Bee Hive Store Then and Now

I wish I could remember where I saw it but an article was published a while ago about the Bee Hive store and the author couldn’t determine who had owned it in the beginning. While researching other businesses, I’ve run across tons of advertising for this store so I thought it would be fun to see if I could figure it out.

The building across from the Wright House, which had previously housed the Ford County Globe, had been sold by Morris Collar to A. H. Snyder in August of 1882. Snyder was in construction and mining, though, so I don’t believe he ever operated a dry goods store. I think he was just investing in real estate.

It doesn’t seem like the storefront was occupied for a while because the Presbyterian Church hosted a Christmas dinner there in 1883. And if it was related to the Presbyterian Church, you could bet my great-great-grandmother was involved!

*The Dodge City Times,* December 20, 1883

1884 was a weird year for the Snyder building. In February, it was to house a saddlery and a furniture store. You’ll see the Dunn name at this location again later.

*The Dodge City Democrat,* February 23, 1884

Dunn had moved into the furniture store spot by March 1 but then consolidated with McVeigh and Kirkpatrick to form Dunn and Kirkpatrick later in 1884. But then there was suddenly a new dry goods store without a name. None of the ads I found mentioned a business name or proprietors. I only found a quick note about a “party from Denver” and their “stock of notions” going in there.

*The Dodge City Democrat,* August 16, 1884

There was a Roworth and Veatch in Pueblo, Colorado but I’m not sure if they had a presence in Denver. Henry Jabez Strange (from Colorado) and John James Summersby arrived in Dodge City in 1884 and in September, they bought the dry goods store of Roworth and Veatch.

*The Dodge City Democrat,* September 13, 1884

Here is the first ad I was able to find for the Bee Hive:

The Globe Live Stock Journal, September 23, 1884

The Bee Hive advertised everything from dress goods to dry goods to table linens to shoes. The 1884 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows the Wright House at the northwest corner of Chestnut Street and Bridge/Second Avenue. That would place the Bee Hive across the street at what was then 723 Second Avenue.

*The Dodge City Times,* January 22, 1885

In March of 1885, the Bee Hive was “comfortably quartered one door below their old stand.” It would have been simpler to just say the new location was on the ground floor. Fires were a constant problem in those days and it appears the store got an assist from the locals that December.

*The Dodge City Times,* December 3, 1885

The Dodge City Times, December 10, 1885
The Dodge City Times, December 10, 1885

The Bee Hive moved to temporary quarters in the bank building while awaiting the completion of the brick Sitler Building on Bridge/Second Avenue. At this time, Bridge Avenue covered the area north to roughly Walnut Street and it was called Second Avenue further north. It really depended on the map, though. And people just called it whatever. The new home of the Bee Hive was on the east side of Bridge Avenue between Walnut (Gunsmoke) and Spruce Streets. On the 1887 Sanborn Map, the street number was 813 but today it would be the equivalent of 606 N Second Avenue.

The game of musical chairs continued and the Bee Hive moved again in August of 1886.

This time, they moved back to their old corner of Second and Chestnut after a new brick building was constructed. This article references a queensware shop to the north of the Bee Hive and the 1887 Sanborn Map shows one next to a dry good and clothing store at that location.

*The Dodge City Democrat,* September 11, 1886

I also found an announcement about the O. K. Barbershop opening in the basement of the Bee Hive and the 1887 Sanborn Map shows a barbershop in the basement of that building, which had been renumbered 805 Second Avenue. There was also a bath house in the basement.

In March of 1887, the Bee Hive added dressmaking to their repertoire with Minnie Horn in charge of designing and cutting.

*The Globe Live Stock Journal,* July 26, 1887

In August of 1887, Dr. O. H. Simpson moved his dental office into the front rooms above the Bee Hive.

*The Dodge City Times,* September 20, 1887

*The Dodge City Times,* February 9, 1888

*The Globe-Republican,* October 29, 1890

In November of 1890, the Bee Hive was so busy Strange and Summersby were forced to hire additional staff to properly greet all of their customers. In February of 1891, the store was expanded into the north end of the building. The 1892 Sanborn Map shows dry goods and clothing in the south room and clothing in the north room as well as the businesses on the second floor.

*The Globe-Republican,* October 28, 1892

In May of 1893, Strange and Summersby expanded again. A hole was cut in the ceiling to provide indoor stairway access to the upstairs room where the Phenix Industrial Club had previously been located.

My great-great-grandfather arrested two ill-mannered individuals who stole merchandise from the Bee Hive in April of 1894.

*The Globe-Republican,* November 30, 1894

*The Ford County Leader,* November 15, 1895

In October of 1896, Strange and Summersby announced their exit from the clothing business. It seems like they may have later reconsidered.

The Bee Hive was awarded a six-month contract to provide dry goods to the State Soldiers’ Home at Fort Dodge in December of 1897.

*Western Kansas Live Stock Journal,* February 1, 1900

Is it just me or does a lighting system with *gasoline* running through it seem much more dangerous than electricity?

*The Dodge City Democrat,* January 25, 1901

In December of 1902, Summersby sold his interest in the Bee Hive to George T Martin, who had managed the store for some time. Originally from Kentucky, Mr. Martin arrived in Dodge City in 1881 and worked for Wright and Beverly, then York, Parker, and Draper. The new firm’s name was Strange and Martin. George’s brother, John, moved with his family from Great Bend to work at the Bee Hive.

*The Globe-Republican,* December 25, 1902

George Martin obtained full ownership of the Bee Hive in May of 1906. H. J. Strange had been in poor health for several years and he moved with his family to Denver, hoping the climate would aid in his recovery.

*The Dodge City Globe,* December 29, 1910

The 1911 Sanborn Map shows Second Avenue was renumbered and the Bee Hive went from 805-806 to 500-502 Second Avenue, which are the current numbers for that building.

In 1912, the Bee Hive had a telephone line installed and the store was assigned lucky number 13.

*The Dodge City Kansas Journal,* July 26, 1912

George Cochran bought the Bee Hive building in February of 1913 and announced plans to move the Mosher and Cochran Drug Store to that location once the Bee Hive’s lease expired…in four and a half years. He also planned to install a new front on the building to make it look more modern. When the reporter asked George Martin whether he had considered buying the building, he said he expected the Bee Hive to outgrow the space before the end of the lease term. By February of 1914, his prediction seemed pretty accurate.

*The Dodge City Daily Globe,* February 10, 1914

Now this is fascinating. In July of 1914, the Bee Hive offered $1.10 for each silver dollar received. The Federal Reserve was created on December 23, 1913. Coincidence? I think not.

You may recall from previous posts that there are several buildings listed with incorrect dates of construction on the county website. This building is no exception; The county says it was built in 1915 but the Bee Hive had clearly occupied it since 1886 and was still there in 1916.

*Dodge City Daily Globe,* February 18, 1916

George Martin sold the Bee Hive to Frank Dunn of Garden City in December of 1916 with Dunn taking over the store January 1, 1917. Remember the Dunn furniture store back in 1884? Mr. Dunn immediately began remodeling the north room of the building. An automatic elevator was installed! The basement was finished and the storefront was modernized with plate glass. The most notable change, however, was the name. After more than 30 years, this was the end of the Bee Hive.

*Dodge City Daily Globe,* January 2, 1917

George Cochran made plans to move the Mosher and Cochran Drug Store into the south room of the building as soon as the Dunn’s space could be remodeled. I believe that was the last time the two sides of the building were occupied by one business. In addition, I have read that George Cochran tore down the Bee Hive building and put up a new one but it was only an assumption on the part of the author. The building was heavily remodeled with a new brick veneer but it appears to be the same structure. On the 1918 Sanborn Map, you can see the drug store on the corner of Second and Chestnut with the dry goods store just to the north.

In this post card, you can see the WWI memorial that was on Second Avenue as well as the Mosher and Cochran Drug Store on the northeast corner.

By 1928, Dunn’s Dry Goods had moved to 308 W Chestnut and the space at 502 Second Avenue became home to Levinson’s Ladies Ready-to-Wear.

By 1947, Burke’s Shoes was listed at 502 Second Avenue and they were there for-EVER. Literally! Or at least until 1994-ish. In this postcard, you can just barely make out the Burke’s sign on the right.

502 N Second Avenue is now home to Dulceria La Chiquita.

Mosher & Cochran stayed on that corner until about 1965, although Charles Ashley Mosher died in November of 1949 and George Daniel Cochran in October of 1960. Brown’s Shoe Fit opened in 1965 at the corner of Second Avenue and Wyatt Earp Boulevard and stayed there until 1997, when the business moved to Comanche Plaza. Since then, the corner has housed Trails West, Flowers by Irene, and now Yogi’s Vape Shop.

