Wichita-Kansas City
Wichita is the largest city in the state of Kansas. It is located at the center of Wichita metropolitan area, and is also the seat of Sedgwick County. The city is also found South central of Kansas, at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Route 54, and along Kansas River at the mouth of the Little Arkansas. In relation to other cities, it is found 253km north of Oklahoma, 707 km east of Denver and 181 km east of Kansas City[1]. It is also a gently rolling plain with an elevation of about 400 meters. The city is also surrounded by communities such as Valley Center, Bel Aire, Kechi, East borough, and Andover to from the west to the east, Derby and Haysville from the east to the south, and finally Goddard and Maize in the North.
Being the largest city with approximately 412.56 square kilometers of land and 11.14 square kilometers of water, Wichita is the most populous city in the state of Kansas. Its population was estimated to be about 390,591 in the year 2017, which was a 13.5% increase from the year 2000[2].100% of the population in Kansas lives in the urban areas while 0% in the rural areas. This means that the city is generally wealthier than any other city in the state. There are slightly more females than the males and the median age in the city is 36.7 years. The youthful population is consequently on the factors contributing to the high household and per capita income in the city. There is more labor force. The most residential areas in the city include Riverside, located around the Riverside Park and the College Hill which is found to the south of Wichita State University[3].
Climatically, the city provides a conducive atmosphere for mostly outdoor activities. It receives humid subtropical climate which means hot and humid summers, and cold and dry winters. The city, however, occasionally experiences some harsh thunderstorms during spring and summer. The city has had historical hails for example the Andover, Kansas Tornado outbreak in 1991 and the Oklahoma Tornado outbreak in 1999[4].
History of Wichita
During the 19th century, Wichita was French territory before it was claimed by the United States as part of Louisiana during the Civil War. It then became a part of Kansas later on in the century and then the state of Kansas. The city began off as a trading post established by a trader known as Jesse Chisholm in 1867[5]. The trail that extended south to the city of Texas then earned the name Chisolm Trail. The area was mainly populated by the North American Indians and therefore after the Civil War the area went back into the Indian Territory.
During the early 1870s investors such as James Mead came into the area and inaugurated some business activities which attracted other traders, which brought a rise in the population settlements in the area. Mead, together with other investors built a firm that served as a hotel, a community center and a post office. They then named the settlements after the tribe of the Wichita Indians. The town then became a city in 1870[6].
Wichita became an ideal destination for the cattle farmers who were moving from Texas through the rail to access the markets in the cities found in the east of the country. Many railway lines, for example, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway lines ended in the city. The common view of the city was then cohorts of cattle drives that made it earn the name, “Cowtown”[7]. The surrounding town, Delano became an entertainment center, which was later annexed by the city.
During the 1880s there was a drastic increase in the population of the city as a result of immigration into the area. This was majorly because of the vast trading opportunities that were available in the city which was an intersection of the rails from Texas, Atchison and Santa Fe, as mentioned earlier. The city was therefore expanded further, absorbing most of the towns that surrounded it. Many educational institutions began to grow in the city. The Fairmount College was developed to the Wichita State University in 1886, as it is known today. The Friends University which was known as Garfield University then was opened thereafter in the year 1887. The increased business activities increased the city to becoming the third largest city in Kansas and in Topeka[8]. In the 1890s however, after the economic boom in the country, there was a great economic recession in the country.
In the early 20th century, that was in 1914 and 1915, there were oil and natural gas deposits in the area that then led to the rise in the economy of the area again. This was in Butler County in the neighboring the city[9]. The discovery was then followed by an increase in the number of oil refineries and fueling stations in the country. In the year 1917 there were five operating refineries that came up in the city. Seven more refineries were then built in the country. This was the period when the United States was heavily dependent on oil importation from Saudi Arabia. The oil production therefor attracted several investors in the region that brought in great returns and the wealth of the country. Famous industries such as the Derby Oil which was founded by Archibald Derby and Koch Industries founded by Fred Koch, all trace back their initial success from this period.
