u/IndependentYam3227

Built as a drill hall, some sources say 1908, but that seems to be based on confusion regarding a military reorganization. Decommissioned 1967, and used as shops and a hostel. The Rose Street frontage had a shitty mansard roof added at some point, so this is the end facing the bus station. Wikipedia says it was demolished November 2023, but there's a YouTube video that says mid-May. My photo from May 2019.

Back in 2019. Without a cypher, I'm lost. Can anyone date this? I can't believe I missed the gorgeous ornate pillar further down the hill. I walked past it at least twice.

This served as the high school until 1954, then the junior high until 1996. The gym or auditorium at the rear (which already had partially collapsed when I saw it) can still be seen as a jumble of bricks on the 2016 streetview. The beautiful tile over the doorway is now in a little park on the other side of town. My photo from March 2010.

This hotel had been vacant for years. The city wanted to preserve it, but couldn't interest anyone. It burned September 6, 2013. My photo from March 2010.

This building replaced the old courthouse, which was torn down in 1880. Joseph Heck's bakery was apparently originally located in the courthouse, and Lincoln stopped there for cider and gingerbread during his 1858 senate campaign. The bakery was on the left of this new building, and stayed in business through at least 1898 (at which point Heck would have been 76). The building appears to have been damaged around 2016 by a fire in the building to the right. My photo from March 2010.

These were two of the buildings constructed soon after a devastating fire on March 30, 1894 destroyed 35 buildings downtown. The fire started in a wooden opera house across the alley from the building in the second photo. These were looking a bit sad, and I never made it back on a nicer day. I wish I'd taken some more angles/detail shots. My pictures from a gray March day in 2010.

Picture 1 - The high school. KHRI says this was built 1937, but that doesn't look right. I'd guess around 1920. All I can say for sure is that this is not on the 1915 Sanborn. It closed in 1971, was the city museum for a while, then sold to an individual who let it rot. Demolished around 2016.

Pictures 2 and 3 are part of a block of downtown buildings destroyed in a huge fire caused when a garbage truck fell through the pavement in the alley behind and severed a gas line. The fire was in July 2009, and these buildings were demolished in June of 2010. The block is now a modern structure that looks like an outlet mall. Both buildings were built before 1888, but the wider building has a newer facade. Maps up through 1915 show that the left 1/3rd was a separate structure. Both used to have ornate tin cornices with huge pediments.

My photos from May 2010.

Picture 1 - First National Bank - Built sometime before 1884, a bank through at least the 1940s, demolished by 2014.

Picture 2 - Patterson Hotel - Built possibly in 1883, and in business through sometime after 1984. It was owned by a local eccentric, who ran it starting around 1968, and was still living in the decaying building. It was demolished in 2015. Story here. That's Rosalea in the photo. She also owned part of the block across from the hotel, including the old movie theater. I talked with her, and she was very odd and angry after years of conflict with the town and other citizens over historic preservation, etc.

My photos from May 2010.

Built of local limestone, this was a hardware store at least from 1884-1915. More recently a bar. The building to the left, which was likely from around 1920, is also gone. I wish I'd gotten a closeup of the carved sunflowers above the windows. My photo from May 2010.

This little station was very old, but in decent shape considering it had likely been abandoned for 30 years. By 2012, it looked pretty rough, and had some roof damage. Note the exterior car lift, maybe the third one I've ever seen. I was too dumb to take better shots of that. My photo from May 2010.

Kansas has lots of these Marsh bridges (and used to have many more). This one was built by J.S. Vance of Parsons, KS. There was a plaque to that effect, but it was hidden by the guardrail, and I missed it. This was doomed by a late 2009 decision to replace it. My photo from May 2010.

This building was renamed Brighton Hall in 1942, but I'm pretty sure it's from 1915-20-ish. Note the remnants of what must have been a nice building on the right. I cannot find the source again, but I believe the roof was damaged and they had no money to fix it. Now a crappy metal shed fire station (next to an older crappy metal shed fire station). My photo from May 2010.

The first picture is some sort of fraternal lodge, built in 1906. It was in dire condition, and was demolished sometime between 2014 and 2016.

The second picture was originally a furniture and music store. It was built sometime between 1908 and 1915. The sign on the front indicated it had later been an International Harvester dealer. The roof collapsed by 2021, and this was demolished sometime after 2022.

My photos from May 2010. I wish it hadn't been such murky, overcast weather.