Our Past Is Present August 27, 2018

August 27, 2018

            You are reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

Katie Goerl, our Executive Director, wrote an article recently and also shared some of the information about the first pizza in Junction City on “JC Now” which was heard on this station. 

            This is some of what she found in her research.  “The first pizza eaten in Junction City was homemade and it may have borne little resemblance to the “real thing.”  The instructions were published August 28, 1951 and stated to “split English muffins, spread with butter, grated cheese and tomato or chili sauce and roast under a broiler.”

            By 1956, Junction Citians could purchase a pie from the Good Eats Café.  Their pizza was cooked to order.  The first pizzeria came a couple of years later.  It was called Jerry’s Pizzeria, which was operated by Jerry Nardella out of his home at 114 W. 17^th Street.  Delivery was not provided, so…customers had to pick up the pizza after the order was called into the business.

The customer would then pull up to the driveway near the house and the pizza would be brought out to the customer. 

            In 1959, something new was added to the luncheon table at the Rimrock Farm Horse Show.  Yes, you guessed it….. it was delicious, bubbling hot pizza made by Art Cohen, who owned the restaurant  “Cohen’s Chicken On-A-Tray.”

            Pizza Hut was established in Wichita in 1958 and now there are two locations in Junction City.   Other pizza establishments in Junction City include Domino’s, Little Caesar’s, Papa John’s, Marco’s Pizza and Papa Murphy’s Pizza. The pizza’s which may be purchased at these locations are considerably different from the 1951 English muffin pizza. 

            Well… that’s our story today.  Thanks for reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.