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

1911

T.C. Peffer and Miss May Peffer purchased the Herald and assumed ownership on January 2. Filter beds and wells were completed to assure a supply of pure water for the city. A new dam was built. Finishing touches were being put on Eureka's new Missouri-Pacific depot. The red brick structure with the tile roof and white stone trimmings, plus a brick platform, was a credit to the city. The old wooden depot was moved west to the south of the tracks and was to be used as a freight house.

The building formerly occupied by the Smith Bros. Meat Mkt. was remodeled for an up-to-date moving picture show and was opened on February 11. The new place had 200 opera chairs. Films shown were guaranteed to be out of the factory less than 30 days. The machine was run by a motor rather than by hand, insuring a steady picture.

A new hotel, the Sunflower, was erected on North Main in the block opposite the Methodist church. A band was formed in Eureka with 25 members anxiously awaiting new uniforms. The leader was C.F. Downing. A rural telephone development in the vicinity of Eureka was reported with three new lines being installed. J.S. Martin moved his newsy sheet to Severy, giving that city two papers. The new publication was called the Severy Journal. Eureka fireboys brought home $127.50 in prize money from the state firemen's tournament.

The Souders Livery Barn was completely destroyed by fire which badly scorched the backs of nearby buildings. Several buggies, a hearse and harness were destroyed, along with several tons of hay. The structure had been formerly used as an ice house. A new bridge across Spring Branch at the crossing of Elm and First streets was completed. The bridge, of reinforced concrete, was expected to stand for many years without much need of repairs. A new rural telephone line, the Piedmont line, was added to the Eureka exchange.

1912

Greenwood County now had 1840 miles of streets and roads with 45 steel and 27 concrete bridges. Janesville led with 225 miles of public roads in the township. Eureka City had 35 miles of streets and 25 miles of sidewalks. The Greenwood County Good Roads Assoc. was organized for the purpose of stimulating better roads throughout the county. Albert Tucker, in the hardware and implement business since 1895, traded his stock of goods to Theodore Fischer for the Fischer farm northwest of Eureka.

A woman suffrage meeting was held to organize Greenwood County for the campaign. The new Methodist Church in Hamilton was dedicated March 10. A new press had been installed at the Herald in April. The old jobber, a Peerless, had done duty in the office for nearly 25 years. Some new type, brass rule and other material had just been purchased and the Herald laid just claim to being one of the best equipped county printing shops in Kansas.

One of A. Frazier's buses was torn to pieces when the horses pulling it became frightened at the elephant with Lucky Bill's Show. J.D. Clark had opened a new soda fountain. The first county track meet was held on May 3. Jumping, running, hurdling, vaulting, and relay races were featured. The electric company turned on an all-day current for the first time May 16. The 24-hour service put Eureka ahead of most towns of the same size. On May 18, a one-half horsepower motor was installed in the basement of the Herald office and attached to the linotype. The noisy pounding of the old gasoline engine gave place to the gentle click of the motor and already the office assumed a more metropolitan air. Any one interested in electric motors was invited to inspect the one in use in the basement of the Herald.

The new Baptist Church at Utopia was dedicated September 29. The new Methodist Church was being erected in Eureka (opened on Easter Sunday, March 23, 1913). Farmington school district was building a new school for fall. The new building was to be used for church services, for the Grange, for social gatherings of the district and for school. Nearly 100 autos were in Eureka. The owners felt a need to organize an Auto Club to promote the interest of auto owners in road improvement, legislation and the general betterment of automobile conditions.

The long desired Sunday train service on the Howard Branch was arranged and was to start December 8.

Title Page
1913 - 1914


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