Greenwood County
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Brenton Auto Supply moved to a new location, directly across the street west from the former site at Third and Main. Guy Downard and Tom Davis were to open a new meat market in the Jenne building, Fifth and Main. The slogan "The Toughest Meat in Town" was again to emblazon a building front. The Charlotte Murray Hospital opened in Eureka. Two nurses from McPherson leased the building formerly occupied by the Modern Hotel, 411 North Main, which was known for years as the Oxford Rooms. The building, erected by Dr. Norman, was intended for a hospital. Equipment was moved in from a hospital in Augusta which recently went out of business.
A blaze discovered in Downard's Meat Market turned into a dangerous fire and threatened to destroy the Hotel Greenwood building. The Souders Radio Shop on West Third was nearing completion. the midget gold craze had struck Eureka. A course was being laid out at the corner of Third and School. Greenwood County's first miniature golf course was to open June 14.
Greenwood Motors Co. purchased the local Buick-Chevrolet agency from Troxell-Christy Motor Co., A.R. Taylor was the new manager. The Jenkins Music Co. opened a store at 308 North Main in the Moore building. Another golfing innovation to be added to Eureka's amusement list was a driving range, on the site formerly occupied by the East Side filling station. The new athletic field was named in honor of Ward. A. McGinnis.
After a year of extensive travel, M.J. Aley returned to Eureka and purchased the Princess and Regent theatres. Many improvements were planned for the Princess. The Regent also was to be a "talkie" theatre. Remodeling work to be done on the Jackson building began by tearing down the front walls of the Princess Theatre and the building to the north, recently occupied by the Bush Motor Co. Considerable excavation work was necessary as Aley planned to bring the floor of the building down to street level. George Hull purchased the Hartsook & Co. Feed Store, 116 West Second, and was to be known as the Geo. E. Hull Feed Store, the store with the checkerboard sign. A large crowd attended the formal opening of the new home of the Citizens National Bank at Main and Third streets.
Choice church roast was 11 to 16 cents per lb.; picnic hams, 15 cents; and flour, 48 lbs. for $1.09. Mayor R.E. Teichgraeber died in January. A lone bandit attempted to rob the Bank of Fall river and wounded the cashier, W.Q. Wickersham. A second robbery attempt was made on other stores in the town in February. H.R. Provine had purchased the Warner Meat Market. The newly remodeled Princess Theatre opened in February. The Powder Puff Beauty Shop had moved to the room formerly occupied by Goldie's Smart Shop.
A new oak floor had been laid on the main hall of the courthouse. A freight train was derailed near Reece and 14 cars burned. The Reece State Bank was robbed in March. Eureka was to receive $85,000 for federal building program. The Shambaughs were robbed of rugs and drapes valued at $4,000. The Eureka Hospital opened in March in the location formerly occupied by the Charlotte Murray Hospital, 411 North Main.
A delegation from Paola visited the Eureka schools to gather data on advanced educational methods used here. A disastrous fire struck the business district of Severy in March. Knute Rockne was killed at Bazaar in March, 40 miles northwest of Eureka. W.M. Ostenberg was named as superintendent of schools.
The Teeny Weeny orchestra was broadcasting over KFH, members were John Nelson, Margaret Mahan, Gail Souders, Kenneth Hamlin, Kenneth Criss, Betty Jane Burks and Clara Teter. The state driver's license law went into effect July 1. Leo Rhoades and Jake George had embarked on a water trip to New Orleans via Fall River, Verdigris and Arkansas Rivers to the Mississippi. The Greenwood County health unit was to receive $5,000 Federal Drought Aid for one year. The U.S. deficit was $903 million.
