1872

For a prairie town to grow and prosper, railroads were a necessity. They would bring more people and business. More opportunity for commerce and trade. Before long, Wichita was a bustling city with several railroad lines connecting it to the rest of the country.

1872

Wichita's first railway, Wichita and Southwestern Railroad Co., provided a much-needed link to Kansas City. The line's success soon prompted its purchase by the Santa Fe Railway.

1880

The second line, the Frisco Railroad, entered Wichita and connected the community to St. Louis.

1887

The Rock Island Railroad arrived. Offering a main line from Chicago to the Gulf, it spurred trade and opened new markets. Its depot served as a passenger terminal until 1914.

1974

The Rock Island depot earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places. Of the three old railroad stations on East Douglas, it was the only one to survive.

[Inset photo caption reads]

When the Frisco Railroad opened in May 1880, the city proudly boasted it brought St. Louis within only a day and a night's travel from Wichita.

Marker is on Mosley near 1st Street, on the left when traveling north.

Courtesy hmdb.org

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