Did You Know This About Geary County History?
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“Cohen’s Chicken House”
“Cohen’s Chicken On A Tray Restaurant” was originally on Grant Avenue in Junction City before it was moved to Grandview Plaza. Cohen’s moved to a higher elevation in Grandview Plaza following the 1951 flood that practically sank the building on Grant Avenue. The restaurant was well known to residents in this area. However, thanks to Charles Kuralt and his television travel show, the restaurant received national attention.
The following information was taken from an article written by Don Muret, a former staff writer for the “Daily Union” newspaper. He wrote: “Chicken on a tray and fingerbowls have been in existence at Cohen’s Chicken and Steak House since Sam and Mildred Cohen opened the restaurant on Grant Avenue in 1930.”
The author went on to state that “Charles Kuralt should have known he had put his foot in his mouth when he mentioned during his “On The Road” television show that there were no decent restaurants along Interstate 70 in Kansas. Cohen said Kuralt was inundated with a “gang of mail” from Kansans and other Americans extolling the delicious virtues of Cohen’s Restaurant in the Junction City area. Those letters provided enough impetus for Kuralt and his television crew to come back to Kansas and sample Cohen’s chicken delights. A 20 minute segment was produced and aired later.” Apparently Kuralt’s opinion had changed.
Years before, when Sam and Mildred first opened the chicken house, the “New Yorker” magazine featured Cohen’s. The “Mobil Travel Guide” also contained several pieces on the restaurant. Cohen’s was also recommended by Duncan Hines and endorsed by Betty Crocker and the American Automobile Association.
David Cohen and his father, Gene, became partners when they took over the business following the deaths of both Sam and Mildred in 1978. In January of 2002, the restaurant caught fire and was later closed.”
Many of us remember the Chicken-On-A Tray in that cozy restaurant. It was a place to celebrate special occasions or just enjoy the tasty food.
“Remembering The Date That Will Live In Infamy”
December 7, 1941 was the day that the Japanese bombed the US Naval Fleet located in Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu. The day was referred to in a speech to Congress by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as “a date which will live in infamy.”
Gaylynn Childs, our former Executive Director at the Museum wrote in Set In Stone that “It was warm in Junction City on that Sunday morning with temperatures in the mid-50’s. Churches throughout the city were beginning the special pre-Christmas services. Restaurants and other recreation spots frequented by the soldiers on “Sunday Leave” from Fort Riley were doing a brisk business. The Social Center in the basement of the Municipal Building was hosting a full complement of khaki-clad trainees.
In those days the “Daily Union” was published on Saturday, but not on Sunday. Thus, when the first flash of the Japanese attack was received at the newspaper office between 2:30 and 3:00 PM, members of the force were rounded up, fires lighted under Linotype pots and news was assembled as it flashed in over the Associated Press tickers. Just three hours later an “Extra” edition started rolling off the presses. Carriers were located and deliveries made to the home of every subscriber. Extra papers were given to each carrier for distribution throughout the town.
By Monday evening, the sobering facts were beginning to sink in. Local families who had sons and loved ones in the war zone were polled and news of the latest location or last word from these native sons was printed in that evening’s paper with the reminder that “most of these service men are boys who graduated from the local schools just a few years ago”.
Monday’s headline in the “Union” was the 3-inch high declaration of war. The complete text of President Roosevelt’s address to Congress was printed on the front page.
In a later issue of the paper, Mayor Eli Trosper issued a proclamation asking all citizens to display the American flag at their homes and places of business. He pointed out that “the flag has never meant more to us than it does today. Let us display it and respect it, by doing our part to preserve it.”
By week’s end the third major snow fall of the season had dumped about three inches of snow on Junction City and the weekend papers were full of the realities of this new state of war: “The fencing of the Junction City waterworks and reservoir areas as a defense precaution was approved by the City Commission at their meeting. The U.S. was studying the broadening of selective service to register and classify all the able-bodied men and women in the nation for military and civilian defense. Shipyards needed welders. Girl Scouts service bureaus were organizing all over the country where special training for defense work would include such things as first aid, child care, food service transportation and communication.”