Downs, Kansas

Downs is a city in Osborne County, Kansas, United States. In 2020, 800 people lived there.

History
Downs started in the year 1879 when the Central Branch Railroad was extended to that point. It was named after William F. Downs, a railroad employee from Atchison, Kansas. Downs became an incorporated town in December of 1879. In 1910, 1,427 people lived there. There were two newspapers, a public library, flour mills, grain elevators, and an opera house.

Geography
Downs is at  (39.503305, -98.543500). The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of . All of it is land.

People

2020 census
In 2020, there were 800 people, 384 households, and 202 families living in Downs. The population density was . 92.8% of the people were White, 1.1% were Native American, 0.4% were Asian, 1.4% were from other races, and 4.4% were from two or more races. 2.4% of the people were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2010 census
In 2010, there were 900 people, 424 households, and 239 families living in Downs. The population density was . 97.6% of the people were White, 0.1% were African American, 1.1% were Native American, 0.6% were Asian, and 0.7% were from two or more races. 0.9% of the people were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census
In 2000, there were 1,038 people, 474 households, and 273 families living in Downs. The population density was 941.4 people per square mile (364.3/km²). 98.75% of the people were White, 0.67% were Native American, 0.29% were Asian, 0.10% were from other races, and 0.19% were from two or more races. 0.48% of the people were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Education
Downs is a part of USD 272 Waconda. The district elementary school is Lakeside Elementary School in Cawker City. The district high school is Lakeside High School in Downs; the mascot is Knights.

School unification combined Downs and Waconda East schools into USD 272 in 2003. The combined high school became Lakeside Jr./Sr. High School in Downs.

Downs High School was closed because of school unification. The Downs High School mascot was Dragons."Downs Dragons Hit Hard By Loss Of Veterans", The Salina Journal, 6 September 1951, p.14. The Downs Dragons won the following Kansas State High School championships:
 1938 Boys Basketball - Class B 
 1950 Boys Basketball - Class B 
 1988 Boys Cross Country - Class 2-1A 

Downs Elementary School and Downs Junior High School was in Downs.Home. Waconda USD 272. April 9, 2002. Retrieved on February 25, 2017.

Famous people
 Francis Schmidt, football and basketball coach

Related pages
 Meades Ranch Triangulation Station, the geodetic base point for the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27), which was used as a reference point until 1983.
 Waconda Lake and Glen Elder State Park.

References

Other websites

City
 City of Downs
 Downs - Directory of Public Officials
Schools
 USD 272, local school district
Pictures
 Historic Images of Downs, Wichita State University Library
Maps
 Downs City Map , KDOT

Category:Cities in Osborne County, Kansas
Category:1879 establishments in Kansas