Our Past Is Present February 1, 2018

  February 1, 2018

This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Today’s story is about some houses and their residents located in Junction City in 1934. The houses of a town tell the stories of its residents and are as interesting as the people who live or lived in them. 

            “The house at the corner of Ninth and Adams Streets was owned by Mr. M.H. Miller, who was the owner of the grocery store at 305 West Ninth Street. 

            Another house was the Will Dixon home at the corner of Jefferson and Third Streets.  This house was built at the end of the Civil War by Major O. J. Hopkins, brother-in-law of L.W Sargeant.  The lumber used for the home was brought from Leavenworth, Kansas

            Colonel John B. Anderson, uncle of John A. Anderson, the congressman from Kansas who built the Presbyterian Church, lived in the house next.  He built an addition to the south side of the house in the form of a billiard room.  It was later occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Josiah McClure, prominent early day residents of Junction City.    

            The first stone house on the south side of Sixth Street was built on the corner of Sixth and Jefferson Streets by Dr. Luther Hall.  The house of Nellie I. Baker at 318 North Jefferson Street was formerly owned by A.F. and Dick Clark.  It was erected by Joe Soutters, builder of early stone houses.  It was later occupied by Mrs. Mary Clark, a woman who during the Civil War, owned and operated one of the first ferries over the Republican River.  It was in this house that the first Catholic Church services of Junction City were held.

            These are a few of the early residences that had seen the growth and development of Junction City.”  We encourage you to drive around town and see some of the beautiful older homes in our city and see why we say “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.