Our Past Is Present October 8, 2018

October 8, 2018

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

            Last week we shared a story about Mrs. A.W. Bentley, who lived in a boarding house in 1867, where the Municipal Building is now located.  We found some more information in an article printed in the December 10, 1935 “Junction City Union” newspaper and will be part of today’s story.

            Mrs. E.N. Church, pioneer resident of Geary County, who now makes her home with her daughter Mrs. A.W. Bentley, at 120 East Second Street, opened a boarding house in the original two-story frame building on the site in 1867. Previous to that the building was occupied as a private home by the James Street family, who were pioneer business people in Junction City.

            Mr. and Mrs. Henry Aimen built the first hotel on that location in 1878.  This hotel was known as the “Aimen House”, and in 1883 was sold to Henry Kemp and the name was changed to the Central Hotel.  This hotel was operated by various people until 1933, when Thomas Settle remodeled the building into apartments. 

  The author of the article further stated that “From a six-room boarding house in 1867 to a 54 room apartment house in 1935 – such was the growth and expansion of the Central Hotel building at Seventh and Jefferson Streets.  This hotel was to be torn down for the building of Junction City’s $213,000 Municipal Building. 

            Look here tomorrow, as we continue our look at the long history of the Opera House, which is celebrating its 120^th Anniversary and on Wednesday, we will have a story about the two explosions at the Sunset Motel in 2002. 

            And...thanks for reading today and every weekday at about this time to “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.