The Herald published a 26-page special on July 23 for the fair. One hundred rattlesnakes had been killed by a threshing crew southeast of Eureka. I. Katz was the new commander of the American Legion. Hitchhiking had been declared unlawful in Kansas. The Morris Smyth Post of the American Legion was formulating plans for a definite program of welfare relief during the winter. Jeff Klein and the Royal Flush orchestra had been engage to play at Wichita's newest dance resort, "The Shady Horseshoe." The Marriott Mercantile store of Utopia was destroyed by fire in October.
Ralph Emmel, the alleged slayer of E.E. Ballinger of Neal, was still hiding out and had eluded an armed posse for some time. He was not captured until October 1932 in Texas. The Greenwood County Ministers Assoc. was organized in October. An Armistice Day dance was held with all proceeds to go to charity. Farmers were donating milk to help the relief work. All civic organizations were cooperating in many ways to make money for the needy families. About 1350 persons attended E.N. Ladd's annual Christmas party at the Princess Theatre.
Eleven underprivileged children from the county were taken to the Mercy Hospital in Kansas City for treatment at the expense of the Kiwanis Club. In January the Herald went back to a weekly, published on Thursdays. The Red Owl Annex had moved to 212 North Main (the building formerly occupied by Souders & Martin). The bodies of two men were found in Greenwood County, frozen to death in a severe cold wave. A.E. Green had purchased the Smyth insurance company.
The first Dollar Day was held Wednesday, April 13. The new Ford "8" was being shown and could be purchased for $460 and up. Low pressure tires were becoming popular. The largest and most complete still ever confiscated in Greenwood county was captured by Sheriff Frank Sherman and his Posse in May. Included were 900 gallons of rye mash, three gallons of whiskey and a 50-gallon copper cooker.
The Greenwood County Fair was held in August. The open class premium list had been canceled and any money available was given to the 4-H clubs. Admission charge was reduced to 25 cents. Tax payers in the county had organized to wage a battle for better government. The new three-cent postage rate went into effect on July 6. Beef and pork roasts were 10 cents; pork and bans, 5 cents per can' salmon, 9 cents; sugar 5 and 6 cents; and coffee, 3 lbs. for 55 cents.
Steps were being taken to organize emergency relief in the county. Another carload of flour had been received for the needy of Greenwood County. The Climax State Bank was closed in August. Dr. J.R.Brinkley, candidate for governor, spoke to approximately 3,000 people in the courthouse yard in August. The cattlemen had their seventh annual banquet.
Leslie Yeager was the new manager at J.C. Penny. The American Legion was soliciting clothing for the poor. Simon Grocery was beginning its 12th year on East Ohio. Carl Chase was elected chairman of the newly organized Young Republican Club. The school building at Tonovay was destroyed by fire in November. The new Safeway store was located at Fourth and Main. The Ted North players were appearing at the Princess Theatre.
Ward McGinnis was elected president of the fair association. R.B. Coalscott and A.L. Buchanan of the Greenwood Barber Shop had given 40 free haircuts to needy children, who were selected by Anna Main, school nurse.
A raid by Chief of Police P.V. Clark and city officials resulted in the confiscation of eight slot machines which had been in operation in Eureka. The local BPW Club, in observance of National BPW Week, had complete charge of all city departments for one day. Officers in charge included Olga Souders as mayor, and Anita Knight, police judge, city commissioners, volunteer fire department with Ethel Watson as chief and even a dog-catcher, Erma Hoffman. Justice was meted out to a number of culprits: L.F. Reed, who was arrested for transportation and possession of "liquor," left the courtroom to attempt to post a $25 bond and failed to return; Bill Rockhill was fined three packages of gum for flirting with the officers; C.G. Beal pled guilty to being a public nuisance at the fire hall and paid a fine with chocolates; C.M Cheney was placed in jail for five minutes for resisting officers and Ray Moore forfeited his hat after being charged with jay-walking.
Congress approved the repeal resolutions to the 18th amendment. Ratification was required by 36 states. The battle was won with the Kansas delegation voting dry. President Roosevelt signed a bill providing for the sale of 3.2 beer where it was not otherwise prohibited. The measure passed both houses with Kansas senators and representatives voting against the bill. Kansas had a "bone dry" law.
