July 4, 2018
This is “Our
Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.
In 1899 C.P.
Dewey started planning a resort at Eureka Lake, the small body of water that
once occupied the area where the Manhattan Airport is located today. He had been fascinated by the beauty of the
area and wanted a special summer resort as a suitable place to entertain his
business friends and local members of the community.
The Kansas
City Journal of September 14, 1902 printed a story on Dewey and his
resort. This is some of what was in the
article: “There are walls surrounding
flowerbeds of hydrangeas, coliantheas, and other expensive flowers. Inside is the cool, refreshing parlor where
one is greeted and made welcome. There
are Navajo blankets on the floor, ice water to drink, snowy linens, easy
chairs, iron or brass beds and screens on the windows. A whirling electric fan cools the rooms and
electric lights illuminate every room.
In the great
parlor there is woodwork of yellow pine and the floor is hard pine polished
like a mirror. Easy chairs are
everywhere with magazines, books and newspapers available for reading. A piano and pianola are available, a writing
desk with necessary supplies and bowls of beautiful flowers decorate the
rooms. A Chinese gong sounds and lunch
is served in the dining rooms by waiters.
The tables glisten with beautiful china, cut glass and silver.
A walk
around the lake on built up terraces reveals the diving towers, water slides,
boats, and swimming beaches. There are
500 lights on the place which flood the dance hall, bowling allies, walks and
terraces.
Charles P.
Dewey’s Beach Resort at Eureka Lake should have stood for decades as a memorial
to the remarkable man who had the vision to do wonderful things among the Flint
Hills of Kansas. However, in a little
more than twelve years, it was gone, the victim of a devastating fire in 1916.”
And… that’s
today’s story on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical
Society.
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