The Southridge Station

This is the location of the Southridge Station on the Kansas-Missouri Interurban Railroad (the Strang Line). In 1906, entrepreneur William Strang purchased completed his Kansas-Missouri Interurban Railroad (the Strang Line), which ran from Olathe, Ks. to Rosedale, Ks. He purchased tracts of land along the route in order to found communities, which would help support his railroad. The first of these was Overland Park, founded in 1906. The Second was Southridge, founded in 1909.

Most of the land of today's Roeland Park was part of the grounds and farm of the Shawnee Methodist Indian Mission, which is today a state historic site. In 1854, this land was granted to the Shawnee Methodist Mission in a treaty between the Shawnees and U.S. Government, which opened up most of the Shawnee Reservation to settlement. This land subsequently became the personal property of the mission's superintendent, Rev. Thomas Johnson and his heirs. When Johnson was murdered during the Civil War, the land was divided amongst his children. Johnson's daughter Eliza had married Kansas City, Missouri Pioneer John Wornall in 1854. Their family inherited 85 acres a half mile west of the mission site after Johnson's death and this was divided into three farms for the Wornall Children after the death of their parents.

In 1906, entrepreneur William Strang completed his Kansas-Missouri Interurban Railroad, commonly known as the Strang Line, from Olathe, Ks. to Rosedale, Ks. He began purchasing tracts of land along the route to develop into towns to help support his railroad. The first was Overland Park, founded in 1906. In 1909, Strang purchased the three farms of the Wornall heirs totaling 85 acres and platted out the community of Southridge, named for the south bluffs overlooking the nearby Turkey Creek valley. It was located on the remnants of the Santa Fe Trail, which crossed Southridge at what is today 51st Street. The Strang Line loosely followed the route of the Santa Fe Trail. What is today 51st Street. was originally called Santa Fe Trail Blvd. Buena Vista St. was originally called Wornall Ave, after the Wornall family farms.

Strang began advertising Southridge as a bedroom community for nearby Kansas City, Mo. Advertisements promoted the benefits of clean air, space and cheap land on which to build. Those without automobiles needed not worry, the Strang Line provided easy transportation to Rosedale, Ks., where riders could easily transfer to Kansas City's streetcar system. Strang brought in potential buyers on the Strang Line on the weekends and took them on tour of potential homesites. Despite the early promotions, Southridge was slow to grow. However, by the mid 1920s, a small community had developed supported by the nearby Southridge Market, the Southridge Presbyterian Church and Roesland Elementary School. In 1951, the Southridge community became part of the City of Roeland Park, Ks., The Southridge neighborhood occupies the original townsite plat.

This spot marks the location of the Southridge Station on the Strang Line. It also doubled as a community building in the early years. Residents would meet here to discuss community issues and it was the first home of the Southridge Presbyterian Church. in the late 1930s as automobiles became more prevalent and Johnson County developed its bus system, traffic on the Strang Line dwindled and the line declared bankruptcy. The Southridge Station was eventually torn down to make way for Southridge's first gas station.

Scott, John. Roe'ling Through the Years. Roeland Park, Ks.. Self Published, 1996.

"Southridge." The Olathe Mirror (Olathe, Ks) February 18th, 1909. .

Conrad, Edward A.. Heartland Traction; The Interurban Lines of Kansas City. Heartland Rails Publishing, 2006.