Construction on a new school house at Tonovay was started to replace the one destroyed by fire. The structure was to be a one-story with six classrooms and a gymnasium. The building formerly occupied by the Bancroft store, first door north of the Hartenbower Arcade, was being remodeled for the Fischer Grocery & Market. Oil and gasoline prices were declining in Kansas. Eureka filling stations were quoting regular grade gasoline at 10.8 cents per gallon, including tax; ethyl at 13.3 and the lower grade at 9.8.
A permanent improvement in Eureka's business section was being made by the Eureka Building & Loan at the corner of Main and Fifth. The entire building had been leased to the Bush Motor Co. Eureka held an election for a bond issue of $65,000 to build a distribution and building for a municipal light plant. Another clothing drive for the needy was sponsored by the American Legion. A distribution of free salt pork, furnished by the government, began in the county. The local office of the Home Owners' Loan Corp. approved loans to relieve distressed property owners.
Dr. T.J. Catlin of Wichita, osteopathic-physician, purchased the furniture and office equipment of the late Dr. R.A. Bower and began his practice in Eureka.
The new Higgins Cafe, 609 North Main, held its formal opening on New Year's Day. Charles Reno of Hamilton purchased the stock of the Cone Hardware store, to be operated by his son, R.C. Reno. Newspaper publishers of the county met in Eureka to discuss the advisability of forming a county authority in observance of the Graphic Arts Code. Problems of wages, working hours and price increases were to be considered.
The Greenwood County Creamery was to open a new plant in Eureka, manufacturing butter, ice cream, cottage cheese and other creamery products. An Audubon Society was organized in town at the home of M.E. Mozingo. The urgent need for water for stock in the Greenwood County area of the Flint Hills district was being alleviated to some extent by the activity of the KERC, which had begun a program of well-drilling and pond building on an extensive scale. Five wells had thus far been dug and surveys were being made for permanent ponds.
R.E. Teichgraeber had purchased a warehouse close to the Missouri-Pacific track on North Elm and was planning the construction of an elevator and two warehouses. He was installing a complete feed-mixing plant with grinding machines and was to operate his business, with the exception of the manufacture of flour, just the same as before the fire which destroyed the Eureka Mill and Elevator.
The Dymond Shoe Shop, Main and First, was damaged by a fire. The center parking system, recently inaugurated in Eureka, was being abolished. The plan had proven satisfactory but the state highway ordered the clearing of the main street since US-54 passed on that street and had to be kept open.
Eureka's newest business enterprise was the Lyle C. Baird Funeral Home at Second and Oak streets. Besides being a business asset to the city, the white frame structure of Colonial style was a place of beauty inside and out. The Home Furnishing Co. moved into its new home at 209 North Main, formerly known as Baird's Furniture Store. The new relocated business was owned by Baird.
Eleven reams of paper, intended to have been used in the printing of counterfeit money, was discovered by Sheriff Frank Stegge, at Madison. Two thousand bogus $5 bills were found and enough paper to print $82,500 of counterfeit money. One of the improvements in Eureka was the remodeling and installation of electric refrigeration in the Little Kastle lunch.
The courthouse lawn was to be beautified. Workmen were tearing down the small pavilion at the southeast corner of the square and were removing the concrete base. With the exception of flower beds, the entire tract was to be plowed and seeded to bluegrass. O.K. Cornett opened a new filling station at the corner of River and Main, selling the products of Phillips Petroleum.
Three Eureka business firms changed locations. Hartenbower Auto Service moved to the building at 404 North Main occupied by the Bethel Motor Co., Bethel Motor moved to the Cartwright building, Main and Sixth, and the Trenton-Henley Motor established a second service station, to be known as the Arcade Service Co., in the building vacated by Hartenbower.
