TOP
BECKER'S BAKERY
Mr. and Mrs. Sol Becker purchased the bakery business on October
12, 1925, from J. M. Willie, when it was operated in the basement
of what is now the Millick Electric Store. Two years later they
moved upstairs.
In 1932, the Beckers built a new brick building on the west side
of Leonard Street and moved to their present location. (The building
is now the Onaga Library.) Modern equipment was installed from
time to time until the Becker Bakery was one of the finest equipped
small shops in these parts, serving a wide territory of towns around
Onaga.
They sold the bakery to Mr. and Mrs. John Pettis on November
14, 1945. After changing hands several times, the Beckers bought
the business in 1950 and closed it in 1953.
This was a great loss to the people of Onaga and surrounding
territory. It was a special treat for high school kids of that
time to go into the bakery and buy two large, delicious pecan rolls
for five cents and have Blanche pick up all the loose pecans that
had fallen on the tray and pile them on the rolls. Their fresh
hot roasted peanuts will never be forgotten.
TOP
BERGES DRUG STORE
The building which is now the site of the First National Bank
was formerly a drug store. This building was completed in July
of 1885. J. A. Kester established the first drug store.
Mr. Kester conducted a very successful drug store at this location
for 23 years. the next owner was C. O. Gwyn, who remained there
for five or six years. It was then sold to L. W. "Louie" Berges.
In May of 1924, the First National Bank and Louie's Drug Store
exchanged locations. The bank did extensive remodeling and Louie
occupied a room at the rear of the building until the exchange
could be made. Louie Berges was born March 1, 1884, and died at
a Westmoreland hospital in 1968. He was a registered pharmacist
and owned and operated Berges Drug Store in Onaga about 50 years.
Louie and Cleo had three children -- Elwood, Genevieve, and Aldeen.
Louie sold the building and contents of the drug store to Frank
and Bess Brunner in the middle 1960s.
TOP
FONNIE DODDS
On February 27, 1930, Fonnie Dodds returned from Elgin, IL, where
he purchased a greenhouse. The structure was 40 X 70 feet and was
modern in every detail.
Fonnie and his brother, Roy Dodds, returned to Elgin and dismantled
the greenhouse and placed it on a railroad car and had it shipped
to Onaga. It was rebuilt on Mr. Dodd's residence property on the
northeast edge of town at 7th and DeGraw Street. Fonnie and Violet
Dodds operated the greenhouse for eleven years.
Fred Crevecoeur constructed the foundation for the greenhouse.
If the Dodds had any fresh flowers left, they would ship them to
Stuppy Floral Shops in St. Joseph or Kansas City.
They started tomato, cabbage, and other vegetables, and supplied
the grocery stores for garden growers to purchase. They also grew
leaf lettuce in the winter to sell to the stores.
The name of the greenhouse was The Onaga Floral.
The greenhouse was sold in 1944. Again it was dismantled, and
moved to Junction City, KS.
TOP
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Charles A. Grutzmacher came to Westmoreland from Germany as a
small boy in 1868, with his parents.
They bought a farm near Westmoreland and he attended the schools
in that area. In 1903, he attended Northwestern University.
After graduating from Northwestern University, he settled near
Westmoreland where he lived for twelve years. During this period,
he served as County Clerk.
On September 24, 1892, Mr. C. A. Grutzmacher and Miss Lillie
Campbell were married in Leavenworth.
They had three sons: Rudolph, who married Gladys Thomas and had
two children, Marjorie Gail and Don; Hugh, who married Marjorie
Dale and had two sons, Charles and Kirke; and Dale, who married
Dorothy Brady.
On March 7, 1903, Charles Guffy, Mary Anne Lewis, S.E. Leinbach,
F.B. Landon, August F. Kolterman, William Wasson, M. R. Dickinson,
Rudolph Brunner, Jr., L. O. Day, Stephanie Pecheur, J. A. Kester,
H. F. Robbins, August Wegner, William H. Pauly, William Kolterman,
and Charles Day, met and organized the Citizens State Bank. The
Citizens State Bank was started in the Kester Drug Store located
on the west side of Leonard Street. It was later moved to the present
location of the Morrill and Janes Bank in 1923 and 1924.
