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Winfield 1924
Bill, Kay always loved to torment me when he typed up items on his own. At least I believe that is the reason why the following was so garbled. I cleaned it up for the most part...quit when I got to Appendix section. This was one of the last projects he tackled on his own, so it may be he was really too sick to handle properly. MAW
The following is copied from a original manuscript that is held by the Cowley County Museum in Winfield, Kansas, by Richard Kay Wortman. September 27, 1996.
FOREWORD.
This sketch of the history of Winfield is the result of a class project of the Fourth Hour Senior American History class, in the spring of 1924. The idea was to give them some conception of the work required to make a history— and this particular subject was one which had not been touched since the beginning of the century.
The students are deeply indebted to the “Courier” history of Winfield, published in 1901 for the early history, and to the courtesy of the Courier management for much help at all stages.
Thanks are also due to a host of Winfield citizens who furnished the material of which
the history is made.
The time spent on it, six weeks, was far too short, for nearly a quarter of a century of our history had never been written before.
Miss Edith Stewart was the editor-in-chief and she was assisted by Miss Leona Denton, Miss Edna Murray, Mr. Clurel Watts, and others.
The next year, the American History classes were eager to take up work on the same subject so in the spring the Fourth Hour class undertook to revise and complete the story.
Miss Dorothy McManis was Editor-in-chief and she was assisted by Miss Ruth Benedict, Miss Lois Lei Van and others—chairmen of the various committees.
The result is, of course, a mere outline, but those who worked upon it, gained a new interest in and knowledge of their own town, as well as some insight into the problems of historical writing.
- Miss Maude Andrus -
Instructor of the American History Class.
HISTORY OF WINFIELD
Table of Contents
Page
I. Early History
1. Traditions 1
2. Early comers 3
3. Opening of Osage Territory 5
4. Organization of Cowley County 6
5. City Government 8
II. Disasters
1. Grasshopper Year 9
2. Windstorm - 1893 11
3. Flood of 1923 11
III. Churches
1. First Methodist 13
2. First Baptist 14
3. First Christian 15
4. Grace Episcopal 15
5. First Presbyterian 16
6. Church of the Holy Name 17
7. Bethel A.M.E. Church 17
8. United Brethren 18
9. Baden Memorial Lutheran Church 18
10. Colored Baptist 19
11. Grace Methodist 19
12. The Church of Christ 20
13. Latter Day Saints 20
14. Salvation Army 21
IV. Education
1. Public Schools 22
2. Southwestern 24
3. St. Johns 28
4. Commercial College 30
5. City Library 31
V. Fine Arts
1. Painting 23
2. Public School Music 33
3. Southwestern College Fine Arts 35
4. St. Johns College of Fine Arts 37
5. Winfield College of Music 38
6. Winfield Municipal Band 39
7. Artist’s Series 42
8. Chautauqua Assemblies 43
VI. Inter City Transportation Page
1. Railroads 44
2. Bus Lines 46
VII. Public Welfare Institutions
1. State Industrial School 47
` 2. Lutheran Home 48
3. Hospitals 49
VIII. Municipal Improvements
1. County Court House 52
2. County Jail 52
3. City Building 53
4. Paving 53
5. Water Works 53
6. Lights 54
7. Fire Department 55
8. Street Railways 56
9. Parks 57
10. Homes 59
11. City Beautiful Club 60
12. Cemeteries 61
IX. Social And Business Clubs and Fraternities
1. Women’s Clubs - Social and Study 62
2. Men’s clubs and Fraternal Organizations 67
3. Red Cross 69
4. Boy Scouts 70
5. Y.M.C.A. 71
6. American Legion 72
7. Grand Army of the Republic 73
8. Chamber of Commerce 75
9. Retailers’ Association 76
10. Country Club 76
X. Business Development
1. Hotels 77
2. Department Stores 79
3. Ready To Wear - Ladies - Men 79
4. Shoe Store 82
5. Five land Ten Cent Stores 83
6. Millinery Shops 83
7. Beauty Shops 84
8. Green Houses 85
9. Photographers 85
10. Book Stores 86
11. Newspapers 87
12. Jewelry Stores 89
13. Theaters 90
14. Confectionaries 91
15. Drug Stores 93
16. Retail Groceries 94
17. Meat Markets 95
18. Wholesale Groceries 95
19. Packing Houses 97
20. Creameries 97
21. Lumber Companies 100
22. Furniture Stores 100
23. Hardware Stores 101
24. Electric Shops 101
25. Motor Companies 101
26. Stamp Works 105
27. Cleaners 106
28. Oil Development 107
Page 1
HISTORY OF WINFIELD
by the
Fourth Hour American History Class (1924)
—
EARLY HISTORY
Traditions
The site of the city of Winfield, Kansas, in the fertile Walnut Valley was once included in the large Osage Indian reservation. This region is rich in legends and traditions, many of which, however, have no foundation. The beautiful Indian legends told by Margaret Hill McCarter in her book “The Master’s Degree” were found to be wholly fictitious, as were many others.
The story is told that in 1542 Coronado, in his search for the Seven Cities of Cibola,
crossed the Walnut River at Kickapoo Ford and camped for several days where Baden’s Mill
now stands. Broken arms and old utensils, among them an old rusty sword, have since been
plowed up. Those lend to the belief that the story, although possibly exaggerated, may be true.
The territory around Winfield was first held by two strong Indian tribes, the Osages and the Kickapoos. An old tradition says that a treaty made in 1850 between these two tribes
provided that in case either tribe was attacked, the other should send aid.
About this time the Pawnees attacked the Kickapoos. The Osages responded to their call for aid, true to the agreement, and the Pawnees were driven off.
Shortly afterward, the Osages were attacked by the Tonkawas, a tribe hated and feared by all others because it was the only cannibal tribe known in America. The Osages appealed by messenger to the Kickapoos, who fearing the Tonkawas, refused to come to their aid. After
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a hard struggle the Osages succeeded in defeating the Tonkawas without help. A part of the
Osage tribe also refused to fight the Tonkawas and so were named Kaws which means “Cowards” and they were driven out of the Osage territory. They settled in Kay County and lived there for many years in poverty and disgrace.
The Osages then attacked the Kickapoos to punish them for the broken treaty. The
Kickapoos had anticipated an attack and had hidden in what is now known as the Kickapoo
Corral, located a short distance south and west of town. This proved to be an exceedingly fine place to hide, as the Corral is protected on the south by a high bluff, and on the north by the Walnut river. There are but two means of access to the Corral, one by an old trail south of Winfield, which follows the river bed around the Mausoleum Hill; and the other, a shallow ford across the Walnut River between the dam and the Tunnel Mill, this entrance is guarded by a whirlpool a few hundred feet below the ford. The Kickapoos are supposed to have used these two points of egress as means to leave the Corral in search of food and supplies. And so the trail and the ford came to be called and are still known as the Kickapoo trail and the Kickapoos ford.
The Osages laid siege to the Corral for some time, but the Kickapoos were well supplied
and successfully withstood the siege. The Osages became impatient and contrary to all methods of Indian fighting they silently crossed the river one stormy night to do battle with the treaty-breakers. The Osages were taken completely by surprise and in the terrible battle which ensued the entire camp, with the exception of one man and a woman was massacred. It has been said that in trying to escape these two were caught in the whirlpool and drowned, but it is generally believed that they escaped drowning
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land was originally given to the Indians they claimed a strip of land 20 miles wide and 200 miles long, extending west of the Mississippi River. Later this grant was limited to more definite boundaries by which it was greatly diminished.
Out of the diminished Osage Reservation, Cowley County, containing 33 square miles, was made. Cowley County is named for a brave young lieutenant, who died during the Civil War at Little Rock, Arkansas.
In January, 1870, the government offered the land in the Osage Reservation for sale, the restrictions on the sale of this land were: that no man should buy more than the 160 acres at $1.25 per acre. And if after that time he had made all possible improvements the land would become his.
At the beginning of the year 1870 there were probably 200 or 300 settlers in the county. After the Indians relinquished their claims, many other people moved in, ‘squatting,’ on all the unimproved land.
The first 160 acres purchased was to include the land on which the Winfield Courthouse now stands.
COWLEY COUNTY
Early in 1870 a bill was introduced into the State Legislature which provided for the
organization of Cowley County. The name “Cowley County” was given to this territory in honor of Matthews Cowley, a first Lieutenant in the Ninth Kansas Calvary, who enlisted from Butler County, Kansas, and died while in service at Little Rock, Arkansas.
Cresswell (Arkansas City) was made temporary County seat by
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the State Legislature. The influence of the Emporia founder of Cresswell in the Legislature,
made this motion almost certain. As soon as the news reached Winfield, measures were taken to “head it off.” C. M. Wood, A. A. Jackson, and J. H. Land took a census of the County. The population proved to be over six hundred. E. C. Manning swore to the correctness of this statement before H. C. Land, justice of the Peace. He then took the census returns, made out the necessary papers, hurried to Governor Crawford in Topeka. The Governor at once issued an order proclaiming Cowley County organized with Winfield as County Seat.
A meeting of the temporary Board of County Commissioners was held in the log cabin of W. W. Andrews, northeast of Winfield on March 23, 1870. W. W. Andrews was elected chairman. At this meeting it was decided to call a special election, May 2, 1870, for the election of County and Township officers, and to decide the location of the County seat. The county officers elected in the first election were: County Commissioners - Morgan Willett, T. A. Blanchard, and G. H. Norton: Sheriff - Frank A. Hunt: County Clerk - H. C. Loomis; District Clerk - John Devore; County Treasurer - W. E. Cook; Registrar of Deeds; - T. B. Ross; Probate Judge - E. P. Hickok; County Surveyor - S. R. Graham; Coroner - W. G. Graham.
Arkansas City laid claims to the County seat, declaring that they were nearer the center of the county. Asserting that the State Line was sixteen miles south of their city. Most of the settlers wished to live near the County Seat, and Consequently Arkansas City boomed while Winfield Dwindled.
A survey was made by Governor Deputy Surveyors, to settle the
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boundary dispute, and it was four and one-half miles from the south county line, and six miles from the west line. As Winfield was found to be only eight and one-half from the center of the County, it was evident that Arkansas City could no longer maintain the claim.
The founders of Arkansas City formed a town company with a charter bearing the date June 13, 1871. This company immediately proceeded to lay claim to all the land in the vicinity of the geographical center of the County. The Winfield Association had been waiting for just such a move and they were on the ground with claimants and loads of lumber almost as soon as their rivals. Winfield did not win this time. The Tisdale people could steal more lumber during the night than Winfield people could bring in during the day. Finally the play was given up, as it was too expensive. The settlers proceeded to lay out a town; erected buildings, started a store, a blacksmith shop, and hotel, at the same time circulating a petition for an election to relocate the county seat was brought forward.
The election was to be held August 22, and a lively canvas preceded it. The result was that 721 votes were cast for Winfield and 523 for Tisdale. It was charged that many illegal votes were cast, particularly in Winfield. There was, no doubt, much ground for this belief, but there were undoubtedly no more illegal votes cast for Winfield than for Tisdale.
CITY GOVERNMENT
On February 12, 1873, Winfield was incorporated as a third class city. T. B. Ross, the first Probate Judge of Cowley County, and Colonel Manning drove after midnight to Augusta, shows Mr. Manning’s great interest in the growing city, and how Judge Ross although a strict observer of the Sabbath, was in for putting Winfield to the
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WIND STORM.
The most destructive wind storm in Winfield’s history occurred in the summer of 1893.
The storm arose about seven-thirty, one June evening. A dark cloud formed in the
northern skies and a fierce gale swept southward through the city, damaging all buildings and residences for a width of two hundred yards.
The Frisco Railroad bridge was first swept out. The gale continued southward to the
center of town where the Opera House, the Episcopal Church, and the Carriage Factory were
almost totally destroyed. Also numerous residences were caught in its path and left in ruins.
The total loss resulting from the storm was conservatively estimated to be twelve to
fifteen thousand dollars.
BREAKING OF THE RESERVOIR.
Early in the spring of 1916, a rather peculiar accident occurred which caused considerable damage. The city reservoir, located on a hill east of St. John’s College, had been enlarged but the sides had not been strengthened in proportion to the increased capacity. Early one morning, the west side gave way. Water came rushing down, filling the basements of the houses in its course.
Most damage was done to St. John’s College and to basements in which the water stood.
During the next year, a better and larger reservoir was constructed. This removes the
danger of such a thing happening again.
THE FLOOD OF 1923.
One of the worst disasters in the history of the town was the flood of 1923. Immense
rains raised the Walnut River far out of its banks. On June 9, 1923, the water rose at the rate of one foot per
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hour. In some places this body of water was three miles across. The people in the north and
south parts of town had to move from their homes, as the high water was flowing across East
Ninth Street, down Loomis, Bliss, and Andrews Street. The business districts and parts of the residents were surrounded by water.
The flood made living conditions for a time very undesirable. The electric light plant
was disabled, leaving the city in total darkness. On June 11, nearly all railway service was
crippled. The drinking water became unhealthful and had to be purified before it could be used.
The Damage done was conservatively estimated at one million dollars. The basements of stores, houses, and churches were filled with water which damaged much furniture, dry goods, and other articles. Many people’s homes were almost ruined by the high water. Farmers’ crops near the river were badly damaged. The loss was heavy for the mills near the river and many of the business houses.
One tragedy occurred during the flood. While attempting to cross the corner of Andrew and Sixth Streets which were overflowing, Wesley Brown was swept under the fatal current. He was a student attending Southwestern College from Leon, Kansas.
During the time of the flood, four hundred Epworth League delegates from other towns were in Winfield. They had to stay until the flood was over and railway service resumed. The Chautauqua which had been in progress had to close because Island Park was under water.
The Red Cross made a drive for three thousand dollars ($3,000) to help the refugees. They had no trouble in getting the desired amount. The National Red Cross donated $1,000.
On June 13 and 14, people began to return to their homes, but
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the effects of the water were to be seen for months after. The water level just reached the floor level of the court-house and was over all but the last step of the 1916 unit of the high school building.
This flood was the largest in the history of Winfield. In 1904 Dutch Creek over-flowed. The water in 1923 was five feet higher than in 1904, the greatest height being thirty-six feet, two inches. This flood goes down in history as a great disaster, long to be remembered.
III. CHURCHES.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church
In 1870, the first Methodist congregation in Winfield was organized. Rev. B. C. Swartz and family moved to Winfield in 1869, and after the founding of the church, he became the first pastor. The first congregation consisted of three members, but six more were added by the end of the year.
In September, 1870, a small wooden church was erected on the corner of Tenth and
Millington. It was twenty-two feet wide and thirty-four feet long. Dr. Graham and wife, two of the first members of the church, furnished the lumber for its erection, as well as giving much time and labor to help complete it.
The first parsonage was built in 1873, at a cost of $600. Due to the fine social spirit
shown by the members of the church on all occasions, as well as the influence for good of the church itself, the membership grew to fifty-six by June 1, 1876.
By November, 1876, the Sunday School membership had increased until over ninety
were enrolled. To care for the rapid growth, the members voted to erect a new building. The
parsonage was moved and in December of the same year, work began. A few weeks later, the corner-stone was laid by the Masonic Lodge, and construction was well under way. On September 28, 1877, opening services were held in
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the new church.
By 1905, the congregation had become so large that the members foresaw the need of still larger quarters. Subscriptions were raised for a new building, and in August, 1906, the contract was made and work started. Two months later, the corner stone was laid, and in April, 1907, the church was completed. On May 12, the new building was dedicated by Bishop D. H. Moore. In 1924, including the parsonage, was valued at $61,000. The church continued to grow, maintaining its position among the leading churches of the city.
The First Baptist Church.
In the autumn of 1870, Rev. Winfield Scott of Leavenworth, a Baptist and former
chaplain in the army, came into this community on a hunting trip, and was invited to preach a sermon. The services were held in an unfinished store building on Main street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues. Boards were laid across the joists at the end of the building for the minister to stand on; a dry goods box served for a pulpit. The joists were also used as seats for the congregation.
From this meeting, the first Baptist Church of Winfield was organized, Nov. 27, 1870. A meeting followed in which a committee was appointed to solicit funds for the erection of a church. By spring, 1872, the building was erected at a total cost of $2,260.25. It was built of stone and situated between Seventh and Eighth Avenues on the west side of the street. The lots were donated by the Winfield Town Company.
This building was never formally dedicated. The first pastor was E. P. Hickok. Due to the steady increase in membership, the building soon proved to be inadequate, and a new
building was built.
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It was completed in 1882 and dedicated in May of that year.
The membership has increased from eleven members on 1870 to five hundred and fifty-five in 1924.
Various members have gone out from this church as religious workers, ministers, and
missionaries. The church is at present supporting two of its members, Rev. and Mrs. W. H. Hutton in the mission fields at Assam, India.
The First Christian Church.
J. H. Irvin, one of Winfield’s most worthy citizens, preached the first sermon for the
Christian Church. Having discovered there were a few members of the Christian Church in the new town of Winfield, Mr. Irvin preached on various occasions which resulted in the
organization of the church, September 22, 1872. A. L. Womack was one of the principals in the organization and he became the first pastor of the church.
A store room was utilized as the first church building, but services had previously been held in the Baptist Church. The first real service edifice was a small frame building located on Millington Street between Eleventh and Twelfth Avenues.
The church prospered from the beginning, until the panic and hard times swept over the country. Religious work, like everything else, was retarded. This, with the loss of the church building by fire, with no insurance and a mortgage, caused great discouragement. However, a new brick building was built on Eighth and Millington, and the work went on.
The following have gone out from this church into the ministry or the mission field; W. E. Harlow; W. W. Burk, Mrs. L. F. Jaggard, M. Lee, Storey, Guy H. Findley, and Miss Lena Williams.
The Grace Episcopal Church.
Before 1877 the church services were held in the old court house,
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and were conducted by an army officer who was sent down by the government. Bishop Vale
was the church’s first Bishop. (1877) The parish was taken the following year by Rev. Colton.
