Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas
Flag of Wichita, Kansas Flag
Nickname:  Air Capital
Location in the state of Kansas
County	Sedgwick
Government
• Mayor	Carlos Mayans
Population
• Total	360,715 (city proper)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Website	http://www.wichitagov.org/

Wichita, also known as the Air Capital, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, as well as a major aircraft manufacturing hub and cultural center. The city is home to five major aircraft manufacturing companies and McConnell Air Force Base. Wichita is located in South Central Kansas on the Arkansas River, and is the county seat of Sedgwick County.

Wichita is the 51st largest city in the United States with an estimated population of 353,823 in the year 2004. The Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which encompasses Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, and Sumner counties, has a 2004 estimated population of 584,671 persons residing in 245,159 households, making it the 82nd largest MSA in the United States. The Wichita-Winfield Combined Statistical Area also includes Cowley County and has an estimated population of 618,641.

About 1.4 million people reside within an hour radius of Wichita.

Geography

Wichita is located at 37°41′20″N 97°20′10″W (37.688848, -97.336226)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 138.9 mi² (359.8 km²). 135.8 mi² (351.6 km²) of it is land and 3.2 mi² (8.2 km²) of it (2.29%) is water.

The city was founded at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers. The Arkansas river runs on to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where it becomes navigable by large boats.

Climate

Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low of about 20°F (-8°C) in January to an average high of nearly 93°F (34°C) in July. The maximum temperature reaches 90°F (32°C) an average of 64 days per year and reaches 100°F (38°C) an average of 14 days per year. The minimum temperature falls below 32°F (0°C) an average of 108 days per year. Typically the first fall freeze occurs between the second week of October and mid-November, and the last spring freeze occurs between the end of March and the final week of April.

The area receives over 30 inches (760 mm) of precipitation during an average year with the largest share being received in May and June—with a combined 21 days of measurable precipitation. During a typical year the total amount of precipitation may be anywhere from 22 to 40 inches (560 to 1020 mm). There are on average 88 days of measurable precipitation per year. Winter snowfall averages almost 17 inches (44 cm), but the median is less than 8 inches (25 cm). Measurable snowfall occurs an average of 11 days per year with at least an inch of snow being received on five of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 18 days per year.

Source: Monthly Station Climate Summaries, 1971-2000, U.S. National Climatic Data Center

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Temperatures (°F)
Mean high	40.1	47.2	57.3	66.9	76.0	87.1	92.9	91.6	82.2	70.2	54.5	43.1	67.4
Mean low	20.3	25.3	34.4	43.7	54.0	63.9	69.1	67.9	59.3	46.9	33.9	24.0	45.2
Highest recorded	75 (1967)	87 (1996)	89 (1989)	96 (1972)	100 (1996)	110 (1980)	113 (1954)	110 (1984)	108 (2000)	95 (1979)	85 (1980)	83 (1955)	113 (1954)
Lowest recorded	−12 (1962)	−21 (1982)	−2 (1960)	15 (1975)	31 (1976)	43 (1969)	51 (1975)	48 (1967)	31 (1984)	18 (1993)	1 (1975)	−16 (1989)	−21 (1982)
Precipitation (inches)
Median	0.63	0.62	2.13	2.32	3.25	3.72	3.76	2.16	2.09	1.95	1.81	1.01	29.62
Mean number of days	5.4	5.4	8.1	8.5	11.2	9.7	7.2	7.6	7.2	6.4	5.8	5.7	88.2
Highest monthly	2.73 (1973)	3.33 (1987)	9.17 (1973)	6.02 (1999)	9.62 (1993)	8.90 (1995)	6.65 (1971)	7.69 (1987)	10.69 (1999)	9.42 (1998)	4.91 (1992)	4.71 (1984)
Snowfall (inches)
Median	2.8	2.2	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	2.2	7.7
Mean number of days	3.6	2.5	1.1	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.8	2.7	11.0
Highest monthly	19.7 (1987)	16.7 (1971)	13.6 (1998)	4.6 (1979)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.5 (1991)	7.1 (1972)	13.8 (1983)
Notes: Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation includes rain and melted snow or sleet in inches; median values are provided for precipitation and snowfall because mean averages may be misleading. Mean and median values are for the 30-year period 1971–2000; temperature extremes are for the station's period of record (1954–2001). The station is located at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport at 37°39′N 97°26′W, elevation 1,321 feet (401 m).

Demographics

Historical populations
Census year	Population
1880	4,911
1890	23,853
1900	24,671
1910	52,450
1920	72,217
1930	111,110
1940	114,966
1950	168,279
1960	254,698
1970	276,554
1980	279,272
1990	304,011
2000	344,284

In 2004, the city of Wichita had an estimated population of 353,823, which is an increase of 9,539, or 2.8%, since the year 2000.

In 2003 the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated population of 582,781, which is an increase of 11,613, or 2.0%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase of 13,451 people (that is 29,063 births minus 15,612 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 1,508 people out of the metropolitan area. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 5,415 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 6,923 people.

Census of 2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 344,284 people, 139,087 households, and 87,763 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,536.1/mi² (979.2/km²). There were 152,119 housing units at an average density of 1,120.6/mi² (432.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.20% White, 11.42% African American, 1.16% Native American, 3.96% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 5.10% from other races, and 3.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 9.62% of the population.

There were 139,087 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,939, and the median income for a family was $49,247. Males had a median income of $36,457 versus $25,844 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,647. About 8.4% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Historical trends

File:Cow-2.png

The City of Wichita's logo.

Following the incorporation of the city in 1870 rapid immigration resulted in a land boom involving speculation into the late 1880s. Wichita had become the third largest city in the state (behind Kansas City and Topeka) with a population of nearly 24,000 in 1890. After the boom the city suffered from 15 years of comparable depression and slow growth.

The early 20th century saw a resurgence in growth from the nascent aircraft industry (see below) with the population increasing by 350% between 1900 and 1930. By 1920 Wichita had entered the top 100 largest cities in the United States and by 1930 reached 77th in rank. The depression of the 1930s again brought slow growth with total population only increasing by 3% between 1930 and 1940. The decades during and after World War II saw a growth spurt as the city's population increased by more than 120% between 1940 and 1960. Wichita had become the largest city in the state by 1950 and the 51st largest city in the country by 1960—a ranking it has held to this date.

The decades between 1950 and 1970 saw a major shift in the city's racial makeup as the proportion of blacks in the population increased significantly. Until 1950 blacks had made up about 5% of the population with little variation. During these two decades the black population increased from 8,082 (4.8%) in 1950 to 26,841 (9.7%) in 1970, a 230% increase. This also marked the beginning of the decline of the white majority. Even as the white population has increased from 160,000 in 1950 to about 260,000 in 2000, the percentage of the population has dropped from 95% to 75%.

During the 1970s the city's population only grew by 1%, but the growth rate accelerated in the following two decades to more than 13% in the 1990s. The growth in minority races is still strong. The black population has grown by a more modest 14% per decade, but the proportion of the other races, including indigenous American and immigrants from Asia and the Pacific Rim, has risen from just 1% to over 10% of the population.

Transportation

Most residents of Wichita travel around the region by car. The Kansas Turnpike (Interstate 35), Interstates 135 and 235, U.S. Route 54/400, and K-96 run through and near the city. Currently the idea of a Northwest Corridor is under discussion, to run from K-96 south from Maize to U.S. 54/400.

The Wichita Transit Authority operates 51 buses on 18 fixed bus routes within the city.[1]

The nearest Amtrak station is in Newton (20 miles/32 km to the 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 in Missouri). Flights from Wichita's airport travel to many U.S. airport hubs via 11 commercial carriers.

Culture

Wichita's conference center

The City of Wichita is home to Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, which boasts 24 themed gardens including the popular Butterfly Garden and the award-winning Sally Stone Sensory Garden. Sedgwick County Extension Arboretum is also located in the city.

Wichita is also home to the Wichita River Festival, held each May in the Downtown and Old Town areas of the city. It is one of the longest continuous running festivals in the state of Kansas and features over 70 events, including musical entertainment, sporting events, traveling exhibits, cultural and historical activities, plays, interactive children's events, a flea market, river events, a parade, block party, food court, fireworks and souvenirs for the roughly 300,000+ patrons who attend each year.[2]

Other major attractions of the city include the Sedgwick County Zoo, home to more than 2,500 animals of nearly 500 different species; the Old Cowtown Museum; McConnell Air Force Base; Exploration Place, a science and discovery center for all ages; the Old Town historical and entertainment district; the Mid-America All-Indian Center and Museum; and the Wichita Art Museum.

Other museums and attractions around the city:

• The Bank Of America Gallery, Wichita
• Campbell Castle, Wichita
• Coleman Factory Outlet Store and Museum, Wichita
• Crown Uptown Professional Dinner Theatre, Wichita
• Frank Lloyd Wright Allen Lambe House, Wichita
• Gallery XII, Wichita
• Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita
• Great Plains Transportation Museum, Wichita
• Kansas African-American Museum, Wichita
• Kansas Aviation Museum, Wichita
• Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, Hutchinson
• Kansas Firefighters Museum, Wichita
• Kansas Oil Museum, El Dorado
• Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, Wichita
• Kansas Underground Salt Museum, Hutchinson
• Kansas Wildlife Exhibit at Riverside Park, Wichita
• Karg Art Glass, Wichita
• Kauffman Museum, Bethel College, North Newton
• McPherson Museum Historic Vaniman Mansion, McPherson
• Mid-America All-Indian Center and Keeper Of The Plains statue, Wichita
• Museum of World Treasures, Wichita
• Music Theatre of Wichita
• Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper, Benton
• Reno County Museum, Hutchinson
• Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University, Wichita
• Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita
• Wichita Jazz Festival, Wichita
• Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, Wichita
• Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Wichita

History

A thorough writeup can be found at City of Wichita-History.

The site on the two rivers has served as a trading center for nomadic peoples for the last 11,000 years. The area was visited by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in 1541, while he was in search of the fabulous "cities of gold." While there, he encountered a group of Indians whom he called Quiviras and who have been identified by archeological and historical studies as Wichita Indians. By 1719 this people had moved south to Oklahoma, where they met French traders. The first permanent settlement in Wichita was a collection of grass houses inhabited by the Wichita Indians in 1863. They had moved back to Wichita from Oklahoma during the Civil War due to their pro-Union sentiments. The city was officially incorporated in 1870. Shortly thereafter it became a railhead destination for cattle drives from Texas and other southwestern points, from whence it has derived its nickname of "Cowtown."

Wichita reached national fame in 1900 when Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) member Carrie Nation decided to carry her crusade against alcohol to Wichita. On December 27th of that year she entered the Carey House bar in downtown Wichita and smashed the place with a rock and a pool ball. She had visited all the bars in Wichita the night before and demanded that they close their doors. However, the painting by John Noble of Cleopatra at the Roman Bath in the Carey House had drawn her particular wrath.

In 1914-1915, oil was discovered nearby and Wichita became a major oil center. The money derived from oil allowed local entrepreneurs to invest in a nascent airplane industry. In 1917, the first plane, the Cessna Comet, was manufactured in Wichita. Forty-three Swallows, the first airplanes made specifically for production, were built in Wichita between 1920 and 1923. This industry, coinciding with Wichita as a test center for new aviation, established Wichita as the "Air Capital." Lloyd Stearman and Walter Beech were employees of the Swallow company, but in January 1925 they left Swallow Aircraft and teamed up with Clyde Cessna to form Travel Air. Lloyd Stearman left the company in 1926 to start Stearman Aircraft in Venice, California. Cessna quit in January 1927 to start Cessna Aircraft. Stearman would only be gone from Wichita for a year before returning.

Travel Air with Walter Beech at the helm grew to the point of employing over 600 workers and working in a huge factory complex constructed from 1927 to 1929. Employing so many workers at such a large complex and being a few miles outside the city limits it was tagged "Travel Air City" by Wichita residents. The company merged with the huge Curtis Wright Corporation in the Roaring Twenties' heyday of company buyouts and takeovers just two months before the Stock Market crash in 1929. Workers were laid off by the hundreds during 1930 and more so in 1931. Those that retained jobs were moved to the Curtis Wright plant in St. Louis in 1931 to lower operating costs. By the fall of 1932 the final workers were let go in Wichita, equipment was sold and the entire Travel Air plant sat empty. Walter Beech held a desk job in New York instead of walking the factory floors and was not happy in this new position.

