“Hitch your wagon to a star:” the Kansas boom of 1887.

Abstract

Kansas experienced a major boom in the late 1880s that touched nearly every aspect of economic and social life in the state. Wichita, for instance, was the third fastest growing city in the nation barring none. Other Kansas towns across the state entertained grandiose notions of growth including industrial developments and agricultural bounty beyond compare. By late 1887 and early 1888, the boom had largely collapsed, leaving some destitute and setting the stage for the growth of Populism and other economic reforms.