Did You Know This About Geary County History?”
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“Heroes of Bataan Lived Among Us”
In Susan Lloyd Franzen’s book, Beyond the Façade of Fort Riley’s Hometown, she wrote about the impact of the Filipino soldiers who were in the Bataan Death March during WWII and later settled in Junction City.
“In the 1950s a number of the original Heroes of Bataan arrived at Fort Riley without fanfare. Most of them were Filipino soldiers who had been on Bataan and endured the march to Camp O’Donnell. Juan Fabia, Hippolito Fernandez, Felix Yapit, Eliodoro Ibarra, Ricardo Yutuc and others escaped or survived the Bataan Death March and later joined the guerillas to continue fighting the Japanese.” Ricardo’s wife, Presentacion, was also captured. Presentacion was pregnant and had their daughter, Lane, under a banana tree during the Death March.
After the war, the Filipino troops who fought against the Japanese were given the opportunity to join the U.S. Army. Later many of them fought in Korea. In the 1950s, some of the Filipino soldiers came to Fort Riley and their families came to Junction City to look for their first homes outside the Philippines.
At first, the Death March survivors and their families saw the Filipino community in Junction City as a temporary substitute for the life they had left behind in the Philippines, but in time it became home. Some moved elsewhere and later returned. Juan and Rose Fabia were among them. They sold their house in Junction City and moved to Florida.” After a year and a half they returned to Junction City.
“Juanita and Hippolito Fernandez looked at homes in Colorado and California. They decided to stay here because their children liked the school and refused to move.
Soldiers were able to use their off-post housing allowance to make payments on new houses. Although their first houses were small, in time the soldiers’ families built up equities with which they bought houses they preferred.
Juan Fabia, Hippolito Fernandez, Felix Yapit, Eliodoro Ibarra and Ricardo Yutuc met again in Junction City in 1956. When these soldiers and their families arrived in Junction City, they renewed their cultural identity and formed the Filipino-American Friendship Club, which held festivals at traditional times and despedias (a farewell party) for those who were leaving. They taught special lessons on Filipino traditions to grade school children and carried on the musical heritage by forming a quartet to sing Filipino songs in nursing homes.”
“Frey’s Restaurant in the Rialto Building”
At the turn of the 20th Century, William Frey was a well-known and enterprising owner of Frey’s Restaurant located at 607 N. Washington Street. The Rialto building, which was constructed in 1897, later housed Frey’s Restaurant.
A souvenir booklet published in 1910 titled “Junction City Past and Present” described Frey’s Restaurant as having seen many changes and additions over time. Mr. Frey moved into the location of 607 N. Washington Street in 1905. It was here that the most modern facilities and arrangement of artistic as well as expensive fixtures had created a great deal of interest. Courteous waiters attended the customers who dined at the restaurant, the lunch counter and the soda fountain. Twelve to 18 employees were required at all times to take care of customers. Each customer received individual attention and their wishes were catered to with courtesy whether the customers were local people or those visiting.
Rooms were also available for rent. Regular meals were served as well as short orders of anything customers requested. There was a complete line of imported and domestic cigars, supplies for smokers and tobacco.
By 1905 Mike Frey had a restaurant in the Rialto building. In 1919, eight brothers named Maduros came to Junction City and opened the well-known Good Eats Café, which lasted until 1977. There have been other restaurants at this same location, however, it is now the home of Bella’s Italian Restaurant.
Stop by 605 N. Washington Street and spend some time not only dining, but also imagining what that restaurant would have been like in the early 20th century. Before or after you enter the restaurant look up at the top of the building and see the word “Rialto” carved into the limestone.