Wichita

Wichita (pop. 311,700), city in Kansas, located on the Chisholm Trail. Cowboys used to bring their herds to Wichita on their way to Texas markets. Cattle, along with the Santa Fe Railroad, made this city an important location during 19th-century westward expansion. Today there is still a strong meat industry as well as a large aviation and oil industry. McConnell Air Force Base is located here as well as the domed Century II cultural-convention center and Wichita State University. The city was founded as a trading post (1864) where European-American settlers traded with the Wichita tribespeople. The legendary western law man Wyatt Earp worked in Wichita in the 1870s.

See also: Kansas.