THE START OF OUR SMALL TOWN

1866 -
The Kansas Pacific Railroad began building it's mainline westward in 1863. Building upon this opportunity, the town of Wamego was founded in the spring of 1866. Over a 3 day span, the founders had surveyed and laid out the main features of the original townsite, including the mainstreet which is now known as Lincoln Avenue. The name of the city and county of which Wamego is located was derived from the American Indian Pottawatomie Tribe who occupied the area just to the east of Wamego in the 1840s.

1869 -
Within 3 short years of the township being founded, the railroad decided to locate its division in Wamego. This gave opportunity for hotels and several boarding houses to get in on the boom, as they primarily were filled with railroad workers. The explosion of the train expansion across the plains made Wamego grow quickly. As the main source of transportation to and from Wamego, trains moved settlers belongings, carried supplies and helped bring in more opportunity for settlers, including construction jobs as well as new business ventures.

1872 -
The Kansas river, located to the south of Wamego, served as the main stream highway and water source for years. While a ferry often helped with transportation across the river, there were limitations on consistantly and safely moving livestock and goods. The ferry ran until 1872, when a 900 ft iron bridge was constructed merging Wamego with opportunites from the south

"History Of Wamego and the Surrounding Area", Marcia Fox, August 1989

"Wamego Centennial", Official Souvenir Booklet 1966

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