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| Wichita Falls
was named after the river that was named after the Indians. The original
falls have been lost, but replica falls have been built in recent
years. Conveniently located off I-44. |
A
timeline of Wichita Falls significant events:
John Scott
acquires land in poker game that becomes Wichita Falls (folklore)
1875:
John Converse opens first store in the area
1876:
Town platted by M. W. Seeley, hired by heirs of John Scott
1879:
1879 Post Office approved
1880:
1880 First School opened
1882:
The Fort Worth and Denver Railroad reach Wichita Falls
1883:
Major flood washes away the town's namesake waterfall/ Joseph Kemp
opens store
1900:
Lake Wichita Project set in motion
1917:
Population is 18,000 - mostly agricultural employment
1918:
Discovery of oil at Burkeburnett
increases population to 40,000
1920:
Irrigation Project allowed irrigation for Wichita, Archer and Baylor
Counties
1928:
Airline passenger service is started
1941:
Sheppard Field Opened for Air Corps training
1979:
Huge tornado hits the city killing 45 and destroying 20% of homes
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Oil Fields in
Wichita Falls
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
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Oil
Capital
In the first quarter of the 20th century, Wichita Falls had offices
for the major players in the oil business - The Texas Company (Texaco),
Sinclair, Magnolia, Sun (Sunoco), Prairie (bought out) and Humble.
The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad as well as the Fort Worth
and Denver made Wichita Falls their headquarters.
In the 1920s Wichita Trucks were manufactured here and were sold in
68 Countries around the world.
During the oil boom multiple tracks were laid to Burkburnett
and two additional railroads (The Wichita Falls and Northwestern and
the Wichita, Ranger and Fort Worth) were financed by oil money. There
were 30 refineries in the area, with 13 of them in the city limits.
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Wichita Falls
Landmarks / Attractions
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The Kemp Building
in Wichita Falls
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
J.A. Kemp Wholesale
Grocery Building historical marker
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
St. James Hotel
Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
Kell House:
Historic home of Frank Kell - 900 Bluff Street
Wichita
Falls Fire and Police Museum:
Avenue H and Giddings Street
Wichita
Falls Hotels
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Nearby
Destinations
Lake Arrowhead
State Park:
229 Park Road 63, Wichita Falls, TX 76310. 940/528-2211
524-acre park with camping, fishing, swimming and boating.
14 miles South on 281 then East on FM 1954.
Nearby
lakes include Kemp, Kickapoo and Wichita.
Wichita
County Towns
Do not miss
Clara, Texas Escapes'
favorite ghost town, or Fargo
and Doan's Crossing
in Wilbarger County.
Wichita
Falls Hotels
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Wichita Falls
- Lucy Park
Photo courtesy Holly Gibson, April 2015 |
Wichita Falls
Chronicles:
"I'm
Shocked...Shocked..." by Mike Cox
Long forgotten is an "I'm shocked...shocked..." editorial published
on page one of the long-defunct Wichita Falls Daily Tribune on the
morning of June 27, 1915. It's hard to believe the newspaper editor
who wrote it had been as naive about his city as he professed to
be, but maybe he was.
To set the stage, Wichita Falls, founded only 33 years earlier,
was then enjoying a boom thanks to major oil and gas discoveries
in the area. And the party was just getting started. Within two
years the town would be going crazy with oil wells sprouting between
there and the Red River like so many weeds after a week-long rain.
Wichita Falls was crowded with men come to make an honest living
in the oil patch and men--and women--intent on making a less-than-honest
living. But the editor of the Wichita Falls newspaper professed
to be aware only of the first class of workers, not the second.
That lasted until the night of June 26...
The
Haunted Asylum of Wichita Falls by Mike Cox
Mix mentally ill stereotypes with death and you have the ingredients
for some pretty frightening ghosts stories.
Wichita
Falls Falls for Flim Flam Brit by Mike Cox
Before the wild oil boom that came with the discovery of a rich
field, Wichita Falls was just a cattle town of around 5,000 folks.
When a crisp and proper gentleman who spoke with a classic British
accent arrived and took a room at the city’s best hotel, word got
around quickly...
Two
Ranchhands Meet Judge Lynch by Mike Cox
In the late winter of 1896, two Waggoner Ranch cowboys took a notion
that robbing banks would be less work – and definitely more profitable
-- than wrangling cattle... William Foster Crawford and Elmer “Kid”
Lewis left the sprawling ranch and rode toward Wichita Falls...
Bursting into City National Bank with pistols drawn...
Ida
Lee by C. F. Eckhardt
On March 21, 1924, Mrs. Ida Lee Daughtery of Hall, Texas, died.
She was a woman of some reputation—not as a ‘soiled dove,’ but as
a devoted wife.
Elephant
Execution in Witchita Falls by Mike Cox
"Someday, perhaps, a work crew laying cable or pipe will unearth
a large set of bones near a busy Wichita Falls intersection...."
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Wichita Falls
Vintage Photos
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Downtown Wichita
Falls
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
Wichita
Falls' Bob Waggoner Building
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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