First Avenue between Front and Chestnut Streets

Pretty much everyone from Dodge City knows about the big bank building on the east side of First Avenue between Front and Chestnut/Wyatt Earp. If you think it was only home to First National Bank, boy do I have a story for you.

Ford County Treasurer, Alonzo B Webster, owned the lot in question and operated a dry goods store in the 1870s.

Webster sold his stock in February of 1878 and the Old House Saloon opened in Webster’s former store on March 9.

Plans were in place to organize a new national bank in May of 1882 but the filing was delayed due to the difficulty in procuring a fire and burglar-proof safe. The massive safe was installed in Herman Fringer’s drug store down the block from the Old House on June 1. Bank of Dodge City was formed on June 3, 1882 with Directors George Hoover, Richard Evans, Henry Sitler, William Harris, and Herman Fringer.

The 1884 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows the saloon at the northeast corner of Front Street and First Avenue along with some ancillary structures. The bank is shown just west of the Dodge House.

The following year, A. B. Webster sold the Old House lot to Bank of Dodge City.

G. M. Hoover bought the saloon building for $195 and had it moved to Military Avenue where it was used as a store.

Early estimates indicated the bank would spend $20,000 on the new brick building. Awarding the contract to an out-of-county builder didn’t go over well with the community.

Nevertheless, work began in July of 1885. Tenants were preparing to move in to the new building at the end of November but it sustained about $500 worth of damage in a fire that swept through Chestnut and Front Streets. Those who were able occupied their spaces the first week of December.

Bank of Dodge City was up and running in the new building.

The Globe Live Stock Journal also had space in the bank building.

Dr. Simpson rented rooms in the bank before he moved over the Bee Hive.

The building was damaged by fire again in August of 1886.

In December of 1886, Bank of Dodge City received approval to become First National Bank.

The first bank notes were issued in January of 1887.

I should clarify that this newly named First National Bank should not be confused with the later First National Bank…which was also located in this building at a later date. Or the second Bank of Dodge City on Second Avenue. Got it? Good.

The 1887 Sanborn shows the bank at 409 Front Street with offices on the second floor and in the basement. The entrance at the back of the building was assigned 326 Chestnut Street. These blocks had been renumbered but Dodge still didn’t have a standardized numbering system.

Asa T Soule (that freaking guy!) bought controlling interest in the First National Bank in May of 1887.

Wilburn Argus reported Soule paid $75,000 for the bank and then his friend (and later estate administrator) W. W. Munsell arrived to take over the operations in late May. Soule became President and Munsell Vice-President. Evans remained in his position as Cashier. Hoover and Hardesty retained seats on the Board of Directors.

Attorney Michael W Sutton moved his office into the front room on the second floor in January of 1888.

Gilbert Brothers Real Estate and Loans had an office on the Chestnut Street side. They were besties with Soule and were trying to sell property near the College of Western Kansas. So many promises were made.

The Chestnut side entrance was remodeled in May of 1889 to house a separate office.

Bank president, A. T. Soule, died in January of 1890. His son, Wilson, assumed his position at the bank.

In January of 1891, M. W. Sutton moved his law office to the newly remodeled main floor room on the Chestnut side.

The 1892 Sanborn shows the bank at 410 Front Street and new street addresses of 723 and 724 First Avenue.

The First Avenue Hotel opened above Sutton’s law office in July of 1893.

The bank’s balance sheet steadily declined throughout 1893 as its customers steadily lost their shirts. There were tons of foreclosures and everyone was suing everyone. In January of 1894, First National lost Evans and Kellogg to Hoover’s new private bank, also called Bank of Dodge City. In March, T. C. Owens opened a barber shop in the basement of the First National Bank building. I believe this was the first retail-type establishment to rent space in this building. Prior to this, even the basement was leased to attorneys and insurance companies.

In July of 1894, the bank’s balance sheet had further declined to $97,975.20 and on July 27, J. W. Gilbert announced they would be closing their doors. Yes, this was the same John W Gilbert who was selling lakefront properties with streetcar access north of Dodge.

