Our History

During the closing months of World War II, Wichita, KS was a city bristling with potential. Recording a population of 114,000 in 1940, the city was in the midst of a population explosion, culminating in a 45% increase between 1940 & 1950. One glance toward the sky revealed the city's success story: airplanes. With Boeing, Beech and Cessna turning out hundreds of B-29s, AT-11s and T-50s for the US military, Wichita quickly became the air capital of the world. An influx of aircraft workers soon arrived in Wichita, and other businesses sprang up to cater to the needs of these families. Students attending one of the two Wichita high schools - East & North - found plenty of activities to occupy their time on weekends and after school. Many gathered at Kings-X for a burger and caught a movie at the Miller Theater or the local drive-in. Some spent the day at Joyland or swam at the Municipal pool in Riverside Park. Others attended dances or band concerts at the Forum. But everyone listened to the radio.

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