Here are some photos I took around Christmas last year:

I had never heard of the Bee Hive until I started looking through old newspapers for completely unrelated stories. It’s fun to see how journalism and advertising have evolved over the past 130-plus years. We tend to assume the sales and reporting techniques we’re so familiar with now are much more modern than they actually are.

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August 29, 2022 5

South Dodge Entertainment Then and Now

My grandmother loved to dance and roller skate. There wasn’t much going on in the area around the Beeson House while Irene was growing up but she could enjoy two of her favorite activities right across the street.

“Jim McDowell opened a dance hall in a vacant garage (large) across the street from our house. 10 cents a dance with live bands, open Wednesday and Saturday nights. Some Saturdays, it would last ’til dawn…known as a Sunrise Dance. The parking lot would be covered with whiskey bottles. Some of the bottles were fancy. I met my first girl friend there. Girls came with their parents. One eve a good-looking young man asked me to dance but I was too shy. Wished later I had.”
Irene Beeson

Jim McDowell was the former Ford County Weed Supervisor who died in 1980. In 1930, he rented a room from my great-grandparents at the Beeson House. Jim’s occupation was listed on the 1930 Federal Census as manager of a public dance hall, working on his own account.

The vacant garage in question was Percy Orval Riley’s Sunnyside Garage, which may have previously occupied a location on South Second Avenue but I’m not completely sure about that. Irene’s best friend while she was in grade school was Florene Riley, who was Percy’s much-younger sister. Incidentally, Florene married Cecil Metcalf and was Barry’s mother, for those of you who are Dodge locals.

The first Sanborn Fire Insurance Map to include the northeast corner of what is now Beeson Road and Sunnyside Avenue was published in 1932. It’s a black and white PDF so I’ve included screenshots of Pages 1 and17 here.

This image from Page 17 is great until you start wondering what the heck Highway 45 was.

The map below kind of made me think it was actually showing McArtor Road (formerly Hwy 56) but it’s definitely what is now Beeson Road. All you have to do is look on a current map at where the railroad tracks cross 14th Street and it’s obvious. Plus, the 1930 Federal Census lists the Beeson House on “Township Highway.” Now we’ve all learned something.

In 1928, Riley Garage was listed on “Beeson Highway” but it moved to a new spot at 613 Sunnyside Avenue, which is where Poor Boy Kustomz is currently located. That building was dark green with white doors for many years, if I remember correctly. Percy and his wife, Alice, lived next door at 615 Sunnyside. The house which occupied that lot has been gone for several decades. His mother, Flora, lived on the other side of the building at 611 Sunnyside. Cecil and Florene (Riley) Metcalf lived a few houses south at 707 Sunnyside. At one point, the Riley family owned all of those lots.

Anyway, the dance hall became a roller skating rink while Irene was in high school (Class of 1940.) I’m not sure if it was ever opened as a public rink or if Irene and her friends just found a way inside and skated on the maple floor. I do remember her saying holes in the roof eventually allowed rain to ruin the floor and their fun. Here she is posing out front along Sunnyside and facing south.

In the background, you can see the porch roof of the house that is still located at 708 Sunnyside Avenue. When I was a kid, I skated at the rink up on the bypass and it had concrete floors so I was amazed when she told me she skated on wood floors. It seemed so sketchy to me for some reason.

There was no business listing there by 1947 and it seems like it was torn down in the 1950s. The lot was really junky for a long time and then someone came in and cleaned it up maybe in the late 1980s or early ’90s. The satellite view on Google Maps still shows a clear outline of the foundation.

Here are a few photos I took recently:

Speaking of skates, I rolled around on these white ones throughout my childhood. Then I carried them around with me from state to state for decades until finally surrendering them to my cousin in their original box. Roller skates are serious business.

Here’s some bonus content. I labeled this photo “skating rink” while Irene was still alive but I was studying the sign a couple days ago and thought I must have been mistaken. It looks like it’s a cafe so why would I think it was a skating rink? Well, if you look between the “CA” and “FOUNTAIN,” you will notice “PUNCH BROWN” in faded letters.

(L to R): Mary Jane Heft, Eleanor Sage, Irene Beeson – Photographer Unknown

That seems kind of weird unless you know that Punch Brown ran a skating rink! He had been undersheriff of Finney County circa 1917 and then relocated to Dodge City. In 1925, he opened a skating rink in the Merchants Pavilion on the west side of Second Avenue at Water Street.

Not to be confused with the Hoover Pavilion, which was built in 1919, the Merchants Pavilion was constructed by the City of Dodge City in 1925 initially to house exhibitors’ booths at the Great Southwest Fair. When Punch Brown converted the building to a skating rink, he also added a separate dance floor. The idea was for the building to be used for dancing and skating during the winter and then booths could be brought back in for the fair each year. The 1926 Sanborn Map shows both pavilions as well as the surrounding structures.

The facility ended up hosting all sorts of events.

The City decided to sell the pavilion in 1929 to fund improvements at Wright Park and the fairgrounds. It’s unclear how exactly that transpired but Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. was located there in 1937. Mayrath Machinery Company was in this building in 1945.

*Dodge City Daily Globe,* October 20, 1945

I think Mayrath may have been there a touch earlier because Dodge flooded in 1942 and the Minneapolis Moline sign can be seen in this photo. Someone else will have to decide if that year jives with the cars. That is not my department!

The building appears to have been vacant by at least 1947. By 1957, the building was home to Nufer-Stremel Used Cars. Now this is how you sell cars!

*Great Bend Daily Tribune,* August 5, 1958

That business morphed into Nufer-Hutton Used Cars by 1961. I can’t remember ever seeing a building in that spot. It makes me wonder if it was a victim of the 1965 flood.

The Google Maps satellite view makes it easy to see where the building was situated just south of Overhead Door.

Unfortunately, I didn’t grab any photos of this location while I was in Dodge this last time because I had no idea where this post would take me. If anyone knows for sure how the Merchants Pavilion story ended, please leave a comment!

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August 22, 2022 1

Bloom High School Then and Now

It is such a trip to walk through a completely obliterated building and see floor tiles still affixed to the concrete. Most people in Ford County, Kansas are well aware that the entrance to the Bloom High School is all that is left standing. I remember when it was taken down but I never really knew much about the town…other than it hadn’t been incorporated in ages.

Bloom was established in 1887. It was never going to be a thriving metropolis but its position on the Rock Island Line ensured at least some commercial activity, including a weekly newspaper.

In April of 1889, the Bloom School had about 20 pupils attending class. In 1915, the two-room schoolhouse held 39 students. They weren’t breaking any records. By comparison, the fancy new school in Ford had 128 students at this time. There was a severe drought that just about wiped Bloom off the map. The newspaper died. The post office closed in 1891 and it was actually hauled away in 1894. I’m not sure when the City of Bloom became an unincorporated place but I imagine it was about that time.

Bloom experienced a renaissance in the early aughts, however, and a new post office opened in 1908. Soon, residents were getting their news from a different source.

Bloom finally got some attention and organized support for a new school in October of 1916. Initial estimates came in at around $9,000 but we know how that goes.

Less than two months later, the cost had risen to $15,000 and voters approved the bond issue.

*Dodge City Daily Journal,* December 10, 1916

Contracts were awarded to Peters & Cobb of Ford for the building and W. F. Polly of Hutchinson for plumbing and heating. The idea was for the new school to be ready for the 1917-18 school year but it never works out that way. Bloom ran into the same problems as other Ford County districts with construction materials being slow to deliver. In July of 1917, the district thought the building might be ready about two weeks into the school year. Seven months later, with an epic typo:

The new school had six classrooms, an auditorium with seating for 250, and a gymnasium “large enough for basket ball.” With enrollment at about 30 students, Bloom had high hopes for the future. Unfortunately, the school wasn’t yet accredited because it only offered three years rather than the four required by the state. Parents were unsure whether sending their kids to Bloom would cause their work to go uncredited so the district was under extreme pressure to get that fourth year offered. Then they had an outbreak of influenza in December of 1918.

Bloom peaked in the early 1930s, as many Kansas communities did during the Dust Bowl.

*The Spearville News,* February 27, 1930

Bloom didn’t have a football team (at least in 1932) so their athletes focused on “base ball” and “basket ball.” The Ford basketball team was actually taking Bloom seriously, which is hilarious…except Bloom marched onto Ford’s home court and beat them 17-12.

I feel like “wholesale slaughter” might have been a touch hyperbolic but sports reporters are sports reporters.

Speaking of the Dust Bowl:

*The Catholic Advance,* September 18, 1937

If you ever want something to be outraged about, peruse employment ads prior to the Civil Rights Act. It’s an HR Manager’s worst nightmare. These ads are fine but holy crap the others are awful.

The Evening Eagle, September 10, 1956

Somewhere along the way, Bloom formed an eight-man football team. That may have been a mistake.

