Nevins Hardware Then and Now

305-307 W Chestnut Street – Dodge City, Kansas

In Dodge City’s earliest days, what became Chestnut Street was just an alley behind the Front Street buildings. Business was conducted within close proximity to the Santa Fe depot so the block between Second and Third Avenues took a while to fill with structures. Aside from the post office at the northwest corner of Second and Front, that block held a saddle and harness shop, a blacksmith shop, and a dance hall.

One of the challenges with documenting establishments is attempting to decipher what people meant when they used descriptions like “One Door West of the Post Office.”

Typos happen and also how many empty lots were located between the doors?

Buildings came and went and so did the businesses.

Without being too precious, I can tell you Jacob and Jennie Collar ended up owning lots 46 and 48 west of the first post office. They owned several lots on Front Street and leased the buildings to a variety of businesses.

In March of 1884, brothers James and William Keady and Bro opened a grocery and produce business one door west of the post office.

That October, the grocery temporarily relocated and the Collars replaced the small wood structure with a single-story brick building with two spacious storefronts and a tiny one between them.

After the Keadys moved to the new brick, Joseph Felkel used a corner of the space for his shoe shop. Adolphus Gluck also used part of the building for his jewelry store. I won’t bore you with the musical chairs which transpired from then until Jacob Collar’s death in March of 1893. Jennie retained ownership of the brick building, which she leased to a barber, a grocer, and a furniture dealer.

After Jennie Collar died in January of 1899, her sister, Fannie Goodman, inherited the property. Adolphus Gluck was chosen to administer the estate and it took him a few years to dispose of the various properties. As this was taking place, William A Sturgeon bought the Keady grocery store in October of 1902 and it became known as Sturgeon’s Cash Grocery.

The following spring, William and his father, Frank, bought the building from Fannie Goodman for $3,000. Other tenants at that time were the C. H. Gingrich cigar factory and the C. L. Peterson tailoring business. The north ends of the lots along Chestnut were empty.

Frank Sturgeon intended to construct a two-story brick building along Chestnut and then add another story to the Front Street side but he died in November of 1904 at only 58 years of age. In June of 1906, William Sturgeon sold the grocery to brothers Roy and Ralph Burnett.

J. F. Ayers moved his Central Meat Market to the space west of the Burnett grocery in the Spring of 1912.

Ralph Burnett bought his brother’s share of the business in January of 1913. The building is shown here west of City Hardware with the Chestnut Street portion still empty.

Around that time, the skinny middle space was occupied by the general repair shop of John E Reynolds.

Hiram A Burnett, President of the National Bank of Commerce, began construction to fill in the space between his son’s grocery and Chestnut Street in the Spring of 1915. This would allow Ralph to expand his store and have additional space to lease in the west half of the building. Initially planned as a single-story extension, Burnett saw improvements the Nevins family was making to their new hardware store next door to the west and decided to match them. Main entrances would be on Chestnut but the Front Street doors would be retained. The Front Street section also remained a single-story structure.

Newt and Martha Nevins opened their Dodge City location of Nevins Hardware Company at 309 Chestnut on April 30, 1915 with hundreds in attendance. Initially, son Clarence managed the store in Ford, while Ralph and Arthur worked at the Dodge City store with their dad. Daughter Eulalia was the county education superintendent by that time but she was never far from the store, eventually serving as secretary and treasurer. Clarence came to Dodge about a year later to become the general manager of the Nevins Hardware and Implement Company.

Ralph Burnett held a grand opening at his expanded store on July 31, 1915.

Happy Jack BeDillion then opened his Popular Cafe in the west half on August 8. The move to larger quarters allowed space for confectionery and ice cream departments as well as a cigar section.

The Burnett grocery and Popular Cafe used similar typefaces in their clerestory signage on the right.

The original Burnett space on Front Street was remodeled and occupied by Dodge City Plumbing Co. in the fall of 1916.

That December, brothers Leo and Wilbur Liggett bought the Burnett grocery.

At that time, John McChristy operated a grocery at 306 Front. Brothers Harry and Jesse Holmes bought the Popular Cafe and moved it a couple blocks east in February of 1919. Flora Burgland then used the former cafe for her millinery store.

The Nevins Hardware Company needed additional storage space and bought the Burnett building in September of 1920 for around $30,000. At that time, the tenants were allowed to stay. This postcard with a postmark of March 29, 1923 shows the Liggett’s and Burgland signage at far right.

The Burgland millinery store became the Sturgeon Hat Shop around the Spring of 1926.

The plumbing shop became the Cozy Cafe.

Tasker Book and Stationery Shop temporarily used the west space on Chestnut in the latter part of 1928.

Big changes were made around 1929. Suddenly, the Front Street side was a proper two-story building.

After an extensive remodeling project, what was then called Skaggs Safeway held a grand opening on October 18, 1929.

The Safeway store is shown here during the parade celebrating the premiere of Dodge City on April 1, 1939.

Safeway closed around 1940 and Nevins Hardware moved next door into the much larger space. By this time, the implement and hardware businesses had split with Arthur taking on the implement side and Ralph operating the hardware store.

