January 29, 2012

The city of Gentry was created in 1894 along the line of what eventually became the Kansas City Southern Railroad (KCS), established by Arthur E. Stilwell and designed to connect Kansas City, Missouri, with Port Arthur, Texas. The railroad connection made Gentry an important shipping point for local produce. By the time this photo was taken in the 1920s, the town boasted a prosperous economy and a population of more than 700.