The Story of Wichita 120p by AJ Kirkpatrick

TTIE SIORY OF WICX{ITA

WRIIIEN BY CAROT BRUIYI\ER RTIITEIrcE

Editd by C-athy Klusman

CT'RRICT'ITJM SMVICES

DNISION

wrclilIa PuBuc scHoors 640 NORMI EII{FORIA

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KAI{SAS 672t4

IHE SIORY

OF WICIIIIA by Carol Brunncr Rudedgc Copynght 1979 by STidria hrblic Schools,

Sccond edition copynsht 1986 by Vichita hrblic Schools, U.S.D.# 219, 428 S. Brcadwey, Vichitq Kuosas 67202

TI{E SIORY OF WICHNA CONIENTS

INIRODUCTION.

TIME BEFORE TIIE

CIIY

TI{ENATI\IEPEOPIE.

TI{E NEI7 PEOPIE: TMPPERS, TRADERS, SETTLERS, AND

DROVERS

. . . LG

WICHNA CITY TJVINGINMCHITA

STAYING I{APPY AND HEATI}TY IN TNCHITA

TTORKINGINMCHITA COMMT,JMCA'TING IN I$rICI{ITA.

AFTERIT/ORD

ACI(NOWEDGEMENTS

MARTENE \7EIBE MOORE conducted the native people research and completed an origind &aft of pages 2-L3. Much of her original work remains, but the author must assume responsibility for the final draft.

HARSHINI DE SIIVA, an art snrdent from rU7ichita High fthool Heights, designed the cover. She has included the Munger house, a grass house , a woman from the Viaorian era, a black firefighter, an Hispanic raihoad worker, a catde drover, a native woman, bison, and an early a.rplane-all pan of early tU7ichita.

Old photographs were reproduced from museum files with permision of the TUilCHITA HISTORICAI MUSEUM. Photographers from the INSTRUCTIONAT MATERIAIS CENTER reproduced old picnrres and photographed cuffent scenes. The maps were researched and prepared by the author and reproduced by the staffat MURDOCK TEACHER

CENTER.

Composition, layout, and printing of the 2nd edition were done by the staff of PRODUCTION PRINTING, VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAT CENTER.

,n Advisory Commrmee Thompson, whiclr included lawrence Beclrtold, Charles Gordon Davis, BatbataKeating, and Teachers final Howell. A reviewed the manuscript. Induded were Pauicia Committee Jarr.s Amburgey, Meribel Cockerill, Marilyn Davis, and Annete Glover. The manuscript was reviewed in various stages of completion by

,1'

FOREWORD This book was written for curious third graders who are just beginning ro come into a knowledge of their surroundings. The beginning school experienc.r ,i. behind them and- there is_a-greater sense of freedom to explore their environment. Third graders will be intrigu.4 b)o the open prairie land where bison roamed and nativ. p.ople lived in qr1qs huts. Perhaps they will be fascinated by the arrival of new peopli of European, African, and Hispanic descent who traveled the trails to this place at the confluerice of the rivers. They will become aware that with the hiltory makers came the children-children who would grow to become strong men and women of the city of

rU7ichita. \U7e

have written this book so that the history of our city can be passed to the new generation.-Now is their time to learn to cherish the past and see it-in relationship to rilTichita today.

Alvin E. Morris Superintendent of Schools r979

PROTOGUE-FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS lU7ichita has a unique history to study.

I7ith an understandable texr, as this volume offers, Tbe Story of lYicbita will unravel unknown or little known facts about this community without confusion and with intrigue for the reader. The following pages have a generous sprinkling of human interest, amagic ingredient that should generate further study by the student in the pursuit of additional facts. The reader will comprehend how the rJTichita of today came about and relate to it as a scholastic member of the citizenry. My deep appreciation to the author and her associates of the Wichita Public Schools for realizing the need for a revised text on Wichita history and meeting the challenge with dedication and hard work. Many hours of research are represenred by the author in this project. I commend her for striving for total accuracy and for documenting resources whenever possible. Sifting fact from legend isn't an easy task and the author has accomplished a splendid job in this area as well. goes to the Superintendent of Schools for supporting the project from .lts Special.praise rncepuon. Villiam Clark Ellington, Jr. City Historian

THE STORY OF WICHITA

INTRODUCfiON Our City

Kelly forgot the lesson, teacher, and friends. "I am going to find out what Wichita was like in the beginning. " Kelly's trembling hand reached out. It grasped the lever and pushed it until it stopped on 1420. A whid of motion began. Kelly was pressed deep in the chair. In a flash the

You and I live in $7ichita. TilTichita is a beautiful city. \U7e go to school here. \U7e play in the city parks and swim in the swimming pools. \ilfe cheer for our soccer team. \tr7e enjoy the River Festival. We go to orchesffa concerts. \We visit the library and the aft museums. Many pafts of Wichita are familiar to us. If we see Century II in a book, we feel hrppy. "That's Century II," we say with pride. "Thar's in my town!" Other pafts of the city are new to us. \When we ride on the city bus we go past new places. 'W'e say, "I've never been here before . This part of \fichita is new to me." Once \Tichita was nor here at all. It is hard to think of the time when there was no city. The following srory works like a time machine. It will help us look back into the pa$.

time machine raced back more than )00 years. Suddenly the motion stopped. Trembling with excitement, Kelly opened the door. The school was gone. The streets were gone. There was no one there at all. Tall prairie grass stretched below the time

machine. Miles and miles of grass whispered and waved in the wind. Kelly stepped down into it. It was shoulderhigh and a little scary. The whispering turned into a crackling, rustling sound. "Is there nothing but grass?" Kelly asked. There was the sound of crickets chirping and insects buzzing. Feeling brave, Kelly walked around the time

A Story About Time Kelly sar up straight. Something was happening in school. Something sffange.

machine. From there some rrees could be seen. They stretched along a river.

The river was fresh and clear

The teacher's face was fading. Kelly could not hear the lesson. Other third graders

were growing quiet. Everyone

inviting. Kelly heard the gentle lapping of the water on the bank. Deer were drinking on the other side of the river.

was

disappearing! A strange light came from the front of Kelly's desk. A knob appeared on rop.

Pushing a path through the prairie grass, Kelly came to sandy ground. The grass had been beaten down all around. There were tracks in the sand. Kelly followed the river a short distance and found another river. There was a large wide river and a smdl narrow river.

And then anorher. And

another! Curious, Kelly reached out and touched a lever. PULL FOR zuTURE PUSH FOR PAST. "Oh," Kelly said, "ft's a time machine.

and

ufl

They flowed into one river. Kelly knew it was the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers. Islands dotted the river. "S7e don't have

islands anymore," Kelly thought. wonder where they wenr.

the time machine. This time the lever was pushed to 1870. "This is Vichita's birth date, " Kelly remembered. Once again the time machine rushed through space. It stopped with a bump. Kelly's eyes opened. Two children were peering in the window. Kelly felt happy. Stepping down from the machine , Kelly looked at the children. They introduced

Suddenly there was a srrange rumbling. A cloud of dust appeared in the distance . Kelly ran back ro the time machine and climbed up into the seat. From high above, Kelly watched the bison come. The shaggy, magnificent beasts were coming ro drink from the river. Hundreds of them passed by the time machine . Frightened, Kelly reached for the lever and quickly changed it to 1680. The time machine started with a jolt. It settled down in late afternoon ,260

themselves.

"f'm George Robinson,"

said. "This is my baby brother Samuel. " George and Samuel were going fishing. They invited Kelly to go with them. They walked through a little town. The streets were dirt with ruts in them. \Wagons and horses waited in front of the saloon. A few small wood houses were scattered along the street. "That's the school," said George. He was pointing ro a building cut in the ground.

years later.

Kelly stepped down. The prairie grass was shorter. The ffees by the river were

taller. Smoke was rising above them. "Smoke means people, " Kelly

"A dugout,"

thought. Kelly started to run toward the smoke. It was coming out of the top of grass huts. Maize was growing around them. Some

said Kelly. "V/hy, that's \Wichita's first school! " George pointed to a building inside a stockade . "That's the trading store. " Kelly saw some native people come outside. They carried a roll of cloth. A ffapper went inside. He carried a load of animal skins. The children went ro the river. "This is the Little Arkansas," they said. "I know," said Kelly. Many fish were in the water. It was sparkling and clear. It was fun to fish. But Kelly wanted to go back to school. It was time to share all these experiences with teacher and

women were weeding a garden. The women were brown-skinned with black hair. "Oh, these are rhe native people ," Kelly exclaimed. Kelly walked around the huts and approached the river. Some children were splashing and laughing in the cool warer. They were standing in the narrow part. "That's where the Douglas Street bridge goes across the river," thought Kelly. It was growing dark. Kelly went back to New Words: native

one child

magni{icent ix

ruts

friends. Kelly waved goodby and got in the time machine. It was sad to leave Samuel and George. Kelly knew that Samuel and George would never know how tUfichita would grow. They would never know lU7ichita as we know it. For the last time Kelly reached for the lever. It was set for today. . . .

New Vords: confluence

Kelly and the time machine are fiction. This means they are make-believe. But the prairie and the bison are real. The native people and Samuel and George are real. They lived in this area many years before we did. This book is about the area around the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers.

TIME BEFORE TTIE CITY

TTM NAMVE PEOPTE Journey ftom Asia The native people of North America, or Indians, first lived in Asia. Many thousands of years ago, they migrated to North America. To migrate is to move from one country and settle in another. The native people crossed land which joined North America and Asia. This land is now under the Bering Strait. The people migrated east and south. They crossed land which is now Canadaand the United States. This path can be seen on the map of history. These native people were the first people in North America. They are native

named the Ouachita (pronounced

to this land. The native people ?re

Wichita Grass House

sometimes called

"first Americans"

''\W'ash-itah").

"native Americans. " Some of the native people are very

Life Near the Confluence The tU7ichita Indians lived near the confluence of the Big Arkansas and the

\Tichita's history. They come from the Caddo people. Caddo important

with "cat

Little Arkansas Rivers in lr4l. A

confluence is the flowing together of two rivers. Spanish gold seekers were exploring this area. In letters to the King of Spain, the Spanish wrote about the native people 's village and ways. If we had visited the confluence of the

The \Tichita tribe were "The People with Grass Lodges." They were given their name by the Osage tribe. The Osage word is ''\U7'ia-chi-toh''or''\U7ichita. " rhymes

toe.

Ifichita is the name by which they are known to this day. It is from the \Tichita

river in 1700, we would have found timber land. The banks of the Little

Indians that our city gets its name. The \Tichitas left their name in other places where they lived. Oklahoma has the lUTichita Mountains and the \U7ashita River. Texas has a town named Wichita Falls. The state of Arkansas has a river New Words: Asia

lodge

Arkansas River wete dotted with beehiveshaped gtass lodges or houses. \U7e would have seen young boys and gids braiding maize husks and pumpkin strips. Maize is a grain which eastern people called corn.

malze 2

rrrlgfate

timber

S7e might have found some of the children playing games with sticks or climbing ffees. The houses in which the tUTichitas lived were large lodges. They were made of dry grass covering a frame of poles. They

called spring "rhe time turning-green.

children would begin ro prepare the ground for their gardens. Fences were built around the garden plots to keep out deer.

Every yer the native people had a religious Planting Festival. It sometimes lasted several days. Afterward the women began to put their seeds in the ground.

looked like haystacks. The fireplace was a rock-lined pit in the center of the lodge. Beds were built into the walls. Sometimes a painting on bison hide was hung on a wall. The lodge was cozy and inviting. The fire crackled cheerfully. It was a good home. Coanting Englisb one

two tbree

foo, fiue six seuen

eigbt nine ten

They carefully planted maize.

They

moved in a slow paftern around each seed mound. They pressed their feet into the

earth as though they were doing

tbe Wicbita Langaage lYicbita

E-es'quits Kee'ya less Kee'ya wits Kee'ya tau"A

A Religioas Festiool A religious festiaal uas held before tbe planting. Tlte lYicbitas asAed tbe Creator to witb a good growing season, Tlte rnen sang religioas rcrlgs. Tbey played uooden flates. Tbey talAed to tbe people abort tbe irnportance of planting. Boys and girls caagltt tbe rnood of tlte adulx. It was o tinae to be in tune witlt tbe eartb. It was a time to enloy tbe sunsltine and tbe rain. Tbe Planting Festiaal broagbt all tbe farnilies of tlte cornmunity togetber. Tltey sbared food and good times. Tbe uomen spread out tbe seeds tltey ltad carefully saaed from tlte last jlear's rop. lYornen witb extra seeds sltared tben witlt tbose wlto did not bate enoaglt. bless tltena

Clteus hen'de E-es'Aiddy au) aus"

\Tichita adults divided the work. The women were in charge of raising crops for their families. The men were warriors and hunters. The men supplied the community with meat. The men protected the village in times of danger. Every spring the light green of new growth shimmered over the winter brown of the prairie . A prairie is level land with few trees. It is covered with coarse grass people

New Words: pattem

thoughtful dance. As soon as all the seeds were in the ground, the children helped with the watering. Boys and girls took bags made from animal skins down to the river. They

Cbus Occbeus Wits Tau'wa De tou' quits

and wild flowers. The native

the grasstUTichita The women and

prairie 3

shimmer

A Herd of Bison

filled the bags with water. When the skin bags were full of water, they were much heavier. The bags had to be carried back to the gardens. W'ater was poured carefully so as not to move the seeds. The men were busy, too. They were preparing to hunt bison. Bison are the animals we often call buffalo. The name

"buffalo"

for the trip. The women mended everyone's moccasins and clothes. The tipis had to be repaired and made ready for use on rhe trip. Tipis were the native

people's tents. They were made from bison skins. The people would be away from their homes and gardens for two or three

was given to the bison by eady

months. The women wanted their

white settlers. Many of these people came from forest regions of the world. They did not know the animals of the Plains. They gave them names from the old wodd. To get ready to hunt bison, the native men had much to do. They planned the routes to follow while on rhe bison trail. They prepared the horses for the journey. A large supply of arrows was made. Everyone grew excited as the time for the bison hunt drew near. The hunting was done only by the men. But everyone in the tribe went along to help. Children helped their mothers gather food supplies

gardens to have a good start. The fields were hoed and weeded twice. Then the people could leave their gardens. The men had the horses ready. Equipment, food, and tipis were loaded. It was time to go. The \Tichita men knew where to find bison. Bison moved across the prairie in large herds. Sometimes the bison stopped at a nice spot to graze for several days. At other times the herds moved steadily across the grasslands, stopping only Lt

New Words: equipment

night. After locating a herd, the men decided

where to camp. Camping too near the bison would have frightened the shaggy animals away. Bison cannot see well, but they have a keen sense of smell. In the cool of the morning the men mounted their horses. They rode single file into the wind. This made the scent of men and horses blow away from the bison. The men approached the herd.

The \Wichitas used every bit of the bison as did other native people on the Plains. They even gathered the dried bison chips. They used them as fuel for their fires when rhey could not find trees on the prairie . After a time , the \Wichitas broke camp

and moved on to other herds. They usually hunted until late summer.

Arrows flew. The \Tichitas had been

The Wichitas came back home from the hunt. Their horses were loaded with dried meat and bison skins. The people

taught by their fathers to be good archers.

They knew the arrow had to hit right behind the bison's shoulder. Many great snorting, stomping bison had been killed. The \ilTichitas would now have food, shelter, and clothing. Doing important work for their tribe made the \Wichitas stand tall and proud. The camp was filled with excitemenr as the men rode in with the bison. Some of the meat was eaten right away. The women then sliced all the rest into thin pieces. The mear was hung on drying racks and dried in the sunshine. Dried

looked forward ro rhe comfort of the grass lodges. The \,il7ichitas arrived home in time to

bison meat was stored and used all winter.

The older children helped the women clean the bison skin and prepare it for use. The Wichitas used cured bison skin (hide) or leather for robes and blankets. They used it for clothes and for tipis. Later, in winter, the men might paint designs on some of the hides for wall hangings.

The bison bones were cleaned. Later they would be carved into tools, musical instruments, and jewelry.

Wichita Tipi

New Words: archer

design 5

harvest their gardens.

The maize was picked. Husks were pulled back and

two Arkansas Rivers. They may have had a crop failure. Their peaceful life may

braided. The maize ears were hung to dry. Pumpkin was cut into strips and hung to dry. Melons, squash, and beans were gathered. Most of the crop and dried

have been upset by war-like tribes. Perhaps they felt it was time to move on. Sometimes other groups of native people stopped at the confluence of the

bison meat were stored

in a

cache

(pronounced "cash"). When the caches were filled and covered for winter, the men led the people in a great celebration. It was a time of giving thanks for the successful hunt and the good harvest. The men danced the great dances of the Sun and the Morning Star. They sang and chanted religious poems. 'Women prepared and served special foods. The celebration was a time of great happiness. "\(/e are in harmony with the earth and with each other, " the \Tichitas said. "It is good to be alive !" The Wichitas Lsave the Confluence

After many years on the banks of the Arkansas Rivers, the \Tichitas left their grass lodges. They tied what they owned to their horses. They moved to the south areas now called Texas, and lived

Arkansas, and Oklahoma. By the 1750s

the \Tichitas had settled in a mountainous region in what is now southern Oklahoma. Later mountains were named

the

the se

tU7ichita

Mountains. No one knows exactly why the tU7ichitas left their home at the confluence of the

two rivers. Sometimes French ttaders and other explorers crossed the Big Arkansas River near the confluence. The Osage Indians began to do more of their bison hunting in this region. This became one of their favorite spots to come to hunt. During the early years of the 1800s more and more white people came to America. Many whites moved west. The farther west they moved, the more wild and beautiful was the land they found. At first the native people welcomed the Tbe Cacbe To maAe a caclte, tlte lYicbitas cut sod in a circle tltree feet across. Tbey remoaed it

carefully. Tltey dag a bole, Usually it was deep enougb fo, a person to stand in and peer oilt. Tbey lined tbe floor of tbe caclte witb bison ltide and clean grass, Inyers of food were placed in tbe cacbe, Tbe food was corcred witb anotber layer of grass and a layer of eartlt. Tbe earth fit oaer the top liAe a lid. Strangers and animals walAed oaer tbe caclte. Tbey did not hnow they uere walhing oaer tbe uinter's supply of food. Only tlte sbarp-eyed lYicbitas knew ultere tbeir caclte was, Stored in tbe eanh in tbis way, food Aept well for rnan! rnontbs,

New Wonds: cache

harmony

mountainous

sod

Grass House

Different ldeas Tbe natiae people and tlte wbite people did not agree on ideas about land, Tbe natiae people did not belieae land could be bougbt and sold. Tltey belieued land uas for eaeryone to use. Sonzetimes tribes of natiue people upset tlte liaes or tlte ltunting of anotber tribe. Tben tlte natiae people went to war witb eaclt otber. Tbey tbought good neigbbors sltould respect tlte igltts of otbers. But tbey did not giue eaclt otber land. Tltey did not diaide lond into srnall parts and se// it.

l[zbite peop/e tbougltt

of land

white settlers. But soon the native people became worried by the white people,s beliefs and ways. When the white people found open prairie, they sometimes put farms and towns there. They thought no one owned it. They did not realize this

open fange was bison country and hunting ground for the narive people. Placing settlements in open range land changed the migration roures of the bison. This made hunting bad for the native people. Some white people used force and guns to move the native people out of their way. Gradually more narive people from the eastern regions of the United States were pushed ro the Plains regions. They had been beaten in battles with white people. They came to rhe midwest tired and sad. These native people from the east did not know how to live on aprafuie. Most of them had lived in a woodland or forest before coming to the Plains. They had gathered nuts, roots, and berries. They had hunted small animals for food. Now

sornetbing to ou/2. Often tbey wanted land ubicb tbe natiae people ltad been using, Tltey belieaed tltey could giae tbe natiae people apiece of land sornewbere else. Tbey belieaed tltis uas a fair trade.

