Florent Wagner has been familiar with Overland Park and the surrounding area for more than 75 years and has lived in the area for more than 50 years.  He served as Senior Vice President and Trust Officer of the Overland Park Bank and Trust Company for 20 years. This bank was the first bank in Overland Park, founded in 1910.  He personally handled accounts for many of the citizens who made Overland Park history.
 
27 years ago, Mr. Wagner and other Heritage Foundation members formed the Overland Park Historical Society. He has been President or Vice President of the Society continuously since its beginning.  Florent as Overland Park’s historian always believed the original Overland Park Depot of the Strang Line was still inside the paint store at 8001 Santa Fe Drive.  The Overland Park Historical Society’s Board voted to purchase the building.  The Society immediately set about tearing out the east wall of the west showroom and exposed the west wall of the original depot built in 1906.  The Strang Line Depot is still in the building.  Florent tells an amazing story about how William Strang brought people from Urban Kansas City to the beautiful country soon to be called Overland Park.  Florent has so much to share about Overland Park and Johnson County.  Plan on asking him numerous questions about our local history.  He will have the answers.