i've been talking with some friends lately about what the oldest structure in Wichita might be. this one the Munger House would seem to be it. no doubt there were others older but unfortuneatly none of them exist any longer. the Munger House was built by D.S. Munger the advance man for the Wichita Town Company in 1869. it was built of squared cottonwood logs with floors of walnut. the plaster was made of river sand, burnt mussel shells and buffalo hair. an outside stairway was later added enabling the house to be used as a hotel. the best one in Wichita at the time no doubt. first picture is in Cowtown where the house was moved in 1947 and restored. i kinda like the contrast between the cars and the old house. no cars around in Wichita when it was built, next picture is a nice black and white in Cowtown with a piece of more contemporary transportation out front. third we have a shot of D.S. Munger himself one of early Wichita's leading lights. and finally a fairly recent shot of the house in Cowtown. 
Can't say I care particularly about Wichita, I've never been there. But old stuff is always cool, houses, cars, whatever. The plaster mix is the oddest part.
ReplyDeleteBrady
Behind Bars - Motorcycles and Life
I think I have been inside of the house at the Cowtown. I should visit Cowtown more often.
ReplyDeleteThe Munger House survived because a guy named Woodman built on to it and ended up encasing it with a larger house. When it came time to tear the Woodman place down they realized the Munger house was still inside of it. The Munger house served as a primative hotel, near the Buckhorn Bar and a few sod structures at the original town on about Waco and Murdock, circa 1869-1872, before the town shifted to Main & Douglas.
ReplyDeleteIS THAT YOU JEFF?IF SO..I AM IMPRESSED WITH THE HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE YOU'V PACKED IN YOR NOODLE,VERY COOL.
ReplyDelete