Downtown Wichita Falls

Wichita Falls may be considered a small town by many, but every small town has history, some of it good, some of it bad. Here's our list of the top five little known facts about the Falls.

 

Elvis

(Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images)

5

Yes, Elvis Was Here


 

 

In the 1950's and rock and roll was in it's infancy. Nobody knew what to expect going forward and at the movement's forefront was one man: Elvis Aaron Presley. In 1956, Elvis played the Falls. About 200 people showed up to see him at Municipal Auditorium. Apparently, the rock and roll did not go over so well with the crowd so Elvis started playing old country and gospel standards to the delight of those in attendance. Here is an interview that aired on the “Hillbilly Hit Parade” radio show on KSYM out of San Antonio that was recorded in the Falls:

 

AshleyMadison.com

AshleyMadison.com

4

There Are Over 250 “Attached” Wichita Falls Females Trying To Have Affairs On AshleyMadison.com

 

 

If you have never heard of it before, Ashley Madison” is an online dating site almost exclusively for married people looking to have an affair. Yes, I signed up with a free account just to check how many people are on it from the Falls. Unfortunately, since I 'm a male , I can't see other males, but WOW… the number of females from the Falls really surprised me. Well over 250. Are there that many disenchanted wives in the Falls, or is it something else? Curiosity maybe? I got two messages to my account withing 1 hour of joining the site. In order to actually read and respond to them, however, you have to pay money which I am not willing to do. So, I guess I'll never know if I could of had an affair because I deleted my account.

 

Mushroom Cloud

(Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images)

3

In An All-Out Nuclear Attack, Wichita Falls Would Be One Of The First U.S. Cities Hit

 

 

This is because of both Sheppard Air Force Base outside of the Falls, and it's Army counterpart, Ft. Sill, just to the north in Lawton, even though it is a secondary target. Unfortunately, Sheppard is a primary target in the state of Texas so there's really no hope for the Falls if the unimaginable happened. The proverbial put your head between your legs and kiss your a** goodbye certainly applies in this situation.

 

World's Smallest Skyscraper

2

One Of Wichita Falls' Landmarks Is The Result Of A Con Man – I Give You “The World's Littlest Skyscraper”


 

 

The Mcmohan Building is the World’s Smallest Skyscraper. The favorite myth behind the tiny structure is that it was the result of a scam where a con artist raised funds of $200,000 for what investors presumed would be a 40 story building in Wichita Falls. They failed to spot the fact that the plans were scaled in inches rather than feet. After the 10′ x 16′, 4-storey building was built, he could not be charged since it was a legal binding contract. The victims simply hadn’t read the proverbial fine print.

However, the true story about the origin of the building is a bit dull. Office space during the boom was hard to find let alone land to build office space. A builder named Mcmohan took matters in his own hands, and with the help of his own crew, constructed the 4-storey tower on a small unused piece of property without prior permission of the owner who lived in Oklahoma. Initially, six companies occupied this tiny building until the boom ended and office space was not so hard to come by. The building originally did not have a staircase to the upper floors, only a ladder. The architectural design of the building is quite beautiful showing off classical details and intricate brick work. Today the skyscraper and its attached building  house an antique shop and is undergoing a restoration. It is fondly referred to as the “Littlest Skyscraper” and is a treasured monument here in Wichita Falls.

 

Mia Hamm (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

1

Famous People From Wichita Falls


 

 

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry was born in Wichita Falls in 1936. He owns a home in nearby Archer City where he operates a bookstore. The films of his books The Last Picture Show and Texasville were filmed partially in Wichita Falls.

Broadway actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, producer and director Tommy Tune was born in Wichita Falls in 1939.

Soccer legend Mia Hamm grew up in Wichita Falls, but left to finish high school in Northern Virginia and later played for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

NFL players Dominic Rhodes and Bryan Gilmore went to school at Midwestern State University.Nathan Vasher, born November 17, 1981 in Wichita Falls, Texas, plays for the Detroit Lions.

Race car driver Lloyd Ruby was born in Wichita Falls. Drag racer Eddie Hill also resides in Wichita Falls.

Dr. Phil McGraw was given a football scholarship to attend the University of Tulsa but was injured and forced to transfer to Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls. McGraw graduated from the Midwestern State University in 1975 with a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) in psychology.

The punk rock bands Bowling for Soup originated here, though they made their name in Denton, Texas.

Randy Dewayne Gatewood of the Arizona Rattlers AFL team is from Wichita Falls Texas. Randy attended Hirschi High School and graduated in 1993. He was a free agent with Miami Dolphins and later drafted to the Arizona Rattlers after completing college at UNLV Las Vegas.

 

More From Newstalk 1290