How could natiae people and wbite people maAe agreernents for land wlten tltey did not understand eac/t otlter's beliefs? Tbe white people's fussing oaer w/to owned /and seerned to tlte natiae peop/e to be a uaste of time. Tbe wbite people,s land agreernents bad litt/e nteaning to t/te natiae people.

New Words: agreement

setdement 7

finding food on the prairie was difficult for them. They had to learn to hunt

neighbors were angry with them because of this. Late one night in 1863 leaders of the

bison. They had to learn which crops grew best in this new land. The prairie lands became more

\Wichita tribe slipped into each grass lodge of their village. They warned the people that they should leave. They were aftaid their lodges would be burned and they would be killed.

crowded with native people and white

bison hunters. The bison herds

grew

smaller. There was less for everyone to eat. The native people somerimes gor in each other's way. More and more tribes fought. Life on the prairie changed. Many more native people lived there now rhan in the past. And in a short time white sertlers pushed them out again. This time many of the native people were sent south to "Indian Territory. " We now call it Oklahoma.

"'We need to go north to territory,

country.

free

the leaders whispered to each family. "\We will not be safe in slave The Wichitas wanted to leave without being seen. Quietly and quickly they awakened their sleeping children. They took only the food they could carry. They rode softly into the night, taking only a

few horses. The children were roo frightened to cry. The grown-ups were too sad to speak. The \Tichitas left their homes and gardens behind them in the darkness. They hurried north through the night. Some were on foot and some were riding

The Return of the Wichitas

During the 1810s the United States was divided over slavery. A slave was a person owned by someone else. Slaves had to do what they were told to do by their owners. If slaves said "no," they were beaten or sold. Many people in the north part of the country believed that no one should make slaves of other people. Many people in the south part of the country believed that no one had a right to stop them from owning slaves. Kansas was northern, or "free," territory. Land south of Kansas was "slave" territory. Although the \U7ichitas were living in southern slave country, they did not believe in slavery. Some of their

horses.

A group of men suddenly rode by on horses, shooting guns at the fleeing ITichitas. Some horses fell and some people were killed. The children and the adults were terrified. The children screamed in panic. The leaders hurried them onward. "'$(/'e can't stop now. \U7e must go on!" Shortly before daylight, the raiders rode by and again fired at the \Tichitas. Again some horses were killed. But the

New Vords: raidem

slavery 8

temtory

tilTichitas could not srop to rest and eat. North they went.

After many days the rUTichitas reached the safety of southeast Kansas. They stopped in a grove of trees near a sffeam to rest. By this time all of their horses were dead. Every family had lost loved ones on the terible journey. Their food supplies had run our. People were starving. Their clothes were in rags. Most of them had no moccasins and their feet were bleeding.

The \Tichitas were a brave people. They had no horses and no guns but they managed to kill some bison. There was meat to eat and bison hide to make clothes and blankets. Some of the men went back to their homes in Indian Territory. They wanted' to bring back some of the horses they had left there. Others wenr to the Comanche Indians who were living in southeast Kansas. They traded some of their new bison hides for horses. The winter of 1863 was cold. There was

little food. Many more people died of starvation.

During that freezing winter,

Jesse

Chisholm came to the \Tichitas to help them. Mr. Chisholm understood the ways of the native people. He was one of them. His mother was Cherokee Indian and his father was Scotch. Jesse Chisholm operated a trading post near a creek. This creek runs through the present city of Wichita. It is now called

Chisholm Creek. He often traveled into new terrirory. He traded with other narive people. He never carried a gun. He spoke many Indian languages and was a friend to all. Jesse Chisholm was a trail finder. He could find the easiest route between two places. He made auail to take goods from his trading post south into Indian Territory. It was such a good trail that cattle drovers used it years later. The trail, called the Chisholm Trail, is one of the most famous trails on the Plains. It can be found on the map of history. Jesse Chisholm found the cold, hungry Wichitas that winter. He brought them some supplies. He told them that the United States government had given the Osage Indians much land in south Kansas. He told the Wichitas about their old home at the confluence of the Big Arkansas and the Little Arkansas Rivers. He said it was part of the land of the Osages. He suggested that the \ilTichitas ask the Osage people for permission to move back to the confluence . The Wichitas liked the idea of going back to a place where their people had lived 100 years before. They went with Jesse Chisholm to talk to the Osage Indians. The Osage Indians gave the Wichitas permission to live at the confluence of the rivers. They even gave the \Tichitas some of their horses. It happened in 1864, at the time of the grass-turning-green. The

New Words: operate

permision

route

starvation

\X/ichitas had come back

ro their old

dangerous "savages." Then a conference was held on the banks of the Little Arkansas River. The conference was to bring peace.

home. The \X/ichita men built grass lodges on the banks of the Little Arkansas River.

The women planted gardens. Their

Jesse Chisholm helped

to organize the conference. He served as an interpreter and as a representative for the Cherokee people. An eady white serrler, James R. Mead, was also there. He encouraged whites to be fair. Famous military commanders came. Great chiefs of native tribes came. They gathered not far from the grass lodges of the \)Tichitas. Thousands of native people camped in the timber. Their chiefs met with white leaders. Chief Black Kettle and Chief Seven Bulls were Cheyenne . Chief Little

gardens grew very well while they were gone for the bison hunt. In late summer

they returned from a successful hunt. They harvested more maize , pumpkin, squash, and melons than ever before.

No one had forgotten the terrible journey from Indian Territory. The Wichitas would always remember their loved ones who had died. But now they

must begin their new life near the confluence of the rivers. There was courage and hope for the future.

Fighting on the Plains

Raven

The trouble between natives and

and Chief Big Mouth

were

Arapaho. Chief Rising Sun and Chief Horse 's Back were Comanche . Chief Poor Bear was Apache. Chief Satanta was Kiowa. Army commanders were General John Sanborn and General \Tilliam S. Harney. Others were Colonel William

settlers grew. Fighting took place on the Plains. It was a terrible time of trouble. Many whites were honest and fair to the native people. But many government leaders believed the native people were

Wichita Camp Meeting New Words: commander

conference

corrage 10

mterpretef

military

savage

Bent and ColonelJessie H. Leavenwomh. BBT. General Kit Carson was also there. The conference began. The white leaders told the narive people what they wanted. IThite settlers wanted to be able to travel west in peace and safety. They wanted to be able to build homes and plant crops. They didn't want ro be afraid. The native people said they wanted to be free to roam the prairies. They did not want to be forced to live on one small piece of useless ground ser aside for Indians. The native people felt they had no choice . The chiefs knew their people were

tired and hungry. They signed

Brohen Promises BlacA Kettle spoke

witlt

ltis people wbo u)ere killed, Soldiers bad sadness about

attacAed a uillage and Ailled peaceful natiae people, BlacA Kettle said tlte natiue people

uou/d not forget t/te massacre. How cou/d tbe natiae people agree to tbe wbite people's demands? Tlte wltite peop/e wanted to be certain tbey could prornise land and safet! to wltites moaing uestudrd, Tbey said, "lYe'// taAe tltis prairie land, and loil can nzoae soutb. lZe'll cal/ )tour land 'Indian Territory.' No one wi// ltaae a rigltt to liae there but Indians." Tltis was not tlte first tinze tbe wltite people bad pronzised tbe natiue people land of tbeir own. Tlte land on wbiclt tltey were nzeeting had once been giaen to tbe Osage Indians, Just a montlt before tlte conference began, tlte Osage Indians bad to giue up tlte land. Tbey nzoaed soutlt to Indian Tedtory. Could tlte natiue people belieue tlte wbite people's pronzise tltis tinze?

the

treaties, or agreements, saying they would move away. They agreed to live peacefully with each other on the land assigned to them. The United States government signed three different agreemenrs. Together these make up the Treaty of the Little Arkansas.

conference was held at Medicine Lodge. The native people were asked to move away from white settlements. In return, the whites would let them live in peace .

The United States gove rnment promised food, supplies, and money. This was to help the tribes staft a new life. The regions marked out for the native people were in southern Kansas and Colorado and in northern Oklahoma. After the Treaty had been signed in October of L865, mosr of the native people left the camp. They moved to the land saved for their use. The talks did not solve the problems. In fact, more fighting broke out. Another

The native people i<new the power behind the white leaders. They had no choice so they signed the papers. They were moved onto reservations. Many terrible troubles started. These were between native people on reservations and soldiers.

New Words: attack

rnassacre

reservation 11

tfaty

The Wichitas and the Last Days at the Confluence

The

\U7ichitas

The tU7ichitas did nor wanr to go. Too many of them were sick. They wanted to stay until the summer's end and harvest their crops. They needed some food for the journey. They were very worried. They were fearful that they would all die from cholera. The Wichitas begged Jesse

had enjoyed the great

meeting. They made some good friends among the native people. The tUfichitas themselves had not signed the treaties. But they had talked with the other native people who camped near them. All the native people felt the pressure of the white people's civilization. They did not know how to defend themselves against it. The spring of 1866 was bright and sunny for the \Tichitas. Children were h"ppy and strong. People had enough to eat. They were at peace. But in the summer a number of the older people became ill. Jesse Chisholm knew the disease was cholera. \il7hite people brought it ro America from Europe. Cholera was new to the narive people. Their bodies could not get well easily. They often died from it. During the winter of tg66-1867 a few more people became sick with cholera. Some of the older ones died. There was no medicine. By the summer of rc61 many Wichitas were ill and dying. In the middle of the cholera epidemic a message came to the Wichitas from the United States government. The rU7ichitas were ordered to leave their homes at the rivets' confluence. They were to move to Indian Teritory. No food, supplies, or equipment was offered ro them. They wete told to pack their things and go.

Chisholm for advice and help. Chisholm's kind heart ached for his friends. He told them to harvest their

crops before they moved. He said he would help them and stay with them. He said he would guide them over his trail to Indian Territory. The harvesr completed, the \Tichitas again turned their weary faces southward. They began the long, tiring journey. Jesse Chisholm walked beside them on his trail. \U7hen they reached the Ninnescah

River, they set up their camp. They staked their horses a little way from the tipis. During the night a fierce nofth wind blew a nging prairie fire right past their camp. Not a tipi burned. But next morning, they found 8, of their best horses burned to death. Only a handful

horses had survived the fire. The \Tichitas buried more cholera victims while camped on the Ninnescah. One evening white outlaws raided the camp. They took the remaining horses. Now the \Tichitas had no way to move food supplies. Some of the sffonger men and women dug a cache. They buried most of their food. This was the last crop they had harvested at the confluence of

New Vords: cholera

civilization

epidemic t2

pressure

the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers. The ragged, sick people walked on until they reached the next large creek. Here they rested a few days. Dozens of people died. The ones who were left were too ill to bury their dead. The bodies were left on the banks of the creek. The bones on the creek banks were a horrible reminder to travelers of the $Tichitas'

tragedy. The creek has been called Skeleton Creek ever since . The Wichitas who were left arrived at the Canadian River in Indian Territory in early winter. \7hile they camped there

Building a Gmss House

Washita, the \Tichitas built new grass lodges. Fences were built around garden plots. \tr7omen could be seen planting maize in small eafthen mounds. rU7ith slow dignity the women moved around the mounds. They pressed the earth with their feet in the old way. The old days were over. Slowly, with courage and determination, the STichitas were beginning anew.

their friend, Jesse Chisholm, died. Sadly, the people went to other pams of Indian Territory. It was late spring in 1868. Most of the few remaining S7ichitas mer near their old home by the \UTashita River. Once

again

was the time

of the grass-

turning-green. There on the banks of the

# :.t:

,.*

Wichita Indians New Words: determination

digoity t3

tmgedy

fit

Narvf, Peopul f.

aorrror*o

/r.r//e.//ri lhrbruts fi'rces

-file NNtvE- ?roptt{ KtvvslE

TtRRtroRy (oxuuomA)

fixts

at hilat unla,ins

llhunlaiTr5

\ I I

I l I I

.Vt

d I

I I

t I I

THE NEST/ PEOPLE: TRAPPERS, TRADERS, SETTIERS, Trappers and Traders

AND DROVERS

.t i!

In the 1810s some new people had come to the confluence of the two Arkansas Rivers. This was before the great

conference of native people and white commanders. These new people were explorers. Some were on their way to California and Oregon. Others were ilappers. Still others became traders with the native people. Traders usually brought goods from Kansas City, Topeka, or Emporia. The goods were flour, sugar, coffee, tobacco,

broadcloth, calico, knives, small axes, beads, and shells. The native people traded bison furs, robes, and wolf skins. Traders would load the furs on a wagon and take them to the nearest railroad. C. C. Arnold was a hunter who came with other hunters in 18)7. He wanted to

.@ V:**. ",*"l;

* t

live near the two rivers. Sometimes he saw

Coon Trapper

New Words: broaddoth

{.{

calico r6

gEffii.&IT T

rJflichita: L869

of the time the prairie was quiet. Mr. Arnold built a cabin. He lived for twenty years among Osage Indians pass by. Most

ffapper from New York. Elizabeth Inman Mathewson was a homesteader from England. They gave aid to settlers and were fair with the native people. \When \Tilliam was a boy he hunted bears and wolves in the forests in New

the bison and the coyotes. The first trading post was built in 1817 on the Little Arkansas River. It was on a trail made by Osage people. It is important because it was the first store near the confluence . The store was owned

York. I7hen he grew to be a man he moved to the Rocky Mountains. He hunted with Kit Carson. William

by traders named Maxley and Ed Moseley.

Mathewson knew the land and became a trail finder for traders and settlers. He was the Chief of Scouts for the United States Army. Soon \)Tilliam Mathewson saw many

The first trading post is on the map of history.

Latrr Commodore E. H. Durfee built a store known as Durfee's Ranch. It was a rough building inside a stockade. A corral for animals was in the center. The front of Mr. Durfee's stockade was a storehouse. It stored supplies to trade for furs and skins. The back of the stockade was used for sleeping rooms for the traders. Other people new to the area were \Tilliam and Elizabeth Mathewson. tUfilliam Mathewson was a hunter and

"Golder Hoir" Elizabetlt Innzan Mat/tewson uas a successfu/ trader uitlt tbe natiue people. Tbey admired her and called lter "Marr l{/issi." Tbat noeans "Golden Hair." Tlte natiae people called ber ltusband lYilliam "Sinpalt Silbalt." Tbat rneans "Tbe Long Beard Dangerous MAn. " Tbey botb adrnired and feared bim.

New Words: corral

homesteader t7

stockade

James R. Mead is another imPortant person in \tr7ichita's history. Iflhen he was a school boy in lowa, he liked geography

people begin to move west. He told his friends he was going to build a trading post on the Arkansas River in the Great Plains. \Tilliam's friends laughed at him. There were no people there . But tU7illiam knew people would soon move there. In 1860 he opened a store at Great Bend, Kansas. Later he opened trading posts on \07alnut Creek and Cow Creek.

Tbe First "Buffalo

One year tltere was no rain for Kansas settlers, Crops did not grow and people began to starae. l[/illiam Matltewson uent wltere millions of bison liaed, He would Aill bison and tlte farrners would load tbem on uagons. Tltey would taAe tbe bison borne to tlteir bungry children. lYlten tltey got bonee tbeir neigbbors would AsA, "lZbere did you get tbe buffalo naeat?" Tbe farmers would ansu)er, "A rnan narned Bill Ailled tlte buffalo, " Soon his fame spread. People canae to find tlte "buffalo Ailler." Tbey came to tbe Matbewson rancb witlt enapty wagons. Tbey went away witlt bison nzeat. For seaen naontlts lYilliam Matbewson hilled bison eaery day. Some days lte killed as rnan! as eigbty bison. Tbe settlers tbanhed ltim witlt tears in their eyes. Tbey began to call bim

Elizabeth Inman married \flilliam Mathewson in 1864. Life on the Plains rough, but Elizabeth was brave . She was an expert in firing a rifle and revolver. She often helped her husband fight enemies who attacked their home. Elizabeth was a hard worker, too. One day she helped load fourteen wagons with goods to trade. Elizabeth was one of the first white women to travel the Chisholm Trail.

was very

\flilliam Mathewson had spent thirty years among the native people. He

"Buffalo Bill.

believed that bad native people had been made bad by white men. He once saved fifty-four white captives. They were prisoners of warring native people. \When the captives wete brought to the trading post, Elizabeth fed and clothed them. Elizabeth Inman Mathewson became a homesteader in 1869. Her husband was gone so often that she took a claim and settled on it. She lived on it for twentyfive years. She was one of the first women to homestead a claim in rU7ichita. Her homestead can be found on the map of history. It was part of the tU7ichita site.

