliate High Plains Public Radio in Garden City, Kansas, broadcasts from Hugoton on 92.3 FM; KFXX-FM broadcasts from Garden City on 106.7 FM, playing a Classic Hits format.

Hugoton is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market.

Notable people

Billy Drago (1945–2019), actor
Steve Morris (1946–2025), Kansas Senate president (2005–2013)

References

External links

Hugoton - Official Website
Hugoton - Directory of Public Officials
USD 210, local school district
Dust Bowl photos of Hugoton
"Accused of double murder: The grandmother, her boyfriend, and the couple who hosted anti-government religious meetings - CNN - April 21, 2024