A TOWN STRUGGLING FOR SURVIVAL
Nancy and I recently returned from our semi-annual trip to Kansas and CV. The purpose of the trip was to visit our mothers, (91 and 92) who are residents of the assisted living facility, Presbyterian Manor in Arkansas City. Nellie Hite, Coena (Scott) Foster and JD Hite’s mother is also a resident there. Nancy took her mother to Cedar Vale to stay in her home which she still has in CV.
On the drive back I got to thinking of how Cedar Vale has changed from the way I remember it 50 to 60 years ago. Even though I have been back many times in the past 50 years, I still think of it as it was in my youth. I thought there may be CV blog readers who have not had the occasion to visit CV for many years and might be interested in how the town is now. Had I thought of writing this while I was there, I would have done a better job of research and be more accurate in my comments than what I can recall from my casual observations. My comments are surely not intended to offend anyone, for there are many CV residents who enjoy and are proud to live in CV and many dedicated, hard working individuals who strive to keep CV a viable town.
The most significant difference from the 40 and 50's is the number of businesses. I tried to retrieve Wayne’s “tour of the town” but didn’t find it. From my recollection there were three grocery stores, two drug stores, three or four cafes, four or five service stations, two auto dealers, two farm implement dealers, barber shop, dry cleaners, pool hall, theater, saddle shop, chiropractor, bank, black smith, feed store, dry goods, hardware, motel, hospital, television repair, newspaper, REA, lumber yard, auto repair, sale barn, two elevators, locker plant and I am sure several others I don’t immediately recollect.
Contrast these businesses to what I recall is presently in business now. Starting at the Methodist Church and going down main street there is a small beauty shop, which is apparently open by appointment only, the post office, the city office, museum in the old LC Adams store, Mickey Myers drug store, (no fountain) where Maurice Smiths grocery was; Mike Campbell insurance and real estate office, where Hankins drug store was; a library in the vicinity of where the pool hall was and the bank on the corner. On the other side of the street is the People’s Place, which serves lunch to senior citizens. All the other remaining buildings on that side of the street are vacant and many of the old building have been torn down. The was a comment that a small grocery store may be going in the area where Woodruff/Clark dry cleaners used to be.
The REA is still in the same location, two cafe’s, The Hilltop, operated by Jim Looman, class of 49, and the Prairie Kitchen, operated by Eddie Snyder’s wife Rosie, which is by the locker plant, which is also in operation. A medical clinic, I assume with limited capabilities, is located in the Hays hospital.
Across from where the Coop service station used to be is the only service station in town and is also a convenience store with a goodly stock of grocery and items. Where the Rice House elevator was, is a company called Western Feeds, which grinds, sacks and distribute livestock feeds. The apparently do a good business as motors are constantly running.
Compared to the old days, main street was basically deserted. On one occasion there was only one car on main street. The most activity is at lunch time, with cars park at the People’s Place.
In the evenings there were no kids cruising main street; no cars parked on the corner with girls in one car and boys in another. In fact I never saw a teenager in a car on main street at any time.
CV has had a lot of rain this summer and every thing is beautifully green. Most of the yards are mowed neatly and the homes that are lived in, most of them show the pride of their owners. However there are many vacant houses and the some of the yards were in need of attention. A few places had all sorts of items (junk) in their yards.
A nice addition to CV is the swimming pool, which is down by the rodeo grounds. I went by it a couple of times and there were kids that seemed to be having a good time. Many evening there were ball games at the old ball diamond that so many of us bloggers remember so well. Hewins park looked very nice, the grounds were mowed and the pavilion has been restored and appeared to be in good repair. In fact it looked much better than it used to when it was very active with Saturday night dances in the summer. ( Remember when the car trunk lids were always open and a crowd standing around). Across the road from the rodeo grounds is the nursing home that has been closed for many years. I think it is vacant and not used for any thing.
Seeing the changes in CV is kind of like seeing the changes in acquaintance’s, loved ones and our selves. It is sad, but inevitable. Time and mother nature has taken its toll on us. We don’t look the same or able to do the things we did 50-60 years ago. Time and economics has taken its toll on CV. Economics will not allow it to be the thriving town that we remember. A farm family today, cannot survive on 160 acres, with crops, hay, cattle and pigs. I applauded those who have chosen to stay, raising their families and contributing to the towns survival.
CV is and will continue to be a nice place to live, raise a family and work in surrounding towns. I feel it will become more of a retirement area if there are food and medical facilities available.
But for now and the near future it seems it will be a struggle for the present businesses and for the schools to remain open for the long term.
Of the various places I have lived, only in Kansas and Cedar Vale have I experienced chiggers, lighting bugs and singing locust. The latter two were pleasant reminders, the former I would just as soon not encounter.
PS–Don C. since you live in CV, please feel free to add to or correct any of my observations and comments.
13 comments:
Gary, I thoroughly enjoyed you comments about the past and present town in which we started our lives.
Nice perspective accounting of the old town. At the same time, most likely folks that visited the town of cedars 60 years ago might also have difficulty in recognizing the burg that we describe in our fond remembrances? Good job, Gary.
