Historic Downtown Wichita Preview

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1

Broadview Hotel

PLAY AUDIOIn 1921, George Siedhoff leased part of the land owned by the Arkansas Valley Interurban Railway Company and built the Hotel Broadview for $400,000. During Prohibition, the basement of the hotel was a speakeasy where those in the know could access illegal liquor. A north wing was added in 1929, and the Crystal Ballroom added in 1948. The ballroom has a large mural by local artist Blackbear Bosin. Swipe to see two of the panels, made of glass tiles sourced from New Mexico.The hotel has changed hands over the years, and was most recently purchased by the Drury Hotels. The building was extensively renovated in 2011 and is now known as the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview. The current AVI Seabar and Chophouse restaurant in the hotel is named after the former Arkansas Valley Interurban Railroad depot’s large dining room, which was originally located nearby. The AVI line served Wichita, Newton, and Hutchinson prior to WWII.(If you are ENDING your downtown tour here, please cross the street to begin the Delano tour.)

2

Missouri Pacific Depot

PLAY AUDIOWhile the Garvey complex is well known in downtown Wichita, you might not realize that its predecessor was the Missouri Pacific Depot, an ornate late Victorian-era station located at 302 West Douglas. Built in 1900, it was the final depot location for the Missouri Pacific line in Wichita. Amenities included a first floor general waiting room finished in California redwood, featuring a chandelier. There was also a separate waiting room for ladies. The building was a striking one, with a tower on the southeast corner that rose 88 feet high. This depot was razed in 1965, just prior to the construction of the adjacent Century II complex.

3

The Forum & Century II

PLAY AUDIOThe arts have long been an important part of Wichita's history. While you're looking at Century II right now, its predecessor The Forum was the first and largest gathering place in the city. When it opened in 1911, the Wichita Eagle claimed that it was second only to the New York Hippodrome. The stage was the fourth largest in the nation, so it was truly impressive to the 5,000 people who attended its dedication ceremony. Over the years, the Forum hosted many shows, concerts, and eventually movies. It became the center of a large complex that included the City Market and an Annex that hosted expositions and other gatherings. In 1920, the Laird Airplane Company assembled planes in the second story of the Annex.Then, in the mid 1950’s, the city of Wichita began to discuss a new cultural arts center. A bond issue was approved for this as well as a new library. A total of nine city blocks were razed for the building of the library and Century II, including the Forum complex. Century II's circular architecture was designed by John Hickman, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright.After several years of construction, Century II was opened January 11, 1969 to commemorate the centennial anniversary of Wichita’s incorporation in 1970. Among its amenities are a 1926 Wurlitzer organ from the Paramount Theatre of New York, now installed in the Convention Hall. A multi-level park was added to the west side in 1970.

4

Nereus Baldwin Photographic Shop & Library

PLAY AUDIO(This building is across the street from you - the one with a clock hanging from its corner.)If you wanted your picture taken in the late 1870s, Nereus Baldwin’s photograph gallery on the second floor of 102 East Douglas was the place to go. (The large clock on the corner of the building was added in 1929.) When Baldwin wasn’t making portraits, he was encouraging learning. His studio also had a reading room where the first library of Wichita was established. Swipe to see the second picture, where Librarian Miss Del Baldwin,Tence Massey, and Anna Pope are pictured preparing books for circulation. Their subscription library opened on June 9, 1877, and members could select from 80 volumes. To become a borrower, you had to pay $1.25 four times a year. This got you access to the library’s reading room during open hours on Saturday afternoons. By the following spring in 1878, membership fees enabled the library to grow to 700 books.

