USA > Kansas > Sedgwick County > History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas, past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county, Vol. I > Part 4
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The new live stock exchange building is one of which any city might well be proud. Walls, floors and stairways are of molded cement construction, making the building absolutely fire- proof. The interior finish is of oak. Large, well lighted office rooms opening on a wide, roomy corridor make it an ideal office building.
GRAIN.
The Board of Trade is the great nerve center of the grain business in the Southwest. These men bought, sold and shipped in 1909 nearly 24,000 cars of grain. Not nearly all of this amount was handled in Wichita, as a large amount of it was shipped directly from originating point to the buyer. The five large flour mills of the city used a great amount of wheat, as their daily capacity of over 4,000 barrels of flour would indicate. Kansas wheat and Kansas flour are known and recognized the world over, wherever flour is bought and sold, as a distinct grade of very high quality. Within a radius of 100 miles of Wichita are raised annually 50,000,000 bushels of this justly celebrated hard winter wheat. As a milling wheat it has no superior. Kansas leads all the states of the Union in the production of wheat by a wide margin, the production in 1909 being 76,808,000 bushels, her record crop being 91,000,000 bushels.
The milling and mixing of alfalfa-grain stock foods is one of the industries in which Wichita leads the world. Three large mills and a number of smaller ones have an annual output of many thousands of tons, one mill alone having a capacity of sixty tons per day. Alfalfa stock food is a mixture of ground alfalfa hay and grains in such proportion as to furnish a balanced ration for all live stock. The territory tributary to Wichita is the greatest alfalfa producing section of the earth, Kansas being so far ahead of all other states that there is hardly a chance for comparison. While Kansas leads all other states in the pro- duction of wheat and alfalfa, yet her largest crop is corn, pro- ducing 150,640,000 bushels of this grain in 1909. It will be seen from this that there is no lack of raw material for the great flour
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
and feed mills of the city, nor would there be if their capacity was twice as large as at present. The American Alfalfa Food Company has one of the largest mills in the world devoted to the milling of alfalfa food. Mr. Otto Weiss, of Wichita, who is still in the alfalfa stock food business here, is the originator of the balanced ration food for stock.
MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURERS.
In the matter of miscellaneous manufacturers Wichita is well represented. The Mentholatum Company, the Hydro-Carbon Company and the Brooks Tire Machine Company occupy factory buildings that are positively the last word in factory construction, and would be considered a credit to any city, eastern or western. When talking over the matter of manufactures and factories in Wichita with one of the prominent business men of the city the writer was told the following significant fact: "There is not a manufacturing establishment in Wichita that is not making money. If there is I do not know of it." The manufacturer of staple products has no monopoly of the profitable business. While the great flour and feed mills, the planing mills and sash and door factories, etc., are turning out products that are just as staple as the coin of the realm, and making good profits too, the manufacturer of special articles, such as those mentioned above, is getting his share of the business and the trade territory of these firms is not confined to Kansas nor the western country, but is world-wide. Wichita makes a strong bid for more manufacturers of specialties as well as miscellaneous staple articles. Cheap building sites and natural gas for power at 121/2 cents per thou- sand, together with splendid railroad facilities, are some of the inducements held out to the manufacturing firm that is dissatisfied with its present location.
FINANCIAL.
As in every prosperous, growing city, real estate transactions are given a great deal of attention and at the present prices of property offer the most attractive investment propositions in the state of Kansas, and perhaps in the entire West. However, Wichita is not booming. The growth of the city is natural and healthy, and for this reason property values are very low com- pared to those of many cities that are doing less in the way of actual growth. Rents are reasonable, being little more than half
1
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WICHITA AS A COMMERCIAL CENTER
as much, for the same location, as in many other western cities which are no larger than Wichita, and in which the amount of annual business transacted is much less per capita. On account of this fact, real estate values will continue to increase steadily and Wichita property will continue to be a first-class investment. Bank deposits increased $1,174,000 in the fifty-five days from February 2, 1910, to March 29, 1910.
WICHITA AS A HOME.
