We were told today, that where Loren Fear lived there will be a Dollar General going in. I have heard this rumor before and was wondering, if anybody in Howard heard about this.
I think it's a Dollar General, yes. They've already torn down the house, clearing the land.
Which side of the highway and near what other business?
Some information on the web says that Dollar General was founded in 1939 and now has 11,700 stores, but that is limited to 40 states. There are 197 stores in Kansas.
It is headquartered in Goodlettsville in northern Tennessee, which had 13,000 people in 2010.
East side of the highway and not near any other businesses. Maybe two blocks north of Elk Street.
Went out and took pictures today, so here are two photos. One is of the cleared land. Just south of it (on the right side of the photo) is Nungessor's. The other photo is taken from the driveway of the cleared land and shows the west side of the street.
Thank you for posting those photos.
Below is the "before."
From Washington Street south, Nungesser's and one other residence are the only ones left on the east side of K-99. The other house has been sitting unoccupied for a number of years with a car outside that has been sitting there for the same number of years.
Does someone know the story behind that unoccupied house? I spoke to that individual a couple of times before he passed on but cannot recall his name. He apparently left his furnished home and car to either the city or county and they cannot do anything with it?
(http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad256/waldoegray/before_zpsdv5r9tmi.png)
Waldo, I should know who lived there, I delivered Papers all along there. I can close my eyes and see every House along the East Side of 99, but I can't place that one. I can remember everyone that lived along there but, not this House or who lived in it.Starting from the North going South, the First Place was the John Garison place, next was Earl Garisons then the Emil Bocquin House, next was Art Zollman, then Loren Fear, then his Father Seth Fear. From their to the Lake Road there were no Houses. I delivered Newspapers along there and I am closing my eyes and thinking and I can not visualize that house 60 years ago. Waldo, Iam almost positive that was Seth Fears Place, he was Loren Fears Father, a really nice old Gentleman, he lived there alone, his Wife passed away, long before my time. It is either that or Art Zollmans home, if I was there and could see where is sets, I could tell you who lived there from around 1950 to 1980.
Here is the house I was thinking about.
After the house was torn down for the Dollar General, that leaves only two houses on the east side of K-99, Nungessers and this one. It has been sitting there vacant for a number of years and either the county or the city owns it by bequeath.
(http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad256/waldoegray/left_zpstef1ueek.png)
That is the house that Paul Boquin lived in until his passing. He left most of his estate to the Catholics from what I understood at the time, though I don't know for a fact that the house was left to the church.Paul was a confirmed bachelor.
The house has been vacant for a number of years.
I should have recognized that House, as I lived next to it for along time when I lived with Garisons. Many times I listened to Mrs Bocquin Hollering at Poor old Emil, she would be Hollering so Loud I could hear here very well, and they lived a good distance from Garisons, she most of the time she would start out saying" you Hump backed SOB shut up when I am talking to you, poor old Emil wouldn't say a word". Paul was a really nice person, he was in one of my sisters Grades in School, I think it was Velda's, Paul was a very different type Person, he was always very friendly, but really stiff, astute, I really felt sorry for him. He stayed there in Howard and took care of his Mother until she died. Her name was Ruth, she was just as mean to Poor old Paul as she was to her Husband, he stayed there and cared for her until she Died. They bought a new Dodge from Garisons around 1953, Paul was her Chauffer he drove her everywhere, Bocquins owned a large Block of Land East of Howard, and they rented it out to different Ranchers, she make Paul Drive out to see the pastures and make the renters did not have to many Cattle on it, they Drove that new Dodge, that was the only Vehicle they had. Well one day while they were driving around counting the Cattle , Paul hit a Big Rock and knocked a Big Hole in the Oil Pan, Speck Hull and I took Garisons Wrecker out to get them, when we got there she was madder than and old Wet Hen, she was still Cussing Pool old Paul when we got there. There was was not room in the Wrecker for Both of them, so we had to go to a nearby Ranchhouse and call back to Howard to get someone to come get them when they got there to pick them up, Poor Paul said "Iam riding back with you in the Wrecker". Emil had been Married d before he Married Ruth, he had a Son from the First Marriage, his name was Francis, he was Grown and out of College long before I was old enough to know him, he left Howard and Moved back East somewhere" The only time I ever remember him coming back was when Ruth passed away. The land that they had was from Emils side of the House, I heard when she died she left everything to Paul and nothing to Emils son Francis. Paul Lived alone in the House , there on the Highway until he Died. After Ruth died , Paul would have Openhouse at the old Bocquin House , every year at the Outhouse Festival. When Paul Died I heard he left everything to his Half Brother, Francis. Ruth probably was cussing him from her Grave, enough of my Rambling, it is just that the picture of that House brought back lots of Memories.
