Hesper, Kansas

Hesper, Kansas
Unincorporated community
Hesper Friends Church, organized in 1858
Hesper Friends Church, organized in 1858
KDOT map of Douglas County (legend)
KDOT map of Douglas County (legend)
Hesper is located in Kansas
Hesper
Hesper
Hesper is located in the United States
Hesper
Hesper
Coordinates: 38°53′55″N 95°04′29″W / 38.89861°N 95.07472°W / 38.89861; -95.07472[1]
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountyDouglas
Elevation
[1]
922 ft (281 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code785
FIPS code20-31550 [1]
GNIS ID479160 [1]

Hesper is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Kansas, United States.[1] It is located two and a half miles southeast of Eudora.

History

Hesper was founded in 1858 by Quakers wanting to lend support to the free-state cause. In 1884, the Hesper Academy was opened but it closed in 1912.[2]

A post office was opened in Hesper in 1868, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1900.[3]

Education

The community is served by Eudora USD 491 public school district.

Notable people

Friends University in Wichita was founded by James Davis, who was a native of Hesper.[2] The town is also the birthplace of the college football player and coach John H. Outland, namesake of the Outland Trophy. Walter R. Stubbs, Governor of Kansas from 1909-1913 grew up in the Hesper area.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Hesper, Kansas", Geographic Names Information System, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior
  2. ^ a b Shortridge, James R. Shortridge (1988) [1977]. Kaw Valley Landscapes. University Press of Kansas.
  3. ^ "Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved June 8, 2014.

Further reading

See also: List of books about Douglas County, Kansas