5

Bitting Brothers Buildings

PLAY AUDIO(This building is across the street from you, on the north corner of Market & Douglas Sts.)Charles W. and A.W. Bitting came to Wichita in 1877 from Pennsylvania. They owned a clothing store from 1878-1898. They expanded their building and were known for their large collection of books, which they loaned frequently to local readers as they owned more books than the library did at the time. In 1888, they expanded again by tearing down their original building and acquiring the lot next door. This building had the first elevator in the state and featured electric lighting. The Bittings sold their clothing business to Herman and Hess in 1898 but continued in the jewelry and insurance businesses, maintaining offices in the new building.On New Years Day 1911, a fire erupted and threatened to engulf the entire business district. The fire was fought during a blizzard, where the water froze as it hit the building. This disaster led to the building being torn down and rebuilt yet again - a four-story building was built in its place, and later seven more floors were added.The new building was designed with the future in mind, and had the first gas pipes of any building in Wichita (despite the fact that gas wouldn’t be available for several more years!). It has been remodeled several times since then and now houses apartments called The Douglas.

6

Victory Arch

PLAY AUDIOThe Victory Arch, also known as Memorial Arch, was built over Douglas Street at Broadway to commemorate the end of World War I in 1919. The effort was spearheaded by Walter Vincent who spent $1,800 of his own money and raised $6,400 more from citizen contributions. A parade honoring returning soldiers was held May 9th, and a dedication ceremony was held May 16th. Problems arose soon after, including the arch's effect on traffic. Less than a year later, city officials considered moving the Arch to Riverside Park but this was considered impractical. It was removed in 1920 after Mr. Vincent was reimbursed for his contribution.

7

Barnes Block & Dockum Drug Store

PLAY AUDIOWhere the Ambassador Hotel now sits was the Barnes Block, a large building complex that housed many businesses, and the Dockum Drug Store on street level. The drug store was made locally famous by Wichita teens organizing for civil rights just prior to the movement’s national prominence in the 1960s. In 1958, Wichita students conducted a sit-in to protest segregation at the lunch counter. In those days, only whites were allowed to consume their food at the counter – blacks had to take their food to go and were not permitted to eat on the premises. Dockum Drug became a flash point for the community as students conducted their quiet protest for day after day from July 19 to August 11, 1958. Black teens entered the store, sat at the counter, and asked to be served a soda.The students remained seated even after being refused service, leading other customers to avoid the store because it was too full. Eventually, the teens were served so that the counter would stop losing money from the protest. This was the beginning of desegregation in Wichita’s retail stores, and inspired subsequent student protests in Oklahoma City and Greensboro, North Carolina. Swipe to see more pictures of the building, and a picture of some of the student protestors sitting at the Dockum lunch counter. The student protest picture was published in The Enlightener, an African-American newspaper on Thursday, August 7, 1958. The Enlightener was the only local publication that covered the sit-in. Other pictures include the building as it looked, both in its early years and during the Dockum era. Dockum Sit-In: A Legacy of Courage documentary filmMemorial Placed in Ambassador Bldg. news coverageC-Span interview with two of the sit-in participants

8

Tremont House

PLAY AUDIO(Look across the street for the former site of this building.)The first grand hotel in Wichita, Tremont House was physically moved and underwent name changes over the years. It was located here from 1877-1887, about where the parking lot is next to Planet Hair. The owners of the Tremont House were the Fisher sisters. These four sisters leased the Tremont House along with other inheritances such as hotels in Iola and Galveston. They drew up a compact and the sisters promised that none of them would ever marry. This is significant because at the time, a legal convention known as coverture existed, which meant that women lost many or all of their legal rights to property upon marriage as their husband was given the power to control these assets. When one sister was discovered to be secretly married, the sisters went to court. Ultimately, the compact was upheld. In an 1898 article in the Wichita Eagle, the married sister was described as "practically disinherited." The other sisters gave up their lease and left Wichita.

