"Did You Know This About Geary County History?”
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“History of the Junction City Rotary Club”
Information in this article includes some of the history of the Junction City Rotary Club, which was compiled by Gaylynn Childs and the late Dan Loeb.
A Rotary Club organizational meeting was held August 26, 1917 at the home of R.B. Fegan on North Jefferson Street. The purpose was to apply for a Rotary Club charter.
Two weeks later, the group was officially organized, and 20 Junction City men were taken as charter members. The ladies of the Episcopal Church prepared and served a fried chicken banquet. The official certificate of affiliation was issued on October 1, 1917.
Ben Fegan served as the first president of the Junction City Club and was re-elected for four consecutive years. Harry Montgomery was the first vice-president and A.D. Jellison, the treasurer.
In 1917, people were literally living in the City Park, because no other shelter was available. To help alleviate the housing shortage caused by the massive influx of workers, soldiers and dependents, twenty-five of the newly organized Rotary Club members subscribed $1,000 each toward the cost of erecting the apartment building at the corner of 4th and Washington, later known as the Schwartz Apartments. The City of Junction City also came up with the funds to construct a wood frame “community house” on West 6th Street to serve as a recreation center. It quickly became apparent that that structure was inadequate to meet the needs of the 1,000 to 4,000 young men who were using it each day.
During WWI, President Woodrow Wilson’s commission on training camp activities for assistance in organizing recreation for soldiers led to the construction of the “Community Building”, which is now the Eagles Lodge at 10th and Franklin Streets. It was built at a cost of $40,000, funded and built by the Rotary Clubs of the 11th District. The building was dedicated in December of 1918 when the town and the world was still experiencing the flu epidemic. It was later presented to the city for use as a community center until the Municipal Building was constructed in 1938.
For the first 50 years, the club met in the dining room of the Bartell Hotel. The Rotary Club has also met at the Good Eats Café; Knights of Columbus building on West 7th Street (then Tony’s Pizza); the Country Club; Washington Street Grille in the Bartell Building and since January 2009 Rotary Club members have been meeting at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel and Convention Center located on East Chestnut Street in Junction City.
“Remembering County School Christmas Programs”
During the COVID-19 epidemic, school programs have been discontinued up to now. Geary County USD 475 music teachers have always provided young people, their parents, family and community members with enjoyable, spirit filled programs during this time of the year.
Those who experienced a county school Christmas program prior to unification of USD 475, Geary County Schools, may have fond memories. Some of those memories shared here have come from the late Gaylord Munson and Mary Bell Read Glick.
Gaylord reminisced about being a student and his involvement in Christmas programs at Spring Valley School, which is now the Geary County Historic Site at the corner of K-18 and Spring Valley Road. “There was no electricity at the school, so the evening Christmas programs were illuminated with oil lamps and lanterns. The school was heated with a pot-bellied stove. The classroom where the programs were held was barely as large as a living room. So, parents and family members stood across the back and around the sides of the school room.
A makeshift stage was arranged in the front of the room. Curtains for the stage were always made out of bed sheets. The sheets were attached with safety pins to a wire stretched across the front.” Gaylord also recalled that “some student was always delegated to be the curtain-puller. This always made the curtain-puller feel important.
The program consisted of singing carols and recitations.” Gaylord Munson claimed he was “such a poor singer, because the music training at Spring Valley School wasn’t much to brag about. It seems when the teacher would try to play the old organ, which had to be pumped with the player’s feet, mice would run out. When that happened, the teacher would be up on the organ stool screaming.”
Mary Bell Read Glick also recounted her memories of school days at Brookside School and Christmas programs she enjoyed. “There was a box supper and a Christmas play with a variety of programs and recitations.” Mary also remembered that her “mother took baked goods she had made at home and shared with those who attended the programs”.