WICHITA FALLS

city, seat (1882) of Wichita County, northern Texas, U.S., on the Wichita River in the Red River Valley, 115 miles (185 km) northwest of Fort Worth. Founded in 1876, it was named for the Wichita Indians and the low-water river falls that once existed there. After the arrival (1882) of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad it became a cattle centre. With the local discovery of oil and gas fields in the 1900s, the city developed petroleum industries. Agriculture (cotton, grains, and cattle), based on the surrounding irrigated region, remains an important part of a balanced economy, which includes the manufacture of glass fibre products, clothing, and electronic components. Midwestern State University was established there as a junior college in 1922. In April 1964 a tornado devastated the city and collapsed a hangar at nearby Sheppard Air Force Base. Inc. 1889. Pop. (1990) city, 96,259; Wichita Falls MSA, 122,378.