Anotber man, ll/illiam Cody, is now Anown as Buffalo Bill, Buffalo Bill Cody bad a wild west sltow wbiclt traae/ed around tbe country. But tbe first Buffalo Bill uas lYilliarn Matbewson. He was called Buffalo

Bill

nzany years before

lYilliam Cody began

ltis wild west s/tow.

ll/ben lYilliam Matbeuson was an old nznn, IYi/liam Cody's sltow czlne to lYicbita. IWilliarn Matbewson oaerlteard a group of people calltng Cody "Buffalo Bill." Mr Matltewson tumed to a fiend and said, "Tell 'ern wbo I arn, Jirn! Te// 'ern who I arn!" He was proad of tbe nanze he bad earned,

New Words: captive

Bill"

wamng 18

They needed supplies but they

had nothing to trade. They promised Mr. Mead they would bring him bison robes the next year. Mr. Mead let them have all the supplies they needed. He was a kind man. \7hen it came time ro pay their debt, the native people brought robes to the store. They even paid the debt of a man who had died during the winter. They were honest people. Settlers

Along with the trappers and traders came other people. They were called settlers. They searched for good land and settled on it. tU7illiam Greiffenstein was one of the

Mathewson Home

better than any subject. He often looked at a, m^p of Kansas. He would dream of living where he could catch fish. He wanted to go where bison, deer, and elk lived wild on the prairie. When he was old enough to leave home in 18)9, he bought a horse and a rifle. He came to Towanda to hunt and trap as he had

seftlers. He was born in Germany. He came to the United States in 1848. He was a hunter and trader. Once he went on a trip through Kansas. Mr. Greiffenstein crossed the river at the confluence of the two Arkansas fuvers. He saw the beauty of the area and promised to return and settle there. He promised to build a rown there . In 186) he returned and opened a trading post on Cowskin Creek. Mr. Greiffenstein often went to trade in Indian Territory. The man in charge of military affairs in the Indian Teritory was General Philip Sheridan. \7hen the native people in the tUfashita River area were upset, General Sheridan told them they could not have guns. One day he found that some native people had guns.

dreamed. James Mead went on a hunting trip to the Arkansas Rivers. He got 330 bison robes and $roo worth of deer skins. He decided to stay at the rivers. He built a

store made

of cottonwood logs. After

James Mead came to this area, more and more people began to arrive.

One day some native people came to James Mead's store. They had been driven from their homes. Their houses had been burned and their horses stolen.

General Sheridan blamed \,7illiam

New Words: setder L9

$20,000 for General Sheridan's military effor. tilTilliam Greiffenstein came back to the

Greiffenstein. General Sheridan said Mr.

Greiffenstein gave the native people alcohol and guns. The general was so angry that he ordered Mr. Greiffenstein shot. Mr. Greiffenstein had thirty-six hours to leave Indian Territory. He went to the army headquarters. He played cards with General Sheridan and pleaded with him to take zway the order. General Sheridan agreed to drop the charge that Mr. Greiffenstein had sold alcohol to the native people. He would not drop the firearms charge. He said the thirty-six hours would begin at 6:00 a.m. Mr.

Dealer in Euerytlting Mr. Greiffenstein had a nickname. It was "Dutch Bill. " Dutch Bill built a home below the confluence of the rivers. He owned much land there. It was known

Greiffenstein went outside when the sun tose. He rode as fast as he could to

as Greiffenstein's Pasture. Groups of native people and new people would

Kansas.

camp there when they came to trade . Jenny Greiffenstein was Dutch Bill's first wife. She was a Cheyenne woman. Jenny was well loved by her people. She was a good counselor to the tribe. A legend says thatJenny loved Dutch Bill so much that she saved his life. It says she

Mr.

confluence of the rivers with the $20,000. He bought Durfee's Ranch and moved to S7ichita to stay. Later he built the first frame building in \7ichita. A sign on the front of it read:

IYrn. Greffinstein

Greiffenstein then went ro

\Washington,

D.C., to talk to the He told them General

government. Sheridan was wrong. The government agreed with Mr. Greiffenstein. The government gave Mr. Greiffenstein

New Words: alcohol

counselor

firearms 20

headquarters

Arkansas River. The house was made of cottonwood logs. Bison hair was mixed into the plaster to make it strong. It was a fine home. Its first location can be seen on the map of history.

Darius Munger and James Mead decided to build a city. They met with some other men in Topeka. They began to promote a tilTichita land and rown company. They had to decide on a name for the new town. The names Beecher and

Hamilton were suggested. Mr. Mead insisted it akeady had a name: "\U7ichita, " the town of the tUTichita Indians. The men sent Mr. Munger to

Munger Home

stepped in front of Dutch Bill when a native man shot at him. She was killed by the arrow. Catherine Burnett Greiffenstein was Dutch Bill's second wife. She was the daughter of a Potawatomi chief, Abraham Burnett. She was one of the best educated people who lived in the areaby the Arkansas Rivers. Not many of the settlers could read or write. Dutch Bill could not read or write, but his wife could. Dutch Bill Greiffenstein and his wives were important setders in eady \7ichita. They helped the settlemenr grow. The last home Dutch Bill lived in can be seen on the map of history. Darius Munger came to the confluence of the rivers in 1868. Julia Munger came to tU7ichitain 1869. Darius andJulia built a home on high ground by the Little

take up a claim at the mourh of the Little Arkansas River. This was to be a townsite. First Darius Munger staked our the

land. His iob was to offer land for homesteading.

Law allowed a family to stake our a claim and build a home. They had to live there for five years. A fee of gtO was paid. Then the land belonged ro rhe family. Many families moved ro the I7ichita site because of the Homestead Law. Tbe First Post Office

Doius and Jalio Manger's borrue was used as a botel, a land ffice, and o post ffice. Tbe real post ffice was in Mr. Manger's tall silA bat. He would wrap a red bandkercbief aroand tlte letters and stuff tbem into bis bat. Tlten be would deliaer tbem as be walked aroand the settlernent.

New Words: promote

The Homestead

townsrte 2t

William Finn came to the settlement in 1869. He had been a drummer boy in the Civil W'ar. He traveled by train and stagecoach to Emporia from the east. Then he walked all the way to \Wichita, coming through El Dorado. He saw that the settlers' children had no place to go to school. He used a dugout for the school and became the first school teacher in

\7ichita. The location of the dugout be found on the map of history.

can

Nathaniel and Osie English were other

early settlers. They first lived in Leavenworth. Osie 's home there was large and pleasant. One d^y in 1868 her husband came home from a trip. He had been on a journey to the confluence of the rivers. He told his family about the

Samuel Robinson

came

of the river

area. Osie was a pioneer also. She agreed to move. Osie English had a large square piano. She brought it with her over the rough dirt trails. The English family arrived at the Arkansas River. They had to live in a dark, damp, dirt dugout. The legs of Osie's piano were removed. The piano was placed on its side in a corner. When it rained Osie would put all of the family's books inside the piano. She would pile bedding on top of the piano to keep it

beauty

at the time after the Civil

W'ar

called the exodus. Exodus means to move away from a place. Black families were moving out of the south. It was not an easy time for them. \il7omen helped to develop the little

settlement. Jenny and Catherine Greiffenstein were brave and intelligent native women. Sarah Robinson was a courageous black woman. Osie English was one of the first white homemakers in this area. Most early women were homemakers. Later a few became doctors and business people . The women worked hard on the Plains. It was not easy to live in sod houses. \X/ells were hard to dig. Bison had to be chased away from gardens. Bread had to be baked and butter made .

dry.

Richard and Sarah Robinson moved to tilTichita in 1870. They brought two sons

with them, Samuel James and George The Robinsons were the first black family to move to \7ichita. They

'S7'alter.

New Words:

dugout

intelligent

exodus 22

stagecoach

Tbe 50 Cent Girl

A farnily narned lf,/oodman liaed in tlte settlement. Rae ll/oodman was o litt/e girl with golden bair. Slte played outside lter fatber's store.

can be seen on t/te map

Arapaltoes.

"Perbaps later on," Buffalo Bill said. "Tbere is no buny," Finally one of tlte natiae men said tbat tbey bad found a ubite papoose in lf,/icltita, "So?" ashed Mr. Englisb. Mr, lWoodman said notlting, After more talA, Buffa/o Bi// tumed to Mr. Englisb. "It's a girl papoose. They'// se// dirt

bistory.

Rae nzet droaers and went witlt tbem for fast rides. Her motber ofien punisbed lterfor tbis by nzaAing ber go to bed in tlte daytinze. Rae didn't mind the punisbnlent as /ong as she could Aeep lter boots on.

clteap.

One October afteffioon little Rae could not be found. DarAness carne and an a/arrz uas giuen. Eueryone in tbe /ittle settlernent

Mr, Eng/isb said, "No, buy.

Buffalo Bi// tumed

brougltt lantems, Tltey searcbed eaerywhere. They searcbed around tlte buildings. Tlten tlte lantems could be seen /licAering out on tbe prairie. Rae was not tbere. A crowd met in frort of Mr. lYoodnzan's store. They wltispered to eaclt otlter. Tltey uere wonied. Tlten Buffalo Bill began to as{ questions. He /earned tltat some Arapaltoes were canzped soutlt of Wicltita on CowsAin CreeA. Sonzeone told Buffalo Bi// tltere were ot/ter natiae people nortlt of tbe settlenzent. Buffalo Bill told tlte men to get tlteir ltorses. They traueled nonb of lYicbita in tlte nigbt. T/tey found no one, Tben tbey traue/ed soutlt of lYicbita. At sunise tltey came to CowsAin CreeA. Tbel saw sorne tipis. Tbe Arapaboes were building a fire to maAe breaLfast. Buffalo Bi//, Natbaniel Englislt, and Rae's fatlter, l{illiarn lYoodman, left tlte otber rnen beltind. Tltey rode into tlte camp. Tbey sat down at tbe fire for a friendly srnoAe. Buffalo Bi// could speaA tbe language of tbe Arapaltoes. He talhed quietly witlt tbenz. Mr. Englisb snoAed a pipe. Mr, ll/oodman sat and looAed into tlte fire. "Do you want to go fisbing?" asAed tlte

don't want to

baae tltree papooses at borzze."

to Mr.

l{/oodman,

"Hout about you? W/ant to buy?" Mr, lYoodman iust loohed into tlte fire. Finally lte said, "Te// binz I ltaae a brand new papoose at mJ) bouse." Tbere was silence for a long time. Tlten tlte Arapalto man got to ltis feet. He pointed to one of tlte tipis. "l recAon ue'd better see t/te papoose," Buffalo Bill said. "He keeps saying lte'// se// dirt cbeap." Mr. Englisb lazily got up. "Conze on," said Buffalo Bi/l. Mr. ll/oodman got up. "B! all means, of cottrse," be said. "81 a// meAns." They went to tbe tipi and squeezed inside. Tltere on tbe ground lay ltttle Rae sound asleep. Slte was not lturt, but uery dixy, Buf falo Bi//, Mr. Englisb, and Mr. lYoodrnan pretended t/tey were not interested. Tlte Arapabo nzan said sometlting. Buffato Bill said softly, "Giue ltim four bits, " Mr. lYoodman tooh fifty cents fronz bis pocAet. He still pretended be did not care. Mr. English added a fine foar-bladed iacAAnife to tlte pice. Years /ater w/ten Rae was naug/tty, Mr. ll/oodrnan would sltaAe bis bead. He'd say, "l uislt I ltad ny fifiy cents back!"

The women met this hard life with courage. They learned new ways to take care of problems. Some eady women learned from the native people how to make pemmican. Pemmican is dried meat. One woman wanted a living room in her one-toom cabin. She hung newspapers in a corner for wallpaper.

Another woman raised cotton.

Tbe Cbicf Wbo Remembercd

One day a uolnan and ber daugltter were weeding tbeir garden. Thel heard a noise and were frightened. A war party of natiue people ltad come, Tltey bad guns. They began to ruin the garden. Suddenly tlte cbief renaembered tbe uoma.n. She ba.d giaen birn food and shelter wben be was bungry and cold. He made the wan'iors

She

ginned it on a cotton gin to remove the seeds. Then she combed it and put it on a spinning wheel. She made stockings for

stop. He to/d them

to /eaue tlte

u)onwn's

garden.

her family. One year she raised a sheep. She cut wool from the sheep and made yarn. But then a wolf ate her sheep. Cattle Drovers Many drovers used the Chisholm Trail. Cattle were rounded up in the south part of Texas. Then they were moved north along the trail. They bawled along the way. They made dust clouds with their hooves.

Drovers needed

to be strong and

dependable. They needed to be able to stand the dusty trails. Their muscles had to be firm because they spent long sweaty hours in the saddle. The drovers wore wide-brimmed felt

hats for protection from the

sun. Bandanas were worn around the neck. They could be put over the mouth and the nose. The bandanas kept out dust,

ilttj*o

sleet, and cold wind. The drovers' boots had two-inch heels to keep their feet from slipping through the stirrups. Chaps of calfskin or goatskin were worn for

Washday

New Words: bandana

bawled

drover

gin 24

muscle

pemmican

strrup

Drovers and Cattle at Chisholm Creek

protection from scratches. Each Texas drover had one to three six-shooters. The drovers' saddles often cost more than their horses. Most cattle drovers were men. But in 1873, a woman cattle drover, T. M. Boreland, and her three children had 1,000 head of cattle. They brought them up the trail to Wichita. \When Hispanic drovers rode into Wichita, they dressed fancy. They wore large white hats, light shirts, and red

light. They ate sourdough biscuits and pork for breakfast. Then they started on the long uail. Before sundown they would find a good campsite with plenty Droaers

in Wicbn

l[/ben cattle drouers arriaed in lYicbita at tlte end of tbe ide, they wanted to ltaae fun, Ofien tbey canze into lYicbia "wltoopin' tbrcugb tbe

streets." Sometimes tbey rode down Main Street sbooting out tlte /ig/)ts. Drouers were bappy wben tltey saw a /ittle chi/d. They would dismount and crowd around tlte c/ti/d. Tbej, were eager to be noticed. Sometimes tltey would giue tbe cbild red and wbite sticA candy, Ofien tbey gaue cltildren a quicA ide on tbeir horses, Tbey scared tbe rnotbers by sbouing off tlteir s/tiny guns. But t/te cbildren loaed tlte attention. Tbe droaers were lonely for ltome. Tbe cbildren and tlte droaers made eaclt otlter bappy.

around their waists. They wore redtipped boots with silver spurs and small sashes

bells.

About fifteen drovers and fifty horses were needed to drive a herd of 3,000 cattle. A cook drove the chuck wagon. A wrangler watched the spare horses so rhar they did not wander off. Drovers woke up at the first sign of New Words: Hispanic

sourdough 2t

wrangler

of water for the cattle . They would take turns at night duty. Often they sang to the cattle to keep them quiet. The chuck wagon was pulled by six oxen. Curved pieces of wood with a canvas sheet over them made a cover on

barrel was fasrened on one side of the wagon. Drovers had many exciting adventures.

There were many dangers to face. A rattlesnake might strike a horse's leg. A prairie dog hole might cause a horse to stumble on a dark night. Many times

the wagon. This gave protection from rain and sun. Bacon, coffee, and flour were kept in a box in the middle of the wagon. Hides were stretched under the wagon to make a storage place for kettles. A water

from hard work and lack of sleep. Storms, lightning, and drovers became sick

blizzards were common dangers. Prairie fires made the drovers go miles off the trail. But the worst of all dangers was the stampede . A hard rain with lightning and thunder could start a stampede. The restless cattle would mill around and around. As the leaders of the herd got more and more excited, they would move faster. Finally they would put their heads down and run as hard as they could. All the herd would go thundering after them.

A Had tob Tlte urangler bad one of tbe ltardest iobs on tlte cattle driue. Tlte wrangler tooA care of tbe spare borces by doy. Tben tlte ltorses bad to be watcbed at nigbt so tltey would not wander off,

tlte cooA needed belp, tbe wrangler would ba.ae to belp. Disbes bad to be wasbed and tlte uagon bad to be loaded and unloaded. Sonzetinzes tbe urangler bad to rcpe and drag in aead brancbes for tbe fire.

New Words: sampede 26

{ue

NEr^/

kopw I

.ol Sr

c-Q

8l Et

â&#x201A;¬, url

.sl

c-)

""t#,' &e

; U ='

lV"W*,

sl tt qr

Uloodnran's

Aotts?

l, 6I Vl

-.a

()"

n9:l:'

,rt$enelCi

fusiure

"-g*r1t'*' ,'fY'

l\tos(tVl

?LlrCL1 1t5t-

19P,b

Wichita is a big and busy metropolis today.

is hard to remember that once

was not here. That is why the first chapters in this book were like a time machine. This "time machine" helped us see time before the city was here. \il7e saw great herds of bison on the prairie. $(i'e saw ffees along the rivers. \7e saw homes shaped like beehives and the native people who lived in them. tUTe were sad to see the \Tichitas die. Then in our time machine we saw new people come to the confluence of the Big Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers. Trappers came to be alone and free on the Plains. Traders came and learned to live with the native people. They traded

goods

for furs.

Drovers came driving cattle along the Chisholm Trail. 'W'e saw the settlers come. They were brave men and women with families. They made a settlement. The children grew and the settlement grew until it became a town in 1870.

The last chapters in this book will show how \Tichita grew from the settlemenr to the city. We will travel back to see how it was at the beginning. Then we will see how it is today.

