Downtown Walking Tour

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TANKFUL

Great Bend Historic

DOWNTOWN

its branches. These rowdy cow town days brought both danger and prosperity.

In 1821, Missouri trader William Becknell reached Santa Fe with a mule train of trade goods, successfully launching what would become known as the Santa Fe Trail. By 1825, it was evident that this would become a major trade route to the southwest and Congress ordered Major George C. Sibley to survey the route from Missouri to Santa Fe. Proceeding westward along the north side of the Arkansas River, the Trail cut through the heart of what is now Great Bend.

Civilization Arrives.

By 1876, brick and stone buildings had begun to replace the wooden structures that had sprung up seemingly overnight to provide goods and services to cow punchers, farmers and town folk alike. Then, as now, the preferred locations were along the two blocks west of the courthouse square.

Through the almost 140 years of its development, Great Bend has grown to boast an Eclectic mix of architectural styles. Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco structures rub shoulders with others influenced by Federal, Modern Eclectic and NeoClassic styles.

While many buildings downtown still boast their original historic details, others have been covered by metal and wooden facades. Nonetheless, each historic building in Downtown Great Bend has a story to tell about its contribution to the development of the city.

We will start our tour in the heart of Downtown Great Bend.

Great Bend’s Heart Great Bend was incorporated in 1872 and the original town plat centered on two square blocks which would become home to the Barton County Courthouse and the epicenter of the town’s life.

When the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad reached the Bend in 1872, not only did it bring new settlers, it brought the cattle trade.

For a few brief but lively years Great Bend was one of the major shipping points for cattle brought up from Texas on the Chisholm Trail and

1400 Main Street In 1872, a special election was held proposing to issue $25,000 in county bonds for erection of a courthouse and jail in the new county seat at Great Bend. Six offices were located on the first or ground floor and the second floor contained the courtroom, jury room and other court offices.

By June of 1877, the cupola or clock tower, which had graced the building, was removed. It was reportedly swaying in the brisk Kansas breezes and officials feared the strain would

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WALKING TOUR Great Bend Past Located near the geographic center of Kansas, what is now Great Bend straddles the big or “great bend” of the Arkansas River, where this famous stream juts northward into the heart of the state.

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Barton County Courthouse, Great Bend, Kansas

eventually damage the entire structure. In those early days, the courthouse was the center of the community, serving as town hall, church building, dance hall, lodge room and opera house.

By 1917, it had become obvious that the original courthouse could no longer adequately serve the needs of the county. The Hutchinson, Kansas, architectural firm of W.E. Hulse & Co. designed the new building and the Manhattan Construction Co., Muskogee Oklahoma, contracted to do the construction. Work on the new building in a style called “Modern (Classical) Eclecticism” began in November 1917 and the cornerstone was laid March 28, 1918. According to the Barton County Democrat of that date, “The building when completed will be approximately 125 x 101 feet in size and 57 feet high, and will be not only one of the finest but also one of the largest county buildings in the state. It will be four stories in height, built of reinforced concrete, brick, steel and stone, and will be of absolutely fireproof construction throughout. The total cost will be in the neighborhood of a quarter of a million dollars.”

The ground (now called the first) floor was designed to house the boiler and fuel rooms, a ladies’ rest room, a public meeting room and the office of the County Farm Advisor. The first (now

among the earliest founders and settlers of the city.

the second) floor was to house the offices of the county treasurer, clerk, register of deeds, probate judge, commissioners and public construction.

On the second (now the third) floor was the courtroom, jury rooms, witnesses’ rooms and offices for the sheriff, court clerk, county attorney and court stenographer. Up on the third (now fourth) floor were jury dormitories and two other large rooms. Stone steps led from street level to the main entrances on the first (now second) floor on both the east and west sides of the building, In 1952, in great need of repair which would have cost $19,000, the county commissioners ordered the steps eliminated and replaced with the present ground floor entrances. This resulted in the addition of two more rooms to the building and, at the same time, an elevator was added to make the upper floors more accessible. Other upgrades and renovations have been made to the building through the years.

