Russell, Kansas Russell, Kansas Main Street in downtown Russell (2009) Main Street in downtown Russell (2009) Location inside Russell County and Kansas Location inside Russell County and Kansas KDOT map of Russell County (legend) KDOT map of Russell County (legend) County Russell Russell is the most crowded city in and governmental center of county of Russell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town/city population was 4,506. Russell is also the place of birth and hometown of Bob Dole, the former long-time U.S.
1915 Railroad Map of Russell County In 1865, the Butterfield Overland Despatch established a short-lived station titled Fossil Creek Station along its route from Atchison, Kansas to Denver near the site of undivided Russell.
In 1867, the Kansas Pacific Railway reached the region and assembled its own station, also titled Fossil Creek, later just Fossil, north of the Butterfield station.
That same year, the Kansas Legislature established the encircling area as Russell County.
In 1871, colonists from Ripon, Wisconsin established a permanent settlement at Fossil Station, renaming it Russell after the county. Russell was incorporated and titled the provisional governmental center of county in 1872, and, after a two-year dispute with neighboring Bunker Hill, it became the permanent governmental center of county in 1874. In 1876, Volga Germans, mostly from the region around Saratov and Samara in Russia, began settling in and around Russell. The first discernment petroleum well in Russell County was drilled west of Russell in 1923.
Russell came to nationwide attention in the mid-1990s as the hometown of U.S.
Presidency. Dole was born and raised in Russell, and it remained his official place of residence throughout his political career. Russell is positioned at 38 53 23 N 98 51 26 W (38.889807, -98.857113) at an altitude of 1,827 feet (557 m). Located in north-central Kansas at the intersection of Interstate 70 and U.S.
Route 281, Russell is approximately 113 miles (182 km) northwest of Wichita, 231 miles (372 km) west of Kansas City, and 336 miles (541 km) east-southeast of Denver. The town/city lies in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) south of the Saline River and 8 miles (13 km) north of the Smoky Hill River. Fossil Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill River, passes immediately south of the town/city where it has been dammed to form a small reservoir, Fossil Lake. According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town/city has a total region of 4.87 square miles (12.61 km2), all of it land. Lying in the transition zone between North America's humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa) and humid continental climate (Koppen Dfa), Russell experiences hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. On average, January is the coldest month, and July is both the hottest month and the wettest month. The average temperature in Russell is 55 F (12.5 C). Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low of 18 F ( 8 C) in January to an average high of 92 F (33 C) in July. The high temperature reaches or exceeds 90 F (32 C) an average of 59 days a year and reaches or exceeds 100 F (38 C) an average of 11 days a year.
The minimum temperature falls below the freezing point 32 F (0 C) an average of 126 days a year. The hottest temperature recorded in Russell was 114 F (46 C) in 1980; the coldest temperature recorded was -24 F (-31 C) in 1989. The town/city is positioned near the easterly edge of Kansas's semi-arid steppe climate (Koppen BSk), and rain is sometimes scarce.
The town/city receives 26 inches (660 mm) of rain amid an average year with the biggest share being received from May through August. The average relative humidity is 64%. There are, on average, 86 days of calculable rain each year.
Climate data for Russell, Kansas Average snowy days ( 0.1 in) 3.3 2.3 1.8 0.5 0 0 0 0 0.1 0.1 1.2 2.3 11.6 In the city, the populace was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.6% who were 65 years of age or older.
The economy of Russell is based primarily on agriculture with wheat gluten and ethanol manufacturing facilities positioned in the small-town industrialized park.
Russell County is also one of the dominant oil producing counties in Kansas. The cost of living in Russell is mostly low; compared to a U.S.
Average of 100, the cost of living index for the town/city is 77.2. As of 2012, the median home value in the town/city was $63,200, the median chose monthly owner cost was $935 for housing units with a mortgage and $412 for those without, and the median gross rent was $657. Russell is a town/city of the second class with a council-mayor-manager form of government. The town/city council consists of eight members, two propel for each town/city ward. The council sets policies and approves the town/city budget, meeting on the third Tuesday of each month. The town/city manager is hired by the council, enforces its policies, serves as its chief adviser, prepares the town/city budget, and administers town/city government personnel.
The mayor presides at council meetings, serves as spokesperson for the city, and represents the town/city in intergovernmental relations. As the county seat, Russell is the administrative center of Russell County.
The county courthouse is positioned downtown, and all departments of the county government base their operations in the city. Russell lies inside Kansas's 1st U.S.
Route 40 run concurrently east west immediately south of Russell, intersecting U.S.