WICHITA CITY

TIVING IN WICHITA

Wichita: 1870

place, the children could see bison in the distance . But the herds we re disappearing. The last large herd of bison was seen near \tr7ichita in the fall of tgZt. It passed within ten miles of the little town. The Robinson and English families knew how rich the land was. People called

EARTY WICHITA

George Robinson and Lyda English were children who lived in \Tichita in 1870. There were only fourteen houses in their town. A dirt road was in the middle of town, with buildings on each side. On one side of the buildings was the Little Arkansas River. George might have caught fish in the clear water of the river. On the other side of the town buildings was the prairie. Children might have played hide-and-seek in the tall prairie grass. Lyda might have laughed to see prairie dogs sit upon their homes. There were groups of trees around the river. Some wefe cottonwood, walnut, oak, and elm. \tr7hen they had

Wichita the garden spot of Kansas. Wichita was in a valley. There was a little hill east of Chisholm Creek. The settlers A Fisb StorY One dq in early lYicbita, Fred Sowers went fishing. He and two of bis friends caugbt a catfish. It weiglted fifty-two poands. Tbat fislt was almost as big as a tltird grader! Mr. Sowers and ltis friends caugbt 500 pounds offislt in one day. Tbeir fislt story was pinted in lWicltita's first neuspaper.

first moved to this

rain to soak into the ground. It did not run into the river. The river level began to go down. Sand bars became permanent. Later the milling industry hurt the rivers. There once had been a clean lake at the mouth of the Little Arkansas. It became a muddy pool. James Mead was upset. He did not like Tbe Magic Grooe

A groae of trees grew by tlte iaer bebind tbe lYoodnaan bouse. Rae lYoodrzzan's friends often carne to play. Sornetirnes tbey ployed croqilet on tbe lawn. Tltey would find fancy bird featlters and fraits fro* trees. Tbey would taAe borze baby ntice, turtles, and tiny snakes. Some cbildren caagltt sunfisb and tooh tlten bome to eat. Otbers waded into tlte edge of tbe ircr. Tbey caried borze rninnous in leaAy tin cans full of rnuddy water. And nzucb of tlte time tltejt brougltt bome mosquito bites and cbiggers!

Early Wichita Home

knew the area was good for crops. One farmer said, "You have but to tickle the ground with a hoe and it laughs into a crop." The tUfichita valley often had wet land when the rest of the state was dry. Ten years after the little rown began to gtow, nice farmhouses could be seen. Barns and granaries were built on the land. Vegetables and grass grew easily. People could find grapes and peaches in the orchards. When the settlers first came to \Tichita the land around the river was hard. It had been beaten down by bison. This caused the rain to flow into cracks and creeks. The rain ran down to the river and filled

.]e

$.$"*' ,s,

it.

The ground and the river changed when the settlers began to farm. They plowed the hard soil. This allowed the New Words: croquet

$ra,na,ry

permanent

Many different people

to see the bison disappear. He knew the elk and deer were gone. He was worried that the streams did not carry as many fish as before. He saw that the shade ffees around the river had been chopped down. He talked to the old settlers about this problem. Some people began to plant ffees. They restocked the streams with fish.

\)7ichita. An early setder once said that "every shade , hue, and color of society" used to meet in old Eagle Hall. The native people were here. Black people from the southern states were here . Hispanic people arrived later. Neighborhoods and Houses

A Global Community The settlers came from all ovet the wodd. This made Wichita a global

People formed groups in tU7ichita because they felt stronger in groups. Sometimes these groups were of the same race. Sometimes they were of the same religion. Sometimes they were people in the same jobs. People began living near persons like themselves and in certain areas. These are called neighborhoods. \7hen setders first came to the

community. The census of tgTO lists their names. It also tells the countries from which they came. Over 410 people lived in the Wichita township. Many came from Ireland and Canada. Others came from Switzedand, 'Wales, Russia, England, Germany, and

confluence of the rivers, they found a suange sight. There wete two or three tipis left behind by the native people.

Scotland. They were known as immigrants. An immigrant is a person who leave s one country to live

There were four or five dugouts the United States soldiers had used. There

permanently in another.

The Sebastian Bugner family who lived on a farm in west Sedgwick County. New Words: global

live

immigrant 32

West Wicbiu

in eadl lYicbita

people liaed in neigbborltoods. I{/est lYbltita was on tbe west Eaen

side of tbe riaer. People could be rcwdy tltere. Tbey could not be rowdy on tlte east side of tbe

iaer. Man! catt/e drorters stayed in a ltote/ in west llticbita. Sornetinzes tbe droaerc would Aill flies in tlteir bedroorns. Tltey would sltoot tbe flies with tbeir six-shooters.

was a log house and the Munger's two-

toom log building.

The setders began ro build

their houses. The houses were different from the houses today. Sometimes a home was built in the side of a hill. It was called a

dugout. Dugouts were warm

Victorian Home

the

frame. Sometimes a mattress was filled with maize husks or prairie hay. Often a fireplace was built on one side of the room. It heated the house and was used for cooking meals. Kettles hung from large hooks or cranes. The kettles were moved over the wood fire to cook the food. \Water was heared in kettles for baths. Family members took their baths

winter.

Some families

built sod houses.

Squares of prairie grass and

dirt were cur. The squares were carefully fitted on top of each other for walls. Cottonwood poles were laid across the top. More sod squares were laid across the poles to make a roof The floor was dirt.

A sturdier home was built

cottonwood logs. Logs were piled on rop of each other. This made a hollow square. Then the builder would saw through the logs to make a door and windows. Settlers sometimes bought windows and doors in Emporia, Kansas. Most of the furniture in ttr[iichita houses

Treosures

in coaered wagorrs. Tbe wagons were too crouded to ltold rnuclt famitare. Many people left good bornes andfuruitare beltind. Sorne of tltempicAed out one treasure to Aeep. Tbey carefully pached it and brougltt it witb tltem. It rerninded tlten of tbeir old life. l[/bat uould you ltaae kept? Tbe settlers /tad corne

had to be made by the family. \U7ood came from cottonwood trees. Beds were made of rope stretched across a wood New Vords: rowdy 33

They planned a house for the Pratt family. They also drew the plans for

-$rS

McCormick School. Some of \Tichita's eady houses were very ornate. People in this time of history, called the Victorian rime, liked fancy homes. "Gingerbread" ffim was put on the outside of the houses. Colored glass was placed in the windows. Some houses had turrets. A turrer is a tower on the side

,iiii::,.:

,i:i,it

of a house. Most people did not hire an architect. They looked in a catalog for what they wanted. The catalog would show many different houses. The family would pick out what they liked. The builder would build the house like the family wanted it. That is why so many \Wichita houses have a combination of styles. \Wichita kept growing. In 1882 1,000 new people were coming every month. After awhile \il7ichita had more people than Topeka and Kansas City. I7ichita became the largest city in Kansas. The new people brought ideas for the future. They were willing to work hard.

George Pratt Home

in large tubs. They scrubbed their clothes in large tubs. Cooking and washing took a long time . \Wichita changed quickly. \Within five years it no longer looked like a cowtown. The early settlers had dreams of a large city. They came here to build that city. By 1874 cheap wood buildings were gone. Solid houses were built. Some of the houses were made of stone. The stone came from a stone quarry in Marion and other counties. Many fine wood homes were built. Then Wichita began to grow very fast. Some people came to \Wichita to plan buildings. People who plan buildings are called architects. \X/illis Proudfoot and George Bird were architects. They planned City Building for \Wichita.

They built a city on the Plains. Soon Wichita became a center of education, money, and commerce.

Wichita City Transportaion

Moving around early \Tichita was different from the way we move today. The first travelers in this area were native people on foot. Later new people came by

horseback, covered wagons, and cafts.

New Words: architect

coflrmerce

ornate 34

quarry

tumet

Mules, oxen, burros, and horses pulled the loads. \U7hen it rained, people traveled in deep mud. Trails were cut into the prairie by wagon wheels and horses' hooves. The travel made ruts, or deep cuts, on the prairie. At first there were no streets or bridges. People had to cross the Arkansas River on a ford. A ford is a place where the water is not deep. Cattle were driven across the ford on their way to market. In 1872 a bridge was built beside the ford. People had to pay to drive wagons across it. The toll paid the cost of building the bridge . In 1883 people in tU7ichita traveled

Streetcar Pulled by Mules

around the town on streetcars. Streetcars were pulled along a track by mules. Only one track was needed. The driver stood at the front of the car and drove the mules. When it was time to turn, the driver

would get our. The mules would be moved from one end of the sffeetcar to the other. Service

with mules was not speedy. Often the car would run off the track.

te qt

Then men passengers were asked to help put the car back on the rails. Sometimes the mules became stuck in mud. Then it took several men to pull them out. As the city grew, more miles of track were added. Steam cars were brought to tU7ichita. But the mules were kept at the mule barn in case the steam equipment broke down. The ne w sream

1E I

-r-

f-{

;

transpoftation was called

Map of Street Car Route: Barns for Mules in Center

Dummy

Line

. It

the

was pulled

Steam

Jitney Bus in Snow

Yt@:&ffi*

Electric Trolley

.*&;

mrniature steam engine. It burned coal and could go eighteen miles per hour. The Steam Dummy Line was noisy and scared horses. Soon people said

In World \War I jitney

in \7ichita. Jitney means five cents. It cost five cents to ride the bus. A jitney bus looked like a cracker box. It had a truck body with long wooden seats on the inside. A jitney bus was driven by its owner. !7hen the bus broke down, the driver took it home and fixed it. A jitney bus was much safer than the electric trolley. A bus could be driven to the curb. A trolley could run only in the middle of the srreer. People who rode trolleys had to get off in traffic. However, there were problems with the jitney bus. The bus did not always run ar the same time each d^y. People never knew when it was coming. The trolleys

it should

be used only outside the city. J. O. Davidson was a man who helped build Wichita. In 1887 he heard of a new invention in the easr. ft was an electric trolley. Mr. Davidson went to the

inventor and bought it for tU7ichita. l7ichita became one of the first cities in the nation to have ?n electric trolley system. It was called the Riverside Suburban Railway Company. People liked it so much that they had trolley parties. Sometimes they would ride the trolley to the ice cream pador. The mules and mule car were no longer needed. 1ii:i.:,i#:iiii:iti1:i,j:

#:lr+iiiiiir;:li:iiiiiiriii;i':,

buses were used

lost business because of the jitney

bus.

: :::r,

r::@r:1i:::i::i4*jtiii:r::iriiiiiir-.3{j:i;riit:::,!it1:ij:tii:tlai:::ii::rit

Horse and Buggy: 1910

New Words: jitney bus

flrrruature 37

trolley

children played whip crack, poison, and needle's eye. If the weather was bad they

Jitney bus drivers would drive down the streets following the trolleys. \7hen people waited for the trolley, the jitney bus hurried to get there first. The jitney bus took the trolleys' passengers. \When \Tichita grew larger the jitney bus was

had

to play inside. They would play

dominoes, crokinole, and parchesi. Sometimes in the windy weather children played with tumbleweeds. A tumbleweed is a soft round plant which grows very large. Tumbleweeds were used for many things. They were used to stuff

replaced. Large buses and taxi cabs carried people around the city. Recreation and Entertainment

Tbe First Cbristmas

Recreation was important to the settlers

On ll/icltita's first Cltistmas in 1870 tlte people celebrated togetber. Tbey all rnet in clturc/t for a serrnon. A Cbistrnas tree was made from a cottonuood tree. It uat decorated witb ligltted candles. Loter tltere

early \7ichita. People often were lonely. They needed to talk to other people. It was good to laugh with other people. Recreation helped them forget their problems. Everyone in the family had a kind of recreation. The fathers would play horseshoes, baseball, and ante-over. The mothers would hold quilting circles. The

uas

dinner

at Cox's store. George

Robinson and Lyda Englislt could eat praiie c/ticAen, pies, or custards. After dinner a sting band played for tlte dance. It was a good celebration!

Wichita Car Accident:

1931

New Words: ante-over

crokinole

dominoes 38

parchesi

Swimming in the

mattresses and sears. People often hung a tumbleweed in the house ro atrract flies.

The flies crawled in and were trapped. Then the tumbleweed was shaken outdoors. But the most fun with the tumbleweeds was when the children raced against them in the wind. Boys and girls in early \Wichita wenr to

lii#*

o*,,n

w, '-&

spelling contests. They were

called spelling bees. Many young people wenr on picnics. There were more boys than girls, so a girl often wenr places with two boys.

The first dance hall was on Durfee's Ranch. Latrr large homes had rooms for dancing. These dances were called costume balls.

In homes where people did not dance the people played charades. Charades are games where people do not speak words. The words are acted out. Others musr guess what the words are .

Traveling Ferris Wheel

New Words: charades 39

Children in early \Wichita saw wild animals when the circus came to town. The circus people would set up a tent on an empty lot. All the settlers would come to the circus. There wete cages of wild

animals, water animals,

snake s,

elephants, and "unnatural curiosities." A two-headed calf is an unnatural curiosity. People in Wichita have always enjoyed the rivers. A long time ago people began to plan our parks. These people saved land for parks. Attractive sffeets were made along the rivers. Sometimes trees were planted. One man who helped plan for parks was L. W. Clapp. An early settler named Coler L. Sim gave the city many acres of land. Parks were named for Mr. Clapp and the son of Mr. Sim. The parks can be

Circus Parade

:a::::,1.7i:i-':'*

: "

ffi

widffiwffi.ry

'tr:ti;i;i#a

Riverside Boat ComPany

New Words: curiosity

unnatural 40

":,ru.'*#

Victory Archway:

built over Douglas to welcome soldiers home fiom World War I. was

found on the map of history. The first entertainmenr took place around campfires . Eaily settlers would sit in a circle and tell stories. Some would sing songs. Sometimes soldiers would entertain the people . After people began ro move to \U7ichita other entertainmenr was enjoyed. $Tichita had street fairs and public meetings. There were many parades. Buggies and horses were decorated. Everyone came to the celebrations. People began to come to \Tichita from other places in Kansas. They came for entertainment. tU7ichita then became ? cultural center. There were plays in theatres. There were musicals. Operas were given by opera companies. Many world-famous people came to perform in

A Long Nigbt

ear{y lYicbita liAed pkys. Tlrty wou/d stay long bourc at a play. One unusua/ People

P/ay uas cal/ed ''Hornesteading in OUaboma."

started at 8:00

p.rn. Tben it

went on and on. Afier rnidnigbt tbe orcbestra nzemberc got tired. Tltey went bomc to bed. But tlte pky dtd not end antil B:@ tbe next

rnoruing!

Wichita. Grand and ornare theaffes were built during \Uflichita's growing time .

TODAY IN VICHITA Today's Environment \U7ichita's environment has changed since the days when lt was a new city. \U7e can no longer catch 100 pounds of fish a

New Words: cultural

orchestra

theatre

day from the Little Arkansas River. \7e have to go to the zoo to see bison or deer. There are not many gardens in \Tichita today. People buy vegetables from big grocery stores. The vegetables are shipped

to \Tichita from states with warm weather. The river is not full. Often we see ground in the middle. Dams are being built to hold the water back and raise the level of the river. The first dusty, rutted roads are now paved and smooth. We no longer take jerky rides in carriages pulled by horses. S7e ride in fast, quiet CATS.

This is a good environment. Our city grows well in it. There is oil in the ground near here. Wheat and cattle are raised on the farmland. Airplanes can fly and land in this atmosphere.

Victorian Park Fountain: This fountain was used in downtown Wichita to water horses. The small fountains on the sides are fot dogs.

Today's Neighborhoods and Houses

certain areas where people live. A neighborhood is set apatt from other areas. Perhaps a" river separates neighborhoods. The Riverside area of \U7ichita lies between the rwo rivers.

Today tU7ichita is a city of neighborhoods. Neighborhoods

are

Your History

Sometimes a neighborhood is known by a direction. The \U7estlink neighborhood is on the west side of the city. Sometimes neighborhoods have people of all one race

Your ancestors are members of your farnily. Your grandparents and tbeir parents are your ancestors. Do you hnou when your ancestors ca.rne to Ameica? lYere tbey natiae people wbo liaed ltere first? Did tbey corne frorn Mexico looAing for betteriobs? Did tltey corne from Europe loo6ing for land to farm? Did tbey corne o/2 slate sltips? AsA your parents and your

living in them. The Evergreen neighborhood has a large population of Hispanics. The Grove neighborhood has a large population of blacks. \U7ichita also has a community of gypsies. IUThen people began buying cars, many tUfichitans moved outside the city. They

grandporents.

Your bistory is importont. Find out wby yoil are in lYicbita, Konsos, today. New Words: ancestot

atmoqphere 42

gypsy

Royahy

looked for more space to live in. This space is called a suburb. Then some poor people crowded into the large houses which had been left. Some people bought many old houses. They were made into apartments. They became run-down and ugly. Old neighborhoods began to look

in Wicltita

Tbe King and Queen of tlte westem United States gtpsy clans liae in l[/icltita, Tbey are King Jobn and Queen Lucille MarAs. Tltey are King and Queen of t5,0oo gitPsies.

Some gypsies are nomadic. Tbis nzearrs tbey do not liae in one place aery long. But

bad. They were no longer nice, safe places to live . Then stores began to move closer to the people in the suburbs. Not many people went to the downtown stores. The people who were left behind began to feel alone and aftaid. They began to lose faith in their city. It was important for \Tichita to take care of this trouble. Soon people began to work together. They began ro make their neighborhoods clean and atuactive. They

mernbers of tlte Marks farnily ltaue liued in lYicbita since early 1900. Four Aings liaed bere before King Jobn. Gypsies speak a language called Ronzany.

Tbey ltaae special custorns and /aws, Tlte King maAes sure tlte stict laws are obeyed. Cbildren of gypsies soneetimes get married wben tbey are aery loung. Boys are tboug/tt of as nzen at 13. Tbey rnust worA to belp tlteir families. Gypsies still do not liAe to stay in one p/ace. Howeuer, tbey can no longer pitcb a tent by tbe roadside. Traael ltas becorne uery dfficult. Some gypsies iust traael in tlte

repaired and painted the old houses. They planted rrees and grass. The federal government gave money to help rebuild

surnnzer,

iji:::

| liil iiliitiLHitiilp,#

km**

Restored Sternberg House: a landmark

New Words: nomad

suburb 43

l:i:. " ::;Irq'l

u::::::iii

,r.!l:!It::

ll,ii:$

:,::,:

HS,* eil:iffi ::::

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.:..$.:i.B

,.::

,,# 'li: ::iS'

:*iFrr::Lr

,.,,is

-.;'''.,, ,qq&&s

ffi,

ffiwil

ffi...

