A Century of Greenwood County, KS History

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

1964

The building recently purchased by Kenneth Rockhill, eureka attorney, was near completion. Dr. W.A. Watkins was to move his dental offices from 226 1/2 North Main to the new location shortly after the first of the year. Rockhill planned to move from his offices in the Citizens National Bank Building, 123 W. Third. The structure was 23 by 90 feet and had been completely remodeled.

Arrangements were completed for the formation of a new business enterprise in eureka known as the A-OK Insurance Agency, Inc. This firm was a Kansas corporation with a capital of $50,000. The corporation acquired the Miller-Hobbs Insurance Agency, located in the Citizens National Bank building, and was moved to 408 North Main in offices previously occupied by the Shira Drilling Co. E.A. (Andy) Hibbard was manager of the new firm. Glen Hawthorne and Harley Brenton were to continue as outside real estate salesmen and Mabel Gordon remained in her previous capacity of insurance and real estate saleswoman. Hibbard was to continue his present occupation of realtor and abstractor.

J.T. Francis & Sons remodeled and enlarged the present business at 116 North Main to include a complete line of hardware in addition to their present line of plumbing, heating and air conditioning. Barb's Cafe added a new dining room. Mr. and Mrs. Roy Benton, owners, purchased the building at 502 North Main from John Runyan and converted it into additional dining room with a seating capacity of 150.

A group of local art students of Dane Keys, local artist, designed and were to paint a mural for the recreation room of the Midwest Institute. Students working on the monochromatic mural were Marie Keys, Nina Francis, Lettie Hawthorne, Helen Forbes, Vernona Burton, Madge Ogilvy, Josephine Warrick, Ida Belle Mitchell and Gary Mitchell.

An extensive plan was in progress to improve McGinnis Field and facilities. Mr. and Mrs. Ward McGinnis had recently donated seven acres of land just north of the present athletic field and south of the railroad, a tract that would about double the size of the field. Lynn Braden was contracted by the Board of Education to regrade and fill the football field. Practice fields, additional parking area and new vaulting and broadjumping pits were to be constructed on the new tract.

Harrison Brookover, who had operated the Brookover Grocery & Market at 300 West Second, sold his business to Mr. and Mrs. Albert Brown of Ellsworth. Brownie's Cafe changed hands when George Brown sold to Mrs. Towler, former manager of the Greenwood Cafe. Clayton Bailey of Western auto announce the opening of his new catalog order center, as an added service to his customers.

Open house was held for the new city offices at Memorial Hall, recently remodeled. Storage rooms had been converted into an office for the city engineer. The water department and office of the city clerk moved into the office formerly occupied by the engineer. A new bookkeeping room had been added to the west of this office. The Chamber of Commerce was to move into the room vacated by the city clerk. Additional dressing rooms were added to the south side, to be used in connection with the auditorium. The kitchen had been remodeled as well as the stage and all offices were redecorated.

"The Garden Spot," a new business at 601 North Main, was being opened by Harrison Brookover at the location formerly occupied by the Sinclair station.

Recent improvements to the city included a new water line to the cemetery with additional hydrants installed there; a trash-burning facility at the city dump; a sewer system at the Eureka airport; and a year-round recreational program developed in which facilities of the Memorial Hall would be used. Mr. and Mrs. Byron Manchester sold the Dairy Queen, corner of Main and First, to Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Cook of Arkansas City. Manchester was to be associated with Knapp Electric.

The ninth Regional Fire School was held at Eureka, April 11-12. Demonstrations at the fairgrounds and the fire station were well attended and many new methods of fire-fighting were learned and exchanged. Due to high wind, it was unsafe to completely burn the house at Vermont and Indiana streets. It was later destroyed by the local fire department under the direction of the chief.

Considerable activity was taking place at the Greenwood County fairgrounds preparing for the erection of a new grandstand. The structure, the only one of its kind in the state and surrounding territory, was located at such an angle to the race track that everyone could have a clear view of the entire track at all times. It had a capacity of 2000 persons. The south end was 60 feet from the track and the north end was 80 feet. A 26 x 60' concrete paddock was to be located directly in front of the stand, where horses would be saddled and mounted. The old bleachers to the north had been torn down and the lumber used in the construction of the box seats with a seating capacity of 240 and for repairs to other buildings on the grounds.

Harold Black, assistant manager of the Eureka Mill & Elevator, resigned his job of 10 years in Eureka and accepted a similar position at Chanute. Jim Zlomke was transferred here by the Commonwealth Theatres as manager of the Princess Theatre and the Drive-In. Eureka boasted a radio station. KBTO of El Dorado had a local studio in Eureka on East Second street and weekly broadcasts were heard from here. A benefit supper was held to help finance the new steel grandstand at the fairgrounds. The stand, designed by Lynn Braden, was of unusual design and the only one of its kind in Kansas.

The Eureka Jaycees erected a "Welcome to Eureka" sign on east US-54. The progress of the Fall River Watershed was ahead of schedule. If all went well, 3 1/2 years of construction work would be completed in the next two years. A change in ownership of one of Eureka's leading business institutions was announced when Howard Willoughby purchased the interest of his partner, William McCartney, in the City Drug store. Jerry Handley was employed as pharmacist. A smoldering fire was discovered in one of the steel storage tanks at the Eureka Mill & Elevator. The tank contained 550 tons of alfalfa pellets, valued at $19,000 that had been stored for about a month. The pellets were hauled away and graded according to fire damage.

The Eureka Carnegie Library celebrated its 50th anniversary on September 27 with an open house. J's Market, owned and operated by Jerry and Lila Kempker, at 300 W. Second was open for business. Kenny's Eureka Cafe, 117 W. Third, was a new type restaurant service. The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Bruhn, were to operate and up-to-date servateria, with a variety of food. A new water tower was being erected at the corner of Fifth and Mulberry, with a capacity of 500,000 gallons. This improvement was one phase of the $145,000 water improvement program underway in Eureka.

Mr. and Mrs. George McCurry sold the Eureka Motel, 201 South Main, which they had owned and operated for over eight years, to a local concern headed by George Forbes and Don Bratton, Jr. After a complete renovation and remodeling the new owners change the name to "The Carriage House Motor Hotel." Twelve young Frenchmen and Frenchwomen, with their leader, arrived in Eureka to spend three weeks here, each guest living with a different family. The Lions Club sponsored an outdoor ice skating rink at the Ohio Street ball diamond during the winter. The field was to be leveled and a dike erected, preparatory to flooding it. The area was to be lighted each evening until 9:30.

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1965 - 1966

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