Dover, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dover, Kansas
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 Dover, Kansas
Location in Kansas
Dover, Kansas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Shawnee |
| Founded | 1856 |
| Named for | Dover, New Hampshire |
| Elevation | 1,014 ft (309 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
66420
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| Area code | 785 |
| FIPS code | 20-18450 |
| GNIS ID | 479043 |
Dover is a small town in Shawnee County, Kansas, United States. It's known as an unincorporated community, which means it's not officially a city with its own local government. Dover is located southwest of Topeka.
Contents
History of Dover
People first settled in Dover in 1856. Some of the early families, like the Sages and Bassetts, came from Somersetshire in England.
Dover became a voting area in 1860. By 1867, it was made into its own township. Alfred Sage became the first postmaster in 1862. The Sage family name is still common in the area today. The town of Dover was named after Dover, New Hampshire.
During its busiest times, Dover had many businesses. These included a match factory and a wagon-making shop. There were also two mills for grinding grain and two blacksmiths. The town had an inn, a place for stagecoaches, a stable for horses, and a general store. Dover was also home to three cheese factories. Two of these were among the largest in the United States. The stone house cheese factory, built between 1856 and 1865, is still standing. The stone Sage Inn and Stage Coach Station, built in 1878, and the general store from 1900 also still exist.
The Southwest Trail and Sage Inn
The Southwest Trail was an important route. It connected the Oregon Trail near Topeka to the Santa Fe Trail in Council Grove. Today, K-4, Kansas's first paved highway, generally follows this old trail.
Along Mission Creek, there were only two places where wagons could cross. One of these was in Dover. An inn was built here because it was a perfect halfway point for a two-day journey by horseback. Travelers could rest, change horses, eat, and stay the night.
Mark and John Sage are thought to have built the stone inn for their brother Alfred. Mark Sage was a famous stonemason. He built many stone farmhouses, barns, and bridges in Shawnee and Wabaunsee Counties. The brothers also helped build the original Kansas Capitol building in Topeka from 1866 to 1869.
The Sage Inn was built in two parts. The northern half was finished in 1865. The southern half was added in 1878. Around 1900, a railroad was built to Harveyville instead of Dover. This meant the end of the stagecoach era, and the inn's importance quickly faded.
The Old Filling Station
In the late 1920s, a small Phillips 66 gas station was built in Dover. It later became a Sinclair station. It no longer sells gas but was once used by the local volunteer fire department. The building was fixed up in the 1990s. Today, it is an antiques and gift shop.
The General Store
Alfred Sage also built this building. He named it Somerset Hall after his home in England. Most people called it Sage Hall. The first floor was a general store, selling many different items. The second floor was a community meeting hall.
In 1902, the I.O.O.F. (Oddfellows Lodge) started using the upstairs hall for their meetings. Three years later, in 1905, the Oddfellows bought the building from the Sage family after Alfred passed away. Members have met there every month for over one hundred years.
Recently, the first floor has also been a café. Different owners have run it, wanting to keep this important part of the Dover community alive.
In 2008, the TV show Good Morning America held a contest to find the "Country's Best Pie." On November 16, Norma Grubb's "Coconut Cream Pie" from the Somerset Hall Café was named one of the four finalists. On November 23, Norma's pie was declared the winner after a national online vote!
Famous People from Dover
- James Bassett arrived in Dover in 1857. He was born in England in 1836. He helped start the Dover State Bank and the Dover Cemetery. People in the community lovingly called him "Uncle Jim."
- Harvey J. Loomis came to Kansas in 1857. After the Civil War, he became postmaster. He was also the first county assessor for Wabaunsee County. He served on the school board and as a judge. Later, he represented Wabaunsee County in the Kansas Legislature. He was a founding member of the Congregational Church in Dover.
- Norma Grubb, at age 88, was named "Pie Queen" by ABC's "Good Morning America" in 2008 for her Coconut Cream Pie. At that time, she said she had baked 8,963 pies!
Dover Federated Church
In 1921, the Methodist, Baptist, and Congregational churches in Dover decided to join together. They formed the Federated Church of Dover, Kansas. They called it "federated" because they united based on common agreements. The churches came together on eight main beliefs of Christian faith. A quote in the Topeka Daily Capital newspaper described this union: "In essentials, unity; in opinions, liberty; in all things, love."
Education
The community of Dover is part of the Mission Valley USD 330 public school district. Mission Valley High School was built about 9 miles southwest of Dover. This location was chosen because it was in the middle of three communities. Mission Valley East Grade School (for grades K-8) also joined the high school in 2003 when a new K-8 school was built next to it.
Dover High School closed in 1970. This happened when the school district combined with the towns of Harveyville and Eskridge in nearby Wabaunsee County. The mascot for Dover High School was the Tigers.
