Did You Know This About Geary County History?”
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“The Fight Of The Century In Junction City”
During the COVID-19 epidemic, sports on television has been limited to reruns. An example are historic boxing events, which were originally only available on a pay-per-view arrangement. Today’s story is about a unique boxing match held in Junction City on July 2, 1921 and at the same date at the Boyles Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey. This fight was labeled “The Fight of The Century”. The boxers were Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier.
A big fight party was arranged by the “Daily Union” newspaper in Junction City, Kansas for the boxing match between Dempsey and Carpentier. An eighteen foot arena, which was the same size as the actual ring the fighters would use in New Jersey, was erected in front of the newspaper office at 108 W. Eighth Street. A direct telegraph line was installed to Kansas City. Two boxers representing Dempsey and Carpentier were to reenact the blow by blow account of the actual fight in New Jersey, but do it in Junction City.
The information about what was actually going on in New Jersey was received by way of the telegraph line and relayed to the boxers in Junction City by Doc Reid, a local boxing enthusiast and trainer. The blows would be as fast as Doc Reid could read and pass on the information. In the case of a knockout, the blow by blow report and demonstration was to be stopped long enough to tell the crowd that the fight had been won. Then the blows leading up to the victory would be shown by the actors in a kind of instant replay.
Jack Dempsey won by a Technical Knock-Out (TKO) 1 minute and 16 seconds in the 4th round.
“Historic Houses In Junction City That May No Longer Exist”
Information about historic houses in Junction City have been recently shared in this space. Today’s story is about some houses that may no longer exist. The information comes from a “Daily Union” newspaper article published in 1934 titled “Old Houses of Junction City Relate Histories of Owners” written by Barbara Humphrey. The writer’s source was Miss Josephine Rizer.
Colonel John B. Anderson, uncle of John A. Anderson, the congressman from Kansas who built the Presbyterian Church, lived in the house next (to the church). He built an addition to the south side of the house in the form of a billiard room. It was later occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Josiah McClure, prominent early day residents of Junction City.
Another interesting house in Junction City is that of Mrs. L. Volkmann, 311 West Eighth Street. It was built by Dr. Jones, an early physician of Junction City. The lot at that time was in an addition to the town. Mr. and Mrs. Josiah Copely occupied and owned it next and sold it to Mr. Volkmann.
The first stone house on the south side of Sixth Street was built on the corner of Sixth and Jefferson Streets by Dr. Luther Hall, an early drug (pharmaceutical) merchant. When Martin Mullins built the Fogarty house on this site, the Hall home was moved to the corner of Madison and Fourth Streets by Charles Tyler, an early builder in Junction City.
The home of Nelle I. Baker, 318 North Jefferson Street, was formerly owned by A.F. and Dick Clark. It was erected by Joe Soutters, builder of early stone houses. It was later occupied by Mrs. Mary Clark, who during the Civil War owned and operated one of the first ferries over the Republican River. The first Catholic Church services in Junction City were held in Mary’s house.
Perhaps the most pretentious of the early Junction City houses, according to Miss Rizer, was that owned by L.A. Leonard, 310 North Jefferson Street. It was first occupied by Colonel Hale, owner of the Hale House, an early hotel which burned in the early 1870’s.”