WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES’ DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS Tihen Notes from 1927 Wichita Beacon, p. 1 Dr. Edward N. Tihen (1924-1991) was an avid reader and researcher of Wichita newspapers. His notes from Wichita newspapers -- the “Tihen Notes,” as we call them -- provide an excellent starting point for further research. They present brief synopses of newspaper articles, identify the newspaper -- Eagle, Beacon or Eagle-Beacon -- in which the stories first appeared, and give exact references to the pages on which the articles are found. Microfilmed copies of these newspapers are available at the Wichita State University Libraries, the Wichita Public Library, or by interlibrary loan from the Kansas State Historical Society. TIHEN NOTES FROM 1927 WICHITA BEACON Wichita Beacon Sunday, January 2, 1927 page Magazine 6. Article about the streets between Washington and Hydraulic with girls’ names. This area was laid out by Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Hyde. Mr. A. A. Hyde was born March 2, 1848, and on January 19, 1875, he married Miss Ida L. Todd of Wichita, so they will have their 52nd anniversary on January 19. When Mr. Hyde first came to Wichita in 1872 he bought several tracts of land in what was then the easternmost part of town, including the area in question. East of Washington, the streets are: Ida named for Mrs. Hyde. Laura named for Mrs. Frank Todd, of Chicago, a sister-in-law of Mrs. Hyde. Pattie named for a half-sister of Mrs. Hyde, now Mrs. George C. Strong, of Los Angeles, who once lived in a stone house north of the residence of Dr. S. E. Swartz, on Fairmount Avenue. Lulu named for a cousin, Lulu McCabe, the late wife of the Rev. Dr. Hewitt, at one time pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. Ellis (?) Fannie appears to have been named for Miss Fannie Lewis, a close friend of the family, now Mrs. S. P. Hathway, of Denver. Mr. Hyde owned 80 acres of the 160 which formed the southeast quarter of Section 21, bounded by Hydraulic, Kellogg, Washington, and Douglas. Five of Mr. and Mrs. Hyde’s children were born in the house which stood at 2nd and Topeka, where the Shirkmere is now. In 1886 the family moved to its present residence at 2nd and Roosevelt. ?. “Wichita winters milder now according to old timers.” Tuesday, January 4, 1927 page WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES’ DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS Tihen Notes from 1927 Wichita Beacon, p. 2 8. Board of education today selected the site for Wichita’s new high school. To be located on east bank of Little River between 13th and 15th Streets and west of Rochester Avenue. To cost about $750,000. Details. Sunday, January 9, 1927 page 2. City manager Earl Elliott announced yesterday that all white stop lines in Wichita are to be replaced with some 400 rubber “flap” markers, the invention of Clayton S. White, 3335 Oakland. The markers are of the same type as the ones used for several months at Central and Lawrence. They stand seven inches high and are two and a half feet long. They will be black with the word “stop” vulcanized in yellow letters. Installation is to start within the next two weeks. 3. The Hyde Mexican Chapel at 907 South St. Francis is to be dedicated this afternoon. Article with details. Photograph. Sunday, January 16, 1927 page 1. Formal proposal for purchase by R. R. Campbell, Howard M. Wheeler, and R. C. Clevenger of the Wichita Railroad and Light Company’s street railway properties and its recently acquired bus lines will be presented to the city commission tomorrow. It is proposed to operate the properties as a unified system. Financial arrangements must necessarily await the approval of the commission and the granting of a satisfactory franchise. Complete text of the proposal on page four. (“Ask Right to Buy Car Lines”) 5. The Travel Air Company today received the signed contract for the sale of ten airplanes and extra equipment to the National Air Transport company for use in government mail carrying contracts. The planes are of monoplane cabin type with 1000 pounds capacity. The contract amounted to $1128,000. Plans for the factory building of the Travel Air Airplane Company are nearly completed. They are being prepared by Glen H. Thomas, Wichita architect. The factory will be 50 by 150 feet and cost about $40,000. It will be built at the Municipal Airport east of the city. Saturday, January 22, 1927 page 1. Report of death this morning of Wichita pioneer attorney, O. H. Bentley, age 73, at his home, 927 Litchfield. Orsemus Hills Bentley was born in Favius, Onondaga County, New York, December 19, 1856. Came to Wichita from Columbus, Ohio in March 1880. Had married Miss Flora X. Harris of Cleveland, Ohio, February 8, 1879. Was mayor of Wichita in 1915-16. Survived by his wife. They had no children. Further obituary. Photograph. 