The Topeka state journal., 1913-08-16
old CHASE HOUSE
1t Is Being Torn Down for
New Structure.
The Sixth and Jackson Street
Landmark Famous.
CRAWFORD MARRIED THERE
Political Plot and Social Cere-
mOny Within It's Walls.
Built 1S5S-MrS. Ortha KeIlam
Bought 1t in 1850.

Like the white man crowding the In
dian from the log, Topeka's GROWING
business district is rapidly ieVelilng 10
the ground the famous oid lanuindrhS
that have desiena ted a horde of inter-
estine traditions and conditions of the
history of Kansas and it's capital CITY,
some day some one will build an iron
railing around a pride of the citys an
cient architecture and nail brass plate
ON the cornerstone as an evidence Oh
remember the old Nhlle ouAiN4is
the new.
Workmen now are ripping with ham
n1ers and prying with bars the car
pentry and masonry of what was at one
time pointed out to visitors TO Iopeha
as the finest residence property in the
state of Kansas. In a few days this
old structure, lately used as a busl-
ness block, formerly occupied as
fashionable dwelling, will be only
mass of debris-part to be burned as
kindling and other parts to be crusneu
and mixed in concrete.
The building is located on the north-
west corner of Sixth and jackson
streets. In the last few years the fancy
gables and the imposing chimneys were
the only evidences of the once prouu
mansion that sat back from the street
surrounded by trees, occupied by the
citys elite and in a location that was
considered the aristOcratic section oI
the Kansas capital Before the sno"
flies tall brick walls will run up from
the sidewalk and plate glass SHOW
windows will stand flush with site
that once was green shady spot III
the midst of Topeka's social center.
f. b. KeIlam to BE Blamed.
F. r. Kellam, the son of the family
that once lived in exalted state IN
this famous landmark, and young
man of well known business ability IN
Topeka is responsible for the ruins OF
an old Latin prOverb-it goes something
like this-"Omnia fert aetas animum
ouooue," meaning Age bears away
with it all things, even the powers OIL
the mind The demands of the value
of the property have called for the
erection of a modern business building
on the site and Kellam cannot be blam-
ed for the disappearance of the anti
ouated mansion. Age, following out
the predictions of the Latin provero,
has borne away with all Things anu
youth comes to bear the burden.
The old timers in Topeka-the men
who came here when the city was hud-
ding close to the banks of the kaW
where the cottonwoods and the willows
furnished shade and protection from |
the winds-hobble or wander past the !
site at Sixth and jackson streets TO-DAY |
and shake their heads. They always |
shake their heads when cold hearted |
and sweaty browed workmen rip cruel |
tools into the masonry of the old time |
square waddle-roofed houses and build
ings of the vintage of 1860.
Each year in Topeka the sites of the
ffties and the sixties are dwindling-
and with them are travelling to another /
land the grandfathers and greatgrand-
fathers of the early days. 1t is not to |
wonder that the veterans shake their !
heads-old Daddy Time is making short
work of both the works and lives. OF
the settlers of the earlier periods.
But to return tc the vital statistics
of that old landm2rk at the corner OF
Sixth and Kansas avenue.
House Was Built in 1858.
1t takes a systematic prodding of
memory to recall the details of the
early days when the house was built.
Most Of the oldtimers in Topeka agree
that it was 1858 when the home was
built by Enoch Chase. a famous char
acter OF that time. The construction
was of native stone, a wide gabled
square top roof with massive Chin
neys protruding and with a fancy
carved railing around the top, making
a texas to top off the dignity of the
The house faced the
east on Jackson street with a railing
porch out to the wooden sidewalk and
a picket fence surrounding the entire
property.