Wichita is noted for its beautiful streets, splendid shade trees and fine residences. University avenue, on the west side of the river, is one of the stateliest residence avenues in the United States. With its three rows of large maples on either side and the Friends University building, in all its massiveness, directly in line with the western end, closing the view in that direction, it is one of the most magnificent streets to be found in any city in the country. All the principal residence streets are lined with shade trees of extraordinary size. Trees four feet in diameter and eighty feet in height have been removed recently to make room for the wide sidewalks in front of new business buildings. There are seventeen public school buildings in the city, counting the high school. A new high school and three new ward schools are to be built at once. The population of the city is increasing so rapidly that it is difficult to keep the number of school rooms up to the required capacity. Both of Wichita's colleges are fully accredited educational institutions. Friends University, situated on the west side of the river, almost at the extreme western limits of the city, occupies one of the largest school buildings in the world. It is said to have ample accommodations, assembly rooms included, for 2,000 students. Its main chapel room, when, fully completed, will seat 1,500 comfortably. Fairmount College is a Congregational college. It is situated on the hill in the extreme eastern part of the city. It has splendid buildings and ' an ideal location. The Carnegie library is located on the campus of this college.
The churches of Wichita number thirty-one. Some of them are especially fine buildings. The First Baptist, St. Paul's M. E. and Trinity M. E., the last named situated on the west side, are among the finest of them. The congregations which will erect new buildings this year are the First M. E., the First Presbyterian, each to build a $100,000 edifice. The Catholic Cathedral will
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
also be pushed to completion this year and next and will cost $200,000.
The Young Men's Christian Association occupies a fine build- ing at the corner of First and Emporia. It has a well equipped gymnasium for the physical culture department, which is under the direction of a physical director who has achieved some remarkable results in the year in which he has been employed in that capacity. Evening educational classes are conducted dur- ing the winter months. Mr. A. A. Hyde is president and Mr. Clifford Pierce secretary of this splendid institution, which is doing so much for the younger generation of Wichita's male citi- zens, spirit, mind and body.
Wichita has three commercial organizations-the Chamber of Commerce, the Commercial Club and the West Wichita Com- mercial League. The Chamber of Commerce and Commercial Club are divided on the question of social features only. In matters concerning the welfare of the city and its citizens they work unitedly. The west side league is composed of the busi- ness men of the district west of the river. They have no social features. The Commercial Club is building an eighty-five-thou- sand-dollar club house on the corner of First and Market, which will be strictly fireproof and a credit to the city. The Chamber of Commerce is located on the tenth floor of the Beacon Building on South Main street, where they have elegant quarters.
The Riverside Club has just completed a splendid club house in Riverside at a cost of $35,000. They will have tennis, boating and bathing for outdoor features, while the building is equipped with bowling alleys, billiard room and the usual country club equipment. Their cuisine is unsurpassed in the West.
The Wichita Country Club makes a specialty of the games of golf and tennis. They will build a new club house at once, to cost, when completed and equipped $50,000.
WICHITA'S FLOUR PRODUCTION.
As a milling center, Wichita has established an enviable repu- tation and is now regarded as one of the most prominent in the Southwest. Not only is the city and large sections of the southern part of Kansas and northern Oklahoma supplied with the prod- ucts of its mills, but large quantities of flour are shipped to nearly all the states of the Union, and large shipments are made to
25
WICHITA AS A COMMERCIAL CENTER
Cuba, Europe and Oriental countries. The quality of the flour made in Wichita is not excelled by any in the world. Not even the famed mills of Minnesota are able to produce better. Kansas hard winter wheat has become noted for its excellent milling qualities, and nothing but this grade of wheat is used by the mills of Wichita.
There are five of these mills, with a combined capacity of 3,750 barrels of flour a day. Much of the time they are all operated to their full capacity. These are the Howard Mills Company, with a capacity of 300 barrels a day; the Imboden Milling Com- pany, with a capacity of 350 barrels; the Kansas Milling Com- pany, 1,500 barrels; the Watson Mill Company, 1,000 barrels, and the Red Star Milling Company, 600 barrels.
LUMBER TRADE OF WICHITA.
No industry in the Southwest has developed more rapidly than the lumber industry, which of necessity has been compelled to grow to keep pace with the improvement and development of the country. In this particular Wichita is credited with being one of the most prominent lumber-dealing towns west of Chicago, and among the best in the United States outside of milling centers. In addition to the twenty-two local yards, the lumber for 250 yards in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico is bought and paid for in Wichita, which is the headquarters of most of the companies having line yards throughout the Southwest. Last year the lumber business of Wichita aggregated $10,000,000.
