Holcomb, Kansas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Holcomb is a city located in Finney County, Kansas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,026.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Notoriety
4 External links

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Geography

Holcomb is located at 37°59'2" North, 100°59'10" West (37.983934, -100.985996)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.0 km² (1.2 mi²). 3.0 km² (1.2 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

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Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 2,026 people, 592 households, and 515 families residing in the city. The population density is 668.6/km² (1,730.1/mi²). There are 608 housing units at an average density of 200.6/km² (519.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 80.80% White, 1.09% African American, 0.89% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 13.28% from other races, and 3.65% from two or more races. 24.43% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 592 households out of which 65.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% are married couples living together, 17.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 13.0% are non-families. 10.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 2.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.42 and the average family size is 3.62.

In the city the population is spread out with 41.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 14.8% from 45 to 64, and 2.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 25 years. For every 100 females there are 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $47,115, and the median income for a family is $48,587. Males have a median income of $31,250 versus $22,652 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,264. 10.1% of the population and 7.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.4% of those under the age of 18 and 26.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

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Notoriety

The town of Holcomb was unwittingly thrust into the headlines on November 15, 1959, when four members of the prominent Clutter family -- Herbert, 48; his wife Bonnie, 45; daughter Nancy, 16; and son Kenyon, 15 -- were found bound and shot to death in various rooms of their River Valley Farm on the outskirts of town.

Two ex-convicts, Richard ("Dick") Eugene Hickock and Perry Edward Smith, were eventually arrested, tried, and convicted of the killings. The duo's murderous odyssey began when both Hickock and Smith were released from prison and, acting on casual comments made by a fellow cellmate who had once worked for Mr. Clutter, made plans to rob the Clutter household under the mistaken belief that Mr. Clutter kept thousands of dollars in cash in a safe at the residence. There was no safe, nor any substantial amount of cash in the home. Upon this discovery, and after killing the captive family to eliminate any witnesses, the pair fled with around $42, a portable radio, and a pair of binoculars. They were arrested months later in Las Vegas, Nevada. Following their convictions, and after several appeals, both Hickock and Smith were hanged for their crimes on April 14, 1965.

The shocking murders and the arrests and convictions of both Hickock and Smith were the basis for author Truman Capote's acclaimed work, In Cold Blood, which was serialized in The New Yorker magazine in 1965 and published in book form in 1966. The best-selling book, in turn, spawned two filmed versions of the compelling story: director Richard Brooks' theatrical feature film in 1967 starring Robert Blake, Scott Wilson and John Forsythe, and a two-part made-for-television movie starring Eric Roberts, Anthony Edwards and Sam Neill that aired on network TV in 1996. Portions of the 1967 theatrical film were shot on location in and around Holcomb and nearby Garden City, including the actual Clutter house where the crimes occurred.