Mexican railroad workers
Photo courtesy of the Wichita and Sedgwick County Historical Museum
Wichita's North End Mexican Community
Mexican immigrants and their families have been a part of Wichita since the early 1900s. As their population expanded, small Mexican communities (sometimes known as barrios) grew up near their jobs in the meatpacking and railroad industries. One of the larger of these communities was what locals referred to as the North End. In the middle decades of the twentieth century, Wichita's North End Mexican Community was a vibrant bustling economic and cultural center. More recently, the demographics and economics of the communities have changed. Today it is on the verge of rebirth with the refurbishing of the Nomar Theatre and the construction of the Nomar International Market. Through photographs and stories, this site explores the history of the neighborhoods of the North End. This story comes from interviews, published sources, images, and other material. Select the link to follow the community's history from its beginnings, through its growth, the vibrant decades, change, and the eve of rebirth.