Our Past Is Present October 12, 2018

October 12, 2018

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

On September 11, we shared some stories about where our staff was on that date in 2001.  Well, today’s story may bring back some similar recall by you concerning where you were when you first heard about the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and remembrances about the connection to Grandview Plaza and Junction City.  The information for today’s story was taken from the “Daily Union” newspaper dated April 20, 2011 and was written by Brandy Cruz.  Brandy wrote that “On the anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, crews were tearing down the Dreamland Motel in Grandview Plaza on Tuesday of this week. The local motel will forever be tied to convicted terrorist Timothy McVeigh, even though it will no longer be visible to travelers driving by on Interstate 70.

            On April 19, 1995 a yellow Ryder Rental Truck containing more than 5,000 punds of ammonium nitrate and nitromethane pulled up in front of the Murrah Building.  Several minutes later the rental truck exploded, taking with it one third of the building, killing 168 people and injuring more than 800 others.

            Within 24 hours after the bombing, the FBI focused its investigation in Junction City and Grandview Plaza.  McVeigh, a former Fort Riley soldier, had rented the Ryder Rental Truck from Elliot’s Body Shop in Junction City.  McVeigh and Terry Nichols, built the bomb by a dock at Geary State Fishing Lake, just south of Junction City and then took it to the Dreamland Motel, where McVeigh stayed as he planned the attack. 

            Jerome Thomas explained why the Dreamland Hotel was demolished when he stated that the City Council approved the demolition on March 15 especially since the dilapidated motel had stood vacant for several years.  It was estimated that the demolition process would take several weeks.”

            Do you remember where you were on that morning in 1995?  Some of us have a vivid memory, but little did we know that there would be another attack on our nation on September 11, 2001 in which 2,996 people would die on that fatal day. Keep reading each day at about this same time for more Geary County History on “Our Past Is Present”.