“I no longer think city and state government officials in Topeka have cornered the market on ways to blow tax money.” — Topeka Capital-Journal’s Ric Anderson, on the lackluster results of the city of Wichita’s investment in Old Cowtown Museum
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- SolDevVB on Open thread 11/24
- thomaswitt on Whose ‘unchecked spending’?
- ANTI on Open thread 11/24
- ANTI on Open thread 11/24
- Monkeyhawk on Open thread 11/24
- preordained1 on Whose ‘unchecked spending’?
- SolDevVB on Open thread 11/24
- ANTI on Open thread 11/24
- Monkeyhawk on Open thread 11/24
- ANTI on Open thread 11/24
15 Comments
An ongoing question about “Old Cowtown” is whether it is a museum or merely a recreational destination? I am a long-time Kansas history enthusiast.
My opinion is Wichita’s main unheralded history era is the 1920’s and 1930’s decades. The 1920’s of course was the “roaring 20’s” era. The 1930’s included the “great depression” and buildup to WW II. Wichita figured prominently in both eras.
The 1920’s included the oil boom, beginning of the air industry and construction of the great concrete and brick hotels and office buildings in downtown Wichita largely by the George Siedhoff Construction Company.
The 1930’s depression almost ruined Wichita’s fledgling airplane construction industry. But with huge effort of the air entrepreneurs, Wichit’s air industry bounced back in time to provide military airplanes for the WW II air effort.
In my opinion, Wichita should be displaying its history from 1920 to 1941. Thousands of communities across the great plains have museums celebrating the “cowtown” and western period of the 1870’s to 1890’s probably better than Wichita.
So keep Wichita’s “Old Cowtown” as a recreational destination. But Wichita needs to build up the conversation about our 1920’s office buildings and hotels, most of which were built by George Siedhoff.
The great old Broadview Hotel is a prime example of Wichita’s 1920’s construction and needs to be returned to its long time grandeur.
At what cost to the city and our taxes? — give some developer a TIF or loan to create another white elephant downtown? — how will a 20’s style Broadview contribute to the tax base if the city fronts the money for any renovations, will it become a recreatiopnal destination? What are the odds it would suceed / meet minimum occupancy rates to be profitable —– I think taxpayers are tired of seeing their money going to bail out or as give aways to special interests / developers / movie theater barons that do little to promote the general welfare —–
Indie, you are probably a Wichita professional sports nut or GOBN. It’s alright for Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita to spend 1/2 billion dollars for an unneeded white elephant downtown sports arena with another 1/2 billion needed to add parking and pay for long term operational costs.
But now that the big tax money is gone, it’s not OK to spend one red cent on renewing the one thing Wichita has going for it … a 1920’s downtown business district ambience that should have been preserved WITHOUT the arena. This area could have been designed with lots of public input to provide a sparkling jewell, an award winning downtown business district that would have attacted visitors from all over the world.
I noticed a letter to the editor in this morning’s EAGLE, calling for support for bringing AMTRAK passenger trains northward from Texas and Oklahoma through Wichita to connect to AMTRAK in Newton. The suggestion was to utilize the great old Wichita Union Railroad Station. BUT THE ARENA SITE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAVED FOR THE 400 CAR PARKING LOT THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO USE THE FANTASTIC RAILROAD STATION.
So most likely any Amtrak stopover station in Wichita area would have to be built in Haysville or Park City. The amateurs on the Sedgwick County Commission, Tim Norton, Tom Winters and Dave Unruh along with some out of town “hired gun bureaucrats” saw to that.
It’s because Cowtown has handled stupidly.
If it is to be a money maker, you must cater to the Public.
It needs to have some very nice hotels right on the property, have some fine shops that represent Kansas goods and services and be a place everyone wants to go regardless if they acknowledge Cowtown exists or not.
Instead, they have an isolated group of replica buildings, tucked in behind a river and a large mostly unused building.
That whole river corridor has a lot of potential, making it a pastoral setting secluded in non-visited section of Wichita is just stupid.
That whole area needs to be an economic development area where everyday citizens want to go and have to go to conduct business.
Then, Cowtown will become like another verb in the Wichita language. “Hey, let’s go Cowtowning” or “I Cowtowned my way to a good time last night.”
As it is now, the crickets chirping drown out any sounds of activity that Cowntown might produce.
In a sense I do agree with Regular, by its self Cowtown has always been one of those places that warrant a visit once every decade. But it lacked the needed draw for more than that, being a fan of the Prairie Rose supper club. I know that it would not take a great deal of adding to make Cowtown an international draw.
The old west is not just a part of this nation’s history but an interest to people of other countries.
