Zurich

History

Zurich was established on the plains of northwestern Kansas in the late 1870s. In 1880, John and Armenda Webb, who were born in Zurich (Switzerland) filed a US postal service application using the name of their birthplace, Zurich. The application was granted and Armenda Webb became the first postmistress of Zurich, operating the post office from her home. Union Pacific Railroad extended a line through western Kansas in 1888. The line was routed just south of Zurich where a train depot was established. In 1918, fire destroyed most of the Zurich business district when the west side of Main Street caught fire. Three years later, fire claimed the post office, creamery and a store at the north end of Main Street. "Zurich It's Never Idle" was a popular emblem sold in Zurich in the 1920s. The emblem was proudly displayed on car radiators at the time. The slogan was adopted for the 1980 Zurich centennial celebration. The post office in Zurich was discontinued in 1996.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity