The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1873-04-03
The Queen Of the Southwest
HER ENTERPRISE AND GROWTH!



first volume Of the EoALE, and il il
with feelings of pride and pleasure
that we enter upon . review Of the
growth aud business Of Wichita for
the year ending April LIST, 1873. II 10
scarce three years since the surveyor
with his transit and chain was mark
ing the meets and bounds of the unoc-
cupied ground where now stands this
busy city of the valley, with its crowd
ed thorOughfares that are lined with
trade aud commerce, with banks and
business houses, with permanent
homes, churches, school houses, and
with nearly all the other evidences of
the pluck and enterprise that render
western civilization so desirable. In
the twelve months just passed our city
has more than doubled in population,
In wealth. and in business and what
10 really Of paramount Importance, has
settled the question of her permanency
and supremacy as the commercial me-
tropolis of this valley. For the con-
summation of SO much in 80 short
time we congratulate the principal
proprietors and business men Of the
place, whose energy, good sense and
liberality the EAGLE has seconded and
endorsed in every issue since its first
appearance. In each and every par
ticular the progress of the city has
more than realized the anticipations Of
its warmest friends. Not only all
those who made investments, but the
great mass of our traders have real
lied handsomely. With the compile
tion of the railway the business of the
city has been SO conducted that the
traders for fifty miles in every direc-
ton have found it to their interest to
purchase largely here. Points in the
Indian territory, two hundred aud fifty
miles away, have found it to their in
terest also to regularly visit Wichita
with their trains and money. Her
business men, being fully imbued with
the spirit and enterprise of the times,
have not failed to set forth the advan-
tages Of the place through the adver-
tising columns Of the two papers,
which being literally supported are
doing much to attract business to the
city and people to this section.
1t will be our aim in this article to
give . review or recapitulation Of the
business and improvements of Wichita
for the past year; to show to the out
side world something Of the amount of
money in that time permanently in
vested, of the amount of money en-
ployed by way of capital in carrying
on the various branches of trade and
industrial pursuits.
BUILDING OPERATIONS.
Through the courtesy of our various
contractors we are enabled to approx
innate the amount Of money invested
in buildings during the year. although
it has been impossible to obtain many
buildings or their cost, and in several
instances much Of the data had been
mislaid BY the contractors. Many of
the buildings, business houses and res
licences would be an ornament to any
city in Kansas. The First National
bank, built by Chas. w. Fisk, at . cost
Of $ll, 400, although but 65x24 and two
stories high, is . splendid building and
the workmanship cannot be surpassed.
Also the Eagle block, built BY Reese 4
Sawyer, being 30 feet front by 80 deep.
10 one Of the best and most substantial
structures in Southern Kansas. The
dwelling house Of Hon. j. II. Mead,
built by Mile & Stem, commands the
admiration of mechanics and archi-
tects, AZ also the residence Of William
Greiffenstein, esq, built by Reese &
Sawyer. But we cannot speak in de-
tail. Below 10 given . table showing |
the number. kind and cost Of buildings |
erected since April LIST, 1872, SO far as
we were able to get the data, IS also
the names of the contractors: