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Brief history of Haysville Kansas

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W.W. Hays came to this area in the early 1870s. Prior to his arrival here he had served as a postmaster in Colorado and as Sheriff of Sedgwick County. In 1891 he platted the land that he owned so a town could be built. This land was E 1/2 NE 1/4 of section 6 and W 1/2 NW 1/4 of section 5, Township 29 Range 1 East, Sedgwick County and totaled 161.15 acres.


Some of the first businesses in this new town were a meat market, a couple of stores, lumberyard and a blacksmith. The post office was established in 1877. The Haysville State Bank in 1919.

Truck farming supported a lot of the families in the area. In 1874 a grist mill was built on the bank of the Cowskin to process corn that was harvested in the area.


The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway bought land west of Haysville’s Main street in 1892. In 1903 a depot was opened and passenger trains shuttled people to and from Wichita. Notice the spelling of Haysville on the depot. Haysville was often spelled Hayesville thought to be named after 19th president Rutherford B. Hayes.


School district number 57. Haysville’s first school was built in 1876 at a location that may have been near what are now the Water Department facilities. This building was moved to 79th and Seneca where it was eventually replaced by the red brick building in 1919. In 1946 district 57 was consolidated with district 187 to form district 261.


At first there were no church buildings so meetings were held at homes, schools and the grist mill. The first churches to Haysville were the Methodist and the Prairie Home Christian Church. Mr. Hays donated the land for which both of these churches were built upon.


This photo shows Haysville’s Main street with it’s businesses and first water tower.


All of Haysville’s historic district was destroyed in the 1999 tornado. Destruction of the historic buildings began at the red brick schoolhouse at 79th and Seneca and continued north along Main taking out the elevator, bank, churches and more. The only thing left standing on the east side of main was the original bank vault.

Haysville History Time Line

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1871 – William W Hays moves to the area we now know as Haysville.
1874 – Grist mill was built on bank of the Cowskin.
1876 – First schoolhouse was built on Nelson property south of 71st street.
1891 – August 1st – Hays platted the land he owned so a town could be built.
1903 – Train depot is opened.
1904 – First telephone service (Oatville Rural Telephone Company).
1914 – Blacksmith shop opened.
1919 – The “Red brick” schoolhouse was built at 79th & Seneca.
1921 – First water tower built.
1948 – Hemphill school built (west wing).
1951 – July – Haysville is incorporated. East wing Hemphill school built.
1954 – Nelson school built.
1956 – Oatville school built.
1958 – Rex school built.
1960 – Campus High School built.
1962 – Freeman school built. Haysville Jr. High built.
1991 – April 26th – Tornado clips west edge of Haysville (Timberlane addition).
1998 – June 8th – Deadly explosion at Debruce grain elevator northwest of Haysville.
1999 – May 3rd – Deadly F4 tornado hits Haysville following the railroad tracks through town. May 5th -Vice President Al Gore visits Haysville to view the damage.
2000 – Ruth Clark Elementary School opens.
2003 – Construction begins on railroad overpass.
2005 – Construction ends on Grand street railroad overpass.
2007 – Prairie Elementary School opens.
2008 – August 13th – Haysville West Middle School opens.
2009 – January – Karla street opens at railroad overpass.
2009 – New Library opens.
2010 – City Hall and old library building combined to form new city & police offices.
2010 – Crosswalk added on N Main.
2014 – New Sedgwick County Fire station opens on N Main.

Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History

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From the 1912 book A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. Volume 2 By Frank Wilson Blackmar

Haysville a village of Sedgwick county is located in Salem township and is a station on the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific RR 9 miles south of Wichita the county seat It has a money order postoffice telegraph and express offices telephone connections general stores a hotel etc and in 1910 reported a population of 50 KANSAS HISTORY 833