Nearly all the large mills of the West and South have repre- seutatives who make headquarters here, and in addition to these there are several wholesale lumber dealers. There are more than twenty of these lumber jobbers and agents, from whom most of the supplies for the yards in the Southwest are procured.
WICHITA JOBBING BUSINESS TOTALS FORTY MILLIONS A YEAR.
Wichita's jobbing business during the year 1909 approximated $40,000,000, and it promises to show a decided increase in 1910. Wichita's jobbing business in 1909 was not only. greater than that of any other town in Kansas, but it was greater than that of all the towns of Kansas combined. Wichita's jobbing business is greater than that of any other city of its size in the world. When
26
HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
the men who came to Wichita many years ago opened small whole- sale houses for the distribution of goods to meet the needs of the retailers throughout the then undeveloped sections of the Southwest, they laid the foundation for a business infinitely greater than any of them dared to dream of. The principal reason for this lies in the fact that, sanguine as they were, they had no conception of the possibilities of the Southwest. Towns that are now supplied from the enormous stocks of goods handled by the wholesalers of Wichita were not in existence then, and cities with thousands of inhabitants were mere trading points where the entire business of the community was transacted beneath a single roof.
The progress of Empire has done much for Wichita. It has brought into cultivation countless thousands of acres of rich soil, reared cities and developed the natural resources of the country contiguous to this metropolis until almost before its own residents are aware of it, it has become the great trade center of one of the largest and richest sections in America. All this has been accom- plished in spite of the opposition of larger and more powerful competing towns, and much of the time in the face of railroad discrimination that to any one but a Kansan would be discour- aging. Wichita has little reason to thank the outside world for what it has become, but, rather, it may properly congratulate itself upon possessing a citizenship that is always hopeful and undaunted and a constituency throughout the Southwest that has always been loyal. Wichita has as many wholesale dry goods houses as Kansas City. The combined business of these institu- tions during 1909 was over four and a half million dollars. Every one of these concerns has enjoyed a splendid increase in business since they were opened, and the prospect for a still greater growth is exceptionally bright.
Wichita has five large wholesale grocery houses, with an aggre- gate annual business of more than four and a half million dollars. One of these is just starting, but the others have been here many years, and they report a constantly growing business throughout the Southwest. Some of these institutions put up several lines of goods under their own label, which is a guaranty of their excellence. Wichita has the largest wholesale hardware house west of St. Louis, and its wares are a household word throughout the United States. There is not a town in the Southwest where they are not sold. The wholesale drug business of Wichita aggre-
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WICHITA AS A COMMERCIAL CENTER
gates three millions of dollars. It has three jobbing houses that handle everything essential in the way of drugs and druggists' supplies, and that ship goods to five states of the Southwest.
As a distributing center for machinery, no city in the world can compare with Wichita, size considered, and few of them can show as large a volume of business, no matter what their size. Practically all the implements, harvesting machinery and thresh- ing machines used in the Southwest are distributed from Wichita.
It would not be practicable to go into detail regarding all the lines of business jobbed in Wichita, though nearly every article used in the homes, on the farms or in the banks, stores and offices of the country may be had here. There are, in addition to the lines already named, houses where may be procured everything necessary in the line of art goods, automobiles, barber supplies, boots and shoes, brooms and broomcorn, caps and hats, cash reg- isters, chili supplies, cigars, coal, confectionery, cutlery, dental supplies, electric and telephone goods, fruits, furniture, harness, hay, jewelry, leather, lumber, millinery, music, notions, oils, paints, paper, photographic supplies, produce, poultry, plumbers' supplies, sand, trunks and other articles that can be found only in an up-to-date jobbing center.
There are, all told, one hundred and ninety wholesale and job- bing houses here. These statements, bombastic as they may seem to be, are truth and reliable, as any man may learn 'for himself who will take the trouble to investigate them. It is because Wichita can meet the demands of the great Southwest for every- thing needful for its sustenance, comfort and luxury that the business men of this city have inaugurated the plan of making annual tours into the territory so easily accessible to it. They know what they have to offer and they are willing to meet all hon- orable competition; they know what Wichita can do, and they propose to do all they can to convey this knowledge to the people, who should be mutually interested in the further development of the jobbing interests of the town.
