Great Bend is located in the state of Kansas and has a lot of culture to offer as well as great sights and interesting destinations. So if you’re planning a trip to Great Bend, you’ve come to the right place!
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Vacation in Great Bend
Great Bend is a city in and the county seat of Barton County, Kansas, United States. It is named for its location at the point where the course of the Arkansas River bends east then southeast through the state. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 15,995.
The city of Great Bend began as a trading post on the north side of the Arkansas River known as Walnut Creek Landing. It was established in 1865 by John Miles, who named it after the creek (now dry) that flowed through the site. The following year, Barton County was organized and Great Bend became its county seat. The railroad arrived in 1879, helping to spur the city’s growth.
The city is home to the Great Bend Zoo & Botanical Park, the Barton County Historical Society Museum, the Kansas Oil Museum, and the Brit Spaugh Zoo. Great Bend is also home to two state parks: Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and Soden’s Grove State Park.
There are many things to do in Great Bend, Kansas. The Great Bend Zoo & Botanical Park is a mustsee attraction. The zoo features over 275 animals from all over the world, as well as a variety of plants. The Barton County Historical Society Museum is another great place to learn about the history of the area. The Kansas Oil Museum is a fun place to learn about the state’s oil industry, and the Brit Spaugh Zoo is a great place to see a variety of animals.
For those who enjoy the outdoors, Great Bend is home to two state parks: Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and Soden’s Grove State Park. Cheyenne Bottoms is the largest wetland in the interior of the United States and is a great place to see a variety of birds and other wildlife. Soden’s Grove State Park is a beautiful place to go for a hike or picnicking.
In addition to the many attractions, there are also a variety of events that take place in Great Bend, Kansas throughout the year. The Main Street Program hosts a variety of events such as the farmers market, live music, and more. The Oktoberfest is a popular event that features German food and beer, as well as live music and dancing. The Great Bend Jazz Festival is another great event that features jazz musicians from all over the country.
Whether you are looking for a place to take the family for a vacation or you are looking for a quiet place to get away, Great Bend, Kansas is a great option. There is something for everyone to enjoy in this city.
Sights in Great Bend
Great Bend is a city located in the state of Kansas in the United States. The city has a population of just over 15,000 people and is the county seat of Barton County. Great Bend is located in the central part of the state, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Wichita.
The city was founded in 1872 and was named after the nearby Great Bend of the Arkansas River. The city grew up around the Santa Fe Trail and the Arkansas River. Today, Great Bend is a center for agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare.
The city is home to the Great Bend Zoological Society, which operates the Brit Spaugh Zoo. The zoo has over 350 animals representing over 100 species. The zoo is located in Memorial Park, which also has hiking trails, a playground, a disc golf course, and a sprayground.
The Great Bend Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday morning from May through October. The market features locally grown produce, baked goods, honey, eggs, and more.
The Kansas Wetlands Education Center is located just outside of Great Bend. The center is a 2,500acre (1,000 hectare) nature preserve that includes a wetland, prairie, and forest. The center offers guided tours, educational programs, and hiking trails.
TheEllinwood Underground is a series of tunnels and caves that were once used as storage for beer and other goods. The tunnels are now open for tours.
The Great Bend Municipal Band is the oldest municipal band west of the Mississippi River. The band performs weekly concerts from June through August.
The Great Bend Prairie Festival is held every September and features a parade, a tractor show, a quilt show, and more.
The Great Bend Post is the city’s daily newspaper. It was founded in 1892 and is published by the National Newspaper Association.
History of Great Bend
Great Bend is a city in and the county seat of Barton County, Kansas, United States. It is named for its location at the convergence of the Arkansas River and Walnut River. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 15,995. Prior to American settlement of the area, the site of Great Bend was located in the homeland of the Kiowa Indians. The Kiowa had occupied territory along the Arkansas River since the fifteenth century. The first Europeans to see the area were French traders who traveled up the Arkansas River in 1706. However, no serious attempt at EuropeanAmerican settlement of the Great Bend area occurred until the 1860s. The city’s early history was shaped by the fierce competition between cattlemen and farmers in the nineteenth century. The cattlemen utilized the Arkansas River as a natural highway to drive their herds north to the markets in Dodge City and Abilene.
The rivalry between the cattlemen and farmers was aggravated by the fact that the farming of the land around Great Bend was made difficult by the frequent flooding of the Arkansas River. The farmers tried to block the cattlemen’s access to the river crossing by building a series of levees, but the cattlemen quickly demolished them. In 1876, the Kansas Legislature passed a law remedies this situation by declaring that the Arkansas River was a public highway and that all persons had the right to use it. This law put an end to the conflict between the two groups and opened the door to additional settlement of the Great Bend area.
The city was officially incorporated in 1872. In the same year, the first bridge was built across the Arkansas River. The following year, Great Bend became the county seat of newly created Barton County. The early settlers of Great Bend were primarily GermanAmericans. Many of the men were veterans of the German military who had participated in the failed Revolutions of 1848. These men brought with them a deep love of liberty and a hatred of tyranny. They quickly established a thriving community with a strong democratic tradition.
The early years of Great Bend were largely peaceful. The only serious disturbance occurred in October 1874 when a group of about fifty drunk and disorderly men terrorized the town. They fired guns indiscriminately, destroyed property, and kidnapped the mayor. The mayor was quickly rescued by a group of citizens and the miscreants were run out of town.
Great Bend prospered in the late nineteenth century. The city became an important shipping point for cattle, wheat, and other farm products. The population grew to nearly 5,000 people by 1900. Great Bend also became an important cultural center for western Kansas. The city was home to several newspapers, a Germanlanguage theater, and a number of social and civic organizations.
The twentieth century was a period of both challenge and opportunity for Great Bend. The city was hard hit by the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Many farmers were forced to abandon their farms and move to cities in search of work. The population of Great Bend declined sharply during this period. The city also felt the effects of the Great Depression. Businesses closed, jobs were lost, and poverty increased.
However, the city recovered from these difficult times. The completion of the Great Bend Municipal Airport in 1940 brought new economic opportunities to the city. The airport became a training base for the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war, the airport was used for commercial flights. The city’s population began to grow again in the 1950s. New industries were attracted to the city and business expanded. Great Bend continues to be a vibrant and thriving community today.
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