In 1887 Rev. DeLong took the parish and held it for several years. Bishop Vale died and then Bishop Thomas took the pulpit.
In 1888 the frame church was erected on the present site, but in 1893 this structure was destroyed by a tornado. When the wreckage of the church was cleared away, it was found that the illumined chancel window representing the Savior as the Good Shepherd, the gilt cross, and the marble Baptismal fount were in perfect condition, untouched by the falling timbers of the church.
Bishop Thomas died at this time and Bishop Millspaugh took his place. He induced Rev. Carpenter to come from New York and take the parish, and it was Rev. Carpenter who laid the corner stone of the present church in 1898; it was completed and dedicated the same year. In the same year, Rev. Talbot became pastor, and spent nine years with the church.
The First Presbyterian Church.
The First Presbyterian Church was founded in the fall of 1872. Rev. A R. Naylor
came to Winfield in November, having been sent by Dr. Timothy Hill, who was Superintendent of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Churches of Kansas.
The first meeting was held in the Baptist building on the third Sunday in November. In 1873, the First Presbyterian Church was formally organized with thirty-five charter members. In April, Rev. Naylor was called back to Indiana.
Early in 1877, the church started to build its own building. In September it was dedicated by Rev. James E. Platter, pastor of the church at the time. In 1924 Dr. W. C. Templeton was pastor, and there were about seven hundred active members with a reserve roll
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of one hundred fifty.
The (Catholic) Church of the Holy Name.
Winfield, in the 70's was one of the many stop-over places of Father Pouzigilane, a
Jesuit missionary. He would leave his headquarters in a buggy driven by Indian ponies, and
traversed all of southern Kansas and Western Oklahoma, as far as Texas. In 1877 Father Schurtz began coming regularly from Wichita.
Mr. Fuller, following the example of his father, donated a plot of ground to the church, and it was there that the first and present churches were built.
Gregory Kelley was the first resident priest, in 1880. He started a school in the church with him as teacher. Another fortunate provision of his was the well located St. Mary’s cemetery.
In 1887, the building of a new church was started, and after the construction was
completed, and the Sisters of St. Joseph were engaged. In 1904 the Sisters of St. Joseph took
charge of St. Mary’s Hospital, to the great satisfaction of Dr. Emerson.
In February, 1921, the church was destroyed by fire and in September, 1923, the new
church was completed. The total cost of the church was $80,000 and the present membership is two hundred and fifty.
Bethel A. M. E. Church.
The Bethel A. M. E. Church was organized in 1880 by Rev. Haley at the home of Mrs. Childs on Lowry Street.
The first trustees were Mrs. Works, Mrs. D. E. Douglas, and Mrs. Andy Smith. The
first members were Mrs. Work and Mrs. Douglas.
The Church was first located in the fourth block on Manning Street, but in 1916 it was moved to Sixteenth and Manning.
A new church was constructed in 1924 with a membership of fifty-eight.
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The United Brethren Church.
The United Brethren Church was organized in the spring of 1882, by Colonel Loomis, with sixteen charter members. It was conducted as a mission school for some time, their meetings being held in the court house. The United Brethren church held their services one week, and the Episcopalians the next, alternating each Sunday, so that both might have use of the Court House.
The first church was built in 1890, and was dedicated in December of that year by Bishop Weaver. The first pastor was Rev. J. H. Snyder; the first Superintendent was J. G. Meyer; the first secretary was Mrs. Miller and the first presiding elder was P. B. Lee.
Mrs. C. L. Garver was head of the ladies work in the church for twenty-five years, and during this time solicited nearly all of the money for the new church. The new church was built in 1923, replacing the old and much too small structure.
The church membership in 1924 was two hundred fifty and the Sunday School membership was one hundred eighteen.
The Baden Memorial Lutheran Church.
The Lutheran congregation was organized in 1884 through the instrumentality of J. P. Baden, who secured J. N. Ehlers as the first pastor.
The stone church was built in 1888 on the corner of Seventh and Andrews. It was dedicated by Rev. A. W. Meyer of Rader, Missouri, who was pastor from 1888 till 1896, and is, today, the president of St. John’s College.
In 1888, Rev.C. S. Spannth became pastor, and was followed by Rev. A. W. Meyer. Succeeding pastors were Rev. Luecke, Rev. Ranh and John Lindermeyer.
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In 1905, a new church was built by Mrs. J. P. Baden in memory of her husband; hence, it was given the name, “Baden Memorial Lutheran Church.”
The number of members in the Sunday School was one hundred and eighty in 1924. The church membership, including the out-of-town students, was four hundred and fifty.
There is a parochial school located at Seventh and Cherry.
The Colored Baptist Church.
The Second Baptist Church was organized in 1885 with twelve members and Mr. Lewis Lluans as first minister.
The church was located at Sixteenth and Main Streets. It was remodeled in 1924, having then a membership of seventy. At that time, Mrs. Ralph Franklin was the only living charter member.
The Grace Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Grace Methodist Episcopal Church had its beginning in the year 1888. A small band of faithful workers organized a class and requested the Annual Conference to send them a pastor. This request was granted and Rev. E. H. Vaighn was appointed to serve what was known as “The Second Church of Winfield.” Later it became known as the “College Hill Church,” and finally took the name of the Grace Methodist Church.
For some time they met in the college chapel for worship. In 1902 under the leadership of J. N. Roberts, the church was built.
During the year 1912, under the leadership of Rev. R. L. George, the church was enlarged, making it possible to seat seven hundred.
Grace Church has meant much to Southwestern College. Many of the students have been converted at her altar. During the school year, the prayer meetings are held at seven o’clock in the evening and many
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Southwestern students attend.
As years went by, the membership increased greatly, and after the church burned in 1917, a new building was erected at a cost of $65,000.
In 1924 the membership was eight hundred, seventy-five, an increase of three hundred ninety-six members since 1920.
The Church of Christ.
The Church of Christ was organized in 1888 with fifteen members. They met at the home of Mrs. T. R. Oliverson for nearly two years. Services were then held in the public hall and the city building for two years more. The first minister was Judge J. D. Gans.
A small frame church building located in the five hundred block on East Seventh was then purchased and regular services were held in the new location. Elders, J. H. Irvin, W. W. Schick, and J. C. Frazee were the ministers of the church at this location.
In about five years, the church building was moved to the corner of Seventh and Andrews. A few years later a brick building was built on the same location. This is the present location of the church, whose membership numbers two hundred.
Bible studies are held frequently at the church. These are conducted for a period of twelve weeks, during which time the Bible is read and explained. The minister in charge is Elder A. M. Morris, now a resident of California.
J. H. Irvin has been a elder of the church ever since it was organized thirty-six years ago.
The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ - The Latter Day Saints.
The church was organized in 1915 with J. W. Hughes as minister. They first met in a rented room in the two hundred block on East Ninth by the Robinson Second Hand Store. They then moved to a hall above the Watson Grocery Store at two hundred and five and a half East Ninth.
In 1923 they built a church at 1315 Stewart Street. The ground for building this church was donated by Mose Derusha. The members made payments and had cooked food sales to raise the money for building the church. They did not solicit from the town, but paid for it entirely from their membership.
The Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army was organized in 1887, and with its industrious membership, was soon put on a sound basis. The meeting place was for several years, in a stone building between Sixth and Seventh Streets on Main.
In 1920, the new Salvation Army Citadel was built in the one hundred block on East Seventh Avenue, by a popular subscription of the citizens of Winfield. Captain Nevitt was the first captain. The building, which is valued at $14,000, contains a large auditorium and a gymnasium for the children.
There are about twenty soldiers in the Army at present, and about forty members in the Sunday School. Mr. Greer was the Salvation Army Commander in 1924.
Besides Sunday School work, the Salvation Army does a tremendous amount of work among the poor, especially at Christmas time. They also rendered a great service after and during the flood of 1925.
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IV. Education
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The very first school, that was near enough (to) Winfield to benefit her students, was a little school house located on the prairies just west of town. Because of the great inconvenience of the prairie school, the first public school was located in Winfield, in 1870 in an old log store on North Manning. Miss Alma Marks had the honor of being the first teacher.
In two years time a larger building was needed and $10,000 in bonds were issued for the purpose of building what is now known as the North Wing of Central, located in the 400 block on East Ninth Avenue.
As each year saw a big increase in the enrollment for the school, it was decided in 1884 to erect Bryant and Webster Schools; Bryant more commonly known as West Ward; and Webster, East Ward; Lowell, South Ward; and Irving, North Ward; were built in 1893. Later in 1923, Stevenson was erected six blocks east of north ward. Stevenson teaches only the first four grades while the other schools teach the entire six years. An addition of one story will be made to this building making a two story building.
The only parochial school in Winfield is St. Martin’s Lutheran School. It was organized in 1887 by Rev. Carl Spannuth for the purpose of developing Christian character for the students. It was first held in the Lutheran Church but in the fall of 1989 a building was erected at the corner of Seventh and Andrews.
After the building of the grade schools the old Central building was given completely to a high school course; Mr. Hickok was first principal. The first class graduating from the high school was in 1878 with two members, Mr. James Lorton and McClelland Clingman.
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The three story addition to old Central was made in 1880.
In the year 1910, a three story brick building was completed. It was located in the block east of Central.
Later in 1916 the Manual Arts Building was completed. This was an addition directly to the east of the building completed in 1910. Also another addition to this building was completed in 1924; its location was north of the old 1910 building.
The Junior High was first formed in 1917, Miss Helen Pritchard was the first and only separate principal. The Junior High School first consisted of only the seventh and eighth grades until 1923 when the ninth grade was put with these two.
Each year brought about new ideas and the following departments have been introduced in later years; Normal training, 1911; Dramatics, 1922; Public Speaking Department, 1923; and Music Department, 1923.
As well as the educational phase, the recreational side must also be developed. In the fall of 1905 the three literary societies were, Alpha, Philomathean, and Die Beste. They were organized within the school. This developed a keen competition among students.
Athletics were first known in Winfield High School in 1907 when Principal J. W. Bowans, later Superintendent of Schools, organized a basketball team. Due to so much enthusiasm over basketball, a football team was organized in 1920 and a track team in 1913.
The first Christian Organization was the Boys’ Club formed by Mr. T. H. Vaughan, in 1917. The name of Hi-Y was taken up after the war and its purpose is the development of the Christian side in a boy’s life.
The Y. W. C. A., the girls’ Christian Association, was organized in 1919 under the leadership of Miss Florence Stone.
Winfield has won several honors that should be credited to the students. Among the State and National honors in the school are;
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second place in the National Basketball Tournament in 1920, State Championship Track Team in years of 1919, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1925; A State Championship Team in 1926 in debate; Junior High School State Basketball Championship team in 1925.
One of the greatest honors bestowed upon Winfield is the one Thousand dollars prize for being the best town in which to rear children. The basis for awarding this honor was upon moral, physical, social, religious and reductional training. A great amount of this training is received in our public schools.
SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE
At its third annual session, which was held in 1885, the Southwest Kansas Conference of the Methodist Church decided to establish a new institution of learning within its boundaries. A committee was appointed to select a location; El Dorado, Hutchinson, Newton, Peabody, Wellington, and Winfield being the locations considered. Winfield won, having offered $60,000 in cash, forty acres of land, stone for the building, a free water supply for use in erecting it, and all lumber and hardware at cost.
As the building was not completed by the fall of 1886, the second story over Baden’s general store was rented. This building was located on the corner of Tenth and Main and the assembly room opened onto a rear alley in which a poultry business was carried on. The view from the present site of the college offers a striking contrast to its earlier environment.
The enrollment at the opening of school was forty-three, and John E. Harp was the first president.
An academy offering four years of high school work, formed a part of the school for many years. At one time, its enrollment numbered six hundred. In 1916, this academy was discontinued.
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The first college building completed is known as North Hall or Science Hall. It was completed in 1887. There was a question for some time as to how this new hall was to be heated. They decided this by closing the large south entrance which had been planned. The furnace room was located in that section of the building now occupied by the domestic science department.
All the water used in chemical experiments in this new science hall, was carried from a well, on the side of the hill north of where Smith Hall now stands. A windmill furnished the means of drawing the water, and it was the president’s son, John Harp, who had to keep this windmill well oiled. When there was not sufficient water in the well, it was carried from Dutch Creek.
The second building built on the campus was a girls’ dormitory. It was a wooden structure and was located in nearly the same place as was the scene of many interesting happenings. Sunday evening services were held there and were led by the matron of the dorm, Mrs. McBride.
The first society in the college, Cadmus, was organized while classes were still being carried on in the rooms downtown. This was replaced in 1890, by the Athenian Society. A little later, a girls’ society, Belle Lettres, was started. When first organized, this society admitted only the girls staying in the dormitory. However, this was soon changed and all the college girls were allowed to join.
Societies which have been organized since that time and that are now equally as important as the first ones are: Sigma Pi Phi, Delphi, Alpha Beta Alpha, Beta Gamma Epsilon, and Delta Kappa Chi.
A chapter of Sigma Nu Fraternity at Lawrence, Beta Kappa, was founded in 1892, by Alva J. Graham. This was soon forced out of existence, however. As a result, several men left school and there was
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no graduating class that year.
During the few years of the existence of the college, the girls were such strict Methodists, they wouldn’t go to theaters or ride in the street cars on Sunday.
At first, the tuition and board cost one hundred dollars per year in advance. In 1890-91, the board was about $1.50 per week, and girls’ rooms were only twenty-five cents.
The earliest records of class fights in order to have their colors up on a certain day was around the year 1889-90. Since that time many interesting struggles and contests have been held in connection with that.
The College Senate was started in 1892, and was composed of students and faculty members. Since its beginning, this organization has increased and many problems have been solved by it.
The College Times, the first paper published by the college, was started in 1889. It contained both national and school news. Since that early day the papers which have been published by Southwestern are: College Advance, S. W. K. College Round Table, Vox Studentium, and the Southwestern Collegian. At one time when the evolution question was being hotly discussed, some of the students published a paper called, “The Origin of Man.”
In 1910, Richardson Hall, the building that crowns the hill, was completed. That part of the hall which projects east of the rest of the building and contains the stage, was added after the cement wall had been put around the building. When this was added, a hole was cut through this cement wall about four feet from the ground and about one foot and a half by one and a half in dimensions. The purpose of this opening was to fix a passageway from the stage to the main building. This idea was abandoned and an a outside door was
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built. The hole still remains there and is used only during the initiations of the various organizations.
Plans were made for installing the boilers and heating apparatus under Richardson Hall and about four hundred dollars was spent in blasting a hole for this. This idea of placing the heating apparatus there was given up and the present plan of heating the two buildings from the same plant was adopted.
The latest addition to Southwestern is the new gymnasium. Only one section of it has been completed as yet, the library occupying the first floor. More wings are to be added to this large structure, in the future.
The other buildings belonging to the college at present are: four modern girls’ dormitories, the president’s home, and the downtown studies for the Fine Arts Department.
The faculty at present consists of about fifty professors and thirty-six student assistants.
Athletics have been a large factor in making Southwestern better known, and the college holds an enviable record. From 1913 to 1920, Southwestern was never below fourth place in any sport. During that time championships were won in football, basketball, track, baseball, girls’ tennis, and girls’ basketball. Three state championships have been won, and a second and a third place in the National Basketball Tournament.
The grave-yard, a small plot of ground south of Richardson Hall, was made to show the different victories of the college in both forensic and athletic events. A slab of rock for each victory is placed within the low stone wall that marks its location.
Another important feature of the college is the S. This is made of many rocks which were placed in the position to make an S, standing
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for Southwestern. It was first made in March of 1918. At different times Fairmont College has been represented by a group of their loyal students who change this S into an F. The change always is soon noted by the Southwestern students and the S resumes its natural appearance. This S is located on the south side of a hill north of town. It is just west of the State Home. Every fall the Freshmen have to pull the weeds from the ground around the rocks, and then the rocks are given a fresh coat of white-wash.
The college is fully accredited and a member of the North Central Association, a privilege granted only to those colleges maintaining high standards.
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE.
Winfield owes its educational growth to another organization widely known; namely, St. John’s College, which was founded by J. P. Baden in 1893, to which he contributed $50,000 for its erection and support.
Mr. Baden bought the block of ground on which Baden Hall was to be built for $1,200. In 1909 the Commercial Club of Winfield donated the block of ground adjoining west of the block which Mr. Baden donated, on which the boy’s dormitory was later erected.
On February 20, 1893, incorporation papers were signed but it was not until March 1, 1894, that the building was dedicated.
The building was not ready for occupancy by the following September, but classes were opened on the second floor of Mr. Baden’s store, which is at present the Calvert-Cheek Co. Store.
In May, 1893, the property was given to the English Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
On March 1, 1894, the building was dedicated with Prof. H. Sieck as President, who was the first man to hold such a position in this
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school. Then on account of failing health, he resigned and Rev. A. W. Meyer of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, succeeded him and still holds that honorable position in 1925. Since A. W. Meyer became President in 1895, the enrollment increased from fourteen to two hundred fifty. The faculty grew from two to eighteen. Classes were first opened by Prof. H. Stoppelworth, assisted by Pastor C. Luecke.
In 1896, the first class graduated, nine in number. Four of them were given diplomas for further study of the ministry at the St. Louis Seminary.
The upkeep of the college was too great for such a small synod and in 1908 the Missouri Synod took it in hand but it was not until 1911 that the general body governed it.
On account of the rapid growth of the college, Baden Hall could no longer accommodate the increasing number of students; the Synod, while in session at Chicago in 1914, authorized the erection of a fire-proof building, a boy’s dormitory built of native stone, sanitary and modern in all respects, to be built on the block which was denoted by the Commercial club of Winfield.
Before this time, Baden Hall had a dining hall, kitchen in the basement, the class-rooms on the first floor, and the bedrooms and study rooms on the third and fourth floors. Boys also slept in the dormitory.
In 1926 there were four buildings: the administration building, the dormitory, and the gymnasium. The new administration building being erected in 1925 is valued at $155,000.
