Scott City Historic Walking Tour
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Description
Walk the Original Plat of Scott City and conclude your tour at the El Quartelejo Museum & Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection
1. "Legacy" Maria E. DeGeer Statue at DeGeer Corner
Stop #1 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: Welcome to “Legacy” at DeGeer Corner. This is the site of the homestead claim of Scott City Founder, Maria E. DeGeer, 1884. We honor those hardy pioneers who came before us and celebrate our town’s legacy, history, and heritage. Jerry Thomas, Artist and Sculptor DeGeer Corner Committee: Deb Lawrence, Stephanie Fisher, Jerry Thomas
2. Grand Central Hotel
Stop #2 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: The Grand Central Hotel was the first hotel in Scott City. It was constructed in April of 1885 by McLain, Swan and Company, with its grand opening in December of that year. The lumber for it was hauled in from Garden City.
3. Greenlee Bakery
Stop #3 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: The original building was erected in 1886 by the Anthem Lodge. It was a two-story frame building with a meeting room upstairs and rented space down.
4. Crabtree Aprtments
#4 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: Built in 1885 as a large rooming house, the Crabtree Apartment Building was one of the first to be constructed in the town and may be the oldest still standing today. A rooming house was an important asset to the fledgling town giving newcomers a place to stay while filing their claims.
5. First Christian Church
Stop #5 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: A Christian minister, Old Brother Towne, preached the first sermons in Scott during 1885-1886. He traveled about the country on foot because he had no horse or other means of transportation. The First Christian Church was the third church organized in Scott City on January 18, 1887 only eight days following becoming a third-class city.
6. Rittman Home or The Tower House
Stop #6 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: This unique house was originally built for Joe Rittman and his family when they moved to Scott County from Warrensburg, Missouri. The home was built by Alfie Chamberlain at a cost of only $3,200 with over 2,900 sq. ft. on the two upper levels plus a partial basement.
7. Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Stop #7 of the Scott City Historical Walking Tour: In 1885, the founders of the Scott City Town Company offered church free lots if they wanted to build. The Cumberland Presbyterian being on of two that started from the beginning.
8. Livengood & Company
Stop #8 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: In May 1887, J.C. and G.W. Livengood of Elklick, Pennsylvania visited friends in Scott City and decided to open a mercantile store. They traveled to Chicago and purchased $8,000 worth of stock and opened their mammoth store on October 6, 1887 on the west side of Main Street in Scott City.
9. Nichol's Dry Goods/The Red Front Store
Stop #9 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: E.E. Nichols built his massive dry goods store in 1900 at 408 Main Street. It was over 6,000 sq. ft. with a partial basement and an upper balcony area. This building became the McDaniel Auto Company in the early 1910s before being sold to Cliff Dickhut and renamed Dickhut Auto Garage. A true treasure, many of the historic elements still exist in DecMart Furniture including a 1900s elevator.
10. Original School
Stop #10 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: The Original School. One of the first functions of the Town Company of Scott City after it organized in 1885 was to donate Block 15 of the Original Town for school purposes. In 1887 School District #1 was established. A nine month school was maintained in a two story building (later moved and razed) which stood at 113 W. 5th Street.
11. Women's Christian Temperance Union, 1886
Stop #11 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: The Women's Christian Temperance Union was the first women’s' organization in our town. Our town founder, Maria DeGeer, was active in organizing the chapter. Officers were: Mrs. M.L. Parsons, President; Mrs. Mary E. Clark, Secretary; and Ida Eastman (Maria's daughter), Treasurer. It was founded early in 1886 and was successful in preventing any saloons from being established in Scott County through prohibition. Maria and two of her daughters went back to Chicago, but frequently visited to encourage the women in their work.