Occidental Hotel: A Landmark

important event might have happened there. Or the architecture might be from

their part of the city. The people named

their neighborhood

'Midtown,

\Tichita's historic community. Today \Wichita is working hard to

a certain time in

history. Historic

preservation saves important places from destruction. Some landmarks can be seen on the map of history. As Wichita grew, many different kinds

save

its inner city. People who are interested in old houses have moved to Midtown. They

are fixing up old buildings. Some downtown buildings are old, too.

Liting

Business people are making them look better. The waterfronts are being cleared and parks are being built. Some old buildings are important to history. People want to save them from being torn down. One way of protecting

as a Family

How we /iae fficts our bousing. In yur great-grandparents' l'ifetinae rnany people /iued togetber in one house, Older aants and uncles belped witlt tbe work and cltild care. Grandparents bad time to tell cltildren stoies. Tbis Aind of family is called an

the buildings is by calling them

extended farnily. Today uery few people liae

landmarks. A landmark is protected by law. A landmark is a building or site which has historical meaning. A famous person might have lived there or an

extended

families. Most of us liae in single farnilies. Many of us liae witlt one parent. In wbicb farnily unit do you liae?

New Words: extended

historic

preservation

Ornate houses were built in the Victorian time.

The first apartment tower building in Kansas was

built in Wichita. It was named the Hillcrest Apartments. It can be seen on the map of history.

After 1900 a new style of house was built in Wichita. It was square with a ballroom on the third floor.

Many of the houses built in the 1940s and 1950s

did not face the street. They did not

have

porches. Garages were joined to the houses.

In the 1920s "airplane"

houses were built. These houses were southern bungalow with a sleeping porch high in the back. People slept there on hot summer nights. The sleeping porch gave the house an airplane shape.

Apartments and duplexes were built. A duplex is a house shared by two families. Each family has a living space. The two living spaces are divided by a wdl.

Homes in the Hilltop Manor, Beechwood, and Planeview communities were built during World War II. These houses were a place to live for the

people who came

A new way to live is in

town houses. Town living units which are joined together. They often surround recreation areas. The areas have swimming pools and tennis courts. houses are

to $flichita to help build

airplanes.

of houses were built. Most of the different kinds of houses built in \Tichita since it became a city are still used today. Transportation lbday

Today a city bus comes within a few blocks of your house. There arc many buses in tU7ichita. They arr- air conditioned and comfortable. The

In the

1960s and t970s other styles of houses were built. These were ranch style and split-level homes.

Metropolitan Transit Authority

takes

care of the buses. \Tichita is proud of its L93, when began bus system. l7ichita stopped using stteet cars. Soon

this city had one of the first all-bus in America. Today l7ichita men, women, and children often ride in cats to work and school. Many people own cars. Others ride in taxi cabs. Some people ride bicycles to work and to school. Wichita systems

has a bike path through the city. Today many people live in single fr*ily homes. Other people live in apartments and duplexes.

Sometimes we have problems as a result of our uansportation. Valuable

land for homes and farms is often used unwisely for roads and parking lots. Gasoline needed to make vehicles run costs a lot. Traffic jrmr and accidents slow traffic and sometimes hurt people. Air pollution caused by transportation vehicles is spoiling our environment. People are working on these problems. Energy-conscious citizens ride the bus as often as they can. If they have to drive, they join a carpool. Police work hard to prevent uaffrc problems. Other people are trying to find ways to clean up our polluted air.

Asian animals and African veldt animals. There is a herpetarium and a desert. The zoo is a good place to see the animals that share our world.

tUTichita has many parks and playgrounds. People can swim in the pools. They can play tennis on the coufts. There is indoor recrearion for winter and outdoor recreation for summer. Both you and your parents can share in arts and

crafts. You can learn new ways to be creative. There are things for the entire city to do. Each spring the \Ufichitennial River Festivd is held. The symbol for the River Festival is a windwagon.

Recreation and Entertainment Today

tUTichita also has many kinds of entertainmenr to enjoy. The Symphony Orchestra is well known in America.

There are many places to go in \Tichita for recreation. You can visit animals in

their naturd habitat at the

Aircraft workers, homemakers,

Sedgwick

County Zoo. A habitat is a living space. A natural habitat is like the area from which the animal first came. At the zoo are

and

university students play in the orchestra. Someday you might wanr to join the youth symphony.

A Bus Stop in rffichita New Words: conscious

habiat

heqpearium

orchestm 47

pollute

symphony

veldt

Wichita's Wurlitzer

1968 some citizens collected money to buy a'Wuditzer organ. It is a very old and heavy organ. It weighs as much as twelve automobiles. It is the finest of its

kind in the world. \7hen it first came to \Tichita the console was destroyed by fire. A console is the cabinet the organ sits in. After the fire, many Wichitans worked on the cabinet. Finally the organ was ready to play. Now we can go to \ilTuditzer Pops Concerts.

of Windwagon Smitb Legend says tltat lYindwagon Smitb built a special coaered uagon. It was special Tbe Legend

fitted uitlt soils. Tlte sails liAe tbose on a clipper sbip. IYind

because

was

were pusbed tlte windwagon aooss tbe praiie. Tbe legend saJts tbat one daY the windwagon went too fast. IYindwagon Srnitlt lost control of it, He was swept aany

into tbe sanset.

Windwagon Smith and His Windwagon New Words: console

foundation

iazz 48

Wurlitzer

The \Tichita Jazz Festival brings jazz education to \7ichita. \7hen you are in high school you might be able to take part in jazz workshops. People also enjoy dance performances. The Metropolitan Ballet brings famous artists to tUflichita. The Dance Foundation of Kansas goes on tours. It may come to your school. Today there are several theatre groups in \7ichita. The \Tichita Community Theatre uses community people in plays. Many tUfichitans have acted in them. The

Music Theatre

of \Tichita

produces Century

musicals for adults and children. One of the musicals was "\trV'innie the Pooh. " Each summer there are plays in the parks. Summer Shakespeare-in-the-Park is free for everyone. A black theatre group called "One People" gives plays that people

II Civic Center

Century II. It is a very large building. Many people come to it. Century II is called a civic center. A civic center is a place which belongs to the people of a

enjoy. The \Tichita Children's Theatre began in L946.It is a fine theatre for boys

clty.

Today the citizens of \Tichita can learn or play together. People do not have to

and gids.

Many of these interesting dance and theatre performances take place in

feel lonely like the eady settlers in \7ichita.

Mid-American Dance Company

Today citizens of Wichita can look for new ways to protect our environment. They can work on ways to live together

A Fiend of Students Irene VicAers BaAer is a friend of lyicltita students. Sbe bas worAed bard for oaer tbirty yars ltelping students. Irene VicAers BaAer started tlte ll/icltita Cltildren's Tbeatre. Sbe saw t/tat sorrue cbildren could not dttend tbe Cltildren's

without trouble. Living in L city is important. It is a'lot of work. Perhaps someday you will help find rhe answers to some of lUTichita's problems. You would be helping tUflichita grow.

Tbeotre. Slte organized C bildren's

tlte

l[/icltita

Tlteatre Troapers. Actors aolunteered to be in tbe Troupers. Tbey went to elenaentary schools and gaue liae perforrnances. Ouer 4a0,000 students leamed tbrouglt tbenz bou great tbeatre could be.

New Words: civic 50

Llvtuo fi,1 lillcu wA \

\\ !

\af

Wellinabrl

Ptotl

-r;;;

(

.t\ l [fa'**

Elkurseuru s6V6NTEC}/IA

L"ffi

llouse' P1l N'Et,,Poriat-atrdfttte+zeNn ELAEMI

*ii

\Hi*oria

Distnct

LENTR*L

t wwit{

l Buatncss

c;ht

ilitlercst

Distrlct. tarey llousc

edairo,, J

7uls,

Apartments ll5 S.&rtan

M4lh

IIARRY

STAYING HAPPY AND I{EAITI{Y IN WICHITA government. A special government, the school district, handles school problems. In April 1870, before \Tichita became a town, Sedgwick County was organized. tUTichita is now the county seat of Sedgwick County. The courthouse is in \fichita. The courthouse belongs to all towns and people in this county. One of the first county coufthouses is a landmark made of Kansas limestone. \U7hen it became old, some PeoPle wanted to tear it down. The county government people knew it was a fine building. They saved it so we could see it. It can be found on the map of history. A judge named tU7illiam Brown was appointed to rule over the first couft. Court was first held above a livery stable. A livery stable is a barn where horses are

Government

Cities must take care of the needs of people. People need food and shelter.

People need money. PeoPle need libraries, museums, and theatres. People need support from each other. Sometimes one person's needs are not like another person's needs. The early people knew this. They knew that people who live together must have rules. They needed a government to make rules. \Tichita city government makes rules just for people in $ichita. The county government makes rules for all the people in Sedgwick County. The state government takes care of problems of all Kansas people. Rules for people living in the United States are made by the federal

Wichita:

1876

New Iflonds: lirirestone

livery 5?

decide what to do about problems in $7ichita. Citizens go to the commission. They ask for help and suggesr ideas for making \Tichita a better place to live. The people in rUfichita vote for five city commissioners.The commissioners select one of their five members to serve as mayor. The commissioners make laws for the people of !7ichita. Laws help us have respect for the ideas and needs of others. Laws protect everybody. The city commissioners hire a manager who hires people to make the laws work. The commissioners now meet in a new glass and steel city hall. The old city hall is now used as the Historical Museum. It is a very fine building made of Kansas

Sedgwick County Courthouse

Daniel and tbe Comnissioners

kept. Commissioners are people who rule. The government of Sedgwick County has always been ruled by commissioners. The people in the counry vote for their comm$sloners. In July of 1870, 123 men and one woman signed a petition. A petition asks someone to do something. These people wanted tU7ichita to become a rown. The petition was presented to Probate Judge Reuben Riggs. tU7ichita became a town. The woman who signed the petition was Catherine McCarty. She was the mother

1973 a scboolboy named Daniel spo6e

to tbe city conamissioners. Daniel told tbem about a dangerous street wlticb went across bis scltoo/'s grounds. Otlter students also spoAe. Tltey wanted tbe street closed so tlteir playground could be larger and safer.

The cbildren uere polite to

tlte

conanaissioners.

The city cornrnissioners listened to tbe

cltildren and tbeir parents. Tbey

also

listened to tlte people wlto did not uant tbe

street closed, Tben tbey nzade tbeir decision. Tltey decided to close tlte street, How do you tbink Daniel and ltis friends felt? How do you tltinh tbe people felt wbo

of Billy the Kid. Dr. E. B. Allen was

wanted tlte street left open? If we did not baae goaernnzent, tbese two groups migbt baue fougbt. Our leaders settled the problern peacefully.

\Tichita's first mayor. A town council of elected people helped Mayor Allen. Today a city commission meers ro New Words: commissioner

museum 53

petition

limestone. It has a clock in the towet The dial measures eight feet across. At six o'clock the two hands measure more than five feet long. The city hall can be found on the map of history. The city government collects tar( money from people. The government uses this money to pay for services. Services are things the government does to help people. \fhen there is not much money from ta(es, services ate not provided. \7hen Wichita first became a town, the town council wanted to help people who moved here. Gas lights were bought to light the streets in 1878. A man was hired by the city for thirty dollars a month. He started the lights in the evening and turned them off by daybreak. One of the first problems in rU7ichita

Wichita's Old City Hdl was dust. Dust raised by cattle drives and

into stores on Main Street. The town council bought a water sprinkler to settle the dust. Another serious problem was dogs. There were too many dogs. Some dogs hurt livestock and bit people. The editor of the Eagle said there was a new batch of puppies on the street every day.

horses got

Protection from Crime

early life on the Plains, PeoPle trusted each other. They needed each other. It was all right for a' traveler to stoP at a house and enter. Travelers were welcome to food and rest. Soon many people came to the Plains.

Wichita's New City Hall

Street Construction in Early Wichita

W W

ffi W

Dog Catcher's Truck

Protection from Fire

The first people in

lU7ichita were worried about fires. Their only protection was neighbors with buckets of water. They had strange ways of sounding an alarm. Sometimes they screamed loudly or they fired a shotgun.

The citizens of \Tichita decided they needed a fire department. A bell was placed on north Market Street. \U7'hen a fire was seen, someone would n.n and ring the bell. The whole town heard it. Volunteers would tun to the firehouse. First CityJail

Some

They would take hold of the ropes on the fire truck. They would pull it to the fire. Many buckets hung on the bottom of the truck. They were handed to firefighters and neighbors. The volunteers made a bucket brigade . People stood in two lines

of these people began to rob and

hurt othets. Protection

was needed. The

first laws passed by the eatly \Tichita government were laws of order. A marshall was hired to make sure people

between the fire and a well. Full buckets of water were passed down one line to the fire. Empty buckets were passed back along the other line to the well.

obeyed the laws. People who did not obey the laws were Put into jail. The town council did not allow guns rn

town. Cattle drovers had shot out the lights on the streets. The drovers had to leave their guns at the marshall's office when they came into town. The drovers could get their guns back when they left town. Judge Hewitt had an iron triangle hanging in front of his office. If drovers rode in shooting guns, people rang the alarm. Citizens came with guns to defend \flichita. Cattle drovers were not always bad. Some iust wanted to run things theit

Traffic Rules Tltere uas a trafrc rule in early lYicbita. It said tltat people were not to diae tbeir mules fast. People uere not to ride tlteir borses fast. If tltey went fast or raced in tbe streets, tbey ltad to pay afine. Tlte marsltall made sure tbis rzle was not broAen. Tbe iadge sornetimes made people pay twentyfite dollars if tbey broAe tbe rule,

way. New Words: brigade

marshall 56

triangle

Larer, when the water company was built, hoses could be attached to water plugs. Pressure from sream pumpers forced warer through the hose. Alarm boxes were placed around town. Some were in trees. Fast horses were used

to pull the fire equipment. The firefighters had to keep the horses ready to go at all times. The horses were trained ro go to the front of the equipmenr. They stood waiting until they were hitched. The driver had ro pur heavy collars on the horses. The collar had to be snapped in place. Then with the clanging of the bell the fire wagon raced down the streets. At first, time was lost hitching horses to wagons. Then one d^y a firefighter

named

R. G.

Armstrong invented

Black Firefighters from Station #3

Rock Roch was a l.{/icltita fire /torse. He loaed bis job. Il/ben be becarne o/d, lte could no

/onger be used. Tben be uas giuen to tbe street department. His new job was to ltau/ dirt and trasb, One day lte was neAr a fire statton. The fire alarnt rang. Old RocA beard tbe be//. He wbinnied and picked up ltis ears. Tlten be tore out after tbe bose wagon. He scattered trasb a// tbrouglt tlte streets!

quick-hitch for horses. The alarm would sound and the horses would go ro their places. The hitches above them would be dropped onro the horses. This became known as rhe Armstrong Hitch. Captain Bob

Fire station #2 /tad a rnaJcot. He was a dog narned Captain Bob. Captain Bob rode on tlte fire equipment witlt tlte ft)refigbters. l.{4ten tbey reacbed tlte fire, Captain Bob /ocated tbe closest uater p/ug for tbe firefigbters. Tbe firefigltters attac/ted tbe bose to tlte plug and put out tlte fire. Captain Bob /telped tbe firefigltters at station #2 for twe/ae lears. He uent on 7,000 a/arnzs.

Fire Engine Pulled by Horses New Words: mascot

whinnied 57

Sources

Equus beds store millions of gallons of water underground. They are like sponges which soak up rainfall. In the 1960s the Cheney Reservoir was built to hold water.

of Energy

The native people depended on wood for heating and cooking. The early settlers depended on wood for heating, cooking, furniture, and homes. \7ood provided energy. Other energy comes from oil, natural gas, and coal. A gas business came to Wichita in 1883. Gas was used for cookint and to light houses. The first electricity came to \Tichita in 1881.

Mail Service

\7hen the new peoPle came

\Wichita, they felt alone on the Plains. Some people had moved a long way from their families. Some of them had families for lVicbita Tlte first ligbt bulb in lYicbita glowed at Douglas and Topeha, A large rowd Ligbt

W'ater Service

Wichita had a large suPPly of good water in 1870. That made early settlers want to live in \7ichita. The water came from wells located neat the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers. The first water line built was made of wood. It went from the wells to homes.ln 1940 a new source of watet was found twentyfive miles nofthwest of \7ichita. The

gatltered. Tbe street was crowded. People were ltappy. Six rnore ligl)x were set in place, A neuspaper reporter looAed at tlte six ligltts sparAling in tbe nigbt. Tbe reporter wisbed to see tbe ligbts stretclt for

miles. lYltat do you tltinA tltat person would say nou about Douglas on An euening before C bristmas?

$dfin

,ai

Electricity Came to Wichita

Kansas Gas and Electric Truck

1885

New Words: Eqoos

sponge

reservofi 58

town, telephone service came to homes. There were sixty-two telephones and five telephone operarors. People were excited about this new invention. They could

talk to other people three miles away. Sometimes they would call and say, "Hello, what are you doing?" It was like a new toy.

The first telephone directory wasn'r a book. It was a list of names. At the bottom of the page was a message. It said, "Answer promptly; others are waiting for us. Ring off when you are through. Someone may want you." A person calling had to rurn a crank on the side of the telephone. This rang a bell. An operaror would answer. The caller would say rhe name of the person

Mail Truck

in Europe and some had families in eastern America. Often it was many years before the first settlers gor letters from their families. The mail was slow. It was carried over the counuy by horses and by carriages. Sometimes it got lost in floods or in battles. Milo Kellogg was \Wichita's first postmaster. He and his wife, Vira, were early settlers. When Mr. Kellogg was postmaster, mail did not come to S7ichita every day. It only came when someone happened to be coming this way. Later

oo, the first mail delivery to began. It was difficult

homes for the mail carrier.

