Lyons, Kansas

Lyons is a city in Rice County, Kansas, United States. It is also the county seat of Rice County. In 2020, 3,611 people lived there.

History
Lyons was originally called Atlanta, and it was created in 1870. Its name changed to Lyons in 1876, in honor of Freeman J. Lyons.

In 1878, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and people from Marion County and McPherson County started the Marion and McPherson Railway Company.Marion County Kansas : Past and Present; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; LCCN 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972. In 1879, a railroad was built from Florence to McPherson. In 1880, it was extended to Lyons. In 1881, it was extended to Ellinwood.Fourth Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners for the Year Ending December 1, 1886 in State of Kansas; Kansas Publishing House; 1886. The line was controlled by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to Marion, was left in 1968.Railway Abandonment 1968 In 1992, the line from Marion to McPherson was sold to Central Kansas Railway. In 1993, because of heavy flood damage, the line from Marion to McPherson was left. The original branch line connected Florence, Marion, Canada, Hillsboro, Lehigh, Canton, Galva, McPherson, Conway, Windom, Little River, Mitchell, Lyons, Chase, and Ellinwood.

Lyons was incorporated as a city in 1880, the same year the railroad was built through it.

In 1890, the Western Salt Company built its first shaft to mine salt in Lyons.One of World's Largest Salt Producting Centers on Frisco Lines at Lyons, Kansas; The Frisco Employes' Magazine; November 1926.

In the 1970s, the federal government was interested in using a local area to bury high-level nuclear waste.Brown, Taylor Kate. (March 6, 2014). "The radiation leak site that wants more nuclear waste". BBC website Retrieved January 29, 2017.

Geography
Lyons is at  (38.344962, -98.202493). The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of . All of it is land.

Weather
The Köppen climate classification says that Lyons has a humid continental climate, Dfa on climate maps. Climate Summary for Lyons, Kansas

People

2020 census
The 2020 census says that there were 3,611 people, 1,462 households, and 946 families living in Lyons. Of the households, 67.5% owned their home and 32.5% rented their home.

The median age was 38.1 years. Of the people, 74.5% were White, 1.1% were Black, 0.8% were Native American, 0.2% were Asian, 8.1% were from some other race, and 15.4% were two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.6% of the people.

2010 census
The 2010 census says that there were 3,739 people, 1,503 households, and 952 families living in Lyons.

Famous people
 William Borah (1865-1940), U.S. Senator from Idaho
 Marshall Christmann (1976- ), Kansas state legislator
 James Fankhauser (1939- ), conductor, singer
 Orville Harrold (1878-1933), actor, opera singer
 James Pulliam (1925-2005), architect
 Marcia Rodd (1940- ), actress
 Jerry Cox Vasconcells (1892-1950), U.S. Army captain, World War I flying ace
 Milton R. Wolf (1971- ), radiologist, Kansas politician

References

Other websites


City
 City of Lyons
 Lyons - Directory of Public Officials
Schools 
 USD 405, local school district 
Historical
 Santa Fe Trail Research
 , from Hatteberg's People on KAKE TV news
Maps
 Lyons City Map , KDOT

Category:Cities in Rice County, Kansas
Category:County seats in Kansas
Category:1870 establishments in Kansas