Did You Know This About Geary County History?
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“The H.F. Tyler House at 512 N. Jefferson”
The late Marilyn Heldstab, who was the Geary County Historical Society’s Executive Director in 1993, wrote an article for the Junction City Union newspaper about the H.F. Tyler house. The house was originally located at 512 N. Jefferson.
“The H.F.Tylers, had become a prominent family in Junction City by the turn of the 20th century. They owned Tyler Mills, which was located on East Eighth Street. The mill was founded in 1893 by D.W. Tyler and became one of the largest mills in Kansas.
The Tyler’s house was west of the city park on a lot which was homesteaded in 1860 by Captain J.R. McClure. The plans of the house were drawn by H.C. Chivers of St. Louis and were remodeled by George C. Moses of Junction City. The house was mostly built by Junction City workmen under Mr. Tyler’s supervision.
The front porch was a large half circle thirty feet in width and from the steps to the door was twenty-nine feet. The circle was formed in a stone wall seven feet high.
The first floor of the house was divided into a reception hall, parlor, sitting room, dining room and kitchen. All the rooms could be made into one large room by sliding doors. The kitchen was supplied with hot and cold soft water and hot and cold hard water. One door of the kitchen opened into a cold storage room which supplied ice during the summer through a small chute from the outside.
The second story of the house was divided into a large receiving room, four bedrooms, a large bathroom and closets. The attic was large and could have been furnished. There was a laundry chute, which ran from the second floor to the basement.
The rooms throughout the house were connected by speaking tubes. Every part of the house was fitted for electric lighting. The hardware used, such as the locks, hinges, etc. were of brass with a sand finish. All of the floors of the house were of hard maple.”
The house was demolished to make way for a building and loan company, which took up two lots including 512 N. Jefferson St. The Sunflower Bank is now at the location.
“Some History About The Junction City Little Theater - Then and Now”
The Junction City Little Theater is the longest-running community theater in the state of Kansas. It began in 1949 with the vision and guidance of Bettina Coover. In 1955, Coover, Betty Cleary, Mona Kessinger and Alma Hornbaker signed the documents of incorporation which created the Junction City Little Theater (JCLT).
Early productions were staged in schools, auditoriums, and churches. In 1960 the Little Theater began the long tenure at the 18th Street location, which was the former USO for “colored” soldiers. In 2008, the JCLT transitioned to the newly renovated C.L. Hoover Opera House, where it opened its 301st production with Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. The office is now located on the second floor of the Opera House, up the main staircase and to the left. Costume and some set storage; a shop for set construction; a huge room for props, hats and shoes; a “black box” stage for smaller shows and a sewing room are located across the street at the JCLT Annex. The Annex was purchased in 2009, which was the location of the former Mass-Hinitt Funeral Home.
A mural has recently been painted on the south side of the Annex that highlights some of the history of the local theater organization. Sally Jardine, Secretary of the JC Arts Council, was the leader of a mural committee consisting of Ranell Steiner also with the Arts Council; Janette Vogelsang, Little Theater Foundation; Michelle Custer, President of the JCLT Board; Sheila Markley, Co-Director of the C.L. Hoover Opera House; Chris Heldstab, Director of the ASTRA Program at the Opera House and Brad Johnson, Exchange Bank.
The money to pay for this project came from a grant provided by the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, National Endowment for the Arts and donations from generous Junction City community members including the R2B4 Bramlage Family Foundation, David and Suzy Lauseng, David and Sylvia Walker Benevolent Fund and the Hampton Inn.
The grant required the mural be painted by a traveling artist, who lives more than 60 miles from the artwork. Artists were contacted to find the right fit for the project with the final decision being made to bring in Dr. Bob Palmer from Bethany, Oklahoma. He began work on June 22 and finished June 24, 2020.
Using historical elements suggested by the Arts Council Board, Dr. Palmer came up with a collage style mural for the JCLT Annex wall on Jefferson Street. The collage includes titles and characters from shows previously performed, the old 18th St. Theater and a portrait of Bettina Coover, whose vision started Junction City Little Theater.