The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-16
One Part of Wichita and How
It Has Improved.
ITS PROSPERITY GREAT
MattheWSon Addition and the
Notes of improvements,

!
they may make. Before the public eye
these parts Of the city become thoroughly
exploited, but there are other sections
which are quietly but substantially pro
crossing ali the time, and making such
/ permanent improvements by property
owners who either rent them 10 tenants,
or By home holders as VIII rebound great
ly to the city's general advancing. one
of these little heard of but very active
districts is Mathewson's addition, lying
! between Douglas avenue and Central ave
nue., and between washington and Hy-
/ draulic avenues This part Of the east
end was dormant for several years after
the collapse Of the boom, and about two
years ago suddenly took on new life and
with the impetus of the fresh inspiration
/ commenced to build new houses, add on
to old ones. and 10 dress UP in fresh
I paint. commodf0us verandas and parks
and lawns, and other door-yard enbel-
/ lishments which 60 to make city look
prettier and to the better enjoyment Of
! the homesteaders Within the last year
vast strides have been made in this east
side district, and they are little realized
( by the city at large. hardly so by the
/ immediate residents themselves. This is
a historic and almost dramatic portion
/ of the city, and carries in its history in
cidents which are well known among the
/ pioneers Of early frontier life. 1t was a
part Of VIM. Mathewsons early ranch
property and included a quarter section
/ Of his range claim.
Mr.. L. r. Cole gives the following his
] ont 1f
! the city addition, and the last years i'm
provements in it. There were 160 acres
/ in the original plat added to the city, and
/ in this there were thirty-eight acres re-
! served by Buffalo Bill' as a homestead
! This thirty-eight acres lies between Third
/ street and Central avenue, and from Wa
! bash to Hydraulic avenues. On this re-
serve stood for many years the famous
relic the claim house a cottonwood log
/ cabin which stood just east of the pres
ent home, in a clunp Of cottonwood trees.
| After many years standing there. the OBJ
/ ject Of interest to tourists and eastern
/ sight-seers. it finally tumbled into de-
! cay, and few years ago was removed.
/ Mathewson's first plat comprised that
part Of the city between the east side
Of Washington to Hydraulic avenue and
( south Of First street. This was laid off
in lots of AS feet by 300 feet, facing on
/ Douglas avenue; and those facing on
/ First street, 145 feet by 302 feet. In tn 8
/ first plat he left a strip between First
1 street and Douglas avenue thirty-five feet
wide unplatted, because he believed some
time there would enter the city a rail-
road from that direction and this unplat-
J koE n, for iubt
Of way Afterwards Mr. Mathewson
made a supplementary plat called
/ |'Mathewson's Supplemental Plat" to
/ First addition. which in reality was a
/ re-survey Of the old plat; except that
there was laid off from First street to
! Douglas avenue on Hydraulic avenue 50
! foot lots and in that addition there
/ shows a reserve of thirty feet called
/ Reserve A. Of the plat. In this latter
plat lots facing on First street were 3y7
/ feet Later he made what was known as
! AIathewson's Second addition. This com
menced from the corner of First street
! and washington avenue, ran from First
to Central. and from Washington to Ohio
avenues. The third plat was from First
/ street to Third, and from Ohio avenue to
! Cleveland The fourth addition was from
/ Cleveland to Hydraulic, and from First
to Third. leaving the thirty-eight acre
tract reserved as a homestead. The
streets included in this historic city add
ton are as follows, in their order run
ming from wese to east. East side Of
/ Washington avenue; Wabash, Ohio. IN
diana. Cleveland, Mathewson, New York,
/ Pennsylvania. and west side of Hy-
drauHc, and from Douglas to Central, the
only open streets clear through north and
south. however. being Washington and
Wabash Besides the submitted improve
ments there has been a complete sewer
age from Washington to Hathewson put
1 I'm the past year; permanent sidewalks and
there are now pending several large deals
| for new houses, most of them being now
( let by contract. On the northeast corner
Of Second street and New York, lots .,
p and %. there viii be commenced in a
few DAYS three new residences. on Of
seven rooms and two Of FIVE rooms Con
! tracts are now let and work ready to
commence Other buildings are also
4 either In process now Of erection, or ready
I by contract to commence soon. Wash
irgton school one of the finest ward
school buildings In the city. Is located in
the center Of this district and st. Boni-
/ face Catholic church, the Friends church
! the United Presbv terrain and private edu-
cational and denominatonaI institutions
are located.
Outside OF the several contemplated i'm
/ provements and entirely new buudings,
these Improvements have been made
within The past year:
Hydraulic avenue. Lot is. new roofs,