The first directors chosen were: August Wegner, William Wasson,
William Kolterman, William Pauly, J. A. Kester, Sam Leinbach, August
F. Kolterman. Mr. Pauly was hired as an advisor.
On April 18, 1903, the directors hired Harry Hagaman until a
permanent cashier was hired. The bank operated on a limited basis
for two years. On December 1, 1905, C. A. Grutzmacher was hired
as cashier. He hired Paul Hammel as his assistant. Mr. Grutzmacher
continued in that position until 1926.
On April 23, 1923, the bank converted into a National Bank. In
1937, the First National Bank liquidated the assets of the Onaga
State Bank.
H. A. Grutzmacher began his banking career with the former Citizens
State Bank of Onaga and was helpful in obtaining the necessary
papers to have the name of Citizens State Bank changed to the First
National Bank. Before his death, he was chairman of the board of
directors of the First National Bank. He had received a 50-year
pin from the Kansas Bankers Association.
TOP
ORIN J. GROVER
Orin J. Grover was born August 14, 1827, in New York, and died
at his home in Onaga on February 7, 1914.
He married Eliza J. Booth and she died in 1907. In July of 1859,
he moved to this locality with his father, his wife and two oldest
children, Orin W. and Mary A. They settled on a farm three miles
north of Onaga where their younger children, Ella and George, were
born. They moved to Onaga in 1884.
When Onaga was started, he was one of the first to invest in
its business enterprise.
The Onaga State Bank was organized June 10, 1886, as a private
bank, by O. J. Grover, George Grover and E. D. Gillet. It was called
Grover, Gillet and Company, and was located on the site of the
former Pyramid Manufacturing Company building on Leonard Street,
now Jimmy K's Heating and Electric. On August 11, 1891, the name
was changed to Onaga City Bank and on June 20, 1899, it was incorporated
as The Onaga State Bank.
The bank was moved to the southwest corner of Leonard and Third
Sreet, where it purchased the interests of the Onaga Exchange Bank,
operated by Henry Storch and A. Trout. This move was made in 1903.
John W. Dunn was born in Tennessee on December 23, 1860. He came
to Kansas in 1882 and attended Campbell College in Holton.
He taught school in Onaga from 1885 to 1888. He left school teaching
to start his business career in the Onaga City Bank. Later, the
bank became the Onaga State Bank and he was cashier, and later
became president.
On August 11, 1885, he was married to Ella Grover, who passed
away September 23, 1936. They had three sons -- Grover, Galen and
Lucien. On October 31, 1937, he was married to Anna L. Lewis.
Onaga could no longer offer a profitable field for two banks.
Consequently, the First National Bank was amply equipped to take
care of all the legitimate banking business of the community. The
transfer of the total deposits of the Onaga State to First National
Bank was accomplished June 14, 1937.
Orin W. Grover and Mary E. had the following children: Lester,
born September 27, 1892. On October 15, 1915, he married Opal Day,
daughter of Frank and May Day. She was born October 11, 1896. They
had one daughter, Patricia. She married Courtland Dodds and they
have two daughters, Dianne and Connie. Lester and Opal lived in
Onaga and were and were engaged in the jewelry business until 1917,
when they moved to a farm northeast of town. They stayed there
until 1944, when they moved back to Onaga. He drove a school bus
for several years for USD #322, Onaga.
Ross married Daisy Hayes and they had two daughters, Rosalyn
and Norma. Lydia married Walter Eddy in 1908. He was born December
6, 1886, at Savannah, the son of T. I. and Martha Jacobie Eddy.
He died August 30, 1957. They had two sons, Grover and Walter Roscoe.
Grover served in World War II. He later taught and coached in Onaga
High School and in schools in other surrounding towns. He married
Margo Sage. They had one daughter, Viviann. Walter Roscoe married
Barbara Johns. They had three children, Joh, Brenda, and Sue.
Roy was married and has two sons, Orin and Dale.
TOP
GURTLER BROTHERS HARDWARE
(from an old issue of newspaper) "Last Friday morning Mr.
