Our Past Is Present May 9, 2018

May 9, 2018

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

            Today’s program is another in the series of historic houses in Junction City. This information comes from an article written by the late Irene Jeffries for the Junction City Daily Union newspaper.  The house at 439 West First is now owned by Mark and Sally Edwards.  It has had a long life and interesting story. Records date back to October of 1860, when it was deeded to Daniel and Angeline B. Mitchell.  In October of 1869, Milton Stewart took the title for $270.  It is thought that Mr. Stewart built the original structure and then sold the property for $1,500 to Nathan and Jane Brown.  From that time until the property was purchased by W.W. Cook in April of 1887, there is a list of six other families who owned the property though none of them held title for more than two years.

            W.W. Cook, a young Civil War veteran, had lost a leg in battle.  He came to Kansas in 1872 to farm near Junction City on the upper Humboldt Creek.  Farming became too difficult for a man with an artificial limb, so he moved to town and purchased the home for $2,000.  W.W. Cook became a contractor who built roads, water and light plants and sewer systems.  About 1900 he rebuilt the home as it now stands.  The Cook family held title to the property until it was sold to Charles and Maude Black in June of 1929. Although the Blacks lived in the house only a short time, it is reported that it fell into a state of disrepair.  In April of 1935, U.S. Weary, a local attorney, bought the home for $7,000.  The late Robert K. Weary, his son, remembered that his parents did extensive remodeling to the home before the family moved into it.  The Weary’s sold the property in 1973 to the William O’Keefe family, who occupied the house until it was purchased by the Edwards family in 1977.  Mark Edwards is an attorney in Junction City.

            We encourage you to take a drive around Junction City and look at some of the beautiful historic houses and you will see why we say “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.