Eskridge Park Makes History

The Eskridge Park and bandstand join the National Register for Historic Places

On January 6th, 2017, the Eskridge City Park and historic bandstand joined the Kansas and National Register for Historic Places. The nomination, spear-headed by Bruce Waugh, a current Leawood resident, was a continuation of the family legacy. Bruce’s great-grandparents, John Y. and Sadie Waugh initially sold the city block located between 4th and 5th, Main and Pine Streets to the city in 1903 for the price of $500. At the time, John Waugh had just become mayor of Eskridge and the couple lived across the street from the park land.

Bruce, with Dale Nims, wrote a wonderful nomination to place the Park on the Register. The nomination is brimming with detail and historic reference, so I felt the best option was not to summarize, but to share it in it’s majority below, with additional images provided by Greg Hoots, from his, Dean Dunn’s, and the Waugh family’s collections. To access citations and see the full Nomination, you can go here. You can also read the Topeka Capital-Journal article, published March 12, 2016 about the nomination here.

Summary: (Description of the bandstand and park)

Eskridge City Park (1903) occupies Block 32 in the city of Eskridge, Wabaunsee County, Kansas (2010 pop. 527). The park is located south of the central business district with a western boundary of Main Street, 4th Street to the north, 5th Street to the south, and Pine Street to the east. The bandstand (c. 1908) stands in the approximate center of the park and is a significant contributing structure. Noncontributing features in the park include a circular stone restroom (1978) and the Veterans Memorial (2009). Several other features are found in the park, including a tennis court with concrete pad and a depressed-level paved area.. Play equipment, benches and picnic tables are scattered throughout the site. The park is landscaped with grass and shaded with several varieties of mature trees.

As is typical of landscapes, the plant materials and built features of the City Park have evolved over time. However, the park retains good integrity of location, design, setting, feeling, and association. Although the bandstand has been repaired with contemporary materials, it retains sufficient integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship to classify it as a contributing building in this nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The location and setting contribute to a strong sense of its historic use as a gathering place in the community of Eskridge.

Eskridge City Park was established in 1903, and the bandstand was constructed in 1908 or in early 1909. Both the park and bandstand were prominent facilities featured in the Eskridge Home Coming, a three-day celebration, August 25-27, 1909. A historic photograph from this celebration shows spectators facing east in a crowd around the bandstand. An earlier historic photograph shows the bandstand standing in a landscape of bare young trees planted in regular rows.

The newly constructed bandstand, with rows of trees donated by John Y. Waugh.

Elaboration:

Originally, the bandstand was about seven feet above the ground, but it was moved to the present location and lowered approximately three feet in 1913. Presently the park occupies a tract that is slightly depressed in the center and sloping to the southeast. An open, natural drainage runs diagonally through the park from northwest to southeast. The waterway has two wooden footbridges located near the bandstand. Although near the central business district, the park is located in a residential district. There are two residences on each block to the east and west with vacant lots to the north and south.

The bandstand is the most prominent historic structure of the park. The one-story octagonal wood frame structure is raised on square wooden posts. Each facet of the octagon is approximately ten feet long. It features an octagonal roof rising to a spire in the center. The entrance is oriented to the southwest with a flight of wooden stairs leading to the main floor level. The base of the bandstand is covered with vertical boards with a small spacing between boards for ventilation. A simple fascia board accentuates the main floor of the bandstand. The wooden floor is constructed of tongue and grooved boards approximately three inches wide. The bandstand railing is constructed of solid vertical sheathing. The oldest material consists of five-inch wide tongue and grooved boards; other material is 2-1/4 inches wide with beveled edge and other sections have been replaced with plywood.

A Genuine Postcard depicting the park, with bandstand at its original location, hidden in the growing trees.

Recent Alterations

The upper framing of the bandstand is the best preserved part of the historic bandstand. Heavy wooden posts supporting the bandstand roof are approximately five inches square with chamfered edges. The bandstand eave is ornamented with framed panels with 45 degree corners. These panels are sheathed with wide tongue and grooved horizontal boards ornamented with a center bead. There is a simple molding at the joint between the eave panels and ceiling. The ceiling is sheathed with three inch wide tongue and grooved beaded boards. The entire bandstand is painted white.

