Walker, Kansas

Last updated

Walker, Kansas
Unincorporated community
Map of Ellis Co, Ks, USA.png
KDOT map of Ellis County (legend)
USA Kansas location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Walker
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Walker
Coordinates: 38°52′02″N99°04′33″W / 38.86722°N 99.07583°W / 38.86722; -99.07583 [1]
Country United States
State Kansas
County Ellis
Founded1872
Named for Robert J. Walker
Elevation
[1]
1,942 ft (592 m)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
67674
Area code 785
FIPS code 20-74675
GNIS ID 475301 [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]

Contents

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

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellis County, Kansas</span> County in Kansas, United States

Ellis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Hays. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 28,934. The county was named for George Ellis, a first lieutenant of the Twelfth Kansas Infantry. Ellis County is the official German Capital of Kansas. German immigrants settled in Hays, Ellis, Victoria, and nearby villages in the 1870s and 1880s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellis, Kansas</span> City in Ellis County, Kansas

Ellis is a city in Ellis County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hays, Kansas</span> City in Ellis County, Kansas

Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 21,116. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria, Kansas</span> City in Ellis County, Kansas

Victoria is a city in Ellis County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,129.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorham, Kansas</span> City in Russell County, Kansas

Gorham is a city in Russell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 376.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catharine, Kansas</span> Unincorporated community in Ellis County, Kansas

Catharine is a Census designated place in Catherine Township, Ellis County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the community and nearby areas was 113.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pfeifer, Kansas</span> Unincorporated community in Ellis County, Kansas

Pfeifer is an unincorporated community in Freedom Township, Ellis County, Kansas, United States. It is located 10 miles (16 km) south of Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 183 in Kansas</span>

U.S. Route 183 (US-183) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from US-77 in Refugio, Texas north to Interstate 90 (I-90) in Presho, South Dakota. In the U.S. state of Kansas, US-183 is a main north–south highway that runs from the Oklahoma border north to the Nebraska border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milberger, Kansas</span> Unincorporated community in Russell County, Kansas

Milberger is an unincorporated community in Lincoln Township, Russell County, Kansas, United States. It is located about 10.5 miles south of Russell and 3.5 miles west of U.S. Route 281 on Michaelis Rd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmeram, Kansas</span> Unincorporated community in Ellis County, Kansas

Emmeram is an unincorporated community in Herzog Township, Ellis County, Kansas, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Creek Township, Russell County, Kansas</span> Township in Kansas, United States

Big Creek Township is a township in Russell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 479.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Center Township, Russell County, Kansas</span> Township in Kansas, United States

Center Township is a township in Russell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 221.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant Township, Russell County, Kansas</span> Township in Kansas, United States

Grant Township is a township in Russell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 186.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth Township, Russell County, Kansas</span> Township in Kansas, United States

Plymouth Township is a township in Russell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 280.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K-43 (Kansas highway)</span> Highway in Kansas

K-43 is a 20.718-mile-long (33.342 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. The highway runs from K-4 in Hope north to Interstate 70 (I-70) and U.S. Route 40 (US-40) north of Detroit. The entire highway is located within Dickinson County. K-43 is maintained by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), and is a relatively minor highway. K-43 is not part of the National Highway System. The highway was established around 1932, with the northern terminus being the now decommissioned US-40S. In 1962, the route was extended north a bit to a new diamond interchange with I-70.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonino, Kansas</span> Unincorporated community in Ellis County, Kansas

Antonino is an unincorporated community in Lookout Township, Ellis County, Kansas, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toulon, Kansas</span> Unincorporated community in Ellis County, Kansas

Toulon is an unincorporated community in Big Creek Township, Ellis County, Kansas, United States. It is located east of Hays along old Hiway 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yocemento, Kansas</span> Unincorporated community in Ellis County, Kansas

Yocemento is an unincorporated community in Big Creek Township, Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The settlement lies across the banks of Big Creek against the base of bluffs capped by massive limestone blocks, in which lies the 20th-century origin of the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K-147 (Kansas highway)</span> State highway in Kansas

K-147 is an approximately 26-mile-long (42 km) north–south state highway in west-central Kansas. It runs from K-4 east of Brownell to Ogallah, just north of the junction with Interstate 70 (I-70) and U.S. Route 40 (US-40). K-147 serves Cedar Bluff State Park via locally maintained CC Road. The highway south of I-70 and US-40 is part of the Smoky Valley Scenic Byway. The highway travels through a mix of flat farmlands and rolling hills covered with grasslands. K-147 is a two-lane highway its entire length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riga, Kansas</span> Unincorporated community in Trego County, Kansas

Riga is an unincorporated community in Trego County, Kansas, United States.

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

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.