Interestingly enough, Gilbert and the rest of the gang organized The Midland Bank three days prior to the closing announcement on July 24, 1894.

The Midland Bank’s balance sheet was much smaller than that of First National at only $15,737.86 in November of 1894.

The Ford County Republican Committee leased a room in the bank building in October of 1895. The Gilbert brothers sold the bank the following month.

The Midland Bank was sold yet again in January of 1896.

Midland Bank was then transferred back to the Gilberts in October of 1896.

In July of 1897, Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Williams opened a confectionery and dressmaking shop in the north room of the bank building. The following month, E. G. Erickson moved his boot and shoe shop into the building. John Becker had a tailor shop off and on in the same space. Otto Zieze bought Becker’s shop in August of 1897 and operated in the same location.

First Avenue Hotel closed January 19, 1898 and Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle started a private boarding house in those rooms. The Midland Bank lost its state bank charter in February of 1898.

E. D. Webb was appointed receiver and he immediately began action against a cattleman in Ashland over a deal which made up the bank’s primary loss. I believe this may have been George Theis, Jr. and he ended up owning the building.

O. T. Wright took over the boarding house in October of 1899.

After Ham Bell sold his Elephant Stable to John Cox, he rented the former tailor shop in January of 1900 and started H. B. Bell & Co. Live Stock Exchange. He also branched out into the land business. Dr. C. A. Milton opened an office in the former shoe shop that May.

Webb was finally able to sell The Midland Bank’s property in May of 1900. Russell and Crane were the buyers.

The bank building itself along with principal bank property was bought by C. F. Harbst of Ohio in June for $8,000. A charter was granted to The State Bank of Commerce on December 22, 1900 with capital of $10,000.

As I noted in a previous post, this new bank opened for business on January 5, 1901.

In November of 1901, the Santa Fe Railroad secured the upper rooms for division headquarters, which were relocated from La Junta, Colorado.

A. P. Kolley added three new chairs costing $75 each to his basement barber shop in June of 1902.

The Western Union office moved into one of the First Avenue rooms in November of 1903.

On June 1, 1904, the bank received approval to become the National Bank of Commerce with capital of $25,000.

The National Bank of Commerce was made a United States Depository in March of 1908.

The 1911 Sanborn shows the blocks had been renumbered again. You can see the Western Union office at 406 First Avenue.

The bank had been leasing their space in the building from George Theis, Jr. but were able to buy it in February of 1911.

The Dodge City Business College moved into the upstairs rooms in March of 1911.

In early 1912, bank officials had been waiting for spring weather to begin a complete remodel of the building. The Opera House fire in March of 1912 added to the scope of work. All windows on the west side of the bank building were broken and the metal cornice was melted off. Architect Reuel A Curtis was hired to redesign the building.

Plans included removing the brick veneer and replacing it with a darker color brick. New furniture was ordered in the mission style. The remodel was expected to cost around $12,000.

Dr. Hellwarth leased an office for his dental practice in November of 1912.

The bank’s giant new safe weighed 15,000 pounds.

National Bank of Commerce opened in their new quarters at the north end of the building on December 18, 1912. Western Union moved into the old bank area at the corner of First and Front at the end of December. The proprietors of the barber shop in the basement took advantage of this change so everyone would know where to find them.

The Dodge City Abstract Company was located in the bank building for decades.

Ham Bell finally shortened the name of his business.

Bell moved his office to his new building across Chestnut Street in February of 1916. The Conklin-Ginzel Mortgage Company took his old spot. The Millikan & Turner Real Estate Company leased an office in the Commerce Building while they waited for their new quarters in the Kansas State Bank Building to be completed.

The 1918 Sanborn shows the Western Union office in the original bank space at First and Front Street and the bank on the Chestnut side.

In January of 1921, The National Bank of Commerce became First National Bank in Dodge City with capital of $100,000. The image below shows the building from Chestnut Street looking southeast.