The imposing $60,000 Masonic Temple at the corner of Third and Oak streets was completely destroyed by fire in March, which firemen battled for four hours. The building was headquarters for the Greenwood County Federal Emergency Relief Adm. with offices on the first floor, the WPA sewing room on the second floor and the basement was used for storing government commodities. while the fire raged throughout the afternoon, the Memorial Hall, the J.D. Clark home and the Will O'Byrne residence were saved by strenuous efforts of volunteers. The city of Eureka purchased the site and all the salvage from the burned building.
A room in the Moore block had been rented to the Kroger Grocery & Baking Co. and a new grocery and meat market was to opened there in July. The new front on the Leedy building, the M.A.Miller store, was nearing completion. The facing was of black tile with spacious windows. The Eureka Lake and recreation park were included in the WPA allotment of federal funds approved by the President.
The Grove building at Third and Elm, erected in 1922, was gutted by fire at a loss of $20,000. The building was undergoing remodeling into an apartment house at the time of the blaze, and was almost ready for occupancy.
Geo. Akright was the FHA representative for Greenwood County. The city voters went to the polls in January to decide whether the board of education should issue bonds of $30,000 to be used for an auditorium-gymnasium for the high school. The bonds carried 487 to 374. Charles W. Rose, who came to Greenwood County in 1857, died at Virgil in January. The new Hartenbower Cafe was opened at 108 North Main. Severy voted to take on a bonded indebtedness of $3,000 for the city's share of building a lake, a WPA project. Work on Eureka Lake, four miles north of town, a WPA project, was going forward with a rush. Eureka merchants held a Show of Progress at Memorial Hall in March.
The McLellan store was undergoing extensive remodeling. The Basham Hospital was completed at 411 N. Main and was receiving patients in April. Earl Rickerd purchased the J.D. Clark Drug store on April 30. The Eureka Building and Loan opened an office in Emporia. The Greenwood Hotel Corp. had purchased the building from Mrs. H.D. Hover. Eureka's population was 3,832 and the county's 17,552. William Allen White addressed the 1936 graduating class of Eureka High School.
A controversy between the county commissioners and WPA officials resulted in the closing of WPA sewing rooms in Madison, Severy and Eureka, throwing about 40 women out of work. After two weeks the difficulty was ironed out. Frank Stegge was elected state commander of the Kansas VFW. Ex-servicemen were eligible for the CCC camps in Kansas. The mercury soared to an all-time high of 120 on July 18.
J.T. Francis had opened a plumbing shop in July at 122 North Main in the Western Auto Store. The bus station was moved from the Red Owl to the Greenwood Hotel in August. Lake Fegan in Woodson county had been completed. A north breeze in September brought relief from a heat wave when hundred-degree weather was recorded for 54 days of a 72 day period with only two days falling below the 90 degree mark. The total rainfall for three months was 2.03 inches.
Three new WPA projects were started in the county. Dr. C.D. Baird moved to his remodeled office in the Penwell building in November. The Eureka fire department added a Ford V8 truck to its equipment. The Hartenbower Auto Supply building, 404 North Main, was destroyed by fire in December.
Edwin T. Wood became business manager of the Herald in January.
The G.A. LeVieux Sales Co., 304 North Main, opened for business in January. Paul Fresch, manager of the Greenwood Hotel, had purchased the cafe from Mrs. Mabel Dalton and F.J. McCue. The Greenwood County Federation of women's Clubs was organized in Madison on January 26. The Lions Club was making an appear for public support of the Milk Fund drive. Edw. Ogilvy of Arkansas City has purchased the business of the Greenwood Motors on March 1. The business was to be known as the Eureka Motor Company.
