W.B. Strong Memorial Railroad Park

Strong City originated in March 1871 when the Santa Fe Railroad reached the point then known as Cottonwood Station. The community was called Cottonwood Station until 1881, when a petition signed by a majority of the citizens was presented to the legislature requesting the name Strong, and the change was approved in honor of William Barstow (W.B.) Strong, General Superintendent and later President of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. In 1945, City was added to the name Strong. A six-stall roundhouse employed many workers and operated from 1887 to 1938. The original depot burned in 1902 and was replaced in 1903. In 1913, partly because of very heavy passenger and freight traffic, a new brick depot trimmed in native cut limestone was built at a cost of $20,000, and it was considered one of the best in the Santa Fe System. The caboose was donated by Santa Fe in 1990.

Strong City, Kansas · United States