Did You Know This About Geary County History?
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“Christmas Gift Shopping in Junction City in 1921”
Christmas Day will soon be here!!! In 2019 some businesses began stocking and then selling their Christmas items on or before Halloween. However, businesses in 1921 didn’t start that early.
It was at the beginning of December in 1921, the Junction City newspapers were just starting to advertise ideas for Christmas gift shoppers urging patrons to not put off shopping until the last minute. Cole Brothers had dolls with beautiful hair and sleeping eyes, attractive dresses and quality straw bonnets on their heads. These were priced at $1.25 each.
A line of exceedingly nifty coats were being sold at greatly reduced prices at the Phillips Dry Goods Store. They came in a variety of plush fur and Boline cloth. Marvelous lines of toilet goods were shown at the Miller Drug Company. A subtle, delicate perfume in the “Three Flower” line was proving very popular and most attractive gift sets could be purchased in the form of toilet powder, perfume and face powder.
The Muenzenmayer Hardware Store advertised the Fairy Pressure Cooker, which was a heavy cast aluminum utensil that could cook the toughest chicken to a point where the meat fell from the bone in less than an hour. It guaranteed to save the housewife two thirds of her cooking labor and two thirds of the fuel costs as compared to the open kettle.
Perhaps with this time saved, the lady of the house could be working on the latest innovation in needlework being sold at the Art Needlework and Gift Shop. This was a patchwork set in unbleached muslin with color and the edge finished in rickrack to give it a pleasing effect.
It is especially true that procrastination is common this time of year- especially or those of us who struggle with creative gift ideas. We have interesting items at the Museum that may be THE gift for that special person who has an interest in Geary County history. Stop by between the hours of 1 and 4 Tuesdays through Saturdays. Our Museum is located at the corner of Sixth and Adams Street in Junction City.
“Custer’s Military Journey Before The “Battle of Little Big Horn”
A reader of these articles about Geary County history asked a question about a previous story on George and Libby Custer. The question: “Was General Custer stationed at Fort Riley when he and his troops left to fight at the Battle of the Little Big Horn?” After some research, here is some background information and the answer to that question.
An author for the Kansas Historical Society wrote that “When the Seventh Cavalry was formed at Fort Riley in 1866, Custer, who arrived in October of that year, was appointed the Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment. He did not have to wait long to get experience with the Plains Indians. His regiment accompanied General Winfield Scott Hancock’s “peace commission” to southern Kansas in the spring of 1867.
The Seventh Cavalry spent the next three years at Forts Hays, Dodge, Larned and others in pursuit of Indians throughout Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Custer was court martialed in the summer of 1867 for force marching his troops from Fort Wallace to Fort Hays without orders. This and other charges led to his being relieved from duty for one year. But before his year was up, he was called back by General Phillip Sheridan to lead his regiment in a winter campaign against the Cheyenne. This would become his first major engagement against the Indians when he attacked Black Kettle’s village along the Washita River in what is now Oklahoma. While it was a victory for Custer and his Seventh Cavalry, some considered it a massacre and many of his officers grew to distrust his judgment.”
Another source revealed that “the Custer’s lived at Fort Riley from 1866 until 1871. In 1871, the Custer’s were reassigned to Kentucky. Their wish to return to the plains was granted in early 1873, when they received orders to report to Fort Abraham Lincoln in the Dakota Territory.
On June 25, 1876, Custer led the Seventh against the Indians along the Little Big Horn River in Montana. Nearly 600 soldiers were involved and 268 were killed including Custer.”