Legend of poker game winnings by John A. Scott
According to legend, the land where downtown Wichita Falls is presently located, in southeast Wichita County, was acquired in a poker game by John A. Scott of Mississippi in 1837. He packed away the certificates and promptly forgot them. Years later, the certificates were rediscovered by Scott's heirs, who commissioned M. W. Seeley to map out a townsite on the Wichita River tract. In July 1876, the townsite, as platted by Seeley, included a small waterfall on the Wichita River that was later washed away.
Fort Worth and Denver Railway arrives September 27, 1882
From 1881 to 1882, the residents of Wichita Falls induced the Fort Worth and Denver Railway Company, then building tracks west out of Fort Worth, to run the line through the town by offering substantial property concessions along the right-of-way. The arrival of the first train on September 27, 1882, triggered a boom in the sale of town lots.
Joseph Alexander Kemp, a found father, arrives
Joseph Alexander Kemp, later to become one of the most prominent of the town's promoters, arrived in 1883 and soon established a general merchandise store.
Wichita Falls becomes County Seat
Wichita Falls became the county seat of Wichita County in November 1883. It was officially incorporated on July 29, 1889, and the first meeting of the town council occurred on August 21, with Mayor Otis T. Bacon presiding.
Lake Wichita Project
The Lake Wichita project was begun in 1900 and completed the following year. It was the primary source of water for drinking and irrigation.By 1909 Wichita Falls boasted thirty miles of sidewalk, five miles of sewers, and more than 100 businesses. A streetcar system also appeared; it featured an extension to Lake Wichita that made the lake a recreation center. Soon a hotel, a domed pavilion, a racetrack, a boardwalk, and vacation cottages sprang up. The lake remained the center of recreational activity for the city until World War I, even though the hotel wasdestroyed by fire in 1918. The abandoned pavilion burned in 1955.
Oil Boom
By 1913 the North Texas fields were producing 46 percent of all the oil in Texas, and refineries began to appear in Wichita Falls in 1915. The discovery of the Burkburnett fields in 1918 triggered an actual boom. Bank deposits increased by 400 percent in 1919, and oil-related industries increased dramatically. By 1920 there were nine refineries and forty-seven factories within the city. The oil boom also produced a building boom.
The Littlest Skyscraper
The Newby–McMahon Building, commonly referred to as the world's littlest skyscraper, is located at 701 La Salle (on the corner of Seventh and La Salle streets) in downtown Wichita Falls, Texas. It started out innocently enough, but then most swindles do. In 1919, Wichita Falls was a crowded place. While area businessmen were enjoying the first of several region-wide oil booms, offices were located wherever space could be found, and “ coat pocket” business addresses were as common as anything made of bricks and mortar.Investors practically stood in line to buy stock in a construction project proposed by a Philadelphia building engineer, the plain-looking tenant of the Newby Hotel, a man whose given name has been lost to history. He probably was a genuine building engineer or he could never have presented his $200,000 project so convincingly! Contracts were signed, money changed hands and construction began on the lot next door to the clever visionary’s hotel address. Trouble was, none of the investors seemed to notice that the Philadelphian’s blueprints, which called for dimensions measured in square feet, were actually executed in square inches until after the property, still standing after 80-plus years, was finished. By then, the Easterner had long checked out of the hotel, taking the bulk of his ill-gotten $200,000 along.During the 1920s, the Newby–McMahon Building was featured in Robert Ripley's Ripley's Believe It or Not! syndicated column as "the world's littlest skyscraper," a nickname that has stuck with it ever since. The Newby–McMahon Building is now part of the Depot Square Historic District of Wichita Falls, a Texas Historic Landmark.
Wichita Falls 1930
The Federal census determined Wichita Falls was the 10th ranking city in Texas with a population of 43,607. There were thirty-two parks, forty-seven churches, four railroads, twenty schools, and 118 industrial establishments. The depression slowed growth but did not stop it, due in part to a major oil discovery at nearby Kamay in 1938.
Wichita Falls 1940
In 1940 the population was 55,200. Bank deposits exceeded $36 million, and there were ninety-two miles of paved streets, seventy-seven manufacturing establishments, 127 wholesale outlets, and 741 retail stores.
Sheppard Air Force Base
In 1941 the economy was further bolstered by the opening of Sheppard Field, an Army Air Corps training facility. By May 1945, when the base reached its peak strength, there were 46,000 army personnel stationed there.The base was deactivated on August 31, 1946, but reopened as Sheppard Air Force Base in August 1948. It continues to function as a major training center for air force technicians and a flight training center for NATO.
Wichita Falls 1960
By 1960 the population had dropped to 101,724, and while oil production in the area still ranked eighth in the state, it would soon be eclipsed by other areas. By 1962 refinery activity had practically ceased. Recognizing that change was coming, the city's leaders formed Industrial Development, Incorporated, which sought to diversify the economy by attracting other types of industries.
Wichita Falls 1970
In 1970 Industrial Development Inc. merged with the Chamber of Commerce to form the Board of Commerce and Industry.This organization was successful in attracting fifteen new industries during the 1970s, including Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Certain Teed, Washex, Howmet Turbine, AC Spark Plug, and Cieba Geigy.
1979 Tornado
In 1979 Wichita Falls faced its largest disaster challenge to date. A large deadly tornado changed the landscape and took lives. Out of that disaster several local non-profits were born and are still around today that help people daily. After extensive study of the storm damage, the National Weather Service changed its safety guidelines for where to shelter in place during a tornado that are still the standard for storm safety.
Multi-Purpose Events Center
Construction is completed of the 95,000 square foot Multi-Purpose Events Center or MPEC. The MPEC allows Wichita Falls to host large events, musicians, sporting events, festivals, conventions, and tradeshows.
Wichita Falls in 2000
Area residents unite to preserve the unique history of North Texas. Through their tireless efforts, the Museum of North Texas History was started. The first water park in Wichita Falls, Castaway Cove, opened in 2003.
Five year drought leads to award winning conservation project
A five-year drought tested the City’s staff to find ways to save water. There was a danger of running out but staff found a way to not only conserve water but to actually reuse it. With emergency approval from Texas officials the City implemented a system that saved more than two billion gallons of water that helped save the City until flooding rainfall ended the drought. That project won Civil Engineering awards and drew international attention for not only relief in a drought but treating water in more efficient ways. Because of some innovative thinking and engineering, Wichita Falls is now better prepared should extreme long-term drought ever arise again.
