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Historical Facts

Wichita Falls Texas

Legend claims John A. Scott of Mississippi won the land tract where the city of Wichita Falls is now located in a poker game. The truth is the land was purchased by Scott, whom had forgotten about it. His heirs discovered the Texas land certificates. They commissioned M. W. Seeley to map out a city on the Wichita River. One fanciful depiction included a lake, a steamboat on the river, and warehouses laden with cotton and other goods. Another portrayed a town site to include a small waterfall, a few named streets, and a town square. (July 1876)

Eventually, the town grew when the Fort Worth and Denver Railway Company build tracks running through the town. It triggered a boom in the sale of town lots. Joseph Alexander Kemp (1883) arrived and established a general merchandise store. Frank Kell, Kemp’s brother-in-law, arrived after purchasing the Wichita Valley Mills Company in 1896. Recognized as two leading promoters of the city, you will recognize their names on two important streets, Kemp and Kell, as you drive the popular shopping areas of Wichita Falls, Texas.

(Summarized from material obtained from Texas Online.)