Yocemento, Kansas

Yocemento, Kansas
Unincorporated community

KDOT map of Ellis County (legend)
Yocemento

Location within the state of Kansas

Coordinates: 38°54′26″N 99°25′26″W / 38.90722°N 99.42389°W / 38.90722; -99.42389Coordinates: 38°54′26″N 99°25′26″W / 38.90722°N 99.42389°W / 38.90722; -99.42389
Country United States
State Kansas
County Ellis
Township Big Creek
Founded 1906
Elevation 2,051 ft (625 m)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 67601
Area code 785
GNIS feature ID 484723[1]

Yocemento is an unincorporated community in Big Creek Township, Ellis County, Kansas, United States.[2]

History

The U.S. Portland Cement Company constructed a cement mill at the site of Yocemento in 1906.[3][4] In 1907, the company platted a town for the mill's workers, naming it Yocemento, a portmanteau of Yost, the company president's last name, and cement.[4][5] A post office opened that same year.[6] By mid-1908, the mill was operational, and the town included a general store, hotel, and restaurant. Many local residents employed at the mill were ethnic Hungarians who had constructed a Catholic church at the site in 1906.[4]

In 1917, the cement company went bankrupt and sold the mill to a Denver-based competitor.[4] The post office closed as well.[6] The mill was dismantled, and residents began to leave the community. In 1931, the church building was moved to Buckeye, Kansas for use as a community hall. Today, what remains of the mill has been remodeled into family homes.[4]

Geography

Yocemento is located at 38°54′26″N 99°25′26″W / 38.90722°N 99.42389°W / 38.90722; -99.42389 (38.9072335, -99.4239958) at an elevation of 2,051 feet (625 m).[1] It is 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Interstate 70 and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) west-northwest of Hays, the county seat.[2]

Yocemento lies on the south side of Big Creek in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains.[2][7]

Transportation

The old alignment of U.S. Route 40, now a paved county road, runs southeast-northwest through Yocemento.[8] Another paved county road, Yocemento Avenue, runs generally north-south through the community, connecting to an interchange with Interstate 70 to the north.[9]

The Kansas Pacific (KP) line of the Union Pacific Railroad runs southeast-northwest through Yocemento, parallel to the old alignment of U.S. 40.[2][10]

References

  1. 1 2 "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2015-07-13.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "General Highway Map - Ellis County, Kansas" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. 1978. Retrieved 2015-07-13.
  3. ↑ "Yocemento". KSGenWeb. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ellis County". Kansas Heritage Project. Fort Hays State University. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  5. ↑ Heim, Michael (2007). Exploring Kansas Highways. p. 31.
  6. 1 2 "Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961 (archived)". Kansas Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 9, 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  7. ↑ "2003-2004 Official Transportation Map" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. 2003. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  8. ↑ "Official 1960-61 Kansas Highway Map" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  9. ↑ "Yocemento, KS". Google Maps. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  10. ↑ "UPRR Common Line Names" (PDF). Union Pacific Railroad. Retrieved 2015-07-16.


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