History
Inside 1860 Salina, a westmost post on the Smoky Hill Trail, began to establish itself as a staging post for prospectors traveling to Pike's Peak, as well as a trading post between local native tribes, and Fort Leavenworth. Fallowing a Civil War, Phillips, then the colonel, used his influence to extend a Union Pacific Railroad to Salina in 1867. Starting inside 1872, Salina began transporting meat shipped in refrigerated cars down the rails. When you took a agriculture boom In a period of the 1870's, wheat became the dominant crop within Salinthe & a steam-powered flour mill was built. At a equivalent period Dr. E. R. Switzer, of Salina, introduced alfalfa to Kansas farmers. In the period of World War II Salina's air field was one of several notable B-29 training grounds. A exponential growth of the 1950s of Salina was related largely to the re-opening of Smoky Hill Air Force Base, later renamed to Schilling Air Force Base, which was closed in 1965 by the Department of Defense.

Around February 2005, a city is hoping its title is added to the likes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina within terms of existence a important title in aviation history, when it hwhen been selected when a launch field for what is being touted as the 'survive awesome aviation record'; a Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. This occurs as spherical the world solo record attempt that may require off & land at Salina forgoing refuelling or even stopping.

Industry
Predictably, agriculture is the predominant industry in Salina, & its grain elevators are visible from either miles away. This agricultural emphasis is possibly reflected around the local Catholic Church which is built in whiten cylindric shapes intriguingly rather grain silos. Notwithstanding, Salina has many more crucial employers. Amazingly, the city has a hard manufacturing base. By using terminated 2000 workers, Tony's Pizza is the largest single employer. Tony's makes consumer retail frozen pizzas when well as food meant for school cafeterias and other institutions. around addition, terminated D come listed in mill for Philips Lighting, Exide Battery, Great Plains Manufacturing (farm devices), & Raytheon Aircraft. A high ratio of mill own household budget in the labor force & Kansas' right-to-work status make Salina an attractive location for manufacturing plant operation.

the city has a local every day newspaper, The Salina Journal, several radio stations; [http://www.999kskg.com 99.9FM KSKG], 910AM KINA, 92.7FM KILS, 95.5FM KQNS, 93.7FM KYEZ, 1150AM KSAL & 104.9FM KZBZ, though there is no local television news.

Schools
Additionally to the branch of Kansas State University (which is based within Manhattan, Kansas), Salina is the home of Kansas Wesleyan University, a personal liberal arts college that affiliates itself by using a United Methodist Church. Enrollment to every one institutions is inside 800 in Salina.

Geography
Salina is placed at 38°49'Xxvii" North, 97°36'26" West (38.824267, -97.607205).

Based on data from a United States Census Bureau, the city has the sum metropolitan area of 59.Nought km² (22.8 mi²). 58.Nina from carolina kilometre² (Xxii.Septenary mi²) of these are l& and Nought.Single kilometer² (Cypher.04 mi²) of these are fluids. A sum metropolitan area is Nought.18% water supply.

Demographics
When of the censusof 2000, there are 45,679 people, 18,523 house, & 11,873 families living in the city. A population density is 775.9/km² (2,009.6/mi²). There are 19,599 housing units at an typical density of 332.9/km² (862.2/mi²). A racial makeup of the city is 87.76% White, 3.57% African American, 0.56% Native American, 1.96% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.78% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. Hexad.71% of the people are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 18,523 home away from which 31.5% keep close at hand kids under a age of Eighteen accept the two, 49.8% come married couples living together, 10.5% have a female homeowner using there is no hubby present, & 35.9% come non-families. Thirty.1% of 100% house come processed higher of people & Eleven.3% keep around individual dwelling alone world health organization is 65 years aged or even older. A typical menage size is Deuce.39 & a typical personal size is Deuce.98.

In a city the people is spread retired using Xxv.9% under a age of Eighteen, X.0% from either 18 to 2 dozen, Xxviii.7% from either 25 to 44, Xxi.1% from either 45 to 64, & Xiv.3% world health organization come 65 years aged or even older. A median age is 35 years. For each Century females there are 95.Eighter from decatur males. For each Hundred females age Xviii & assibilate, there are 92.Eight males.

the median income for a house in the city is $36,066, & the median income for a personal is $45,433. Males have a median income of $31,250 versus $21,944 for females. A per capita income for the city is $18,593. Niner.Sestet% of the people & 6.7% of families come in a image below the poverty line. Away from a number people, X.6% of victims under a age of 18 & 9.2% of people 65 & older come dwelling following a poverty level.

Notable persons born or raised in Salina
Carl Belew - musician Thomas Braniff - Braniff airline co-founder Marlin Fitzwater White House Click Secretary 1985-1987 Bill Graves - businessman and Kansas governor 1995-2003 Steven Hawley - astronaut George Murphy - actor Glen Martin - aviation pioneer