S. S. Rogers, whose ranch was located on a well traveled route between the Eastern States and the Southwest, gave water freely to famished travelers and their animals. Those travelers often responded to his generous treatment with a comment such as "That's mighty liberal of you."
By 1885, Rogers had opened a general store and the city of Liberal was born. It immediately became a shipping point for cattle, and in 1888 the plat for the present town site was opened. Within a year, the population had grown to 800. The agriculture that formed the basis for that early development still plays a vital role in our economy.
Nearly 60 years ago, oil and natural gas were discovered in the Hugoton gas field, located primarily in southwest Kansas and spreading into the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. The Hugoton field is one of the largest gas fields in the world. This makes Liberal, and the surrounding area, very important to both major and independent oil and gas producers.
Liberal now enjoys a diversified economy with a retail sector which draws visitors from several counties. It's population is estimated at 19,000 and is expected to eclipse 25,000 by 2005. Our community has residential areas to fit every family size and income level and has activities to fit every taste and interest.
Liberal is a growing a progressive community, that has carried S. S. Rogers’ neighborliness and generosity from the 1880’s to the 1990’s and will carry it far into the future.