9

Eaton Hotel & Carrie Nation

PLAY AUDIOBuilt in 1886-87 by Capt. J.B. Carey, this building was later purchased by hotel manager Ben Eaton. Not only was it considered a fashionable place to stay, it grew in notoriety after prohibitionist Carrie Nation visited town. She and three other women conducted a raid on the hotel bar, believing it was a source of vice. They attacked the barroom December 27, 1900, throwing rocks at a salacious portrait of Cleopatra and ruining some large mirrors. It was during this raid that Carrie began wielding her famous hatchet. She was arrested and jailed for about a month while awaiting trial, all the while complaining bitterly to media outlets that she was confined with "a maniac" and suffered being next to smokers. Her trial in March 1901 resulted in a mistrial, with votes 7-5 for conviction. Now free, she toured the country (returning to Wichita at least once) and was arrested many times during the course of her crusade for temperance. She died in 1911. A memorial to Carrie Nation is currently in Naftzger Park east of the Eaton Hotel.

10

M.C. Naftzger Park & Wichita Vortex Sutra

PLAY AUDIOMaurice Clifford Naftzger was a prominent early citizen of Wichita, who arrived in 1887. His father Levi was president of the Fourth National Bank from 1893 to 1910, which was then sold to to Ben McLean, who turned this into the Southwest National Bank in 1915. Maurice worked in both banks and became president of Southwest National in 1934. His family donated money to the city as a memorial to Maurice in 1977-1978. The picture you’re viewing is the park in 1980, soon after its completion.Prior to the park’s construction, many establishments existed on this site. One of these was the Magic Theater/Vortex Art Gallery, which hosted the famous poet Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg was traveling the Midwest on a grant, and was drawn here because several of his beatnik friends were from the area. Wanting to learn more, he visited Wichita during 1966 and wrote a poem during his travels called Wichita Vortex Sutra. This controversial anti-war poem was performed at WSU at the Student Union Ballroom. Recently, the 50th anniversary of that reading was celebrated locally in 2016 by the Yellowbrick Street Team. They used hydrophobic (water-repelling) clear spray paint to graffiti the poem on sidewalks nearby, so that pedestrians would only be able to read the lines of Ginsberg’s poem when it rained, as an ephemeral tribute to Ginsberg’s art and visit to Wichita. In March of 2020, after two years of renovation construction, Naftzger Park reopened with an open concept featuring an entertainment pavilion, LED marquee, and a dog park.Kansas.com/news/local/article60959522.htmlhttp://www.yellowbrickstreetteam.org/blog/vortexhttp://kmuw.org/post/ginsbergs-wichita-connectionhttps://www.kmuw.org/post/wichitas-remodeled-naftzger-park-opens-without-fanfare

11

Old Mill Tasty Shop

PLAY AUDIO(Look across the street for this building.)After the Prohibitionists busted up bars and saloons, citizens needed a gathering place that was less controversial. During the early years of the 20th century, the soda fountain became an American institution. These family friendly stores served ice cream and sodas, sometimes doubling as drugstores with a separate counter for that purpose. They became the new, trendy watering hole especially during the national Prohibition from 1919 to 1933.The Old Mill Tasty Shop is the oldest example of such an establishment here in Wichita. Otto and Erna Woermke opened the store during the Great Depression in 1932 by purchasing Silas Ice Cream and Candy at 528 E. Douglas. After changing its name to the Old Mill Tasty Shop, they maintained the store there until 1940, when they moved down the street to 604 E. Douglas (formerly Fralick Barber Supply). Otto and Erna operated the store until Otto's death in 1981. Mary and John Wright picked up where the Woermkes left off, reopening the Old Mill in 1982 and continuing to this day.Photos courtesy of The Old Mill Tasty Shop where indicated.)

12

Railroad & Overpass

PLAY AUDIOOne early civic advancement was the 1913 construction of elevated train tracks over Douglas Avenue. This enabled quick and safe passage of pedestrians, wagons, and streetcars who would otherwise have to wait until each train passed through the station. Elevated tracks were built over First, Second, and Douglas Avenues. This construction was part of the Union Station complex. Just like today's airports, multiple rail companies used Union Station as a centralized place for the efficient transport of passengers and freight. The street under the trestle was paved with brick made in Buffalo, Kansas, providing a smooth street-level surface. The elevated tracks made it possible for citizens living in neighborhoods on the east side of town, such as College Hill, to travel downtown for their jobs or for shopping.