A central heating plant has been installed at the cost of $45,216.56. It is fully equipped with special burners, water main, and a high power tension wiring. It has three large Pacific boilers,
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and either gas, oil or coal may be burned. The vacuum steam system is employed for heating the building and splendid results have been obtained.
The new plant has operated at a remarkable saving to the institution, the fuel bill having been reduced by more than $1,000 in one year. This is practically one half of the total expense.
A detention hospital has to be erected in the fall or spring, valued at about $20,000.
St. John’s College is not a school only for boys but also for girls. The courses which they offer are: Normal Training, Classical, and Commercial, High School, Secretarial, and Music.
St. John’s College is not well known yet in athletics as they took up football only two years ago.
In basketball the team made a wonderful showing, winning from the National Champions, Washburn College. St. John’s also has a team in both tennis and baseball.
There are forty-nine Lutheran Colleges in the United States not including the seminarian and theological colleges and St. John’s stands in the lead as students come from all parts of the United States to attend this college.
CENTRAL COMMERCIAL COLLEGE.
The Central Commercial College started in a very modest way, February 5, 1917. A Sunday School Class composed of fifty or more girls most of whom were working in the kitchen, packinghouse, telephone office, stores, and laundries, won the sympathy of their teacher, Mrs. W. S. Dalton. She offered to teach them shorthand and typewriting in the evenings, thus enabling them to increase their earning capacity.
The character of the work attracted others in and around Winfield.
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Soon, the Sunday School rooms were not large enough and quarters were leased in the A. O. U. W. Building. In a short time, this became inadequate, and the present college home, 304 East Ninth, was purchased.
Each succeeding year has been better than the one before. Students at present are enrolled from practically all over Kansas and Northern Oklahoma.
The Central Commercial College is non-sectarian. It is a member of the National Association of Accredited Commercial Schools and offers courses in all commercial subjects. The college has an affiliated relationship with Southwestern College.
It has the very best equipment, and recently an international time recording clock was installed. This checks the students in and out of class.
The social side of life is also taken care of at the Commercial College by means of picnics, parties, basketball, and a pep club.
THE WINFIELD LIBRARY.
Previous to 1911 when the Carnegie Library was established, the only circulating library was kept up by the ladies’ clubs of the city. This library consisted of about two hundred books.
In order to get a Carnegie library, a city or town must agree to support it. In an election previous to 1911, Winfield declared that she was ready to undertake such an obligation.
The building site was furnished by the city of Winfleld, and Andrew Carnegie gave $15,000 toward the building.
P. H. Albright was the first president of the new library board.
At the opening of the library on New Year’s Day, 1912, a reception was held at which the literary clubs of the city gave a program each hour during the day.
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On the opening day, about seven hundred books were donated to the library. These were added to a private library which had been purchased. This private library numbered about twelve hundred fifty books. This stock of books grew until, in 1925, it numbered over twelve thousand, with sixty current magazines and papers on five. Also it has a well-stocked reference room, containing encyclopedias and reference books of all kinds.
The work has developed and grown from a loan of fifteen thousand books the first year to about forty-eight thousand in 1925. Approximately that many are used in the building each year, as the open-shelf system allows people to use the books whether they have cards or not. Now there are more than five thousand registered borrowers.
The library is open to the entire county, and there are thirteen town and villages which take advantage of the opportunity to use it. (Information given by Mrs. Houston, librarian)
V. FINE ARTS.
PAINTING
Art plays a big part in Winfield, both in the schools and in the city, itself. Before 1900, Miss Churmahorn and Mrs. Gates were the two most prominent artists.
Miss Edith Andrus ( Mrs. Robert B. Dunlevy) taught art in Southwestern from the year 1894 to 1904. She received her early training in Hillsdale College at Hillsdale, Michigan.
Mrs. George Lockwood started a studio for china painting in Winfield in 1890. For about ten years she taught in Southwestern. Teachers came from Oklahoma and all parts of Kansas to study under her. She also gives a few lessons to those who do not teach. An
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immense amount of work is done by this studio, ten thousand pieces having been turned out in one year. Mrs. Lockwood received her early training from Fran Aulic and Frank Bishoff, both of Chicago.
Miss Grace Raymond has also been an art supervisor at Southwestern for several years. This Winfield artist has won national honors, having exhibited in Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, D. C., the Chicago Art Institute and the Water Color Club of Chicago. She received special commendation at an international exhibit in Washington in 1915. Miss Raymond received her early training in Washington Academy and in the Art Institute of Chicago. Later she studied under the famous French artist, Clase, and other foreign masters. Miss Raymond has also traveled in Europe extensively and has just recently returned from a trip around the world.
PUBLIC SCHOOL MUSIC.
A systematic study of singing was established in the Winfield Schools in 1887. The first instructor was Mr. J. B. Snyder, who continued his work for two years. Following him, Mr. L. M. Gordon took charge of the work and continued in that position either part of full time, until 1920, excepting a period of seven years. This interval was supplied by the following instructors, one or more years each, Mr. Leach, Miss Young, Miss Caroline Williams, and Miss Gertrude Hale.
In the early days of music in the schools, the entire high school composed the chorus which practiced the easier choral works published for the purpose, usually culminating the year’s work with a public recital.
As the schools grew in numbers a select chorus of the best
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readers was formed to study more pretentious works and by this group some very interesting choral cantatas were put on. Later, the Glee Club, supplanted the general chorus. At the same time, interest in band and orchestra came to the front and opportunity for study of the various small instruments was offered those who were thus inclined; many of the pupils availing themselves of the opportunity. This beginning doubtless accounts for the wide spread of this type of music study and efficiency in and about Winfield.
In the early days of the schools, it was their practice to call in some of the town musicians to furnish music for commencement occasions, but a little later, the graduating class was made responsible for the musical portion of the program, a duty they assumed but not without fear and trembling. This condition did not last, as a little later, the large chorus furnished the music for Commencement, occupying a large chorus platform of raised seats filling the entire opera house stage. With further development, it became possible to intersperse these choral numbers with solos by members of the class.
Mrs. Frank Siverd, then Mary Wirt, a member of an early class, rendered a solo with a violin obligato. This was very popular and resulted in a growing demand for this type of music until in 1920 the musical numbers for commencement consisted of four solos, one each of violin, voice, flute, and piano, while the platform held over one hundred graduates. This was a remarkable growth.
The steady growth in interest in the grades as well as high school can be attributed partly at least to the chorus festival, held for several years, in May at Island Park, in which six hundred young people participated and were greeted by an audience of from
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two to three thousand. This demonstrated that music was liked by the people in general and not the few; therefore music became popular with children, and it was no longer necessary for parents to urge their children to sing.
Much credit is due to the regular grade teachers, for their very willing and efficient help in training the youth in music.
FINE ARTS OF SOUTHWESTERN.
The Fine Arts Department at Southwestern was established in 1886, with the beginning of the college.
The first faculty was headed by Mrs. E. G. Harp from 1887 to 1891, who was the wife of Southwestern’s first president. There were ninety-four students enrolled the first year. W. B. Strong was the next director and he held the position for one year.
Violin and Strings.
The violin department was developed rapidly from the beginning because the instructors secured were unusually efficient in their work. Edgar Gordon, now the head of the Bureau of Community Music and Drama at the University of Wisconsin, taught violin for several years and was musical director of the entire school for the year 1910 and 1911.
Professor Altvater, who came to Winfield in 1920, organized a violin choir composed of twenty members, which is a valuable addition to the department. In connection with the choir is the violin quartet which is chosen from the members of the choir. Programs are presented by this organization which are enjoyed and greatly appreciated by the community.
The Winfield Symphony Orchestra, with Professor Altvater as
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conductor, plays a vital part in the life of the college. It has a total membership of fifty. It serves as an accompanist in the performances of vocal work and participates in instrumental concerts.
Voice
The voice department has always been a part of the Southwestern School of fine Arts; but it has made its greatest development within the last five years. Mr. Marshall was dean of this department from 1911 to 1919 and he was followed by Mr. Royer, who was dean until 1921. Mr. Achille Fioramonti, Mrs. Fioramonti, and Mrs. S. D. Stout have been responsible for most of the development within late years. The Glee Clubs, both men’s and women’s, as well as quartettes are formed annually. The singers give concerts locally and throughout the state.
Piano
The Piano Department has had rapid growth along with the others. Gertrude H. Hale was instructor in piano and director part of the time between 1892-1899. Archibald Olmstead was head of the Piano department and director for the entire school of fine arts from 1903 to 1905.
Professor Stout was dean of the school from 1919-1924, and one year before he was professor of piano. Professor Burkholder took the place of Professor Stout as Dean. He is also professor of piano. During this time the school has enjoyed phenomenal growth, the faculty and equipment have been effectively increased, until today, it ranks as one of the best in the country, with an enrollment of over two hundred fifty and a faculty of sixteen.
Elocution
Professor F. S. Gilson, who is the head of the department of Public Speaking at Emporia State Teachers College, was the first to
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pay marked attention to the elocution department. Professor Gilson remained in South-western from 1902-1913 and the department advanced rapidly under his supervision. During his last year the work was divided into two departments: one of public speaking, oratory and debate; another of expression.
Miss Helen Graham has built the expression department up to one of the best in this state. Miss Graham is an alumnus of Southwestern College.
FINE ARTS OF ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE.
In the early history of St. John’s College no regular music department was main-tained, but soon arrangements were made whereby students who wished to take work along this line might do so at the Winfield College of Music under the direction of Professor Archibald Olmstead.
In 1910, the Piano Department was organized, with Miss Hildegarde Scaer as head of the department. This department has grown steadily, and in 1925 had a large number of college students enrolled.
Later, voice, violin, and elocution were added to the music department. The school also maintains an orchestra, band, male chorus
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boys’ octette, girls’ octette, and quartettes, both boys’ and girls’.These organizations are much in demand for school activities and give public concerts each season.
THE WINFIELD COLLEGE OF MUSIC.
On July 25, 1889, several prominent Winfield men applied to the State of Kansas for a charter granting the power to organize and maintain a college of music for the purpose of offering instruction in music and its allied subjects and to grant certificates, diplomas, and degrees. This charter was granted August 12, 1889.
The name selected was the “Winfield College of Music,” and it was a privately owned, self-supporting institution.
The faculty of twelve members in the various departments has taken care of three hundred pupils each season for several years.
The curriculum covers all branches of musical instruction including piano, voice, violin, viola, cello, organ, wind instruments, ans well as teachers’ normal courses and all branches of musical theory and history of music.
Miss Gertrude Hale was the first President and musical directory of the school and served in that capacity until 1902.
The graduates of the College of Music are scattered throughout the country and many of them are engaged in professional musical activities.
The Barsololm Trio, composed of faculty members, was organized in 1917. Its personnel at that time consisting of Archibald Olmstead, Marguerite Waste, and Hobart I. Barbour; piano, violin, and cello, respectively. Later, in 1922, Orvin A. Sale took Miss Waste’s position in the Trio as violinist. The euphonious name, Bar Sal Olm,
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was then given to the organization, it being suggested by Mr. Olmstead. In it were used the first three letters of the last name of each of the members. Since Mr. Olmstead’s death, Mr. Barton Bachman has the position as pianist. However, the name Barsalolm has been retained for the organization. They have appeared in public many times not only locally but also in other cities of Kansas and have received commendation from both press and public.
The Winfield College of Music Junior Club was organized and federated both in the state and national federation, in March, 1923, it being the first club in Winfield to federate, as well as being the first Junior Music Club in the State of Kansas. Kansas was the second state in the Union to have a Junior Music Club, Missouri being first. It is sponsored by the Winfield College of Music, but its membership is not restricted to students of the school.
All young people of the country are eligible, its purpose being to promote greater interest in all things musical in the community at large.
Also in the school there are a Boys’ Juvenile Music Club and a Girls’ Juvenile Music Club, for the children of the community. All of these clubs have regular meetings, elect their own officers, have programs, and do choral work.
THE WINFIELD MUNICIPAL BAND.
For forty-three years Winfield has been the proud possessor of a band. The first one was organized in 1879, and was known as the Courier Band. Mr. Cripton was the first director and was followed by Frank McLean. In 1887, the Knights of Pythias Band was organized by A. L. Blankmeister, who acted as director. About two years later, Mr. Blank-meister directed the “Sunflower Band” which was composed of girls. The band did not last long but while in existence, played for the county fair and several city functions.
In 1889, Harry Caton organized a band, composed of boys, known as “Caton’s Dozen.” George VanDeWater, Herbert McGregor, and Walter Martin were members of this organization. The “Citizens Band” was also in existence at this time, and was directed by Frank McLean. These bands went out of existence in a few years, and with the exception of a colored band, directed by J. W. Singleton, formed in 1892, Winfield was without a band until 1895.
Winfield’s Present band was organized by H. A. Caton, B. F. Sadil, and H. Shivvers during the summer of 1895, out of a group of young men, mostly school boys, whose experience in band work was slight. The standard of music was set high from the start, and has always been kept so. Harry Caman of Wellington was hired as director. At present the band is composed of representative business men of the city and students of the high school and Southwestern College.
From the beginning, the band has been doing very beneficial work. Every year has brought some important engagement for the band, which may be classed as one of the best existing advertisements for Winfield. For many years it has been one of the most enjoyable attractions at the Chautauqua Assembly.
In 1896, the band was engaged for the Priests of Palace Parade at Kansas City, and the same year won first prize in a inter-state contest. In 1897, it was given the honor of leading the Priests of Palace Parade. In 1898, an engagement as an official band for Kansas Day took the band to the Omaha Exposition; and in 1903 it was the official Kansas Band at the National G. A. R. Encampment at Washington, D. C. In 1903, the band again led the
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Priests of Palace Parade.
In the winter of 1905, the band made one of the most pleasant trips of its long experience; a tour of the South with the Long-Bell Lumber Company, on excursion to inspect the lumber camps of Southern Louisiana and Texas. This was a six day trip in a handsomely equipped special train, personally conducted by Mr. R. L. Long, the head of the company. In 1906 another trip was taken to the south with the same company. A day and a night were spent in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras Carnival. During that year, 1906-1907, miss Katherine Strack, now Mrs. P. W. Gibson, assisted the band as soloist.
The major part of these trips were taken after H. A. McGregor became director in 1906.
Besides these prominent engagements, the band has played hundreds of minor engagements in all parts of Kansas and Oklahoma. It is sought for constantly but being composed of business men, to whom the band is but a pass time, they can only choose a few of those which are offered them.
The band is not maintained as a moneymaking proposition, but as a means of recreation and pleasure for its members, and with the idea of the study and promotion of better music in Winfield.
In 1915, H. A. McGregor resigned and Fred Kryer became director. He held this position for several years. After his resignation in 1919, the band was held together by Charles Black, who acted as director for a few months.
In October, 1920, the band was reorganized by a committee of the Chamber of Commerce, who hired Frank McLean as director. In September, 1922, C. O. Brown took over the band, and he is the present director. During all the years of its existence, the band
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has not missed giving an annual concert.
Three members of the present band were originally members of Caman’s Winfield Band.They are J. O. Spoon, H. A. Caton, and George VanDeWater. However, J. O. Spoon is the only one who has been with the band continually in its twenty-nine years of existence.
The band shell, the present home of the band, was created in 1915, and was first located at Island Park, but was later moved to its present location west of the court house. The money was raised by the band men themselves for its removal.
Another event in the band’s history was the consolidation of the Winfield, Arkansas City, and Wellington bands in an organization known as the Tri-city band, alternating in three concerts during the summer of 1923. The season was opened June 4th at the Winfield Chautauqua with an aggregation of over one hundred men.
In 1900, the band had six hundred dollars invested in uniforms and over one thousand dollars in instruments other than those owned by individuals, also a library representing an expenditure of nearly four hundred dollars. At present, they have invested over a thousand dollars in uniforms, and a library of standard and popular music equal to any in the state.
THE WINFIELD ARTIST SERIES.
The Winfield Artist Series opened October 27, 1920, under the auspices of the Winfield Chamber of Commerce and Walter A. Fritchey. Contracts were signed by Mr. Fritchey of Kansas City, Missouri and H. L. Snyder, President of the Winfield Chamber of Commerce for that year. Also a guarantee was carried by Mrs. Alfred Deischler so no deficits would occur.
Subscriptions for the first concert series were obtained by twenty women under the direction of Mrs. Fred C. Clarke. Mrs. Clarke was captain of the group of women who sold the subscription. The Community Council was organized in 1921 and it assisted materially with the success of the Series. In the second year of the concert series, Mrs. Charles Roberts of the Community Council conducted the sale of the seats, assisted by Mrs. Oscar Spoon. Mrs. B. E. Sells had charge of seat sales and she contributed a great deal of her time and effort toward the success of the concerts for 1921, 1922, and 1923.
Mrs. Alfred Deischer continued the Series for 1921-22-23. The concerts were held in the Grand Opera House. Such notable artists as Spaulding, Casals, Case, Thiband, Breslen, and the St. Louis Symphony appeared in the series.
In the spring of 1923 the Series were taken over by Southwestern, Homer S. Meyers assuming charge, Mr. Meyers still having charge.
The Winfield Artist Series were started for the schools and colleges. Up-to-date there have been eighteen concerts given. The subscriptions have been worked up so that one-fifth or one-hundred of the subscriptions are from out of town.
The aim has been to get as much variety as possible but still to get the best outstanding artists of his or her branch.
CHAUTAUQUA ASSEMBLIES.
Winfield has long been noted for its very entertaining Chautauqua assemblies.
Dr. M. L. Gates was the leader of this movement. Destined to become a permanent institution in Winfield. This movement was started in 1886, and the session was held in 1887. In the early days each session lasted from ten to fourteen days.
Only one year until 1923 did the Chautauqua fail to give a
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program; this was in 1904 when the park was under water due to the flood.
The programs given each year at the Chautauqua were especially fine, some of the best speakers and musicians in the United States appeared before its audiences. Many people came from various parts of the state to attend, pitching their tents in the park.
Until 1923 Winfield still held its annual Chautauqua. Some of the departments which added to its fame such as Sacred Literature, Art and Science classes, and musical depart-ments, have been dropped, leaving only the platform attractions.
