The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-28
FIRST HOTEL
IN WICHITA
Partially Destroyed by Fire
Yesterday Afternoon.
WAS FIRST P0ST0FFICE
And EpiScOpaIians Used 1t as
a Meeting House.
CONSTRUCTED OF LOGS
Which Were Later Covered
by Siding.

The oldest Of Wichita's landmarks was
Partially destroyed by FIRE yesterday af-
ternoon. The old Woodman hail at sa
Waco avenue took FIRE in some manner
and the whole upper part of the old. orig
inal building was badly scorched and
burned.
Mr.. p J. Conklin. who owns the place,
had just completed some repairs during
the last week, and among the rest had
put in "A new chimney 1t was from this
new chimney that the fire started Just
how II started is not known. only that
II started in the neighborhood Of this
fuC. The house is the first house ever
used in Wichita as a hotel The south
wing or the present house, where the fire
was, is the original house built in 1859
by Mr.. s. j.. Munger. He used it as
his home and then as a hotel The first
permanent postofice located in wichita
was here. and the upper part Of the house
was used by the Episcopalians as a meet
ing place for some little time. AIr. John
Price Hilton conducted the services at
that time. he was not regular
preacher. but one Of the readers OF the
church. and it was here that he was
chosen as such.
The house was a quaint, Old-fashioned
residence. as people today would nay,
built Of hewn logs. It was a story ana
a half high and the roof was shiHgled.
This was quite a novelty, as it was the
first shineled roof building in this part
of the state Mr.. Munger finished rhe
lower part and there he stopped for
quite a time. but finally finished it in
the spring of 1870. The walls were made
warm in the usual way, by filing the
spaces between the logs with chinks Of
wood and then plastering over them.
Mr.. Munger is described by those who
knew him as n very odd-lOoking man,
who was thoroughly honest and good,
an-around citizen. He came to Wichita
from Topeka and homesteaded quarter
section of land extending from Central
avenue to Park street and from Law
renee avenue to the river. He had the
land surveyed and laid out in the city
of Wichita The Munger house was then
the center of the business part of the
city and continued to Boz for several s. ears
but finally the place passed into the hands
Of Commodore Moodman who built onto
81 and covered the log part of the struct-
ure with boards until it took on the app
pearance of au ordinary frame house
AIr. Woodman died there and the place
was sold 10 p J. Conklin. who is the
present owner.
There are a good many OF the old men
Of the city who remember when the
house was run as hotel, and the quaint
old man who was the hotVl keeper.
They an describe him as a very peculiar
man. Who was well liked 10y everybody
Among those who were i'm the city when
it was "a hotel are J. L. Allcu and his
brother. who is visiting him at present
Mr. Richard Cogdeu and Judge Sluss.
Judge Sl5lss. it is said. boarded with Mr..
Munger for "A number of years.
Mr. Conklin could not say yesterday
Just what he would do with the place
uow The south part of the house has
tho roof almost entirely burned of. The
total damage To- the place is about $500.
Fire companies Nos. T. 2 and Q respond
"a to the alarm and made fast time IN
gettine 10 the fire. Within "a very few
minutes after the signal was turned Dr.
the water was playing on tho FIRE Tbs
prompt action Of the companies was Tho
only thing that saved the house from
total destruction A delay of a few mo.
ments would have been fatal The old
dry material On the building burned rap
idly but the men understood their bus
mess and il took but u few minutes e
CONQUER the fre demon.