September 29, 2017
This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.
The formal
opening of the new expanded Thompson Building at 7th and Washington Streets
in Junction City took place in late October of 1909. The offices upstairs and the large new
billiard hall were visited by many people.
The Thompson Smoke House, which with the Loeb Drug Store, occupied the
lower floor and was the largest billiard hall in central Kansas. The front portion of the building was devoted
to cigars, tobaccos, and pipes displayed in elegant new show cases and were
partially separated from the billiard and pool tables by a partition.
In the rear
of the building were two fine billiard tables and four pool tables. There were four more pool tables on the south
side, which opened on to East 7th Street. The floor of the new part was covered with
rubber matting while the front part of the building retained the tile
floor. The tables were all refitted and
a new supply of cues and balls had been added.
The big
glass front of the East 7th Street side furnished exceptional
lighting and the central portion of the establishment was lighted by
skylights. At night there were new
electric lights of high illumination.
Mr. Thompson
had ordered a supply of settees and writing tables for the convenience of
customers. The walls were decorated by
the Durbon Company and were painted a light yellow color with the pressed steel
ceiling painted in white. Palms and
other plants were used for decoration.