,
Rex says, George Gardner lived in the house after Loren Fear.
Jane, I don't remember him, I remember well when Buford and Lillian McKinney lived there, Myrna and I stopped there often to visit with them, sometimes Russel Carl was there and we had a great time talking about Howard and Elk County in the old days, Buford was an Early Day Pioneer and he loved to Reminice about the Good Old Days, it was always interesting. Lots of changes in that area, across the Street was Henry's Cities Serivice Station, my Brother Bob , worked there. Just South of the Station was a Small Motel that Henry's Owned or at least operated, Today there is a Restaurant there. Behind Henry's Station was Wylers Packinghouse, Ed Wyler owned it, his Brother Harry worked there as did Arkie Ritter and my Brother Bob. All that is gone now. Kind of sad to see all that gone and that many of the people have passed away.As I have said many times"This getting old sure ain't for Sissies.
Someone started tearing that packing house down in the last few years. It took them a while. A good part of it has been hauled off.
I have not been to Howard since June 2014 and Google aerial image of June 2014 still shows a mess there from the debris.
Whoever he left it to--it just sits there. The car, an Oldsmobile I think, may or may not be gone. I cannot see it via Google or Bing. When the car was there sitting in the driveway, it looked like someone was always home.
Jim and Debbie Stange own that property. He ran a gas station there when we first moved to town (1990). When rules changed for underground storage tanks, he closed the gas station but still did mechanics and sold tires. For awhile Debbie ran a restaurant on the north end of the building. Excellent cook! Jim also had an ice house at the back of the property and sold bulk ice to most of the stores. There was also a car wash back there, which he ran until Crigers built theirs on the highway.
Waldo, it was my understanding that everything went to Paul's 2 Nieces, Francis' Girls, I doubt if they were every in Elk County, or at least not since their Grandmother passed Way, and maybe not then.
Waldo,
If I remember right Paul's green car was a Ford LTD. As a pup growing up in Elk Falls I think Paul either lived there or sure stayed there a lot. I think he was a reporter for the Independence reporter then later wrote articles for the Kansas Wildlife magazine.
Frank , I think the place you are talking about in Elk Falls was inherited by Paul but not known as the Bocquin place but rather the Keefe Homestead---or something like that. I used to pick up groceries for Ms Keefe at Fox Grocery and deliver them to her. I didn't know her name but the mailbox said "W. E. Keefe "so in my young mind I thought her name was "We ". Any idea how Paul was related to "We"?