The bandstand roof has contemporary beige composition roofing (new roofing in 1997). The contemporary steps are replacements. Wooden support posts for the bandstand floor and upper structure appear to be replacements and are set in concrete. A contemporary wood-frame wraps around the south and southeast facets of the bandstand. There are five simple interior wooden benches attached to the east railing that appear to be constructed of contemporary material.

There is a contemporary light fixture centered in the interior ceiling. The wood frame access ramp on the south and southeast was constructed in 2002 by Jack Foster and Bill Ridinger, employees of the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company which provided funds for the added feature.

One of the interesting features of the park is a flat sandstone slab carved with the name, “City Park,” which is set in the northwest corner. This may be a historic feature, but no documentation has been found. Since the 1960s, other non- contributing features have been constructed in the park. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a depressed paved area southwest of the bandstand was built for a skating rink, but is now used as a basketball court. The rink area is oriented north-south with the west defined by a stone masonry retaining wall. South of the bandstand, the coursed rubble-stone restroom is circular with a metal-gated entrance to the southeast. It has a hexagonal standing seam metal roof. There is a small circular coursed stone fire pit between the bandstand and the restrooms. Directly east of the bandstand, the “All Veterans Memorial” was dedicated in 2009. The memorial consists of two low sections. There is a semicircular wall rising to a peak oriented north-south which facies a block with the top sloping to the east. Both elements of the memorial are constructed of rock-faced stone blocks laid in an ashlar pattern with inset brick panels bearing the veterans’ names. Both of the elements are capped with red bricks and set on concrete piers in a gravel bed. There is a concrete sidewalk in fair condition on the west side of the park paralleling Main Street.

The bandstand circa 1970s, at its lowered elevation after being moved and lowered in 1913. Photo by Dean Dunn.

Narrative Statement of Significance: (References of Historical Significance)

Eskridge City Park and Bandstand are associated with the economic development and population growth of the city during the early twentieth century. Although Eskridge was laid out as a town site on a large upland prairie tract in Wilmington Township in 1868, the town did not began to grow until the Burlington, Alma, and Manhattan Railroad line was constructed through Wabaunsee County in 1880. During the late nineteenth century, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad acquired that company as a branch line. After that acquisition, Eskridge prospered as a shipping point for the Flint Hills cattle-feeding industry and in 1910 became the second largest town in the county next to Alma, the county seat.

By the turn of the century, the Eskridge Star boasted that Eskridge had “no peer among cities of her class, in thrift, energy, and business of her people, and she acknowledges no rival to trade, or material prosperity.” As the newspaper described,

There are five dry goods and grocery stores, carrying stocks ranging from $3,000 to $20,000. Two hardware and implement stores, carrying stocks aggregating $85,000. A graded school employing four teachers. There are two drug stores, one furniture store, one undertaking shop, two lumber yards, one hotel, two restaurants, two tailoring establishments, two millinery stores, two jewelry shops, two barbershops, three blacksmith and wagon shops, two livery stables and one shoe shop; one creamery, and one grain elevator. Seven churches, ministers and lawyers a plenty and all the doctors needed, together with some other paraphernalia we can’t think of—usually found around a first-class Kansas town.

Skyline of Eskridge, 1885

Caption states: July 4th Celebration, 1886, Eskridge, Kansas.

The Star also asserted that the city needed more new homes because there was not a vacant house in town. John & George Waugh’s Security Bank prepared to meet this community demand. By the turn of the century, the Waugh brothers’ bank had survived the panic of 1893, and its resources had grown to over $200,000. On February 16, 1900, they incorporated the Security State Bank under a state charter. John Waugh’s business success supported his decision to contribute to community improvement in Eskridge. In 1899, he was elected mayor of the city and completed a large house directly west of where the city park was later established. The history of the city park and bandstand represent just one example of the civic leadership demonstrated by the local Waugh family and their significant contributions to the city of Eskridge.

The Waugh Building—Bank and Post Office

John and Sadie Waugh’s home, located across Main St from the Park.

As an expression of their rising municipal aspirations, citizens of Eskridge voted in 1903 to establish a city park. The park was a project associated with the increasing prosperity and community development of the town. As the editor of the Eskridge Star urged on March 19, 1903,

The plan to purchase a city park contains many merits that will recommend it to the voters at the coming city election. The location, size, and price is right. It is also customary for cities to invest in property of this kind. Our city is in good financial condition as compared to most other cities of like size.