In March 1932 Walter quit Curtis Wright to form Beech Aircraft with his wife Olive Ann and hired Ted Wells as his chief engineer. The first four or five "Beechcraft" were built in the vacant Cessna Aircraft plant which was also closed during the depression. Beech later leased and then bought the Travel Air plant from Curtis Wright and men, machinery, and an airplane or two were moved from the Cessna plant. The first aircraft was the beautiful Model 17, later dubbed the "Staggerwing" which was first flown on November 5, 1932. The aircraft that would propel the small company into a huge corporation was the Model 18 "Twin Beech," of which thousands were built from 1937 to 1969. The Staggerwing production ended in 1946 with approximately 750 built and a few more assembled from parts in 1947. The Staggerwing production was replaced by the Beechcraft Bonanza, although there are still nearly 100 Staggerwings in existence, most in useable condition.

The city experienced a population explosion during World War II when it became a major manufacturing center for airplanes needed in the war effort. By 1945, 4.2 bombers were being produced daily in Wichita. Stearman Aircraft, later purchased by the Boeing Company, was founded in Wichita, as were Beech Aircraft (now part of Raytheon), Cessna Aircraft, and LearJet (now Bombardier). The city remains a major manufacturing center for the aircraft industry today, with all of these and Airbus still having major centers there, hence its nickname: "The Air Capital." It was also a significant entrepreneurial business center during the postwar period, with Coleman, Mentholatum, Pizza Hut, White Castle, and Koch Industries having all been founded in Wichita. Ironically, White Castle closed all of their restaurants in Wichita in 1938 and has not operated in the state of Kansas after a failed revival attempt in the Kansas City area in the early 1990s. The entrepreneurial spirit of Wichita led to the creation one of the first academic centers to study and support entrepreneurship at The Wichita State University, Center for Entrepreneurship.

Wichita is also noteworthy for the crimes of the "BTK Killer," detailed below.

The first complete recording made by the famous jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker occurred in 1940 at the Trocadero Ballroom in Wichita. During the 1950s and early 1960s Wichita had a significant "Beat" movement [3]. The Wichita Jazz Festival remains a significant annual event on the jazz calendar to this day.

An informative collection of historical photographs of Wichita can be found at [4].

BTK

Main article: Dennis Rader

On January 15, 1974, four members of the same Wichita family were found murdered in their home; this was followed by a fifth murder later that same year (on August 4) and two more in 1977 (on March 17 and December 8). All seven murders are now known to have been committed by the same person. On September 16, 1986 still another murder, thought to be similar in character to the first seven, was committed. From a series of cryptic letters sent both to police and local television stations, the unknown serial murderer became known as "BTK," which stood for "Bind, Torture, Kill," his modus operandi. More anonymous letters arrived in 2004 and early 2005. At that time, these killings began attracting nationwide publicity, most notably being featured on two different episodes of the television show America's Most Wanted. On February 26, 2005, during a nationally-televised news conference, Wichita Police announced the capture of Dennis Rader the previous day as a suspect in the BTK killings — and also linking him to two additional murders, one having been committed in 1985, the other in 1991. The murder committed in 1985 is especially disturbing given that the victim lived on the same block as Rader, and yet it took nearly 20 years and at least one additional murder for the suspect to be detained. In June of 2005, Rader confessed to being the "BTK" murderer and to having committed all ten BTK murders. He was sentenced on August 18 to ten life terms. He could not receive the death penalty because the state of Kansas did not allow capital punnishment when the murders were commited. He is currently serving at the Kansas State Penitentiary in El Dorado.

