L.W. Clapp Facts Dan Fitzgerald is leading the way to restore the brickwork flanking the roads throughout the "Clapp Compound" in historic midtown. The page below provides some interesting history of the man behind the "Clapp" Name.
L.W. Clapp Facts
Timeline
1886 Arrived in Wichita with his wife.
1887 Commissioned architects Terry & Hayward to design his residence at 18th and Park Place.
1887 Ordered several trees from eastern nurseries for his landscaping - Austrian Pines, Scotch Pines, Red cedars, Norway spruce.
1917 to1919 Mayor of Wichita
1919 to 1921 City Manager
1921 Appointed as the head of the Park System. Served until his death.
1934 In October 400 people attended a dinner to honor LW at the Lassen Hotel in downtown Wichita.
1934 On December 16th LW Clapp dies.
Various quotes from newspaper articles:
“He was president of the Wichita Park System for 13 years and became known as the Father of Wichita Parks. He developed Oak and Sim Parks and designed the zoo area for Central Riverside Park and was instrumental for Seneca and Linwood Parks.”
“Mr. Clapp was directly responsible for the city obtaining the land for the Municipal Airport and was a leader in promoting the construction of the Wichita Art Museum to meet the specification of the Murdock collection.”
“When L.W. Clapp does anything, he does it right.”
“He designed the artwork Spirit of St. Louis installed above the entrance of the Wichita Municipal Airport.”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/army_arch/298465374/sizes/l/ (note that this picture was not taken by HMCA -special thanks to the photographer who posted this to the web for all to enjoy!)
From Craig Miner’s book, Wichita - the Magic City : “Mr. Clapp’s interest in horticulture made the grounds of his home and surrounding area a popular stop for Sunday drivers.”
Brickwork restoration committee:
http://www.midtownwichita.org/LWClapp/lwclappbrickrestoration.htm
Other Internet Resources:
City of Wichita website info on LW Clapp
http://www.wichita.gov/CityOffices/CityManager/MeetCM/PreviousCityManagers/03.htm
http://www.wichitagov.org/CityOffices/Park/overview.htm
Thihen notes on Mr. Clapp. The full articles are generally available on microfiche at the downtown Wichita Public Library.
The National Register of Historic Places registration form for LW Clapp's home:
http://www.kshs.org/resource/national_register/nominationsNRDB/Sedgwick_ClappLWHouseNR.pdf