Wichita

views updated

Wichita City at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers, s central Kansas. Established in 1864 as a trading post, Wichita developed with the arrivals of the Chisholm Trail and the railroad (1872). A cattle town and later a wheat centre, its commercial growth was spurred by the discovery of oil (1915) and by the development of its aircraft industry (1920). It is by far the largest city in Kansas. Industries: aviation, railroad workshops, oil refining, grain processing, meat-packing. Pop. (2000) 344,284.

More From encyclopedia.com