3. Report of death of former Wichitan, R. W. Darling, brother of H. W. Darling, 3755 East Douglas, suddenly, at Lakeland, Florida. Came to Wichita from Chicago in the early 90s and lived here 20 years. Then returned to Chicago, where wife died. Then returned to WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES’ DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS Tihen Notes from 1927 Wichita Beacon, p. 3 Wichita until about ten years ago when he again moved to Chicago and was remarried. Moved to Florida four years ago. Survived by two brothers, H. W. and Nels, and one sister, Mrs. Grace Darling (?), of Milwaukee. Tuesday, January 25, 1927 page 5. Report that Wichita city commission will ask legislature in Topeka to pass legislation giving home rule allowing Wichita to set its own bus fares as well as those charged by the street railroad. Details. J. C. Fisher, of the J. C. Fisher Investment Company applied to city commission yesterday for a franchise to operate a bus system in Wichita on which he proposes to charge five or six cents fare. Matter to be studied. Details. 14. Report of proposed widening of Douglas avenue by 13 feet to 63 feet from Grove to Hillside. Details. Saturday, February 5, 1927 page 1. Report that Henry Wallenstein, Sr. and Miss Gisele Wiltschek, his housekeeper for many years, were married in Kansas City Thursday. He has two children, Henry Wallenstein, Jr. and Mrs. Lawrence Stettheimer. Sunday, February 6, 1927 page 4. Photograph of buildings at northwest corner of William and Lawrence, which will soon give way to a new building for the George Innes Dry Goods Company. Sunday, February 13, 1927 page Magazine 10. Feature story by Bliss Isely on the correct pronunciation of Wichita -- is it Wich i ta or Wish i ta? Evidence seems to support the pronunciation as Wich i ta. (Wich-i-ta or Wish- i-ta) Wednesday, February 16, 1927 page 9. Report that the Southern Kansas Stage Lines Company plans to build a new garage, to cost approximately $75,000, within the next few months. The company has two sites in view and will probably purchase one within the next three or four days. Storage has become one of the company’s largest problems. It has been operating 37 buses and has recently purchased five new ones. The present garage at 220 South Topeka is not half large enough. Thursday, February 17, 1927 WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES’ DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS Tihen Notes from 1927 Wichita Beacon, p. 4 page 11. The House committee in Topeka that was considering an amendment to the bus law to give the city of Wichita the power to regulate bus fares in the city today reported adversely on this amendment, thus killing it and leaving regulation of the bus fares in the hands of the Public Service Commission. Monday, February 21, 1927 page 9. Dr. John D. Finlayson, president of the University of Wichita, announced today that he will not be a candidate for re-appointment to this position for the next school year. Details. Tuesday, February 22, 1927 page 16. On or about March 1st it is expected that the Wichita Railroad and Light Company and its subsidiary bus lines will change hands and come under the control of a corporation under the name of the Wichita Transportation Company and being headed by Howard V. Wheeler, Robert B. Campbell, and R. C. Clevenger. New bus equipment has already been ordered, it was learned, including ten large buses of the most advanced type. ¶ The above Wichita men hold an option from the present owners of the street railway and bus systems and are compelled to act promptly if they are to purchase the properties and have decided therefore to exercise the option in advance of the city commission’s action on their application filed January 15 for a new 30 year franchise. Sunday, February 27, 1927 page Magazine 14. Article on origin of the name of the town of Mt. Hope. Details, but concludes no one is sure of the origin of the name. A new consolidated rural high school was recently completed there. Monday, February 28, 1927 page 2. Takeover of the street railway system by the new owners has been delayed until after March 1st. Sunday, March 6, 1927 page 6. Strip aerial photograph from University of Wichita to near downtown showing route of proposed new diagonal boulevard. D-1. Article giving history of the original Central Avenue bridge. County commission on December 12, 1874 decided to spend $1000 of the county’s money to build two bridges on Central Avenue -- one across Little River, which still remains, and the other a half mile west of Seneca over the Arkansas.