.
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THE JOHNSTON & LARIMER DRY GOODS COMPANY, WICHITA, KANSAS.
The above rapidly growing house is one of the oldest jobbing institutions in the Southwest. Commencing in a modest way twenty-five years ago, it has each year since made rapid gains.
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
Today it is considered by the merchants of the Great Southwest to be one of the most dependable houses to do business with. Some years ago the business demanded a large and modern building in order that it might be handled with the utmost dispatch and that the merchandise carried might be displayed to the best advantage and every facility afforded the customer to quickly and thor- oughly inspect the classes of merchandise desired. To meet this need, five years ago, the company purchased a tract of land adjoining the Santa Fe depot. On this they erected one of the most modern buildings owned by any dry goods house in the country. It has five floors and a spacious basement. Each floor is fitted in the most intelligent manner for the best method of han- dling its particular class of goods carried, and is connected by elevators and telephone service, both local and long-distance; a customer can, therefore, talk to any department or person direct. On the fifth floor is located the Famous Jayanell Factory, where is manufactured the brand of overalls, work shirts, etc., known all over the Southwest for superiority of workmanship and dura- bility. It is the only factory of its kind west of the Missouri river owned and operated by a wholesale dry goods concern under its own roof.
On the second floor the notion and hosiery departments are located. Mr. J. E. Osborne, manager and buyer, has been con- nected with this house sixteen years as department salesman, trav- eling salesman and, for the past three years, manager and buyer. On the third floor the factory or furnishing goods department is found. Mr. W. K. Jones, manager and buyer, served his first business experience with Mr. Johnston, some twenty years ago, and has been with the house ever since as department salesman and buyer. The whole of the fifth floor is devoted to the manu- facture of the famous Jayanell brand of overalls, shirts, trousers, duck coats, etc., etc., and is under the able supervision of J. Q. Adams, who in turn is assisted by several lady superintendents. In this department particularly is evidenced the "temper" of this Square Deal House. Here most of the employes have been engaged since the factory was opened, some four years ago, and from time to time, as new machines were added, the most competent help was procured to operate them. They in turn appear glad to remain with this house, for square dealing and fair treatment seems to be its policy at home with its own employes as well as abroad with customers. The management is now and has been
29
WICHITA AS A COMMERCIAL CENTER
for some time considering how best to add to their building in order to keep up with the rapid growth of their business, and shortly several more stories will be added, for the ground all around has been secured by other business concerns who realize too well the splendid value of its position to dispose of it at any price at all, so there is only one way to build and that is- skywards.
The personnel of the company is as follows: John L. Powell, president; W. E. Jett, vice president ; Charles A. Magill, secre- tary and treasurer ; G. A. Deakman, manager piece goods depart- ment; J. E. Osborne, manager notion and hosiery departments ; W. K. Jones, manager furnishing goods department; W. M. G. Howse, manager sales department; J. Q. Adams, superintendent "Jayanell" factory.
Fifteen salesmen represent this enterprising house in the ter- ritory contiguous to Wichita, assisted at season times by special salesmen from the departments. The management proposes to extend this territory at the close of 1910 by adding two or three further representatives. The salesmen and their territories are:
George L. Elston, central Kansas ; headquarters, Wichita. C. R. Dixon, central Kansas; headquarters, Wichita. J. M. Crossfield, southwestern Kansas; headquarters, Wichita. H. S. McCann, southwestern Kansas; headquarters, Wichita. H. C. Neely, south- eastern Kansas; headquarters, Wichita. W. M. Neely, central Oklahoma, northern part; headquarters, Enid, Okla. W. Love- land, northeastern Oklahoma; headquarters, Guthrie. E. S. Wykert, southeastern Oklahoma; headquarters, Oklahoma City. B. D. Herlocker, southwestern Oklahoma; headquarters, Lawton. V. D. Wessel, western Oklahoma; headquarters, Kingman, Kan. W. S. Judkins, Texas and New Mexico; headquarters, Amarillo. M. W. Hellar, southern Colorado, Texas and western Oklahoma; headquarters, Alva, Okla. C. R. Thompson, western Kansas and Colorado; headquarters, Great Bend, Kan. F. O. Shoemaker, notion salesman ; headquarters, Wichita. G. Sinniger, piece goods salesman ; headquarters, Wichita. W. H. Saxe, factory salesman ; headquarters, Wichita. Claude Zirkle, house salesman, piece goods department. Hugh McCormick, house salesman, piece goods department. Charles A. Coleman, house salesman, notion department. Lester Edwards, house salesman, notion depart- ment. Charles Schell, house salesman, furnishing goods depart- ment. Elmer Lyons, house salesman, furnishing goods department.