W.M Ostenberg resigned as superintendent of the Eureka schools (here 13 years) to go to Coffeyville. W.C. Kampschroeder was elected to fill the vacancy. Kenneth Griggs opened a shoe store in Eureka at 209 North Main on March 6. The Crimson Tornado basketball team defeated Emporia and Wyandotte to reach the state semi-finals then lost to Newton and Arkansas City.
the third annual Merchants Spring Show was held in April. Eureka Lake was stocked with 96,000 fish. L.T. McCue assumed his duties as commercial manager of the local Kansas Elec. Power in April. Herb Wiggins had purchased the Skelly station at Main and Seventh from C.M. Berry. R.E. Sears was appointed secretary-treasurer of the National Farm Loan Assoc., succeeding A.D. Fry. Special services were held at the Christian Church in observance of its 75th anniversary.
Lawrence Murphy opened a service shop at 115 W. Third. The new Eureka postoffice was dedicated on June 19. First payments under the social welfare program were made in August. Several infantile paralysis cases were reported in the county. The Merchants Fall Window Unveiling was featured in October. work was suspended in September on the Eureka Lake, pending allocation of additional funds by the government.
F.M. Garvin had purchased the Cornett Super Service station at First and River. The city called an election in November to vote bonds in the sum of $135,000 to build a water filtration plant near Eureka Lake. C.T. Agrelius had purchased the Hull Feed Store in October. Leader Auto Supply opened at Seventh and Main in November. Harrison Brookover had opened a grocery store at Second and Walnut. The Bethel-Arnold Mtr. Co. was a new business at 114 North Main. Boy Scout troops 216 and 217 were organized. K.J. Loflin was the new county engineer.
There were 539 unemployed persons in the county. Cecil Ward sold the Western Auto Store to F.B. Steele in February. Wm. A. Wishart was the new county farm agent. Eureka Building and Loan opened an office in El Dorado in March. The Owen racing stable of Eureka was one of the largest in the west.
A raid in April by the sheriff, Vic Myers, netted 524 pints of liquor. Officers seized 608 pints of the "giggle water" when two Oklahoma men were arrested near Neal, following an accident. Dr. D.W. Basham, 84, was the oldest practicing physician attending the state Medical Society convention. The Husser Ben Franklin store was a new business at 114 North Main.
Assets of the Eureka Bank were sold in August. New "white way" posts, 16 feet high and equipped with 4000 candlepower lights, were installed at Main and Second and Main and Third as samples of what may be expected if the KEP was granted a 10-year electric franchise. Fishing at Eureka Lake was forbidden until 1940. Eureka Community Sales were discontinued in September. The first boat racing event to be held in Greenwood County was at Lake Eureka in September. Burton Radio-Electric Service moved to its new building, 104 North Main.
The Eureka Music Co. moved to its new location in the building formerly used by the Eureka Bank at the corner of Second and Main. work had started on the new White Way system. The KEP had agreed to furnish and install 62 of these standards on Main street. Remodeling of the Griggs Shoe Store had been completed and the formal opening held.
Dr. Charles E. Basham of St. Louis, Mo. was planning to move to Eureka, where he would be associated with his brothers, Drs. Francis, John and James, in the practice of medicine. Water from Lake Eureka, was turned into the city mains. So gradual was the change that consumers failed to notice the difference until the supply was about one-half lake water. One of the finest things about it was the softness of the water - and the taste was improved.
The Drs. Basham leased the Wood building, corner of Main and Second, occupied by the Eureka Music Co., and planned to have their offices and clinic there. The city purchased a new 1939 Standard Ford V8 Tudor to replace the old police car. The new car was black with "Police Department" printed in three-inch letters on both sides. A police siren was to be installed.
The Eureka Baker installed a new automatic doughnut machine of the latest type, such as was used at the New York World's Fair and the San Francisco Exposition. The machine was installed in the front room of the bakery and the public was invited to watch it operate. A new clothing store, with a complete line of men's clothing, opened in the Gooing building. The new business was owned by Ed R. Osborn, formerly of Gridley. The Home Furnishing moved to its new location at 107 North Main.
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