*Garden City Telegram,* September 16, 1960

The Bloom High School Class of ’64 consisted of eight graduates so I think it was clear the lights would soon be out forever.

Bloom’s school district merged with Minneola in 1964 and that was the end of the Bloom Badgers.

*Garden City Telegram,* January 12, 1965

I really want to know more about these reunions. Are they still a thing? Where are they held? The Bloom Alumni Association was still active in 1996 but that was the last mention I was able to find.

*The Wichita Eagle-Beacon,* April 29, 1984

*The Wichita Eagle-Beacon,* October 21, 1984

The Bloom Post Office closed for the last time in March of 1992. I think the Co-op may be the only business left in the community, unless someone has a home-based business. The Rock Island depot is still standing and is a private residence. The Lighthouse Baptist Church still has a presence but I’m unsure if they’re still using the building they put up inside the footprint of the old gymnasium. Seriously. The 2020 Federal Census listed 110 people in all of Bloom Township.

I remember reading about the upcoming demolition of Bloom High School and thinking at the time I should go down there and take some photos. For whatever reason, it didn’t happen. Not only can I not remember when it happened, I can’t remember where I read it. Was it in the Globe? The Banner? Where was I sitting when I read it? No clue! All I know is the article mentioned a decision to leave the entry standing, which was 100% the right call. I really, really love that it’s still there.

The school was definitely demolished prior to June of 2008 because those are the earliest Google Street View images available online and it was already gone.

Searching Globe online archives is borderline impossible bit I did find this story about the gymnasium roof blowing off in November of 2006. Clicking on the story won’t get you anywhere but the photo clearly shows the school buildings were already down. Speaking of the gym, the Lighthouse Baptist Church tried their best to keep the structure intact. They replaced half the roof and most of the flooring back in 2002. It must have been a major gut punch to then have all that work destroyed within four years.

Here’s how the school looks now:

Did the record skip when you compared the old newspaper photo to those I just took? Yeah, same here. That’s definitely not the same entrance from 1918. Everything about it looks much more modern. So what the heck? Sam at the Kansas Heritage Center sent me this photo showing the gymnasium that was added on the north side of the school during the Great Depression. It’s clear that the original school building faced west and the entrance left standing that faces Highway 54 was from a later addition.

Photo courtesy of Kansas Heritage Center

This satellite view from Google Maps clearly shows the church that was constructed inside the old gymnasium. I’m amazed the county issued a building permit for this but I verified that they sure did.

I’m glad I grabbed a few pics of the gymnasium and the debris pile from the original school building. If I had known at the time what all I was looking at, I would have taken more. Because it’s all just piled there where it fell, it’s very difficult to see which areas are safe to step. There are a lot of weeds potentially covering holes and brittle flooring materials…not to mention snakes.

I’ve reached out to the Minneola Public Library and the Minneola High School Library to see if they have any interesting materials but haven’t had any luck. I’ll update this post if I receive any additional information.

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August 15, 2022 2

Chicago Child Sold to Highest Bidder?

I saw this story from 1922 while doom scrolling Twitter and thought I would try something different.

A Chicago judge sells a five-year-old girl at auction.

Judge Adams of the Chicago Court of Domestic Relations lawfully seized the child from her abusive father then auctioned her off to the highest bidder. A wealthy Minnesota couple wins her for $30. pic.twitter.com/PKRPFmzyVW
— 1922 Live (@100YearsAgoLive) July 28, 2022

Some of you know that I’m obsessed with genealogy and have solved all sorts of family mysteries through my research. It’s not just for funzies either…if you would like me to help with your family tree, that is a service I provide for a reasonable price and I’ll include a bit of info at the bottom of this post. So I thought it would be interesting to see how things turned out for young Marie Baker.

While this story made national news, most outlets failed to publish the full story. I assume the truth of the matter sells fewer papers. Mrs. Kenney was the sister of Marie’s mother so the child was not sold. She was released to her aunt and uncle once her father’s negotiated debt was settled. This additional paragraph was found in under five minutes.

*The Cincinnati Enquirer,* July 28, 1922

The caption below this photograph is outrageously irresponsible, inaccurate, and culturally insensitive. Everyone responsible for it appearing in print deserved to be fired.

*Buffalo Courier* (Buffalo, NY), July 31, 1922

What do we know? Marie’s aunt married John Kenney from Rentville, Minnesota and Marie’s last name was Baker. Compared to some people I’ve researched, that’s a lot. I read all of the other newspaper reports on the story and found Marie’s father’s name was also John.

Unfortunately, there is no “Rentville” in Minnesota. The correct name is Renville. Here’s the aunt and uncle with their biological children on the 1920 Federal Census.

John T Kenney and Pearl (Duncan) Kenney moved around quite a bit but I was able to track them to Illinois and later to California. Pearl’s obituary said daughter Mrs. Mary Hood lived in Lake City, Arkansas.

*The San Bernardino Daily Sun,* December 24, 1963

The discrepancy between Mary and Marie is something I’ve seen many times and it’s maddening. To make sure I had the correct family, I looked into Pearl’s family. The 1900 Federal Census lists Pearl with her parents and siblings in Illinois.

Jeannie (Myrtle Jeannette) Duncan was Mary/Marie’s biological mother. I had a little trouble finding information about the father, who was listed in the newspaper as John Baker. His birth name was Tjarko Janssen Bakker and it was anglicized when he immigrated to the US. This was probably a good idea since he served in the German military prior to World War I. He worked as a waiter in a hotel restaurant when he arrived in the US.

Jeannie died of pneumonia in December of 1918. John Baker is listed as the husband and that matches the initial newspaper article.

This was obviously during the horrible flu epidemic and Mary/Marie’s older sister, Hilka, died just a few days before their mother.

Mary/Marie did not live with her father right after her sister and mother died. Instead, she stayed with her grandmother, Joanna Duncan at least until 1920. On the 1920 Federal Census, her name was listed as Mary Bakker. Her last name was changed to Kenney after being “sold” to her aunt and uncle. She later moved to Arkansas, where she married Ernest E Hood in 1947.

Their son, Ernest E Hood, Jr. was born in October of 1949. Ernest Jr. moved to Georgia and unfortunately, died very young at the age of 41.

*The Atlanta Constitution,* October 18, 1991

The eldest Ernest died in 1996 and Mary/Marie died in November of 2001. I didn’t bother digging deeper on John Baker. This is just what I was able to compile in an afternoon. The point of this exercise was to show that newspapers have been tricking readers with sensational headlines since the invention of the printing press. If a story provokes an intense emotional reaction, it’s probably misleading you.

Mary Bakker Kenney Hood had a complicated life with a great deal of tragedy but she had a very large family that appeared to love her very much. As always, there was more to the story of the girl who was “sold to the highest bidder.”

As mentioned above, I do genealogical and other research for hire so if you would like my help working on a project, please send me a message letting me know what you need. I can do an entire family tree or I can look for a specific document. Depending on the project, I will quote an hourly or per item/person rate.

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August 8, 2022 0

Rumor Check: Errol Flynn Drunk on City Hall Steps

A reader recently asked, “Is the story true: When Errol Flynn was making the movie, Dodge City, that he was found drunk on the steps of City Hall one morning next to local, Robert Lee Christopher?”

I can’t tell you how much I enjoy questions like this! Okay, so I think my reader meant while Flynn was in Dodge for the premiere of Dodge City since the movie wasn’t made here. And I have definitely heard rumors about Flynn’s behavior while he was in town but I started out with zero verifiable facts.

You’re probably already aware that the movie premiere didn’t just fall into our laps. This was a really big ask and really, a genius move. The Kansas contingent reportedly went to Hollywood with a scroll signed by 10,000 Dodge City residents, which honestly seems impossible, but who am I to say.

No, wait…FIFTEEN thousand signatures! This is a tall tale, if I’ve ever seen one. But it worked!

Errol Flynn’s drinking habits were very well-known and it would have been super awkward if Warner Brothers couldn’t locate him for the big show.

*The Wichita Eagle (Evening),* March 10, 1939

What in the world? “She won him in a raffle.” Can you even imagine?

Luckily for Miss Butterfield, Warner Brothers had a plan to ensure Flynn didn’t break their date.

*San Francisco Examiner,* March 23, 1939

After an unsuccessful search for a yearbook photo, I found this shot of the lucky winner.

*Daily News,* (Los Angeles) March 30, 1939

With a $2 million budget, this film was kind of a big deal, though I’ve seen estimates anywhere from $1 to $2 million and all points in between.

*Hollywood Citizen-News,* March 31, 1939

And then the worst happened. Miss Butterfield’s date was ruined by her stupid brother and his stupid measles.

The premiere was shown simultaneously at the Dodge, Crown, and Cozy theaters and even then, there was no way for everyone to get a seat. The movie was shown on repeat all through the night.

