Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce / Finney County Convention & Tourism Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce Finney County Convention & Tourism
Lynn Schoonover, Director lschoonover@gcnet.com
Roxanne Morgan, Asst. Director rmorgan@gcnet.com

Finney County Convention & Tourism Bureau

The Finney County Convention and Tourism Bureau welcomes you to southwest Kansas! We are proud of our history, delighted with our present, and look forward to a bright future! We hope you enjoy your stay in Finney County, whether it's for business or fun. There's always something going on in Garden City and Holcomb.

Information on Garden City & Holcomb

Recreation & Entertainment
Attractions
Historic Walking Tour
Historic Driving Tour
Discover the World in Garden City
Golf Courses
Lodging
Calendar of Annual Events
Community Calendar
Hot Air Balloon Festival
Links

We are Located

Distances from Major Cities

Garden City - the Jewel of Southwest Kansas!

The founding fathers of Garden City, W.D. and J.R. Fulton, J.A. Stevens, C.J. Jones and several others had a vision in the late 1870s to turn this part of the "Great American Desert" into a town that would last. The first years of this young town's history are full of names and events that prove people were industrious, imaginative and resourceful. By 1883, trainloads of Easterners were coming out to lay claim on this fertile river bottomland, lured by land speculators and their own dreams of being a part of the Western expansion. The population soared to over 6,000 during those boom years from 1885 to 1888. Many of the people lived in tents, dugouts or covered wagons waiting for houses to be built. Not all of those who came stayed. Those who stayed kept the town going. Through the growth of the Sugar Beet Industry, the War Years, the development of irrigation and the expanding cattle industry, many hearty souls have brought their ideas, work ethic and families to grow and prosper. Finney County continues to welcome newcomers and looks forward to new growth and prosperity in the 21st century.

The Naming of Garden City

Mrs. Fulton, wife of a town founder, William Fulton, was watering her garden one day when a gentleman jumped off the train and inquired about the name of the new community. She replied that people were referring to the little village as "Fulton Town" but she wasn't too enthusiastic about the name. He looked upon her beautiful garden and said, "Why don't you name it Garden City?" The new name was met with favor and adopted by the residents, but Garden City will never know the identity of the traveling gentleman who gave the town its name!