PARSONS DISTRICT
District Superintendent:
Rev. Michelle (Micki) McCorkle
Contact Info:
500 Leawood
Parsons, KS 67357
Tel: 620-421-9149
Email: parsonsdistrict@greatplainsumc.org
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 08:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 01:00 p.m. to 05:00 p.m.
https://www.greatplainsumc.org/parsonsdistrict
The District:
Parsons is located at the junction of U.S. Route 59 and U.S. Route 400. Along US-59, the city of Erie (the county seat of Neosho County) is 17 miles (27 km) to the north and Oswego (the county seat of Labette County) is 20 miles (32 km) south and east (Southeast corner of the State of Kansas). Big Hill Lake is several miles to the west of the city, and Lake Parsons is situated northwest of the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.70 square miles (27.71 km2), of which 10.61 square miles (27.48 km2) is land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km2) is water.
Parsons Districts is in the southeast corner of Kansas where relationships and community are important. Our district focuses on Christ first, with food and fellowship being our next priorities. We have a diversity of pastoral leadership which adds to the richness of our ministries.
District’s key personnel:
Rev. Michelle (Micki) McCorkle, District Superintendent
5RiversDS@greatplainsumc.org
Jane Reeves, Administrative Assistant
parsonsdistrict@greatplainsumc.org
What you may not know about your district:
Parsons is mainly rural with great churches that focus on Knowing God, Proclaiming Christ, Serving Others (especially the poor) and Seeking Justice. The Parsons District supports Wesley House which is located in Pittsburg, KS.
Parsons was named after Levi Parsons, president of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) Railroad. The town was founded in 1870 and incorporated the following year by the railroad. The location for the town was chosen because it was where the two branches of the railroad being built from Junction City, Kansas and Sedalia, Missouri would meet, and was on a ridge between Labette Creek and Little Labette Creek, which were soon dammed to provide a water source. The railroad commenced building a massive rail yard, foundry, and locomotive shop at Parsons, which for many years was the third largest railroad facility west of the Mississippi River with only Kansas City and Los Angeles being larger. Settlers from nearby towns uprooted and moved to Parsons, and new settlers arrived on every incoming train. Parsons soon became a major hub for several railroads including the Missouri Kansas & Texas Railroad, Parsons & Pacific Railroad, Kansas City & Pacific Railroad, and the Memphis, Kansas & Colorado Railroad.
In the early part of the twentieth century, Parsons operated its own street car system, and also had an interurban electric railroad connecting it to the nearby cities of Cherryvale, Independence, Coffeyville, and Nowata. During World War II it was home to the Kansas Ordnance Plant, which later operated for some years as the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant.
In Spring of 2005, the munitions plant was placed on the BRAC list for closure. The community has rallied behind the current plant operator, Day and Zimmerman, to keep the company on the grounds after closure and to keep those jobs and more in the Parsons area.
Recurring events:
Annual District Worship in the fall (currently postponed due to Covid pandemic).
Key links:
https://www.facebook.com/parsonsdistrictumc