Nevins Hardware is shown here during the 1950s with Fowler Furniture in their former location to the west.

This is the view looking east.

I know I’ve seen a photo of the full Nevins Hardware sign painted on the east wall of the Front Street side but of course, I can’t find it when I need it.

UPDATE: Found it! Just a few days late.

The Eckles family bought the store in February of 1963 and it was renamed Eckles Hardware. This photo was taken when Fowler Furniture caught fire in 1964.

It operated until at least 1967 but the entire block was doomed by the infamous Urban Renewal project. Not everything went to waste, however. Building materials and fixtures were salvaged and sold. In his book, Dragging Wyatt Earp: A Personal History of Dodge City, Robert Rebein tells the story of his father buying the glass door from Nevins Hardware and using it as the back door of their home at 1211 W Cedar Street. By 1970, all of Front Street had been completely erased.

Here’s a full view of the old hardware signs with Nevins painted over just prior to demolition.

Photo by Joleen Fromm
Photo by Joleen Fromm

This is how the former site of Nevins Hardware looks today:

Rather than repeatedly harping on the negative effects of Urban Renewal, I feel I should acknowledge the extent to which I torment the fine folks at the Kansas Heritage Center with my exhaustive inquiries. Thanks for all of your help!

If you like what you see, be sure to subscribe (way at the bottom of the post on mobile devices) to receive an email each time a new post is published and share on social media. You can also support my work by donating below. This content is 100% funded by history fanatics such as yourself. Thanks for reading!

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September 14, 2026 0

Flint Motor Co. Then and Now

709 N Second Avenue – Dodge City, Kansas

Brothers Glen and Roy Flint of Englewood bought Dodge City’s Hudson-Essex dealership from James P McCollom in January of 1926. As part of the sale, the Flints were able to use space in McCollom’s Santa Fe Trail Garage at the southwest corner of Second and Spruce until they could find a permanent location.

Glen moved to Dodge along with his wife, Veronica, and managed operations, while Roy remained in Englewood. That April, plans were announced for a new building on Second Avenue between the new Odd Fellows Hall and the Elks Home. Julian Parham was awarded the contract to build a two-story brick and concrete structure with a full basement. Flint Motor Co. would use the main floor for automobile sales and the machine shop, managed by racecar driver Chick Logan, would be located in the basement. Access to the shop would be through a door facing the alley. The second floor was expected to be divided into office spaces.

This circa-1927 photo shows the Flint Motor Co. building with loads of glass along the front. The cars parked out front belonged to the Gum Motor Co. next door.

Flint Motor Co. began occupying their new quarters in October of 1926. At that time, the second floor hadn’t been finished.

The company began selling International trucks in 1929.

Around that time, Loyal Order of Moose Dodge City Lodge No. 1187 began occupying the second floor. Flint moved south of the tracks on Second Avenue in the early 1930s and Dodge City Parts Company moved to their former space.

That business ultimately became part of Scheufler Supply Co., which moved to West Trail Street in 1937. At that time, Kansas Power Company was expanding and began using the building for offices. By the early 1940s, the power company shared the building with the Western Investment Co. and the H. F. Krey Agency. This insurance and real estate firm became Krey and McCook Agency.

This photo from 1950 shows all of the glass along the front still intact. The door where the cars had been driven though had been converted to a store front entrance under the Moose sign.

Kansas Power Company became Western Light and Telephone Co. Its business office interior is shown here in June of 1952.

Krey and McCook moved to the other side of the street in the early 1950s and the Moose Lodge relocated to Minneola Road. New building occupants included accountant Morton Fisher and Russell Realty Co.

All of the glass is still intact in this image from the 1956 Boot Hill Fiesta Parade.

By 1957, the large upper windows had been replaced by glass blocks with tiny window inserts.

That sign was a real treasure.

Western Light and Telephone became Western Power and Gas in 1965. In 1968, the south storefront became vacant, followed by the rest of the building. Around 1972, Western Power began using the building for their accounting center. I believe the main floor storefronts were removed and replaced with marble infill around that time. For some reason, they chose white for the north and pink for the south.

By the early 1980s, data entry functions were also performed in this facility, which became known as Centel Electric.

Ownership changed again to WestPlains Energy in the 1990s. After that, the building was used as an annex by the Dodge City Daily Globe. Since a doorway connects the two structures on the second floor, it was easy for dance classes to be held on either side by various studios located next door.

The Globe began the slow process of vacating the property in 2021 and it was sold to an out-of-state investor. It’s been for sale and for lease pretty much ever since but hasn’t, to the best of my knowledge, ever been improved. Facebook listings show an outdated, stained, and generally grim environment which could be the location for a Backrooms sequel. See for yourself:

Here are some photos I have taken over the past several years. Note the WestPlains Energy ghost sign on the back door.

Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King

I was asked to write about this building more than a year ago and just haven’t had it in me. It’s sturdy and has great potential but my God, it’s had every ounce of light stripped from it. Good luck, I guess.

