Stilwell, Kansas
Stilwell, Kansas | |
|---|---|
  Stilwell  Stilwell | |
| Coordinates: 38°46′09″N 94°39′23″W / 38.76917°N 94.65639°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Johnson |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 66085 |
| GNIS ID | 479569 [1] |
Stilwell is an unincorporated community in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.[1]
History
[edit]Stilwell had its start when the Missouri Pacific Railroad began to plan to extend the railroad from Kansas City into the south.[2] The railroad was initially planned to run through the town of Aubry, but due to the topography, the railroad decided to place the tracks a half mile to the east. This lead Michael O'Keefe, J. Larkin, W. A. Kelly, and A. J. Norman to file a plat for Mt. Auburn in 1886, which would eventually become Stilwell.[3] The first post office in Stilwell was established in June 1888 and the population of Aubry eventually declined.[4] It was renamed to Stilwell in 1889.[5] Like many towns along the line to the Gulf of Mexico, it is named for Arthur Stilwell, founder of what became the Kansas City Southern Railroad.[6]
Stilwell is mostly agricultural land, largely sod farms[citation needed], but in recent years has spawned suburban neighborhoods. Stilwell has affordable land and some farms are abandoned; however the large population growth of Overland Park, Kansas increased the demand for new neighborhoods, raising the land value in some areas.
Climate
[edit]The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Stilwell has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[7]
Notable people
[edit]- Gary Burrell (1937–2019), engineer and entrepreneur, co-founder of Garmin GPS technology company
- Tara Cunningham, Gold Medalist in Women's Weightlifting at 2000 Summer Olympics
- Michael Stevens, host of the YouTube channel Vsauce
- Tom Watson, American professional golfer
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Stilwell, Kansas", Geographic Names Information System, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior
- ^ Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume 2. Standard Publishing Company. p. 766.
- ^ Blair, Ed (1915). History of Johnson County, Kansas. Standard Publishing Company. p. 173.
- ^ "Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961, page 2 (archived)". Kansas Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 9, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ House Journal of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Kansas: Sixth Biennial Session, Begun at Topeka, January 8, 1889. 1889. p. 1387.
- ^ "Aubry-Stilwell". Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ Climate Summary for Stilwell, Kansas
Further reading
[edit]External links
[edit]Municipalities and communities of Johnson County, Kansas, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This community also has portions in an adjacent county or counties. | |