The discovery of oil in the country was the golden ticket to the growing wealth in the city. The blooming of the oil industry led to the commencing of the airplane industry. In 1917, for example, Cessna Comet, the first airplane in Wichita was built by Clyde Cessna[10]. Potential entrepreneurs in the aviation industry also stepped to build the Swallow Airplane Company in the city. Several other companies spinned off from this aviation firm, for example the Stearman Aircraft in the year 1926 and the Beechcraft in the year 1932. Cessna Comet then continued to found her first aviation company that became the core industry in the city and was also accorded the name “Air Capital in the World” in the year 1929. Aircraft manufacturing has continued to spear the growth of the city. The industry has offered the most employment opportunities to the residents in the country. The Wichita Municipal airport was then built in the year 1935[11]. The onset of the second world war also led to the city being the center of the Wichita Army Airfield and particularly the manufacturing of the Boeing B-29 bomber. The war then led to a further increase in the population of the area that also provide much labor needed in the manufacturing industries.
Many industries have since then harnessed the opportunity to establish their businesses that bloomed owing to the increased market. The Mentholatum Company famous for its health care products was one such company founded by Alexander Hyde. Coleman’s sporting company is also another company that also grew during this period. The fast food companies that are much rampant such as White Castle also grew during the 1921 that paved way to the founding of other companies in the 1950s and the 1960s.
The country has also continued to develop through the 21st century. The state of Kansas has also made some renovations to the old buildings found in the city. Although operations at Boeing ended in 2014, the city still remains the heart of aviation operations through companies such as Spirit Aero Systems and airports such as Wichita Dwight Eisenhower National Airport and McConnell Air Force Base which are the largest in the state.[12]
The people of Wichita
The Wichita, also known as Wich-i-tas are a member of the Native American conferacy who formerly inhibited South Central Kansas but later migrated southwards into Oklahoma and Texas. The Wichita now live in South West Oklahoma speaking the Caddoan language[13].
The first leader of the Wichita was Francisco Vazques de Coronado, he was an ancient Spanish explorer who toured Southwest America in the 1500s[14]. Vazques came across the Wichita in 1541 in the Great Bend of the Arkansas River which is the present day South Central Kansas.
The ancient Wichitas lived in large villages built beehive shaped houses thatched with grass. These historic homeland stretched from San Antonio, Texas in the South and far North as Great Bend in Kansas. For most of the year, the Wichitas lived in their hut, but during winter they followed American buffalos in seasonal hunt and lived in hunting camps. The bison was quite important to the Wichitas – they relied on it for clothing, food, winter shelter, cooking fat and armor. They also wore clothes made from tanned hides often decorated with elk canine teeth. Both men and women donned solid and dotted lines and circles tattoos on their bodies and faces. As a result of these tattoos, the Wicitas called themselves Kitikitish or simply Kirikirish which meant raccoon-eyed people. The Pawnee called them Kirikuuruks or bear-eyed while the Kiowa referred to the as Thoe-Khoot or tattoo faces.[15]
Intermarriage was a common feature in the culture of the Wichitas where they intermarried with the neighboring Pueblo community. The Pueblo women were always seen working in the Wichitas fields.
The Wichitas were not only successful hunters and farmers but they were also skilled traders and negotiators. They traded with Plain Indians from the South on both sides of the Red River and as far south as Waco. Their trading partners also included the French and Spanish merchant to whom they sold ceramic pottery which was similar to the ones from Osage and Pawnee.
A common unified language system identified the Wichitas, there were minor geographical dialectical among different tribes. The common language was Caddoan, which was almost similar which the other tribes that they shared common alliances with.[16]
The relationship between Wichita and their neighbors has been largely harmonious and cooperative. They were allies with Comanche whom they usually traded with. However, the Wichita had bitter relations with the Pawnee, Missouri and the Apache; Infact, the Wichitas had successfully driven them from their homes before contact with the Europeans. When it came to Osage, their relationship with the Wichitas was lukewarm, it was ‘cautiously hostile’ largely because the Osage had driven them out of the Arkansas River Basin back in the 18th century.
