Webster was 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 Belmont Township, Rooks County, Kansas, United States.

History

The community of Webster was established in the Solomon Valley along the South Fork Solomon River in the late 1870s. Webster was created from two settlements; Webster settled on the north side of the river and Belmont that originated on the south side of the river. Belmont was founded as a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

in 1876. Due to flooding, the Belmont settlement was moved across the river adjoining the Webster settlement. Belmont was first to file an application for a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

. The Belmont application was denied as another Kansas town had previously been granted the name. Instead, Webster was granted a post office in 1879. Webster, named for Daniel Webster, was surveyed, platted and filed in 1885. The town was never incorporated. In 1888, Webster had two doctors, two churches, a school and 24 businesses. A large city park called The Grove featured towering cottonwood trees. The population in 1910 was 200.Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume 2, Chicago: Standard Publishing Company, p. 898 Construction of Webster Dam on the South Fork Solomon River was approved in 1953.

Webster Reservoir Webster Reservoir is a reservoir in Rooks County, Kansas, United States. Built and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, it is used for flood control, irrigation, and recreation. Webster State Park is located on its shore. History Constru ...

would encompass the area occupied by the town of Webster. As a result, the town was relocated 2 miles to the southeast. Many businesses and residents chose not to relocate to the new town site.

Geography

Webster is located at (39.386944, -99.417778) at an elevation of . It lies approximately south-southeast of Webster Dam in the Smoky Hills region of the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

. Webster is east of Kansas Highway 258, south of

U.S. Route 24 U.S. Route 24 (US 24) is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It originally ran from Pontiac, Michigan, in the east to Kansas City, Missouri, in the west. Today, the highway's eastern terminus is in Independence Township, Mic ...

, and roughly west-southwest of

Stockton Stockton may refer to: Places Australia * Stockton, New South Wales * Stockton, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region New Zealand *Stockton, New Zealand United Kingdom *Stockton, Cheshire *Stockton, Norfolk *Stockton, Chirbu ...

, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

. The original site of Webster was located at (39.4016756, -99.4359370), a location now submerged beneath

. The site had an elevation of .

Education

Webster High School was closed in 1963. The grade school closed in 1969. The Webster High School mascot was Webster Eagles.

Transportation

Webster lies at the intersection of two unpaved county roads: 11 Road, which runs north-south, and M Terrace, which runs east-west.

References

External links

Rooks County

Historic Images
Wichita State University Library * Rooks County maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT {{Authority control Former populated places in Rooks County, Kansas Former populated places in Kansas 1885 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1885