Can Even an A+ City Build a Mountain?

The stats looked great! High school grads 12% above national average, bachelor’s degrees 30% higher and families below poverty 1/3 of national average were all not bad for a town of 3,509. But what took my breath away were the amenities that don’t show up in statistics.

Hesston, KS is a relatively young town, incorporated in 1921 with 500 people and had only grown to about 600 by 1960. But, Lyle Yost’s starting of Hesston Manufacturing in 1956 catapulted the small town forward. Yost invented the swather and the Hesston swathers and balers became world famous. He sold the company in 1980 and after passing thru several owners is today owned by AGCO, which has consolidated plants in MO, OH and TX into Hesston. The High School mascot is a Swather, probably the only one in the country.

AGCO and other manufacturers in the town give the community a strong industrial base with over 1500 jobs. But, what really struck me were the amenities that the community has added over the years, especially for a town this size. I’ve been in a lot of towns in the past year and this one gets an A+.

They’ve got 5 new subdivisions opening up as there is a shortage of housing. 83% of the manufacturing workforce is from out of town. One area of town is filled with new retirement and senior housing. The Hesston Wellness Center, which includes an indoor pool, would be the envy of cities of 20,000. Ditto to the Dyck Arboretum! They also developed their own 2 year college which offers aviation, nursing and other 2 year courses.

In the mid 70s Hesston looked at either building a lake or a municipal golf course. They got some help from the federal government and built a beautiful 18 hole course that Golf Digest in 2004 ranked as one of the top 200 in the USA for value. It has been self sustaining for the town since it was built.

They are doing a 1.7 mile hiking trail (cost $750,000) that will link the new housing areas with the schools and other areas of town.

One of the most innovative new projects I saw was an intergenerational child care center that is being built adjacent to the Schowalter Senior Living Center. This non-profit Mennonite Foundation hopes to have the elderly read to the children and have other interactions that are beneficial for both. Neat idea!

And, it is a neat, tidy town. Shana Smith, head of the Chamber and John Carder, City Administrator, gave me a tour. Carder, who has been an administrator in other towns, told me, “Last year we had to only send out one weed notice for someone to mow their lawn compared to about 150 that I used to send out in a similarly sized town that I was at before.” Smith and her husband moved back here from Denver when their oldest daughter was ready to start school, because of the wonderful quality of life in Hesston.

And the mountain? Actually, it’s not exactly a mountain. This is Kansas after all! When the only sledding hill that the kids could find to ride down was at the interstate, the people of Hesston built their own hill. And, it’s a big hill! Right in the middle of one of their many parks. They call it Mount Hesston!