Sargent set his hands to work demolishing the old frame building
of Gurtler Brothers, every vestige of the "old timber" was
gone. This building was erected in 1878, by Judson and Rogers and
occupied by them as a hardware store. The firm soon changed to
Rogers Brothers, who continued the hardware business for a few
years when they failed and Henry Storch became the assignee. Gurtler
Brothers bought the stock of the assignee on July 20, 1887, ten
years after the erection of the building, and have continued to
occupy it until a week ago when they vacated it for the purpose
of removing it and erecting on the site a larger building of stone.
As stated a few weeks ago, Mr. Sargent will use the material of
the old building in constructing a shop and a barn.
The work of Excavating for the foundation of the new building
is now going on, and in a few days the walls of the new structure
will make their appearance. The new building will be 100 feet deep,
25 feet wide and two stories high."
SEPTEMBER 6, 1894 "Last Monday the Gurtler Brothers began
moving into their handsome new rooms now occupying the site of
their old rooms. It will require some days to arrange their heavy
stock just as they want it, but when this is done they will have
an attractive store. We congratulate these progressive gentlemen
on this improvement so satisfactory to themselves and so important
to the city."
TOP
MERCANTILE STORE
Mr. Coats Leamer and Mr. Ingalsbe owned and operated the Ingalsbe
Leamer Mercantile Store for many years. Mr. Ingalsbe sold out to
Mr. Leamer. In 1920, Mr. Leamer sold the greater share of his stock
to Mr. H. H. Seneker.
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Seneker and daughter, Betty, came to Sabetha
from Bristol, VA., and were in business in Onaga until 1935. He
was assistant postmaster under Charles Krouse for awhile. In 1941,
the Senekers moved to Topeka. Mr. Seneker died in 1951.
TOP
MILLER FAMILY
Christian Miller came from Germany to Pennsylvania in the early
1840s. He stayed there a few years and went back to Germany, but
again returned to the United States. He married his wife, Magdalena,
in Wisconsin, in the early 1840s.
Mr. Miller was a weaver by trade and wove flowered coverlets.
The looms on which these were woven, were such that only a narrow
width of the coverlets could be made at a time, necessitating the
widths to be sewn together. While he was employed at this trade
in Philadelphia, he invented a loom on which a coverlet of full
width could be woven at once. He was promoted by his employers
to "take the road" and solicit customers for them. While
on these trips, he traveled over much of the west, coming as far
as St. Joseph, MO. In 1869, he came to Mill Creek. His children
who came with him are: Frank, Washington, Paulina (Mrs. Nick Hirsh
of Laclede), Christiana, and Jacob. Mr. Miller died in 1898.
Jacob Miller was born near Milwaukee, Wisc., on November 16,
1862. He spent his boyhood on the family farm west of Onaga. He
had the hardware business in Onaga for more than 50 years, until
the time of his death in 1955, at the age of 93 years.
TOP
ONAGA HERALD
F. S. and Eliza Haughawaut and family came to Onaga in April of
1890. they purchased the "Onaga Democrat" from A. W.
Chabin and changed the name to "The Onaga Herald".
F. S. Haughawaut retired in 1899, and Clarence and his half-brother
Fred took over the management of the paper. In 1904, Clarence purchased
his brother's half interest and became the sole owner.
He continued publishing "the Onaga Herald" until June
1923, when he was appointed postmaster under the Harding administration.
Clarence and Laura E. Howard were married on September 10, 1896.
They were the parents of two sons and two daughters, Alvah Howard,
Ruth Esther, Clarence Evan and Edith Evelyn.
In 1923, Howard Haughawaut became owner and publisher of "the
Onaga Herald" and continued in this position until 1954.
William F. and Catherine (Bill and Cathy) Harder purchased "The
Onaga Herald" from A. H. and Gladys Haughawaut in 1954, and
began publication of the newspaper on August 2, 1954.
Bill was a native of Hanover, KS and began his printing career
at "The Hanover News" after graduating from high school.
From Hanover, he moved to West Plains, MO, where he worked on the "West
Plains Daily Quill" and where he met his wife, Cathy. Bill
was also employed by the "Sabetha Herald", "the
Coffeeville Journal", and "the Topeka Daily Capital".
In 1953, he leased "the Blue Rapids Times", which he
operated for a year.
The Harders had three children -- Janice, Bill II, and Joe.