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August 31, 2026 0

Municipal Auditorium Then and Now

2110 First Avenue – Dodge City, Kansas

Dodge Citians have always needed a place to congregate. In the early 1870s, important meetings were often held in saloons, from which women were excluded. As the town became more civilized, facilities like Kelley’s Opera House, McCarty’s Skating Rink, and the Chalk Beeson Theater filled that role. But those were private businesses and our churches were initially too small. It became clear Dodge needed public spaces.

After George Hoover’s death in July of 1914, funds received from his estate were earmarked for a new municipal auditorium. Contracts were finally let for construction of the Hoover Pavilion in February of 1919. But that building was also small and the sides were open to the elements, making year-round use impractical.

We needed something bigger and the City Commission thought maybe the Works Progress Administration (later Works Projects Administration) could help as part of the New Deal. However, voters were asked to approve $40,000 in additional bonds for a new auditorium in September of 1936, with the bulk of a $125,000 auditorium being funded by the WPA. The Great Depression wasn’t the time for more debt.

Voters decided the time for more debt was during the post-World War II building boom. A $400,000 bond issue passed by a wide margin in June of 1945.

*Dodge City Daily Globe,* June 13, 1945, 1. Kansas Heritage Center.

It was really happening, until it wasn’t. Somehow, the City held this special election before selecting a site. Construction materials were in short supply due to the postwar euphoria. Prices rose pretty dramatically and auditorium plans were put on the shelf.

Another $385,000 bond issue passed in September of 1952 and this time, they meant it.

But once again, they had to argue over a location. A site was selected “at the end of First Avenue” and some people thought that was crazy. It was in the middle of nowhere! This aerial photo was taken in September of 1953. You can see the area just northwest of the water tower was pretty empty.

A. R. Mann and Company dusted off their original plans and made revisions to fit the current budget. The building measured 235 x 240 feet with a curved façade and would seat 2,764 for basketball games. Stage events could accommodate 3,272. The facility also included five meeting rooms.

In March of 1954, Hunter Construction Co. of Hays was finally awarded the general contract in the amount of $420,800. Construction began on April 19. That September, changes were approved to add an office facing the lobby and changes to the wiring for the stage, switchboard, and press box.

The back side of the building is shown here during construction looking north. The parking lot would have space for 1,000 cars.

Former Mayor Gordon Morgan, City Commissioner Dale McCook, and former Mayor Charles Clinton were photographed in front of the entrance on September 12, 1955.

The cost of construction was $763,630 but some extra funds were needed to purchase additional equipment. You can see the building originally had a row of windows just below the ceiling of the auditorium. That seems like a poor choice in a west-facing building. In addition to the horrible glare, those upper seats must have been toasty in the summer.

Photos: Ford County Historical Society Studio de Lari Collection

A two-day formal opening was held October 8-9, 1955. This program contains a glaring typo; The auditorium was not, in fact, completed in under three months.

Program: Kansas Heritage Center

Governor Fred Hall of Dodge City spoke at the dedication ceremony on October 9.

The Municipal Auditorium became known as the Civic Center in the early 1970s. You can see those upper windows had already been bricked in by the time this photo was taken.

I should note that the curtain has been swapped out and a large portion of the original resides at the Ford County Legacy Center.

For many years, the Civic Center hosted the Southwest Kansas Square Dance Festival.

I learned to hate circuses and love Russian Ballet at the Civic Center and I also sat in the student section on the stage at Demon basketball games. Here’s L. J. Goolsby doing his thing in the early 1990s.

High school graduation ceremonies were held at the Civic Center for ages. We’ve attended concerts, voted, and learned about upcoming changes to our community in that building.

Speaking of learning, the City Commission and USD 443 approved a plan to transfer ownership of the Civic Center property to the school district in January of 2013. The Board of Education discussed options for a new administration building in September of 2017. This new facility would be tacked on to the north end of the Civic Center and designed with an exterior aesthetic very similar to its mid-century neighbor. The administration building opened in July of 2020 but no grand opening was held at that time due to COVID-19. Public tours were finally given in December of 2021 with the return of the Cowboy Capital Classic at the Civic Center.

This is how the former Municipal Auditorium looks today:

Photo by Jan Shaw
Photo by Jan Shaw
Photo by Jan Shaw

Coincidentally, Josh Roesener recently broadcast live from the Civic Center welcoming kids back to school so you can check out changes to the interior.

This building has never been what one would consider posh. It’s definitely a product of its era and while I don’t love the style, I do appreciate how little the exterior has changed over the past 71 years.

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August 17, 2026 0

Lariat Cafe Then and Now

619 Third Avenue – Dodge City, Kansas

Among the properties Edwin and Annie Acker owned was a five-room house at the southwest corner of Third Avenue and Spruce Street. Edwin served with Ford County Attorney Mike Sutton during the Civil War. In March of 1900, Edwin’s mind “gave out” and he was shipped off to the asylum in Osawatomie after being adjudged insane. He died a few weeks later at the age of 78.

