Hanover, Kansas
| Hanover, Kansas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location within Washington County and Kansas |
|
 KDOT map of Washington County (legend) |
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| Coordinates: 39°53′27″N 96°52′31″W / 39.89083°N 96.87528°WCoordinates: 39°53′27″N 96°52′31″W / 39.89083°N 96.87528°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Washington |
| Incorporated | 1872 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jim Scheetz |
| • City Clerk | Dora Ann Sand |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.54 sq mi (1.40 km2) |
| • Land | 0.54 sq mi (1.40 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,230 ft (375 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 682 |
| • Estimate (2014) | 665 |
| • Density | 1,300/sq mi (490/km2) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 66945 |
| Area code | 785 |
| FIPS code | 20-29875 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0472646 |
Hanover is a city in Washington County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 682; as of 2014, it was estimated to have decreased to 665. It is the second most populous town within Washington County.
The city is primarily agricultural, and the surrounding countryside is filled with small family farms. The Hanover area is also a popular destination for deer hunting. Named after Hanover, Germany, the town is a traditional German community with strong German cultural influences. The local area is home to numerous other German communities such as Hollenberg, Hermansburg, Frankfort, and Bremen.
The "Hollenberg Station" became an important hub along the way for Pony Express travelers and Geret Hollenberg eventually established a grocery and stage depot on his farm in 1858. The Hollenberg farm housed nine boarding rooms, and the success of "Hollenberg Station" as a business attracted more people to the area and many settled alongside the Hollengbergs in the decade leading up to the establishment of Hanover.
Prior to the establishment of the town, in 1868 a school district was established in the area to satisfy the need to educate children of settlers who continued to arrive near the "Hollenberg Station."
Hanover was laid out in 1869, and incorporated as a city in 1872. It is a German community named after Hanover, Germany. The founders Geret Hollenberg and Sophia Brockmeyer settled their farm originally called "The Cottonwood Ranch" and later the "Hollenberg Station" alongside the Little Blue River, which became a popular stop along the Pony Express. The popularity led to the establishment of Hanover. The Hollenberg Pony Express Station is the only remaining building along the two thousand mile route, and it continues to stand one mile northeast of Hanover. In the 1940s it was registered as a National Historic Landmark.
Hollenberg, who laid out the original plans for the town in 1869, decided to name it Hanover after his hometown in Germany. A contemporary of Hollenberg wrote at the time that Hanover represented "just a little bit of Germany" in Kansas Territory. Located at the junction of two railroads, it was an important shipping point. Access to the railroad was greatly contributed to the economic growth of Hanover, enabling the expansion of the local grain elevator. The success of the grain elevator, because of its close connection with the railroad contributed to the growth and initial success of the town. As the town continued to develop, a German Evangelical Society church, as well as a Catholic church to serve the town's Czech residents were established in 1870. Additionally, following the movement of some Native groups to Oklahoma from the nearby Ottoe reservation, some land was annexed by the Hanover township, which allowed for further expansion as more white settlers moved into the area.
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