In 1923, a new plan was tried in the program. Chautauqua of the past had built and encouraged in Winfield wonderful home-talent. This was so greatly appreciated and enjoyed by the people that they decided to use home-talent in place of the regular Lyceum Course. The first few nights met with the enthusiastic approval of the audiences, but the latter half of the program had to be given up due to the high mark of the flood waters.
During 1924 and 1925 there have been no Chautauqua assemblies, but no doubt this form of entertainment will regain its popularity in the future.
INTER-CITY TRANSPORTATION
Railroads.
There was once a time when Winfield, a small struggling village, carted its supplies overland from railroad points upstate; when passengers traveled in a rickety stage, and slept in roadside inns before they reached their destination. When railroads finally reached Wichita, that point became the place of distribution.
The day of stage coaches and overland hauling passed in 1879, however, for in that year, the Santa Fe completed their line to Winfield, extending to the Gulf. This line was a God-send to the struggling village, and with the coming of this road, it prospered
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greatly.
But Winfield, destined to become a large railroad center, was not left to be a one railroad town. Even when the Santa Fe was completing their line to this city, the Cowley, Sumner and Fort Smith Railway Company was doing likewise. Several other roads had proposed to build a line to this city, but all plans were abandoned. However, in 1878, the county voted $144,000 in bonds to aid the Cowley, Sumner, and Fort Smith road, and it was finally finished through Winfield by October 1,1879.
In April of the year 1878, Cowley again voted bonds to the amount of $68,000 to aid the construction of the Southern Kansas and Western, a branch line of the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Gulf. This road was extended to Winfield by February 17, 1880, and became known as the Southern Kansas.
While these lines were being completed, the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad was building a branch line, passing through Winfield, and on south into the cotton belt of Oklahoma. The “steel belt” of the Frisco reached Winfield the latter part of 1884, and opened up the great southwest, making Winfield a distribution center for that section.
Still another railroad was to reach Winfield. This was a branch line of the Missouri Pacific System. In 1887, this line entered the county at Dexter, passing diagonally across the county, through Winfield, and out of the County at Oxford. This line was a great benefit to Winfield, and Cowley County as a whole, because it opened up new trade possibilities.
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There is a story concerning an early struggle connected with the coming of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, which shows the interest created among the pioneers of Winfield. George Robinson wanted the new track to be built past his farm so as to increase the value of his property. J. B. Lynn, who lived north of Mr. Robinson, desired also to popularize and sell his lots. The two gentlemen had quite a heated argument over the proposition. As a result, the Missouri Pacific finally built the railroad near Mr. Lynn’s property, causing Mr. Robinson to lose his point.The road was laid on Sunday so that it would be impossible for Mr. Robinson to secure an indictment to stop the construction.
In 1881, the Southern Kansas line purchased the Cowley, Sumner and Fort Smith Road; later that union was bought by the great Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe system. This left the Santa Fe in control of practically all the roads of southern Kansas, and Winfield became a railroad center, as practically all of the important lines terminated, or passed through Winfield. The Santa Fe immediately began to improve her newly acquired possessions, and it soon became the dominant line of the southwest.
Today, the Santa Fe, the Frisco, and the Missouri Pacific are outstanding in the southwest, and even in the nation. The rapid growth of Winfield has undoubtedly been due to the building of these great railroads to this city.
Bus Lines.
Due to the rapid development of the oil industry around Winfield it was necessary to establish bus lines, both for the use of the citizens and the oil men. For several years there has been an independent bus running between Winfield and Wellington.
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In September 1924, the Arkansas Valley Transportation Company started running three cars from Wichita to Arkansas City via Winfield. These cars are of the most modern type found in any part of the country. They are hugh coaches costing from $8,000 to $20,000.
In February 1925, a line was started to Independence running twice a day. There are also lines running to Augusta, El Dorado, Wichita, Arkansas City, and Wellington all owned by private individuals.
PUBLIC WELFARE INSTITUTIONS.
State Industrial School
On September 1, 1881, in the old University building at Lawrence, there was opened a school which was known as the State Asylum for Idiotic and Imbecile Youth. H. M. Green was Superintendent and Mrs. Green, matron. There were only twenty enrolled during the first year, as only those under fifteen years of age were admitted.
There was a great deal of trouble in securing funds for the school, but in 1885 the state Legislature appropriated $25,000 for this purpose. Whether this school was to be situated at Winfield or Arkansas City was the subject of heated dispute between these two towns. Both wanted it because of the financial influence the institution would have upon the business interests of the town.
It was finally located at Winfield through the influence of Hon. E. P. Green, who was at that time serving in the State Legislature. Necessary land was donated, buildings erected, and in March, 1887, forty inmates were brought to their new home and divided into groups according to their mental conditions.
There was room in the institution for only one hundred inmates and it was soon crowded to its capacity. In 1900 many needed improvements
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were made. In 1911, the administration building, valued at $100,000, and many valuable records were destroyed by fire.
From time to time as they were needed, buildings were added until now, the institution includes a large group of modern buildings, along with a hospital, custodian’s building, modern dairy barn and horse and mule barn.
Educational courses are offered covering the common school branches as far as the fourth grade. Music and Manual Training are offered to some. The pupils of the institution are assigned daily tasks about the grounds and buildings.
The number of patients has increased from twenty in 1881 to seven hundred in 1924.
The Lutheran’s Children Home.
The Lutheran Children’s Home was organized in March, 1902. This home is supported by the Lutheran Children’s Friends Society.
When first organized, the headquarters were in Topeka. Since the Children’s Friends Society did not own any property there, they rented quarters in the main part of the city, which were used as a receiving home and office.
In the spring of 1907, they decided to build a home and locate it in some convenient town. This honor going to the town which made the best offer. The towns contending for the honor of having the home were Topeka, MacFarlane, and Alma; however, they could come to no agreement. Finally, Mrs. J. P. Baden told the Board of Directors that she would donate a piece of property for that purpose, if the home would be placed in Winfield. This offer was accepted and thus the location of the home was changed from Topeka to Winfield.
Mrs. Baden bought the property, then known as Highland Park Sanitarium, more commonly known to the pioneers as the Jaquines
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property, and donated this to the Children’s Friends Society. It was one block of ground including a large building, which was used until fall of 1920. After a time the building became too small and a new one was completed in 1921 on the same block. It was a three story building, which when completed, cost $40,000. Mr. Weinrich has been superintendent since May, 1907. The first Superintendent was Rev. M. Senne, who was succeeded by Rev. Eggert, Mr. Weinrich succeeding him. Mrs. Weinrich has been matron of the home for the last thirteen years.
About 565 children have been cared for during the twenty-three years of the Society’s existence. The majority have been placed in Christian families.
This organization is controlled and supported by the people of the Lutheran Church, but the children are cared for regardless of religious affiliations.
ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL.
Dr. George Emerson built Winfield’s first public hospital in December, 1899. The institution was known as the “Winfield Hospital” and at that time, it was situated on Ninth Avenue at the Observatory Hill.
The building was a frame structure and consisted of ten rooms, one operating chamber, and a reception chapel.
The first Board of Directors included Mr. A. E. Baden, Mr. P. H. Albright, Mr. W. T. Naden, Mr. W. H. Somermier, and Mr. H. T. Trice. The Winfield Hospital had a staff that consisted of doctors George Emerson, L. A. Jacobus, and P. H. Guy, and employed three nurses and one matron.
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The Sisters of St. Joseph took charge of the institution the latter part of December, 1903, and dedicated it as “St. Mary’s Hospital.”
The sisters of St. Joseph were responsible for the first addition that was made in 1904 and in June, 1905, another similar addition was made. In 1916, the hospital added one of the best heating plants in the state at that time. Along with this heating plant, there was added a laundry, equipped with steam boilers and other modern additions, which amounted to a total cost of $20,000.
In January 1918, a campaign was organized by prominent members of the Winfield Commercial Club for the purpose of raising necessary funds for the erection of a brisk, fireproof hospital in place of the frame institution. The citizens of Winfield responded wonderfully, and the Commercial club was able to raise $33,000 by the campaign.
The new and modern institution was erected to the east of the frame hospital at a cost of $81,903.00 The new brick building has fifty patient’s beds, three operating rooms, one X-ray room, one general kitchen, and one diet kitchen on each floor. The cost of modern equipment amounted to $20,200.
The hospital at present has seven trained nurses; one registered pharmacist, one X-ray technical, fourteen pupil nurses, and is one of the best and most modern hospitals in the state.
PILCHER’S SURGICAL HOME.
Pilcher’s Surgical Home was established in 1899, by Dr. Hoyt Pilcher.
Dr. Pilcher’s records of achievement greatly qualified him for establishing a institu-tion of this kind. He served in the Union Army at Nashville during the Civil War and gained unlimited actual
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experience. Dr. Pilcher was a graduate of Ensworth Medical College of St. Louis and Washington Medical University at Baltimore. His ability to correct mental disorders in asylum inmates has rarely been equaled in the history of our country.
The hospital was located at the corner of Tenth and Manning streets. It was part of what is now the Winfield Hospital.
This institution did not depend on endowments of organizations or individual contributions for its support, but was owned and managed on strictly professional and business principles.
Pilcher’s Surgical Home was an institution equal to any in this section of the country during the time of its existence. The existence of the “Home” was unfortunately brought to a close in 1908, by the death of Dr. Pilcher.
THE WINFIELD HOSPITAL.
The Winfield Hospital was organized by Dr. F. R. Smith in 1908. The institution until this time was Pilcher’s Surgical Home.
Immediately after the reorganization of the hospital by Dr. Smith, a training school for nurses was added. Miss Nettie Crawford was a elected as superintendent of nurses by Dr. Smith. Several hundred nurses have graduated from this hospital since its organization; each with a high understanding of that profession.
The hospital is, today, valued at $20,000 and is an institution that Winfield is justly proud.
The present officers of Winfield Hospital are F. R. Smith, President; E. O. Smith, Secretary-treasurer.
Winfield Hospital is to be consolidated with the proposed Newton Memorial Hospital as soon as the necessary arrangements have been made.
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NEWTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.
Honorable William Newton died April, 1923, and left an estate of $100,000. His will stated that his money should be used to erect a hospital in Winfield. M. F. Jarvis was appointed administrator for this estate.
The Hospital is to be built on Lynn street back of the present Dr. Graham’s home. It will be a fireproof building and is estimated to be the finest hospital ever built in this part of the country.
Income from the oil wells on Mr. Newton’s farm north of Winfield is to be used for the upkeep of the hospital in the future.
The members of the board of trustees with their terms of office in years are as follows: W. F. Welfelt, M. F. Jarvis - 2, Josh Wallace - 3, L. N. Dunlap - 4, C. W. Roberts - 5.
Preliminary work for the hospital will probably be started soon.
MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENTS.
COUNTY COURT HOUSE
In the summer of 1873, a brick court house was built. It was erected on a half-block donated to the county by the Winfield Town Association. The court house originally cost about $11,500; later additions cost about $3,500. Six years later they purchased the balance of the block for $1,000.
County Jail
In the summer of 1873, the city of Winfield built a brick county jail, costing $2,700 which was just north of the court house near the sidewalk. In 1908-1909, a new jail was erected on the corner of Loomis and Tenth Streets.
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City Building.
The city building was built by the city, after the Hackney building was erected, in 1888. It was located on Ninth and Fuller Streets.
Paving
In 1895, the first paving was laid on Ninth between main and Millington Streets. This was very important due to the fact that it was the nucleus of Winfield’s ever increasing miles of paving. This pavement was made of stone blocks, one and one-half feet square and was taken from the quarry on West Ninth. The cost was so great that it was impossible for any other pavement of that kind to be laid. Later, Ninth was macadamized and in 1899 when rock was being hauled from the quarries the street was ruined, so in 1911 it was resurfaced with brick. Seventh was macadamized in 1899 and several other streets a few years later.
In 1909, the first brick pavement was laid on Loomis Street between Ninth and Tenth. Other pavements were laid during the next few years; Ninth Avenue was paved from Millington to College Hill in 1911 and Main Street from Sixth to Fourteenth in 1914. The first brick paving cost $484.43 for one block, while the last pavement in 1923 cost $2,600 per block.
Today (1925) Winfield has twenty-four miles of pavement, both of asphalt and brick. The annual upkeep of the streets average about $15,000.
The Majority of the streets in Winfield are named after early settlers such as Loomis, Manning, Millington, etc.
Water Works
The first water works in Winfield were owned by a private
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concern in 1880, known as the “Winfield Water Company.” Holdings in this company were purchased by the city in 1909 for $65,000. In 1906 the Municipal Water Company began construction and in 1909 consolidated with the Winfield Water Company. Captain T. B. Myers was the first superintendent of the consolidated company. In 1910, Jack Welfelt became superintendent and has served in that capacity ever since.
The approximate yearly expense for the upkeep of the plant is about $15,000. The old Water Company supplied the city with water pumped from the Walnut River. It was necessary, in 1909, for the city to build a filtration plant. The supply was taken from the river until 1918 when a number of wells were dug five miles west of the city. On May 1, 1924, another system of wells was put into operation. These wells are on the Arkansas River, nine miles northwest of Winfield - near the Albright Gardens. The water-works puts out an average of 45,000,000 gallons monthly and the cost of the system up to 1924 was $366,000.
Lights.
The first system of electric lights in Winfield was owned by a private company and operated by means of a small steam plant.
Construction on the present plant began in the latter part of 1904 and was completed in 1905 with a total capacity of six hundred horse-power. About ten days before the plant was connected with private services it furnished the lights for the Chautauqua. At present the total capacity is 2250 horse power.
In the spring of 1925 the installation of a new Turbine began, and when finished it will increase the horse-power from about 325 to 3500. The total cost of the plant is over a half
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million dollars and it is one of the two plants in Kansas that is entirely out of debt.
The plant furnishes power to five neighboring towns.
Fire Department.
In 1882 the Winfield Fire Department was organized with a chief and twenty-four men, who volunteered, and for services rendered received one dollar a month and one dollar a fire. This constituted their wages. This system was used until 1901, when the men started drawing regular wages and working full time. Only six men were employed, as their services filled the needs of the city.
The chief, Mr. Ed. Hamm, drew forty-five dollars a month, the driver, forty, and the other four men drew seven and one-half dollars each.
Before this time the volunteer would have to leave his work when the alarm was sounded, thus causing considerable delay. At present there are seven paid men and twelve second-call men. Each man gets one day off a week so there are always six men on duty, twenty-four hours a day, seven days in the week.
When the department was first organized, they had two hose carts and two thousand feet of hose. In 1901 the department had a horse-drawn hose-cart with two horses. In 1915, the first motor driven hose-truck was purchased and by 1924 there were four.
The valuation has increased from $3,500 in 1892 to $17,000 in 1924. The fire station has been enlarged and the entire upper floor of the city building is now utilized by the department.
Prior to 1904, the fire department kept no records, but
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since that date they have made four down-town surveys and two in the residential district, and have made annual reports to the State Fire Chief at Topeka, describing the conditions of all the buildings.
In 1923 there was conducted an Interchamber Fire Drive of the United States under the auspices of the National Fire Chief through the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Two hundred and two cities out of the forty-three states competed. Although Winfield did not enter the contest but merely filled out papers and sent them in, she was awarded seventh place among the cities of the fourth class, and the only city in Kansas to be mentioned. The average of the preceding five years was taken and the prize awarded according to the reduction in loss by fire, over the five preceding years. This indicates that the Winfield Fire Department is among the best in the state.
Street railways.
Due to the rapid growth of the city it was found necessary to obtain some method of public transportation. Thus, the street railway was organized on June 4, 1886, and the charter was granted June 7, with a capital stock of $25,000. This track started at what is now known as Island Park, and extended down Main to Fourteenth turning west and running to the South Santa Fe Depot. A few years later the tracks were extended on Ninth Street and on Main to Sixteenth Street which ran east from there to Broadway.
The officers of the new enterprise were: President, William Mathewson; Treasurer, W. J. Kennedy; who ably managed the road until 1893 when it was sold to Compton and Lawrence. The offices of the company were located at 701 North Main, and the stables at Island Park.
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In all there were seven miles of track, twenty-five men employed, twenty-one mules, and six cars.
On May 9, 1909, the mule cars were abandoned and the electric cars took their place. At this time the tracks were improved and the Interurban line was started between Winfield and Arkansas City. By June 1910, they were ready to operate, having five cars, one at Arkansas City, two at Winfield, and two operating between these cities.
The officers of this line were Kirkpatrick of Arkansas City, president; and Somermier of Winfield, treasurer. In 1923 the railway went into the hands of the Arkansas Valley Interurban Company.
Island Park.
On the north side of Winfield, a small island is formed by Little Dutch Creek running from its regular course, turning in a circle, and flowing down to the real Dutch Creek. The island was once a wild garden filled with fruits and berries. Many people crossed the creek and gathered the ripe fruit. When people began to settle in Winfield this island could not remain a wild garden. Seeing it could be used to a better advantage, Winfield’s citizens began clearing off the land. George Montgomery was appointed as the first care-taker of Island Park, as it soon came to be known. Maple trees were planted evenly throughout, and public buildings were soon built.
Later, modern improvements were added rapidly. Sidewalks, play grounds, and stands for entertainments were built. One of the most useful buildings is the large open tabernacle. It is
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used for many public meetings.
In 1923, Winfield made this park a free camping place for tourists. Camping houses, free water, gas, light, and police protection were furnished to the travelers. Winfield’s tourist park is advertised in many cities.
Plans were made to dam Dutch Creek in such a way that there will always be running water around Island park.
Winfield’s Tourist Park is a real asset to the city not only for its service to tourists but also to the people of Winfield and the surrounding country.
ALBRIGHT PARK
In 1918, P. H. Albright gave to Winfield a plot of ground which lies at the end of fifteenth street, between Hackney and John Streets. This block was given to be used as a park.