In this commentary, the writer also advocated construction of a system of waterworks, paving the main street, and construction of an electric light plant. These improvements would provide fire protection, and add to the beauty, attractiveness, and convenience of the city. Later in the spring, the Eskridge Star reported on May 14 that “at the recent city election, the expressed sentiment of the people was for the purchase of a park. Since we have decided we need this park, let us make it a business proposition first and get it paid for, each contributing his share.”

A few days after the election, John and Sadie Waugh sold all of Block 32 across the street from their house to the city for a park. That transaction was approved by the Eskridge City Council on June 1, 1903. John Y. and Sadie D. Waugh sold the tract to the city for $500 with the following conditions that the land be: “be used as a public park only and the buildings (except bandstand) auditorium and such buildings as are necessary to a park to be erected thereon, said park to be kept in condition that parks are usually kept. Any violation of above conditions reverts the above park back to the parties of the first part.

Apparently, some of the town’s boosters expected that the next improvement was the erection of a suitable bandstand within the park. In an open letter published in the Wabaunsee County Tribune on June 26, 1903, an anonymous writer, “Pro Bono Publico,” proposed a grand program of civic improvements for Eskridge. These included a waterworks, an electric light plant, and,

Last but not least, indeed it probably should of [sic] come first, judging by the expressed wish of our citizens at the polls, our city park requires attention, it ought to be sodded and neat driveways established. It ought to be supplied with a handsome band stand, a number of nicely painted rustic seats. There should be a windmill, well and tank, some neat fountains, and lovely flower beds so as to make it a delightful place in which our people can while-a-way their many leisure hours.

Even though Eskridge had a public park, the city band performed downtown for several years. During this period, the city band performed in fine form. Led by C. E. Edlin, the 18 boys in the band won a regional band tournament held in Alma on September 25, 1903. Later the Eskridge Star mentioned that the band had elected officers in a meeting on September 9 and predicted that “the band’s past successful record will undoubtedly be maintained under the present capable management.” The Eskridge band provided the musical entertainment for Memorial Day processions and services, Fourth of July parades and programs, and other community gatherings.

As the Eskridge Star reported on June 25, 1904, “the city band will make its first public appearance of the season, in a free concert, weather permitting, in front of the band hall on Friday evening June 26.” That report boasted that the band provided the “best free advertising” available for local businesses. For the Fourth of July, 1904, the band prepared a program of patriotic airs, ragtime, and classical compositions. After the celebration, a reporter commented “the band was very liberal with its music and added much to the enjoyment of the day. The boys certainly present a fine appearance and render good music.”

Development of the city park as a community gathering place and construction of a permanent bandstand, however, took several years. It appears that the Eskridge band often performed on a temporary platform constructed for special events throughout town. As a report in the Wabaunsee County Tribune on June 23, 1905 mentioned,

“The Fourth of July committee on music have erected a band stand on main street [sic], from which the band will dispense sweet and patriotic strains on the Fourth.” The band also performed indoors in the Modern Woodmen Association (M.W.A.) hall on Main Street.

In the history of Kansas communities, the local band was an important institution. City bands often traveled to play in exchange concerts, competitions, and fairs. These bands played a variety of music because of their presence in many civic and private events. Music ranged from patriotic and military marches to more social and formal concert music. Brass bands became “essential to the life of a community” and by 1900 “almost every town of any size had a band.”

Eskridge Band, 1900

The establishment of a park in Eskridge provided a recreational facility and symbolized the maturation and aspirations of this bustling Flint Hills town. Once again, the leadership of John Waugh was essential. Waugh was elected to his second term as mayor of Eskridge on June 1, 1907. As the Wabaunsee County Trubune reported, “he stands for progression and will give a safe administration. That he will make things move, and that Eskridge will expand, and reach toward the Metropolitan idea, everybody believes.”

One year later, the Wabaunsee County Tribune reported that, “the mayor and council decided to see about the probable cost of a band stand to be erected in the city park. They are to report Friday evening June 5 , and in all probability a band stand will be erected there. A recess was taken until Friday evening, June 5 .” Unfortunately, the report and the council’s decision were not reported in the next week’s Tribune.

