Information updated February 1, 2002
The first railroad into Wichita was the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Rwy in 1872. In the fifteen years that followed, three more companies had come to Wichita: the Saint Louis, Kansas and Wichita (Frisco ) in 1880, the Saint Louis, Fort Scott and Wichita (Missouri Pacific in 1883, and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific in 1887. By the turn of the century, a single terminal for all the railroads was necessary, but it wasn't until March 7, 1913 that Wichita Union Station opened.
Fruit stand and counter
The Lunchroom closed in 1935. This photo from 1943 shows the Lunchroom when it was a canteen staffed by USO volunteers. (From The Wichita - Sedgwick County Historical Museum)