Until 1924, nothing in the line of improvements was done to this land. During that year, playground equipment was installed and two baseball diamonds were laid out. This park satisfied a long-felt need for a playground in the southwest part of town.
HIATT’S PARK.
In 1911, J. W. Hiatt opened a park on the north side of Riverside Road, near the Walnut River. The citizens of Winfield enjoyed many picnics and outings there. Splendid spring water drew people to the place for their good times.
Hiatt’s Park was sold and abandoned in 1914.
BOULEVARDS.
Winfield’s streets have always been shaded by rows of big and tall trees. These streets were made more attractive by
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boulevards of flowers. In 1925 boulevards had been laid out on Park Street, North Main, and Fourteenth street.
HILLCREST GOLF COURSE.
In 1924 some of the business men under the leadership of Goerge Waite organized the Hillcrest Golf club. They leased a piece of land from P. J. Rosecrans, three miles south of Winfield.
Membership in this club is not restricted. Membership dues are $10.00 a year. $6.00 for six months or $4.00 for four months. A fee of thirty-five cents for nine holes or fifty cents for eighteen holes is charged to all non-members playing on the course.
They have a small club house, living quarters, and a nine hole golf course.
The first officers were: President, W. S. Read; Vice-president, George Waite; and Secretary-treasurer, Mr. Toombs.
HOMES.
Only a few of Winfield’s pioneer homes remained standing in 1925. The home of W. S. Notestine at 709 East Tenth Avenue was formerly known as the Manning home. It is a two story brick house. The home of George Buckman is another old stone house located at 417 East Tenth avenue. The J. W. Hiatt house was formerly owned by Mr. Miller, father of the Miller Brothers of the Hundred and One Ranch. It is constructed of old-fashioned brick and it even has a tower.The Grant Stafford home is remembered as the Reed hospital. These are all old-style homes and constructed of brick or stone.
Winfield boasts of a great many beautiful and modern homes. Some of the most elaborate are those of James Lorton, 404 east Eleventh Avenue; Dr. F. A. Kelley, 1316 East Tenth Avenue; and
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Hal Johnson, 301 Park Street. The latter was built by Ralph Shanklin and the Kelley home was formerly owned by Lester Watrous.
Many new homes are being built or have been completed recently. Mr. Ed. Kinnimmouth remodeled his home at 111 East Ninth Avenue. The G. A. Kinnimmouth home is a new style colonial house. It is constructed of wood. Another is the home of Pete Mitschler at 302 East Eleventh Avenue.
A model home was built and furnished by the Chamber of Commerce. It is located between Lynn and Fifth Avenue of College Street. Different business houses of the town furnished the material. One of the most elaborate homes of the whole city, it is, and it is constructed of stone and is a two-story house.
THE CITY BEAUTIFUL.
The City Beautiful Club was organized in July, 1920, after a series of lectures by Ross Crane of Chicago, on “Home furnishing and landscaping.” His inspiring lectures created a strong sentiment for a better-kept and more beautiful Winfield. The first president was Mr. Lester Watrous; Secretary, Mrs. Frank Siverd, and treasurer, Mrs. Frank Jarvis. Much was done that year to clean up the city.
In 1921, D. L. Pontius was elected president. Again, the city underwent a thorough cleaning. In 1922 a contest was held and prizes were given for the best and second best kept half-block in the city. In 1923, the club took action to rid the city of dandelions. A strict dandelion ordinance was enacted. Prizes of five, three, and two dollars were offered to the school children for the most dandelions pulled.
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Another contest was held in 1924. Prizes were awarded to R. W. James for best-kept residence, Mrs. Hugh Haynes - best kept tenant lot, Mrs. George Fielder - best kept flower garden, Mrs. Franklin - best kept of colored people’s places.
A movement by the club was under way in 1925 to erect a memorial fountain in honor of the late Archibald Olmstead.
Officers for 1924 were Mrs. George Lockwood, president; Mrs. W. T. Orr, secretary; Mrs. Frank Jarvis, treasurer.
Another project of the club is to collect flower seeds and bulbs and distribute them to people who care for them to plant. Surplus seeds and bulbs are planted along the sides of Riverside Road.
At the beginning of 1925, the Community Council assumed the work of the City Beautiful Club.
CEMETERIES.
In the early seventies, there were two cemeteries, the Highland Cemetery, south of town and the Winfield Cemetery, north of town.
The Winfield Cemetery or Graham Cemetery originally consisted of ten acres. From time to time adjoining plots of ground were added to it. The Cowley Union Cemetery Association had charge of this cemetery. In 1917 this association offered the city all the land they had for about one-third of what the lots were selling for, if the city would take charge of it.
On the grounds of the Highland Cemetery a mausoleum was erected, called Highland Abbey.
St. Mary’s Cemetery.
The Catholic Cemetery was originally situated out west of town of the Gessler Farm. The cemetery was moved later (1883) to its
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present site, out on east Twelfth Avenue. This tract of land was bought by the Catholics.
SOCIAL AND BUSINESS CLUBS AND FRATERNITIES
Women’s Clubs.
The women of Winfield have at various times felt the need of forming clubs, and as a result, social and literary organizations have been formed. The literary clubs have done the most good for the women; so the following are a list of them.
The Rossetti Circle
The Rossetti Circle, one of the most prominent literary clubs in Winfield, was also one of the first to be organized. In 1894, a group of progressive women, feeling the need of a closer relationship with literature and various kinds of arts in their homes formed an organization for this purpose.
The club was named for the celebrated English artist family, the Rossetti’s. Dante Gabriel Rossetti, himself a great artist and writer, inspired the club by his correspondence until his death.
The Winfield club elected Mrs. S. E. Ordway as its first president.
Encouraged by the benefits which its members received, the club enlarged its interests and grew to a membership of seventy-five, including some of the most intellectual women of the city.
Whenever opportunities for advancing projects in either civic or educational lines arise, the club is ready and willing to help in any way possible.
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Sorosis
The Sorosis, another of the Winfield Study clubs, was organized November 30, 1895. It was not chartered until the next spring. Mrs. W. C. Robinson was the originator of this club.
The membership limit was placed at sixteen, and as a rule, only married women were elected members. However, Mrs. R. B. Dunlevy, one of the members of the circle, was admitted to membership when she was only engaged.
Different programs are presented each time at the club meeting, and many topics are studied during the year. During all its history, the interest has been kept at a high pitch.
Unlike the other literary clubs of Winfield, the Sorosis members never serve refresh-ments. Then, at the end of the year, a banquet is held.
Entre Nous.
The Entre Nous Circle was organized in Winfleld in 1891. The charter members of the club who still belong are Mrs. Dr. Emerson, Mrs. J. H. Harter, and Mrs. B. R. Rodolf.
The object of this club is the development of the social and intellectual life of its members.
The membership is limited to fifteen, and meetings are held every Monday, from October 1 to May 1. All the meetings are held in the homes of its members instead of the club rooms.
Topics concerning classical literature and current affairs have been studied by this circle.
Sigournian Club
In 1898, an afternoon study club was organized and named after Lydia Sigourney, the American poetess. The membership was limited
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to fourteen.
The main purpose of the club is to further the study of art and literature. A different subject is taken up each year, and many interesting topics have been studied.
The club is also active in civic and educational movements of the city.
Political Science Club.
On February 15, 1896, a club was started which was auxiliary to the state suffrage association.This meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Albright, and was named the Political Science Club.
The aim of the club was to study political economy, current topics, and parliamentary law. It is federated with the District, State, and General Federation of Women’s Clubs.
The club was cooperated in several art exhibits held in Winfield, and has worked for equal suffrage in Kansas.
The political Science Club helped erect the Women’s building at Island Park with the State Traveling Art Gallery, and helped buy the site for the Carnegie library.
They give a donation each year for the scholarship fund and the third district federation.
Young Women’s Study Club.
The Young Women’s Study Club is a literary club composed of the young matrons of Winfield. It was organized in 1914 by Gertrude Robinson Harter, with eight members.
Each year, a certain subject is studied. The study club is a member of the community council and does charity work.
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The C. L. S. C.
The Chautauqua Literature and Scientific Club, or C. L. S. C. Was first organized about 1880 or 1885. The founder of this club was Bishop Vincent. It was a purely literary and scientific organization and instruction was given which would have been considered almost the same as the college course.
The first organization in Winfield, was started in 1887. It did not have a very large membership at first, but kept up its work very faithfully. For a time then, the interest seemed to die, but in 1899, there was a sort of revival of its work. Many new members were added to the list at that time.
Diplomas were awarded to the members which took the course for four years. After that time, seals were given to those who answered the necessary questions correctly.
Meetings of the circle were held at the homes of the members, and there were between fifteen and twenty members who regularly attended. At one time, there were two circles, the Park Circle and the College Hill Circle.
This Chautauqua Literature and Scientific Club met every week while in existence in Winfield, but it was discontinued about 1920. However, there are still organizations of that one large organization in other cities of this country.
The Delphian Circle.
The Delphian Reading Circle was organized in 1920 with almost sixty members. At present, there are only about twenty active members.
The Delphian Circle is national in scope and serves the purpose of stimulating interest along educational and cultural clubs.
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The meetings are held twice a month at the homes of the different members.
The Philharmonic Club.
The Philharmonic Club was organized in 1920, by a small group of students from the Winfield College of Music, for the serious study of music, and to serve the music interests of Winfield and the state.
The Philharmonic Club invited Mrs. W. J. Logan, virtual founder and the first president of the Kansas Federation of music Clubs to be its honored guests on November 5, 1921. From that time on, the club became affiliated with the Federation, and has been in the State Board of Directors from the spring of 1922 until 1924.
The first president was Mrs. A. J. Diescher and in 1925, the club membership numbered ninety.
Club dues were made sufficiently high to keep up its own activities and allowed its surplus funds to be devoted to some civic endeavor each year.
In 1925, Mrs. H. B. Allen, of Arkansas City, gave her permission to the Philharmonic Club to erect a memorial on the grave of Archilbald Olmstead. This was erected on Easter Day, 1925.
The Apollo Club.
The Apollo Club, at first a study club, was the first club to study music in Winfield, being organized in 1907 and federated in 1922. The first president and organizer was Mrs. O. P. Bargour.
At the time of organization, there were 16 active and 5 associate members. The membership was limited to ten for a time, but later changed to twenty-five. In 1915 this ban was removed, and in 1925, there were about two hundred members.
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This club is the second oldest of its kind in the state. In its years of growth and experience, its aim has been broadened and all music activities have been added.
An Olmstead scholarship is also held by this club. It is a scholarship of $100 which is given to students who wish to study music and have not sufficient finances.
The motto of the club is; “We work to become, not to acquire.”
The Winfield Business and Professional Woman’s Club.
The Winfield Business and Professional Women’s Club is especially working to improve the business conditions for the working woman. It was organized March 29, 1922, under the auspices of the Arkansas city Club. It became a member of the National Federation of Business and Professional Woman’s clubs in June 1922. The club had a charter membership of 76, which was increased to 132, the first year. Anna L. Tonkinson was the first president.
The desire of the club’s members is to promote the business ideals for women in business and professional life, and help the younger business women. Their motto is; “A better business woman for a better business world.”
Delegates have been sent to various conventions, and money has been given for the orphans in the Near East. The women have also given a small sum of money to Mr. Altvater, to aid in giving concerts.
The Community Council.
The Community Council is a union of all the Women’s clubs in Winfield and it acts only when there is an interest common to all. Through its efforts, club rooms have been secured in the city building and have been furnished.
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Mrs. C. W. Roberts was organizer of the Council and was elected its first president.
The Masonic Lodge.
Probably one of the oldest lodges in Winfield is the Masonic Lodge. It was first established in October 1872 and in 1893 the Eastern Star, which is a woman’s branch of that lodge, was formed.
Not only is it one of the leading lodges in Winfield, but one of the leading chapters in Kansas.
In 1921 the Masons took into their order one hundred men. This is the largest group ever taken into the Masonic Lodge in Kansas.
Winfield’s chapter has over five hundred members and the majority of them are the leading citizens of the city.
The A. O. U. W. Lodge.
Another lodge that has done much for Winfield is the A. O. U. W. This fraternal organization was established in 1879 and by 1898 the membership had reached two hundred fifty. In 1901 they had six hundred forty. Probably the majority of credit goes to M. B. Light for its growth and success. In 1925 the membership had passed the thousand mark.
The Modern Woodman Lodge.
With the steady growth of the town it was found necessary to establish another lodge so on April 18, 1888, twenty-one men of Winfield assembled and organized a chapter of the Modern Woodmen of America. Their first meeting was held at the I.O.O.F. hall. On January 1, 1925, the membership was six hundred twenty-one members.
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Other Lodges.
Among some of the minor lodges in Winfield are the Elks, Moose, Redmen, and Odd Fellows. They have done much to make history of Winfield and in the course of time they will do greater and better things for the good of the community.
Their main purpose is to make a stronger tie of brotherhood between men and to help members of the respective lodges in time of trouble. Every lodge has some kind of insurance which can be carried by each member at a very low cost.
Rotary Club.
In 1905, four lonesome business men in Chicago met and organized the first club of what is now the Rotary Club. This now consists of some 115,000 members with two thousand clubs in twenty-eight countries.
The first Winfield Rotary Club was chartered in 1918 with twenty-seven charter members. The first officers were Dr. Forrest A. Kelley - President; L. B. Crawford - Secretary. The club has a classification membership that represents all the vocations. The present membership consists of sixty-seven.
The Rotary seeks to do nothing as a rotary Club, where other agencies are working, but every Rotarian is expected to do his full part for the success and benefit of the community. Its philosophy of life is that it undertakes to reconcile the ever present conflict between the desire to profit for one’s self and the duty and consequent impulse to serve others.
It also works effectively on all boys’ work, better business methods, Rotary educa-tion, Fellowship, and an endeavor on the part of every business man to do his own job better.
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The emblem is a wheel with six spokes and twenty-four cogs. The motto; “Service above self—He profits most who serves best.”
The Lion’s Club.
The Lion’s Club was organized in June 1921. This organization is composed of only one member from each of the various occupations of the town. The purpose of this organization is to promote good fellowship between the members of the different occupations.
The Lion’s Club started with a membership of twenty and its membership in 1925 had increased to forty. The club officers at that time were President - Dr. James; Secretary - Mr. H. W. Herrick; Treasurer - Mr. C. B. Hamilton.
The club holds meetings twice a month. The entertainments are of various kinds such as club singing, and vocational talks. These talks are usually made by some member of the club, who gives a short explanation of some phase of his work.
The club distributes annually, small Christmas trees and toys to the unfortunate children of the city. It cooperates with other organizations in promoting Girls’ and Boys’ work in the city. Recently the club has brought forth the idea of having a summer camp for girls in connection with the boys’ camp. This is proving very successful.
The Red Cross.
Soon after the United States entered the World War in 1917, a Red Cross Chapter was organized in Winfield under the leadership of Mrs. Orr and Mrs. Claude Martin. Relief work for soldiers was then its main purpose. It also saw that soldiers’ widows and children were cared for. The drives for Red Cross funds, both for local and national use, were made by the Chamber of Commerce.
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Since the war the Red Cross has been the guide for charity workers. All transients found in the city asking for help are sent to Red Cross headquarters. The churches have found that by cooperating with the Red Cross, charity work can be done much more efficiently.
Through the work of the Red Cross, Winfield was able to care for its own sufferers during the flood without any outside help. In spite of the extra flood burden the local chapter was able to raise a thousand dollars for the sufferers from the Japanese earthquake. The Red Cross has always adapted itself to the needs of the town and has in no way been found lacking.
Miss Effie Paugh, Red Cross nurse for Winfield, is paid by the city. Miss Esther Treadway is Red Cross secretary and Mr. Ralph Stuber is chairman of the Red Cross Executive Board.
Boy Scouts.
Scouting has had a varied history in the few years of its existence in Winfield.
The boy scouts were organized in Winfield in 1916, Colonel John O’Conner being asked to take charge of a troop. Eighteen boys responded to the first call and though some dropped the work, many remained to form this first troop. This troop did not receive a charter until the year after it was founded.
Later, T. H. Vaughn became the scout master with Shailer Arnold as his assistant. Both these men were very much interested in boys’ work, and began to build up the organization with little help from outside.
When the World War called these two young men away from their work, Kenneth Strother, who is now a Lieutenant in the United States Air Service at Kelley Field, San Antonio, Texas, carried on the work
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as a senior patrol leader. The Boy Scouts were very active during the war, selling bonds, working for the Red Cross, and performing other numerous tasks.
At the present time, there are six troops of scouts in Winfield and at Douglass which is affiliated with the local council.
Y. M. C. A.
The Winfield Shining Parlor was the original home of the Y. M. C. A. The Association soon moved into the building later occupied by the American Railway Express Company, which provided more room for their purpose.
Winfield, at the time having no public gymnasium or library, voted bonds to erect a new building on the northeast corner of Church and Tenth Streets for the ever increasing Y. M. C. A. members. The building was later occupied by the Chamber of Commerce.
The new Y. M. C. A. building contained the first gymnasium in Winfield and it had the first reading room and recreational quarters in the city. It was at this institution that basketball was introduced into Winfield. At that time four teams were formed; the High School team, the Southwestern Team, St. John’s team, and the Y. M. C. A. Team. During each year’s basketball season the four contesting teams played for a cup offered by Andrew Wilson, a Winfield Jeweler at that time.
Several noted men have been connected with this association in Winfield. Frank Lindley, basketball coach at Newton, was a member of one of the Association’s first teams; and R. H. Pierce was a most efficient secretary of the Y. M. C. A. from 1902 to 1908.
The erection of a gymnasium by Southwestern and St. John’s Colleges in Winfield as well as the high school made it unnecessary
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to build a gymnasium for Y. M. C. A. members who were also members of some one of the other institutions. The libraries in the schools and the Winfield Public Library made it no longer necessary for a Y. M. C. A. reading room. Conditions thus changed for the better, and the Y. M. C. A. as a unit of the three schools was organized into the Y. M. C. A. of the High school, Southwestern and St. John’s Colleges.
