City of Axtell, Kansas Webpage

Axtell: 1911 - 1920

In 1911, the Mina School was closed.


1914 Axtell Football Team	Restraurant and Bakery (could be Delmonico's).	Old St. Michael School under construction in 1916-1917.

Other events in 1911 were:

Dr. P. Piper and Dr. C. M. Newman joined together and moved offices over the A. R. Moody clothing store.
Dr. H. E. Glander discontinued his dentist practice in Axtell.
The Lone Star Country School was closed.
Ralph Hybskmann had a furnace supply house.
Miss Annie Olston sold lots on Park Avenue to the Methodist Church where a new parsonage was to be erected.
Nealy Alspach owned and operated a motor omnibus to convey passengers to and from the depot.
Oscar Duckworth of the Mina vicinity secured a patent on a new steel spring automobile tire to take the place of the rubber tire.
A Fanning plant was installed in Gaylord's store; four fans were driven by gas power.
Miss Katie Coffey opened a dressmaking establishment in the Mrs. Anna Sharpe building.
Members of the Axtell Telephone Co. were manager, W. H. Connet; president, A. W. Rundle; vice president, Daniel Meara; and Andrew Johnson, board member.
The vital statistics law was passed by the legislature requiring the registration of all births and deaths in the state of Kansas.
T. C. Welborn opened a refreshment parlor in the building owned by Ed Hanna.
E. A. Allbert relocates his cigar factory in the rooms over what is now known as Dave's Hardware.
E. S. Alexander was manager of the Axtell Opera House. Dances were held every other Tuesday with music by local orchestra of Ed Peverly, Irene and Waddy Creevan and F. A. Werner (Turk Werner's dad).
Axtell Postal Savings Bank opened for business.
L. A. Ingalsbe took possession of the Delmonico Cafe, owned by J. Rothfelder on Maple Avenue.
Silver was found on the Daniel Funk farm and gold on the Ed Digman place.

The city council decided early in 1912 that the city was in need of electrical power. Several members of the council traveled to Seneca to see if a contract could be worked out to purchase power from them. In June of 1912, construction was started on an electrical line from Seneca to Axtell at a cost of $10,000. One of the first to hook up for electricity was the Byrne, Hendrick, Waymire Moving Picture Co., which began showing moving pictures in the fall of 1912 for a 10¢ admission charge with Miss Helen Delaney at the piano.

On July 5, 1912, Frank A. Werner buys out his brother Ernest and becomes sole owner of The Axtell Standard. The paper, which had originated as Democratic, was now independent in politics and "enjoyed a good patronage and a healthy circulation."

The year 1913 saw renewed activity around St. Michael Church. The parish dream of reestablishing its parish school was beginning to come true. Fr. Taton, St. Michael's pastor, announced that construction will begin on a new, modern school building. The school would include grades one through eight. Digging for the basement begun and was completed in 1913, but due to poor harvests the rest of the building was not completed until 1917.

In 1916, the Labbe Bros. were car dealers in town and the post office moved from its present location to the Huntsinger building on Maple Avenue, which was formerly occupied by the Johnson-Mandley Clothing Co.

Other events and happenings in 1916 were:

Elmer Hendricks sold motion picture business to the Labbe Bros.
William Berry was appointed city clerk.
Ed Hanna was postmaster.
W. H. Connet, one of Axtell's first businessmen, dies.
Ralph Hybskmann installed a heating plant in the basement of Gaylord's.
Axtell dray line, operated by Tift and Sons, is for sale.
Golden Rule Store, operated by Shreve and Waymire, is having a closing out sale due to the failing health of Mr. Shreve.
Labbe Bros. installed a new moving picture machine.
Football games were played at Stout's park.
City council instructs the city clerk to notify all property owners to remove the hitch racks in front of their buildings on both sides of the street.
Axtell Produce Co. shipped 18th car of poultry to New York; Harley Welborn was manager.
D. B. Shreve sold his interest in the Golden Rule Store to the Waymire Bros.
Pupils of the Axtell schools were vaccinated for smallpox.
Local Farmers Union made arrangements to erect a brick office near the elevator.
Roscoe Pearson bought out the interest of his partner, Lionel Barnes, at the Palace Cafe.
R. W. Motes and D. C. O'Neil purchased a new auto hearse for Axtell and were joint owners of the car, which cost $2,000.

On August 30, 1917, St. Michael School is dedicated for use as a Catholic school. School begins on September 3, 1917 with fifty students attending. The final cost of the school building is $15,807.81.

In 1919, St. Michael School adds a high school program. It remained in use until 1941.

A tennis court was on the Methodist Church lawn under the supervision of the Rev. L. W. Flenner in the spring of 1920. Also in 1920, under the leadership of Mayor A. P. Simpson, an election was held to build a waterworks system. The vote carried by a small margin. Bonds of $60,000 were voted on but owing to the small majority and the fact that building materials were at a premium, no action was taken by the two following administrations except that plans were drawn, tests for water made and a firm of engineers were engaged.

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City of Axtell, Kansas Webpage

Axtell: 1911 - 1920

Other Historic Articles from Past Issues of Axtell's Newspapers