Annie received Edwin’s survivor pension and took in boarders for extra money. She suffered a paralytic stroke in 1917 and died at the home of a friend in May of 1918 at the age of 80. That October, the Square Deal Cleaning and Pressing Parlor opened in the former Acker home.

Brothers Rolland and Jesse Barker acquired the property in the Summer of 1919 and arranged for the home to be removed from the lot.

They constructed a new frame building with frontage on Third and Spruce for the Barker Brothers Cabinet Shop.

The cabinet shop was relocated a couple blocks north by 1930. By 1932, the building had been extended west along Spruce and may have been bricked at that time. It was occupied by a bakery, possibly the Sno-White, with a large oven in the rear.

Refrigeration Equipment Co. used the building for a short time in the 1940s followed by Schafer’s Cafe.

Schafer’s Cafe moved to 403 Second Avenue around 1946 and was replaced by Bill and Ruth Hill’s Lariat Cafe.

Bill was in poor health and was advised by his physician to sell the business in 1950 but the 73-seat cafe was profitable and he held onto it for several more years.

The Kline Dairy float is shown in front of Murphy Radio & Television and Lariat Cafe during the 1955 Boot Hill Fiesta parade.

This photo with the T. M. Deal lumber yard in the background was taken during the 1956 Boot Hill Fiesta.

Around 1959, Nolan Howard began operating the Lariat followed by Mrs. Floan Skinner. Victor Kisner had acquired the business by 1961, which was renamed Vic’s Lariat Cafe.

In February of 1961, word spread over the Associated Press wire that the City Commission had tentatively approved plans for a new parking lot along the west side of Third Avenue between what is now called Front Street and Spruce. By that time, the old Anawalt-Campbell Lumber Co. facility was vacant so only the buildings north of Walnut Street presented roadblocks. Kisner advertised the business for sale in the Summer of 1962.

In January of 1964, Boot Hill Museum announced an upcoming expansion of the Front Street Replica. This project was made possible by the closure of Fourth Avenue between Wyatt Earp and Spruce and demolition of the structures on the west side of Third Avenue. This is the view from First National Bank in 1965.

This is how the former site of Lariat Cafe looks today:

This parking lot has been steadily decaying for decades. Some of the parking stops have crumbled into pieces the size of snowballs. The metal railing going up the hill is rusted and falling apart. Those stairs have been closed off for ages. It’s an absolute hazard. Hopefully, this will be addressed during the streetscape project expansion to Spruce because the lot’s current condition is not what you want visitors to see adjacent to your flagship attraction.

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August 3, 2026 0

Kansas State Bank Then and Now

510 N Second Avenue – Dodge City, Kansas

The US Signal Service in Dodge City was originally located in the Dodge House, which maybe wasn’t the best arrangement. In June of 1876, the office moved to the second floor of a white pine house at the southeast corner of Second Avenue and what was then Walnut Street.

Martha Lake bought the building from City Treasurer Charles Schulz in December of 1881.

The Signal Service moved to the Hoover building on Front Street in January of 1883 and Lake used their former space for boarding. A storefront was added to the building in April of 1885 for Mrs. A. J. Coady’s new City of Paris millinery.

Mrs. E. Justin took possession of the City of Paris later that year.

In December of 1885, Mrs. Justin incurred a loss of $2,500, mostly due to looting, during the second devastating fire. $2,000 of that was covered by insurance. The fire was stopped at the Lake building by “the finest work we ever saw done by a bucket brigade.”

City of Paris was listed for sale with its full stock in May of 1886 and was replaced by a store called The Fair. A series of businesses operated in the Lake building including restaurants, shoe repair shops, and a bakery.

After Martha Lake died in February of 1892, the building was owned by her estate for some time before being acquired by Benjamin F Milton, who used the main floor for his law office. Milton relocated his office upstairs when S. Everett Sheldon moved his Globe Restaurant to the main level in November of 1907. That restaurant changed hands a few times and closed by the Spring of 1910.

After Walter Locke’s Bargain Store was destroyed by fire on November 1, 1909, the Milton building temporarily housed his clothing department.

Later that year, it was occupied by the Up-To-Date Tailoring and Cleaning Co.

By March of 1912, the business was operated by Julian M Hulpieu.

George Cochran bought the building in December of that year and then resold it to Kansas State Bank in February of 1913. Because the bank had a couple years left on their lease at Second and Chestnut, the old signal office was allowed to stay.

Frank and Arthur Skillington acquired the tailoring business from Julian Hulpieu in the Fall of 1914.

They moved about half a block north when their building was sold at auction for $100 in April of 1915. Sam Baggley moved the structure to West Santa Fe Trail Street, where it was placed next to the home of buyer M. R. Prather.

Kansas State Bank, chartered on October 2, 1907, was ready to build.

Articles of Incorp Download

Owen and Payson of Kansas City designed a two-story Classical Revival building for bank operations on the main level and three office suites, complete with private lavatories, on the second floor. It would be considered fireproof with its floors and roof constructed of reinforced concrete. The structure would have a temple front with ionic columns on either side of the main entrance and a wide marble base. Striking white enamel brick and glazed terra cotta would be used for exterior finishes. The interior was finished with marble and mahogany.