A common factor that unifies the Wichita tribes today is the Wichita Tribal History Centre which was opened in 2018 at Anadarko. This is used to display the Wichita historical artifacts, archaeology, visual arts and culture. Today, it is evident that the Wichita City is rich in culture which is quite diverse. Generally there are 33 museums, 28 art galleries, 22 live theaters, a symphony and an opera and a music theater – this places Wichita at the same standing with any other major city in the United States[17].The Wichitas also regularly hold the annual Asian Festival which showcases the communities’ rich cultures, traditional outfits, performances and food representative of a variety of Asian countries.[18]
Structures in Wichita City
Though Wichita is largely known as industrial center, it is also a cultural, media and trading center. It is the home to several universities, for example, Friends University, Newman University and Wichita State University, which is the largest university in the state, as mentioned earlier. The institutions are a home to students from all over the world.
Some of the most famous attractions in Wichita include Sedgwick County Zoo that has several theme based gardens, museums, Cheney Reservoir and El Dorado Lake. The city is also a center for the National Baseball Congress that is the largest center for non-professional baseball in America and the River Festival that happens every May. It also headquarters the International Flying Farmers, the largest pilot association in Kansas City.[19]
The city also has several symphonic orchestras and ballet companies. There are also several museums in the city, for example, the Museum of World Treasures, the Wichita Art Museum and Mid America All-Indian center which contains extensive art and information about the ancient culture of Wichita.
Economy
Wichita has one of the top brands that contribute enormously to the growth of the economy. Some of these brands include Koch Industries, Cargil Meat Solutions Coleman, Beechcraft, Cessna Comet and Pizza Hut. The economy has become greatly diversified since over the past several decades. The manufacturing industries in the city have led to the increase in manufacturing by 21.6% by the year 2003. The aviation industry, particularly, has long dominated the industries in the city and are the major contributors to the growth of the city’s economy. The government gas has therefore made many investments in these sector to increase the amount of revenue gotten from these industries. Other industries in the city include machinery, computer technology and the chemical industry.
The health facilities are the largest contributors to the growth of Wichita’s economy after the aircraft industries, and also the greatest service provider in the city. It offers the largest employment opportunities after the manufacturing industries. The growth of the health sector was mainly after the boom in the population during the 19th and the 20th centuries. Today there are several health facilities in the area, for example, Kansas Spine Hospital that opened in 2004, Wesley Medical Center and Wesley Children’s Hospital that is the first hospital to explicitly provide child health care in the region.[20]
Oil industry is also a major booster of the city’s economy. After the discovery of the oil industry in the area, many oil companies that currently contribute a great deal to the growth of the countries’ economy rose. This like the Koch Industries which is now billion-dollar Company, and Derby Oil Company as mentioned earlier. Wichita has therefore been the headquarters of several oil organizations in the country, for example, Kansas Strong, and Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association.[21]
The median household income as per 2017 was $50,504 in the city, and the per capita income at $26, 900 which was a rise from $20, 647 in the 2000. The percentage of people living in poverty in the country is very low owing to the great economic development in the country. General the Wichita population is a wealthy population.[22]
Bibliography
Boettcher, Carrie A. “Cognitive Authority in Online Social Media during Severe Weather.” PhD diss., Emporia State University, 2019.
COUNTY, WICHITA-SEDGWICK. “METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA.” (2018).
Freed, David. “We built this city: history, family, flying: it’s all here in Wichita.” Air & Space Smithsonian (2018).
Mason, James E. Wichita. Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
Muro, Mark, and Bruce Katz. “Chapter 5 The New “Cluster Moment”: How Regional Innovation Clusters can Foster the Next Economy.” Entrepreneurship and Global Competitiveness in Regional Economies: Determinants and Policy Implications (Advances in the Study of Entrepreneurship, Innovation & (2011): 93-140Perkins, Stephen M., and Timothy G. Baugh. “Protohistory and the Wichita.” Plains Anthropologist 53, no. 208 (2008): 381-394.