*The Wichita Sunday Eagle,* April 2, 1939

The turnout was absolutely massive. Crowd estimates ranged from 20,000 to 100,000 and I really don’t think anyone had a good grasp of just how many people flooded the streets. The Santa Fe Railroad set up a kind of pop-up city at the railyard for the cast, crew, and reporters to stay. But we know Errol Flynn stayed at the Lora-Locke Hotel so these accommodations didn’t appear to be for the headliners.

There was a police force (probably Santa Fe Railroad Police) assigned to the railyard keep out the riff-raff. In addition to area police and sheriff departments helping out around town, Dodge even had National Guard assistance for crowd control.

*Wilmington Press,* (Wilmington, Calif.) April 15, 1939

Walter Winchell reported that the journalists who went on the junket consumed 114 cases of Scotch so the rumor about Flynn seemed totally plausible. I asked around and there are people in Dodge who have heard the story many times but it’s become sort of an urban legend. No one knows where the story originated. I haven’t read one article or gossip column that even hinted at Flynn partying outside of the Lora-Locke. One newspaper estimated 78 sets of press credentials were issued so I would think *someone* would have taken notice of Flynn’s whereabouts. All of the papers I’ve located reported most of the stars turned in around midnight because their train was leaving early the following morning. Now Dodge City definitely didn’t do that! The town didn’t sleep at all that night. Most everyone partied until dawn and then saw the special train off at the depot!

Having struck out thus far, I decided to search from another angle. Who was Robert Lee Christopher? The 1930 Federal Census had a Robert L Christopher at 805 Avenue H in Dodge City.

Initially, I had no idea if this was the same person but this is the only newspaper item I’ve been able to find. The age of this child doesn’t jive with the census record above so I had my doubts about whether they later lived in Haskell County.

*The Hutchinson News,* February 27, 1940

But then I found this 1940 Federal Census with Arlie and children in Satanta (also located in Haskell County) so it is the same family. Census takers made mistakes all the time with names, ages, places of birth, etc. Also, people lie.

I contacted the Dodge City Police Department and was told they do have records for Robert Lee Christopher but nothing during the time of the premiere. They also don’t have any records related to Errol Flynn and yes, that was the name his parents gave him at birth. The Ford County Sheriff Department didn’t have any records. Based on what I’ve learned so far, I’m calling this one busted. If anyone has evidence to the contrary, definitely let me know!

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August 1, 2022 2

Beeson Station? Never Heard of It!

Do you ever wonder about those obscure dots on the maps that meteorologists point toward during their forecasts? You know, the dots on roads you’ve been using your entire life and you are absolutely certain that there is no “there” there? For Kansas people, Sears and Buttermilk are good examples. I really thought Merril Teller was crazy.

Ever since I received a 1936 world atlas as a gift, I’ve meant to look up the dot on the Kansas map that says, “Beeson.” Like you, I’d never heard of it. I would definitely remember if my grandmother had mentioned a train station named after the family!

It seemed like AT&SF archives would be a good place to start but that isn’t as easy as it sounds. I found a time table from 1873 that was for employee use only and there was nothing listed between Spearville and Dodge City at that time. This 1883 Santa Fe map is insanely cool but only lists Dodge, Wright, and Spearville. But here it is on this 1920 Kansas railroad map.

The announcement of its closing was the first mention I was able to find in the local newspapers.

The Globe-Republican, April 22, 1909

I had only a vague idea of where it was located and since the town boundaries have stretched dramatically over the years, learning it was six miles east of Dodge didn’t help much. Isn’t Wright considered six miles east of Dodge now? But it was still used as a landmark and I was able to use the legal description from this adjacent lot to narrow it down somewhat.

*The Stafford County Republican,* March 24, 1910

Terrific…let’s check out the maps.

*Standard Atlas of Ford County Kansas,* 1905-6

I zoomed in on those 11.36 acres, which helped, but still left five possibilities. But Lot 17 doesn’t make any sense on the old plat maps or the current parcel map.

So I looked at a later map that included irrigation ditches. It makes sense to have this near a jerkwater station but did it actually go under the tracks? I have no idea what the well situation was like out there.

*Atlas and Plat Book of Ford County Kansas,* 1916

This really doesn’t help. I went though the big book at the Ford County Register of Deeds office and found T. F. Garner had Lots 1 & 2 in Section 22. So the ad in the paper showing Lot 17 could have been the product of sloppy handwriting or lack of proofreading. In the current context, it wouldn’t make sense for Lots 1 & 2 to be near the middle of the section but if you scroll back up to the 1905 map, you’ll see the bottom row of lots was still part of the Fort Dodge Military Reservation.

But this article does help…maybe. Most winter storms come with a north wind and if the blocks ended up on the tracks, then I guess it had to be a parcel on the north side of the tracks.

*The Dodge City Kansas Journal,* January 6, 1911

So this article about a derailment at Beeson mentions a (water?) tower still in existence in 1911.

*The Dodge City Globe,* February 23, 1911

Here we have mention of a side track going north from Beeson up to the new ballast field.

*Evening Kansan-Republican* (Newton, Kansas), November 1, 1913

The current GIS survey map shows a side track going north to the Koch plant.

And the road referenced below is 116 Road.

*The Dodge City Daily Globe,* February 24, 1915

This article is confusing. Not because my idea of a drunken orgy is somewhat different from Mr. Mercado’s but because it seems like the station was again in use.

*The Dodge City Journal,* January 5, 1922

And that’s it…the last mention of the Beeson station. Having nothing else to go on, it was time to take a walk down the rails. So just understand, I like riding on trains but I know nothing about them. I used to ship plywood to Mexico, you guys. That’s the extent of my knowledge. But I’m pretty sure the rail bed has moved a bit over the past 100 years. So I just started walking and taking photos on both sides of the existing tracks to see if there were any markers or debris that looked interesting.

There were a couple spots directly behind the Koch plant that looked promising. Lots of broken up concrete, some blocks, a well, and wide spots along the rail siding that goes to Hi Plains Feed. One of my questions is whether the old AT&SF line was converted to private sidings once the old tracks were replaced. Anyone?

There has been so much construction in this area that I just don’t know what is old and what isn’t. But I did find this cool lock. And yes, I put it back exactly where I found it.

I was able to confirm the information I had found with the Kansas Heritage Center in Dodge. The Register of Deeds office was extremely helpful in my search. After looking through the giant book listing property transfers in Section 22, I was taken downstairs to the GIS/Survey Department. Ben and Jessica enjoy solving mysteries and Jessica found a railroad map from 1985 that still had Beeson listed between mile markers 347 and 348.

This map seems to confirm that T. F. Garner used the word “adjacent” a bit loosely in his 1910 auction advertisement. Ben took another look at the GIS map and pointed out these little notches along the tracks.

He said those notches had to come from work done by a woman named Theresa, who worked at the Ford County Appraiser’s Office for a million years. She made ridiculously detailed notes, especially whenever something interesting crossed her desk. Those notes often found themselves attached to files in the records closet. He suggested I go to the Appraiser’s Office and beg for access to those files. HA!

So I made my second hike of the day up the Lora-Locke stairs and am pretty sure those ladies thought I came from Mars. I left my contact information and do not expect to hear from them…like…ever. Not that I can blame them. But honestly, I would be happy to sit in the file room and look for myself. It’s not like this is top secret information.

Anyway, Ben also gave me contact information for a Survey Coordinator with the State of Kansas, who probably also decided I’m insane when my email landed in his inbox. I also emailed the Kansas Historical Society to see what they have in their collection that isn’t available online. They have so many AT&SF records but they aren’t necessarily named so that you have a good idea of their relevance. Finding aid? Pish posh!

Barring any additional evidence to the contrary, here’s where I think the Beeson station was located. We know the station was just west of mile marker 347.

If you compare the 1985 railroad map to the current GIS map, it appears to basically straddle the southwest and southeast quarters of Section 22…right near the switch for the Koch rail siding that goes to the north. And the 1913 article mentioned a line being installed that led to the ballast field 4 miles north of Beeson.

So there you have it. I’ll post updates if I receive any additional information but as of right now, I’m calling this mystery solved.

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July 25, 2022 0

Dodge City Grocers 1960s and Now

A while back, I researched bakeries and grocery stores from 1920 in Dodge City to see whatever happened to the businesses and the buildings. Now I’m going to spend some time on stores many of you will remember. In 1962, there were listings for two bakeries and 20 (twenty!!!!) grocery stores. I can’t cover them all but they’re listed below for your reference:

Polk’s Dodge City (Ford County, Kansas) Directory 1962

Central Grocery & Market – 108 E Oak Street – It’s still there! The location is directly north of the Central School playground.