The bandstand was constructed, probably in the summer of 1908, but apparently this was not reported in either of the two newspapers of the day. Instead, a Wabaunsee County Tribune editorial boasted on July 2, 1908,

Eskridge is going to do things down at the park. When they get through you’ll find it the best resting place this side of the cemetery. ... You’ll find too that those trees which you remember as mere shrubs are as tall as your house and furnish enough shade for a Fourth of July celebration. ... The powers that be have made a fine beginning and the rest of the folks are praying that the good work may go on.

By July 16, 1908, the Wabaunsee County Tribune commented, “Eskridge is the prettiest little city in the county. . . But even Eskridge could be improved and she will in due time. Now that the park is being made a comfortable outing place, other things will surely be improved to correspond.”22 More circumstantial evidence that the bandstand had been constructed in 1908 appeared in the Eskridge Tribune-Star early in the next year. 1909, the reporter summarized the town’s accomplishments,

In an editorial published March 18, a reporter summarized the town’s accomplishments:

The improvements during the past term have been greater than all other terms combined. Over five miles of cement and brick walks and crossings have been put in. The electric light system has been put in operation during the administration and our streets are better lighted than most towns that have a larger population. Our little park with its up-to-date speaker’s stand is all paid for, and many other improvements such as tile, concrete, and metal culverts have been put in. Our city “dads” are to be congratulated on the fine showing they have made.

Ironically, by the time the bandstand was constructed, the city band organization had faltered. As a letter published on April 1, 1909 exhorted the community,

Eskridge has a nice little park close in, a new band stand and plenty of talent within her borders, but no band. With little extra exertion on the part of a few public spirited people a very good organization could probably be formed here at little expense, which would be a great thing for the town. A few years ago, this town had a band that ranked well up among the good ones of the state and many of the members still reside here and are as good, if not better, than they were at that time.

The role of the community band was further described in an editorial, “The Town Needs A Band.”

Several times during the past year the Tribune-Star has advocated the reorganization and rejuvenation of the Eskridge band. The near approach of the big carnival and dedication of the park serves to emphasize the necessity of a home band to help enliven things at that time. Only a few years ago Eskridge had one of the very best bands in the state and many of the old players are here yet, to form a nucleus of a new band... Nothing adds more life to a town or advertises it better than a live band. A town of this size should have one and is fully able to support a good band in the right manner.

Eskridge Band, 1884.

The new band and speaker’s stand was the centerpiece of the park in a historic photograph showing the crowd assembled when the bustling town of Eskridge celebrated its 40th anniversary in August, 1909. The town hosted a three- day long “Home Coming” celebration. Even though the scheduled park dedication was not described, the newspaper proclaimed that over 5,000 people attended the event including Governor W. R. Stubbs and U.S. Senator Charles Curtis. Music for the event was provided by the 7th Calvary Regimental Band. Mayor John Waugh welcomed the guests “in a hearty, enthusiastic, whole-souled talk... brief and to the point.” As the reporter described, “the City Park, where the carnival and programs were held, is a delightful place. It was well-seated, shady and cool by day and well –lighted by night. It made an ideal picnic ground and many spread their lunches and ate in happy, picnic style.”

Since 1909, the bandstand has been the most significant feature of Eskridge City Park. A photograph of the bandstand with close rows of leafy trees was published in the Eskridge Tribune-Star on August 25, 1910, as part of an issue boosting Eskridge for the second annual Home Coming celebration. Apparently, the community band had been reorganized because the article on festivities praised the “band boys,” “under the leadership of Bandmaster Klein, these musicians have made a great hit with the Booster club as well as the great crowds that have heard them play. They are both able and willing to play the finest class of music, and so cheerful and obliging that it has been a pleasure to direct their operations. The band personnel includes 4 clarinets, 2 saxophones, 2 French horns, 2 slide trombones, 4 cornets, 1 bass and 2 drums, with the director, Mr. Klein.”