The building contract was awarded to William Foley in July of 1915 with hopes of completion by the end of the year. However, concrete for the second floor wasn’t even poured until that December. After a series of delays, the real estate and insurance firm of Henry F Millikan and Carl J Turner relocated to Rooms 3 and 4 in April of 1916.

Another real estate firm operated by William P Kliesen and J. E. Bennett occupied the other suite.

Bank employees moved to their new quarters on May 31, 1916 and opened for business on June 1, before the interior was completely finished. Police Judge Walter S Pagan was the first to arrive at the deposit counter. Finishing touches wrapped up in mid-July.

In September of 1916, a large iron drinking fountain was installed on the north sidewalk. The plaque on the fountain read, “Erected to the Memory of GEORGE M. HOOVER By the Citizens of this City 1841-1914.”

It should be noted that Kansas State Bank was the first institution in Southwest Kansas to add a Savings Department in December of 1915.

Dr. Walter F Pine established a solo practice over the bank in March of 1921 which continued into the 1930s.

Kansas State Bank merged with State Bank of Dodge City in January of 1933 to become Fidelity State Bank. Operations were then consolidated at Second and Walnut.

Merger Download

Fidelity was robbed by an indebted Finney County farmer in September of 1939. Carl Kirby got away with $2,071 but was caught about five minutes later by Chief E. M. Olson and Sheriff Claude Dowdy. Kirby received a sentence of 10 to 50 years. At that time, the second floor was occupied by the real estate firms of Walter A Layton and Marion R Zimmer.

Upstairs occupants in the 1940s included the Ford Co. National Farm Loan Association, Dr. H. R. Patrick, Clarence M Zimmer Agency, and M. R. Zimmer Real Estate.

In September of 1950, the neighboring Gwinner building was destroyed by arson.

Fidelity bought the lot directly south of the bank where Sweetbriar had operated. A new two-story addition was constructed there which housed architect Stanley Petro, the Zimmer Agency, and the law firm of Claude W Gould and Ronald R Mitchell. A new glass entrance was constructed just inside the columns at the front door, leaving the original entrance intact.

In January of 1977, the institution’s name was changed to The Fidelity State Bank and Trust Company, Dodge City, Kansas.

Name Change Download

Around that time, the south addition underwent a dramatic change. The 1950s windows were replaced by a marble front with a single oriel window on the second floor. To unify the appearance, the glass outside the main entrance was replaced by a combination of tinted glass and marble. While I don’t love it, I have no doubt this change granted quite a bit of relief from the afternoon sun.

Speaking of which, I called the time and temperature line for the first time in ages and am happy to report it is still active.

The bank’s interior has undergone a series of transformations. The building is still quite grand and has been very well maintained with new windows installed a couple years ago. One major feature which has not changed is the original entrance. If you go through the modern vestibule, you will see the original ornate terra cotta over the lobby entrance. It’s such a wonderful surprise to see those details protected from the weather.

This is how the former Kansas State Bank building looks today:

I’ve always thought of Fidelity as Dodge City’s grown-up bank, which I suppose is the whole point. They have somehow stayed local and stayed committed to the same building downtown, through a long series of inconveniences, for 110 years. That’s really something!

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July 20, 2026 0

Winnie’s Welding Service Then and Now

1800 W Wyatt Earp Blvd. – Dodge City, Kansas

Charles Winfield Rosebrook, Jr. grew up on a farm in Kearny County. In the 1920s, he worked as a mechanic in Ulysses before moving to the Jetmore area and working for E. J. Ochs. Winnie relocated to Dodge City in the early 1930s and worked for Logan R Tyson at the General Machine Shop.

His brother, Bob, was more than ten years younger so he didn’t move to Dodge until a bit later. Around 1938, the Rosebrook brothers opened Winnie’s Welding Shop at 206 S Second Avenue.

In the mid-1940s, Fred Russell opened Russell Automotive Service one door north of Winnie’s.

*1947 City Directory and Business Professional Guide for Dodge City, Kansas.* Published by Southwest Directory Company.

Shortly afterward, the two shops teamed up to build a new facility at the northwest corner of La Salle and what was then Chestnut Street. A new metal building measuring 40×120 feet originally housed both businesses, which opened in March of 1948.

Russell moved his shop to 201 W Trail Street by 1950 leaving the Rosebrook brothers to occupy the property on Chestnut, which ultimately had two connected structures.

Evelyn (Frankenberger) Kennedy began working in the office in March of 1952 after placing an ad on KGNO looking for a job. Claude Allen, Sr. heard the ad and mentioned it to Winnie, who just happened to be in need of a bookkeeper. Around that time, Bob began a related shop called Bob’s Motor Repair. His son, Don, also worked there during high school.

That business in the east building became Bob’s Engine Rebuilders.

Winnie’s Welding Service was located in the smaller building to the west.

I don’t want to assume this is a Claude Allen sign but it looks to me like a Claude Allen sign. Let me know in the comments if this is correct.