But as it stands Cowtown does not take long to become boring with just walking around looking through the glass and the highlight is ringing the school bell. If I recall the re-enactors are only there on weekends and with some of Regular suggestions in part it would warrant them being hire to be there full time. A Prairie Rose type operation would draw many. If you have never been there, a Cowboy greets you on a horse. There is a mini train ride with an announcer that points out the interests and tells of the history and importance of each thing. This was exciting to the children and German tourist I noticed (it is so funny to see some twenty something running around with a felt child’s Cowboy hat on and shooting their toy six-shooters they just bought at one of the shops.) But you get the point, it was alive and living instead of a two dimensional abstract that demands that you stop and read a description on a placard.
“… give some developer a TIF or loan to create another white elephant downtown?”
What do youj think I was talking about — I am not an arena supporter and your idea
” …… it’s not OK to spend one red cent on renewing the one thing Wichita has going for it ”
If thats the one thing Wichita has going for it — Wichita is in sadder shape than you think. and you should lock the doors and make Wichita a mecca for the far religious right. You railed at the minimum wage jobs of the casino — yet your hotel as a percentage of employees will have more — if poeple want to experience 2o’s atmosphere they’;; go to Chicago where entrepenuers there have been capitalizing on Al Capone (much to the mayors chagrin) for nearly 2 decades. —- — what Wichita lacks is innovation and some outside the box thinking. i.e ….. downtown lofts / condos were brought to Wichitaq by out of towners (Minnesota) when they had been in practice for over 20 years in major metro areas ….
Exactly what has Visionerring Wichita accomplished ? Name one thing that they’ve seen that has been used or tried in Wichita — semms a nice boon doogle for some civic minded citizens who don’t know what to do with a good idea — well except maybe have lunch with each other and talk about it —–
Look at the fiasco of Wild West World — was doomed from the start —- not very innovative in its concept or implementation ….. but a lot of people hung there hat with old Tom E …. and he took another set of investgors for a ride ….
JWink
Study the “Ark Valley InterUrban Railway” — my grandfather worked for that passenger railroad.
It was electric.
The Broadview Hotel contains part of the old “AVI” building.
You can see “AVI” above one of the doors.
Franklin: As a history buff, I have been researching several related subjects. One is the history of the grand old Broadview Hotel. Number two is the contractor and owner of the Broadview and many other Wichita buildings, George Siedhoff. And, three, the Arkansas Valley Interurban (AVI) that headquartered in an attractive two story building on the west edge of the Broadview facing Douglas. The AVI stored its trolley cars between the Broadview and the Arkansas River. Unfortunately the untimely death of the AVI president in an airplane accident on the ground in the 1930’s and competition from the automobile probably cut short the life of the AVI at about the beginning of WW II.
Interesting that people sometimes call for building rapid transit transportation system in Wichita. Wichita had this well developed electric trolley car system spreading out through the Wichita metro area as far as Newton, Halstead and Hutchinson. Also trolleys went south to Wellington but possibly by another trolley company.
The letters “AVI freight station” remain on the arch on the east side of the Broadview Hotel. I would like for some old timer to tell me if the trolley tracks ran through that arch. Of course, the Missouri Pacific railroad station was located on the east side of Waco from the Broadview Hotel.
Please join me in supporting renovation of the historic portion of this icon of Wichita history since 1921. Many stories to tell.
JWink
Dad took a history course, at WSU, and did a paper on the AVI.
I will ask him tonight when I drop by.
Franklin: I would like to read your father’s AVI paper. I was trying to remember the name of the AVI president who was killed when struck by the propeller of a plane being taxied by Mr. Stearman himself, if I remember the story correctly. Also please ask your father if the trolley cars actually ran through that arch in the east side of the Broadview. And where the main entrance to the lower floor of the Broadview was in his day. And was the complete AVI headquarters building (later KAKE radio building) torn down to make way for that parking roof deck on the west edge of the Broadview.
meant to say “took a loop” around the Broadview Hotel area, not a “look” lol
The problem as I see it is basically no one cares about the Old West( a few history buffs excluded). And the people who do wax nostalgic for the old west mostly do so from a 1950’s Hop-along Cassidy, John Wayne, Hollywood perspective. Which the Cowtown doesnt fullfill. And the passe nature of western pop culture is part of the reason Wild West World failed
Wizard of Oz theme might work.
Aviation theme might work.
Even a railroad theme might work.
I agree, nobody cares that much about old buildings without indoor plumbing and wooden side walks.
As part of another attraction, it might work better.
The real problem with Cowtown is the same problem most museums have- too few people want to go someplace where they might actually learn something, especially something that differs from their preconceptions.
That’s a pretty lovely blog. I would like to see more of your posts!!