Hesper is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Douglas County, Kansas, United States.
It is located two and a half miles southeast of
Eudora.
History
Hesper was founded in 1858 by
Quakers
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...
wanting to lend support to the
free-state cause. In 1884, the Hesper Academy was opened but it closed in 1912.
A post office was opened in Hesper in 1868, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1900.
Education
The community is served by
Eudora USD 491 public school district.
Notable people
Friends University
Friends University is a private nondenominational Christian university in Wichita, Kansas. It was founded in 1898. The main building was originally built in 1886 for Garfield University but was donated in 1898 to the Religious Society of Friends ...
in
Wichita was founded by James Davis, who was a native of Hesper.
The town is also the birthplace of the
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
player and coach
John H. Outland
John Henry Outland (March 17, 1871 – March 24, 1947) was an American football player and coach. He played football at Penn College in Oskaloosa, Iowa, the University of Kansas, and the University of Pennsylvania. He was twice named an All-Ame ...
, namesake of the
Outland Trophy.
Walter R. Stubbs, Governor of Kansas from 1909-1913 grew up in the Hesper area.
References
Further reading
External links
* Douglas County maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT
{{Authority control
Unincorporated communities in Douglas County, Kansas
Unincorporated communities in Kansas
Populated places established in 1858
1858 establishments in Kansas Territory