JC Post
Apr 13, 2020

Our Past is Present

Posted Apr 13, 2020 5:05 AM

Did You Know This About Geary County History?”

By Dr. Ferrell Miller

Geary County Historical Society Board Member

“More About Thomas Francis Hogan – J. Abbie Clarke Hogan’s Husband”

As mentioned in a previous article, J. Abbie Clarke Hogan was one of Geary County’s famous musicians. She is credited with having organized a high school orchestra, helped develop a curriculum for music education in Kansas, was a featured performer at local events as well as at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and volunteered at Fort Riley by bringing music to injured soldiers. She married Thomas Francis Hogan in 1898.

Thomas Francis Hogan was born in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland on February 2, 1869. He was the son of Patrick and Margaret (Fogarty) Hogan, both of whom were natives of the Emerald Isle. Thomas was brought to America in July 1880, by his uncle, Cornelius Fogarty and was educated in the common schools and high schools of Junction City. He began his business career in the employ of his uncle in the milling business and subsequently became a traveling salesman having to visit every state in the Union. Upon the death of his uncle, Thomas took charge of the business as trustee and in 1906, organized the Hogan Milling Company as the president and general manager. The company was the first to discover the use of sealed tin cases in shipping flour and was the first to use that means to ship flour to Europe, Cuba, the Philippine Islands and twenty-three states in the U.S.

On July 29, 1898, Thomas married J. Abbie Clarke, the daughter of Sanborn W. and Harriett (Smith) Clarke, both natives of Conneaut, Ohio. Thomas and J. Abbie Clarke had two sons: Cornelius, born in 1899 and Theodore, born in 1903.

Thomas Francis Hogan was a member of the Junction City Commercial Club, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge No. 1037, a member of the Knights of Columbus and St. Xavier Roman Catholic Church.

Eureka Lake Resort, Manhattan
Eureka Lake Resort, Manhattan

“The Eureka Lake Resort”

In 1899 C.P. Dewey started planning a resort on an elbow lake of the Kansas River near Manhattan, Kansas. It was a small body of water that once occupied the area near where the Manhattan Airport is located today. He had been fascinated by the beauty of the area and wanted a special summer resort as a suitable place to entertain his business friends and local members of the community.

The Kansas City Journal of September 14, 1902 printed a story on Dewey and his resort. This is some of what was in the article: “There are walls surrounding flowerbeds of hydrangeas, colianthus, and other expensive flowers. Inside is the cool, refreshing parlor where one is greeted and made welcome. There are Navajo blankets on the floor, ice water to drink, snowy linens, easy chairs, iron or brass beds and screens on the windows. A whirling electric fan cools the rooms and electric lights illuminate every room.

In the great parlor there is woodwork of yellow pine and the floor is hard pine polished like a mirror. Easy chairs are everywhere with magazines, books and newspapers available for reading. A piano and pianola (a piano equipped to play automatically using rolls) are available, a writing desk with necessary supplies and bowls of beautiful flowers decorate the rooms. A Chinese gong sounds and lunch is served in the dining rooms by waiters. The tables glisten with beautiful china, cut glass and silver.

A walk around the lake on built up terraces reveals the diving towers, water slides, boats, and swimming beaches. There are 500 lights on the place which flood the dance hall, bowling allies, walks and terraces.

The flood of 1903 destroyed the lake and resort and in 1906 the property and hotel were sold to the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs. The hotel was converted into the Rebekah Odd Fellows Home of Kansas and used to house the elderly. On November 26, 1916, the building was destroyed by fire.”