Jump to content

Wichita Falls, Texas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 75.151.57.113 (talk) at 14:40, 14 October 2013. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

City of Wichita Falls
City
The restored "Falls" of the Wichita River in Wichita Falls, Texas, off Interstate 44
The restored "Falls" of the Wichita River in Wichita Falls, Texas, off Interstate 44
Flag of City of Wichita Falls
Flag
Nickname: 
Falls Town
Location in the state of Texas
Location in the state of Texas
Location of City of Wichita Falls
CountryUnited States United States
StateTexas Texas
CountyWichita
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • City CouncilMayor Glenn Barham
Dorothy Roberts-Burns
Michael Smith
Annetta Pope
Rick Hatcher
Tim Ingle
Mary Ward
 • City ManagerDarron Leiker
 • Asst. City ManagerKevin Hugman
 • Asst. City Manager & CFOJim Dockery
Area
 • City
70.1 sq mi (183.1 km2)
 • Land70.66 sq mi (183.0 km2)
 • Water0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation
948 ft (289 m)
Population
 (2011)
 • City
103,931 (US: 269th)
 • Density1,474.1/sq mi (569.1/km2)
 • Metro
150,261 (US: 266th)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
76301-11
Area code940
FIPS code48-79000Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1376776Template:GR
Websitewww.wichitafallstx.gov

Wichita Falls is a city in Wichita County, Texas, United States and is also the county seat.Template:GR Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the 2010 census, the city had a population of 104,553 making it the twenty-ninth most populous city in the state of Texas. In addition to Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls is also home to the Newby-McMahon Building, constructed downtown in 1919 and since known as the "world's littlest skyscraper".

History

The Wichita Falls City Hall occupies the bottom floor of the Municipal Auditorium; a municipal annex building is located to the right of the auditorium.
Wichita Falls Public Library
American National Bank in downtown Wichita Falls

The Choctaw Indians settled the area in the early 18th century.[1] White settlers arrived in the 1860s to form cattle ranches. The city was officially titled Wichita Falls on September 27, 1872. On that day, a sale of town lots was held at what is now the corner of Seventh and Ohio streets – the birthplace of the city.[2] The Fort Worth and Denver Railway arrived in 1882, the same year the city became the county seat of Wichita County, Texas.[1] The city grew westwards from the train depot.[2] This area is now referred to as the Depot Square Historic District,[3][4] which has been declared a Texas Historic Landmark.[5]

The early history of Wichita Falls well into the 20th century also rests on the work of two entrepreneurs, Joseph A. Kemp[6] and his brother-in-law, Frank Kell. Kemp and Kell were pioneers in food processing and retailing, flour milling, railroads, cattle, banking, and oil.[7]

A flood in 1886 destroyed the original falls on the Wichita River for which the city was named.[citation needed] After nearly 100 years of visitors wanting to visit the non-existent falls, the city built an artificial waterfall beside the river in Lucy Park. The recreated falls are 54 feet (16 m) high and recirculate at 3,500 gallons per minute. They are visible to south-bound traffic on Interstate 44.

The Kell House, located across from the First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, was inhabited by members of the Kell family from 1910 to 1980. It was turned into a museum after the death of Willie May Kell, daughter of entrepreneur Frank Kell and the former Lula Kemp, sister of another Wichita Falls business pioneer Joseph A. Kemp.
Kemp Center for the Arts

The city is currently seeking funding to rebuild and restore the downtown area.[1] Downtown Wichita Falls was the city's main shopping area for many years, but lost ground to the creation of new shopping centers throughout the city beginning with Parker Square in 1953 and other similar developments during the 1960s and 1970s, culminating with the opening of Sikes Senter Mall in 1974.

Wichita Falls was once home to offices of several oil companies and related industries, along with oil refineries operated by the Continental Oil Company (now Conoco Phillips) until 1952 and Panhandle Oil Company (later American Petrofina) until 1965.[citation needed] Both firms continued to utilize a portion of their former refineries as gasoline/oil terminal facilities for many years.

