August 16, 2018
This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.
The building
in the 300 block of West 18th Street was the original site of what was
referred to as the USO for "colored soldiers." The United Service Organization, or USO, officials from Washington D.C.
and the local Defense Councils from Junction City, Ogden and Manhattan held a
meeting in July of 1941 to establish two social centers so that one for whites
and one for “colored” soldiers be established in Junction City.
The
construction of a building would be built through the WPA. In September of 1941 the city’s application
for a $90,000 grant to construct a new social center for colored soldiers and
expand the former Community House on East 10th Street, which is now
the Eagles Lodge, as a recreation center for white troops had been
approved. However, the grant required
that the city provide the sites for both centers and the old Community building
was no longer owned by the city.
Municipal funds were not available to purchase it, so only the terms of
the offer for the Negro center could be met.
Soon after,
it was announced that the second social center for white troops would be opened
in the basement of the Municipal Building.
The first USO for whites was located above the J.C. Penney’s store on
the east side of Washington Street.
By the end
of October, the contract had been awarded for the construction of the 18th
Street building. Then came the Japanese
bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7th of 1941, and the community,
state and nation moved into high gear in support of soldiers. The dedication of
the new Recreation Center was made on January 18th 1942. Throughout the war years the building on 18th
Street was a well patronized and lively spot.
Joe Lewis, the Heavy Weight Boxing Champion of the World, who was
serving at Fort Riley, was photographed at the site in 1943. Sometime during the early morning hours of
April 16, 1945, a burglar broke into the building, removed cash and other items
and then set the building afire. The
structure was totally destroyed at an estimated loss of $100,000, making it the
biggest single fire loss in the history of Junction City at that time.
In 1949, the
building was rebuilt and was used by the African American community for many
years. When integration made greater advancements, the building became a city
facility for all. In 1960, the Junction
City Little Theater moved into the 18th Street USO. When the Opera House was remodeled, the
Little Theater group moved there and the 18th Street building is now
used as a church.
And… that’s
today’s story from the Geary County Historical Society.
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