This photo was taken in 1925 and you can see the Lora-Locke Hotel hadn’t been built yet. The structure on the roof of the Chalk Beeson Theater is the fly tower used for controlling the stage scenery and asbestos curtain.

The 1926 Sanborn was the first to reflect the diagonal opening at the Chestnut Street entrance to the new bank space.

William Bader and W. C. Crutchley combined their pool halls into a joint enterprise under the Western Union office.

In July of 1929, First National Bank announced a new building would be constructed at the southwest corner of Second Avenue and Spruce Steet. The new building formally opened on August 19, 1930. Around 1930, Mann and Company architects had an office in the space at 412 First Avenue.

By 1937, Pioneer Cafe occupied the old First National Bank spot at 119 W Chestnut Street and Richmond Barber and Beauty Shop was on the opposite corner at 400 First Avenue.

In this photo taken in the mid to late 1930s, you can see the Lora-Locke in the background. The fly tower had been removed from the theater, which was remodeled into retail space.

Here’s a rare view from Front Street looking toward the northwest. The roofline hadn’t yet been altered at this point.

In 1942, Chuck’s Cafe was in the former Pioneer Cafe spot and the beauty shop was on the opposite corner.

A public auction was held in the building on October 13, 1943 but it appears the building itself was not for sale just yet.

In July of 1944, Conrad Gabriel of Garden City bought the building for $40,000. By 1947, the only occupied spaces were residential apartments. It’s entirely possible that the building was being remodeled again during this time.

By the time this photo was taken, the buildings along Front Street had been completely defaced. The decorative roof line of the bank building was removed and the brick had been painted.

Roy Estes Paint and Wallpaper occupied the Chestnut side room in the early 1950s.

The upstairs apartments were mostly occupied throughout the 1950s. In 1953, Mid Town Cab company was on the corner of First and Front with LaGrayce Beauty Shop at 402 First Avenue and C & C Barber Shop the next door north.

In April of 1955, the occupants of 207 Walnut Street temporarily relocated to the old First National Bank spot while their permanent home was remodeled.

By 1955, the barber shop was cleverly renamed First Avenue Barber Shop, the old bank room was vacant, and the US Army Recruiting Station had moved into the spot at 406 First Avenue.

El Poche Cafe opened at 402 First Avenue in late 1957 or early 1958.

The building went up for public auction on October 19, 1959.

I’m not sure if the Bairds bought the building or just rented most of it but they had apartments upstairs and Eldon’s Lunch at 119 W Wyatt Earp Boulevard in the 1960s. Around 1960, Joe Riedlinger opened Joe’s Domino Parlor at 406 First Avenue.

His and Hers Cafe replaced Eldon’s in the mid-1960s and that was the last eatery to occupy the building.

All of the apartments were vacant in 1967. The cafe and domino parlor were still hanging on and City Cab was located at 404 First Avenue. The following year, the Lutz Apartments were about half occupied and only the cab company was operating on First.

You can see from the photos below that the neighborhood had been allowed to deteriorate into a total slum. I don’t know what was going on with code enforcement in those days, but the answer appears to have been not much. These were taken just prior to the Urban Renewal demolitions.

This newspaper photo of demolition progress to the west didn’t scan well but at least you can see the bank building in the background.

By May of 1970, the original Bank of Dodge City building was gone.

Click here to see how the lot looks today.

I’ve made my views of Urban Renewal clear in the past so I won’t continue beating a dead horse. Just know that if you own an old building and are struggling with upkeep, there are all sorts of resources to get help. We’ve lost enough of our architectural heritage. Let’s preserve what’s left.

UPDATE: A reader sent a couple terrific images for your enjoyment, including a higher-resolution scan of the 1887 engraving. In addition to Bank of Dodge City, you can see signs for W. J. Fitzgerald Real Estate & Farm Loans, H. M. Beverly Real Estate and Loans, L. E. McGarry & Co. Law, Loan, Real Estate, Abstracts.

Here is a photo from 1963 that clearly shows the City Cab office at First and Front. You can see the upper parts of the west windows had been bricked over but the details remained.

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