Our Past Is Present September 3, 2018

September 3, 2018

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

            Today’s story is about two different businesses that took different paths in 2005.  One left our community and the other modified the products being sold and stayed. The Abilene-based Duckwall-Alco Store, which was located at 920 West Sixth Street in Junction City,  announced that it was closing its Junction City store in March of 2005, which cut 25 jobs from Junction City.  Kalen Gunderson was the company’s vice president who stated that “the move to close the store may have seemed premature, especially with the pending arrival of the 6^th Brigade, 25^th Infantry Division at Fort Riley, but the store did not meet the minimum return on investment standards.”

            The store had been in Junction City for 32 years.  Larry Cope was the Director of the Junction City-Geary County Economic Development Commission then and he stated that “he would be seeking a retail business to go into the building.”  The building is currently the Larry Dixon Center, which is owned by USD 475.

            Also in March of 2005, Willhoite’s Inc., 236 E. Eighth Street, announced that it planned to adjust its stock from heavy farm products to consumer products on May 1.  Phil Willhoite  was the owner and made that announcement.  He stated that “he just wanted people to know that he is not going anywhere.  He was just going to be dealing more with part time farmers.”

He went on to state that there were not that many full-time farmers in the area and this was an agreement between his family and the John Deere Company.  Mr. Willhoite stated that he would “be a dealer for John Deere All Terrain Vehicles or ATV’s.”  He noted that “the town was growing and he needed to be a part of that growth and changing from heavy duty products to consumer products would give him a wider market.”  Willhoite’s  closed their entire business in 2006.  The Geary County Emergency Management Office is now located at the 236 E. Eighth Street address where the Willhoite Store once was. And… that’s today’s story on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.