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Wichita Falls, Texas

Located in Wichita County, Texas, Wichita Falls was established in 1876. The waterfall Wichita Falls was named for was destroyed by a flood in the 1880s. A man-made replacement waterfall was built in 1987.
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Founded 1876 | Population 102,000 | Peak 102,000 (2024) | County Wichita County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Wichita Falls, Texas

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1876 Settlement Founded: Named for small waterfall on Wichita River (later destroyed).
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1911 Oil Boom: Electra oil field makes Wichita Falls boomtown.
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1941 Sheppard AFB: Major Air Force training base.
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1979 Terrible Tuesday Tornado: F4 tornado kills 42; worst in city history.
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2010 Modern Era: Wichita Falls continued to develop as part of the region, with new infrastructure and community amenities.
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Latest News in Wichita Falls

Jan 1, 1970
Oregon Democrats Block ICE Notification for Felony Convicts
Oregon Democratic senators have unanimously blocked a bill that would have mandated state authorities to notify U.S. Immigration a…
Jan 1, 1970
Trump Cruz Mathematically Out Race
Washington, D.C. – In the thick of the 2016 Republican primary season, Donald Trump solidified his grip on the nomination on May…
Jan 1, 1970
Wife Sentenced 1590 Years Prison Husband Gets 750 Years
In a Texas courtroom, justice came down hard on May 18, 2016, when a wife received a staggering 1,590-year prison sentence for her…
Jan 1, 1970
Court Rules Against Obamas Executive Action Protect Undocumented
Washington, May 5, 2016 – A federal appeals court struck down President Barack Obama’s key executive actions on immigratio…
Jan 1, 1970
More Syrian Refugees Come America New Graph Shows Where Refugees Are
Washington, D.C. | April 13, 2016 The U.S. saw a noticeable uptick in Syrian refugees arriving on its shores in recent months, sti…
Jan 1, 1970
Autistic Boys Mom Surprised how Tgi Fridays Treated Them Photos
HOUSTON, April 4, 2016 — A Texas mom got more than she expected during a routine family outing last week, turning what could hav…

Complete Historical Timeline

1876 Culture
Settlement Founded
1911 Industry
Oil Boom
1941 Government
Sheppard AFB
1979 Disaster
Terrible Tuesday Tornado
2010 Culture
Modern Era

Did You Know?

1
The waterfall Wichita Falls was named for was destroyed by a flood in the 1880s.
2
A man-made replacement waterfall was built in 1987.
3
Sheppard AFB is one of the largest technical training bases in the Air Force.
4
Wichita Falls is located in Wichita County, Texas.
5
Wichita Falls was founded in 1876.

Famous People from Wichita Falls, Texas

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Rex Tillerson
Businessperson, Engineer · Born Mar 23, 1952 · Age 73
GA
Greg Abbott
Judge, Lawyer · Born Nov 13, 1957 · Age 68
GC
Greyson Chance
Composer, Singer · Born Aug 16, 1997 · Age 28
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Mike Mullane
Astronaut, Military Officer · Born Sep 10, 1945 · Age 80
KL
Keith Lee
Professional Wrestler · Born Nov 8, 1984 · Age 41

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A
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EP
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