The American Legion.
The American expeditionary forces in France during the World War found it necessary to organize a club and after deliberation decided that the name should be “The American Legion.” Each division was requested to send a representative to Paris in March, 1919. The purpose was to solidify the organization. Colonel John O’Connor was chosen to represent the Thirty-fifth Division. At their first meeting they voted to divide the organiza-tion from national to state and town posts.
One of the main objects of the Legion is to look out for the Welfare of the Disabled Veterans and to keep alive the spirit of the men who were in service. They do many kinds of work and during any crisis they help keep law and order.
In June, 1919, the American Legion was organized in Winfield with Colonel John O’Connor as the first commander.
The first outstanding move that they did was to police the town during the flood in June, 1923.
There is a branch organization of the Legion known as the Forty and Eight Club. The members of this club have accomplished something outstanding for the good of the Legion and they also have the members of the American Expeditionary Forces. The forty and Eight were first organized in Winfield in 1922. In 1925 the membership
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was over seventy. This is the largest membership of the forty and eight Division in the State of Kansas. The Commander of the American Legion in Winfield, in 1925, is Gary Hill.
The Grand Army of the Republic.
Through the years of the history of Winfield there have been many agencies that have helped “put the win in Winfield.”Among these the local clubs and organizations have played their part and played it well. Although the different clubs have been organized for various purposes, they are finally brought together in one common cause: namely, for the welfare of this city.
In the year 1882 the Grand Army of the Republic was organized. Through its efforts the true spirit of patriotism and high ideals that all civil war veterans cherish, has been handed down to the younger generation.
The Siverd Post No. 85 of the G. A. R. was organized and mastered by Judge Advocate L. H. Lang, a member of Post 27 of Caldwell, at the Masonic hall, July 13, 1882. There were twenty charter members.
In 1887, T. H. Soward of Winfield was elected department commander and in 1888 the post was honored by the department encampment.
The post held to the name of Winfield until Captain H. H. Siverd was murdered while serving in the capacity of constable of this city. The post unanimously voted to adopt the name “Siverd” and the name remained unchanged for many years. Captain Siverd served as commander for two terms.
In 1925 there were only three charter members living and only one remained in town.
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On Memorial Day the G. A. R. always sees that the grave of every Civil War Veteran is remembered; thus it tends to bring to mind the cause for which they fought and died.
Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic.
The Winfield ladies of the G. A. R. was organized in October, 1892, by Mrs. Emma Wall, the Department Secretary of Kansas. There were about thirty charter members, but during the years its membership increased with great rapidity. The membership in 1925 was two hundred eighteen. There are fifty honorary members; thirty-five are old soldiers and fifteen are sons of Veterans.
At the beginning of the organization, only the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters of Civil War Veterans were members, but later any blood descendants of the soldiers were allowed to join. Their first work was to help the Widows and families of the men who were killed. Their work grew to be first, to decorate graves on Decoration day, hold flag services for each veteran that dies and assist the G. A. R. when needed.
The Local organization is known as Winfield Circle No. 40. This circle has furnished three Department Presidents’: Mrs. Lund Miller, Mrs. Cora Grantham, and Mrs. Cora Jenkins. Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Jenkins have also filled the position of Department Secretary.
At the close of each year they publish a journal of that year’s work.
One of the oldest members, Mrs. Martha Finch, was at one time, the President of Seven Pines Circle No. 3 in San Francisco. This circle during the past years up to 1925 is the largest in California.
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Chamber of Commerce.
One of the foremost clubs of Winfield is the Commercial Club, organized in 1904 with the aim of backing the city in everything that was for its good, and leading in all that was for the benefit, progress and growth of the city.
W. H. Somermier was the first president of the organization with F. H. Harrod, Vice-president; B.F. Sadil, Secretary; and James Lorton, treasurer. The club was in charge of the first endowment fund for southwestern College. This club also caused the levy to be made for the building of the Cowley County courthouse.
In 1911, a new Commercial Club was formed with twenty-six charter members. P. H. Albright was leader in this movement, and it was his idea to have all members belong to the board of Directors. The Winfield Commercial Association, as it was then known, procured its charter through the late J. T. Lafferty, a prominent lawyer of the city.
In November, 1919, the name of the club was changed to the Chamber of Commerce; and it followed the custom of having twenty six members in the Board of directors, though the club soon had four hundred eighty active members.
The Commercial Club continued to hold for the purpose for which it was first organized. Some of its works are; the carrying on of the annual Red Cross Drive, the Rural School Track meet, and most financial campaigns within the city.
It is well to note that this club has no power to compel services. Its work is purely voluntary; actuated by love of the city, its advancement and success.
The officers of the organization in 1924 were: A. S. Kiinnmouth, president; C. R. Calvert, first vice president; Ralph Stuber, second
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vice president; and L. B. Crawford, secretary.
No Club nor organization of this city deserves more praise and support than the Winfield Chamber of Commerce, for it is to them that we owe a great deal for the advancement of our city.
The Retailers’ Association.
Through the Retailers’ Association the business men of Winfield do cooperatively what they could not do singly. They cooperate in advertising and in closing stores. All advertising is censored by this association. It advertises also through the Winfield Trade Builders.
The Winfield Credit Men’s Association is a branch of the Retailer’s Association. This association knows how everyone pays and whether or not they are entitled to credit. Their aim is to teach the people that credit terms are the same for everyone.
The present officers are: President, L. B. Crawford; Treasurer, H. J. Light.
The Country Club.
The Country Club is a recreational club, but nether the less has its place in building up the town. It was organized by Fred Clark in 1917.
The club owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, improved and clear of debt. The value of its entire stock is forty thousand dollars. It is modern in every way, having city water, sewer, gas, and electricity.
The Club house is equipped with dining room, kitchen, piano, one hundred eight steel lockers, and four showers. On the grounds are also a swimming pool, tennis courts, children’s well equipped play ground, and a nine hole golf course.
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The club has one hundred fifty stockholders, fifty of whom are associated and special members. If a person wishes to become a member he must be voted in and pay a fee of one hundred dollars. Dues are collected each month of the upkeep of the club.
X. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Hotels.
Winfield’s first hotel was a typical pioneer tavern, with a saloon on the ground floor and the sleeping rooms above. This hotel was erected by J. P. Short in 1870, and it served as a stopping place for the early settlers. During the next decade, several small hotels sprang up; among these were the Lagonda, Central, and Williams’ House.
The year 1878 appeared to be disastrous for Winfield’s hotels, as two burned, but it proved to be the beginning of bigger and better hotels in Winfield.
Brettun Hotel.
On the night that the Lagonda burned, Mr. Brettun arrived from Illinois. He, with C. L. Harter and Charles Black, partners in the ill-fated Lagonda, went together and built the Brettun on the old site of the Lagonda at the cost of $55,000. They started work in 1880 and on Augusta 10, 1881, the first meal was served there.
The hotel was constructed of sawed stones, and built with all the modern improve-ments. It had thirty-eight sleeping rooms and five sample rooms. At that time it was one of the best hotels in Kansas.
Since Mr. Brettun’s death, the hotel has belonged to the heirs of the Brettun estate.
In 1900, under the supervision of Judge J. C. Pollock, who was
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appointed guardian of the heirs by the court, the building was remodeled, repainted, and repaired. Judge Pollock was allowed the sum of $15,000 for this purpose. Also new furniture was put in the hotel. The carpets alone cost $3,000.
The Brettun Hotel is located on the corner of Main and Seventh Streets. It is a modern stone building, three stories high, with a high stoop basement. On the north side of the hotel is a large croquet ground lighted with electric lights. In all it has seventy rooms in the building with electric bells and other modern improvements in each department. In the basement is a nice sample room which furnishes a great convenience to traveling men for the display of their samples.
The Brettun Hotel is convenient to the commercial part of the city also, as it is close to three depots.
St. James Hotel.
Six years later the St. James Hotel was constructed at 1015 Main Street about equal distance from the Santa Fe station in South Winfield and the different stations in North Winfield. It is located in the middle of the business district.
The St. James Hotel has a total of seventy rooms, all being modernly equipped. The dining room seats seventy-five people.
The Lagonda Hotel.
Next comes the Arlington hotel which was located on the northwest corner of Ninth and Loomis. The Arlington Hotel was a large, handsome, two story stone structure. It contained twenty-three large rooms. Captain F. G. Powers was the owner of this hotel. In the early days of Winfield the Arlington was known as one of the leading hotels of southern Kansas.
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In 1918 the people of Winfield saw the need of a larger hotel. A mass meeting was called and the plans were made. The Winfield Hotel Company was organized, H. A. McGregor being president. Shares were issued at twenty-five dollars a share. The people of Winfield responded and the money was secured to build a new hotel on the old Arlington site.
The Lagonda Hotel is a beautiful brick structure, four stories high. It is a modern up-to-date hotel, having fifty-one rooms and six suites.
M. B. Kerr and Company.
On North Main Street, at the location where Old’s Drug Store was later established, was started a Ready-to-Wear store, destined to become one of the most prominent Ready-to-Wear stores in the state. This was known as Fleming and Kerr. In 1889 this store moved to the two hundred block on East Ninth Avenue. The store now became Kerr and Company, by which name it was known in 1925. On the fifteenth of May, 1908, the store moved across the street. Not many new departments were added at this time, but in 1924 a shoe department was added.
Calvert-Cheek and Co.
The original owner of this store was Mr. J. P. Baden. It was one of the first dry-goods stores in Winfield. The first location was on the corner of Tenth and Main. They soon moved to their location, 802-804 Main.
The store was purchased in 1897 by the Brady Brothers. There were three distinct departments: the clothing, the shoes, and the grocery department.
The Brady Brothers sold out in 1910 to Calvert and Cheek. Many
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of the departments have been changed as there is no longer a grocery or shoe department but several new departments were added instead.
Lynn’s Store.
J. B. Lynn, in 1874, came to Winfield from Olathe, Kansas, and opened a store on the corner of Eighth and Main. In 1880 the floor space was increased from twenty-five by forty feet to twenty five by one hundred forty feet.
Mr. Loose of the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company of Kansas City was at first associated with Mr. Lynn. Later when the store was enlarged Mr. A. B. French had a grocery store in the north side of Lynn’s building, which was later used for men’s clothing. In 1902 a bargain basement was installed and the entire store carried only dry goods and notions.
Miss Sadie French, later Mrs. George Hawkins, of Council Bluff, Iowa, was the first lady clerk in Winfield.
The first stock was valued at eight hundred dollars and by 1924 was increased to one hundred thousand.
Mr. J. B. Lynn died in 1915, and Mr. C. F. Lynn, his son, assumed the full management of the store.
The store has grown in stock and has always had as its policy, “We’re not pleased ‘till you are.” It became one of the most prosperous stores in town. And in 1925 the store was undergoing extensive remodeling. Two full stories with all the modern improvements were being equipped.
Parker Brothers.
Winfield’s opportunities are many and competition is the spice of trade so in the spring of 1893, Tom and Frank Parker set up an
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humble little shop in the People’s Mercantile Co. on Tenth and Main.
Prosperity smiled and in 1895 they established a firm and tailored the clothes in Winfield instead of having them ordered from Chicago. Their first location as an indepen-dent concern was where the Stutzman Jewelry Store is now. In a few years they added men’s furnishings and moved to their present location at 813 Main.
They employ over twenty tailors at present and it is one of the largest tailoring shops in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Wallace.
In 1905, Josh Wallace, head clerk for Eli Youngham Clothing Company, started a Men’s Clothing store on the corner of Tenth and Main. He stayed at his business for eighteen years and in 1923 he turned the store over to his son, Charles E. Wallace. In 1925, Charles sold half interest to Fred Study. The store has done nearly as much business in 1925 as Josh did during the time he owned it.
J. S. Mann.
With the rapid growth of Winfield the early pioneers, who owned the general stores, found it impossible to meet the demands of the community so it was natural for the far sighted men of the town to see the wonderful opportunities of this young metropolis.
On April 1, 1897, J. S. Mann, with a small capital and a strong heart, opened a “Haberdashery” in the building where Old’s Drug Store is now. He remained in this location until 1903. He then moved to the location which is now occupied by Wallace’. After staying there for several years his prosperity was so great
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that he bought the property of 909 South Main and moved his stock there. He has been on this location for over forty years.
Goodman’s
Eli Youngham came to Winfield in the late Sixties and after working in Winfield for several years, he started up a Gent’s furnishings store in 1876. It has always been one of the leading clothing stores in Winfield. In 1899, Mr. Youngham incorporated his store and Mr.. William Marks was made vice-president. After several years of prosperity Mr. Youngham sold his interest to the Jumbo Clothing Company.
The store took the name of the Jumbo and remained so until 1918 when it was bought by the head clerk, Mr. Harry Goodman. The name was then changed to Goodman’s. Mr. Goodman employs six salesmen and a bookkeeper.
Shoe Stores
W. C. Root and Company.
In the year 1881, the W.C. Root Shoe Company was founded by Mr. W. C. Root, a very prominent shoe man in this part of the country. The store has always been located on Main Street.
For several years Mr. Root kept a shoe repair shop, but due to his steadily increasing shoe business he found he couldn’t spare the time looking after this end of the business so he abandoned it.
With the coming of old age, Mr. Root decided that he needed some young man to look out for the business so he sold part of his interest in the store to Mr. Robert Bloomfield. The company employs five salesmen and one bookkeeper.
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Orr Crawford Shoe Store
It was soon found necessary for another shoe store in Winfield so a Mr. Trice established the Winfield Booteria in 1903. A few years later he sold out to Mr. J. P. Schantz. Mr. Orr was the chief buyer for Mr. Schantz and in 1909 he purchased the store in Partnership with James Crawford.
The Store has always been located at its present site and has grown to be one of the largest and most exclusive shoe stores in the county; employing three salesman and a bookkeeper.
Five and Ten Cent Stores.
Woolworth.
The well known chain of Woolworth stores was extended to Winfield in the year 1909, when store number 521 was located here.
The business prospered, and grew until in 1921 it was necessary to remodel the building. New counters and fixtures were added at that time.
Erwin and Thomas.
One of the Erwin and Thomas chain stores was located in Winfield early in 1924. It has been successfully maintained and has become one of the most popular stores of the city.
The Millinery Shops of Winfield.
The Patterson Millinery Shop.
The Patterson Millinery Shop was started in August, 1919, by Miss Loud and Mrs. Patterson. It is located between Ninth and Tenth Streets. Two and a half years after it was started, Miss Loud sold out to Mrs. Patterson and moved to Arkansas City where she started a Millinery for herself.
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The Patterson Millinery has grown very rapidly. At first, they were only able to handle the poorer stock, but as the store grew, they were able to not only handle the very best but also the very latest stock. Mrs Patterson has also been able to secure Ladies’ Ready Made dresses.
Mrs. Roberts’ Millinery Shop.
Mrs. Roberts’ Millinery Shop has been located on East Ninth for thirty-five years. It was formerly owned by Mrs. Harker, who moved to Illinois in 1907. Miss Ada Tack bought it from Mrs. Harker and in 1908 Miss Tack took Mrs. Roberts in as her partner.
In 1910, Mrs. Roberts took the Millinery Shop for herself and has had very much success since.
The Dubler Millinery Shop.
In January 1922, a small millinery shop was started on West Ninth under an impulse of a moment by Mrs. Dubler.
It was a successful little shop and has grown into an exclusive pattern shop and last winter gave a real fashion show at the Grand Theater, which is the first and only shop to have a fashion show.
Mrs. Dubler also handles Shugert furs besides her millinery.
Mrs. McAllister’s Beauty Shop.
Mrs. McAllister has been a resident of Winfield for forty years. She opened the first beauty shop in September, 1909, at 707 Main Street.
She has a beauty shop equipped with the very latest instruments for this line of business. She has a permanent, a Bernum, and marinelle hair curling system. This beauty shop is fitted out with a soft water plant, which was the first of that kind in Winfield, with the exception of the laundries.
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There are many beauty shops in Winfield which have proved to be a great success.
Winfield Floral and Seed Company.
The Winfield Floral and Seed Company on North Main, as it was in 1925, had been managed by N. Dugan and H. L. Cain since 1917. A landscape and shrubbery department and a seed department have been added to the greenhouse. From a small beginning, this company has built up a very prosperous business.
The managers, Mr. Dugan and Mr. Cain, are members of several different national and state florists’ associations.
Davis’ Green House.
In 1914, Mr. Edward Davis started a green house on the corner of Main and Fourteenth Streets. A second house was built in 1920 and remodeled in 1922.
The hailstorm of 1921 did slight damage; but in 1925, a very severe storm caused a loss of about fifteen thousand dollars.
Schmidt’s Green House.
In 1890, Lenora L. Schmidt established a green house at 301 Andrew Street. A down town shop was opened in 1920. The damage resulting from the hailstorm of 1925 amounted to about six thousand dollars.
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Rodockers.
In 1871 David Rodocker opened a studio in Winfield. It was located across the street from the Brettun Hotel, but was later moved to the rooms over Irvin’s blacksmith shop.
In 1884 Mr. Rodocker sold his studio to George Dresser, but in later years again opened a studio of his own. That time it was located in the 800 block on North Main.
This studio remained in the hands of Rodockers until 1925 when it was sold to Mr. Montgomery.
Stanley Underwood.
Mr. Dresser also owned this studio in 1884, but he later sold to Mr. Brask.
Mr. Brask stayed in control of this studio until Mr. Stanley and Mr. Underwood bought it in 1921.
Hickerson - Day.
H. Beck opened a studio in 1885, in Winfield. He sold to Mr. Dresser, and the people to own this studio after him were: Mr. Wooddell, John Baugh, George Brown, and after he had held it four years, Mr. Hickerson and Mr. Day bought it in 1922.
Montgomery.
C. E. Montgomery was the latest photographer to open a studio in Winfield. He opened his studio in 1924, on East Ninth Avenue.
In 1925, Mr. Montomery bought the Rodocker studio and continued his photography work there.
BOOK STORES
Pierce’s Book Store.
