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Midtown, Wichita, Kansas

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Midtown
Neighborhood
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountySedgwick
CityWichita
ZIP code
67202, 67203, 67214
Area code316

Midtown is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States.[1] A mixed commercial and residential area on the east bank of the Little Arkansas River, it is the oldest neighborhood in the city.[2]

History

Present-day Midtown was the original town site of Wichita, first platted in 1865 and initially settled in the late 1860s and 1870s. Postmaster, surveyor, and hotelkeeper Darius Munger built the city’s first house in 1868 at the corner of what are today Waco and 9th Streets. Constructed from cottonwood logs, his house went on to serve as a hotel, justice hall, community center, and post office. By 1869, Munger had built and owned several more buildings. In 1870, he and Bill “Dutch Bill” Griffenstein filed plats laying out the first portions of the city’s street grid, including what would become Main Street and Broadway. Griffenstein attracted businesses by offering free lots on Main Street. Also during this period, the city’s first jail, the Wyatt Earp Jail, and first school both opened in what is today Midtown.[2]

The city subsequently grew northward with settlers initially building Victorian homes on large estates. Property taxes increased with the demand for city services, and residents responded by subdividing and selling off their lots, increasing building density. Further development of Midtown continued through the 1940s when workers from Wichita’s burgeoning aviation industry moved into the neighborhood. By the 1960s, however, Midtown had entered a period of decline.[2]

Beginning in 1972, local residents organized to preserve the neighborhood and worked with the city government to have multiple areas declared to be historic districts.[2]

Geography

Midtown consists of the area between 21st Street to the north, Central Avenue to the south, the Little Arkansas River to the west, and the BNSF/Union Pacific rail corridor to the east.[3] It overlaps with a portion of the Riverside neighborhood to the west.[2] Located immediately north of Downtown Wichita, it lies south of El Pueblo, west of McAdams, and east of North Riverside.[1]

Government

Old Sedgwick County Courthouse (2009)

For the purposes of representation on the Wichita City Council, Midtown lies within Council District 6.[4]

The Sedgwick County government bases its operations and has several of its offices in Midtown. The old and current county courthouses as well as the sheriff’s office are located in the far southern part of the neighborhood.[5]

For the purposes of representation in the Kansas Legislature, Midtown is located in the 29th district of the Kansas Senate and the 92nd and 103rd districts of the Kansas House of Representatives.[6]

Education

Primary and secondary education

Wichita Public Schools operates five facilities in Midtown:[7]

  • Gateway Alternate Program Center
  • Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet
  • Irving Elementary School
  • Park Elementary School
  • Wichita North High School

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita oversees one Catholic elementary school in the neighborhood, St. Patrick School.[8]

Parks and recreation

  • Prospect Park
  • Woodland Park

Culture

Points of interest

  • Kansas African American Museum

References

  1. ^ a b "Neighborhood Associations – City of Wichita, Kansas [Map]" (PDF). City of Wichita. 2012-06-13. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Midtown Neighorhood Plan" (PDF). Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department. 2004. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  3. ^ "About Us". Historic Midtown Citizens Association. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  4. ^ "Council Districts [map]" (PDF). City of Wichita. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  5. ^ "Departments and Services". Sedgwick County, Kansas. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  6. ^ "Kansas State Legislature". Open States. Sunlight Foundation. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  7. ^ "Directory of Buildings" (PDF). Wichita Public Schools. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  8. ^ "Diocesan School Map". Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita. Retrieved 2014-07-05.

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