Richard Burns and Wilfred Johnson bought the businesses when Bob and Winnie retired in 1988. Winnie’s, Inc. was officially formed in February of 1989. Evelyn stayed on through the transition and finally retired in October of 1989 after nearly 38 years of service. It is unclear whether the red and chrome rotary desk phone went with her.

Winnie’s, Inc. was dissolved in January of 1996 and the property was occupied by Dodge City Engine Service until around 2001. It sat vacant for several years until about 2009 when JAG Construction used it during the Wyatt Earp widening project. Once that was completed, the property became vacant again and the buildings were removed in 2014 or 2015.

Dodge Custard, LLC was formed on June 30, 2015 for the purpose of operating a location of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. The new restaurant opened in March of 2016.

This is how the site of Winnie’s Welding Service looks today:

All I ever heard about Bob and Winnie was that they were good people who did good work. I think they would get a kick out of knowing their old promotional pens are being sold for $20 each on eBay. You can get a couple burgers at Freddy’s for that.

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July 6, 2026 0

Home Cafe Then and Now

208 S Second Avenue – Dodge City, Kansas

Before Crawford’s Addition was even platted, kids on the south side of the river attended school in a small vacant store building on what is now South Second Avenue between Beech and Cherry Streets. With the formal plat in 1886, the tree streets were numbered and South Second was officially Bridge Avenue.

George F McKinney, proprietor of the South Side Hotel, listed the lot and school building for sale in March of 1888.

*The Dodge City Times,* March 22, 1888, 4. Newspapers.com.

That building was later used for grain storage and was removed from the lot sometime in the 1890s. It was replaced by a small concrete block building in the 1910s which was briefly used by a butcher. That structure was replaced by a larger concrete block building which housed a dry cleaning business for a short time. Produce was occasionally sold on the property.

Curtis Ott and Walter Winger’s Dodge City Sheet Metal Works was located at what became 208 S Second Avenue in the 1930s.

The building entered its cafe era in the 1940s with Owen’s Cafe owned by Charles Owen. It changed hands a few times and was called South Side Lunch, Triangle Cafe, and Denny’s Cafe. Doak Ellis and Florence Oringderff held a grand opening of their new Home Cafe on April 7, 1954.

Although the building was always plain, it did have transom windows with a striped crank-out awning and a cute neon sign as seen here in 1957.

Photos: Ford County Historical Society Dodge City Daily Globe Collection

By the 1960s, that neon sign was upgraded to include a piece of pie as seen in this photo showing the aftermath of the big flood in June of 1965. The building’s proximity to the river didn’t do it any favors but the concrete block construction certainly did.

Florence and Doak, who married shortly after opening the cafe, retired in January of 1988. Ron Perkins is the customer seated at the counter.

The restaurant was purchased by John and Irma Cervantes at that time and a retirement party was held on January 31.

The building sat vacant for a while in the 1990s and has since hosted a series of eateries including an African restaurant, Don Hector Restaurante Mexicano, and La Familia Restaurant. Its current occupant is Los Aztecas Mexican Grill.

This is how the former Home Cafe looked in June of 2025:

Say what you will about the aesthetics of this block but that humble little building has been serving the same trade for about 80 years. I’m impressed.

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June 22, 2026 1

Dodge City Ice Cream & Produce Co. Then and Now

501 W Chestnut Street – Dodge City, Kansas

It’s easy to take ice cream for granted but it used to be a really big deal. If families made it at home, it was super messy and had to be stored in the ice cellar. Some restaurants, like the Beatty and Kelley, made small batches in the 1870s. In the early 1900s, local confectioneries like Sturgeon’s and Gwinner’s sold ice cream treats but you couldn’t just grab a pint at the grocery store and throw it in your freezer at home.

In April of 1917, A. L. Eidson and Ernest W Nickels of Liberal announced they were building an ice cream factory at the northwest corner of Fourth Avenue and Front Street where Adobe Walls survivor Andy Johnson previously lived. The McCollom brothers constructed a one-story concrete block building measuring 50×60 feet, which was completed the following month.

Dodge City Ice Cream & Produce Co. began buying cream that June. Their equipment could produce 300 gallons of ice cream and 700 pounds of butter daily.

*Dodge City Daily Globe,* June 20, 1917, 3. Newspapers.com.

When production began, their butter was initially sold under the Prairie Gold brand (later Prairie Maid) and was available in grocery stores. The company delivered quart-size containers of sweet milk and cream, as well as Bulgarian and plain buttermilk. Peerless Ice Cream was sold to local establishments to be served at their soda fountains.

In December of 1917, the company bought both the Jersey Dairy and Friesland Farm Dairy and moved all of their equipment to Fourth and Front. Once the milk situation was sorted, a poultry department expansion was undertaken in the Spring of 1918.

Due to high demand, a new butter churn tripled their production capacity that May. A six-ton refrigerator plant was also installed.

The business was incorporated in June of 1918 with $25,000 of capital stock. Officers were A. L. Eidson, President; James P McCollom, Vice-President; and Ernest Nickels, Secretary-Treasurer. Its poultry operation shipped six tons of dressed turkeys for Thanksgiving dinners that year but they also sold ducks and geese.

