Wichita, << WIHCH uh `taw,` >> Falls, Texas (pop. 102,316; met. area pop. 148,128), is a center for services and trade in north-central Texas and southwestern Oklahoma and a headquarters for the oil and gas industry. The city lies on the Wichita River near the Texas-Oklahoma border.
Wichita Falls serves as a center of government, agriculture, oil production, and manufacturing. Sheppard Air Force Base is one of the city’s leading employers. Wichita Falls also has many manufacturing firms. The products of these firms include glass, heating and air-conditioning equipment, and jet engine parts.
Wichita Falls was founded in 1879. It was named for the Wichita Indians and for the falls of the Wichita River, which no longer exist.
The arrival of the railroad in 1882 encouraged growth of the city. The first major oil deposit in north Texas was discovered near Wichita Falls in 1910, and the community became a boom town several years later. A tornado hit Wichita Falls in 1979, killing 42 people and destroying more than 3,000 homes.
Since the early 1990’s, the Wichita Falls downtown area has been a focus for renovation. Projects completed include a new library, arts center, a museum, and a coliseum.
Wichita Falls is the county seat of Wichita County. It has a council-manager form of government.