There weren't any streer signs. There weren't any numbers on houses. Telephone Service

Eleven years after Wichita became

An Early Post Office

Telephone Switchboard and Operators

Telephone Line Repair Workers

who was wanted. The operaror would

became tVichita's first mayor.

Dr. Andrew

connect the two telephone lines and ring for that person. The ring was like a code.

Fabrique also came in L869. He loved the valley. He had great faith in the rown. In 1870 he brought his family to Wichita. Dr. Fabrique was a kind friend of the settlers. He understood their problems. Many times he gave medicine and food to people who could not pay. In 1887 Dr. Fabrique asked the Sisters of Mercy to open a hospital. They called it St. Francis Hospital. Dr.

It might have been two long rings and two short rings. Or it might have been one long ring and three short rings. When the people finished talking, they each gave a short turn on the crank. This bell let the operator know they were finished. The operator would disconnect the lines.

Fabrique gave money to students needing help with their education.

Health Services \When children became ill in early Wichita it was usually their parents who took care of them. Often parenrs used herbs like catnip and sage for cures. A queer smelling rea was cooked in a tiny saucepan. It was made from horehound. Children drank it when they had colds. A greenish-yellow substance as thick as Cream of \Wheat was used as a spring tonic. It was made from molasses and sulphur. If someone gor poision iuy, sulphur and sweet oil were often used to cure it. The first medical doctors in \X/ichita arrived in L969. Life for these pioneer doctors was hard. They did not have phones. They had to make many house

Dr. Nannie

Stephens was

one of

\Tichita's women doctors. She was

specialist in women's health. She lived in Wichita in 1879. She was admired by many gids in \Wichita. It was unusual for a woman to be a doctor in those days.

calls. Doctors had to ride in abuggy or on horseback. Roads were poor and rough in bad weather.

Dr. Edwin B. Allen and Dr. Andrew H. Fabrique were \Tichita's first doctors. E. B. and Mary Allen arived in L869. They were good citizens. Dr. Allen

St. Francis Hospital

New Words: disconnect

herb

horehound 6r

molasses

sulphur

W Flood: 1904

planners decided to do something. A flood control project was built. It is called the \Tichita-Valley Center Flood Control Project. ril7e also call it the "Big Ditch. " It is a large channel with high sides. \7ater runs from north of the city through the channel. It goes through west lUfichita and on toward Derby. There the water goes back into the river. Now \Tichita does not have bad flooding. In 1923 Vlichita and New York CitY became two of the first cities in the nation to have complete plans. The Wichita plan was written by Hadand Bartholomew. The plan was used to improve the city.

Planning the City Planning is important to cities. Plans are needed for clean air and clean water. Plans are needed to know where to build roads, schools, and parks.

The first planner in Wichita was Villiam Greiffenstein. He traveled the countryside. He counted the streams and looked at the valleys. He saw the rich land around the confluence of the river. He knew that food could be raised here to

feed a town. He knew there might be enough food left over to trade . He started to build a town.

Planning helps the citY

solve

TODAY IN WICHITA

problems. There were bad floods in eady \7ichita. Often the streets would be full of water. For many years l7ichita people had problems with the flooding. The city

\7e are lucky to live in \Tichita today. Our city has good services and ways to take care of problems. Our city has both

New Words: channel 62

old and new rules for people who live

people. At times groups take advantage of other groups. Wichita solves these troubles in several ways. One way is to teach people how to learn about each other and not be fearful. Another way is to hire special people to study the trouble. These people meet with group leaders to see that all persons are treare d fairly.

together. Crime is a great problem today. Courtrooms and prisons must be built.

rU7ichita

is working to build

safe

neighborhoods. Police work in teams in neighborhoods. Helicopters are used when needed. Community centers help people find jobs. Some people hurt others. They sometimes abuse children. Some people sell and use harmful drugs. The police department has special people trained to help. Even children break the city's laws. There are people and courrs to take care of them.

Trouble can hurt Wichita. Families might nor want to live here. A business might not wanr ro come here. It is

important

for

$Tichita

ro help its

different groups live together. Today firefighters have good, sffong equipment. They work ro prevent fires in the city. Firefighters help schools by having fire drills. There is not as much water today as

Sometimes troubles staru between neighborhoods. This happens when people have different goals. Sometimes people in one neighborhood do nor

understand people in another neighborhood. They may nor know the languages and customs of the other

there once was. People know that we have

protecr our water supply.

Wichita Under Flood New Words: abuse 63

important f5r you to help. r0fater must be kept in its natural cycle. It comes to Wichita as rain. It soaks into the

department must cleanse it. The water is piped to a water purifying plant. There the water is made clean. From the plant the water moves in pipes to homes and industries. 'Waste gets in the water from use in homes and industries. The waste water is carried away from buildings by sewers. It goes through the sewets to

underground Equus beds and wells. rhe Lake. The lnto Cheney Lake. rt goes into Some of it moisture from these water supplies goes back into the air. Then it becomes heavy and falls back as rain. The people in \Tichita borrow water from this cycle. Then they have to put it back very carefully. Trained people take cate of \Tichita's water.

Tbe New Car

Fire cltief lholden was ltaaing problents. He ltad driaen borses for nzan! years. Tben tbe city bougltt tlte fire deportnzent a car, It uas a Mitchell, Cbief lYalden droae it home at nigltt so be could get used to it, One day wlten lte was at ltorne, tltere was a fire on Doug/as. Tlte firefigbters were tltere figbting tbe fire.

Cheney Lake helps control floods and supplies water for drinking. It is also used to water ctops on farms ' ln 19(c5 a half million fish were dropped from a plane over Cheney. Now there are many fish in the lake. Wildlife lives in and around the

Suddenfu tltey lteard tlte Mitcltell sputteing down tbe street. It was going forty miles per ltoar, As it went past the .firr, firefigbters could bear tlte cltief yelling, "IYltoa! lYboa! "

lake.

During long dry spells the water from the lake is not good. There are also other

times it is not pure. The

water

Cheney Reservoir

New Words:

puri$ 64

built an energy te$ building. It has a solar furnace and a wind generator. Some people wanr to use the sun and wind for energy. tUTichita helps people save energy.

One way ro help is by

photography. Some airplanes fly over Wichita at night. Photographers take photographs of the rooftops. Homeowners can go to the test house to see the pictures of their rooftops. They can tell if heat goes our rhe top. This makes people want to insulate their attics. They want to save fuel. Insulation is like putting on an exrra sweater. It keeps warmth inside. It is important that city planners look for new energy sources. It is important for citizens ro use them in their homes. Perhaps someday you can help

First Underground Solar Home in Wichita

treatment plants. The trearment plants remove the waste and send the water back into the river or lake. All must be done carefully. The water we use musr not spoil our fresh warer supply. Electric lights make life in Wichita safe

solve \Wichita's energy problems. Today it is easy ro communicate with people far away.It is easy to write to them

and pleasant. Gas is used to make the electricity at electric power plants.

or talk to them by telephone. Mail is carried to our houses. It is also easy to

Petroleum is our main source of energy. \We use twice as much petroleum as we produce. That means we have to get half

of our petroleum from foreign counrries. The United States is always looking for new sources of energy. Natural gas comes from petroleum. It is piped to our houses. It is used for heating homes, heating water, cooking, and drying clothes. It is used to make plastics and toys. It is used in factories. Much of the United Srares' natural gas is produced in Kansas. tUTichitans are concerned about the energy crisis. The city governmenr has

Gordon Evans Electrc Power

New Words: crisis

foreign

geflefator

infrared

infrared 65

petroleum

send letters. \Ufe can walk a short distance and drop a letter in one of the many

mailboxes

and doctors in $7ichita. Today we have to help solve people's problems. One way is

in town. The post office has

send

a van or

helicopter where

newborn babies are in trouble. The mother and the baby ride back to the hospital. The van and helicopter have equipment to care for the baby. Today \Tichita has several hospitals. There are over 500 doctors to care for people. ln 1974 \Tichita started a medical school. Students are uained in \Tichita hospitals. Dr. Andrew H. Fabrique would be amazed to see all the doctors in \Tichita today!

many branches throughout the city. Today all first class mail is sent on airplanes. Some messages ar:. sent by computers. \trfle can write letters to people who live thousands of miles away in foreign countries. Telephones have become an important part of our lives. There is a telephone in almost every house in rUTichita. Telephones make homes safe and older people feel secure. Telephones are important to businesses for sales. 'We can talk to someone across the nation or halfoay around the wodd in a short time. Health care is different today than in the 1870s. Today \Tichita is a regional health center. People come from all over Kansas to Wichita. They use the hospitals

Today we hire city planners. They have an important job. They make suggesdons

on how to improve our city. Without

plan, tUTichita would grow haphazard and ugly. Services and the people who serve are important to our city.

#ffi @*jffi

Sfesley Hospital Van and Aircraft:

A heli-pad allows the helicopter to land on the hospital roof. New Words: haphazard

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WORKING IN WICHITA

1878 Street Scene During $fheat Market in Wichita

Growing From Town to City Once Wichita was a strange looking town at the confluence of the rivers. There wete log houses and cattle drives through the streets. Later Wichita became the biggest city in Kansas. There are several reasons why it grew. Boosters

First came the people with dreams. In his mind, William Greiffenstein saw a big

city. In his rnind, Morris Levy saw ^

railroad. In her mind, Osie English saw a lovely new home for her piano. These were people with enthusiasm. They were called "boosters." Marshall Murdock, the t:ditor of the Eagle, wtote wonderful news itens about \7ichita. Many others wrote to friends back east to boost !flichita. These ea.rl1, boosters gave \Wichita many

Tremont House: 1878

New Words: booster

enthusiasm 68

fancy names. Some called it "The Peerless Princess of the Plains. " Orhers called it "The Magic City" and "\Windy ITonder of the \7est. " Some people thought it was a "Happy Valley. "

selling houses makes a city grow. But suddenly the city stopped growing. Stores were closed. Buildings were empty. Nice homes had no one in them. This was a bust. Many people left Wichita. This hurt the city. But Wichita was never hurt so badly that it could not continue ro grow. \Wichita never became a ghost rown.

The boosters persuaded people to move 'dreams to $7ichita. With the and the people came the businesses. Buying and

selling is importanr to the growth of a city. Businesses came because there was coal and oil in the land. Transportation helped business come to the town. Business helped the town grow into a city. At times \Tichita grew very fast. That is called a "boom." Sometimes the city suddenly stopped growing. That is called a "bust. " During the boom many people came to \Wichita. So many people came that they could not find homes. Some families had to live in tents by the river.

Cattle and Trains Cattle trade was the first big business in eaily Wichita. Cattle were driven up the Chisholm Trail to be sold at the market. They were taken away by train. The railroad ran to Newton, but not to \Wichita. The camle had ro be driven through Wichita to Newton and Abilene . People in eady \Wichita knew it was important to bring a raihoad ro town. Wichita boosters talked ro Newton people about building a raihoad spur. A railroad spur is a railroad track which connects the main track with a nearby

Strangers would stop people on the street.

They would ask, "How much money will you take for your home?" Buying and

Wichita Stores New Words: persuaded

railroad spur 69

town. The \Tichita people offered to trade some land for a raihoad line . The

The railroad connected \Tichita with the Gulf of Mexico. The railroad connected Wichita with grazing lands in west Texas. It supplied \Tichita with coal and oil from fields in Colorado. It supplied \Tichita

Newton people agreed to the trade . The northern part of Sedgwick County became Harvey County. Newton became the county seat. In return, \Wichita got its railroad spur. The first train came to lVichita on May L6, L872. Many people came to meet it. That night a hard rain fell. But a brass band was there to celebrate the train's

coming. The boosting

"Eaerytbing Goes

in Wirbita"

Tlte trains brought a building boom to lYicbita, Grocers and botels naade a lot of ntonel. Many peop/e cante to trade or to liue in tlte town, A sign was placed wltere people /irst entered tlte town. It read: Everything goes in rJfichita. Leave yout revolvers at police headquarters and get a check. Carrying concealed weapons strictly forbidden.

Marshall Murdock persuaded other trains to come to \Wichita. One of the early railroad

stations built in \Tichita was Union Station. It can be seen on the map of history.

The trains were important to Wichita for other teasons. They provided a new kind of transportation for the people. In 1870 a stage toute had been started in \Wichita. The stages were called two-mule jerkies. They were called jerkies because passengers

got a jerky ride. The roads

were rough and rutted. There were big rocks in the way. Later large ovedand stagecoaches carried people and mail. People paid to ride in jerkies and stagecoaches.

\When the railroad came to \Wichita, the stagecoaches were no longer needed. The railroad was important to farmers and ranchers. It was a way for them to send their cattle and grain to hungry people . l7ichita grew because the railroad connected the town with other places.

First Train to Wichita

New Words: concealed

headquarters 70

revolver

with stone and coal from quarries and

houses. These houses were made ot rulhoad ties and mud. Railroad ties are the wooden paft of the railroad track. Many of the Hispanic people could not speak English. They spoke only Spanish.

mines. Lumber came from Louisiana and Arkansas. Soon trains were going in and out of \Tichita in all directions. Within six months after the first train came ro \UTichita the population grew from 300 to 2,000.

Cannonball Green

stagecoacb was diaen frorn Kingrnan uest to Pratt, Tbe diuer was Cannonball

Hispanic People in Wichita

Green.

In the early 1900s a few Hispanic

He uAs ca//ed "Cannonba//,,

because /te droae tlte stagecoacb

as fast as a cannonball. In order to go fast, lte ltad to c/tange ltorses euery eigltt rni/es, Harnesses uere snapped onto tbe borses uery quicAly so Cannonba// cou/d start out again. Cannonball often went so fast lte left tlte passenger's suitcase be/tind. Tlte suitcase

people lived in Wichita. Many more came aiter 1910. Some Hispanic people came to tU7ichita because there was a war in Mexico. It was hard to ger food in Mexico.

The pay for jobs was nor good. Many Hispanic people came to \U7ichita ro work on railroad gangs. Some lived in railroad cars on the tracks. \U7hen a new section of track was needed, the railroad car was

was picked up and brougbt by a slower stage. Cannonball was good witb a wbip, A

folA story says be could Jlip a lty from tlte ear of bis lead ltorse witb a tip of tlte laslt. Sornetinzes old Higbway )4 is called tlte Cannonball Higbway, It can be seen on t/te map of bistory.

pulled to that area. After the tracks were built, each worker had ten miles of track to care for. Some families lived in section

Hispanic Railroad Crew

Paula

would buy 100 pounds of ice to put in tlte ice box. Tben her farnily could Aeep tbeir

Paula Hinojosa Tiana uas a little girl wbo liaed in a boxcar witb lter uncle, IYben her parents came to lZichita slte rnoaed into a bouse, Tlteir ltouse was in a bario, or neigbborltood, nanzed La Yarda del Santa Fe de/ Norte, Tbis means "tbe nortbern yard of tlte Sante Fe." Pau/a would walk to tbe grocery store for lter mother. Sontetinees lter motber, ulto was named Pab/a, gaue her a quarter. lYitb it Pau/a cou/d buy three dozen eggs or tbree pounds of ltamburger, Paula's fanzily did not ltaae a refrigerator. Tltey had a dffirent way of heeping food freslt. Paula's brotber built a box out of flooring. It utas four feet bigl) and four feet wide. It was lined with anotlter box, Tltere wds a four-incb space between tbe inside and outside boxes. Straw was packed in tbis

eggs freslt.

l{/hen Paula uas older she married Victor Triana. Victor carue to lYicltita on tlte train wlten be was fourteen years o/d. Tlte railroad car lte was in stopped on top of tbe Douglas Steet oaerpass. Victor looAed out tbe window down Douglas Street and said, "Este pueb/o me aa a gustar." Tbe English trans/ation is, "I'n2 going to /ike tbis toLun. ' '

Pau/a's motber, Pab/a, was 11) years o/d

when she died in 1982, Sbe uas an ear/y Hrspanic immigrant. Sbe was older tban tbe citjt of Wichita.

The Hispanic children learned the new language easily. They became interpreters for the older Hispanic people. Sometimes the children became the teachers and their parents the students. Some Hispanic children worked for the railroad as water carriers. They carried watet in buckets to the workers. Most of the houses in which the first

space.

Tuo times a week Paula had a special cltore. Sbe would push a wlteelbanow to tbe paching house wltere herfatherworhed. Sbe

gone . A Hispanic people lived ^re buitding in the LaYarda del Santa Fe del Norte barrio is still here. It has been a

Mexican restaurant since L922. found on the map of history.

can be

Jewish People in Wichita

\7hen the ffains began coming to \7ichita, the little town grew. Cattle coming up the Chisholm Trail were

i:ii:iilljrrlillilr,itrii I :lr : :i

Victor Tiana

loaded onto railroad cars. Each day fifty New Words: barrio

rnterpreter

flooring 72

translation

tilTichita were merchants. They bought and sold goods. One of the first Jewish merchants in I7ichita was Leopold Hays. He came in L869. He owned a clothing store for carrle drovers. Piles of dried bison hides stretched from his store on \il7'ater Street down ro the river. Many of the Jewish people helped Wichita grow. Hardy Solomon was a real estate man. He helped newcomers find places to live. Mr. Solomon's beautiful home is on the map of history. Morris W. Levy also helped Wichita. He arrived in L872. He helped bring the Missouri Pacific railroad to \7ichita. He was an early school board member. He organized the group who started the first

to seventy-five train cars full of cattle left tD7ichita. All this buying and selling of cattle was called a "cattle boom. " The cattle boom brought business people to town. New people arrived and needed places to live. The real esrate business grew. Advertisements were sent ro people in the eastern United States. Even people

foreign countries bought land in tU7ichita. Some came to live in \Wichita. The cattle boom brought many Jewish people to tUTichita. Most of them came from families who had lived in the eastern United States. Their parenrs had left Germany and Austria because they were being persecuted. They were hurt by other people. Some people in Europe were cruel to members of theJewish faith. Jewish families came to America for freedom of religion. Some of theJewish people who came ro to

library.