Peterson, Christine E., Margaret M. Weden, and Regina A. Shih. “Demographic, Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics.” (2017).
Potenski, Kathryn E. “A history of Lebanese culture in Wichita.” (1979).
Powers, Sidney. “Age of the folding of the Oklahoma mountains—the Ouachita, Arbuckle, and Wichita mountains of Oklahoma and the Llano-Burnet and Marathon uplifts of Texas.” Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 39, no. 4 (2008): 1031-1071.
Price, Jay M. Wichita, 1860-1930. Arcadia Publishing, 2003.
Sandefer, Marguerite. “The Development of the Oil Industry in Wichita County.” PhD diss., University of Texas, 2008.
Taylor, John, and Raymond Levitt. “Understanding and managing systemic innovation in project-based industries.” Innovations: Project management research (2004): 83-99.
COUNTY, WICHITA-SEDGWICK. “METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA.” (2018).
Mason, James E. Wichita. Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
[1]. Powers, Sidney. “Age of the folding of the Oklahoma mountains—the Ouachita, Arbuckle, and Wichita mountains of Oklahoma and the Llano-Burnet and Marathon uplifts of Texas.” Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 39, no. 4 (2008): 1031-1071.
[2]. COUNTY, WICHITA-SEDGWICK. “METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA.” (2018).
[3]. Peterson, Christine E., Margaret M. Weden, and Regina A. Shih. “Demographic, Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics.” (2017).
[4]. Boettcher, Carrie A. “Cognitive Authority in Online Social Media during Severe Weather.” PhD diss., Emporia State University, 2019.
[5]. Mason, James E. Wichita. Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
[6]. Mason, James E. Wichita.
[7]. Price, Jay M. Wichita, 1860-1930. Arcadia Publishing, 2003.
[8]. Mason, James E. Wichita. Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
[9]. Mason, James E. Wichita. Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
[10]. Freed, David. “We built this city: history, family, flying: it’s all here in Wichita.” Air & Space Smithsonian (2018).
[11]. Taylor, John, and Raymond Levitt. “Understanding and managing systemic innovation in project-based industries.” Innovations: Project management research (2004): 83-99.
[12]. Taylor, John, and Raymond Levitt. “Understanding and managing systemic innovation in project-based industries.” Innovations: Project management research (2004): 83-99.
[13]. Vehik, S. C. (1992). Wichita culture history. Plains Anthropologist, 37(141), 311-332.
[14]. Potenski, Kathryn E. “A history of Lebanese culture in Wichita.” (1979).
[15]. Potenski, Kathryn E. “A history of Lebanese culture in Wichita.” (1979).
[16]. Vehik, S. C. (1992). Wichita culture history. Plains Anthropologist, 37(141), 311-332.
[17]. Dorsey, George Amos, ed. The mythology of the Wichita. University of Oklahoma Press, 1995.
[18].Perkins, Stephen M., and Timothy G. Baugh. “Protohistory and the Wichita.” Plains Anthropologist 53, no. 208 (2008): 381-394.
[19]. Perkins, Stephen M., and Timothy G. Baugh. “Protohistory and the Wichita.” Plains Anthropologist 53, no. 208 (2008): 381-394.
[20]. Patry, Jill, Katie Morris, and John Leatherman. “The Importance of the Health Care Sector to the Economy of Wichita County.” (2010).
[21]. Sandefer, Marguerite. “The Development of the Oil Industry in Wichita County.” PhD diss., University of Texas, 2008.
[22]. Muro, Mark, and Bruce Katz. “Chapter 5 The New “Cluster Moment”: How Regional Innovation Clusters can Foster the Next Economy.” Entrepreneurship and Global Competitiveness in Regional Economies: Determinants and Policy Implications (Advances in the Study of Entrepreneurship, Innovation & (2011): 93-140Perkins, Stephen M., and Timothy G. Baugh. “Protohistory and the Wichita.” Plains Anthropologist 53, no. 208 (2008): 381-394.