12. Cretcher Lumber Building
Stop #12 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: Originally built for the Cretcher Lumber Company in the 1920's this building sits on the South end of the block from the old National Hotel/Robinson Inn/Chaparral. It is a wonderful, massive, well built building with 2,000 sq. ft on the main level, 2,000 sq. ft. upstairs and a partial basement. It has been used for apartments, businesses, a Teen-Center, Dance Studio, and in recent years, storage.
13. National Hotel
Stop #13 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: The National Hotel was the last hotel to be built in the 1800s and is the last one still standing. It was also one of two hotels in the town between 1886-1912. The National was built near the railroad line to accommodate new settlers and guests.
14. Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma Company, CK&O Railroad
Stop #14 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: Most people don't realize the CK&O Railroad existed and it is a great piece of Scott City's history. The original main Depot still stands at 410 West Bellevue. Unlike the other railroads that were built in Scott City, the CK&O was directly responsible for making the "cut" through the “Devil’s Backbone” into what is now Historic Lake Scott State Park.
15. Hotel Northern
Stop #15 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: The Hotel Northern-Also known as the Northern and the Grand Northern Hotel sat at the corner of 101 Main Street, the site of Wheatland Electric today. Built in 1886, it was a grand two story frame building with a stable to the south of it.
16. Trader's Bank
Stop #16 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: The charter of the Scott City Town Company was filed in September 1885. The history book says more than 50 buildings were erected during the first 90 days of the town's existence. Many of those were businesses. And, of those many were land offices and/or banks.
17. Scott County Courthouse
Stop #17 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: The Town Company of Scott City was organized and incorporated on September 11, 1885. At that time Mrs. DeGeer, Mr. McLain, Mr. Swan & Mr. Sangster formed a town company. They each donated a block for 4 separate parks; one of which was Courthouse Square where the Courthouse now stands.
18. Roark Building
Stop #18 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: In 1902, W. Meisenheimer sold his 2 story brick building (where 1st National now sits). to R.B. Christy and sold the contents and fixtures of his mercantile store to J.W. Roark and his son R.P. Roark. The Roarks relocated their new store in the back of the building in a frame addition. They operated the store for about three years at which time things were getting pretty rough financially, so they approached R.P. Roark’s father-in-law, Dr George Finkenbinder and his son Walter, to buy the hardware section. The sale was made for the hardware stock for $2,000.00 and R.P. Roark stayed with the hardware business. J.W., needing some help in the mercantile business suggested to his 2 younger sons that if they would work the store and help get the finances in better shape, he would make them 50/50 partners.
19. Pioneer Sale Barn
Stop #19 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: Early day Livery Stables or barns were one of the most important structures in a town and one of the first buildings to be erected. They not only housed the animals, they had several other thriving businesses within the stable. The Blue Front Livery & Stable and the Star Livery Stables were early day livery stables in Scott.
20. Timmerman Building
Stop #20 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: A.B. Timmerman studied pharmacy and medicine under his father Dr. J.D. Timmerman of Liepsic, Ohio from the time he was a mere boy. In 1889 he purchased the City Drug store in Scott City. He set about doubling the size of both the building and stock and added a soda fountain. He also ran a successful furniture business in the same building.
21. Meisenheimer Building
Stop #21 on the Scott City Historic Walking Tour: In 1887, at the corner of Main & DeGeer (now known as Main & 5th Street), W. Meisenheimer built a 25x80' two story brick building for his Mercantile business. The brick for the building was made at the kiln immediately southeast of town.
22. El Quartelejo Museum & Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection
El Quartelejo is the name given to the archaeological remains of the northernmost Indian pueblo and the only known pueblo in Kansas. The museum focuses on the entire history of western Kansas through the stories told by the fossil discoveries on exhibit to present day Scott County information. Two distinct areas of the museum house local Indian and Pioneer History, while a third room has antique farm machinery, along with horse-drawn buggies from the early 1900s. A major addendum to the facility occurred in 2010: The Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection, containing the work of nationally recognized Wildlife and Western Artist, Jerry Thomas.
