Hesper, Kansas
Hesper is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Kansas, United States.[1] It is located two and a half miles southeast of Eudora.
Hesper, Kansas  | |
|---|---|
![]() Hesper Friends Church, organized in 1858  | |
![]() KDOT map of Douglas County (legend)  | |
![]() Hesper ![]() Hesper  | |
| Coordinates: 38°53′55″N 95°04′29″W[1] | |
| Country | United States | 
| State | Kansas | 
| County | Douglas | 
| Elevation | 922 ft (281 m) | 
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) | 
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) | 
| Area code | 785 | 
| FIPS code | 20-31550 [1] | 
| GNIS ID | 479160 [1] | 
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
    
- "Hesper, Kansas", Geographic Names Information System, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior
 - Shortridge, James R. Shortridge (1988) [1977]. Kaw Valley Landscapes. University Press of Kansas.
 - "Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
 