William (Bill Sr.) passed away recently and the newspaper continues
to be published by Cathy and her son, Joe.
TOP
ONAGA HOTEL
"Onaga Herald", September 6, 1900 -- "At last the
new hotel which has been so long looked for and wished for, not
only by the citizens of Onaga, but by the commercial men and the
traveling public, is open for business.
Mr. Hugh Miller is to be commended for his pluck and energy in
taking hold of this enterprise, and especially since he has labored
under many discouragements and disadvantages while prosecuting
the same. During the last six weeks and just as he was congratulating
himself on being almost ready to open the house to the public,
the serious sickness of his wife imposed upon him an additional
burden which made it impossible for him to consummate the arrangements
necessary to open the hotel earlier than the first of this month.
But, at last, Mr. Miller's ambition is realized, the earnest
desire of the public gratified, and the new hotel is running with
very gratifying prospects for success. The new hotel is called
the "Miller House", for an obvious reason. The register
last Monday, the first day the house was regularly opened, contained
a very satisfactory number of names of permanent and transient
customers, and as the fact that the hotel is opened and ready for
business becomes known, it is believed the patronage will rapidly
and substantially increase. Every part of the house, from the basement
where the sample, storage and laundry rooms are located, to the
garret where other sleeping rooms can be provided, if necessary,
is in fine shape. The office is large, light and airy and supplied
with easy chairs and rockers, writing tables, stationery, etc.,
while closely adjacent is the lavatory.
The dining room is large, well lighted and well ventilated and
as comfortable as one could wish. The tables are well supplied
with excellent china ware, and when not in use find clean and safe
storage in the handsome receptacles conveniently arranged about
the room. The room is presided over by Miss Bessie Flinn, assisted
by Mrs. George Currie. This room and the linen and table furnishings
are kept scrupulously neat and tidy.
The kitchen, presided over by W. H. Jones, assisted by Miss Victoria
Ross, is a model of neatness and from this department is issued
to the dining room a bill of fare which will please the most delicate
as well as the most robust appetite.
The guests rooms upstairs are especially fine and inviting. The
stairway is a model of mechanical skill. The ascension is as easy
as walking on the level. The stairs are nicely padded and carpeted.
The rooms are large and airy, and the furniture, carpets an bedding
new and neat.
One room, that in the northeast corner, is reserved for a bathroom
and will be used as soon as the necessary apparatus can be put
in. On the north side of the hallway, below, the manager has reserved
a suite of rooms for his family. The front room is a parlor, the
next a sitting room and folding doors open between them. North
of the kitchen are the sleeping rooms for the help.
The basement is fixed so that the commercial men, who come to
town, can display their wares, enabling the businessmen of Onaga
to come and see them and choose the merchandise that they can sell.
In short, the whole house is a model of neatness, the entire
arrangement perfect, and everything so admirably adapted to its
purpose that the most fastidious guest need have no kick should
he stop here to eat one meal or board a year.
Onaga is now proud of its hotels, being as well supplied as any
town west of Kansas City, there will be no more guying our citizens
about our hotel facilities."
___________________________
Hugh Miller owned the hotel for a few years, and then sold it
to a Mr. Simmons of Wamego. It changed hands frequently. Richard
Buzbee and Earl Needham owned it at various times.
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Graf bought the hotel from Earl Needham on
May 6, 1946. After Mr. Graf died, Mrs. Erna Graf operated the hotel
until October 1977. At that time she sold it to Mr. and Mrs. Joe
Miller. They are in the process of renovating it.
TOP
ONAGA LIVERY BARN
In 1879, Mr. George Cockrell purchased several lots on the south
side of main street and built a fine new residence, which he moved
into in December. He had 200 cords of stone quarried and delivered
to his lots between the city and the depot for the erection of
a barn unequalled in this part of the state. This barn was located
on the site of the old Conoco Service Station at Second and Leonard
Streets.
The south wall from the base was about 25 feet high. The dimensions
were 40 X 80 feet. The lower or basement floor was for stabling
his fine thoroughbred horse, Norman, and others. The second story
was used to store hay and grain, with apartments for harnesses
and miscellaneous items. There was a separate section to store
carriages and buggies. This firm also had charge of an elegant
funeral car. The neatly arranged office was reached from the north
entrance. Through this entrance one could also drive in with a
team of horses and wagon.
