Wichita was founded in 1863 by a group of entrepreneurs who were seeking to establish a trading post on the banks of the Arkansas River. The founders of Wichita included James R. Mead, William Greiffenstein, and others who established the Wichita Town Company. They named the town after the Wichita Native American tribe that lived in the area. The town quickly grew as a center for trade and commerce, and by the 1870s, it had become a hub for cattle drives and the shipping of goods across the Great Plains. Today, Wichita is the largest city in Kansas and a regional center for business, education, healthcare, and culture.