Did You Know This About Geary County History?”
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“The Brown Family Lived Where The Library Is Now Located”
The late and former Executive Director of the Geary County Historical Society, Marilyn Heldstab, wrote an article for the Junction City Union newspaper about Richard John Brown and his family. This is some of what Marilyn wrote:
“Richard Brown moved to Junction City to open the Brown Harness Company in 1864. When the family first settled in Junction City, they lived at 520 W. Seventh Street. Eventually Richard and his wife, Maggie McKay, made their home at 230 W. Seventh Street, which is now the location of the Dorothy Bramlage Library.
Mr. Brown first had a shop near the corner of Sixth and Washington Streets, opposite what is now Heritage Park. He soon erected a building on Washington Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets. One city directory in the museum’s research room shows the location at 727 Washington. Later it appears as 719 N. Washington. At one time the numbering of buildings was changed, so this may account for the difference. In 1888, the Rockwell store next door and to the north was destroyed by fire. The same fire burned Mr. Brown’s building. He rebuilt the same year, only this time using brick and stone instead of wood.
The Browns were parents to seven children. Two young daughters died of diphtheria on the same day. They were five and seven. The other children, Tom, Arthur, Charles, Richard and their only daughter, Jessie all survived their parents. They owned other land around the homestead. Jessie gave the Nazarene Church land at the corner of Seventh and Webster on which to build a church.
Tom and Dick kept the saddle and harness business going until at least 1911. Richard sold real estate and was associated with the First National Bank. Tom farmed until he moved to town to live with sister Jessie. Art farmed and worked at the city water works. Charles Brown owned and operated Brown Electric from 1918 until the time of his death in 1977.”
“The Miller Drug Store Was A Junction City Landmark”
Albert Nickerson Miller was born in Provincetown, Massachusetts in November of 1858. It was approximately 1875 when the Miller family made their way to Kansas from New Hampshire. Robert Miller came first and settled on a 700 acre spread at the western edge of the Fort Riley military reservation. Two years later, sons Albert and Henry and their wives arrived to give a hand in a joint ranching venture. The three families all lived and worked on the ranch and soon became recognized for their fine livestock operation. They were the first breeders of purebred horses, hogs and cattle in the area.
In 1888, however, for reasons unknown, the Miller family disposed of their ranch property and holdings and moved into Junction City, where Albert Miller opened his first drug store in November of 1889. The new business struggled getting off the ground. Perhaps it was for this reason that Albert Miller and his family left Geary County in 1894 and moved to Larned, Kansas. They lived in Larned for only three months before moving back to Junction City.
After the return to Junction City, Albert again attempted to establish his own drug store. The A.N. Miller Drug Store, was located on the northeast corner of 7th and Washington Streets until 1909 until J.J. Pennell’s new building opened at 801 Nt. Washington Street. At that time, the Miller Drug Store became one of the three businesses which shared the ground floor of the Pennell building. The large onyx soda fountain was designed especially for the Miller Drug Store. The front bar was over 20 feet in length and two men could easily work at the fountain. This area is currently part of the Court Services secretaries workspace on the main floor of the building.
The Miller Drug Store occupied this location only five or six years before moving back to its former location at 701 N. Washington Street. About 1915, A.N. Miller retired and his sons Charles and Ed continued the business.