24/7 Trauma and Biohazard Cleanup in Wilson, KS

Wilson is a city in Ellsworth County in north-central Kansas, sitting in the Smoky Hills about 15 miles northwest of the county seat of Ellsworth and just south of Interstate 70.

Wilson proudly promotes itself as the 'Czech Capital of Kansas,' a title formally proclaimed by Governor Robert Docking on July 10, 1967.

Wilson's roots go back to a Butterfield Overland Despatch stagecoach station built in 1865; the Kansas Pacific Railway built Wilson Station in 1868, and the town was first platted in 1871 under the name Bosland before being incorporated as Wilson in 1883.

Beginning in 1874, Czech immigrants from Bohemia came to Wilson to work on the railroad, establishing the town as a center of Czech culture; as of 2012, 14.4% of residents claimed Czech ancestry.

The 2020 census counted 859 people in Wilson, a 10% increase from 781 in 2010, when the city had 331 households.

Wilson celebrates its heritage with the annual After Harvest Czech Festival, held on the last Saturday in July with Czech dancers, music, a parade, and a carnival.

Wilson's Midland Hotel served as a filming location for the 1973 film Paper Moon.

The historic Wilson Opera House, originally built in 1901, was destroyed in a massive fire in November 2009.

Wilson Lake, with Wilson State Park on its shore, lies about six miles north of the city, while the Smoky Hill River runs about two miles to the south.

Wilson students attend schools in Central Plains USD 112, and the Wilson High School mascot is the Dragons; Wilson was also the hometown of John Kuck, who won the shot put gold medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics.