Download or read book Wichita's Riverside Parks written by James E. Mason and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2011-04-04 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wichita was founded in 1870 at the junction of the Little and Big Arkansas Rivers in south central Kansas. From the very beginning, the rivers have been a focus for social and recreational activity. Parks, both public and private, were established along these waterways near downtown to capitalize on this natural asset and have gone through many changes. Some of these parks are now over 100 years old, but one no longer exists, having literally been dug up and hauled away in wheelbarrows in 1933. This book chronicles many of the colorful activities and events that have occurred in these parks over the years, and shows how vital they are in the Wichita of today.