William B. Strang Jr. (1857–1921) was an American

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

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plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

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Overland Park, Kansas Overland Park ( ) is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in Johnson County, Kansas, it is one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the most populous suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As ...

and is considered the founder of the community. In 1905, Strang purchased 600 acres south of Kansas City, Missouri and adjacent to present day Metcalf Avenue and 80th Street. "Strang envisioned a "park-like" community that was self-sustaining and well planned. He also sought strong commerce, quality education, vibrant neighborhoods, convenient transportation and accommodating recreational facilities." An entrepreneur, Strang founded the Missouri and Kansas Interurban Railway which went from

Olathe, Kansas Olathe ( ) is the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas, United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in both the Kansas City metropolitan area and the state of Kansas, with a 2020 population of 141,290. History 19th century Olathe wa ...

to Kansas City, Missouri until 1940. It was nicknamed the "Strang Line". He also established an airfield and provided land for schools and businesses along with his creation of several housing developments. Santa Fe Drive in Downtown Overland Park marks a portion of the original Strang Line. The Strang Carbarn, at 79th and Santa Fe Drive, which housed trolley cars for the line, and the Strang Carriage House in Thompson Park, south of 80th and Santa Fe, are remnants of the trolley car line.

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External links

Flickr photo of statue
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strang, William B. 1857 births 1921 deaths People from Syracuse, New York People from Johnson County, Kansas American railroad executives