For at least two decades, the Eskridge city band was a significant institution in community activities, but maintaining the organization always depended on local talent and leadership which fluctuated over the years. It appears that the community band languished after the mid 1920s. An article in the Eskridge Independent on June 7, 1922 summarized the problem,

It looks very much like the Eskridge band is about ka-flooey. Frank Easter, who has given his services for so long as director of the organization, is going away shortly. So are some of the members. Nobody seems to want to succeed Easter and try to hold the band together. . . The town doesn’t care much for a band or an orchestra—or, at least, it never shows any appreciation—in a tangible or even an intangible form. The fact are that Easter has given and given his services and that of his bands and orchestras until what he has to give no longer has any value. Eskridge folks never think of offering to pay for the services of a band or orchestra. It costs money, time and a great deal of effort to keep a band or orchestra going. Who pays the bill? . . . The Independent believes the loss of the band and the orchestra, which have been so faithfully held together by Easter, is a great loss to the town—a loss that will be felt more and more as time goes on.

The wooden stand in the city park was more than a stage for band performances. It also served as a speaker’s stand for orations and lectures in Chautauqua courses. Early in 1913, the structure was moved to its present location and lowered. As the Eskridge Tribune-Star reported,

The city has had a force of men busy this week moving the band stand to the center of the City park. This makes a nice improvement and seems to be just the place where the band stand belongs. While this stand was a fine one and looked real nice it has always been difficult for a speaker to make himself heard. It seemed to be very hard for an entertainer to make the audience hear as the position and height of the stand caused the sound of the human voice to be carried over the head of the hearers... For that reason the stand probably will be lowered by sawing off the posts and lettering the platform down. As it was the platform was about seven feet above the ground. It will likely be lowered to four or five feet. The position now occupied by the stand is the lowest point in the park and the lay of the land will form a natural grade for the sloping of the seats. It is to be hoped that the change will be beneficial.

Reportedly, the speaker’s stand also was used for lectures. In Eskridge the Women’s Study Club was organize in 1916 and in September the group discussed the possibility of enrolling in a course of study offered by the Chautauqua Assembly. Following that meeting, the Club women completed several courses on history, literature, and music over the next few years. In the early 1920s, however, the community lost interest in the Chautauqua assembly and courses.

In the decade when the park was established and the bandstand constructed, the population of Eskridge grew by 30% from 612 in 1900 to a historical peak of 797 in 1910. The town had two banks, a post office with four rural routes, electric lights, a weekly newspaper (the Tribune-Star), express and telegraph service, telephone connections, graded schools, hotels, five churches. When John and Sadie Waugh sold Block 32 to the city in 1903 for a park and bandstand, they contributed to a community that many residents expected to continue to grow. As mayor, John Waugh could appreciate the city’s achievements in the past decade. By that time, so many cattle were being shipped from Eskridge that the Santa Fe Railroad built a cattle lane to avoid driving cattle down Main Street to the depot. By 1910, Waugh also was a respected community and regional leader. For example, the Drovers National Bank, Kansas City, MO, elected him as a director. In fact, the population of Eskridge stabilized in 1920 (759) and 1930 (726). By 1940 the population began to decline and in 2010 stood at 534.

100 Block of Main St, West side, 1909.

The park is still maintained and the bandstand, although no longer the site of regular concerts, has a long history of use for other public and private social events. According to local writer Benetta Foster, “these have included Chautauquas, carnivals, city fairs, graduations, baccalaureates, and weddings.” Foster also pointed out that the bandstand has been used for Veteran’s Day celebrations for the past 17 years with speakers and musicians.

In 1964, the Eskridge Women’s Study Club initiated an extensive improvement project for the City Park. They acquired a plan, organized volunteers, and raised funds to build a skating rink in the park (now located southwest of the bandstand). The club women also worked on landscaping the park. By 1978 the Eskridge Independent commented that improvements made in the park in recent years included: an ice skating rink and rest rooms designed by architecture students from the University of Kansas, a landscaping plan designed by horticulture students from Kansas State University, playground equipment and a new concrete tennis court built with revenue-sharing funds with lights for the court provided by the Eskridge Kiwanis Club. Recently, the “All Veterans Memorial” was constructed and dedicated in 2009. Presently, the park and bandstand are important community amenities and significant historic resources representing the history and development of the town of Eskridge.

The bandstand, circa 1970s, pictured with the ice skating rink at the edge of photo. Photo curtesy Dean Dunn collection.

Thank you to Bruce Waugh, the Waugh family, Dale Nims, Dean Dunn and family, and Greg Hoots for access to these images and wonderful piece of history. And to any I have missed. For more history, be sure to visit Greg Hoots’ Flint Hills Stories or Photo Fridays.