Walker, Kansas
Unincorporated community
KDOT map of Ellis County (legend)
KDOT map of Ellis County (legend)
Walker is located in Kansas
Walker
Walker
Walker is located in the United States
Walker
Walker
Coordinates: 38°52′02″N 99°04′33″W / 38.86722°N 99.07583°W / 38.86722; -99.07583[1]
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountyEllis
Founded1872
Named forRobert J. Walker
Elevation
[1]
1,942 ft (592 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
67674
Area code785
FIPS code20-74675
GNIS ID475301[1]

Walker is an unincorporated community in Herzog Township, Ellis County, Kansas, United States.[1] It is located between Hays and Russell, along old Hwy 40 on the north side of I-70.[2] Walker has a post office with ZIP code 67674.[3]

History

Settlers from Ohio founded Walker in 1872.[4] They likely named the settlement for Robert J. Walker, the 4th Territorial Governor of Kansas.[5] From 1876 to 1878, they were joined by Volga German immigrants and Plattdeutsch-speaking Germans from Ohio and Kentucky who settled in the area.[4]

The first post office in Walker opened in 1873, closed temporarily in 1876, and then reopened in 1878.[6] St. Ann's Church was built and dedicated in 1905. The community's first school was built in 1893, followed by a second building in 1925. The school has since closed but remains in use as a community center.[4]

In 1942, the U.S. Army built Walker Army Airfield northwest of Walker. During World War II, thousands were stationed at the airfield, mostly for training in operation of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber aircraft. The military closed the base in 1946.[7]

Construction of Interstate 70 reached Walker in 1966, passing immediately south of the community.

Geography

Walker is located approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Walker Creek, part of the Smoky Hill River watershed, in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains.[8][9] Walker is immediately north of Interstate 70 roughly 13 miles (21 km) east of Hays, the county seat.[9]

Transportation

Walker Avenue, a paved county road, runs north–south through Walker, intersecting Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 40, which run concurrently east-west, immediately south of town.[9] The old alignment of U.S. 40, now a paved county road, runs northeast–southwest through Walker.[10]

The Kansas Pacific (KP) line of the Union Pacific Railroad runs northeast–southwest through Walker, parallel to the old alignment of U.S. 40.[9][11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Walker, Kansas
  2. ↑ "General Highway Map - Ellis County, Kansas" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. 1978. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  3. ↑ ZIP Code Lookup
  4. 1 2 3 "Ellis County". Kansas Heritage Project. Fort Hays State University. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  5. ↑ Heim, Michael (2007). Exploring Kansas Highways. p. 33. ISBN 9780974435886.
  6. ↑ "Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961 (archived)". Kansas Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 9, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Army and Air Force Wings Over Kansas". Kansas Historical Quarterly. Kansas State Historical Society. 25 (1): 334–360. Spring 1959.
  8. ↑ "2003-2004 Official Transportation Map" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. 2003. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "General Highway Map - Ellis County, Kansas" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. June 1, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Official 1960-61 Kansas Highway Map" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  11. ↑ "UPRR Common Line Names" (PDF). Union Pacific Railroad. Retrieved October 10, 2010.

Further reading

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