We wrapped up Tuesday with a stop by Jack Kilby Square on Main Street and reported live during our early evening newscasts.
About 15,000 people call Great Bend home. It is the county seat for Barton County. Agriculture is a main industry for the community. Many people come to the Great Bend area to enjoy the wildlife at Cheyenne Bottoms, the largest inland marsh in the United States.
Great Bend’s most famous person is responsible for technology that we use everyday. Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit, or microchip, that has led to many technological advances of the last six decades. He was also involved in creating the handheld calculator.
Things to do in the Great Bend area:
- Jack Kilby Square
- Outdoor Murals
- Barton Co. Historical Museum
- Brit Spaugh Park & Zoo
- Great Bend Parks
- B-29 Memorial
- Kansas Wetlands Education Center, Cheyenne Bottoms
- Wetlands & Wildlife National Scenic Byway
- Visit Great Bend
Community & Government:
- Great Bend
- Barton County
- Great Bend Public Schools
- Great Bend Chamber of Commerce
- Barton County Community College
- Fuller Brush Company
- SRCA Drag Strip
- Great Bend Farm & Ranch Expo
Notable events, people & heritage:
- Jack Kilby, Great Bend High School grad,invented the integrated curcuit (microchip), during his time at Texas Instruments, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
- Oscar Micheaux, Author and filmmaker
Sponsors: Great Bend Chamber of Commerce, Barton County Community College, Harper Camperland
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