(WICHITA, Kan.)—
Many people know Wichita's Riverside neighborhood for its historic homes along the Big and Little Arkansas River but the area wasn't always guaranteed to be the district that it is today.
Click here to see historic photos of Riverside.
Click here to see historic photos of Riverside.
Riverside historian and author, Jim Mason, says that in March of 1886, a group of investors in the Riverside Land Company, led by James Oakley Davidson, filed to have the land in the Riverside, platted, or surveyed into lots and streets.
Other investors, including Thomas Fitch and Burton Harvey Campbell, built elaborate homes in the area and helped install bridges and a trolley car line to connect Riverside to downtown Wichita because they wanted the neighborhood to be the "premiere suburban residential area in the city", according to Mason.
Campbell's mansion, now known as Riverside Castle, was designed after a castle in Scottland, still stands today.
Wichita's first fourth of July celebration was held in Riverside Park.
"They were going to have a buffalo roast to celebrate the fourth, where people would ride a short distance out of town and shoot the buffalo," says Mason. "Unfortunately, a couple of days elapsed between when they shot the buffalo and tried to cook it. No one wanted to eat the buffalo so they just heaved it onto the river."
But Wichita's real estate bubble burst in 1887 and the neighborhood languished for over a decade until the city acquired and developed the park land in 1897. The city got a good deal, paying only $100 per acre for what was originally $1000 an acre before the real estate market dropped. The city also agreed to build two bridges and add developments to Riverside Park.
The improvements made Riverside a more attractive place to live.
"The bridges increased access to the area, which made it better for prospective home buyers and gave a better connection to the city," says Mason. "It was better for the city in general so visitors had better access to the park."
Today, the Riverside neighborhood is one the more stable historical neighborhoods, according to Wichita's Downtown Revitalization Manager, Scott Knebel. He says that after initial surveys, the city believes the area does not need significant revitalization but has invested some improvements in Riverside Park in the 1990's.
Mason says the the park, one of the largest in the city, is a major community asset to the area.
"Riverside Park is considered the crown jewell of Wichita's park system," says Mason. "It has been part of our social and recreational life for over a century, since the founding of Wichita."
