A Magazine of Popular (and Unpopular) Culture
As the 20th century ran through its first decade, Wichita was obviously the biggest city in the region, but numerous outlying communities were doing well, too, and voluminous trade among …
Interurban Legends
Wichita has long been known as the Air Capital of the World, yet many today may be unaware of just exactly how long. The city’s air history has roots running …
Air Capitalization
As Wichita grew from a cowtown into a proper metropolis, it found itself, like many young American communities of the late 19th Century, faced with a need for public transportation. …
Clang! Clang! Clang! Went the Trolley
In last week’s Wichitarchaeology, we covered the story of White Castle, Wichita’s gift to the hamburger world. In this week’s installment, we shall look into our fair city’s contributions in …
Wichita: Cradle of Fast Food
Wichita has long proved a reliable barometer of American taste — literally. While the overall political and cultural zeitgeist of the metro area may not jibe with the more avant …
Wichita: Cradle of Fast Food
When driving along on the commercial streets of central Wichita, one occasionally notices a well-preserved vintage home or two wedged incongruously between, say, a Popeye’s Chicken and a Sonic Drive-In. …
Little (and Big) Houses on the Prairie
In the early years following its incorporation in 1870, Wichita developed in fits and spurts, growing quickly from a muddy cowtown into a beacon of proper civilization on the untamed …
Wizards of Brick, Block and Stone
Long before the era of the big box store, every town in America, large and small, depended on local merchants to supply its citizens with the sundry necessities of day-to-day …
Walter Innes’ Dry Goods Dynasty
Chances are you have driven past the Occidental Hotel countless times without ever really looking at or thinking about it. The Italianate brick building on the northeast corner of Main …
A More Truly Epic Center
Modern promoters looking to book a rock concert, lawn & garden show, bridal fair, agricultural exposition, music theater production, industrial convention, sporting event, automotive exhibition, lecture or other major attraction …
Century I: The Wichita Forum