Sol Kohn, a banker, was one of the city's first mayors. Mr. Kohn cared about tJ7ichita. He was concerned about people

New Words: advertisement

perserute 73

real estate

Main Street. In 1910 the business district was a busy place. There were hotels, attorneys, doctors, a dentist, barbers, and

Sol Kobn and tbe Robbers

Sol Kobn uas A wise nzan. He owned sorne uagons wbiclt be Aept at his store. Tlte

restaurants. There were hairdressers, grocers, clothes cleaners, an electrician,

uagons were strong and Mn Kobn did not want to lose tbena, He ltad a plan. At nigbt lte tooL tlte burs off tlte wheels and put tltern in ltis store. A burr ltelps ltold tlte wbeel on tbe uagon. One nig/tt sonxeone tied to stea/ a uagon. But tlte robbers did not get far! Tlte next day tbe wagon was found on tbe praiie. The wbeels bad fallen ffi

and a druggist.

In the middle of the black business district was Ark Valley Lodge #21. It was a Masonic Lodge. The lodge was al

important meeting place

black

people. It is now listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. It can be found on the map of history.

and helped them. After the Civil War many black people were looking for homes. Mr. Kohn started a relief fund to help them come to Wichita. The relief fund was a way to collect money for the black people, who had none. Mr. Kohn

Troubled Times for rffichita The summer of 7874 was hot and dry. Many people moved away. In his paper, booster Marshall Murdock asked people

helped bring the first railroad to Wichita. It was called the Wichita and Southern Railroad. The cattle boom brought the packing industry to Wichita. Some cattle and hogs shipped to the city did not leave Wichita.

They were bought by packing house owners. Packing houses are buildings where animals are killed. The meat is packaged and sent to grocery stores and butcher shops. By L93) there were six packing plants in Wichita. Black Business District

During the 1800s many black families moved to rU7ichita. By 1900 there was a black-owned business district on north

Packing Comlnny

New Words: Masonic

for

reglstry 74

to stay in tUTichita. He said things would get better. But in August millions of grasshoppers moved over southcentral Kansas. Crops were eaten. The leaves on tfees were eaten. The grasshoppers ate the maize so that farmers had no feed for their livestock. The grasshoppers covered train rails and made the locomotive wheels slip when going uphill. The grasshoppers ate eve

rything but casror beans

and pumpkins. Wild animals and stock died from lack of vegetation. In the winter, a starving deer broke into the Murdock family's kitchen for food. It was ahard time . The drought caused the streams to dry up. Farmers caught fish in nets to eat and sell. Flocks of ducks and geese were killed and their feathers used to stuff pillows and mattresses. This gave the farmers a little income. Bison and cow bones were gathered. They were sent to the east to factories that made buttons

:s.i@:iiil

e.:'*!*:

:'i

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Cattle and Bison Bones

Harvesting Wheat New Words: drought

lncome 75

locomotive

Harvest

Mennonites who lived there began to look for a new homeland. Some Americans had sympathy for people who were pacifists. The Mennonites decided to come to America. They bought nearly 100,000 acres of land from the Santa Fe Railroad. The Mennonites brought Turkey Red wheat with them. It was a hard winter wheat. It could be planted in the ground in the fall. It could stay in the ground all winter and not be harmed by the cold. In

and knife handles. Some \Tichita people died during the drought. There was little food, clothing, or medicine. People in other states helped by sendin g L24 train cars full of food and goods.

But finally the cattle trade got better. Rains came and vegetables could grow. Many watermelons were raised and sold to people in northern states. The hard times wefe over.

the spring the wheat would grow. It

Mennonite Immigrants

would be ready to harvest before the hot summer began. Turkey Red wheat was a perfect grain to grow in Kansas.

One important group who helped

during the hard times were

the

Mennonites. The Mennonites were immigrants from Russia and Germany.

lYbeat Cornes to Konsas Tbere is a folA story aboat a family wbo pached a tranA of grain in Russia, They took

Like theJewish people , they came to the United States to pracdce their religious beliefs without persecution. They were pacifists, or peace-lovers. They did not want to fight other people. In 1871 Russia began to take people for military service.

only tbe biggest and best grains. They wrapped eaclt grain of wlteat in clotlt and put it in tbe trunk. Euen little cltildren ltelped. IYlten tbe family adaed in Konsas, they planted tbe wbeat,

New Words: Mennonites

paciftt 76

Agriculture Because of the Mennonites, Kansas became the greatest inland wheat market in the wodd. Farmers would haul their gruin to the mills in \il7ichita from as far as 100 miles away. Sometimes it took the farmers three days to get ro Wichita. The farmers would stay at a feed stable. They could buy hay for their horses and give them a place ro stay. The farmers would sell their wheat and return home. The wheat was stored in grain elevators. The elevators were located along the Santa Fe Railroad tracks. Kansas became known as the "Wheat State" because of the good harvests of Russian wheat.

Another agriculture business was broomcorn. Broomcorn comes from a plant which grows from three to sixteen feet tall. Bristles for brooms are made

Imboden Grain Mills: 1900

Btoomcorn Warehouse New Words: brisde

broomcorn 77

inland

from the stiff part of the

plant. Broomcorn was baled, or wrapped into packages. The bales were sent to a

warehouse.

The first

broomcorn

warehouse was built in 1904. Five years later \flichita had the greatest broomcorn market in America. In 1926 there were thirty-five companies in \Tichita selling broomcorn. Because of the gtain market, milling companies and storage companies grew. As the years went by, the largest grain storage business in the area was developed by Ray N. Garvey. Mr. Garvey was a real estate speculator. A speculator buys

Mentholatum Company

Other Industries

something on the risk it will bring in money later. A speculator might lose money or earn money. Mr. Garvey took a risk. He bought many wheat farms and a grain elevator. He began to eatn money. Mr. Garvey became the nation's largest wheat producer.

Although milling and livestock were the largest tU7ichita industries, other industries began growing. The Yucca Soap Company was organized by Albert A. Hyde. Mr. Hyde did not sell a lot of

soap. He created a. salve

named

Flour Miling New Words: bale

industry

produce

salve 78

speculate

warehouse

service. He rented lamps to business people and charged them one dollar a week. Soon he had a good business. Two years later Mr. Coleman moved to tU7ichita and started the Coleman Company. Coleman lanterns were first used on farms. Then many orher people wanted the lanterns. The lanterns were used for emergency landings for airplanes in the Andes Mountains. The lanterns were used to guide rescue boats. Admiral

Richard Byrd used them when he explored the South pole. William Coleman became one of \il7ichita's mosr

William C. Coleman and First Portable Table Lamp

Mentholatum.

successful business people. In January L915, a new business came to Wichita. It was rhe Jones Motor Car

It was a medicine for

curing coughs. The soap company began

to sell Mentholarum. The company became successful.

Tbe First Nigbt Football Gante

The Mentholatum

factory can be seen on the map of history. Hyde Park is named for Albert Hyde. Mr.

p/ayed, Colenzan Arc Lamps ligltted tbe ftrst nig/tt football ganze. Tbe entire garue was p/ayed under artificial /ight, Tbe game war uon bjt Fairmount Co//ege, now

Hyde named streets on his land for his

wife Ida and her friends. They

1905 an interesting footba// game wds

were

Laura, Pattie, Lulu, and Fannie.

ll/rchzta S tate Llniue rsity.

1900 a man named William C. Coleman lived in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. He was worried about people who worked in dark shops and dusty mines. He knew that farmers could only work while the sun was up. Mr. Coleman said, "$Vhar the average man needs is not a gasoline brggy or a good nickel cigar. \What the

light to read by. " Mr. Coleman had an idea. He borrowed $2,000 from his two brothers-in-law. He went into business selling a lighting average man needs is a

Jones Car

New Words: artrfictal

lantern 79

Mentholatum

Another industry important

to l7ichita's growth was oil. The first oil field in Kansas was opened in 191) by a wildcatting rig. Wildcatters are oil A Horseless Cariage 1894 Alaa ll/ilson began to build a car. Tbe next year lte droae tbrougb tlte streets

l[/icbita at eigbteen miles per bour. Peop/e ca/led bis cnr a "borseless cariage." The car frigbtened borses and made tlteir iders angry. A/aa tYilson's ltorseless carriage did not look liAe your farnily car. Tlte tires were

solid. Tlte engine uas a steanz engine wbiclt burned coal. Sntoke canze out of an uprigbt stach. Tbe car had to carry 500 poands of coal wben it went ottt on tlte road. Mr. I{/ilson's car only lasted a few lears,

Jones Motor Car Company

Company. The car was named the 'Jones Six. " An advertisement in the newspaper read: 'Jones Six Here: Sure is a DandY Car." The Jones Six had pockets in it for storing maps and gloves. It was polished and glossy. Jones cars were sold all over the world but most of the cars were sold here. There was an "oil field special" for oil field workers who wanted to buy the cars.

Jones Motor Company built three or four cars a day.It was a good business and once hired 985 people. Many of them were women. In 1920 2' huge fire destroyed most of the company. The loss of money was so great that the business failed. The Jones Motor Company went

out of business.

was

New Words: wildcat 80

The discovery of oil important to Wichita's growth.

Phillips Service Station: A Landmark

drilling crews who work in

oil has never been found. Oil brought money and success ro business people in areas where

flying in farm areas. A farmer named Clyde Cessna wenr ro the air show. He wanted to become an afucraft designer and builder. After several years he decided ro build an airplane. The Jones Motor Company gave him some space in which to build a plane. Mr. Cessna built three airplanes in 1917. J. M. (/ake) Moellendick was a wealthy does stunt

tU7ichita. \U7hen

oil is brought out of the ground, it is not usable. It must be refined or cleaned so rhar it can be used. Because of this, other companies called oil refineries opened in \tr7ichita. Some of the

names-Derby, Phillips, and Vickersare familiar to us. Fred Koch was a man who designed refinerie s and manufacturing equipment. Refineries

investor. He went to an air show and took his first airplane ride. He was so pleased with flying that he gave all his money ro build airplanes. He died a poor man but his money helped many people. It took a lu.ge amount of money to staft the aviation industry, but Mr. Moellendick was willing to give. Because of this he is called rhe "Father of Wichita Aviation. " The airplane industry has been very

helped bring more factories to \U7ichita. Aiqplane Industries

At an air show in 1910, a French pilot gaye a barnstorming performance

with his

airplane. A barnstormer is a pilot who New Words: aviation

barnstorming

inventor 8r

refine

:i;{

'qtil' "1

PilotJimmy Ward and Mrs. Ward in a Biplane at Air Show: 1911

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important to \7ichita. A man named l7illiam Burke had a wheat field. He made it into a landing strip and called it the tUTichita Aircraft Company. ln 1920 Mr. Moellendick, a pilot named Emil M. Laird, and Mr. Burke started building airplanes. They built a biplane named the

;T'IT

Swallow. A biplane has two wings on each side of the plane, one above the other. The Swallow sold for 96,100. The men's business grew fast. It became the Swallow Manufacturing Company.

Cessna Conquest

Lloyd Stearman, Clyde Cessna, and \U7alter Beech were three men who worked for the Swallow Manufacturing

another boom period. New people came to live in tU7ichita. They came to build planes for the war. The Boeing airplane factory was open dl day and all night. Many planes were sold ro the United States Air Force. After the war, airplane building became a major industry in rU7ichita. Much later Villiam P. Lear, Sr., opened a new aircraft plant in \7ichita.

Company. Later all three owned their own airplane companies. The companies were Beech, Cessna, and Stearman. Today Mr.

Stearman's company is named Boeing Military Airplane Company. During tUfodd STar II, ITichita entered

Vichia Terminal: t93l New Words brplane r3

Production Line at Aircraft Plant

il !:

I i:

jltl

lf i

1W,"

Wichita Public Schools' Aviation Center

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TODAY IN WICHITA

,Hbt. ' 'e #s*t' - I :11.ti:

Today \Wichita has four aviation

.-i..tw"t'l

companies. Cessna, Beech, and GatesLear Jet build light airplanes for people. Boeing builds commercial aircraft and heavy planes. Wichita has good flying and landing weather. There is not much fog. The aviation companies have made friends all over the wodd. Planes are useful to other countries. They promote good will between nadons. Airplanes made in lTichita have flown over every country on earth. We often see vapor trails in the skies over \Wichita. Sometimes our classroom studies are interrupted by the sound of planes. Some students have parents who are pilots. Some students have parents

".lffr}rr

':':

MIT

Train Engine for Amusement Park New Words: commercial

interrupt 85

pfomote

who help build airplanes. \UTichita is the aviation center of the world. We ?re proud of this honor. At one time agriculture was the most important business in IUflichita. For the first fifty years \Tichita's income depended on agriculture. Now other businesses have become important. However, wheat is still raised and shipped all over the wodd. Some businesses have been in \Tichita

horses go up and down while the carousel goes around.

are still growing. One important industry in \flichita today is home building. Another industry Businesses

Aitplones Are Fast

it took a family eigbt days to traael from lYicltita to Kansas City in a coaered Once

uogon. Today ue can trauelfroru lYicbita to Kansas City by airplane in forty nzinutes. Remember tlte Cltisltolm Trail from

a long time. One is the

Dallas, Texas,

Chance Manufacturing Company. The Chance Company makes rides for carnivals and amusement parks. Ferris wheels and rides

Remember how long and ltard tbe ride was and /tow tired tbe droaers uere? Do you

suppose

tbe droaers eaer dreamed tltat

wouldfollow tlte Cbisltoln Trail route by flying? IYould tlte droaers baae belieaed tltat an airplane could tohe less tltan An bour to coaer tbat long

sorneday people

like the Zipper are built here in \flichita. They are sold to places all over the wodd. Carousels are also built by the Chance Company. A carousel is a merry-go-round with music and make-believe horses. The

distance?

Horses for Carousel

New Words: agriculture

to ll/icltita, Kansas?

carousel 85

named Pizza Hut has restaurants around the wodd. Successful business means growth for \7ichita.

Wichita has grown because of the industries that have developed over the years. Airplanes, oil wells, whear, and cattle helped \Wichita grow. They gave an economic base for growth. Tbe Youngest Motorboater

1927 a six-year-o/d boy narned

Harold

Cbance liaed in tlte Riaerside area, His father gaae bim a twelue-foot motorboat.

it up and down the ArAansas Riuer. He often gaae friends a ide, Harold ran

Sometimes lte would nzaAe tbem pajt, He was t/te ))oungert nzotorboater in lN/ichita. Haro/d uas a/ways interested in macbines and motors. Today be is tbe president of tbe C hance Manufactuing Cornpany.

Making Pizza at Pizza Hat

"We Built o Tontn,, Many ear/y lYtc/titans Anew wbat rnade a toun grou. Tbey Anew tltat bard uorA could maAe lYicbita prosperous. In 1gB3 a rnan named Kos Haris wrote about tbe people wlto loaed lVicltita, His feetings were put in

tbe History of Sedgwick County, Kansas. Mr. Harris put tbis poern in tlte booL: There's money in the town, boys, If you will only by it stand; There's millions in th' deal, boys If you will lend a helping hand. Let us join hearts and hands rogether,

And put our rivals down; 'Twill be glory after while To know we built a rown.

New r#ords: economic 87

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Modern Towne East Shopping Mall

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COMMUNICATING IN WICHITA

people sat and talked with their neighbors. That was how they shared ideas. Today most new houses do not have front porches. Perhaps our radios and televisions are the ways we learn about neighbors. \When SheriffJohn Meagher put someone in iall

early \Wichita, people went to their neighbors to talk about it. Today when the Chief of Police puts someone in jail, we see it on the evening news.

Communicating through Newspapers Newspapers are very important for sharing ideas. They are important for saving information. Much of our history

People Sat on Front to Neighbors

Porches and Talked

can be found in old

\7hen people live together in neighborhoods, they often share ideas. This is called communication. When

newspapers. Newspapers help advertise a city or an idea. They give information to everyone

people communicate, they

become

so that knowledge is not hidden. People

stronger and better people. The native people sometimes shared

who are informed help keep a country free. Some of the early \Tichita settlers came from counffies where people wete not free. They knew it was important to have a newspaper. The very first

ideas ovet long distances. They used smoke signals and drum talk. Sometimes tribes met other tribes around council fires. Each time something new was

KFH

learned and shared.

Many things influence the ways we learn about our neighbors. One of them

first radio station carne to lYicbita in 1922, Tbe broadcasting equipment uls owned by tlte Lander Radio Company, In 1925 tlte radio station ulr owned by tlte Lassen Hotel operators. Tbe coll letters of the station were KFH-"KAuas' Finest Tlte

is house styles. If we drive along Topeka or Emporia Streets we will see old houses

with big front porches. On them

are

swings and chairs where people can sit and talk. In the early days of \Tichita

Hotel,

New Words: broadcast

influence 90

newspaper

Vidette.It

in Wichita was named was started

in April,

the 1g70, by

Frederick A. Sowers. A newspaper editor named Marshall M.

Murdock lived

Budingame, Kansas. Some eaily settlers asked him to move to \Wichita. They wanted him to starr a permanenr newspaper. They told him that someday Wichita was going to be a grear city. Marshall and Victoria Murdock brought their heavy printing equipment to \il7ichita in two mule-drawn wagons. Mr. Murdock played a joke on his friends. The name of his first paper was the Wicltita Citl Galoot. It made his friends mad. 'S7hen the fun was over Mr. Murdock published a serious paper. On April 12, 1872, he began to print the IYicltita Eagle. After he came ro be tVichita's newspaper man, Mr. Murdock wrote many stories praising ITichita. He encouraged people from other states and countries to come here to live. Wichita was small when Marshall and Victoria came. But they knew that someday it would become a city. In October, 1872, D. G. Millison and his family moved to \7ichita. They came from Topeka with complete newspaper equipment. Mr. Millison and Frederick A. Sowers began printing the l[/icltita Beacon. It was lTichita's first daily newspaper.

