A Century of Greenwood County, KS History

A Century of Greenwood County, KS History - Eureka Herald, 1968

1957

A large crowd attended the laying of the cornerstone of the new courthouse for Greenwood County on April 20. Festivities were opened with a long and colorful parade with bands from Eureka, Madison, Hamilton, Severy and Virgil spaced among various floats. eureka Federal Savings and Loan, one of the midwest's foremost financial institutions opened a handsome new office building in El Dorado. With the purchase of a site, a new building was planned in Emporia for an office in that city.

Announcement was made of the sale of the Basham Hospital building and Lyndon Hotel be the Doctors Basham to the newly organized firm, The Lyndon, Inc. The north wing was to remain in apartments and transient rooms. The south wing was to be converted into a nursing home capable of caring for 48 persons, both private and county residents, with 24-hour nursing care.

The board of education of Severy grade school announced the completion of the new $160,000 brick and concrete school building, containing nine classrooms, a modern cafeteria, a mult-purpose room and a clinic. H.C. Hobbs, president of the Citizens National Bank of eureka, purchased controlling interest in the First National Bank of Toronto.

The Missouri-Pacific Railroad Co. had made application for authority to discontinue the operation of its passenger trains 425 and 426 between Durand and Wichita. As it was the only passenger train service through Eureka, a large crowd of Eurekans was expected to attend the hearing held by the State Corporation commission to register complaints.

1958

Don Young was the new manager of the Princess Theatre, succeeding Charles Masner, who was moving to Anthony. The county completed a new low-water bridge at an approximate cost of $16,000. This bridge replaced the old "Tucker Bridge" across Fall River, constructed at the turn of the century and a victim of the flood of May 1951. A memorial to Rev. John Rogers, of granite with a bronze relief of Rogers, was installed recently on the Midwest Institute campus. John Rogers was an ancestor of Roger W. Babson, who presented the memorial to Midwest.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Vanhaverbeke sold the Eureka Greenhouses to Mr. and Mrs. Keith Moots of Newton. Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Wing purchased the Bouldin Drug Store from Mr. And Mrs. R.C. Bouldin. The Wings moved here from Hillsboro. A work party of the Eureka Jaycees assembled new street signs purchased by the city and were to be erected soon.

Mr. and Mrs. Lee Washburn, owners and operators of Washburn Studio and Camera Shop, sold their business to Mr. and Mrs. R. Dale Rader. The Washburns had been in Eureka 11 years. The A.E. Green Insurance Agency purchased the M.A. Davis building at 113 W. Third and planned to move its offices there. The Southwestern Bell opened its new business office at the new building at Seventh and Elm.

Plans were being presented to the people living in the rural areas to extend telephone rural service to be coordinated with the new dial telephone system which Eureka was to have in October 1959. Mr. and Mrs. R.A. Newlon purchased the News Stand, 202 North Main, from Mrs. May Stackhouse. Carl Shewmaker was to open a private law office in Eureka in the Clever building at 111 West Second.

According to George Forbes, attorney for the Fall River Watershed District, word had been received from the Secretary of State that the watershed petition had been approved as the number of signers and also as to the form of the petition. The Chief Engineer had reported the District would be incorporated. More than 50 per cent of the people signed the petition, so the District automatically was to be incorporated.

1959

The local shopping district had a new asset in the installation of the Coin-O-Matic Half-Hour Laundry, which enabled families to put out a complete family washing and at the same time do whatever shopping was necessary. The new business, located at Third and Oak streets, was owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Davis and was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Fire virtually destroyed five units of the 10-unit Highland Motel, 602 E. Seventh, and resulted in severe fire and smoke damage in four other units. Clarence B. Shell and Pete Hubbell, owners, estimated the damage at about $24,500.

A new Eureka industry, RadCo Transit Mix, Inc., began operation for the selling of ready-mix concrete and concrete products. The new industry at Ninth and Elm streets had five ready-mix trucks. Directors of the new firm were A.O. Teichgraeber, R.G. Lewis, O. Dale Baker, Hugh E. Scott, F.J. McCue and R.C. Teichgraeber.

Carl W. Shewmaker joined the law office of Carl C. Chase at 203 North Main. Percy Shue, president of Midwest Institute since 1954 and instructor since 1950, resigned as president effective May 30. Dale Baker, instructor since 1954, accepted the presidency for the next year, according to Dr. Gordon Trim, chairman of the board of trustees.

The Eureka Junior High band was to have snappy blue and white uniform jackets and caps. A fund-raising project was spearheaded by Kenneth Griggs, president of the Eureka Chamber of Commerce. Adopted as a project by the Jaycees, they had raised $750 of the estimated $2,000 needed. In a report on the progress of the Fall River Watershed project, A.W. Soderberg, chairman of the board of directors, announced that planning already was in progress, with much of the platting done from aerial photographs.

Southwestern Bell was enlarging its telephone building at Hamilton and made room for equipment which eventually would help activate a new underground long distance cable. formal opening for Eureka's new Bowling Lanes, 114 East Fourth, was May 23. R.E. Douglas, owner, and Bill Shaw of Osage City would be managers of the new six-lane bowl with Brunswick automatic pin-setters and automatic ball lifts.

A formal opening was held for the new quarters of the Peter Pan Ice Cream store at Seventh and Main. The handsome new building was across the street west of the former location. Jimmy Davidson, local Foodtown manager, was transferred to Bartlesville, Okla. David Jackson was the new manager. Cecil Leslie purchased the bowling lanes from R.E. Douglas and took charge of operations. Bill Shaw continued as manager of the business, to be henceforth known as the Leslie Bowling Lanes.

Foodtown Supermarket, 305 East Seventh, purchased the property of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Baxter, adjoining the market to the east and was to convert the lot to additional parking area, David Jackson, manager, announced. The new lot would triple the present parking space. Eureka's dial telephone equipment arrived and technicians of the Western Electric Co. started installing it in the new telephone building. Men were busy replacing old telephone cable with new to connect telephones in homes and businesses to the dial system. Southwestern Bell was spending some $500,000 for the building, equipment, dial telephones and outside wiring to give Eureka's residents modern service.

An important milestone in Eureka's municipal history took place in brilliant sunshine when nearly 2,000 persons and some 250 aircraft thronged Eureka's municipal airport during the course of dedication ceremonies on Sunday, September 13. Activity started about 7:30 A.M. with a "Fly-in" breakfast. Formal dedication ceremonies took place at 2:00 p.m. The Wolfe Music Co. of Wichita opened a new store in Eureka at 316 North Main.

Sunday, December 6, at 1:01 a.m., electronic equipment sprung into operation at the town's new telephone building. inaugurating dial telephone service for all users here. Work had started on an addition to the Eureka Federal Savings & Loan building. Increased business made it necessary to provide for more room. The new addition to the north would house a large vault, equipment room, room for expanding the accounting department, a ladies lounge and a coffee bar.

Betsher Cleaners, a service landmark in eureka for 52 years, had been sold to Cash Miller. Mr. Betsher installed the first petroleum solvent cleaning system in Greenwood County, later installed the first steam clothes press in this area and was the first large user here to convert to electric power when it became available here. The new owner was thoroughly acquainted with the policies and tradition of service at the establishment and would continue to business under that name.

Title Page
1960

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