Our Past Is Present December 6, 2018

December 6, 2018

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

            From 1861 to 1888, George W. Martin was the editor of the “Junction City Union” newspaper and it was said that his paper had “exercised a greater influence in Kansas politics than any other weekly ever established in the state.”

            The editor of the “Leavenworth Conservative” newspaper wrote in 1864 a grudging compliment to this statement about George Martin and the “Union” paper.  He wrote: “The editor of the “Junction City Union” believes that when God made things, He put one point of the compass where Junction City now stands and gave it a twirl. Martin’s loyalty to Junction City was awe-inspiring.  He stood up for the town and everything in it that was right. An example is that George Martin made a great fight to have Junction City sawed stone used in the construction of the state capitol building, but a Topeka crowd was in control of the situation and a red sandstone from near Vinewood was used.  The foundation was laid in the fall of 1866.  By the following January the frost was making havoc with it and when spring came it had thoroughly thawed and was a mass of mud.  It cost the state $40,000.  Then Martin turned loose again and Junction City stone WAS finally used for construction of the Statehouse, which is now the east wing. 

                Junction City people have a lot to be proud of in our community.  We need to stand up for our city and Geary County when the negative comments are said.  Apparently even in the early days of our history it was still something people had to work at doing, which once again shows us that “Our Past Is Present” and you can learn more about Geary County History right here Monday through Friday at about this same time as well as by making a visit to our Museum at the corner of Sixth and Adams Streets Tuesdays through Saturdays between 1 and 4 in the afternoon.  And… thanks again for reading.