John Cannon sold his Coca-Cola bottling operation to Dodge City Ice Cream around 1919 and expansion continued in 1920. A large brick addition was constructed at the north end of the building where the home of Fred and Anna Cummins had stood. This property had previously been owned by Dodge City mayor Adolphus Gluck and was used as the Fourth Ward polling location for several years.

The creamery remained in the southeast corner of the original building with the poultry department on the west side. Ice cream was manufactured in the basement of the brick addition and was carried upstairs in an elevator, which was positioned in the middle of the building. The office, furnished with fixtures purchased from the State Bank of Dodge City, was located at the northeast corner of the main floor and the supply room in the northwest corner.

John Cannon repurchased the Coca-Cola operation in the Spring of 1926. The company continued distributing Prohibition-compliant beverages such as Arnholz coffee and Blatz Brewing Company’s Old Heidelberg near beer.

They also sold wholesale soda fountain supplies.

The company was purchased by the newly formed Southwest Cooperative Produce Association in June of 1933. However, this entity was short-lived in a market increasingly dominated by Fairmont Creamery Co.

By the mid-1930s, J. M. Maricle and Co. used the facility for the distribution of wholesale groceries. After they relocated to Woodland Avenue, the building became home to the Dodge City Cream Station and Dodge City Wholesale Grocery. John Pressney, who founded the Dodge City Fruit Exchange, diversified into warehousing, beer distribution, and Seidlitz paint sales.

Pressney advertised Seidlitz paints at the bottom of Boot Hill in 1940. On the other side of Anawalt-Cambell, you can see the building was painted with signs for both Dodge City Warehouse Company and Dodge City Fruit Exchange

By the early 1950s, Pressney was selling real estate and running for mayor. The beer distribution business was acquired by Sunflower Sales Co. and later Colby Distributing Co.

A Pabst Blue Ribbon beer sign can be seen on the roof in the Summer of 1954 when Baldwin Locomotive Works No. 1139 was relocated to Boot Hill Museum.

At the far right, a little sliver of ghost sign is showing.

Howdy Mus Company was briefly located in the old concrete block section along Fourth Street in the mid-1950s followed by Kansas Fixture Company. Dodge City Warehouse also shared some space in the complex. The building sat vacant from around 1960 to 1962, when a second location of the Branding Iron western store occupied the space on Chestnut. This store was only open for a short time, despite its prime location across from Boot Hill. By 1966, the brick section was occupied by the Dodge City Rock Shop. L & D Distribution Co. took up the original concrete block section.

The west side of the building is shown here with the Mammel’s sign on the wall in 1969.

The building was demolished, along with the rest of Front Street, as part of the Urban Renewal project in 1970.

This is how the former site of Dodge City Ice Cream & Produce Co. looks today:

When the Urban Renewal proposition was put to a vote, many people felt tricked by the wording on the ballot. A lot of money was at stake and trust was lost in the process. That cycle has been repeating with wind and solar farms and now data centers. Growth is inevitable. It’s how you go about it that matters.

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June 8, 2026 0

Memorial Art Co. Then and Now

507 S Second Avenue – Dodge City, Kansas

Memorial Art Co. was founded in Salina by Vincent E “Pete” Peterson and Arthur J Cleveland in 1928*. Cleveland was killed in an automobile accident the following January and his son, Clarence, took over his stake in the partnership. Peterson bought out Clarence’s half of the business around 1937.

In January of 1946, the company announced it had opened a new location in Dodge City to be managed by Pete’s brother, Milton T Peterson. In addition to the main facility in Salina, there were also operations in Hutchinson, Kingman, Abilene, and Norton. Milton and wife Hazel moved their family into a bungalow which sat at the north property line of the one-acre lot just south of Lindas Lumber Company.

As with the other locations, this was a family business. Daughter Betty worked as a bookkeeper and son Rick worked as a salesman and stone setter. Milton and Hazel were listed as owners of the Dodge City location by 1950.

Memorial Art Co. was photographed on March 24, 1950 with its sample stones in front of the building.

The business and Peterson home were not spared from the big flood in June of 1965.

Rick worked his way up to shop foreman and later owned the business.

Rick and Joy (Cline) Peterson’s son, Kirk, represented the third generation in the family business, which closed around 2010. The Salina-based company founded by Milton’s brother is still in operation with locations in Great Bend, Hutchinson, Abilene, Minneapolis, and Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Sample stones still adorned the property in October of 2023.

Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King

I spoke to Kirk in October of 2023 and he indicated that the neighboring car lot was interested in purchasing the property for expansion. That sale went through and cars were soon parked along the sidewalk. A demolition permit was issued in August of 2025.

This is how the former site of Memorial Art Co. looks today:

When I was a kid, I was convinced the property was a real cemetery, despite my parents’ attempts to convince me otherwise. I tried (and failed) to preserve that glorious 1940s neon sign. Kirk had sadly passed and I was unable to get in touch with his sister, Kimberly, before it was too late. Hopefully, it ended up in a good place.

