August 2024
History
Goddard grew out of the Kansas prairie largely as a result of the colonization movement following the Civil War. The town site of Goddard was platted on the John Coleman farm. He homesteaded the land in 1875. The title to the NE 1/4-31-27 Sedgwick County was acquired by a patent from the U.S. Government. This had been a part of the Osage Indians Trust Lands.
In 1883 Coleman sold the farm to C. M. Faulk, who, after 30 days, sold it to E. Wilder. He platted the original town of Goddard on September 20, 1883. Goddard received its name from J. F. Goddard, a surveyor, who was also the vice president and general manager of the Santa Fe Railroad Company.
After Goddard became a town, the Blendon and Afton post offices were combined with Goddard. Several buildings were moved to Goddard from Blendon. A two-story town hall was moved to the corner of 3rd and Oak Street and a blacksmith shop was located on Cedar Street. The lumber for the Methodist church at Blendon was reloaded, hauled to Goddard, and erected on its present site. Goddard was incorporated in 1910.
Like most towns, Main street was the primary place of business in early years. Some of the business included, W.W. Graves Restaurant and Henshaw Rooming House, A.B. Rishels’s Palace Garage, the Goddard Bank which also contained the Post Office, Nolan’s Mercantile store, and Kirker – Marsh Undertakers. Most of the buildings along the west side of Main Street were destroyed by fire in 1919.
In the center of town, in the middle of Main Street, was an old windmill. The famous town pump was 146 feet deep. A large cement tank provided water for the horses when the farmers drove into town. The old landmark was taken down in 1953 in spite of strong opposition and Main Street was oiled. Work started on a $104,000 sewer project and disposal plant. An $80,000 water supply project was started including a water tower which was erected on the east side of the 100 block of North Main Street. This tower was dismantled in the late 1980’s and replaced by the present water tower constructed in 1975.
Attractions & Accomplishments
Goddard has many regional attractions and recurring community events that make it a special place to visit and create a high quality of life for our citizens. The Genesis Sports Complex, Blast off Bay Indoor Water Park and Competition Swimming Natatorium generate hundreds of thousands of annual visitors and align with our community vision of creating a place that promotes a family-oriented active lifestyle. The Tanganyika Wildlife Park (TWP) is another regional attraction, and it is unlike any in the world. At TWP, visitors can feed giraffes, lorikeets, swim with African penguins, touch kangaroos and lemurs, along with the enjoyment of intimate encounters with over 500 animals. In March 2025, Tanganyika Wildlife Park will open as an all-inclusive destination. Admission will redefine the previous experience, offering unlimited animal feedings, unlimited food and drink, and more interactive animal experiences than anywhere in the world.
Goddard’s community events provide our neighbors with something fun to do year-round. There is the annual Fall Festival, National Night Out, and Christmas on Main Street. There is also the Main Street Market where over 75 vendors gather on Main Street to sell their goods on the second Sunday of each month between 2pm and 5pm April-September.
The City is currently in the planning and design phases of the Goddard North Park Development, an estimated $10 million regional park amenity that will be completely unique to that of the south-central Kansas regional park system. Goddard also plays home to the Prairie Sunset Trail, an active lifestyle amenity for biker/hikers/and runners, and the Linear Park Disc Golf Course, home to two Annual Professional Disc Golf Course Association (PDGA) Class B tournaments.
The 2024 draft study provided to Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WAMPO) by Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR) named Goddard as one of the fastest growing City in WAMPO region. The study indicates annualized growth of over 5% and cumulative growth of nearly 160% by year 2050. In the first half of 2024 alone, nearly 100 new homes were built.
The Goddard Unified School District 265 provides a high-class educational experience and top-notch facilities for our young people to enjoy along their learning journey. It is one of the larger school districts in the state of Kansas and it is also ranked amongst the best school districts in the state. Many people move to our community due to the quality of the schools and USD 265 is likely the greatest reason for our community’s rapid growth.
Goddard is a great place to live, work, and visit because it has regional tourism attractions that are unparalleled in the region, a high-class school district, and future opportunities due to it’s rapid growth.