The latest available in-color Sanborn Fire Insurance Map is from 1926 and it shows an empty lot. There is a 1932 Sanborn Map posted on the City of Dodge City’s website but it’s a black and white PDF. It also shows an empty lot. This building was referenced in my last post about Brundage and Brundage, which moved to 108 E Oak Street by 1942. By 1947, it was called Peterson’s Cash Market.

The county website says this structure was built in 1950. I guess it’s possible but it looks a tiny bit older. Just a smidge, though. In 1949, the store was Elliott Grocery & Market and they were hiring for a butcher but the store was available for lease to a “proven man.” In one of the ads, they actually said they preferred a man 50 to 60 years old. For whatever reason, those ads ran for a FULL YEAR.

*The Advance Register,* September 7, 1951

J. E. Collier operated Collier’s Grocery Mart in that spot from at least 1953 to 1957 and the address was listed as 106-108 E Oak. By 1959, it was called Central Grocery & Market.

I’m not sure when our friend, Roland (Rollie) L May from the 1000 Sixth Avenue store bought the store but he owned it in 1967. For as long as I can remember, it’s been apartments and I’ve always been a fan of the curved wall.

I snapped a couple quick pics the other day:

J. S. Dillon & Sons – 313 S Second Avenue – Also still there! and 312 W Spruce Street – Demolished – Location is now the parking lot between Birds of a Feather Quilt Shop (old Centel building) and Carnegie Center for the Arts.

J. S. Dillon & Sons first came to Dodge in November of 1926 when they purchased the (Roy) Burnett Grocery at 206 Walnut Street, which was right next door to the Crown Theatre. If you look at the 1926 Sanborn Map, you’ll see the store was located basically smack dab in the middle of where the AT&T building is now on the Gunsmoke side.

In May of 1928, there was a new store at 312 W Spruce Street. The Dodge City Journal moved to a new location at 314 W Spruce and the Dillon store was right next door in the same building. The 1926 Sanborn Map linked above also shows the corner of Third and Spruce, where there were previously only wood dwellings. Page 10 of the 1932 Sanborn Map shows the Spruce store but the image quality isn’t great.

*The Dodge City Journal,* February 13, 1930

The county website says the new store at 313 S Second Avenue was built in 1930 and that seems to be pretty close. They had definitely moved in and opened up sometime after February of 1931.

*The Montezuma Press,* December 31, 1931

Page 16 of the 1932 Sanborn Map shows there was a tile planing mill attached to the south end of the South Dillons. Crazy! But I guess that explains why there was originally an entrance on the north end of the building.

Tasker’s Book & Stationery Shop later moved into the old Dillons at 206 Walnut.

This is such a garbage photo but it appears to be South Dillons.

*The Hutchinson News-Herald,* March 31, 1949

Dillons remained at 312 W Spruce Street until at least 1962. Here’s what that spot looks like now:

By 1967, the north store had relocated to 2205 Central Avenue. I barely remember this store but it *seemed* huge compared to South Dillons.

I believe the new (current) North Dillons at 1700 N 14th Avenue was built in 1982. The old spot on Central was occupied by The Prescription Center for a long time but Anytime Fitness has now been in that location so long it’s hard to remember anything else being there.

I believe the South Dillons was closed by June of 2002 but really can’t remember exactly because I refused to believe it when I heard. I remember hearing over the years all the crap that’s been going on there and it’s…whatever.

This is how it looks now:

If you find that as depressing as I do, here’s a happy photo of the still-operational Dillons on Main Street in Great Bend. It’s almost exactly the same. It even smells the same! The only thing it’s really missing is that weird higher elevation in the rear bakery section. Otherwise, the layout is exactly as I remember it. In addition to the slightly different metal façade, the brick, tile, and stone patterns are also slightly varied. The stacked rock on the northeast end of the Dodge store was not original. There was previously another entrance there, along with a children’s entertainment area…according to my mom. I don’t remember that so it must have been remodeled before my time. The selection at the Main Street store is obviously limited by the available space but the produce selection was pretty damned good when I was there and the ice cream was fully stocked. 10/10 highly recommend!

Moving right along…

Oak Street Grocery – 205 W Oak Street – It’s still there! The location is on the south side of Oak Street between First and Second Avenues.

The 1924 county directory has the Oak Street Grocery (J. H. Clark, proprietor) listed at 206 W Oak Street but it appears that was a typo. The county website indicates the structure was built in 1910 but, as we have seen repeatedly, that is at least a decade early. The 1918 Sanborn Map has empty lots on both sides of the street and the 1926 Sanborn shows a small wood frame store with an address of 203 W Oak Street. That’s obviously the place since it’s tucked right against the alley and we have seen in previous posts how common it was for blocks to be renumbered over time.

Page 14 of the 1932 Sanborn Map shows what looks like the same structure with the 203 W Oak Street address.

I really haven’t found much on this store but Albert Vogel owned it from at least 1951 through 1967.

It isn’t completely clear when the store closed and was converted to apartments but there was a building permit issued for a concrete porch in 1978.

Here’s how it looks now:

Pay Day Market – 201 S Second Avenue – The “new” building is still there. Location is currently Mi Rumba.

The first map to show a commercial building on this corner (that I’ve found) is the 1932 Sanborn Map. You will notice Willow Street was then called Maze Avenue. The street numbers in this area were a dumpster fire for decades and I’m not sure exactly when they were standardized. That building at Bridge and Maze was not on the 1926 map and since this is only B&W, I can’t tell if it was constructed from brick or wood. So I’m not sure if this is the same structure where Pay Day Market was initially located.

I don’t have the exact date when Pay Day Market opened but I know it was at 201 S Second Avenue in 1942. It seems weird to put in a grocery just a couple doors down from Sid’s Market (see Stotler’s below) that had been there for so many years. And then Dillons was just a couple doors down from that. By 1943, the address was shown as 203 S. Second. I’m amazed that Dodge had a 24-hour store in the 1940s.

*The Advance Register,* December 17, 1943

Anyway, the county website says the current structure was built in 1950 and that’s as good a guess as any. I think it’s interesting that their hours were actually cut back in the 1950s…but they were still open pretty late.

*The Advance Register,* December 25, 1953

*Polk’s Dodge City (Ford County, Kansas) Directory 1960*

Clyde Alvin Smith owned it at one time but I’m not exactly sure when that was. At some point, the store became Pay Day IGA and then by 1976 it was called Bob’s Pay Day IGA (Bob Pfannenstiel was the owner.) By 1977, Russ Clowdis was a co-owner of the store. Somewhere along the way, it became “Payday.”

*Dodge City Daily Globe 13th Special Travelers Edition,* Date Unknown

There was a second Dodge location at Comanche Plaza (Payday Plaza IGA) and Bob also owned the Payday IGA in Great Bend.

Remember what I said before about this store being too close to Dillons???? So it wasn’t just the south store…the north store was right across the street from the North Dillons! Was he *trying* to fail?

Personally, I blame those weird fold-down carts. Here’s how the store looks now:

Stotlers IGA Foodliner – 213 South Second Avenue – Demolished – Location is a couple doors south of Mi Rumba.

Page 16 of the 1932 Sanborn Map shows a dwelling at this address.

Like a lot of the buildings in that area, it appeared to have been built in the mid-1930s. I don’t know when it became a grocery store but in 1942, it was Sid’s Stop & Shop Market. By 1947, it was just Sid’s Market.

*Dodge City’s Diamond Jubilee Souvenir,* 1947, Published by the Dodge City Chamber of Commerce

Sid’s also had a Cafe but I believe both closed around 1954.

Stotler’s Grocery, Inc. was formed in April of 1955 and set up shop in the former Sid’s Market. As I mentioned above, this was a very busy area for grocery stores with Pay Day Market just a couple doors to the north, South Dillons a block south, and the old Moseley’s basically across the street where the liquor store is now. Stotler’s also had a location for a while at 1011 W Chestnut Street, which was the old West Side Market.

This is the old Sid’s/Stotler’s spot:

If you look at the Google Maps Street View, you can use the glitches to see the old building. This is one of my favorite things about Google. Here’s the Street View from 2007:

The later Stotler’s building was located at 905 S Second Avenue and the county shows it was constructed in 1965. One of my uncles worked in the meat department when he was in high school. There were a couple gas pumps out front and a liquor store at the south end of the building. It seems like the whole store was carpeted (red and black?) and I think it only had two checkout lanes. But I can’t recall a time when they were both open. I remember how it smelled but there’s no way I can describe it other than to say it was different from Dillons…but not in a bad way. Just different.

There was another Stotler’s store in Lewis but other than a robbery in the 1970s, I don’t know anything about it. It seems like the Dodge store also closed in the early 1990s but I really can’t remember for sure.

Here’s how the final Stotler’s location looks now:

If you look at the Street View, you can still see where the pumps were out in front.

