Bird’s eye view of Wichita
Described by the Wichita Weekly Beacon newspaper as a truthful portrayal of the vicinity, this 1873 Bird’s Eye View by artist E. S. Glover was seen as an enticement to “bring men of means to our little city” and a way of “affording pleasure to friends in the east by sending them a correct view of your frontier home.”
Southern Hotel – North Main Street
The Southern Hotel dominated the east side of North Main Street in 1871. Other businesses include a restaurant and cigar store, Schnattner & Short Liquors, and a tin shop.
North Main Street
Businesses pictured along the west side of North Main Street, 1871, include Black & Nixon Diamond Front Grocery, Bayley & Co. Hardware, and W. C. Woodman’s store.
Train
The first train, carrying 44 passengers, pulled into town on the night of May 16, 1872 during a torrential rainstorm. Wichita had its railroad! Seven years later it had two, as a branch of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad joined the Santa Fe to serve the bustling town.
On the Trail
Harper’s Weekly, A Journal of Civilization published a series of Wichita engravings in the May 2, 1874 issue. Credited to illustrators Paul Frenzeny and Jules Tavernier, this view shows cowboys herding cattle.
