Yates Center, KS

Yates Center is a small town in the northeast corner of Kansas. The population was 1,872 at the 2010 census. It is located in Yates County, which has a population of 10,000.

The town was founded in 1871 and named for Judge James Yates, who donated the land for the town site. The first settlers were farmers and merchants who came to trade goods with other settlements in the area. In 1875, a post office was established and by 1880 there were enough people living in Yates Center to form a school district. By 1900, there were enough businesses to support two banks and a newspaper was published twice a week.

In recent years, Yates Center has seen an increase in residential development as well as commercial growth. The town's main street (Main Street) has been restored and upgraded with new sidewalks, streetlights and landscaping; this project was completed in 2006. There are also several new businesses opening up including an ice cream shop, coffee shop and bakery.

The economy of Yates Center is based largely on agriculture: soybeans are the most important crop grown here, followed by corn and wheat. There is also some livestock farming done; however, most of the jobs are related to services or retail sales. Tourism is also an important part of the local economy with visitors coming to see attractions such as nearby Mount Oread State Park or explore downtown Yates Center which features several antique stores and galleries.