1964 tornado

A devastating tornado hit the north and northwest portions of Wichita Falls along with Sheppard Air Force Base during the afternoon of April 3, 1964 leaving 7 dead, more than 100 injured and causing roughly $15 million in property damage with approximately 225 homes destroyed and another 250 damaged. The tornado was rated an F5, the highest rating on the Fujita Scale, but this event is overshadowed by the 1979 tornado.[8]

1979 tornado

Main article: Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak
Downtown Wichita Falls with location of the first Zales jewelry store on front left, Holt Hotel on front right, American Bank and Trust Company in back right and Wichita Tower on back left

An F4 tornado struck the heavily populated southern sections of Wichita Falls in the late afternoon on Tuesday, April 10, 1979 (known locally as "Terrible Tuesday"). The storm was part of an outbreak that produced 30 tornadoes around the region. Despite having nearly an hour's advance warning that severe weather was imminent, 42 people were killed (25 in vehicles) and 1,800 were injured because the storm arrived just in time for many people to be driving home from work.[9] The tornado left 20,000 people homeless and caused $400 million in damage, a U.S. record not topped by an individual tornado until the F5 Moore-Oklahoma City tornado of May 3, 1999.[10]

Geography and climate

The Wichita Tower office building (established 1920) in downtown Wichita Falls

Wichita Falls is located at 33°53′49″N 98°30′54″W / 33.89694°N 98.51500°W / 33.89694; -98.51500 (33.897047, −98.514881).Template:GR The city is about 15 miles (24 km) south of the border with Oklahoma, 115 miles (185 km) northwest of Fort Worth, and 140 miles (230 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 70.71 square miles (183.1 km2) of which 70.69 square miles (183.1 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.052 km2) (0.03%) is water.[11]

Wichita Falls experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), with some of the highest summer daily maxima temperatures in the entire U.S. outside of the Desert Southwest. Temperatures have hit 100 °F (38 °C) as early as March 27 and as late as October 17, but more typically reach that level on 28 days annually, and there are 102 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ annually; the average window for the latter mark is April 9–October 10. On the other end, there are 59–60 nights of freezing lows, and 4.8 days where the high does not rise above freezing. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 42.0 °F (5.6 °C) in January to 84.4 °F (29.1 °C) in July. Extremes in temperature have ranged from −12 °F (−24 °C) on January 4, 1947 to 117 °F (47 °C) on June 28, 1980. Snowfall is sporadic and averages 4.1 inches (10 cm) per season, while rainfall is typically greatest in early summer.

Climate data for Wichita Falls, Texas (1981–2010 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 87
(31) 		93
(34) 		100
(38) 		103
(39) 		110
(43) 		117
(47) 		114
(46) 		113
(45) 		111
(44) 		102
(39) 		89
(32) 		88
(31) 		117
(47)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 54.2
(12.3) 		58.3
(14.6) 		67.0
(19.4) 		75.8
(24.3) 		83.6
(28.7) 		91.4
(33.0) 		96.9
(36.1) 		96.6
(35.9) 		88.1
(31.2) 		77.0
(25.0) 		65.1
(18.4) 		54.7
(12.6) 		75.7
(24.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 29.8
(−1.2) 		33.5
(0.8) 		41.2
(5.1) 		49.4
(9.7) 		59.6
(15.3) 		67.6
(19.8) 		71.9
(22.2) 		71.4
(21.9) 		63.3
(17.4) 		52.0
(11.1) 		40.3
(4.6) 		30.8
(−0.7) 		50.9
(10.5)
Record low °F (°C) −12
(−24) 		−8
(−22) 		6
(−14) 		24
(−4) 		36
(2) 		50
(10) 		54
(12) 		53
(12) 		38
(3) 		21
(−6) 		14
(−10) 		−7
(−22) 		−12
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.14
(29) 		1.75
(44) 		2.20
(56) 		2.61
(66) 		3.79
(96) 		4.14
(105) 		1.59
(40) 		2.52
(64) 		2.72
(69) 		3.11
(79) 		1.65
(42) 		1.62
(41) 		28.82
(732)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 1.4
(3.6) 		0.9
(2.3) 		0.5
(1.3) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0.3
(0.76) 		0.9
(2.3) 		4.1
(10)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 4.8 5.3 6.7 6.2 8.7 7.7 5.0 6.2 6.0 7.4 5.3 5.0 74.3
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.6 0.5 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 0.7 2.1
Source: National Weather Service (extremes 1923–present),[12] Weather.com[13]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18901,978—
19002,48025.4%
19108,200230.6%
192040,079388.8%
193043,6909.0%
194045,1123.3%
195068,04250.8%
1960101,72449.5%
197096,265−5.4%
198094,201−2.1%
199096,2592.2%
2000104,1978.2%
2010104,5530.3%
2012 (est.)104,5520.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
Texas Almanac: 1850–2000[15]
2012 estimate[16]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 104,197 people, 37,970 households, and 24,984 families residing in the city.[17] City-data.com reports the population has since declined to 99,354 in July 2006,[18] though the city disputes these numbers.[19] The population density was 1,474.1 inhabitants per square mile (569.2/km2). There were 41,916 housing units at an average density of 593.0 per square mile (229.0/km2).[11] The racial makeup of the city was 75.11% White, 12.40% African American, 0.86% Native American, 2.20% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 6.39% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin accounted for 13.98% of the population.[17]