The courthouse is surrounded by a large park, which is augmented on the south by the Moses Memorial Band Shell, where the City Band plays to large crowds on summer evenings and other events are regularly held. To the north, the statue of a Civil War soldier stands, ever vigilant, in memory of the members of the Grand Army of the Republic, Union Army veterans who were

1403 MAIN STREET In conjunction with the Moses brothers’ building to its north, this building was constructed in 1878

by J.H. and Josephine Hubbard to house Mr. Hubbard’s dry goods store, which they then leased to Brucks and Company. It is notable that this site was the location of J.S. Dillons and Sons' second grocery store in the state. Besides

Forest & Main Street

Moses Brothers building

1401 MAIN STREET This building, at the corner of Forest & Main, is the oldest surviving stone and brick building in Great Bend. Construction began in 1875 and in 1876 owner A.S. Allen moved his business, begun in 1872, into the new store. It has been extended to the west twice. In 1904, the building was sold to Citizens National Bank, which refaced the building and altered the façade and interior elements. Another new look came when the site was purchased by Farmers (later First) National Bank in the 1920s. This Federal façade is the one that remains. Since the bank moved to a new building at Lakin & Kansas in the 1950s, the storefront has housed three shoe stores and is now home to the Barton County Arts Council.

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groceries, it was a retail clothing location for many years and had office space upstairs. It is currently occupied by Dance by Design.

1405 MAIN STREET Consisting of two buildings, built at separate dates and adapted to fit together, the south half dates from 1878, when George N. and Edward R. Moses erected a two-story stone building to house their mercantile store, where customers could purchase almost anything they might need, from the cradle to the grave (literally, signs pointed out that furniture and undertaking were upstairs). In 1881, William Dunaway filled the north part of the property with another two-story stone building. By 1886, the Moses brothers expanded their rapidly growing business by purchasing Dunaway’s interests. The second story, known as the Union Hall, was used for dances, performances and large events. Sometime around World War I, the two buildings were architecturally unified with a common brick façade. Following the Moses brothers operation, it was occupied by Funk & Jamison Furniture and Mortuary, Woolworth’s, a fabric center and is presently Cornerstone Interiors.

1409 MAIN STREET Moses Merchantile

After a fire destroyed the original wood-frame harness shop operated by the Hiss family in 1928, this single story brick building was constructed. It has been rented out as a retail location since and housed a dress shop for over sixty years. It has only been remodeled twice, once in 1957, when the building was extended to the alley, and again in 1971.

1411 MAIN STREET Edwin Tyler constructed this single-story brick building in 1911. The original occupant was Graves Drug Store and has since housed various clothing, sewing, music and kitchen goods outlets, as well as a coffee house.

1413 MAIN STREET From its beginnings in 1888 when it was built by H.C. Nimocks, the building has been a prime commercial location occupied by dry goods, mercantile, shoe and jewelry stores. It presently houses Identifications. The exterior has been little altered, especially the upper floor, which still boasts much of its original Victorian architectural ornamentation.

1415 MAIN STREET Hiss Harness Shop

J.W. Lightbody had this two-story stone building constructed in 1878 to house his dry good business, called the People's Store. By 1909, it had changed hands and was C. Samuels’ dry goods store. Since then, it has housed a variety of mercantile and clothing stores and is presently a photographer’s studio. Architectural elements are still visible on the exterior, including arched windows, white stone sills and window hoods.

1419 MAIN STREET Constructed in 1888 by the Moses Brothers, Clayton and Edward, this building was a grand Victorian commercial building with a large, ornate metal cornice, complete with gargoyles.

Unfortunately, due to damage from a fire which destroyed the building to its north, it was necessary to re-brick the front, causing the loss of these historic architectural details. The first floor and mezzanine have always housed retail businesses. The second floor, which still contains original woodwork, tin ceilings and other decorative elements, was used for offices.

FIRE! Early on the morning of September 20, 1983, fire destroyed the historic brick and stone building at the southwest corner of Main & Broadway. Built Main Street

to house Farmer's & Merchant's Bank in 1886 at a cost of $25,000, it was known as the Opera Block for the auditorium housed on the upper floor. The building has been replaced with a modern office block at 2100 Broadway.

