The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-23
AN OLDLANDMARK
RoWley's Corner Known Here
for Fifty-TwO Years.
A Civic Center at Sixth and
Kansas Avenues.
THREE BROTHERS IN BUSINESS
Forum and Considerable Ex-
element for Half Century.
Well Known Location for Meet
ing of Kansas People.
THREE BROTHERS IN BUSINESS
BY o. X. swAYzE.
I'm The Kansas Officially

I'm The Kansas Officially
One of the landmarks that has &C.
cupied front and center in Topeka's
history for over half a century has
been "Rowley's corner" and even tho
a sky-scraper should take the place of
the old two-story brick block, the
southeast corner OF Sixth and Kansas
avenues will always be Rowley's cor
ner to the majority OF Topekans. For
fifty-tWo years the Rowley drug store
has occupied the corner store room in
this block. and just recently vacated
it and moved three doors south on
Kansas avenue. Three brothers, Kirk,
Emmett and James Rowley, were part
ners in the drug business at this cor
ner for two decades, and the store Is
still owned by the estate OF Jim"
Center for Directions.
Along with the Copeland hotel. the
old Windsor hotel and other familiar
centers of the capital city, Rowley's
store has been well known location
to the people of the state who have
made" Topeka during the past fifty
years. 10 get ones bearings, Row
which all directions were calculated.
It was the center Of the business dis
trict for a long time, and in the early
days was the attractive center for all
who enjoyed congenial company, a
good joke, point of vantage from
town. The Rowley boys were all hail
fellows well met. and knew more of
Topeka and Topekans than most of ITS
citizens. Here 81 one time was the
city ticket office OF the Santa Fe rail-
road. and thru this connection Row
ley's was the headquarters down
town" of the railroad magnates and
subOrdinates. Rowleys was the bu-
r"au CT general Information, and peo-
pie sought the fountain head for mat
go
time pei mitted it was a pleasure for
the Fowley Boys to entertain their
company with bits of jolly repartee
and no good story ever went thru To-
peka without first touching at Row
ley's.
To Get Original Jokes.
Theatrical people sought Rowley's
for pointers upon which to hang a
local gag" and to get original jokes
to take with them. Here the knights
Errant, a band of merrymakers among
the citizenry of that day, met to con-
coct practical jokes upon their fellows
and others. No circus ever landed in
Topeka that did not have their tickets
on sale at Rowleys. Space in Row
ley'S windows was always in demand
for window cards announcing some
entertainment or important event. Jim
Rowley once served notice that the
only thing that would not be permit
ANa 70 ORSbAI lIS view OIL the WluuOW
displays or the side walls was a sher-
ifs notice or sale bill, and they
never did.
At Rowley's corner, Hamlins Wiz
ard Oil and Sagwa concert wagons
were wont to hold forth, every street
fakir sought that prominent corner to
shout his wares sand deliver his pro-
gram of stunts. Jeff Davis, the erst-
while colored orator, would mount a
goods box weekly and lecture on the
current topics" and the habitues at
Rowley's usually fixed the box so If
would collapse at the opportune mo-
ment or fill it with excelsior and fire.
works for the grand peroration. Here
every Saturday in the early days the
auctioneers would cry their sales OF
Indian ponies, using Kansas avenue to
Tenth avenue to test their wind and
speed. The fashioned hitch-racH
on two sides of the store was always
pr 2ferable 10 any other. For business
and pleasure engagements the com.
mon meeting place was at Rowley'.
corner. About every practical Joke
originated at Rowley's. and prominen
citizens were not exempt from the
ofttimes cruel ordeals Matched there
Gubernatorial booms were launched
for ambitious nuts" who had inflated
opinions OF their ability to win, and g
slough-footed darby apple peddlel
pitted against a lawyer for council
and merchants were victims of NOR
publicity than they ever paid for II
advertising. A book could be writ
ten about the things that happened d
RcwIey's and the people that werI
won't to congregate there.
No Soda Fountain.
The Rowley drug store was all It
name implied, but no more. No sod;
fountain ever graced its floor, no hard
ware, jewelry. confectionery, crockery
novelty store had to complain of hav
ing to compete with Rowley's. Thei
long suit was drugs and prescriptions
they probably have now the files o
every prescription, beginning witt
number one ever filled in that store
In the days of the open saloon, whe,
Poppendicks, just back of the Rowle
store, across the alley. was the TONES
bar in Kansas, the upper tendon O
the male citizens and the statesme
from all over Kansas passed and re
passed Rowley's corner, stopping t
exchange a friendly word with tn
genial Kirk. or Emmett, or Jim. an
few business men had a wider &C
quaintance over the state than they
Hitch Ponies at Rowley's Corner.
Chief Burnett, the monstrous Pot
tawatomie chief for whom Burnett
Mound, southwest of the city. wa
named, would hitch his ponies a
Rowley's corner, proceed to tank up
and along toward shutdown find Row
ley's corner. The drug store skid wa
laid against the tail gate of his sprin
wagon, and willing hands would 70
him into the bed of his vehicle, ur
hitch his ponies ar@ head them soutl