Sedgwick
County is known as the airplane capital of the world because of the many
aviation industries that are located there. This county is located in
south-central Kansas. It shares its border with Reno, Harvey, Butler, Sumner
and Kingman Counties. The biggest city in Sedgwick is Wichita, and the Big and
Little Arkansas Rivers meet in this city’s downtown area. Wichita is also the
permanent county seat. The county was officially organized in 1870, and was
named in memory of John Sedgwick of the United States Army.
The
first settlers to come to the area later known as Sedgwick County were mostly
tradesmen and ranchers. These first settlers organized into a township attached
to Butler County for judicial reasons. In 1867, the county was formed by an act
of legislature. In 1872, after Sedgwick County was officially organized, some of the townships were given to the neighboring
counties of Reno and Harvey.
The
city of Wichita, along with being the county seat, played a crucial role in
Sedgwick County’s growth and development. This city is named after the Wichita
tribe, with who many local business people established trade. The tribe was
relocated so the area could be opened for white settlement in 1867. Trading
became more established after the move, and Wichita as base for trade and the
Chisholm Trail as a route for transport.
Wichita
is also the location where the first airplane, the Cessna Comet, was built in
1917. Cessna Aircraft Company, founded by aviation pioneer Clyde Cessna,
manufactured the plane.
Sources
Blackmar,
Frank W. , ed. Kansas: a Cyclopedia of
State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties,
Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, etc.. Chicago, IL: Standard Publishing
Company, 1912. 662-65. Print.
"Clyde Cessna." Kansapedia.
Kansas Historical Society, 2011. Web. 23 Apr 2012.
"Wichita History at a
Glance." City of Wichita. N.p., 2012. Web. 23 Apr 2012.
Paragraphs written by intern Holly Younger 2012