The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-31
What Wichita Is, Was and Is to Be as the
the Great Commercial Center Of the
Valley of the Arkansas River
and Of Southern Kansas.

49,
The new city of Wichita, or rather
the Wichita of 1891, starts out on a
period of greater growth, with more
advantages, more territory to pay her
tribute, more facilities to handle the
trade of the west, and better prospects
than in 1890. That she will outstrp all
her former undertakings and work
greater accomplishments there Is now no
question. That her forces are gathering
from long period Of depression and
with renewed energy is best evidenced
by the more solid institutions being To-
Gated here and the renewed activity seen
everywhere.
Wichita is, in fact, city, the result of
natural laws of growth. Metropolitan
in every sense of the term: it is a mar
ket center, a commercial center, a stock
center, a grain center and a railroad
center.
Wichita's position today, is far supe~
rior to that held by Chicago in her day,
and Kansas City later on, when they
were the size of Wichita.
Wichita, Kansas, is
22S miles from Kansas City.
4j7 miles from ST. Louis.
6JS miles from Chicago.
400 miles from Omaha.
500 miles from Denver.
547 miles from Memphis.
713 miles from Galveston.
80 miles from Indian territory.
1t is in the center of the stock and
grain district of the west, at the juno
ton of the Little and Big Arkansas
rivers.
Its growth has been as follows, as
shown by the United States census:
1870. ............-..... so
IooO. .'s'.ss'.'..... .''...''''''-.-...' ISL
1871. ,..,..,..,...-- .s....>-..........23,S $50
Wichita is /, 1895 feet above sea level,
with climate mild, pure atmosphere
and without superior as healthy home
with an inexhaustable supply of the finest
water in tho world.
The geographical position of Kansas is
an unanswerable argument in favor of
its healthfulness. The enterprise and
vigorous advancement shown in the
years of settlement contribute another
promise to the logic whose conclusion is
that Kansas is all that could be desired
for health, and vigorous, pushing health
at that.
Professor Frank H. Snow, of the State
University of Kansas, has kept correct
weather record since 1868. He pub
fishes the tables OF his observations in
the large volume of the Report of the
State Board of Agriculture. From them
it appears that the mean temperature for
the spring months is 81 degrees, fors sum-
mer 80 degrees, for autumn 52.89 de-
grees, and for winter 3O.0S degrees; the
mean temperature for the year is 53.3
degrees. This places us in line with the
states to the east of us-Missouri, south
ern Illinois, southern Indiana, southern
Ohio, Kentucky. the Virginias and Mary
land.
But though the thermometer indicates
a higher temperature on the greater
number of days than in the states of the
same latitude to the east of us the heat
is, On the whole, much easier borne than
there. First. the nights are invariably
cool. Second, the air is in almost con-
slant circulation,-rarelyb becomes calm.
Third, the most important modifer of
heat is in the dryness of our Kansas
atmosphere, which cools the body bv
rapid evaporation, and makes the high
temperature of midsummer easy TO en-
dure. The greater the amount of moist
IN hn ~ "a
comes the heat, so that eighty degrees in
Philadelphia or Boston is far more intol-
cradle than ninety degrees in Wichita.
1S70-Wichita was founded.
1S71-First school house built.
First church erected.
1S72-First railway constructed.
First b2nk opened.
1SS3-First street railway built.
1SS4-First wholesale grocery.
1SS6-First university erected.
1SS7-First packing house located.
First car works.
Union stock Yards
1S9l-Wichita has now:
81 Wholesale houses.
IS School buildings.
81 Miles of sewers.
100 Miles telephone wires.
IRE companies.
80 Blocks street paving,
10 Railways.
81 Manufacturing firms.
80 Churches.
% Miles water pipe.
66 Acres stock yarks.
10 Miles stone sidewalks.
Packing houses.
A city hall costing 500, 600.
A court house and Jail costing $3.50, 900.
A postoftice costing $500. 900.
Universities costing $3.50. 600.
Academies costing 800. 900.
colleges costing $3.50, 600.
Hospitals costing S25. 000
~ School buildings costing 500. 900.
\. NJ. c. A. building costing S75, 900.
Railroads.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe-
North.
Atehison, Topeka and Santa Fe-
South.
Wichita and Western-West.
Missouri Pacific railroad-East
Missouri Pacific railroad-Southwas
Wichita and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ST. Louis and San Francisco-Fast
Kansas Midland-Northwest.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific
North.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific
South.
Telegraph Companies
Western Union and Postal Cable COM
panies.