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 Olathe, Kansas Posted by:  iconions
N 38° 53.023 W 094° 49.154
15S E 342206 N 4305445
This waymark is centered on the Olathe, Kansas, City Hall located at 131 West 5th Avenue in Olathe, Kansas.
Waymark Code: WM2W99
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 12/30/2007
Views: 24
My commentary:
Olathe now has a population of over 125,000 according to the 2010 census. The town is now just another suburb of the larger Kansas City metro community. The courthouse described in the American Guide Series was torn down and replaced in the 1950's, which itself is scheduled to be replaced in the next year by a giant (my opinion) eyesore. It's really too bad that the town square couldn't keep the buildings of the turn of the 20th century - the square just has no character or charm.
Olathe (/o?'le???/ oh-LAY-th?) is the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas, United States. It is the fourth most populous city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and Kansas, with a 2010 population of 125,872. By 2018, the Census Bureau estimated Olathe's population had grown to 139,605.
Olathe was founded by Dr. John T. Barton in the spring of 1857. He rode to the center of Johnson County, Kansas and staked two quarter sections of land as the town site. He later described his ride to friends: "...the prairie was covered with verbena and other wild flowers. I kept thinking the land was beautiful and that I should name the town Beautiful." Purportedly, Barton asked a Shawnee interpreter how to say "Beautiful" in his native language. The interpreter responded, "Olathe."
Olathe was incorporated in 1857, and while not the first city in Johnson County, its rapid growth lead to it being named the county seat in October 1859. Rising tensions across the nation over the issue of slavery led to numerous clashes between abolitionists settlers and neighboring slave state Missouri. These clashes would further escalate and become a part of the greater conflict known as Bleeding Kansas. With the admission of Kansas into the Union as a free state in 1861, violence began to dissipate. Peace, however, would continue to elude Olathe for many years to come. In 1861 Union officials and local military forces created a military post in the city. It housed one company of troops along with the local militia.
On September 6, 1862, William Quantrill led a surprise raid of guerrillas Confederates against the city, which resulted in a half dozen deaths and the destruction of most of the city. Quantrill captured the outpost and tried forcing the men to swear an oath to the Confederacy. The oath was deemed invalid in November 1862 since the guerrillas were not considered legitimate enemy military units. Kansas militia continued to occupy the Olathe military post through the rest of the Civil War.
Confederate forces would attempt two further raids against the city. The first happened on August 20–21, 1863 as Quantrill was passing through on his way to Lawrence, Kansas (see Lawrence Massacre). The second raid occurred October 24–25, 1864, when Confederate Major General Sterling Price, with a force of 10,000 men passed through on their retreat South (see Price's Raid).
With the Confederate surrender, the military post was decommissioned in August 1865.
Olathe served as a stop on the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Santa Fe Trail. Catering to travelers was the main source of income for local stores and businesses. The Mahaffie House, a popular resupply point for wagons headed westward, is today a registered historical site maintained by the City of Olathe. The staff wears period costumes, and stagecoach rides and farm animals make the site a favorite among children. Visitors can participate in Civil War re-enactments, Wild West Days, and other activities.
After the construction of the transcontinental railroad, the trails to the west lost importance, and Olathe faded into obscurity and remained a small, sleepy prairie town.
20th century
In the 1950s, the construction of the Interstate Highway system and, more directly, I-35, linked Olathe to nearby Kansas City. The result was tremendous residential growth as Olathe became a part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. In the 1980s, Olathe experienced tremendous commercial growth, which also drew more residents. It is estimated that Olathe's population surpassed 100,000 in 2001, and current projections show Olathe's growth continuing as the city expands into the farm fields south, west and north of town.
21st century
In 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Olathe the 24th fastest-growing city in the nation. The same year, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Olathe #11 on its list of the "100 Best Cities to Live in the United States."
On February 22, 2017, Adam Purinton made racial statements and opened fire at crowded Austins Bar and Grill in southern Olathe, shooting and injuring three people, one fatally. The victims were identified as Alok Madasani, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, and Ian Grillot. Purinton was later arrested in Clinton, Missouri. He was charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. This shooting gained international attention, as two of the three victims were Indian.
Despite efforts by preservationists, Olathe city officials committed to upscale apartment development and county government expansion projects have fast-tracked demolition of 19th century historic homes and neighborhoods, including the Hubbard House, a Greek Revival landmark built in 1887 by an early Olathe surveyor, which was reduced to rubble in less than an hour in January, 2018 despite a petition signed by more than 6,000 local residents. Artifacts from the home, including a grandfather clock and clawfoot tub, were retained for display in a future apartment clubhouse.
- Olathe Kansas Wikipedia Page
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