Of the 37,970 recorded households, 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.04.[17] In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 106.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.7 males.[17] The median income for a household in the city was $32,554, and the median income for a family was $39,911. Males had a median income of $27,609 versus $21,877 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,761. About 10.8% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.[17] Based on a July 1, 2006 estimate, the metropolitan statistical area has a population of 145,528, a decline of nearly 4% since 2000 (see Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas).Template:GR

Economy

The Holt Hotel in downtown Wichita Falls

Top employers

According to Wichita Falls' 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[20] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Sheppard Air Force Base 12,272
2 Wichita Falls Independent School District 2,059
3 North Texas State Hospital 1,974
4 United Regional Health Care System 1,778
5 City of Wichita Falls 1,477
6 Midwestern State University 1,284
7 James V. Allred Unit 971
8 Cryovac 732
9 Work Services Corporation 730
10 Howmet Castings 704
"Times Square" in Wichita Falls refers to the Wichita Falls Times Record News, with the Kemp Center for the Arts at the southern end of Lamar Street.
During a time of drought, Wichita Falls residents blanket their city with "Pray for Rain" placards, citing I Thessalonians 5:17.
First Baptist Church at 1200 9th Street in Wichita Falls; senior pastor, Bob McCartney (2013).
Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 1501 9th Street in Wichita Falls; pastor, Jack McKone (2013)
Railroad exhibit at Depot Square in Wichita Falls
The Museum of North Texas History on Indiana Street in downtown Wichita Falls
Entrance sign at Midwestern State University off Taft Boulevard
The J. S. Bridwell Agricultural Center off Burnett Street hosts various exhibits throughout the year. It is named for the oilman, rancher, and philanthropist Joseph Sterling Bridwell.
Covered wagon display at "Cowboy True" art show gathering at the J.S. Bridwell Agricultural Center in Wichita Falls (April 6, 2013)

Media

Newspapers

Radio stations

Television stations

By default, Dallas' KERA-TV serves as the default PBS affiliate for Wichita Falls via a translator station.

Sports and recreation

Kay Yeager Coliseum
A city park off Southwest Parkway

Nearby Lake Wichita was dredged in 1901 at a cost of $175,000 through the efforts of entrepreneur Joseph Kemp. It remains a source of water for Wichita Falls. There is a 234-acre (95 ha) Lake Wichita Park on the north shore of the lake. This park offers a 2.6-mile concrete hiking and bicycling trail that runs from the southern tip of the park at Fairway Avenue to the dam. The trail resumes northward to Lucy Park. The park has a playground, basketball goals, and multiple picnic areas. There is a 10-unit picnic shelter that can seat sixty persons and is available for renting. The park also has two lighted baseball and two-lighted softball fields, three lighted football fields, and an 18-hole disc golf course. The park has the only model airplane landing strip in the Texas state park system. There is an off-leash dog park.[21]

Because of drought, the fish population in Lake Wichita has been damaged by golden alga blooms and periods of low dissolved oxygen. Therefore, the lake is not recommended in 2013 as a destination for fishing.[22] When available, the fish population consists mostly of white bass, hybrid striped bass, channel catfish, and white crappie. Camping facilities are also available.[23]

Wichita Falls is the home of the annual Hotter'N Hell Hundred, the largest century bicycle ride in the United States.[citation needed].

Mark Rippetoe, a popular strength coach and author of Starting Strength – Basic Barbell Training, resides in Wichita Falls and owns the black-iron gym, the Wichita Falls Athletic Club.

The city has been home to a number of semi-professional, development, and minor league sports teams, including the Wichita Falls Drillers, a semi-pro football team that has won numerous league titles and a national championship; Wichita Falls Kings (formerly known as Wichita Falls Razorbacks), the professional basketball team Wichita Falls Texans of the Continental Basketball Association; Wichita Falls Fever in the Lone Star Soccer Alliance (1989–92); the Wichita Falls Spudders baseball team in the Texas League; the Wichita Falls Wildcats (formerly the Wichita Falls Rustlers) of the North American Hockey League, an American "Junior A" Hockey league; and the Wichita Falls Roughnecks (formerly the Graham Roughnecks) of the Texas Collegiate League[citation needed]James Darren Black, a once youth goalie phenom, still resides here today. He won All American Goalie of the year 1999, 2000, and 2001.[citation needed]. The Dallas Cowboys held training camp in Wichita Falls during the late 1990s.