DIRT STREETS & DESPERADOS The photograph below shows the view looking southwest from the corner of what is now Main & Broadway in the late 1870s. To the left is the rear of the Southern Hotel or Drover's Cottage, Great Bend's earliest hotel and one of its first buildings. To the immediate left of the spinning windmill blades is the county's first school house which was located on what is now the site of the Great Bend Public Library at Forest & Williams.

To the right is Culver's Implement, the present location of Bank of America. Notice, too, in the bottom left corner of the photo, the "bear cage" in the back of the wagon, used for the transport of prisoners.

1900 BLOCK OF BROADWAY The square, sturdy-looking, classic Federal style building at 1924 Broadway was constructed to house Great Bend’s Post Office in 1915. When a new Post Office replaced it in 1960, the building was converted to federal offices. It was sold in 1996 and now houses Great Bend Children’s Clinic. As with this building, all of the early historic structures in the 1900 and 2000 Blocks of Broadway have been replaced with 20th century brick business buildings.

1500 KANSAS Now the site of a J.C. Penney’s department store, this building was constructed in 1960 to house a Wiley's department store. In the mid-1880s, this location became the Morrison Hotel, one of the grandest hotels between Kansas City and Denver.

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Rooms originally boasted Victorian Eastlake style furnishings in walnut and oak. By the early 1900s, the Hotel had fallen vacant and in 1902 briefly served to house the Dominican sisters who arrived in Great Bend to found a hospital and convent. It was later purchased by W.H. Kerr, who in 1912 planned to turn it into a school to prepare students who would spread the message of his Church of Humanity. This once grand Victorian lady ended her days as a run-down rooming house.

site of the present jail. The location had earlier served the city as a large livery stable.

1300 BLOCK OF KANSAS The north end of this block was originally home to the Typer House, one of Great Bend's earlier hostelries. Frame business buildings from the 1870s and 1880s were gradually replaced by brick business buildings in the early 1900s. In the middle of the block is the old Mazda Hotel building, now occupied by offices. It holds the distinction of having been bombed by a US Army Air Corps B-29 during World War II - bombed with a life raft.

1400 BLOCK OF KANSAS This block, immediately across the street east of the courthouse square, has had a varied history.

On the north end of the block, the building now housing the Barton County Sheriff's offices began its existence as a private residence. Then, for a number of years, it served as a funeral home and mortuary. In more recent times, it was purchased by the county and converted into offices for the Sheriff's Department. To its south is the County Jail, the core of which dates from the mid-20th century, but which has since been updated and modernized. In earlier times, the County Jail and the Sheriff's residence were in the basement of the original courthouse. Then, that arrangement was replaced with a large brick building on the

1905 LAKIN AVENUE On the south side of the courthouse square, one of the most distinctive buildings is the Crest Theatre. The Kansan Theatre flourished at this site in the 1920s. In 1950, owner Ferd Selle leased the building to the Great Bend Commonwealth Theatre Corporation. They undertook major renovations, including adding a second story and the distinctive Art Moderne exterior facade and interior elements still in evidence. The grand opening of the newly renovated movie theatre, renamed The Crest, was held November 9, 1950. It now houses the Great Bend

Zarah Hotel

City Hall

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Community Theatre and provides auditorium space for live theatre, concerts and other events.

This building is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

1907 LAKIN AVENUE This location was constructed in two parts. Its first section, consisting of the western one-third of the building, was erected in 1902. A one-story brick building was added as the eastern twothirds in 1916. It has served various retail and office uses through the ensuing years.

1913 LAKIN AVENUE Charles Andress, famous circus man and entrepreneur, built this brick building in 1909. In the winter months, when he wasn't on the road, Andress managed the Strand Theatre, which continued in business until 1954. Since that time, the space has been used as a retail store.

1915 LAKIN AVENUE Immediately to the east of the Zarah Hotel, Frank C. Wells built this two-story brick building in 1923 to house the men's clothing store he had been operating since 1913. The business continued in this location until 1987, when Mr. Well's son-in-law, Hubert Ochs, retired. It has since been occupied by a sporting good store.