Stramel Grocery – 610 Sunnyside Avenue – It’s still there! Location is on the east side of the street just south of the curve between Market Street and Beeson Road.

The only reason I know about this one is because my grandmother told me when I was very young that it had once been a grocery store. I just couldn’t imagine it. But this was circa 1980 and it was bright white with that railing that seemed very fancy at the time. I mean, I was five!

The county website shows the structure was built in 1955 but I’m calling that myth busted. That may have been when the garage in back was built! In addition to the store, Andrew Stramel also had a trailer court at that address. That may have come later, though…I’m just not sure. It was at the east end of the long driveway, if I am remembering the story correctly.

I don’t know when they closed but my mom doesn’t remember the home ever being a grocery so it must have been shortly after 1962. It looks like Andrew Stramel transferred his membership from the Dodge City Council (possibly to Wright) in 1963 so that fits. There was no listing for Stramel Grocery in 1967.

By 1968, Mrs. H. Moore lived there. The county doesn’t list dates on building permits that would say when it was rearranged into a duplex.

Here’s how it looks now:

The railing that I thought was so neat has been all but dismantled. It actually went up on the roof like a real balcony back in the day.

That’s it! That’s the story. It’s kind of amazing that Dodge once had a Piggly Wiggly, Jack and Jill, and Safeway. I once spent some time learning about small-town grocers and franchise issues…hoo boy. It’s a protectionist racket! Maybe another day…

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July 18, 2022 1

Chalk Beeson Theater Then and Now

This is another building that makes me queasy to even consider. But I will tell you that every time someone wins hundreds of millions of dollars playing the lottery, like nearly everyone else, I think about what I would do if I were in their shoes. Some people waste it all on hookers and blow. I, on the other hand, would spend every last penny turning the Chalk Beeson Theater back into a theater. So basically, I would light all of the dollars on fire and have my heart ripped from my chest with a dull, rusty chisel. Same, same.

First of all, it was “Theater,” not “Theatre.” Zoom in on the sign above. Check out the letterhead below. Merritt wasn’t known for being fancy. And it didn’t take long for the “The” to be eliminated.

“Ida was very worried about [Ote’s] lifestyle [as a professional musician] and convinced Merritt to help him settle down by building a theater and putting Ote in as manager.“
Irene Beeson

The newspapers of the day gushed about the brothers’ desire to honor their legendary father but really, it was about trying to keep Uncle Ote in Dodge. I assume this story was Ida’s doing and can only imagine Ote’s face when he saw what they had planned for him.

The Dodge City Globe, January 21, 1915
The Dodge City Globe, January 21, 1915
The Dodge City Globe, January 21, 1915

The Dodge City Daily Globe, February 16, 1915
The Dodge City Daily Globe, February 16, 1915
The Dodge City Daily Globe, February 16, 1915

I laugh every time I see this. Like, you think the Paige is a big deal? Wait til that brand-new Stutz Bulldog Special arrives on the rail in September!

*The Dodge City Kansas Journal,* February 25, 1915

I’m unsure if it was an assumption on the part of the reporter or a promise made to Merritt and Ida but there was no way Ote was staying in Dodge during construction! He was hired as manager of Thurlow Lieurance’s orchestra, which was engaged in a Santa Fe tour all the way to California in April of 1915 and he was gone for nearly a month. There was a motorcycle promotion tour in June, a trip to Denver, and several orchestra engagements in Kansas City, including an 11-day contract at Electric Park. In mid-October, he was joyriding around Kansas City in his new Stutz with Al Jolson.

*The Dodge City Daily Globe,* October 23, 1915

Managing the theater construction was all on Merritt. You may remember that Merritt had a sand pit and he made his own concrete blocks to build his house south of town. By April of 1915, 3,000 of the 17,000 blocks needed to construct the theater had been made. The building permit was issued in May and the wood frame structure (built by Henry Sturm) that had been on the site for about 30 years was torn down on May 28. The 1911 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows how the site looked prior to demolition.

Excavation began immediately. By July, the walls were going up and a gasoline engine was attached to a mechanism used to haul the concrete blocks up to the masons.

The concrete balcony was poured in August. I have no idea what happened to them but I remember looking at portrait-size photos of the balcony while it was under construction and it was incredible. The steel-reinforced beams were absolutely massive. Merritt built things to last. He and Ote (haha) hoped to have the theater opened by October and employed two shifts of workers but it was just too much work in such a tight timeframe. The concrete roof was completed on September 9, 1915. Work began on interior finishes in October. Sidewalks were poured by mid-November. Here’s how the building appeared on the 1918 Sanborn Map.

According to the newspapers, C. E. Smith was hired to be the first manager since Ote obviously wasn’t going to do it. This could be the same C. E. Smith who managed The Dodge City Abstract Co. and he pulled double duty for a while. But I was looking at box office receipts and I swear they say “E. E. Smith” so I’m not sure. “The Only Girl” was chosen for the theater’s opening and it was headlined by Dodge City’s own Elsie Baird. Elsie credited much of her success to encouragement she received from Chalk as a youngster.

*The Dodge City Daily Globe,* November 23, 1915

Ote was remarkably skilled at rounding up outstanding musicians to play at events and in military bands. He played with Arthur Pryor’s Band and was able to persuade another Pryor veteran, clarinetist Fred Joste (last name is misspelled in the article below) to play at the opening along with his friends from the Shubert Theater and Colorado Midland Band.

Dodge City Daily Globe, December 17, 1915
Dodge City Daily Globe, December 17, 1915

The turnout was excellent despite the crappy weather.

*Dodge City Daily Globe,* December 17, 1915

My family seriously scrapbooked everything.

Here’s an undated shot of the stage and I can only hope this was for a special production.

In addition to traditional performances, the theater was used for parties, graduation ceremonies, and large meetings. Irene’s older sister, Betty, had her ninth birthday party there in May of 1916.

It’s my understanding that the Chalk Beeson Theater was the first in Kansas to have Pantages Vaudeville.

*Dodge City Daily Globe,* October 17, 1916

“The first thing I can remember was sitting on the marble ticket slab where Mama [Beth Beeson] sold tickets.”
Irene Beeson

Ida Beeson holding granddaughter Irene Beeson outside the theater in 1923

“That left Merritt with the theater to manage. He [Ote] never took an interest except to play in the orchestra pit now and then. Merritt came out a big loser. So much for trying to help others.”
Irene Beeson

I doubt the arrangement with C. E. (or E. E.) Smith to manage the theater was ever meant to be long-term so Merritt managed it until his retirement in 1923. Wolf Goldstein leased the theater and was one of my grandmother’s favorite people. I’m sure that was completely unrelated to him supplying her with Hershey’s Kisses.

*The Dodge City Journal,* August 30, 1923

You’ll note there is no mention of Uncle Ote! He transferred his musicians union membership to Los Angeles for more than six months and Ida accompanied him for the winter.

*The Dodge City Journal, September 13, 1923*

Thanksgiving 1923 (L-R) Knight Hallock, Irene Beeson, Wolf Goldstein, Merritt Beeson, Frank Locke

“Daddy had brought out a Jew from Kansas City to help manage the theater. His name was Wolf Goldstein. The citizens ran him out of town for being a Jew. He bought me my first candy. It was a sack of Hershey’s Kisses from a confectionery across the street from the theater.”
Irene Beeson

By “citizens,” my grandmother meant The Klan.

You think? The shit that was going on in and around Dodge at that time? He was smart not to tell “anyone” but I’m certain Frank and Merritt knew. And what exactly is this next headline referencing with “Among Missing?” Who else disappeared?

What do I mean when I blame The Klan? This…is what I mean. How the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks did a real-live newspaper accept money for and print this threatening garbage? If you pay attention to the tone of their reporting, it appears they were sympathetic at a minimum.

*The Southwest News,* June 5, 1924 – emphasis mine

A search through the archives of The Ford Progress also turned up numerous examples of favorable Klan coverage.

Anyway, Frank Locke managed the theater until it was leased to W. H. Harpole in August of 1924. I would say Locke’s management style was legit.

At that point, the Crown, Cozy, and Beeson were all managed by Harpole. It was to be a long-term lease from August of 1924 until November of 1933.

“When I was about three years old, a road show came to town and during one of the performances I was in the back row with my mother listening to the orchestra. As they started to play a very catchy tune, I climbed down and danced down the aisle to the orchestra pit and back. I could not resist. I could hear the people snicker (at least the ones who could see my small body.) This was during intermission of the performance.”
Irene Beeson

Australian May Robson appeared at the Beeson a few times before she hit it big as a movie actress. I remember seeing an autographed photo she had given to Irene.

I believe it was Harpole who booked the 1923 Broadway play “White Cargo” in January of 1926 and it was apparently “not exactly suited to tastes.” That’s because this was one of the first (if not the first) Broadway plays to portray a white man married to a black woman. *Such scandal* The play was based on Ida Vera Simonton’s book, “Hell’s Playground” about an African rubber plantation.

