by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Archivist/Curator

There have been some good changes on Main Street in Newton! Some of the older buildings are getting attractive ‘facelifts’ which help the whole community. Because some of these buildings have been standing since the 1880s, extra care needs to be taken. It also means there are lots of stories to be told!

Two buildings, 615 N Main and 617 N. Main are two that have had work done. Both buildings are very old, one dating to about 1901 and the other 1884. Of course there have been many changes, especially on the exterior, but the actual structures have stood strong since almost the beginning of Newton.

Paint, Perfume & Tobacco – 617 N. Main

In 1884, a small stone building was located at 617 N. Main and a wooden one at 615 N. Main.

The building at 617 N. Main started out as a small stone structure with a wooden front porch and awning. One of the earliest businesses at 617 N Main was Dymond & Arnold.  The store was a pharmacy that also sold paint and perfume.

The 1884 newspapers mention an earlier partnership of Dymond & Kraum, but the location is not given. Dymond may have gotten his start in business in Sedgwick in 1875 when he ran a boarding house. (Weekly Kansan Republican, 1 April 1875)

By 1887, Mrs. S.E. Davis had a millinery shop at 617 N. Main. There is no residence listed for a S.E. Davis or a Mrs. S.E. Davis. She possibly lived either in the back of the building or on a second floor. Mrs. Davis was only there for a short time. In November 9, 1889, Miss Lena Smith announced that she was closing her millinery business at 617 N. Main.

In 1898, there was a notice in the paper that Tom Sheridan had repainted his “Cigar Man . . . in fine style” and it was again standing in front of his store at 617 N. Main.

Thomas Sheridan Jr came to Kansas with his parents and three brothers in March 1878. They settled on a farm in Highland Township, Harvey County, Ks. Thomas married Elizabeth Conway in 1896. They had one son, Frank, who died at 4 months. She died in 1898 exactly a year later from the death of her son.

Thomas remarried in 1902 to Louisa Felix. Sheridan ran a cigar and tobacco store and factory at 617 N. Main in Newton, Ks for many years. He was also on the Board of Directors for the Kansas State Bank. Perhaps around 1917, he moved from Newton to Los Angeles. Sheridan seems to have kept an interest in his Newton business until at least 1919-1920.

Other stores that have occupied 617 N. Main include Litwin’s and Browns Hallmark.

Brown’s Hallmark opened in 1877 by Roy L. Brown and Tom Brown from Hutchinson. Kansas.

615 N. Main – Confectionary, Cigars and Women’s Clothing

 According to Sanborn Maps 1884, 1886, & 1896 the structure was wood and not very large. The first businesses included Henry Held, L.A. Meade, J.L. Meade and Jacob Moser as butchers. In 1889 John Herby listed as butcher. In 1896, a new confectionary was in place at 615 N. Main.

In 1902, a new stone structure is built and the length of 615 & 617 match. A few years later a “new modern front” was added. (Evening Kansan Republican 6 May 1906) At that time Ball’s Place – Confectioner, Cigars & Tobacco was located at the address with Walter Ball manager. Several owners had confectioneries between 1905-1913. 

In 1915, Central Shine opened for business owned by the Collin brothers. (Evening Kansan Republican, 13 April 1915). They may have been the ones to make some improvements.  Brick and stone extensions were added to the back of the building with an outside stairway to the second floor in 1915.

In 1916, Schwenker Confectionery, Cigars owned by Fred Schwenker was located at 615 N. Main. It’s not clear when he opened the business, but he ran into trouble almost immediately. On January 10, 1916, a police raid was conducted on two confectionery and cigar stores. One was run by Alex McGuigan on the south side known as “Mack’s Place” and the other Fred Schwenker. The police wanted to examine the “soft drinks.” From Schwenker, bottles of “Tempo” “Tanhauser” and cider were taken to see if they were intoxicating beverages. (Evening Kansan Republican 01/10/1916)

Schwenker operated the business until 1921 when he left Newton for Los Angeles.

Newton Music Store quickly took over the space.

In 1960, Mrs. Katherine Gilchrist purchased the clothing store from Kenneth Granger at 615 N. Main and renamed it Katherine’s. A popular women’s clothing story into the early 1990s. She also operated another clothing store named Katydid’s, targeting the teenage market.