One of The Best Places to Live
It was originally called Nickelville, reportedly by the name of the first store, and was organized in the early 1870s.The Gulf Railway, Colorado and Santa Fe paved the way half a mile north of the original city in 1886. During the following year, the businesses of Nickelville moved to take advantage of the railway, and Wylie was founded along the right bank in 1887.The city was named after Lieutenant Colonel William D.Wylie, a right-of-way railroad agent and the civil war veteran.
In the same year, Wylie gave itself a name, opened a post office, and registered, choosing the form of the Alderman’s government. Two years later, St. Louis’ Southwest Railway reached the city. Two railways and a rich agricultural area of the Backland Prairies contributed to the growth of the city. In 1890, there were 400 residents in Wylie, and the first single-room school house was built. By 1900 it had grown to 773 and in the next decade, the population tripled.