Lucy Park is a 170-acre (69 ha) park with a log cabin, duck pond, swimming pool, playground, a frisbee golf course, and picnic areas. It has multiple paved walkways suitable for walking, running, biking, or rollerskating, including a river walk that goes to a re-creation of the original falls for which the city was named (the original falls were destroyed in a 19th-century flood; the new falls were built in response to numerous tourist requests to visit the "Wichita Falls"). It is one of thirty-seven parks throughout the city. The parks range in size from small neighborhood facilities to the 258 acres of Weeks Park featuring the Champions Course at Weeks Park, an 18 hole golf course. In addition, there is an off-leash dog park within Lake Wichita Park and a skatepark adjacent to the city's Softball Complex. There are also unpaved trails for off-road biking and hiking.[citation needed]

Government

Local government

The Mayor of Wichita Falls is Glenn Barham. The Wichita Falls City Council has six members: Dorothy Roberts-Burns, Michael Smith, Annetta Pope-Dotson, Brian Hooker, Tim Ingle, and Mary Ward. The City Manager is Darron Leiker.

State and federal politics

Wichita Falls is located in the 69th district of the Texas House of Representatives. Lanham Lyne, a Republican, represented the district from 2011 to 2013; he was the mayor of Wichita Falls from 2005 to 2010. When Lyne declined to seek a second term in 2012, voters chose another Republican, James Frank. Wichita Falls is located in the 30th district of the Texas Senate. Craig Estes, a Republican, has held the senate seat since 2001. Wichita Falls is part of Texas's 13th congressional district for the U.S. House of Representatives. Mac Thornberry, a Republican, has held this seat since 1995.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice James V. Allred Unit is located in Wichita Falls, 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of downtown Wichita Falls. The prison is named for former Governor James V. Allred, a Democrat and a native of Bowie, Texas, who lived early in his career in Wichita Falls.[24] The United States Postal Service operates the Wichita Falls Post Office,the Morningside Post Office, the Bridge Creek Post Office,and the Sheppard Air Force Base Post Office.[25]

Education

Wichita Falls is home to Midwestern State University, an accredited 4-year college and the only independent liberal arts college in Texas offering both bachelor's and master's degrees. A local branch of nearby Vernon College offers two-year degrees, certificate programs, and workforce development programs, and also Wayland Baptist University, whose main branch is located in Plainview, Texas.

Public primary and secondary education is covered by the Wichita Falls Independent School District, the City View Independent School District, and the Bright Ideas Charter School. There are several parochial schools, the largest of which is Notre Dame Catholic school and [Christ Academey]. Other private schools operate in the city, as does an active home-school community. Many of the local elementary schools participate in the Head Start program for preschool-aged children. The Wichita Falls ISD is one of only a handful of school districts in Texas that does not require its students to attend a particular school in the district based on their residency.

Two schools in the Wichita Falls Independent School District participate in the International Baccalaureate programmes. Hirschi High School offers the IB Diploma Programme, and G.H. Kirby Junior High School for the Middle Years Programme. Other public high schools are Wichita Falls High School and S. H. Rider High School (Wichita Falls ISD) and City View High School (City View ISD).

Transportation

Highways

Wichita Falls is the western terminus for Interstate 44. U.S. Highways leading to or through Wichita Falls include 287, 277, 281, and 82. State Highway 240 ends at Wichita Falls and State Highway 79 runs through it. Wichita Falls has one of the largest numbers of freeway mileage for a city of its size[citation needed] as a result of a 1954 bond issue approved by city and county voters to purchase right-of-way for several expressway routes through the city and county, the first of which was opened in 1958 as an alignment of U.S. 287 from Eighth Street at Broad and Holliday streets northwestward across the Wichita River and bisecting Lucy and Scotland parks to the Old Iowa Park Road, the original U.S. 287 alignment.[citation needed] That was followed by other expressway links including U.S. 82–287 east to Henrietta (completed in 1968), U.S. 281 south toward Jacksboro (completed 1969), U.S. 287 northwest to Iowa Parki and Electra (opened 1962), Interstate 44 north to Burkburnett and the Red River (opened 1964), and Interstate 44 from Old Iowa Park Road to U.S. 287/Spur 325 interchange on the city's north side along with Spur 325 itself from I-44/U.S. 287 to the main gate of Sheppard Air Force Base (both completed as one single project in 1960).[citation needed] However, cross-country traffic for many years had to contend with several ground-level intersections and stop lights over Holliday and Broad streets near the downtown area for approximately thirteen blocks between connecting expressway links until a new elevated freeway running overhead was completed in 2001.[citation needed]