*The company website advertises being around since 1927 but an article in The Salina Journal on November 13, 1958 stated the company, founded in 1928, had just celebrated its 30th anniversary the day before.

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May 25, 2026 0

Guymon Petro Mercantile Co. Then and Now

314 Front Street – Dodge City, Kansas

Before you all start thinking I’ve lost my mind, this story is not about the building at Fourth and Trail. In March of 1884, the widow Anna Robbins bought a Front Street lot between Second and Third Avenues from Robert M Wright. There had once been a blacksmith shop on that site and Mrs. Robbins, mistress and business partner of the infamous Perry Wilden, had plans for a new grocery store.

The single-story wood frame structure faced Front Street and covered less than half the distance north to Chestnut. Wilden, sardonically nicknamed The Merchant Prince of South Dodge, opened the store that May.

Fraudster Wilden expanded rapidly and every single thing he purchased was on credit. His grocery store and around seven other buildings were destroyed by a fire on January 18, 1885.

Wilden was widely believed to have set the fire intentionally on a Sunday morning so it would burn undiscovered while most of the town was at church. Robbins carried insurance on the building and Wilden had a policy for the contents. Some of the neighboring business owners carried no insurance at all.

Within a week, newspapers reported Wilden planned to erect a two-story brick building on the same lot. However, Robbins was the one with the money and construction of her new building began in July of 1885. This new structure also faced Front Street and only covered about 60 percent of the lot space going toward Chestnut.

By August, creditors had seized the contents of Wilden’s South Dodge grocery. He left town with his wife and children later that month. Meanwhile, construction continued on the Robbins building and Ham Bell planned to use the main floor for his furniture and undertaking business along with the new Ford County Bank.

Bell did briefly occupy the Robbins building but he and Henry Sitler constructed the Sitler & Bell Block in 1886. The bank never really got off the ground.

Wilden fled to Syracuse to obtain a quick divorce from his wife, Mary, in June of 1886. He then married Anna Robbins in Colorado later that month, skipping the mandatory waiting period. The two were later arrested for bigamy.

T. C. Owen moved his barber shop from the Delmonico Hotel into the basement of the Wilden building in May of 1887. He closed the shop that August and it was reopened by Lawrence Leppert a couple weeks later.

The Wildens’ exciting personal lives left little time for property management and the Front Street property was sold to Fred T. M. Wenie in September of 1887, shortly after a cigar factory in the building failed to get traction.

Leppert’s barber shop moved to the main floor in the Summer of 1888 after a huge rainstorm flooded the basement.

The building was underutilized with Sims and Shinn (later Sims and Sims) using it as a warehouse for flour and feed. Fred Wenie moved to Kansas City around 1889 and stopped paying taxes. The building went up for sheriff’s sale in April of 1893 and creditor Charles Colladay took possession of the property at that time.

Patrick H Sughrue moved his real estate office to the second floor of what was being called the Sims building around 1902.

He and his wife, Margaret, owned the building for several years. It’s difficult to see but the sign at the far left reads “BUY TOWN LOTS & FARMS FROM P. H. SUGHRUE.” If you look closely, you can see the rear of the building didn’t extend to Chestnut.

James L Meairs moved his grocery store to the main floor of the Sughrue building around 1905.

Although he retained ownership of the building, Sughrue moved his office to the Hoover building in February of 1908. J. H. Evans moved his poultry, eggs, and hides business into a section of the Meairs grocery in 1911.

John Reynolds opened a general repair shop in the basement of the building in January of 1915.

In September of that year, the Sughrues sold the property to the Guymon Petro Mercantile Co. for around $6,300. An electric elevator was added along the east wall along with new office spaces. They just about rebuilt the entire structure.

Once that work was completed, L. J. Upp was awarded the contract to extend the building north to Chestnut Street. Over the years, space at 315 W Chestnut Street was rented to businesses like Drake Motor Supply Company, Noel-Ward Tire Service Company, and the Williams Cash Store.

The sign on the front of the light-colored building in the middle says “THE GUYMON PETRO MERC. CO. WHOLESALE GROCERS.”

By the mid-1940s, Guymon Petro occupied the former Dodge City Fruit Exchange building at 500 W Trail Street. Hall’s Home and Auto Supply then opened a second location in the former Guymon Petro building. The company owned by Jack and Lester Hall was more commonly known as Hall’s Firestone.

By 1950, Hall’s had consolidated operations in the location at 315 W Chestnut and 314 Front.

Photos by Hoover Cott, Ford County Historical Society Troy Robinson Collection

The store continued to operate in that spot until the building was demolished as part of the Urban Renewal project in 1970.

The 1990s demolition of the flour mill ruined this vantage point for everyone except drone operators.

This is how the site of the original Guymon Petro location looked in February of 2025:

Based on what’s been happening downtown over the past several years, it is clear that we’ve learned from the Urban Renewal disaster. I encourage everyone to patronize businesses in the surviving buildings so we can avoid losing more of our history.

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May 11, 2026 0