In 1896, Mr. M. L. Wortman started the book store that was later owned by Mr.. Pierce.The bookshop was located in the first block on East Ninth, back of the First National Bank. In later years the stock was bought by Nier, King Company.
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Mr. Pierce bought the stock in 1908. It was on the northwest corner of Church and Ninth Streets. Almost immediately after Mr. Pierce bought the stock he moved it to the east side of the first block on East Ninth. The building to which the bookstore was moved was originally the Kerr Store.
Garver Book Store
The Garver book store was started by Henry Goldsmith in 1885. The first building was located where the State Bank was later situated.
George Robinson bought the store from Henry Goldsmith, and Robinson sold it, a few years later, to Charles Craig.
C. L. Garver and G. G. Garver bought the store from Charles Craig in 1909. After they had been in this building for seven years, they sold it and moved to the 800 block on North Main.
Newspapers
Until 1878, Cowley County was without a newspaper; but in that year, the first printing press ever brought to Kansas was purchased from Colonel Sam W. Wood of Cottonwood Falls and the Censor, a weekly paper, was started in Winfield. This primitive printing press was of an early Seth Adams make with twenty stars on it indicating that there were twenty states in the Union at the time of its manufacture. The press was undoubtedly made prior to 1818, as in that year the twenty-first state was admitted. The actual printing for the first two numbers of the Censor of August 13 and August 20 were printed in Augusta before the arrival of the press in Winfield.
The first editor of the Censor was A. J. Patrick, a well known
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newspaperman. The Censor changed hands several times, and finally came into the possession of W. H. Kearns. After running the paper for seventeen months, the name was changed, and it became known as the Winfield Messenger. Later Mr.. Kearns sold his interest to the Yale Brothers, under whose management the paper failed due to financial difficulties. The effects of the paper were moved to McPherson, with the exception of the press, which was sold into Missouri.
Winfield was again without a paper for a few months. In the early part of 1872 the Cowley County Telegram was moved from Tisdale to Winfield, where a fine building was built to house the publication. The Telegram was the first to publish a daily paper in Cowley County. In spite of all the preparations to establish the telegram firmly in Winfield, it failed, ceasing operations in 1881. The Telegram was an independent or granger publication at first; but later changed to a Democratic paper.
The Winfield Courier, Winfield’s first permanent newspaper, was established in 1873 by the Waddell Publishing Company, but changed hands several times and finally came under the control of E. P. Greer. Under his management, the paper prospered.
Several minor publications were started in the Seventies and Eighties, among which was the Plow and Anvil. This was a Granger paper started in 1874, but was soon discon-tinued, and the equipment sold.
In 1888, a radical paper, known as the Non-conformists, started business in Winfield, and for a time, it gained quite a large circulation. The paper was so very radical that it soon lost many of its patrons and was forced to stop publication.
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The Winfield Tribune was founded in the year 1884, but in 1886 the name was changed to the Winfield Visitor, and under this name, both a daily and weekly were published. By 1891, the daily was discontinued, but in 1907, the weekly disappeared and the daily was revived.
The Free Press was founded in 1888 at Dexter under the name of the Dexter Free Press but in 1890 it was moved to Winfield, and became known as the Industrial Educator. Only one issue was published under this name, when the name was changed to the Industrial Free Press. The Winfield Daily Free Press was established in 1902, and consolidated with the Industrial Free Press in 1906. In 1908, the Winfield Free Press merged with the Tribune, and was printed under the name of the Winfield Daily Free Press. W. G. Anderson purchased the Free Press in 1911, and the two papers, the Courier and the Free Press continued in competition until the year 1924 when W. G. Anderson, editor and owner of the Free Press, bought out the Courier and the paper was then published under the name of the Winfield Daily Courier and Free Press.
Jewelry stores.
Robert Hudson has the oldest jewelry store in Winfield. He was one of Winfield’s early citizens and has been at his present location since 1887.
Ira Stutzman began business at his present location in 1922.
The Mogle Jewelry Store has had several locations since it was established. The present is at 108 East Ninth. C. H. Mogle, the present owner, bought the interest of his brother Homer in 1909.
Ruppelius and Adams, formerly Coleman and Ruppelius Jewelry store, is located on North Main Street. It was first established
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by Andrew Wilson.
Theaters.
Winfield’s first theater was the old Manning Hall, now the American lLgion Hall. This was considered a very fine theater at the time, and local talent, under the management of Captain Myers, constituted the entertainment.
In 1887, the Grand Theater was built. Bonds were sold to raise the money for its building, and enough money was raised to erect a fine building. Captain Myers was the first manager. Shows of renown played before Winfield Audiences in the Grand Theater, and it was known throughout the state as a first class theater. Upon the introduction of moving pictures, the Grand Theater installed a machine, and pictures were shown in conjunction with vaudeville. The theater changed hands many times and is now owned by Mr. Barker.
About ten years after the building of the Grand, the Jewel and Novelty Theaters were built. These were the first picture shows of the city. A few years ago, the Jewel changed its name to the Zimm.
Confectioneries
Candy land has been owned by William A. King since 1920. It was purchased from Pete Thomas who had owned it since 1918. Immediately after purchasing the store, Mr. King remodeled and installed new modern fixtures and furniture.
The Busy Bee is a new confectionery opened by Abbea and Mamos from Wichita. It is located in the old Progressive State Bank Building. They were ready for business, February 14, 1925.
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Layton’s Confectionery is located on the south side of Ninth Street between Church and Main.
The original founder of the present Layton’s Confectionery was Mr. B. Miller. He opened up his business about 1910, and was located where the Robinson Second Hand Store now stands. Later this confectionery was moved west of the American Express office. In 1923, they changed their location and moved across the street.
The confectionery is at present in the ownership of Mr. Layton, who purchased it from Mr. Miller in 1917. Since the Prohibition Amendment and the late war, the business has progressed rapidly.
This confectionery is equipped with an ice-plant and a storage room which has a six ton storage capacity. It is fitted out with a first class modern soda-fountain.
It is one of the most complete and modern confectioneries in the United States.
DRUG STORES.
Olds Drug Company.
The Olds Drug Store was originally owned by J. N. Hill, who established the store in 1876 The store was located where Grant Stafford’s Abstract Company was later situated. In 1885, it was moved to where Dugan’s flower shop was located in 1925. In 1919 it was moved again. Till 1918 it was known as Hargers’ Drug Store. Since then it has been called Olds Drug store.
Snyder’s Drug Store.
The building which Snyder’s Drug Store occupied was completed in November of 1886. J. M. Hill operated a drug store in it from that time till January 1891, when Mr W. H. Somermier bought it of
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him and successfully remained in charge of the establishment till 1909. During Mr.. Somermier’s ownership, the store was called the “Village Drug Store.”
In 1909, Mr. Somermier sold it to Mr. A. K. Snyder and under his supervision it had been successfully operated.
Mel Backus Drug Store.
The Drug store now owned by Mel Backus on North Main Was started in 1888, under the name of Brown. The elder Mr. Brown continued operating the store for several years and then sold it to his sons.
The sons kept the store until 1910. Then the store was bought by J. W. Cree. In 1912, the store was sold to W. H. Somermier.
Mr. Somermier had charge of the store for five years. Mr. Mel Backus bought it in 1917 and has continued the business thus far.
Dyer Drug Store
The Dyer Drug Store was originally located in the 100 block on East Ninth Street. It was started in 1900, by William Farringer. In 1911, the Drug Store was moved to the 900 block on South Main Street and in 1912 the store was bought by A. L. Dyer.
Rexall Drug Store.
Quincy A. Glass started what is now known as the Rexall Drug Store, in 1889. It was located in the 900 block on South Main. In 1896 the Wholesale Drug House of Kansas City who later sold it to D. Clark Kelley in 1897. The stock was turned over to R. B. Bird in 1899. This store has been a Rexall Store since about 1905.
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GROCERY STORES
Coopers.
Among the oldest of all the Winfield Grocery Stores is Cooper’s Grocery. The business was started in 1901 where the City offices were in 1925. In 1905, Mr.. Cooper, who has owned the business since its beginning, moved his store to 919 Main Street.
This store has mostly city trade but also a little of the country trade.
Allen’s
Next in order comes the Allen’s Grocery. In 1908 the Calvert-Mabry started what was later the Allen’s Grocery Store, in the back of the Calvert-Cheek Dry goods Store. Mr. Allen was at that time a member of the company. In 1915 he bought the store and after a few months moved to the first door south of Calvert-Cheek Dry Goods Company.
The store has its own coffee and peanut roasters, run by electricity, and also meat market. They have their own delivery truck, their business being mostly city trade.
Snyder and Company.
Next comes one of the Farmer’s stores. The Snyder and Company Grocery store was started in January, 1915, at 1101 South Main with Mr. Hutchins as owner. In April, Mr. W. T. Snyder came in as his partner.
In 1918 the store began to change hands rather rapidly. Mr. Snyder sold to Mr.. Brookshire. Brookshire and Hutchins sold to Mr. Race and Mr. McManis. Mr.. Race sold his share to Mr. Fry and Mr. Snyder. Later, Mr. Fry sold his share to Mr. Snyder
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and Mr. McManis.
Vincent and Sloan.
Vincent and Sloan’s Grocery Store also has a large amount of country trade.
Vincent and Sloan started in business in a small grocery store, on the corner of Main and Eleventh Streets when they bought out Schwantes and Barker in 1916.
In 1918 they bought the store at 719 Main Street at a bankruptcy sale. The store had belonged to Story and Son. They (Vincent and Sloan) operated both stores from March until July. In July they closed the store on Eleventh and moved to the new store.
Watsons
One of the later grocery stores is the Watson Grocery, started in 1921 on Ninth Avenue. Mr. Watson started with only groceries, but later added a meat market.
There are other grocery stores which have been started during the last few years. Among the most important are: Dunn’s, Self Service Groceries and Meats, and Piggly Wiggly. Besides those already mentioned there are also several small grocery stores scattered throughout the residence districts.
MEAT MARKETS.
Dautschmann’s Meat Market.
A. A. Dautschmann established the first permanent market in Winfield early in 1890. The market has been located at 917 Main since 1902. From the very first Mr. Dautschmann has handled meats exclusively.
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In 1925, Dautschmann’s Meat Market was one of the most prominent markets in Winfield, using two thousand hogs and cattle a year. The market owns a well equipped cold storage plant equal to any in this locality.
Mitschler Meat Market.
Mitschler’s meat market is one of the oldest markets in Winfield. It was established in 1900 by P. L. Mitschler, who was still the owner twenty years later. The building has been remodeled two or three times and it has also been refronted twice.
To judge the extensive trade carried on by this market one has but to note the amount of fresh meat used weekly. It is as follows; 8 head of cattle, 12 head of hogs, 6 head of calves, 4 head of sheep.
The Winfield Wholesale Grocery.
The Winfield Wholesale Grocery was incorporated in 1901. At that time they occupied two rooms in the Hackney Building. In a few years the growth of the business necessitated the acquiring of six more rooms in the Hackney building and the room now occupied by the Coca Cola Bottling Works.
A splendid new building was erected on the corner of Sixth and Main and in 1915 the company moved to this location.
They established another house in Wichita in 1910. Twenty-one salesmen are employed by both houses, their territories covering Southern Kansas And The Northern half of Oklahoma.
PACKING HOUSES.
Seymour’s Packing House.
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When Winfield was yet a very small town there became a need for the establishment of a poultry and butter produce company. Mr. J. P. Baden started just such a concern.
In 1895, he purchased the ice plant which had been built during the preceding year. Cold storage rooms were at once added. The success of the new storage house was so marked that its capacity was trebled in three years. The building covered over 60,000 square feet of floor space, all of which was used.
In 1906 the old “J. P. Baden Packing Plant” was bought by the Seymour Packing Company. Seymour continued to do business in the old building until 1910, when the business demanded expansion, and the new building was erected.
At the time of its organization fourteen men were employed; in 1925, there were from twenty-eight to thirty regular employees and as many as forty or fifty during the rush season.
The work of the Seymour Packing Company consists mainly in buying and milk-feeding poultry, dressing chickens, and freezing products.
The output of the plant grew to be one hundred cars of dressed poultry per year and seventy-five cars of cold storage eggs. The plant is one of the best equipped plants of its kind in the middle west. The Seymour Packing Companies headquarters are in Topeka.
Kinninmouth Produce Company.
The year of 1904 saw the opening of a permanent produce company. At first, only one man was employed and business was carried on in a small manner, poultry and eggs being the main output.
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In 1906 the Floral Creamery was added to the Winfield plant. Cream and butter became the chief produce at the admission of the Floral branch.
The plant grew rapidly, until in 1925 there were sixty employees and the output exceeded 3,600,00 pounds of butter, sixty cars of storage eggs, and 50,000 poultry per year.
The total payroll of the year of 1924 amounted in excess of $85,000,000. (Note: this figure is what is on the manuscript.)
Creameries
Harding Cream Company
The Harding Cream Company is located on North main. It was built by A. P. Hunt and Mr. Grouk in 1915. In 1919, it was bought by the consolidated cream company. They owned the factory until 1923 when the Harding cream company bought them out.
The Harding Cream Company condenses buttermilk. It has an annual output of 649,376 gallons, which is shipped to all parts of Kansas and Oklahoma. This condensed milk is used for chicken and hog-feed.
LUMBER COMPANIES
Swartz lumber Company
One of the oldest lumber companies in this city in the Swartz Lumber Company. This yard was built in 1904, by A. H. Doane, the first owner.
Mr. Doane later sold the establishment to T. W. Tilton, who in a few years sold out to S. M. Swartz, from whose ownership the yard gets the name of the Swartz Lumber Company.
The yard finally came under the control of Congdon and Terrey, who were the owners in 1925.
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This has never been increased in size but has been remodeled several times.
Comley Lumber Company.
In 1879, William M. Pond and Henry Comley formed a partnership and started a lumber business in Winfield. Mr. Pond furnished the necessary capital, and Mr. Comley furnished the experience that he had secured as an employee in various lumber companies in other cities. The new business was known at that time as W. M. Pond and Company.
In 1904, Mr. Comley bought out half of the interests in the firm, and as a result the name was changed to the “Pond and Comley Lumber Company.” Five years later Mr. Comley purchased the interests of Mr. Pond, and the name was again changed, to the Comley Lumber Company.”
Mr. Comley and his sons immediately began to create other lumber yards throughout the Midwest, until, in 1925, the Comley Lumber Company is not a one-yard concern, but is a chain system with twenty-one different yards throughout the Midwest. The Company is one of the largest lumber dealers in the United States.
Under the efficient management of Mr. “Bob” Balcolm, the Winfield yard has been able to grow until it is the largest lumber concern in Winfield, selling more lumber and building materials than any other yard. Mr. Balcolm has been with the Comley organization for twenty-eight years, fifteen years of which have been in Winfield.
Jarvis and Thompson Lumber Company.
Winfield’s first lumber yard was built on the corner of Manning and Eighth Streets by Byron R. Rodolf in 1883. When it first opened for business it was known as the “Chicago Lumber Company.”
A. H. Doane bought part of the yard, several years after its founding, and the name was changed to A. H. Doane and Company, with Mr. Rodolf as the “and Company.” Within a few years, Mr. Rodolf again took over the business of the firm entirely, with Mr. A. Thompson as his main associate. The “A. H. Doane and Company” was changed to the “Rodolf Lumber Company.”
In February 1924, Frank Jarvis and Mr. Thompson bought the entire interests of Mr. Rodolf, and the name was again changed to “The Jarvis Thompson Lumber Company.”
The yard, under the new management, remodeled the yard property, adding a new artistic front as well as other improvements.
Everly Lumber Company
In 1919, C. W. Tilton of Moline, Kansas, and R. B. Shanklin of Winfield, sold the present Swartz Lumber Company, of which they were at that time joint owners, and after disposing of the Swartz lumber Company, Shanklin and O. Catheart opened the yard on East Sixth, in the year 1920, more as a jobbing business and in connection with the Winfield Planing Mill, but later the yard was changed to a retail lumber yard.
The north building was constructed for use as the Winfield Planing Mill in 1919. The main building was built for use as a machine shop or a factory for the manufacture of tire tools, etc.
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but the building was only used in this capacity for a short time.
In January, 1921, the yard changed to Tilton and Catheart, and in September, 1921, Catheart sold out his interest in the yard to C. W. Tilton, who on November I, 1924, sold the yard to A. B. Everly of Turon, Kansas, who is the proprietor at the present time.
FURNITURE STORES.
The Winfield Furniture Store.
The Winfield Furniture Store was organized by J. W. Johnston in 1875. This was the first furniture store situated in Winfield. The first location was in the room later occupied by the Busy Bee Candy Kitchen.
Mr. Irwin, owner in 1925, bought the store in 1884. It was moved to the location at 816 Main in 1898.
Kyger Furniture Store.
The Kyger Furniture Store was organized in 1883 by Ira Kyger. At that time it was situated where Wright’s Radiator Works now stands. They later moved to rooms on South Main now occupied by Tharpe’s Grocery Store.
In 1897 they moved to their present (1925) location. Until the last few years, they have also been engaged in the undertaking business.
HARDWARE STORES
McGregor’s Hardware.
One of the leading hardwares in Winfield is the McGregor’s Hardware, located on the corner of Ninth and Millington. It was started in 1889 by J. G. McGregor, at 117 East Ninth. In 1924
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they moved to the corner of Ninth and Millington, the building which was formerly occupied by Stuber Brothers.
J. G. McGregor ran the business until his death; at this time it was taken over by his three sons.
The McGregor Hardware handles all kinds of hardware goods except implements. They have one of the finest sporting goods departments in Winfield. They also do a large amount of plumbing, hire some of the best plumbers in town.
Rembaugh Hardware Store.
The Rembaugh Hardware Store was started by Mr. W. H. Coffin in 1879. The store is located at 907 Main Street.
Later, Snyder and Notte bought this store from Coffin and in 1910 Rembaugh bought it from them.
This store is just a shelf hardware and has no farm implements.
Winfield Electric Shop.