The Southwest News, January 14, 1926
The Southwest News, January 14, 1926

Since Merritt wasn’t managing the theater at this time, I don’t have the box office receipts to see how it did but I found this next piece wildly amusing. Like, burlesque is TOTALLY FINE but an interracial relationship is DISGUSTING? Calm your tits, Ethel. You too, Leroy.

So that’s that.

The theater hosted a ton of boxing matches from about 1924 into the early 1930s. A boxer actually hit his head on the ring construction and tragically died a few days after a match there in 1928.

*The Wichita Eagle and The Wichita Beacon Sunday Magazine,* April 23, 1967

I’ve mentioned before that E. M. (Ole) Olson was a close friend of Ote’s. In July of 1930, Ole led a concert at the Beeson Theater that was broadcast on the brand-spanking-new KGNO.

*The Wichita Evening Eagle,* July 1, 1930

But by this time, the building was showing its age. It had only been 15 years but movie technology had advanced rapidly and sound systems were expensive to install…especially after the market crashed in 1929. The Beeson had competition from the new Dodge Theater in the Million Dollar Block just across the street. The Dust Bowl also began in 1930 so things were on a downhill slide.

Since talkies were impossible to show at the Beeson, only live events were held for the next few years. The Little Theater Players of Dodge City presented the play, “Sick Abed” at the Beeson Theater on January 31, 1933 and I think it closed after that show. I believe it reopened under the management of George T. Goodwin in March of 1933 but I’ve seen conflicting dates.

An RCA sound system was installed and the theater reopened in February of 1934 with Goodwin still in as manager. Finally, the Beeson began showing first-run talking pictures. That arrangement was short-lived, though. I’m still unclear about exactly how events transpired but the theater closed again in April of 1934 and foreclosure proceedings were pending. I think Fox Theatres in Kansas City was involved with the lease and there was talk that they were responsible for things going sideways. Either way, Merritt sold the theater in February 1935 and Elmer C Rhoden of Fox Theatres began making plans to remodel the building for storefronts on the main floor with a ballroom on the balcony level.

The Ritz Ballroom opened in December of 1935. I have in my notes the first band was “The Oregonians” and 150 couples attended. The Ritz was also used for sound recording and radio broadcasting.

*The Wichita Eagle (Evening),* May 17, 1941

During WWII, the Ritz Ballroom was the Dodge City USO Club. Here are some undated photos taken by our friend, Frank Locke:

May Drug Company, Inc. was formed May 1, 1944. Clever! The drug store, which had a very unfortunate phone number, was in the corner spot on the main floor and the sporting goods store was right next door to the east.

In 1953, May Drug Co. and May Sporting Goods Co. were the only businesses listed at the old theater.

By 1960, the sporting goods store was vacant. That spot was later filled by Kansas Abstract & Investment Co along with Myers Agency (insurance and real estate) and then Harms Music Co. (owned by Lily E Harms) in 1967. In 1967, the ballroom was mainly used for recordings, and occasionally for local dramatics and musical offerings.

The ballroom was vacant off and on for several years. For a while, it housed the Demon’s Den. It was later turned into a nightclub and I assure you it takes more than a bit of arson to bring down a Merritt Beeson building. Although tampering with the hydrants was a nice touch.

I’m not sure when the main floor was reconfigured to house three businesses but I do remember The Trophy Shop, George Voss, and Studio De Lari being there for a long time. As far as I know, no one tried to deal with the balcony after the arson fiasco.

The last time I was in the building was probably 20 years ago and I was so excited to arrange a tour with the former owner. But man, when I walked inside it was so insanely depressing that I couldn’t wait to leave. Shit brown carpeting and shit brown paneling and shit brown stucco. It was too much. Like, it was bad when I had my senior photos taken at Studio De Lari back in the…never mind when. But the building was neglected and then neglected some more. I didn’t even ask about the balcony area or the basement. I would have liked to see if it was obvious how the floor was installed to be a level surface. I’m not sure if the basement dressing rooms were removed. I assume so.

The good news is the building has a new owner who had it reroofed back in 2020 and it has also gotten a fresh coat of paint. Somewhere along the way, that rickety old fire escape was removed. You know the one that looked like it could fall and kill someone at any moment? Right. Anyway, here’s how it looks now:

If you haven’t already noticed, Google Maps often has glitches in the Street View which allow you to see before and after shots. Click here to see images from 2007 to 2012 mixed in with more recent shots. On the desktop version, you can actually click on the little slider to choose your view. And if you follow the Street View over to the First Avenue side, you can see the fire escape of death and remnants of the Ritz sign as well as the old lighted awning over the door next to the Osage Building.

That was a lot. I may put together a post containing advertisements, contracts, and other promotional items from the theater but there’s just so much! I also have some questions from readers that I need to research. Thanks again to everyone who has donated. I hope you find all of this as interesting as I do!

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July 11, 2022 4

Who Killed Walter Locke?

The quick answer is, “No one. He died of a stroke.” But there’s just so much more to the story and if you could go back in time to 1922, I bet anyone you asked would tell you Ivan Stultz killed Walter.

I promised a more detailed post on the Bargain Store/Eckles Department Store and this one was definitely worth the work. It’s no secret that people with an entrepreneurial spirit tend to experience highs and lows, some of which can be quite dramatic. Walter N Locke was no exception and he saw more than his fair share of boom and bust cycles.

He came to Dodge City from Pennsylvania by way of St. Joseph, Missouri around 1884 and found himself Deputy Sheriff under Pat Sughrue by 1885. Walter and O. A. Bond were granted “franchise and exclusive right to maintain, operate, and carry on the telephone business for and within the limits of Dodge City, Kansas…” in October of 1886. He was also one of the proprietors of the St. James Hotel. Walter married Josephine Tilghman on November 17, 1886 and you’ll remember that their daughter, Hattie, married Otto Theis and was half of the inspiration for naming the Lora-Locke Hotel.

Walter was involved in everything. Fraternal organizations, business organizations, real estate, insurance, groceries, you name it. He reopened the Cox livery stables in September of 1891 but these were some rough years. There were failures and foreclosures. He became an auctioneer.

Walter was a junior partner in Fitzgerald & Locke and in the spring of 1894, he was traveling all over the eastern US ordering stock for the new store.

*The Dodge City Democrat,* July 14, 1894

Walter really understood marketing and throughout the lifespan of the store he would rely heavily on half to full-page ads…sometimes on the front page, above the fold. I wanted to include them all but he advertised ALL THE TIME. It appears to have worked because the store was expanded in April of 1895.

Somewhere along the way, the Bargain Store acquired a co-manager.

The store moved to the R. M. Wright building in early 1898. I’m not sure when it opened but at some point, Fitzgerald & Locke had a store in Lakin. I believe that branch was sold in December of 1908.

*Western Kansas Live Stock Journal,* February 15, 1900

Walter’s son, Frank, was 16 years old in 1903 and I found a brief mention that he was “holding down the clothing department” at the store. I imagine he first began helping out there at a much younger age.

We know from my previous post that Walter wanted to build the new Bargain Store at Second and Walnut long before he was able to make it happen. Construction would require an enormous amount of capital so Fitzgerald & Locke, the Stubbs & Barkley grocery, and A. D. Smith & Son store were combined to create the Dodge City Mercantile Company.

Things were shaping up by the summer of 1908.

The Dodge City Mercantile Company was officially created on February 20, 1909. By March, the building had been accepted from the contractor and the fixtures were being installed. The store opened on April 19, 1909. This piece gives a ton of information about the layout of the building as well as the people working there.

The Dodge City Kansas Journal, April 23, 1909
The Dodge City Kansas Journal, April 23, 1909
The Dodge City Kansas Journal, April 23, 1909
The Dodge City Kansas Journal, April 23, 1909
The Dodge City Kansas Journal, April 23, 1909

The new store was completely wrecked by a massive fire on November 1, 1909. You may not be able to read the tiny type but I wanted to show what an enormous blow this was to Dodge City and everyone involved.

*The Globe-Republican,* November 4, 1909

The loss was calculated at $180,000 with only $76,000 in insurance. In addition to the working members of the Dodge City Mercantile Company, there were 45 employees who were jobless until operations could be resumed. Incredibly, there were no serious injuries.

After the fire, the town rallied to keep the Bargain Store in business.

The Dodge City Kansas Journal, November 26, 1909
The Dodge City Kansas Journal, November 26, 1909

Operations were spread out all over with space leased in three separate buildings.

The new building was occupied by late September of 1910 and operations gradually ramped up throughout October. Walter formed the Locke Mercantile Company on October 3, 1910. I see that the Dodge City Mercantile Company was dissolved but the Secretary of State website doesn’t list a date.

