The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-09
Topeka GROWING
Rapid Strides in Building and
Development Are Ev MT.
Renewed Enthusiasm Is Appar-
ent ON Every Hand.
ELMHURST A SUCCESS
Over Two Thirds OF the Lots
Sold i'm Nine Months.
Foresight of Owner Has Made 1t
an Elite Residence Section.

To an observer of things as they are
and an imaginator of things that are to
be. it is readily apparent that Topeka
has, within the past two years, fallen
into rapid stride of building and de-
velopment.
The man who sees things as he walks
down Kansas avenue, or the side
streets, or even far out into the resi-
dence districts, knows that Topeka is
experiencing no ordinary period of
building activity. Hardly a block in
the down town district is without some
great protruding obstruction of stone
and sand and cement and steel. 1t is
hard to find a block in the newer por-
ton of the residence sections in which
there is not one or two or perhaps j
half dozen new homes rearing their
frames into the air.
Anyone who goes to the Commercial
club or the Ad club for the noon lunch
cannot but notice the stir, the glow of
energy and vim and the enthusiastic
conversations all of the good of the
town.
This new spirit means something. 1t
means a revived faith in Topeka-a re-
.1uvenation of the vital and necessary
push that builds great cities. This new
spirit has not been wrought without eff
fort 1t is the result of the earnest and
energetic work of men who have one
great primary purpose at heart: to
make Topeka one of the Invest cities in
the west.
They have been pulling together.
They have organized new CONNER
lcial club of over 800 members-they are
working, planning, achieving They are
t4he class of men who are willing to
stake their cold, round, dollars against
the future of Topeka. The Monster
New Mills building, the Thompson-Hall
building. the new Davis Wholesale
Grocery Co. building, Elmhurst and
many other ventures are a few ex-
Rmples of what the big men of Topeka
have and are doing for the good of the
town.
Perhaps the greatest and most re-
Rnarkable of these new improvements
IS the new Elmhurst addition. 1t has
already achieved success in remark
able degree and in reality the residence
section of the city has been developing
much faster than the commercial portion.
The Elnhurst addition is presented only
as an example of the general upbuilding
of TOpekaS residence districts. 1t is
perhaps the most wonderful accomplish
ment in its class ever completed here
before.
Less than two years ago Elmhqrst
was nothing more than a great big,
beautifully smooth, grassy pasture, sur
rounded on all sides by city homes
W hich had risen in the need of more
places to live for Topeka's constantly
Increasing population. This big lot lay
dormant for years while the city closed
ir around it. It was an estate not on
the market for sale until several shrewd,
wide awake Topeka men formed syn
dlcate, effected the purchase, secured the
land, started improvements and offered
1T in city lots to surprised but ready |
buyers.
These men saw an opportunity, took |
advantage of it and made brilliant /
success They were keen enough to see
that the general trend of building was
to the southwest. They saw dozens of !
oil
sides of the street on lots that cost
more than better lots could be sold for |
in Elmhurst. They knew the city had
and jumped over Elmhurst, |
only because no one had seen the oppor-
tunity. They took a chance and drew |
a lucky number. 1t cost a lot of money |
to buy the ground-it cost money to |
erect Imposing red boulder gateways
grade streets, plant trees. curb. pave, /
secure sewers, electricity. and put in
cement walks-it all cost money. But
there was no half way business about
these men. They were confident OF sue
cess and of the growth of Topeka. That
Is what has made Elmhurst the most
wonderful success the city has ever
seen.
In less than nine months, since the
lots were placed on the market, 229
out of 376 have been sold: 16 handsome,
new residences are actually
built or building and they number
among the best homes in the city. The
class of citizens of Topeka and Kansas
and many more new houses are planned
soon.
Mr.. N. B. Burge. who is a part owner
and member of the syndicate said this
morning: Eyes. I am very proud of
EImhurst and I think I have a right
to be- Every promise we made to pos
sible buyers has or VIII be fulfilled be
fore another year is passed. The pri
vate improvements such as new homes.
walks. trees, the gateways, etc, are all
completed The sewer construction is
we'll under way and the paving will all
be down before this time next year.
Building is most active in the south
west portion of the city and particu-
arly in Elmhurst and one of the things
! bout it that pleases me most is the
excellent class of people who are MAX
ing homes in Elmhurst. 1 believe that
our addition has been the cause of
bringing quite a few new and desir-
4 Bile residents to Topeka, which is an
,ther thing that makes me proud of
IL Only this week a Ihave received
several letters from out of town parties
rouiring about Elmhurst. Yes. am
proud of Elmhurst but I feel that every
Whit of success we have had was justly
,urs for the addition is worthy and the
ots better values than the same money
would buy anywhere else in Topeka or
elsewhere. I look to see E1mhurst be
the Elite of Topeka's residence section
xithin two or three years.