The Winfield Electric Shop was started by Messrs. Ray and Ralph Stuber in 1913, at the present Mogle Jewelry Shop location. The present managers are J. S. Elwell and Jack Light. The shop is now located at 121 East Ninth Avenue.
Mogle Motor Company.
One of the oldest Motor Companies in Winfield is the Mogle Motor Company, established by W. F. Mogle, in 1916, in which year he graduated from Winfield High School. The establishment was first opened at 231 East Ninth. It was moved to the first block on West Ninth in the fall of 1922. W. F. Mogle continued in possession of the company until the year of 1924,
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when he sold out to H. B. Mogle, his brother.
At that time, W. F. Mogle installed the radio line, handling the Radiola, which business is in the same building.
The Mogle Motor Company has from time to time handled a Hudson-Essex, Reo, and the Studebaker, but most of these have been discontinued. In 1925, it was handling the Reo car and trucks, the Studebaker, and the Chrysler, which was to be discontinued within a short time.
Chevrolet - Oakland Co.
S. H. Myton organized the Winfield Hardware and Implement Company in 1871, and at this time sold only hardware and implements. Mr. Myton made his business headquarters at 719 North Main.
After thirty-eight years of successful business operation, Mr. Myton sold his stock to Mr. Goodwin, who continued the business at the same location. The motor part of the name referred to the agency for the Velie Automobile secured by Mr. Goodwin. The Velie car was soon discontinued and a more popular automobile was sold by the firm. The agency for the Chevrolet was secured in 1914, the very first year this particular car was manufactured.
In 1925 the Goodwin Hardware Company sold the Chevrolet automobile and truck, as well as the Oakland, which they added to their line in January, 1925. The two cars handled by the Goodwin Hardware and Motor Company are very popular in the community, and a good number are sold each year due to that fact.
The Willys-Overland Company
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The history of Overland sales in Winfield dates back to the time they were first manufactured. Various garages, located where the Winfield Auto Supply Company was operating in 1925, sold this make of cars when first introduced in Winfield.
After some years, E. S. (“Shorty”) Dobkins, one of Winfield’s first mechanics, took over the agency for their garage; it was later known as the “Day and Night Garage.” Early in 1924, the J. O. Watson Company of Wichita secured the agency, and built a service station at 602 North Main. Later in the same year the Watson Company sold the building and agency to Mr. Morton of Wichita, who organized the “Morton Motor Company.”
The Morton Motor Company has several salesmen who have helped make Winfield an “Automobile Town.” Willys-Overland cars are made in both six and four cylinder models in all the important body designs.
Hudson-Essex Company
The Notewell Motor Company were the dealers for Hudson-Essex Automobiles in 1925. Up to this year, various concerns have handled the agency for short spans of time.
The Hudson automobile was one of the first cars built in America and is today, a car of standard mechanism. The Essex has only been built in recent years, but it is considered of Hudson quality. The two automobiles are built by the same industry: The Hudson Motor Car Company, Detroit, Michigan.
The Notewell firm has sold a number of their automobiles in this locality, which proves the quality of the products and dealers.
Hill Motor Company
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The Hill Motor Company has for several years handled the Buick and Cadillac Cars and trucks.
Grover Collinson first organized the establishment in 1918. Four years later the motor company was sold to Henry Jarvis, who was bought out by the Hill Motor Company from Arkansas City.
This company was one of the business places that suffered severely from the flood of 1923, because of damage to the cars and trucks in the basement at that time.
Stuber Brothers.
Stuber Brothers were first known in Winfield in the electrical business, which was started in 1913. Two years later, Stubers bought the Ford Agency from the Harter Motor Company.
On September 20, 1915, they started selling Fords where Tuttle’s Radiator Shop was later located on East Ninth Street. At this time they had one mechanic who did all the work on the cars, set them up, and did all necessary repair work, with a few high school students after school as help, but in a short time more mechanics were added.
In 1917, Stubers moved to the place which McGregors’s Hardware company occupied in 1915, when they moved south on main, where a new building had been constructed to house the cars.
Stubers had in 1925, thirty-four men employed in the business. Of these men, three belong to the parts department, one is a salesman, and most of the rest are shop men.
The parts department of Stuber Brothers is the largest auto supply department for Fords in Cowley County, and they also have the largest tire sales department in Winfield.
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In the spring of 1923, Stubers sold their electrical shop to Light and Elwell, and handled instead the Ford, Lincoln, and Fordson tractor, exclusively.
Harter Implement and Motor Company.
Early in 1871, C. L. Harter opened up an implement and carriage store at 714-716 North Main. The name of the store was C. L. Harter at that early date and the years succeeding, up to the time the name was changed to “The Harter Implement and Motor Company.” The automobile handled by the firm is the famous “Dodge Brothers” product.
The company at present handles the John Deere line of implements in connection with the automobile agency.
The Harter Implement and Motor Company consists of a number of salesmen and mechanics, as well as office employees, which make up the establishment which is, today, a leader in its line of industry.
The founder of the establishment is still active as a member of the business.
Winfield Stamp Works.
Although Winfield is not a manufacturing community, it can boast of one of the largest rubber stamp manufacturing establishments in the entire southwest.
The Winfield Rubber Stamp Works was organized in 1902 by C. W. and J. B. Burbridge and the two located their first factory on west fifteenth Avenue. Some years later, the establishment was moved to the rooms over Pierce’s Book Store. In 1920 the company moved to the Telephone buildings. In 1925 they were planning to build a modern, up-to-date factory on
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South Main.
Winfield Rubber Stamp Works is not a local advertising firm, but a mail-order institution.Their mail order business is one of the largest of its kind. Part of the business is carried on by a large number of salesmen traveling all over the country.
Such companies as the Marland Refining Company, the Skelly Oil Company, Armour and Company, the Santa Fe Railroad, and the post offices furnish this concern with business which amounts to large sums annually.
The industry not only makes rubber stamps, but notary’s seals, sheriff’s badges, stamp pads, and everything in the stamp line.
CLEANERS
Service Cleaners.
The Winfield Service Cleaners was first established by J. S. Grove at the corner of Ninth and Church Streets, in 1915. The following year, Mr. Grove sold out to John Oldfest, but in 1917, Jack Weeks bought the establishment, and in turn sold it to Greenleaf and Martin, who were in possession of the cleaning establishment in 1925, and were doing fine business at that time.
Roy N. Smith.
One of the earliest cleaning establishments in Kansas (and the earliest in Winfield) was established by F. C. Wise in 1908 at 115 West Tenth. After operating the business successfully for two years, Mr.. Wise sold the business to Roy N. Smith, who had worked for him up to that time.
The business began growing from the start, until it was necessary to replace the original two story frame building with
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a larger fireproof building early in 1925. This new building was erected at a cost of $35,000 and includes a brick boiler room and machine room. With the erection of the new building the most modern machinery was added, including the famous “Valteria” pressers, which were the first to be used in Kansas.
The wonderful success of this cleaning and pressing business has been due to the management of Roy N. Smith, the owner since 1906. Mr. Smith has had the same prices in effect since the beginning, even throughout the World war. Mr. Smith is a member of the “Masters Association of Cleaners and Dyers,” which is a national organization composed of only the high class cleaners and dyers of each city. Beside this association, the proprietors belong to various state associations, to which only reputable cleaners and pressers can belong.
One of the things of note regarding Roy N. Smith is that he is the oldest man in Winfield, born in the county, that is in active business. This strictly Kansas Man has developed the greatest cleaning and pressing business in the southwest, including a vast mail order business which extends for many miles.
OIL DEVELOPMENT
The most recent product that has entered into the rank of Winfield industries is the oil development.
Although to the most of us, it is new in reality it goes back to the year 1913. This may seem only a short time, but for the oil game it is quite a long period.
Most of the credit for the Oil Development goes to the late P. H. Albright, Ed. Greer, and Josh Wallace.
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Josh Wallace was at that time president of the Chamber of Commerce and had ambition to do something big for the town. After expending time and effort he managed to obtain enough money by subscriptions to get a geologist to come here and lay out the land.
L. L. Hutchinson was secured as the geologist and in turning in his report he said the best structure for oil was where it was later located, east of town.
Martin Baden and A. L. Berby secured a block of 1,000 acres in the Winfield structure and turned it over to the Ninnehama Oil Company of Cleveland, Oklahoma. They put down two “Wild cats” in 1914 on George Lierman’s and Earl McFadden’s farms. They struck oil but it only amounted to about twenty or twenty-five barrels a day.
The expenses of putting down and operating a well was so great that they abandoned these wells and for many years Cowley County was known as the “Oil Man’s Graveyard.”
L. L. Hutchinson, the geologist, was firmly convinced that there was oil in Cowley County and advised Josh Wallace to fix up the acreage in the Winfield Field.
William McKnab drilled on Delfelters place and every one predicted it to be a wild and worthless undertaking but his well proved a success, and McKnab sold out to the Hull Oil Company of Tulsa.
In the years 1923-1924-1925 the oil men again tried their lick on Cowley County and in 1925 there were eight distinct fields near Winfield. The Winfield pool is two miles east, the Eastman, fourteen miles northeast, the Rock Newton is fifteen
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miles north. The Clark is ten miles northwest, the Smith-Shaffer is twelve miles northwest, the Carson is four miles west, the Graham five miles southwest, the Johnston ten miles southwest. The Graham and the Johnson fields are the largest fields and due to several recent wells in this district the monthly production of Cowley County has risen to an enormous height. In fact, the production is greater than any other County in the State of Kansas.
Winfield is in the center of all the productions and naturally the whole community has prospered by the discovery of the “Flowing Gold.”
oOo
Appendix A.
1. Pastors of the First Methodist Church
B. C. Swarts
I. A. Smith
Rev. Armstrong
J. W. Lowery
J. M. McQuiston
G. W. Knaval
J. L. Rushbridge
J. A. Hyden
H. A. Tucker
Bernard Kelley
R. A. Albright
A. B. Bruner
J. W. Jeffery
T. W. Scott
E. C. Beach
J. Jeffers
G. M. Henderson
F. A. Hawke
H. E. Wark
E. F. Buck
J. M. McCelland
D. H. Switzer
2. Pastors of the Presbyterian Church
Reb. A. R. Naylor 1872
Rev. James E. Platter 1877
William R. Kirkwood 1885
John Calvin Miller 1888
S. W. Stophlet 1896
Robert E. L. Jarvis 1906
F. C. McKearn 1910
W. B. Lampe 1913
W. C. Templeton 1918
3 Pastors of the First Baptist Church
E. P. Hickok 1871
N. R. Rigby 1873
James Gavins 1878
J. H. Rhieder 1884
C. W. Currier
Geo. P. Wright 1887
William H. Parker 1892
H. R. Best 1900
A. J. Fench 1904
W. A. Shark 1907
C. F. Mathews 1913
J. J. Patterson 1919
F. T. Herriott 1921
H. E. Norton 1922
4 Pastors of the Catholic Church
Father Ponziglions Early 1870's
Father Shurtz 1877
Father Kraus 1878
Father Gregory Kelly 1880
Father Hillian Call 1883
Father M. C. Duggan 1883
Father B. J. McDernan 1886
Father Bonincini 1900
Father Chapins 1901
Father Hilary Walsh 1902
Father John Banston 1903
Father O’Farrell 1904
Father Burke 1904
Father Donahue 1911
Father A. B. Hull 1913
5 Pastors of the Grace Episcopal Church
Bishop Vale 1877
Rev. Colton 1878
Rev. Delongy 1887
Bishop Thomas
Bishop Millspaugh
Rev. Carpenter
Rev. Talbot 1896
Bishop Wise
Rev. Tyner
Rev. Wilcox
6 Pastors of the Christian Church
A. L. Womack
I. H. Irvin
H. G. Gans
T. L. Cartwright
F. M. Rains
J. M. Vawters
George B. Peak
R. H. Love
W. T. Payne
Louis Camparette
E. N. Tucker
W. T. Hacker
W. T. Adams
George T. Smith
Albert Nichols
R. W. Gentry
A. L. Crim
A. H. Gordon
Rev. E. W. Harrison
Cameron
Atkins
7 Pastors of Grace M. E. Church
E. H. Vaughan
Samuel Wier 1889
C. H. Montgomery 1890
W. H. Ganaway 1892
D. E. Hoone 1893
W. F. Tomlinson 1895
G. M. Ryder 1895
A. W. Cummings 1897
D. H. Switzer 1898
D. W. Philips 1899
H. F. Dueke 1900
J. N. Roberts 1903
Ben F. Jones 1904
L. E. Simes 1905
R. L. George 1910
W. W. Bollinger 1914
Rev. Enyeart 1917
I. D. Harris 1920
Parkinson
Johnson
9 Pastors of the African M. E. Church
Rev. Daley 1880
Rev. Findley 1880
A. H. Daniels 1887
T. R. Jackson 1888
Rev. Hedgeman 1889
C. R. Green 1891
J. B. Wallace 1892
Rev. Richardson 1895
J. T. Ross 1898
Rev. J. J. Watson 1899
Rev. J. R. Ramsey 1900
Rev. B. N. Harris 1901
Rev. R. C. Lee 1906
Rev. T. W. Reeves 1907
Rev. W. B. Nichols 1908
Rev. W. R. Richardson 1909
Rev. Nance 1910
Rev C. A. Morgan 1911
Rev. W. B. Wooten 1914
Rev. J. H. Daniels 1916
Rev. J. A. Broadnax 1917
Rev. H. C. White 1918
Rev. William Martin 1919
Rev. B. C. Allen 1921
Rev. William Tyler 1922
Rev. Hamilton 1923
Rev. Saunders 1926
Rev. Allen 1927
Rev. Harper 1928
Rev. Lee 1930
10 Pastors of the free Methodist Church
D. D. Pembleton 1902
E. R. Ford 1903
C. L. Manning 1905
R. B. Ralls 1907
S. C. Lyman 1908
C. H. Jerome 1909
Luke Scripter 1910
J. Hutlet 1911
G. S. Caughron 1912
Hubert Wade 1914
G. W. Shuthour 1916
F. E. Bonham 1917
G. I. Winans 1919
H. C. Lindley 1921
John Walton 1923
11 Ministers - Latter Day Saints
J. W. Hughes
J. N. Madden
Elder George Vickery
Appendix B.
City Government
1. Winfield was incorporated as a city of the third class on February 23, 1873, and in March, W. H. Maris was elected mayor.
The mayors of the seventies were;
S. C. Smith 1874
D. A. Millington 1875
D. A. Millington 1876
R. L. Walker 1877
J. B. Lynn 1878
On February 27, 1879, Governor St. John issued an order proclaliming Winfield a city of the second class, as it then had a population of 2,000. The section of the town west of Main street was known as Second Ward, while the part east of Main was first ward.
The following persons have held the office of mayor since then;
J. B. Lynn 1879
M. G. Troup 1881
George Emerson 1883
W. G. Graham 1885
W. P. Hackney 1887
P. H. Albright 1889
J. W. Graham 1891
A. C. Bangs 1893
J. H. Tomlin 1894
H. C. Loomis 1897
P. H. Albright 1899
Harry A. Caton 1901
W. O. Johnson 1903
J. O. Page 1905
H. E. Silliman 1907
C. M. Wallace 1908
C. M. Wallace 1909
George Calthurst 1911
J. A. McGregor 1913
1915
A. L. Noble 1917
G. W. Sloan 1919
H. L. Snyder 1921
W. T. Irvin 1922
Josh Wallace 1923
H. L. Snyder 1924
L. P. Ravenscroft 1925
Mel Backus 1926
Ray C. Stuber 1927
L. P. Ravenscroft 1928
Ray C. Stuber 1929
??? Frankenfeld 1930
2 First County and township officers
1 County Commissioners; M. Willett
T. A. Blanchard (Chairman)
G. H. Norton
2 County Sheriff F. A. Hunt
3 County Clerk H. C. Loomis (Loomis appointed Dr. W. G. Mansfield as his deputy.)
4 District Clerk E. P. Hickok
5 County Treasurer John DeVore (Devore appointed J. P. Short his deputy.)
6 Register of Deeds W. E. Cook
7 Probate judge T. B. Ross
8 County surveyor F. S. Graham
9 Coroner Dr. W. G. Graham
3 Winfield township officers
1 Trustee W. W. Andrews
2 Justice of the Peace J. C. Monforte
T. B. Ross
3 Constables R. S. Sayers
G. H. Bronson
APPENDIX C.
THE COLLEGES
1 Southwestern
Presidents in the order in which they served;
john E. Harp
M. E. Phillips
W. N. Rice
Granville lowther
T. A. Place
W. H. Rose
F. C. Demorest
G. F. Cook
F. E. Mossman
A. E. Kirk
Franklin
2 St. Johns
The incorporation papers were signed by J. P. Baken, C. L. Janzoe, Silas rader, J. G. Moeckey, and G. Luecke. The Trustees wrer; J. P. Baden, C. L. Janzoe, A. W. Mayer, D. N. Wolf, and Silas Rader. Architect F. May of St. louis was the designer of the building and Mr. E. Klauser of Winfield, the contractor and builder. On May 10, the ground was broken by Mrs J. P. Baden, and in the same month the property was presented to the english Evangelical Lutheran Synod then is session at Chicago.
The First graduates were; A. Benner, E. B. Wood, Miss Clara Walton, A. Honnold, and Mr. Walter Cooper.
The Ministerial graduates were; E. Giegner, J. Bopp, H. Boreherding, and Walter Cook,
(Note; the sources of material in this story are Mr. Reed Cavitt, Story of Southwestern by Dean Farnsworth, and Miss Eleanore Hayes)
.
Winfield City Schools
Superintendents;
E. P. Hickok 1871-
A. B. Lemmon -1875
W. C. Robinson 1876-1877
George W. Robinson 1878-1879
E. T. Trimble 1880-1884
Ansel Gridley, Jr 1885-1886
James H. Hays 1886-1891
J. W. Spindler 1891-1913
J. W. Gowans 1913-1922
J. W. French 1922-1925
W. W. McConnell 1925-