Thanks, Gary. It was so very sad for me the last time we visited there. The hardest thing for me was the condition my grandparent's (Anna and Albert Pate) house was in. This is the one on the highway where they lived when I was growing up. I don't know how anyone could let a house get in such a deplorable condition. It has now been torn completly down and that is a blessing, really. I didn't know the drug store had moved. I wonder why? And, the fountain closed ! What a shame. I worked there my freshamn and sophomore years, and have many fond memories and funny stories. Quite often I made milk shakes/malts thicker than I had been told; especially for the Sweeney boys. Zelda Wilkerson worked there awhile to get away from the stress of nursing. She chastised me one Saturday evening, saying "Don't you know you are costing Donald money. Now, you need to stop that." We would run as fast as we could from 7:00 to midnight on Saturdays. People would be standing in line waiting for a booth. When we closed my legs would be so tired I wondered if I could even walk home, but walk, I did. Mother was always waiting for me and would massage my legs.
Gary & Nacy -- You have longevity in your families. Wonderful for you to still have your Mothers!
The highway used to wind around through all the small towns bringing travelers who would stop and buy gas and eat. Now the main highway bypasses most of the small towns in that area. I hardly recognize the roads going into Cedarvale now when I am coming from the east (Coffeyville). When I went back some years ago to see my family they were taking all the railroad ties out. No more railroad coming through there. I thought that was sad. Bea Howell
Gary, your entry is a very good perspective of our little town. The Western Feed Mill is a thriving business--making and delivering livestock feed and minerals over a wide area. They have their own truck fleet including an 18 wheeler. They are on the land where the Coop Elevator was--not the Rice-House/LCAdam elevator. The Caney Valley Electric Coop is the other major employer in town. Between them they probably have about 60 employees.
If Cedar Vale is to attract people and businesses, we need to polish our image. To this end there has been established a "Revitalization Committee". It is part of the Chamber of Commerce, but has it's own bank account and acts independently. Anyone who would like to help with buying supplies like paint, window glass, concrete, etc. could send funds to the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce (Precilla Melton) made payable to the Cedar Vale Revitalization Committee.
Gary, thanks for the "written stroll" through Cedar Vale! It was good to re-visit the names, places and businesses! I'll pick one, The Leonard Theater, to write about today! Bill and Maude Leonard were "close" friends of mine, as was their German shepherd dog, whose names escapes me! Bill was a trumpet player and he told stories of his past that kept me mesmerized! He often let me visit the "projection room" and the little side space where the turntable was. One night he said, "Don, you pick out the music and play it, while the people are coming in!" He might as well have handed me the baton of a major symphony orchestra! I was humbled, enthralled, and awed all at the same time! It was probably then and there that I realized "music was for me!" One other little story. Bill was quite a calligrapher and painter. He painted the sign that hung over the west entrance to the gym at C.V.H.S. It read: "When the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name, He'll write not that you won or lost, but how you played the game! He signed the name of the author, Grantland Rice,famous sportswriter, below those words and at the very bottom was Bill's signature, "Bill Done It!" Not only did Bill "done it," but he left a legacy that continues to "do it" in all the lives he touched!
Don, I'm doubly jealous about your visits with Bill Leonard. Firstly, I thought I was the only one he ever invited up to the booth. Secondly, he never asked me to choose the music for the intro to the evening!
Thanks Don for the reminder of the sign bt Grantland Rice that hung in the gym. PatI'm sorry you have a guilt complex about the extra ice cream in the shakes and malts for the "special people" Don's H. own daughter says she did that all the time for " special people" guys. ( I don't think I was one of those guys) Probably everyone who worked at the drug store did it, so "let it go" for I am sure you are forgiven.
And I was almost thrown in the city jail for eating grapes out of the bin??
"Eating grapes out of the bin" brings back fond memories of working for Maurice Smith and with Jim Hill at Smith's Grocery! One of the "quintessential" (had to look that one up!) memories was of Jim and me tossing guineas and turkeys from the third floor of Adams Mercantile around Thanksgiving time! It was one of the finest "flying" advertisements of all time! We often gave the "g's and t's" a extra boost, resulting in some of the most spectacular "catches" one could imagine! I particularly remember the "catches" that ended with the "receivers" being lifted off the pavement and their accompanying posteriors firmly planted in the middle of main street! Jim and I also discovered that guineas run faster than man! Afterwards, as we made our way, through the casket-laden third floor room, and down an elevator, operated by ropes and pulleys, we gave our "thanksgiving" that we were still alive, feathers and all!
Gary -I was glad to hear about Mary Bess. She and my Aunt Loverne Akin were best of friends growing up in Hewins. And, many thanks for helping me get over the guilt complex about extra ice cream!! Glad to know that even the boss' daughter did the same thing. I had that on my worry list right next to crab grass. I worked for Whitney Drug Store four Saturday evenings before I worked for Don and Mary Bess. My pay was 25 cents working from 7:00 to midnight. One Saturday I broke one of the glass containers milk shakes were made in. When the store closed and I went to Stella Walker for my quarter she said "Nothing for you tonight. You have to pay for the container you broke and the milk and ice cream that was wasted." I cried all the way home. Mother was furious. The next Saturday Mrs. Walker called at 7:30 "Mrs. Pate, Patsy hasn't shown up for work". My Mother replied "She won't either and you know why. How dare you treat my daugther like you did last week. She worked her heart for you." Soon after I went to work at Hankins Drug Store...a great place to work and many wonderful memories.
Great remembrance, Pat. Did Mrs. Walker feel that the quarter paid in full for the container, milk, and ice cream ... or are you still in debt a bit to her estate?
GARY???
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