Our Past Is Present July 13, 2018

July 13, 2018

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

            Our most recent “Memories at the Museum” was held on June 24^th at the Museum.  Those who attended shared their memories about businesses that are no longer in our town.  In a little over an hour, Roberta Kelly, Verleen and David Carlson, Lynette (Perry) Jett, Mary Kay Munson, Nita Miller and John Strain told stories about some of the stores in Junction City from the late 1940s through the late 1980s.

            In today’s program, we hope to encourage you to go back into your memory and revisit stores in which you shopped and share those with the staff at the Museum. Well, here are a few of memories shared by those present on June 24^th.

            Roberta Kelly remembered several jewelry stores like Glick’s, Gerald’s, Flowers and Starcke’s.  The Glick’s also owned at least one grocery store over a sixty year period, which was passed on to members of the family.  Verleen Carlson suggested that a person who was interested in the grocery business and maintaining it within the family could have it passed to them.  However, sometimes there was no longer that interest the store would go to someone else or close. In some cases, larger national chains came in and bought out the smaller stores.  Josephine Rago, who was not at the meeting shared in a phone conversation that the Rago family had a grocery store at 13^th and Washington Streets where the NAPA store is now and later one on 7^th Street.  Kroger’s, which currently owns Dillon’s, bought out the Rago’s.  There were numerous other grocery stores remembered like the A&P; the Peter Pan Store on West 7^th Street owned by John Leonard, who kept accounts for those who didn’t have the cash to pay for their groceries until pay day; West Acres Floral owned by Bruce and Carolyn Rose; White Kitchen, which was a drive through burger place; and Meseke’s News Stand at Seventh and Washington, which was under the George Smith Library.

            Another store mentioned was Winchell’s Donut Shop on West Sixth Street.  David Carlson apparently had frequented that shop so often, that when he walked in the door the clerk began packaging his favorite donuts and when he got to the counter, his order was ready.

Lynette (Perry) Jett remember Long’s Department Store, which was managed by her father.  Jewelry, cowboy boots, colognes and other items were sold there in what is now the Dillon’s Store on West Sixth Street.  Woolworth’s was a place she liked to go to with her mother to get a cheeseburger and fries and then go downstairs where the pet birds could be purchased.  “There always seemed to be a loose bird flying around down there and the kids would try to catch them”, she said.

            John Strain recalled the poultry shop, where eggs were sold in what is now the Municipal Court; and the Circle Restaurant and Poor Richards, which was in the 100 block of East Sixth Street and Cohen’s Chicken House, which was first on Grant Avenue and later moved to Grandview Plaza until the restaurant burned. 

            Mary Kay Munson recalled Wuetrich’s Book Store, the Jack and Jill Shop, and the Froelic’s shoe store.  Nita Miller remembered Johnson Brother’s Furniture Store on Grant Avenue where her father did furniture repair work until he opened his own shop also on Grant Avenue and was name Fabia’s Furniture Repair.

            There were many other memories shared than we have time for in our program today.  Again, we encourage you to stop by our Museum Tuesday through Sundays and share your memories with our staff.  They love hearing and recording these stories and …as we always say here… “Our Past Is Present” …from the Geary County Historical Society.