ZARAH HOTEL In a style typical of the 1920s, the Zarah Hotel was constructed at the corner of Lakin and Main, south of the courthouse, by the Great Bend Hotel Corporation in 1924 and 1925. The interior was once rife with art deco elements. An addition was made on the south side of the building in 1939 and 1940, including a fourth floor pent house for the manager. In operation from 1925 to 1972, the hotel also housed a number of businesses and doctor’s offices on the first floor. Its more recent

incarnation has turned it into a mini-mall with a variety of small shops under one roof.

1223 MAIN STREET In 1910, the German American Bank dedicated their new building on the southwest corner of Lakin & Main. A two-story brick building constructed in the Federal style, it is topped by a triangular pediment and boasted twelve Roman columns. With the anti-German sentiment of World War I, the bank changed its name to American State Bank, which later moved to the building at 1321 Main. The second story provided additional downtown office space and after the bank relocated, the storefront has generally housed clothing stores.

1301-1305 MAIN STREET These premises now house jewelry and shoe stores in modern brick buildings, but before being converted to more peaceable mercantile pursuits, this corner - indeed much of this block on Main Street - was the stage setting for a good deal of Great Bend's early cow town excitement. On this corner stood a saloon, later converted by prohibition into a pool hall and then restaurant.

Under various proprietors and different names, but generally remembered as the NuAces, the saloon catered to the cowboys, thirsting for liquor and fun after the long, dusty trip up the Chisholm Trail to the railheads. When there was too much liquor and the wrong kind of fun, these young men were likely to meet the town's early law officers, most of whom had served in the Civil War. Justice was served at the end of a gun and many a young cowboy was laid to rest in the cold loneliness of an unmarked grave.

1309 MAIN STREET A.J. Buckland built the double-lot building in 1887, in conjunction with Otto and Hugo Burger.

A two-story brick Victorian, the two sections were united by a large cornice and stone window hoods which extended across the entire front. It’s commercial use has included drug, furniture, clothing stores, as well as a “five-and-dime.”

OLD ROME This photograph from the 1870s shows the 1300 block of Main, looking south from what is now Forest. The third storefront from the right is the famous Rome Saloon.

1315-1317 MAIN STREET In 1909, John Hiss and Louis Zutavern constructed the Hiss Building. A two-story brick building, it featured the commercial art deco design typical of that era. As with many spaces in the downtown business district, the main floor was used as a storefront and the second story provided office space. Over the years, it has housed drug and jewelry stores, a music school, dentists’ offices, a beauty shop and photography studio 1319 MAIN STREET The building located at 1319 Main was constructed in the mid-1880s. Originally a double-lot, two-story brick building, it once boasted typically elaborate Victorian design elements, including metal cornices and gargoyles.

When the bank was constructed next door, however, the north portion of this building was demolished and the remaining front converted to a more contemporary style. For many years it housed a variety of retail stores, but now serves as additional office space for the bank next door.

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1321 MAIN STREET Directly west of the courthouse’s west door, the 1300 and 1400 blocks of Main Street are divided

by Forest Avenue. At 1321 Main stands the American State Bank building, constructed in 1919 by the First National Bank. Constructed in the Federal architectural style, the exterior façade is Indiana limestone. The interior of the bank was finished with polished marble, brass and wood, decorated with ornate columns and ceilings. The upper levels house offices.

BOASTS & BULLETS In 1875, a correspondent for the Kansas City Times, described Great Bend as a place marked by dissipation, licentiousness, crime, and daily and nightly rows. "A young Texas cowboy, known this season by the name of Frank Williams, but last year as Ben Craddock, having visited the dance house and made some boasts in regard to his prowess in the presence of a blushing demimonde, proceeded to distinguish himself by attempting to kill the deputy city marshal, W.W. Winstead. After imbibing freely he became disagreeably noisy and flourished his revolver in a most threatening manner. A bystander quietly slipped out and informed the police, Jim Gainsford and Winstead, that said cowboy was threatening to shoot somebody.

As they entered the saloon, the desperado's eyes caught the police-man's star. With a whoop he swung out his revolver and fired at the approaching policemen. His fire was returned instantaneously by both officers ...

The Texan fell instantly; a ball having taken effect right between the eyes."