Even though the Bargain Store was his baby, Walter still had all sorts of other business arrangements. In addition to apparently managing Gwinner’s new shoe store on Second Avenue, he was still involved in real estate.

*The Dodge City Globe,* November 7, 1912

Here’s a fun photo with a bunch of old-timers! Frank Locke and my great-grandfather, Merritt Beeson, were good friends. Frank did Merritt a huge solid by taking over management of the Chalk Beeson Theater after Wolf Goldstein was run out of town for being Jewish. More about that outrage later.

There’s no easy way to share this next one because of how the text was broken up but I think you get the idea…the place was both massive and magnificent.

*The Dodge City Journal,* October 9, 1914

*Dodge City Daily Globe,* January 1, 1917

So do you remember me telling you about how excited I was to ride the elevator at Eckles? The first modern elevator was installed at the Bargain Store in 1917.

*Dodge City Daily Journal,* March 1, 1917

Walter had a reputation for being a generous employer and often held Christmas dinners for his staff at the O’Neal House Hotel in addition to handing out monetary gifts.

*Dodge City Daily Journal,* December 26, 1917

So the Bargain Store made it through all kinds of turmoil including the shortages caused by WWI but the betrayal of Walter’s trust by Secretary and Treasurer, Ivan E Stultz proved to be too much.

*The Dodge City Journal,* December 8, 1921

Because it was an officer of the corporation who was accused of embezzlement, the creditors immediately took over operations of the store so everything could be analyzed.

*The Hutchinson News,* December 15, 1921

Stultz pleaded guilty to three counts of embezzlement totaling $1,100 but the company initially suspected he was responsible for more like $17,000. Regardless, each count carried a penalty of one to three years. The auditors kept digging and found irregularities plus his personal account at the store totaling more than $27,000 and then everyone started calling in their notes because it was obvious Stultz was going to prison.

*The Dodge City Journal,* February 9, 1922

Walter suffered a paralytic stroke at the store on April 22, 1922. By the 27th, he seemed to be showing some improvement but that was really just wishful thinking.

After Ivan was sentenced to prison, his wife filed for divorce.

And then Ivan died in jail only days later. With that issue resolved, the committee of creditors could move forward with normalizing operations.

In early July, Stultz’s widow signed over to Walter the deeds to three lots (one with their former residence and two vacant lots) in the Fairview Addition. Walter, in turn, signed them over to Prudential Trust Company. Meanwhile, Olavus A Donhowe of Clarinda, Iowa was hired to manage the Bargain Store the first week of July.

Walter unfortunately died on July 17, 1922 and it was noted at the time that people close to him believed it was the Stultz affair which caused his demise.

As previously mentioned, the Bargain Store continued on for a time but it just wasn’t the same.

The building was sold to the Eckles brothers, who opened the Eckles Brothers Department Store in May of 1926.

I haven’t forgotten about the follow-up grocery post! Archival materials were promised by a certain someone and I will get that wrapped up just as quickly as I can. In the meantime, that book isn’t going to research itself.

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July 5, 2022 1

The Dramatic Life of Walter Abernathy

Before I start spilling tea, I should make it clear that I can source everything I’m about to tell you. I cannot attest to the reliability of these sources since much of the action took place more than 100 years ago. Last August, I told you this story about a famous florist and her scandalous relatives. I’ve reached out to so many historians and librarians for documentation that I have a spreadsheet with eight tabs to keep it all straight. This particular rabbit hole involves an Abernathy Furniture Company heir so I hope you Kansas City people are paying attention!

The Kansas Historical Society has a brief summary of the company’s history that you can read here. You can see a relatively recent photo of the building in Kansas City here (scroll down to #4.) Although it hasn’t been updated for quite a while, an Abernathy descendant has a Facebook page with furniture photos and bits of information.

*The Kansas City Star,* September 7, 1912

Walter Logan Abernathy was a son of James Logan Abernathy and Elizabeth (Martin) Abernathy. From what I can tell, he was basically a spoiled brat his *entire* life. Walter married Carrie Singer in October of 1883 and they initially made their home in Leavenworth.

In June of 1892, a Walter Abernathy was placed under a $500 bond for assault with intent to kill a certain C. M. Estenson (sp?) and although I couldn’t find any additional information about this incident, it seemed to be part of a larger pattern.

In November of 1898, Walter crashed his bicycle and a comment from the Clay Center Times read, “Which reminds old settlers of this burg that something was always happening to Walter and worrying his little wife nearly to death.” I feel like the people at this particular newspaper had a deep understanding of Walter and his issues.

Walter’s father, James L Abernathy, died in December of 1902 and over the next six years, his heirs would spend a lot of money fighting over his estate. I mean, Daddy-o left about $1.5 million so it was definitely worth the trouble in 1902 dollars. One of the brothers was declared insane during the proceedings and then appeals were filed, et cetera and so on.

In January of 1903, Walter attempted to board a Kansas City cable car while it was moving and was dragged 30 feet after his clothing caught on a fender. Walter went into shock after his right leg was cut so badly his tibia was exposed. He was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and his address was listed on Lydia Avenue so this was before he and Carrie moved to 63rd and Prospect. The wound later required a palm-sized skin graft and his wife donated the skin. He was hospitalized for several months after the accident. Mrs. Abernathy was described as a “small, nervous little woman.” A few days before the operation, a woman tried to sell her some skin but Mrs. Abernathy refused. She wanted to make sure the skin that was used was “free from any disease.” Knowing what I know, I don’t think Walter deserved her.

In April of 1912, Walter was arrested for a delinquent motor vehicle license. The due date was January 1 and about 40 people were arrested for what seems like such a trivial matter when you compare it to what happened next.

This next one is just so gross. Like Laura didn’t know her daughter was being visited by an old rich guy from the time she was TWELVE. Come on. This is the same Laura Hayes who had been charged with running a house of prostitution in Salina, Kansas just three years prior.

*The Kansas City Times,* September 2, 1916

14-year-old Marguerite Hayes and 27-year-old Edward L Kelley were married the very same day, September 2, 1916. Mom of the Year signed the marriage license since her daughter had not reached the age of consent. This marriage had the convenient side effect of the statutory charges against Messrs. Abernathy and Kelley being dismissed. I’m certain no money changed hands. That would be so unlike Laura.

*The Kansas City Star,* September 2, 1916

I found this almost a year ago and I’m still just so thoroughly disgusted by all of it.

Marguerite_E Kelley Marriage Lic_Affidavit Download

Imagine being the humiliated society wife. Based on what we’ve been over so far, I don’t see her being the type to discuss over cocktails at bridge all the myriad ways she could make Walter’s death appear accidental.

In April of 1925, Walter and Carrie sold their home at 63rd and Prospect and purchased a $36,000 tract of land on which they planned to build a new home at 89th and Holmes.

In June of 1935, Walter shot a man at his home. Carrie was in the hospital and her husband was trying to get another man’s wife to strip for him. You’ll be shocked to learn that alcohol was involved.

The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Star, June 8, 1935

The Kansas City Times, June 8, 1935
The Kansas City Times, June 8, 1935

The Kansas City Star definitely won the award for most in-depth coverage of this story!

Walter paid his victim $8,000 in November of 1935 while criminal charges were still pending. Since Mr. Wilkinson’s body was perforated 14 times, his career as a tree trimmer was over. Interestingly, Walter himself had been in a St. Louis hospital from from September to early December of 1935 and for whatever reason then transferred to a Kansas City hospital on December 4, 1935.

The poor, suffering Carrie Singer Abernathy died of pneumonia on January 3, 1936 at the age of 73. She had been in the hospital (again) since December 24, 1935. Lots of “hospitalizations” in this family.

And then, just like magic, the criminal charges against Walter were dismissed when Mr. Wilkinson failed to appear in court. Imagine my shocked face.

In March of 1938, 76-year-old Walter married a 20-year-old soda fountain waitress named Mary Helen Rosser in Yuma, Arizona. The new Mrs. Abernathy was granted a divorce in August of the same year after a Los Angeles judge agreed she shouldn’t have to suffer with an abusive jerk wad who drank all day and bragged about his numerous affairs. She was granted a lump sum settlement of $1,350. Walter’s friends back in Kansas City were very surprised about this new development, as they were unaware he had remarried.

It appears he had remarried again by December of 1938 but I just don’t have it in me to go there.

Walter finally died in Los Angeles on August 12, 1951 at the ripe old age of 89. He lived at an Elks Club and was known in the area for passing out $100 bills. To whom, Brother? To whom?

Walter and Carrier never had children together but God only knows what kind of poison that creep dropped in the greater Kansas City gene pool.

Anyway, if there are any Kansas City historians reading and you can tell me more about Laura, Irene, and Marguerite Hayes please reach out…I beg you!

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June 30, 2022 0