Flagler, Colorado

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Town of Flagler, Colorado
Statutory Town
Flagler Hospital in Flagler
Flagler Hospital in Flagler
Location in Kit Carson County and the state of Colorado
Location in Kit Carson County and the state of Colorado
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country  United States
State  Colorado
County[1] Kit Carson
Established 1888
Incorporated (town) November 2, 1916[2]
Government
 • Type Statutory Town[1]
 • Mayor Tom Bredehoft[3]
Area
 • Total 0.5 sq mi (1.4 km2)
 • Land 0.5 sq mi (1.4 km2)
 • Water 0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation[4] 4,941 ft (1,506 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 561
 • Density 1,100/sq mi (400/km2)
Time zone MST (UTC-7)
 • Summer (DST) MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code[5] 80815
Area code(s) 719
FIPS code 08-26765
GNIS feature ID 0204820

The Town of Flagler is a Statutory Town in Kit Carson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 561 at the 2010 census.[6] Flagler is near Exit 395 on I-70 and about 120 miles east of Denver and Colorado Springs.

History

The town was established in 1888 as a small settlement near the then-new Rock Island Railroad. The area has had several names, and prior to the settlement of the town, the location had been home to a general store and post office named Bowser after the owner's dog.[7] When the town was founded, the town was named Malowe after Rock Island Railroad attorney M. A. Lowe.[7] The town was later renamed after Henry Flagler, railroad builder and oil man, at the request of his daughter who liked the area.[8]

The town was officially incorporated in 1916.[9]

Geography

Flagler is located at Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (39.294031, -103.065832).[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1920 544 —
1930 540 −0.7%
1940 506 −6.3%
1950 793 56.7%
1960 693 −12.6%
1970 615 −11.3%
1980 550 −10.6%
1990 564 2.5%
2000 612 8.5%
2010 561 −8.3%
Est. 2014 561 [11] 0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 612 people, 271 households, and 171 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,123.3 people per square mile (437.6/km²). There were 319 housing units at an average density of 585.5 per square mile (228.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.57% White, 2.29% Native American, 0.33% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.10% of the population.

There were 271 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,523, and the median income for a family was $43,542. Males had a median income of $29,821 versus $19,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,770. About 4.3% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The economy of Flagler and the surrounding area is composed largely of agriculture, specifically wheat and corn production. Flagler is also the self-proclaimed "Birdseed Capital of World," with a Wagner's Wild Bird Seed plant listed as the town's top private employer. Flagler is home to a Loaf 'N Jug convenience store, small hotel, local supermarket, and numerous churches.

School

Arriba-Flagler Consolidated School District #20 educates local children in grades preschool through 12th, as well as children from nearby Arriba, Colorado. The school's mascot is the panther, and students compete in sports such as Six-man football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, and track. Flagler's archrival is the Stratton Eagles, which Flagler beat to end what was, at the time, the longest winning streak in Colorado high school football history.[citation needed] Flagler Senior High School is represented by the colors orange and black, and is consistently one of the top-performing schools in the state academically [1].

Notable events

Flagler is the site of a tragic air show accident that occurred on September 15, 1951. A stunt aircraft performing for Fall Festival Day lost control and impacted the show's spectators, killing twenty people.[14]

Notable residents

  • Boxer Irish Bob Murphy was born in Flagler
  • Author Hal Borland moved to Flagler at the age 15 when his father became publisher of one of the local newspapers, and attended high school in Flager.
  • William "W.H." Lavington came to Kit Carson County by railroad and developed Flagler, Colorado along with W.L. Price. Notable projects include the Hotel Flagler (which later became the Flagler Hospital, a private hospital headed by Dr. W.L. McBride); and Flagler State Bank, where W.H. Lavington served as President.
  • Leon Edward Lavington, Sr., W.H. Lavington's son, was the President of the First National Bank of Flagler, previously the Flagler State Bank. Later he became the State Purchasing Agent, Auditor of the State, and State Treasurer before running for Governor (R 1946). The third largest blizzard in recorded state history preceded the election which resulted in less than 30 percent voter turn-out. He lost the election by a small margin having won nearly 48 percent of the vote. Lavington Park is named in his honor.
  • Leon Edward Lavington, Jr. was a former city councilman and Mayor of Fagler, Colorado. He was a track star and lettered in football at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1935, 1936, and 1937 (#17, Receiver and Defensive End). After graduation, he was drafted by the National Football League (NFL) to play for the Cardinals in Chicago. He was the third player in University of Colorado football history to have been drafted. NFL Draft 1938, CU Boulder: Round 1, Byron "Whizzer" White (HB), Pittsburgh; Round 2, Gene Moore (C), Brooklyn; Round 6, Leon Lavington (E), Chicago.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 William Bright: Colorado Place Names, page 64. Big Earth Publishing, 2004
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Air-show crash a vivid memory 50 years later. The accident aircraft was a Timm Tutor (N2T-1) not a T-6 as often mentioned. Denver Post Online. September 9, 2001. Retrieved on January 22, 2008.

External links

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