Did You Know This About Geary County History?
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“Mass Transit Line Linked Junction City To The Prairie Post”
Today’s story is about the mass transit line that linked Junction City to the “Prairie Post” of Fort Riley. The information comes from an article written in the “Junction City Union” newspaper in 2001. “The idea of an electric railway between Junction City and Fort Riley was not new in 1901. Community leaders had first attempted such a venture in 1886. Although prominent citizens such as Bertrand Rockwell, A.H. Bartell, N.F. Greene, James Harvey and C.G. Thurston put $50,000 into the venture, it never materialized.
There was another attempt in 1889, but that too failed to be realized. At the beginning of the 1900’s a third group succeeded in organizing and actually got the trolley line construction underway.
Permission was gained to run the streetcar tracks along Eighth Street, then north on Washington and out through the rural “flats” along the northwest side of Grant Avenue, which was then mainly a wagon road to the Republican River. Construction of a four-span steel bridge set on a concrete-filled steel pier was built in order to continue the path to the ultimate destination of Waters Hall. Waters Hall was at that time the headquarters building on Main Post at Fort Riley.”
We have a picture of the trolley in our train station gallery on the second floor of our Museum. Stop by and have a look at it and the other artifacts from Geary County history. Our Museum is located at the corner of Sixth and Adams Streets and is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 1 until 4:00 PM. Admission is free.
“Reflections By A Local Projectionist”
Doug Otnes of Dwight, Kansas remembered some of the best days of his life being spent at the “Junction Theater”, where he worked as the projectionist from 1936 to 1939. He also worked at the “Cozy Theater”, where he earned $18.00 a week. When he began work at the “Junction Theater”, he earned $20.00 a week. “That was good money for those days,” Otnes said. A person could get in to enjoy a matinee for 15 to 20 cents or see an evening show for 25 to 35 cents.
The “Dickenson Theater” was originally called “The Uptown”. The “Dickenson” opened its doors to the public on October 1, 1928. It was located at 609 North Washington Street in Junction City. The theater was elite for its time with three sets of plate glass doors, a tiled ticket booth with a black marble counter and plate glass windows adorned with red velvet curtains. The “Dickenson” was operated by Glen W. Dickenson. It was one of the first movie theaters in Kansas to be equipped for “talkies”. The “Dickenson” later became “The Junction”. That theater was demolished in 1985 and replaced by a parking lot.
When Tex Ritter came to town for a promotion of one of his movies, he stayed at the Bartell Hotel, but was asked to move to the Harvey Hotel on East Seventh Street, because he got “sassy” about something, according to Otnes. Mr. Otnes had opportunities to be around Tex Ritter and said he “liked Tex and thought he liked Otnes. He always called me lad”, Otnes recalled.
Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Tom Mix, Tex Ritter and Hopalong Cassidy are among some of the favorites of the old westerns. Remember – the “good guys” usually wore white hats.