Marker Name: Hesston
Marker Type: Roadside
Marker text:
In the 1870s this area was settled by people with diverse backgrounds who shared the promise of the land. With an influx of those of Mennonite faith and the railroad's birth in the 1880s, success of the town was very likely. Hesston's name honors 1884 settlers Amos and Abraham L. Hess, owners of the land on which the city was platted in 1886. In 1908 A.L. Hess donated 80 acres for Hesston College. Its first building "Green Gables" opened in 1909 with D.H. Bender as president. In 1995 the Gables was torn down. Early town builders were Rapp, Randall, Wenger, Grabill, McNutt, and Shaver. Three homes built from cement blocks made by Lyon Bros. (Hesston's first factory) and C.T. Barton's 1886 grocery store still exist. Businesses that have impacted the growth of Hesston are Hesston Corp., King Construction Co. and Excel. The pioneers' legacy of perseverance thrives in Hesston today.
Erected in 1998 by the Harvey County Historical Society
Marker Location: Harvey
Year Marker Placed: 01/01/1998
Name of agency setting marker: Other (Please identify in marker text)
Official Marker Number: Not listed
Marker Web Address: Not listed
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