13

Union Station

PLAY AUDIOWichita’s Union Station was opened March 6, 1914, with an elaborate banquet and reception for 600 guests. The planning for this station squeaked through financial and logistic difficulties. According to Ransom Stephens, the station superintendent, "our city got in just in time to procure one of the last union depot plums in the dish."Union Station started booming immediately as surrounding depots closed and transferred their passenger traffic. In 1921, daily traffic included more than 200 passenger coaches in 38 trains.One notable visit to Union Station ended unexpectedly. In September 1919, President Woodrow Wilson was headed to Wichita to speak about the League of Nations. 100,000 people gathered to hear his speech, but President Wilson had suffered a stroke while passing through western Kansas and was unable to speak. Later, in 1936, a president would arrive at Union Station again as President Franklin Roosevelt was ferried to Lawrence Stadium for an appearance.Over the years, Union Station went through several modernizations. As passenger trains declined, the station closed in 1979. In 1975, the Urban Renewal Agency bought both Union Station and the Rock Island Depot for renovation proposals. Several of these proposals fell through. Cox Communications used the station as headquarters until 2007. Currently, Occidental Management is renovating it for commercial use. http://kansas.com/news/local/article4400499.html

14

Burt Smith Groceries

PLAY AUDIOA noted grocery store of early Wichita sat on what is currently a parking lot next to the Larkspur restaurant. Originally a grocery store owned by Jim Creighton and Dave Siebert, it was purchased in 1885 by Thomas Fahey and Sons. The Wichita Beacon alluded to a “recent savage attack in the Eagle” that may have contributed to the sale. A subsequent advertisement implored Thomas Fahey’s “many friends” to “extend all proper encouragement to [Fahey’s sons]” as he hoped that the grocery store would be a way to launch them into success. They didn’t stay in business long, as Burt Smith purchased the store not six months later. Smith was described in the Beacon as “an energetic young mechanic full of enterprise and vim.” He’s pictured here in a photo dated circa 1890, so Smith apparently stayed in business much longer than the Fahey brothers.

15

Frisco Depot and the Wichita Eagle

PLAY AUDIOAt the southwest corner of Douglas and Mosley, the Frisco railroad connected Wichita to St. Louis at a depot established in August 1903. This depot was in use until Union Station was constructed, and then used for other purposes until it was demolished in 1953. Later, it became the site of the Wichita Eagle from 1961 to 2017.Earlier locations for The Eagle offices were 3rd and Main, then Main and Douglas, where it had one of the first telephones in Wichita installed in 1881. In 1908, it moved to the SW corner of Market and Williams in a building described as modernized colonial featuring a giant golden eagle on the north side. The Eagle building was demolished for a new Cargill Protein headquarters, unveiled in December 2018. The building houses more than 800 workers in a four-story, 188,000-square-foot building. The Wichita Eagle is now at 330 North Mead, in Old Town.Take a look inside Cargill’s new downtown Wichita headquarters

16

Mentholatum Company - Yucca Building

PLAY AUDIOA.A. Hyde was another of Wichita’s early entrepreneurs. Hyde came to Wichita in 1872 to help run a bank, and became cashier of the Wichita Savings Bank. When the real estate market collapsed, he lost all his money. With his pharmacist brother-in-law Clayton Smith, and a salesman with knowledge of soap manufacturing, they each contributed $200 and started the Yucca Company in 1889. Besides soap, the Yucca Company manufactured a cough syrup with camphor and menthol. Mr. Hyde became interested in the medicinal use of menthol and combined that with petrolatum to make an ointment he trademarked as mentholatum in 1895. The company survived the Wichita flood of 1904, and in 1906, Hyde changed the name of the company to the Mentholatum Company, and Mentholatum became known across the nation. Since then, the building has housed many companies, but at present houses the Old Town Barber College.

Historic Downtown Wichita
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