Wichita, Kansas, the “Air Capital of the World”
Wichita, Kansas, is the jewel of America’s heartland right at the point where the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers meet. The famous majestic statue, the Keeper of the Plains, created by former Wichita artist Blackbear Bosin, now sits to watch over this historic site named for the Wichita Indians who settled at various times in the area. Depending on which historian questioned, the name Wichita means either "scattered lodges" or "painted faces.” Whatever the meaning, Wichita is a city of wonderful native culture situated on a vast expanse of some of the most beautiful land in America.
The eventual arrival of settlers led to the establishment of the city which would become the county seat of Sedgwick County on July 21, 1870. Signing the original incorporation petition were one hundred twenty-three men and one woman, Mrs. Catherine McCarty, who owned and operated a laundry. Later Mrs. McCarty would move to New Mexico, where her oldest son, Henry, would change his name and history when he became known as "Billy the Kid."
Within a year of its incorporation, Wichita experienced amazing growth due largely to the cattle trade from Texas and the efforts of Jesse Chisholm who came to Wichita around 1863, leading a party of sportsmen and adventurers to hunt game. Chisholm later marked the cattle trail, best known as the Chisholm Trail, from the King Ranch in south Texas to Kansas.
Cattle by the hundreds of thousands traversed the trail to the Santa Fe railhead at Wichita and in 1872 alone, 350,000 head of cattle were sold in Wichita at a value of more than $2 million, an astronomical amount in those days. And where there is cattle there are cowboys and some of the most famous to walk the streets of Wichita included Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill and Bat Masterson.
Even though the cattle trade lasted only three or four years, its presence assured Wichita's position as a commercial hub which led to the establishment of manufacturing and agriculture industries. Before long savvy aviation entrepreneurs moved to Wichita to take advantage of the benefits of a prosperous oil industry, agreeable climate and wide vistas perfect for building and testing these new aeronautic equipment.
Aircraft pioneers like Lloyd Stearman, Walter Beech, Clyde Cessna, E.M. Laird, J.M. Mollendick and George Weaver were responsible for establishing this specialized industry in the area. Mollendick and Laird started the Swallow Airplane Company which would produce the Swallow airplane that had its origins in Chicago. Beech, Stearman, and Weaver all worked for Laird and Mollendick until each went on to establish his own aircraft company.
Stearman's company later was purchased by The Boeing Company of Seattle and is Wichita's largest employer with more than 20,000 employees. Wichita earned its name of “Air Capital of the World” through the establishment of The Beech (now Raytheon Aircraft Co.), Cessna and Learjet (now Bombardier Aerospace Learjet), founded by William Lear in the mid 1960s.
Wichita became a center of entrepreneurship in other industries as well beginning with W.C. Coleman, who produces his first Coleman lantern in 1914 and whose name is now synonymous worldwide with camping and outdoor recreational equipment. Enterprising Wichitans would put the bite on the fast food industry with the launch of White Castle hamburgers and Pizza Hut restaurants.
Koch Industries, the second largest privately held company in the U.S., is Wichita success story with the production of refined products, chemicals, crude oil services, gas liquids, energy services, chemical technology, minerals services, agriculture and capital services.
Wichita has surely grown up since its early trading post and cowtown days and has matured into a booming city with one of the best economies in the nation. Great jobs, attractive salaries, below national average costs, short commute times and burgeoning cultural attributes have also developed in conjunction with a solid, Midwest spirit of hard work and vision. So, whether your interest is personal or business, come to Wichita, the “Air Capital of the World” and get ready to soar!
Fast Facts
- Population: 344,284
- Median Household Income: $39,939
- Median Family Income: $49,247
- Per Capita Income: $20,647
- Latitude: 37°41'20" North
- Longitude: 97°20'10" West
- Wichita is on Central Standard Time and observes Daylight Savings Time.
- Travel and Transportation: Most residents of Wichita travel around the region by car via the Kansas Turnpike (Interstate 35), Interstates 135 and 235, and U.S. Highway 400/54 which run through and near the city. The Wichita Transit Authority operates 18 fixed bus routes within the city. The nearest Amtrak station is in Newton (20 milesthe north), offering service on the Southwest Chief route between Los Angeles and Chicago. Wichita is home to Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, the largest airport in the state of Kansas (the larger Kansas City International Airport is located in Missouri). Flights from Wichita's airport travel to many U.S. airport hubs via 13 commercial carriers.