City History

Historical Downtown Overland Park is situated on the Santa Fe Trail where it originally bustled with horse-drawn traffic, the famous Strang Line Interurban, gravel streets, a dance hall, restaurant, dry goods store, blacksmith shop, Aviation Park, and other popular amenities that people enjoyed daily.

A century later, Overland Park's small town flavor is thriving through an array of 300 locally owned shops, where the owner waits on you.

The City of Overland Park traces its roots back to 1905 with the arrival of its accepted founder, William B. Strang, Jr., a railroad builder. Strang platted subdivisions along the Military Highway, now called Metcalf Avenue. One of the subdivisions was named “Overland Park” and most of the other subdivisions had the name “Overland” as part of their name.

Strang’s limestone car barn at 79th and Santa Fe is now the site of the Traditions Furniture store. The Carriage House at 8045 Santa Fe is now the site of the Overland Park Historical Society.