The first Staion there was a Mobil Station, the First Person to operate it was Russell Gilbert, then my Brother Bob took over. That land belong to Earl Garison, I was living with them at the time it was Built. Right South of where the Station was he had the Builder, I think it was Barger and Sons, run the footing for a Restaurant. At the time there was already 4 eating places in Town, the last I remember the Footing was still there. I was surprised that Mobil wanted to put a Station in there as there were already two in the immediate area, John Parker had the 66 Station just to the North, and Ed Henry had the Cities Service Station to the South , at the time there was or Had been 6 or maybe 7 Stations in the Down Town area. There was the one at the South end of Main Street, it was Sinclair, Adrian Hebb ran it, in Later years he bought the Pontiac Dealership from San Hug and his Show room was in the Front Part of the station. There was one at the North end of The Main Street, it was a ?Sinclair Station and Carl Lauffer ran it. There was a Soverign Service Station On the North end of Main Street, the Wucherfnigs Ran it, in later years, Shave Cox had it, I don't remember if it is still there or not. The Sinclair Station on the NW corner that Carl Kauffer had was later Dr Markeleys Vet practice . On the corner NW across from the Courthouse was Jim Hawkins Mobil Station, in later years Jim Carter ran it. A block South on the Corner on the Eastside, there had been a Station, but it was gone before my day, I don't know what brand it was or who had it. The last one I remember was several Blocks South from the Westside of the Courthouse, Across the street to the NW across from where Kay and Kathryn Mitchell lived, it was Vacant when I first remember, I never knew who ran it or what brand it was. In the Early 50s, Frank Simon tore down the old Station Building and built a nice home there, Frank may have lived in it awhile, my best memories of that House was when Willis and Ruth Osborne Lived there, they were good Friends of my Family and I used go visit with them, I was pretty young and we could visit for hours. That s what I remembered. My wife says I need to stop Posting for awhile, that I am Hogging the forum and people are going to get tired of my Rambling.
Jar, Mrs Keefe was Paul's Grandmother, she was his Mother's Mother. I knew it was the Keefe House, Just referred to as the Boquin House because Her married name was Bocquin and so was Paul's,, my Mistake. Paul was living there when we lived in Bartlesville. Most of Myrna's Mothers Family is Buried in the Elk Falls Cemetery, so every year we Decorated the Graves there. When we went thru we would always stop and see Paul, he was always Happy to see us, I don't think he had many visitors at all. He was always elated to see us, he would ask about my 2 sisters that he went to School with in Howard.
Frank, I think Rex's Grandfather Tarwater, owned the filling station across from the Cox building on the corner. I could be wrong but I think that is what he said.
Thanks Jane, I never did know who owned it. I think Rex's Grandfather and Grandmother owned a lot of Real Estate in Howard and Elk County.
Frank,
Forgot to say—Paul didn't learn much from hitting that rock and gouging a hole in his oil pan. He inherited a fair amount of Keefe land south of Elk Falls. My bro-in-law rented the pastures and many a time he would go out there and Paul would be slid into a rut and high centered in his car. Unless he got pulled out he would jack the car up and put rocks under the tires until he got out. Stub Durbin had the pasture to the west and no doubt had to help Paul a few times himself.
Sharing two and a quarter miles of fence-line with Paul was . . . what is the right word . . . challenging? unique? problematic?
Jar, I think my Brother-in-Law, Marion Jacot rented some Pasture from Paul. Every time I Was out there Helping Marion, Paul would Show up, I would ask him how he was, he round say fine, I am here to count how many Cattle Mr. Jacot has in here, I don't want to many and I want to be sure he is paying me for all that he has in here. After he left, I would tell Marion what he said, That Jacot French Temper would Explode. Marion and Stub Durbin, were like Brothers, they went to Moline High School together, they remained lifelong friends. They had a few drinks together many, many times, and sometimes to much. They were a fun loving pair.
I guess my next question would be, who is behind getting Dollar General to Howard? It has declined in population over the last several years. Plus we have Batson and Cooksons, so who is bring it in?
Quote from: W. Gray on November 29, 2015, 09:52:29 AM
Someone started tearing that packing house down in the last few years. It took them a while. A good part of it has been hauled off.
I have not been to Howard since June 2014 and Google aerial image of June 2014 still shows a mess there from the debris.
According to the Howard Courant-Citizen the packing house closed in early April 1958.
November 2014 aerial view of the tear down.
(http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad256/waldoegray/packing%20house_zpsuskpgqr7.png)
Paul's Bocquin's house was not given to the Catholic Church. I believe it was given to the historical society. The house that was torn down for the Dollar General most recently belonged to George Gardner. It was south of the Bocquin house and just south of the fairly new large building David Perkins built. After George passed away, his son has been living there until recently.
Dollar General is bringing themselves in. It's called a free market. But I do know that a couple from over by Longton had been calling and emailing them for the past couple of years trying to get them to come to Elk County. Hard work always pays off!