The corners of the building consisted of cut stone and the walls
were made up of uniform layers of limestone and when built, was
believed to have the best walls in the city. Mr. Wash Miller was
the stone mason of this magnificent structure. An article in the "Onaga
Journal" on July 22, 1880, calls it the "Boss Barn".
Mr. Nate Carl bought the livery barn stock in the summer of 1890.
He added some fine teams of horses and vehicles capable of running
on the railroad. He could fill an order for a vehicle from a fine
carriage or an excursion hack, to a wheelbarrow.
In 1900, the barn was owned by J. W. Dunn and was occupied by
Condon and Hoover. They took care of 25 horses which were in constant
service. Mr. Hoover, who was the father of Lloyd Hoover and Goldie
Hoover Brooks, was well acquainted with the traveling men who came
to town and drove for them.
In a story in the "Onaga Herald" June 8, 1911, the
fire that destroyed the livery barn on Monday morning of that week
is as follows: "About half past seven o'clock fire was discovered
in the hay and the alarm was quickly turned in. Efforts were made
to smother the fire until help arrived; but when the fire engine
was finally landed at the cistern on the main corner of the business
streets and a line of hose was strung out, and efforts were made
to start a stream of water, the fighters were horrified to find
that no water could be secured. In the meantime the engine of the
Electric Light Plant was started and the pumps at the water works
were set in motion and two lines of hose ran from the hydrants;
but it was discovered the the means of securing water was very
limited. the water had been taken out of the mains to use in laying
cement sidewalks and the tower and tank were not completed. Hence,
the water supply was very meager.
During this time the fire had gained such headway that all hopes
of saving the barn were futile and efforts were turned toward saving
buildings across the street, and prevent the spread of the conflagration
by means of the bucket brigade, using what little water was coming
from the water works mains. Ladders were placed in front of the
hotel, and they soon had a quantity of water on the roof to prevent
that part of the building from catching fire. The building occupied
by the livery barn being of stone helped much in keeping the flames
from spreading. All of the horses, vehicles, and harnesses were
saved, but between ten and twelve bushels of corn, ten to twelve
tons of hay, and 125 bushels of oats were destroyed, besides the
books, winter lap robes, horse blankets and whips which were locked
up in the office part. R. J. .Cornelius, the proprietor of the
barn, places his loss at about $300, with no insurance. The building
belonged to Peter Gaume and was insured for $2000. The origin of
the fire is unknown.
Mr. Gaume informs us that he will rebuild the structure at once.
In the meantime, Mr. Cornelius has moved his livery stock to the
Gaume barn one block east of the old stable and is transacting
his livery business there."
Miller and Stewart cleared the debris and rebuilt the livery
barn beginning in the summer of 1911. Gaume's market occupied the
top part of the store until about 1930. Later it was used part-time
for a skating rink. In 1949, the barn was sold and it was torn
down in the spring of 1950, by Albert Fields and son. Part of the
stones and lumber were delivered to Roy Tessendorf, who planned
a new building on the lot between his place of business and the "Herald" office.
The city bought some of the crushed rock from Fields for use on
the city streets.
TOP
ONAGA PHARMACY
The building in which the present Onaga Pharmacy is located was
built in 1878, by Henry Rolfs, who came here from Chicago. A grocery
store was on the lower floor and the third floor was used as a
public hall. Later, Mr. C. A. Stokes, a railroad man, had a drug
store in the grocery store.
In the early 1900's, Mr. C. M. Chandler operated the store as
a Rexall Drug Store. In the 1920's he sold it to J. A. Kester who
owned it for years. In 1926, Clyde Thomas operated the Kester Drug
store and in 1932, sold it to Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Woods, Centralia,
who named it Woods Drug Store and operated it until 1971. At that
time, Frank Shrimplin, Valley Falls, owned it and renamed it, Onaga
Pharmacy.
In August of 1977, Mr. Shrimplin sold the store to Heiland, Schroeder
and McCourt.
Pat and Marilyn McCourt are the present operators of the Onaga
Pharmacy.
TOP |