Sister cities

• Cancún, Mexico - 25 November 1975
• Kaifeng, China - 3 December 1985
• Orleans, France - 16 August 1944 through Sister Cities International
• Tlalnepantla, Mexico - 16 October 1973

Metro cities

• Andale
• Andover
• Arkansas City
• Augusta
• Bel Aire
• Belle Plaine
• Bentley
• Benton
• Burrton
• Cassoday
• Cheney
• Clearwater
• Colwich
• Conway Springs
• Derby
• El Dorado
• Eureka
• Garden Plain
• Goddard
• Harper
• Haven
• Haysville
• Hesston
• Hutchinson
• Kechi
• Kingman
• Maize
• McPherson
• Moundridge
• Mount Hope
• Mulvane
• Newton
• North Newton
• Norwich
• Park City
• Peabody
• Peck
• Pretty Prairie
• Rock
• Rose Hill
• Sedgwick
• Towanda
• Udall
• Valley Center
• Wellington
• Winfield
• Yoder

Colleges and universities

• Wichita State University
• Friends University
• Newman University
• Wichita Area Technical College
• Wichita Technical Institute
• Butler Community College (formerly Butler County Community College)

Sports teams

• Wichita Wranglers, baseball
• Wichita Wings (defunct), indoor soccer
• Wichita Thunder, ice hockey
• Wichita Aviators, indoor football

Notable natives

• Kirstie Alley, actress
• Caroline Bruce, Olympic swimmer
• Robert Ballard, marine geologist
• Judy Bell, golfer
• Antoine Carr, basketball star
• Clyde Cessna, industrialist
• Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean , one of the last three individuals to survive the TITANIC
• Kenneth Paul Dukes, Korean War veteran and deputy sheriff of Imperial County, California
• Kyle Farnsworth, Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees
• Tamara Feldman, Actress
• Carla Fry, Motion Picture Production Executive
• Robert M. Gates, former Director U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
• Dan Glickman, former US Congressman, Secretary of Agriculture, and current President of the Motion Picture Association of America
• Eric Harris, a perpetrator of the Columbine High School massacre
• Bob Helms, industrialist
• Stan Kenton, jazz musician
• Bill Koch, America's Cup winner
• Charles Koch, industrialist
• Don Johnson, actor
• Neal Jones, actor
• William Lear, industrialist
• Jim Lehrer, TV host
• Hattie McDaniel, actress
• Vera Miles, actress
• Fran Jabara,industrialist
• Antonya Nelson, author
• Roger Noriega, Ambassador to the Organization of American States
• Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior
• Susan Page, journalist
• Allison Pitts, social activist
• Jeff Probst, TV host
• Dennis Rader, the BTK Strangler
• Danny Roew, film director
• Jim Ryun, Olympic medalist, now a U.S. Representative from Kansas
• Barry Sanders, Pro Football Hall of Famer
• Gale Sayers, Pro Football Hall of Famer; born in Wichita, but raised in Omaha, Nebraska
• Mark Shelton of Manilla Road fame
• Vernon L. Smith, Nobel Memorial Prize winner
• Leon van Speybroeck, X-Ray astronomer
• Lloyd Stearman, industrialist
• Deb Stover, author
• John Cameron Swayze, announcer
• Darnell Valentine, basketball star
• Joe Walsh, musician
• Lynette Woodard, Basketball Hall of Fameer

Broadcasting/Media

See Broadcast Media In Wichita

The Wichita Eagle is the daily newspaper in Wichita. Cable television service for Wichita and surrounding areas are provided by Cox Communications

Cultural references

• Wichita is mentioned in the song Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes.
• Wichita is mentioned in the song P.R. 2KI by Tech N9ne
• Wichita is mentioned in the song Open up the Border by Clutch.
• Wichita is mentioned in the song Jack Straw by Grateful Dead.
• Wichita is mentioned in the song True Dreams of Wichita by Soul Coughing
• Wichita is mentioned in the film My Blue Heaven (1990).
• Wichita is mentioned in the film Leap of Faith (1992).
• Wichita is mentioned in the film Twister (1996).
• Wichita is the setting for the film The Big Kahuna (1999).
• Wichita is the setting for the film The Ice Harvest (2005).
• Wichita is one of the settings for the film Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987).
• It is also mentioned in the poem Wichita Vortex Sutra by beat poet Alan Ginsberg. Philip Glass has also composed a work by the same title.
• Wichita Lineman was a popular song, written by Jimmy Webb and first performed by Glen Campbell. It has since been recorded by numerous other artists. However, this song is more likely a reference to a county named Wichita, of which there are two, since the song says "I am a lineman for the county... ...and the Wichita lineman is still on the line."
• The BTK Killer is mentioned in the song Teachers Suck by Tom Green

External links

• The Official City of Wichita homepage