By 1894 there were two newspapers owned by blacks in ITichita. They were

Tbe Eagle's Roost

Tbe MurdocA ltorne was /ocated on St, Francis Street. It was ca//ed t/te ,,Eag/e,s Roost." Marsltall Murdoc{ could see ltis ltouse frorn ltis office window.

wife, Victoia, would fix dinner w/ti/e Marslta// was at uorA downtown. lY/ten dinner uas ready, Marsball's

Victoia would clirnb tbe stairs, Slte would bang a sbeet in a large window. Tltis told Marsball it was tirne to eat. He would go ltorne to dinner. In 1971 tbe Eagle's Roost was in danger of being torn down. It uas saaed bjt tlte Midtown Citizens Association and rnoaed to Cowtown. At Cowtown tbe Murdoch bouse was restored by tbe Victorian Society. you can see it t/tere t

Baptist l[/or/d. The editor of Tlte Kansas Headligbt was Sf . A. Bettis. The editor of the National Baptist 'tf,/or/d was Sam \W. Jones. These men were leaders in the community. Communicating through Places of rWorship Churches, synagogues, and cathedrals have always been important centers for communication. People go to them to worship. People go ro them to look for answers to problems. There are different kinds of places to worship. This is good because people are different. It was importanr ro the early settlers to

be able to worship. !7hile they were building homes they somerimes held

Tbe Kansas Headligltt and the Nationa/

religious meetings above the livery stable

New \Words: cathedral

encourage

permanent 9L

publish

senous

synagogue

Presbyterian Church. The Episcopal Church was built of log slabs and had a dirt floor. In winter the wind rattled the

Raggedy Company E

Blach people could not loin tbe arnzy dunng tlte Spanisb-Anaerican lYar. V/. A. Bettis tltougbt tltis was not fair. He wrote to Goaernor Leedy of Kansas. Governor Leedy

windows. In summer prairie flowers and tall grass grew on the roof Religious people had to meet wherever they could until a permanent meeting

told Mr. Bettis to fornz a group of blacA soldiers, Mr. Bettis closed ltis pinting sltop. He and Sanz Jones enro//ed twelae men.

place was found. The first Roman Catholic place of worship was a wooden

Tbey began to practice. One weeA later tltey had forty-nine rnen enrolled, Tbey were

called "Raggedy Conzpary Conzpany E went to

E."

chapel. It had been used as a Presbyterian church and a school for ten years. The first Jewish people held their religious meetings in homes. Holy Emanuel congregation was started in 188r. The first synagogue was not built until 1930. The first place of worship for black people was the home of Sarah Robinson. Prayer meetings of the St. Paul AME and the

Raggedy

figltt in Cuba. One of

tlte nzen died in tbe war.

at Third and Main Streets. Sometimes religious meetings were held in the Munger Hotel. There were even services held in dugouts. Ministers and priests rode on horseback from town to town in Kansas. They were called circuit riders. They rode on a path which led them home again. The first places of worship in \il7ichita were the Episcopal Church and the

Baptist Church met there. In the 1870s, services of the Colored Missionary Baptist Church were held in a blacksmith shop. Lebanese of the Christian Orthodox faith held services in homes. Visiting bishops

Wichita's First Church New Words:

circuit

Episcopal

Orthodox 92

Presbyterian

raggdy

Roman Catholic

or priests would lead the services. Early business people gave money ro build places of worship. They knew people would not want to move to \il7ichita unless churches, synagogues, and a cathedral were built. Even cattle drovers attended a place of worship when they came to town.

Communicating through Museums

Another way people share ideas is by building museums. Some people who lived in early tU7ichita saved "treasures, " or very old things. Today many of these

in museums. The oldest museum in tUfichita is owned by the \il7ichita Art Association. The Art Association has paintings, ceramics, sculptures, jewelry, and treasures can be seen

An Old Doll at the Museum

home on I7aco Street. That home can be

Art Association began in can be found on the map of

glassware. The

1920.

located

Noble often visited there. The

has a turrer. Perhaps John

history.

John house

Noble painted some of his pictures in the turret. About Lg2O some students at Garfield University began ro collect prehistoric

The first show by the Art Association featured the painting of a tilTichita artist, John Noble. A relative of his lived in a

Library Bookmobile New Words:

rulpture

on the map of history.

university 93

bones and fossils. They found them in chalk fields and red sand beds in Kansas. The collection was stored many years in boxes. One day some people began to arrange them for a show. In 1S9S Garfield University became Friends University. Henry Fellow and Mark Reeve began working together to build a museum. They worked without pay for many years. The museum became known as the Fellow-Reeve Museum. Fred Hoyt became the director of the museum in 1948. He went to Africa to collect birds and animals for the museum. The museum is in Davis Hall at Friends University. Davis Hall is a national landmark. It can be found on the map of history. The Wichita Art Museum was opened in 193r. It was built by the city with

money from

McCormick School: A Landmark

When some of the first settlers grew old, they began to meet together. They called it the "Old Settlers Meeting." They talked of old times and collected old things called artifacts. James R. Mead gave them a collection of Indian aftifacts. This was the beginning of the Wichita Historical Museum. The museum is now located in the old City Building, which is a landmark. It can be found on the map of history.

the will of Louise C.

Murdock. The museum has an important collection of paintings, drawings, pottery, and sculpture.

A Gift for Mr* Mead One tinae Buffalo Bi// Cody brougltt bis wild uest sbow to lYichita, He went to tbe Mead bome to aisit his old friend, Jarnes Mead, He found tbat Mn Mead ltad died. He tooA Mrs. Mead and ber clti/dren to see bis show, At tbe sbow tltey rnet an Indian cbief. Tlte Indian cbief bad been a friend of Mr. Mead. He tooA off a breastplate be was weaing. He gaue it to Mrs, Mead. Tlte breastplate is in tlte lYicltita Histoical Museuru.

Communicating through Libraries

Librarie s are another form of communication. Early Wichita boosters knew a city had to have a library. Dr. Andrew Fabrique and Morris W. Levy

began

committee which organized the Wichita Library Association. At first people had to pay for library service. But later a man

New r#ords:

artifaa

to plan. They worked on

fosil 94

Mr. Finn

closed his school. But the settlers knew it was important to have a school. They knew it was important for a free nation. In 1871 the first public school opened in the Presbyterian Church. Jessie Hunter was the teacher. There were twenty-five pupils. Miss Hunter's pay was forty dollars a monrh. The first school building was built that same year. It looked like a barn. It had two rooms dowrrstairs and one room upstairs. It had a belfry and bell on rhe roof. The bell was rung in the morning to tell children ro come to school. It was rung at recess to tell them to come in. Many schools were built in the 1gg0s. Only McCormick School remains. It is a landmark. It can be found on rhe map of

A Penny for a llarrter

An early scbool was narned for l{/i//iam Finn. In 1933 tlte students of Finn Scbool started a special prolect. Tltey asAed all tlte lZicbita students to giue a penny. It was to ltelp buy a marAerfor tbe site of Mr. Finn,s

dugout scbool, Tlte marker is in a srnall parA. It can be Men on tbe nap of ltistory,

named Andrew Carnegie helped free library service come ro \fichita. Mr. Carnegie came to America as a poor boy from Scotland. He became rich. To show his love for America, he gave away much of his money. The money was to build

schools, universities, and librarie s. uTichita received money for a library. It was built on south Main Street. The Carnegie Library can be found on the map of history.

history.

People were interested in having a college in tU7ichita. During the first boom period, many colleges were built. There

Communicating through Schools Schools are good places to share ideas. In the first school \Tilliam Finn had only

sixteen pupils.

was

Tbe Bedbug

subscription school. This meant he charged one dollar a month for each child to attend school. Some families did not have money but Mr. Finn was kind. He let the children go to school anyway. Some parents paid the teacher by bringing food. Mr. Finn ordered books from Topeka for the children. After four months of school he ran out of money and had to close his

C/tildren w/to went to an early Vticltita scltoo/ gaae it a nickname. Tltey called it "T/te Bedbug." No one is quite sure /tow tlte sc/too/ got tltat narne. One bolt said lte was tbe person u/to narned it. He said be sau a bedbug walking on tlte cei/ing. Rae l{/oodrnan laugbed at tltat. Slte was sure the bojt cou/dn't baae seen a tiny bug so -far auq). Sbe belieaed sbe uas tlte first one to see a bedbug in t/te scboo/. It walAed across a page in /ter geograplty booA. It went a// tlte way across Asia!

school.

Wichita had no school for a year after New Words:

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college

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Wichita Business College

Wichita State University

were nine academies, colleges,

and

universities. Most of the early colleges did not last.

Now tU7ichita has three fine universities. Garfield University was built in the 1880s on the west side of the city. Much money was spent on the building. The builders ran our of money before they were finished. The building stood empty for ten years. James M. Davis of St. Louis bought the school. He gave it to the Society of Friends. The Society named it Friends University. It is the building in which the Fellow-Reeve Museum is located. It can be found on the map of history.

Fairmount Academy was built

in the

1880s by the Congregational Church.

Saint Mary's Cathedml

in easr Wichita on Fairmount Hill, the highest place in Wichita. located

ways of exchanging ideas. They can learn from people in the city. They can learn from people in other countries. \Wichita

Fairmount Academy was sold to \Wichita and named the University of \7ich ita. lt became the first city-owned college west of the Mississippi River. In t964 it became part of the Kansas srate system of universities and colleges. It is now known as \Wichita State University. In 1933 Sacred Heart College was built by the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ. It was a junior college for women. It later became a four-year college for men and women. In L973 its name was changed to Kansas Newman.

has four television srations and many An Early Scbool

it was /ike to be a student in 1871? Your teaclter, Jessie Can yoa inzagine wltat

Hunter, wou/d baue been on/y foarteen lears o/d. Tltere wou/d haue been stict ru/es to fo//ow. You could not sueAr, You could not be late, Yoa wou/d ltaae been in tbe Janze roorn witb first graders and eigltt/t graders. A// tbe grades uent to sc/too/ togetlter. It was bard to study duing tbe cattle season, Hundreds of cattle uould bellow and raise dust in tbe street outside tlte scbool. Tlten it uas too noisy to study.

TODAY IN WICHITA Today

tU7ichita people have many

New Words: academy

congregation 97

exchange

radio stations. All schools and many homes have cable television. Cable

Tbe First Plans

first plans for lf,/icltita are in tbe l[/icltita Histoical Museum.. Tbey uere drawn on a brown paper sacL. lYilliam Finn, tbe first school teacher, dreu tbe

television offers many channels to watch. If your school has a special program, other schools can watch it on television. Someday, when you are sick at home , you can watch your class on cable television. The Eagle-Beacon is a good newspaper. It has served \Wichita a long time. Many older students in \Wichita are paper carriers. They deliver the newspaper each morning. Othe r magazines and newspapers help advertise that \Wichita is a grea:t ctty. There zre m ny buildings of worship and over 100 schools in Wichita today. Colleges are in fine buildings located on many acres of land.

Tbe

plans. Tlte sacA canze from Greffinstein's store.

At the Wichita Art Museum you can see famous art. It is shown in the bright and cheerful modern building. At the \Tichita Historical Museum you can see many things you have read about in this book. You can see children's toys made long ago. You can see a bicycle used long ago. You can see the first map of Wichita on a paper sack. You can see how people lived when Wichita began. You can go on a special tour of the museum. The Ulrich Museum of Art is at \Wichita State University. The museum

Each year thousands of l7ichita children visit museums. At the FellowReeve Museum you can see a covered wagon which brought afamlly to Kansas.

Wichita Art Museum New Words: acte

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carrier 98

Ukich Museum of Art

sii$IF,,:

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places sculptures outside on the lawn.

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sculpture is a form of art. It stone or metal. The university also has a Museum of Anthropology. The museum shows how people live in other lands.

\Tichita Cowtown is a

Partial restoration of some old buildings. They were the first buildings in \U[ichita. You can visit a church, iail, railroad depot, and hotel. You can see the Eagle print

w {t j,

!fl

shop and the Munger house . Some classes attend school for a day in the one-room schoolhouse in Cowtown. You can go to the Omnisphere. It is an earth-space center. It has star projectors. There are star programs and "hands-on" shows. "Hands-on" means you can touch

what you are seeing. The Omnisphere is located in the Old Carnegie Library. It can be found on the maP of historY.

Inside the Omnisphere

New Libmry Building New Words: anthropology

paftial

omniqphere 100

proiector

restorauon

Northwest High School Library

important papers of the United States government are stored there. There are special libraries in rUTichita. There are medical and law libraries. The rU7ichita

Today \Tichita has a new, large library. It is an important information center. It has a large collection of books, films, and records. People can read magazines. They can listen to records. They can look up old newspaper articles or other materials which are stored on film. The children's room has reading programs, story telling sessions, library tours, and puppetry. There are "talking" books in the library for people who are blind. There are books to help people learn to build boats. There

Public Libmy has branch

libraries throughout the city. Colvin School and Stanley School ?re also Community Centers. They each have a public library, a school, and a service center. They also have a playground space for neighbors.

\Tichita has one of the nation's largest speech centers. It is for persons who have speech and hearing handicaps. People from all parts of the United States and from foreign countries come here. They find help at the Institute of Logopedics. Wichita is a good place to learn new ideas and share information.

are books to read for fun.

There arc many different libraries in Wichita. You probably use the library in your school. The high schools have good libraries. Wichita's colleges have good libraries, too. \Wichita State University is

a federal repository. This New Words: logopedics

means

puppetry 101

repository

Colvin School and Community Center PTEASANT VAttEY RESEARCTIERS In 1981, tbe tltird graders at Pleasant Valley Scboo/ becan2e researcbers. A researcber is one wbo finds new ideas and sltares tbena. Tlte papils read Tlte Story of l{ticltita. Tbey went on a tour uitb tbe autltor. Tlten t/tey uanted to find tbe Maxlelt-Moseley Trading Post. Tlteir teaclter and tlteir pincipal said thel would ltelp. Tbe pupils wanted to find tbe trading post so tltey could pat a historic rnarAer on it, A bistoic rnarher is a special sign. It tells people tltat tbe place is old and important. First tlte tltird graders aisited City HalL Tltey talAed to tlte naan wbo saues old maps. They got a copy of an old map. Tben tbey as6ed a su?'t)e!or to ltelp thern. A sunteyor is one who loohs at land and nzeasures it. Tbe surueyor rneAsured tbe /and. He found tlte p/ace near a buge cottonwood tree, Tltere uls a special meeting. Tlte tbird graders put a sta6e in tlte ground. A banner said it wAs A

people, traders, drouers, and settlers. Tbey made a mold from the picture. Tben they poured cement into tbe mold. lYlten it dried they put a sign on tlte stone. It read: MAXTEY-MOSELEY HISTORIC SITE

MAXLEY AND MOSELEY BUILT AND OPERATED A TRADING POST IN 1857 IT/IT.HIN 2OO FEET OF THIS MARKER, ON THIS SITE, IN 1865, THE KIOItr/4, COIIIMANCHE, CHEYENNE, ARAPAHO, AND APACHE NATIONS SIGNED THE TREATY OF THE LITTLE /t.RIiu{N&{.t V/ITH THE U.S. GOVERNTVIENT, KIT C,{RSO}T, BLACK KETTLE, SANTANTA, JESSE CHISHOLIII, AND LONE IV/OLF V/ERE HERE TTIIT-H T'HOUSANDS OF PLAINS INDIAN.' AND FEDERAL TROOPS,

HISTORIC MARKER ERECTED 1981 BY THE THIRD GRADE CLASS OF 1980-81 PLEASANT VALLEY ELETVTENTARY SCHOOL. Tlte cbildren put tlte ltistoic nzarker wbere tbe trading post ltad been. A papil said, "Finding it was neat. I'll rentenzber it tlte rest of rzy life. "

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ATTERWORD

\Tichita is a special place to live. The environment is special. Once there was timber all along the banks of the winding rivers. The rivers had many islands in them. rUflindswept prairie grass held food for the restless herds of bison. The many diffetent PeoPle who have lived at the confluence were special. The \Tichitas \ilere peace-loving people who

did not go to war with other

PeoPle. land and

These native people farmed hunted bison. Trappers and traders came to the confluence of the rivers. Settlers began to arrive. People from all over the world came to build this special place we call \7ichita. The land and the PeoPle began to change. The bison disappeared and the native people were forced to leave the river Ltea. The timber along the river was

cut down to be used to build houses. The little settlement of \Tichita became an exciting, busy town. Droves of cattle came through the streets. Wild drovers, prospectors looking for gold, and Hispanic ranchers passed through to\iln. Missionaries and local settlers could be seen. There were many things which

might have kept people away. Sand storms and blizzards and hot summers made life hard on the Plains. But the people still came. They stayed and they worked. They had dreams of building a great city.

\Tichita has grown for over 111 years. We are proud of the native people and the new people. We are proud of each citizen who led the city in growing. Now we live in a city which is very important to the rest of the wodd. We build airplanes

The Wichita Tripodal: Rosati Sculpture. A time capsule. is buried at the base of the i;6.dri- i,.orr1ai* the names of Sfichita students who helped pay for the sculpture. New $(ords: windswept

for

Mid-America All-lndian Center ourselves and other nations. \We raise They share their culture

with descendants of the new people. Outside the Indian

wheat to feed Kansans and other people around the world. Wichita is important ro the people who live here. It is a cultural and educational center for Kansas. It has become a city of good sculpture, excellent theatre, and beautiful music.

Center,

at the tip of the

rivers' confluence, is a towering forty-four foot sculpture. It is a native man standing proud and high, reaching toward the sky. This sculprure by Black Bear Bosin has become wodd-famous. It is called the "Keeper of the Plains. " It is good to know the story of tUTichita. It is good to tell others how proud we are of our city. Soon it will be our rurn to dream and build. Maybe you will dream and plan. Maybe your friend will be the one to make the dreams come true. Maybe someone else will be the one who works and makes changes. But whatever it becomes, Wichita will belong to all of its people. It is our special city.

During America's bicentennial yrcar, tUTichita gaye the land at the confluence of the rivers back to the descendants of the native people. The Mid-America All-

Indian Center is located in a building shaped like an amowhead. Now the old ceremonies are performed again on the land between the rwo rivers. There are 3,000 descendants of native people living in Vichita today. These people come to the Center to learn about their heritage. New Words: bicentennid

ceremony

descendant r05

heriage

Keeper of the Plainn: Soilpture by

105

Bla*

Berar Bosin