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
It is an achievement in which they take very much pride that every salesman who had represented the house so ably during 1909 started out to represent them again in 1910, and at the annual banquet much was made of this fact by the men themselves enthu- siastically declaring their loyalty to the house and their increased confidence in their line.
WICHITA AS THE MANUFACTURING CITY OF THE GREAT SOUTHWEST.
Wichita is logically a manufacturing city, and as such it affords a splendid field for the investment of capital, energy and brains. Already it is giving employment to thousands of men and women who are engaged in its factories and who are making a prosperous living by their industry. In this way it is adding to its population as well as to its material prosperity. Only one other city in the state has more money invested in manufacturing indus- tries or which employs more men or turns out more goods in the aggregate, and that is Kansas City. This is according to the statement of the State Labor Commissioner. Although but a comparatively short distance from the manufacturing cities of the East, Wichita still finds a ready sale for all its products. The great West and Southwest are open fields for its endeavor in this direction. Near at hand is to be obtained much of the raw mate- rial which, manufactured into serviceable articles or wares, finds ready sale wherever introduced. Few persons realize the extent of the manufacturing business in Wichita. Almost everything in common use is made, and many of the factories are operated on an extensive scale. A list of the factories, together with the arti- cles manufactured, is given herewith :
Art Glass-Western Art Glass Works.
Alfalfa Mills-American Alfalfa Food Company, Otto Weiss Alfalfa Stock Food Company, Wichita Alfalfa Stock Food Com- pany.
Boilers-Western Iron and Foundry Company.
Bricks-Jackson-Walker Coal and Material Company, Wichita Hydraulic Stone Company.
Bridges-Wichita Construction Company.
Brooms - Southwestern Broom and Warehouse Company, Wichita Broom and Brush Company, J. A. Graves, H. F. Ralston. Building Steel-Wichita Stove and Iron Works.
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WICHITA AS A COMMERCIAL CENTER
Candy-McCoy-Bryan Candy Company, Western Biscuit Com- pany, E. E. Newhold, Thomas Pasparis.
Cannery-Wichita Canning Company.
Carriages-W. H. Gaiser, E. O. Harrison, E. J. Koons, Mrs. M. A. Mckenzie, J. E. Richmond.
Caskets-Wichita Casket Company.
Cast Iron Foundries-G. C. Christopher & Sons, Western Iron and Foundry Company, Wichita Stove and Iron Works.
Cement Block Machines-Western Iron and Foundry Com- pany.
Cement Block Makers-G. E. Bartholomew, J. V. Brown, S. G. Butler, Cornelison Bros., Torrington Jordan, F. J. Schwartz, R. L. Wentz, Wichita Hydraulic Stone and Brick Company, Winfrey Cement Stone Works, Jackson Walker Coal and Material Com- pany, R. F. Kirkpatrick, Cement Stone and Supply Company.
Cigars-Boyd Cigar Company, N. E. Burrus, Earhart & Law- less, George Herberger, John Herberger.
Cooper-William Bank.
Cornice Makers - American Cornice Works, Globe Cornice Works, W. M. Hartzell.
Crackers-Western Biscuit Company.
Creameries-Southwestern Creamery Company Wichita Creamery Company.
Cultivators-Reschke Machine Works.
Distilled Water-Distilled and Aerated Water Company.
ยท Electrical Supplies-United Electric Company, Midland Light Company, Wichita Electrical Construction Company.
Elevators-Landis Electric Company.
Extracts-Murray & Co.
Fencing-Arkansas Valley Fence Company.
Fire Escapes-G. C. Christopher & Son, Western Iron and Foundry Company.
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