Editing Hesston, Kansas (section)

==History==

===Early history===
{{See also|History of Kansas}}
For many [[millennia]], the [[Great Plains]] of [[North America]] was inhabited by [[nomadic]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]. From the 16th century to 18th century, the [[Kingdom of France]] claimed ownership of large parts of [[North America]]. In 1762, after the [[French and Indian War]], France secretly ceded [[New France]] to [[Spain]], per the [[Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762)|Treaty of Fontainebleau]].

===19th century===
[[File:Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Harvey County.png|thumb|left|1915 Railroad Map of [[Harvey County, Kansas|Harvey County]]]]
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, most of the land for [[History of Kansas|modern day Kansas]] was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile [[Louisiana Purchase]] for 2.83 [[Penny (United States coin)|cents]] per [[acre]].

In 1854, the [[Kansas Territory]] was organized, and in 1861, [[Kansas]] became the 34th [[U.S. state]]. In 1872, [[Harvey County, Kansas|Harvey County]] was established within the [[Kansas Territory]] which included the land for modern day Hesston.

A post office was established as '''Elivon''' on February 10, 1873. It then moved near the current city site on April 24, 1878.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kshs.org/geog/geog_postoffices/search/county:HV |title=Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961 (archived) |publisher=Kansas Historical Society |access-date=11 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009125036/http://www.kshs.org/geog/geog_postoffices/search/county%3AHV |archive-date=9 October 2013 }}</ref>

In 1886, '''Hesston''' was founded and named after the Hess brothers who owned the land where a depot on the [[Missouri Pacific]] Railroad was built.<ref name ="HCH1">[http://hchm.org/harvey-county-history/ Harvey County history; Harvey County Historical Society.]</ref><ref name="Santa Fe Rail History">[http://kansasheritage.org/research/rr/santafe.html Santa Fe Rail History]</ref> The post office was renamed to '''Hesston''' on December 16, 1887. Due to the railroad, Hesston became an important regional shipping point.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_o8X5krq3fP8C | title=Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. | publisher=Standard Publishing Company | author=Blackmar, Frank Wilson | year=1912 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_o8X5krq3fP8C/page/n836 840]}}</ref>

===20th century===
In 1909, the [[Mennonite Church USA|Mennonite Church]] founded the [[Hesston College]], because many of the early settlers were [[Mennonite]] farmers.

In 1947, [[Lyle Yost]] and Adin Holdemann founded the farm equipment company '''Hesston Manufacturing Company'''.<ref name="Eagle20120406"/> In 1991, [[AGCO Corporation]] purchased the company. In 1960, John Regier founded the lawn mower company '''Excel Industries'''.<ref name="ExcelHistory"/>

In 1981, the [[Dyck Arboretum of the Plains]] was founded at the [[Hesston College]].

On March 13, 1990, a large portion of Hesston was damaged by an [[F5 tornado]] during a [[March 1990 Central US tornado outbreak#The Hesston and Goessel Tornado Family|tornado outbreak]]. A total of 226 homes and 21 businesses were destroyed, and several were swept completely from their foundations. 20 farms were torn apart in rural areas outside of Hesston. Light debris from Hesston was found {{convert|115|mi|km|}} away in [[Nebraska]]. One person died and 59 people were injured. After passing through Hesston, the tornado increased to an "extreme F5" near the city of [[Goessel, Kansas|Goessel]]. The severity of the damage left behind by this tornado led some meteorologists to believe that the Goessel tornado was among the strongest ever documented at that time.<ref>{{cite book|author=Thomas P. Grazulis|title=Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991|date=July 1993|publisher=The Tornado Project of Environmental Films|location=St. Johnsbury, Vermont|isbn=1-879362-03-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Michael Smith|date=April 20, 1990|title=Kansas twister might be the strongest ever recorded|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1906&dat=19900410&id=b_4fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Bv8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5148,4487056|newspaper=Fort Scott Tribune|location=unknown|publisher=Fort Scott Tribune|access-date=November 6, 2013}}</ref>

===21st century===
On February 25, 2016, Hesston became the scene of [[Hesston shootings|a mass shooting]] in which three people were killed and twelve others injured at an [[Excel Industries]] building. Prior to that shooting, other shooting incidents occurred at the nearby city of [[Newton, Kansas|Newton]] and also Old [[U.S. Route 81]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hesstonrecord.com/current-news/update-9-pm-press-conference-on-hesston-shooting/|title=Update: 9 PM Press Conference On Hesston Shooting|work=The Hesston Record|date=February 25, 2016|access-date=February 26, 2016|first=Blake|last=Spurney|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302180140/http://www.hesstonrecord.com/current-news/update-9-pm-press-conference-on-hesston-shooting/|archive-date=March 2, 2016}}</ref> in which two people were wounded.<ref name="fox">{{cite news |title=4 killed, 14 injured in Hesston, Kansas shooting spree |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/kansas-gunman-kills-3-injures-14-before-dying-in-shootout-with-police |publisher=FOX News |date=February 25, 2016 |access-date=February 25, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/02/25/kansas-gunman-kills-as-many-as-four-people-injures-up-to-20-others-sheriff-says/|title=Kansas gunman kills three people and injures 14 people, sheriff says|work=The Washington Post|date=February 25, 2016|access-date=February 25, 2016|first=Mark|last=Berman|first2=Michael E.|last2=Miller}}</ref> The shooter was identified as Excel employee Cedric Larry Ford, who was killed by responding police officers.<ref name="nbc">{{cite news |title=Gunman Among 4 Dead, 14 Hurt in Kansas Workplace Shooting |url=http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/Hesston-Kansas-Active-Shooter-Shelter-in-Place-370193601.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_NYBrand |work=NBC New York |date=February 25, 2016 |access-date=February 25, 2016}}</ref><ref name="usatoday">{{cite news |title=Multiple dead plus shooter after Kansas shootings; up to 20 injured |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/02/25/reports-2-dead-hesston-kansas-workplace-shooting/80954886/ |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=February 25, 2016 |access-date=February 25, 2016|first=Melanie|last=Eversley}}</ref>

In 2021, [[Stanley Black & Decker]] acquired Excel Industries.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Decker |first=Stanley Black & |title=Stanley Black & Decker To Acquire Excel Industries, A Leading Manufacturer Of Premier Turf-Care Equipment |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stanley-black--decker-to-acquire-excel-industries-a-leading-manufacturer-of-premier-turf-care-equipment-301374904.html |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Hustler |url=https://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com/brands/outdoor/hustler |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=Stanley Black & Decker |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2021-09-13 |title=Excel Industries to be sold |url=https://harveycountynow.com/all-news/excel-industries-sold |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=Harvey County Now |language=en-US}}</ref>