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Walker, Kansas

Coordinates: 38°52′02″N 99°04′33″W / 38.86722°N 99.07583°W / 38.86722; -99.07583
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Walker, Kansas
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
Elevation1,942 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

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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

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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

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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

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c "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. 25 (1). Kansas State Historical Society: 334–360. Spring 1959.
  8. ^ "2003-2004 Official Transportation Map" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. 2003. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  9. ^ a b c d "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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