Efforts to create an additional freeway along the path of Kell Boulevard for U.S. 82–277 began in 1967 with the acquisition of right-of-way that included a former railroad right-of-way and the first project including construction of the present frontage roads completed in 1977, followed by freeway lanes, overpasses and on/off ramps in 1989 from just east of Brook Avenue west to Kemp Boulevard; and similar projects west from Kemp to Barnett Road in 2001 followed by Barnett Road west past FM 369 in 2010 to tie in which a project now underway to transform U.S. 277 into a continuous four-lane expressway between Wichita Falls and Abilene.[citation needed]

Railroads

A number of short-line railroads operated in the Wichita Falls area in the first half of the 20th century, particularly the Wichita Falls and Southern Railroad, extant from 1921 to 1954. The southern terminus of the Wichita Falls and Southern Railroad was in Dublin in Erath County in Central Texas; on the north it reached to Waurika in southern Oklahoma. It was one of the properties of Frank Kell, Joseph Kemp, and later Orville Bullington. Some forty miles of the line from Graham in Young County to Breckenridge in Stephens County was operated until 1969 by the since defunct Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.[26]

The Wichita Falls and Southern Railroad was an expansion of the former Wichita Falls Railway, an 18-mile link between Wichita Falls and Henrietta in neighboring Clay County. This railway operated from 1894 to 1911, when it was sold to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, also known as the Katy.[27]

Wichita Falls was the southern terminus of the defunct Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway, another Kemp-Kell property, which stretched to Forgan in Beaver County in the Oklahoma Panhandle. It was later purchased in 1923 by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. In 1973, the northern limit became Altus in Jackson County in southwestern Oklahoma. Starting in 1991, the route from Wichita Falls to Altus was operated by the Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway.[28]

The Clinton-Oklahoma-Western Railroad Company of Texas, another Kell property, linked fifty-six miles of track from Hemphill to Gray counties in the Texas Panhandle. The headquarters for the line was in Wichita Falls. The "Clinton" in the railroad name refers to Clinton, Oklahoma, which was joined with Hemphill County by a separate but similarly named line, the Clinton, Oklahoma and Western Railroad Company. Kell and his business partners held this company only from 1927 to 1928, when it was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The lines were then leased in 1931 to the former Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway.[29]

Ground transportation

Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service from Wichita Falls to other locations served by Greyhound via its terminal at the Jolly truck stop outside of town. Skylark Van Service shuttles passengers to and from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on several runs during the day all week long.[citation needed]

Air transportation

The Wichita Falls Municipal Airport is served by American Eagle with four flights daily to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The Kickapoo Downtown Airport and the Wichita Valley Airport serve smaller, private planes.

Wichita Falls Motor Company

From 1911 to 1932, the Wichita Falls Motor Company, located on Arthur Street in Wichita Falls, built some ten thousand heavy-duty vehicles, mostly trucks, for use by a number of specific industries, such as logging and oil. Known for their strength and durability, the trucks were adopted by the United States Army and many fire and highway departments.[30]

The company was founded by Joseph Kemp, who became its largest shareholder. He had also procured fortunes in dry goods, groceries, banking, railroads, dairying, and petroleum. The trucks were sold worldwide; the French Army purchased 3,500 vehicles, and Russia bought 400. The company hence adopted the slogan, "The sun never sets on a Wichita truck."[30]

The former Wichita Falls Motor Company building on Arthur Street off Kell Boulevard in Wichita Falls now houses Wichita Energy Company.

At its peak during World War I, the plant employed one hundred workers. It sold a hundred passenger buses to New Orleans. In 1922, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce tried to lure the company to relocate to the Alamo City, but the offer was never considered. Two years before it ceased operations, the Wichita Falls Motor Company issued a concrete mixer truck. The era of independent vehicle manufacturing came to a quick end, and the company could not compete during the Great Depression with the much larger Ford and General Motors, which entered the heavy truck business to compensate for losses in the sale of passenger vehicles.[30]

The Wichita Falls Motor Company was located in the building now occupied by Wichita Energy Company, which owns and maintains one of the original Wichita Trucks.[30] The collector John Chadwell is, meanwhile, working to preserve for history the remaining artifacts left behind by Kemp's company.[31]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Wichita Falls History". WichitaFallsTexas.com. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Richard Carter (November 29, 2005). "Full circle: residences, businesses returning to spot where Wichita Falls began". Wichita Falls Times Record News. Wichita Falls, Texas: E. W. Scripps Company. p. A1. ISSN 0895-6138. Retrieved October 9, 2010. They say business and people have been moving westward in Wichita Falls ever since the city was born on Sept. 27, 1872. The birthplace of the city-the corner of Seventh and Ohio streets, where the original town lot sale was held – is once again blossoming with renovated apartment buildings, new businesses and increased traffic.
  3. ^ Bill Whitaker (August 20, 1998). "Cowboys Mosey On, But Littlest Skyscraper Remains". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas: E. W. Scripps Company. ISSN 0199-3267. Retrieved October 9, 2010. But when the building was done, investors discovered the skyscraper was only 30 feet tall, 18 feet deep and 10 feet wide. And of the reportedly $200,000 sunk into the skyscraper's construction – well, that was plainly gone with the wind.
  4. ^ Carlton Stowers (July 2008). "Legend of the World's Littlest Skyscraper" (PDF). Texas Co-Op Power. 65 (1). Austin, Texas: Texas Electric Cooperatives: 25. Retrieved October 9, 2010.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  5. ^ Le Templar (March 19, 1999). "Historic District Could Expand". Wichita Falls Times Record News. Wichita Falls, Texas: E. W. Scripps Company. p. A1. ISSN 0895-6138. Retrieved October 9, 2010. The Wichita Falls Landmark Commission wants to more than double the size of the downtown historic district in an effort to slow the loss of buildings that proclaim the city's heritage. Commission members voted unanimously Thursday for expanding the district to include a total of 77 buildings on Indiana and Ohio streets.
  6. ^ "Brian Hart, "Joseph Alexander Kemp"". Texas State Historical Association online. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  7. ^ "Kell, Frank". The Handbook of Texas. Retrieved April 16, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant tornadoes, 1680-1991: A Chronology an Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vt.: Environmental Films. p. 1050. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
  9. ^ "The April 10, 1979 Severe Weather Outbreak". Weather Events. National Weather Service. January 19, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  10. ^ "The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3, 1999". Weather Events. National Weather Service. November 20, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  11. ^ a b "Geographic Comparison Table- Texas". American Fast Facts. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  12. ^ "National Weather Service Climate". Nws.noaa.gov. July 21, 2006. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  13. ^ "Monthly Averages for Wichita Falls, Texas". Weather.com. 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  14. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  15. ^ "Texas Almanac: City Population History 1850–2000" (PDF). Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  16. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Fact Sheet- Wichita Falls city, Texas". American Fast Facts. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  18. ^ "Wichita Falls, Texas Detailed Profile". Retrieved December 18, 2007.
  19. ^ "City of Wichita Falls, TX – Official Website". Retrieved December 20, 2007.
  20. ^ City of Wichita CAFR
  21. ^ "Lake Wichita Park". wichitafallstx.gov. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  22. ^ "Wichita Reservoir". tpwd.state.tx.us. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  23. ^ "Texas Panhandle Plains". texassportfishing.com. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  24. ^ ""Allred Unit". Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  25. ^ "Post Office Locations in the WICHITA FALLS, TX area". The United States Postal Service. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  26. ^ "H. Allen Anderson, "Wichita Falls and Southern Railroad"". tshaonline.org. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  27. ^ "Wichita Falls Railway". tshaonline.org. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  28. ^ "Donovan L. Hofsommer, "The Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway"". tshaonline.org. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  29. ^ "Clinton-Oklahoma-Western Railroad". tshaonline.org. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  30. ^ a b c d "Wichita Falls Motor Company, 1911-1932". txtransporttionmuseum.org. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  31. ^ "Texas Country Reporter: Weekend of March 23, 2013". texascountryreporter.com. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  32. ^ "Jack O. Loftin, "Joseph Sterling Bridwell"". Texas State Historical Association online. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  33. ^ Douglas, Martin (July 19, 2009). "William C. Conner, 89, Judge Known for First Amendment Rulings, Dies – Obituary". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  34. ^ "Carolyn Roy, "Longtime KSLA anchor and news director Don Owen passes away"". KSLA-TV. Retrieved July 2, 2012.

Template:Texas cities and mayors of 100,000 population

Retrieved from "http://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Wichita_Falls,_Texas&oldid=577138520"