Our story
The city originally formed several miles to the east. A post office was established as White Water (as two words) on August 7, 1871. The post office was renamed to Ovo on July 7, 1882.
In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas, and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington through Whitewater to Caldwell. It foreclosed in 1891 and was taken over by Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas Railroad, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad, merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the “Rock Island”.
Between 1885 and 1888, several buildings were moved to the present location on the Whitewater River after the Missouri Pacific railroad came through the area. The city was established where the Missouri Pacific and Rock Island railroads intersected. The post office was renamed White Water on May 15, 1888.
On November 1, 1950, the post office name was changed to Whitewater (one word).