40, which runs east west through Russell.
Russell Municipal Airport is positioned southeast of the town/city on the U.S.
Union Pacific Railroad operates one freight rail line, the Kansas Pacific (KP) Line, through Russell.
Russell Regional Hospital is the sole hospital in the city.
The Russell County News is the small-town newspaper, presented weekly on Thursdays. Three airways broadcasts broadcast from Russell.
KRSL broadcasts on 990 AM, playing a Classic Country format. Its sister station KRSL-FM broadcasts on 95.9 FM, playing a Classic Hits format. KCCV-FM, a Christian station in Overland Park, Kansas, operates a translator station in Russell which broadcasts on 95.1 FM. Russell is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas tv market. KAKE, the ABC partner in Wichita, operates a translator station (K38 - GH) in Russell which broadcasts on analog channel 38. KBSH-DT, KOCW, and KSNC, the respective satellite stations of the CBS, Fox, and NBC affiliates in Wichita, are positioned in neighboring counties, placing Russell inside their broadcast radius. Smoky Hills Public Television, the PBS partner for Kansas, has its command posts in close-by Bunker Hill. The town/city government's Park Department maintains seven parks in the city.
It includes baseball fields, tennis courts, a skateboard park, a play park, a frisbee golf course, and Russell Municipal Golf Course. The municipal course is a 9-hole, regulation length course that opened in 1952. In addition, the town/city government operates a municipal swimming pool next to Memorial Park. The town/city hosts the annual Russell County Free Fair amid the last week of July. Sponsored by small-town businesses and organizations, the Fair includes a 4-H livestock sale, carnival, live music, and other entertainment. Other annual affairs include a Saint Patrick's Day parade, the Independence Day Freedom Fireworks Celebration, Chilifest in September, a Veterans Day parade, and Weihnachtfest, a Christmas festival held the first Saturday after Thanksgiving. Every ten years since 1941, Russell has held Prairiesta, a festival commemorating the city's foundation and celebrating its heritage.
The Fossil Station Museum, also positioned in downtown Russell, displays artifacts from Russell County history dating back to the mid-1800s.
Home to the Russell County Historical Society, the exhibition is homed in the former sheriff's office and county jail, a fortress-like structure constructed of native "post rock" limestone in 1907. The Russell County Historical Society has restored and maintains two examples of early limestone homes assembled in Russell, the Gernon House and the Heym-Oliver House.
Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Russell include: See also: List of books about Russell County, Kansas a b c d e f g "American Fact - Finder 2".
"The Early History of Russell County".
Russell County Historical Society.
"The City of Russell, Kansas".
City of Russell.
"Russell County".
Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing affairs, establishments, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc.
Russell County Economic Development & CVB.
Russell County Historical Society.
"Campaign '96: Russell, Kansas: You Can Go Home Again".
"2003-2004 Official Transportation Map" (PDF).
"City Distance Tool".
"General Highway Map - Russell County, Kansas" (PDF).
"Average weather for Russell, KS".
"NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data".
"Historical Weather for Russell, Kansas, United States of America".
"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015".
United States Enumeration Bureau.
"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013".
"Russell, Kansas".
"Russell".
City of Russell.
Russell County, Kansas.
"USD 407 Russell County Schools".
"Russell Public Library".
"Russell Public Library - Russell, KS".
"History of Russell Public Library".
"KRSL - Russell Municipal Airport".
"City Utilities".
City of Russell.
Russell County, Kansas Economic Development & CVB.
Russell Regional Hospital.
"Russell Regional Hospital".
"Russell County News".
City of Russell.
"Russell Golf Course".
City of Russell.
"Annual Events: Russell Kansas Area".
Russell Area Chamber of Commerce.
"Russell County Fair 2010: Entertainment".
Russell County Free Fair.
Russell Prairiesta 2011.
Russell County Historical Society.
Russell County Historical Society.
Russell County Historical Society.
"Area Attractions: Russell Kansas Area".
Russell Area Chamber of Commerce.
"Wendall Anschutz Obituary: View Obituary for Wendall Anschutz by Mc - Gilley State Line Chapel, Kansas City, MO".
"Introduction and Early Years on Rutger's Ranch, Russell, KS".
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Russell, Kansas.
City of Russell Russell - Directory of Public Officials Russell County Historical Society Russell City Map, KDOT Topo Map of Russell area, USGS Municipalities and communities of Russell County, Kansas, United States
Categories:
Cities in Russell County, Kansas - Cities in Kansas - County seats in Kansas - Populated places established in 1871
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