Hutch Post, in partnership with Steve Harmon and the Conard-Harmon Collection, is proud to present Throwback Thursday. Enjoy a weekly release from Steve Harmon as he presents the "Hutch - Then & Now Collection."
STEVE HARMON
Hutch Post Contributor
Today's "Throwback Thursday Collection" takes us to the "Midtown Shopping Center" on the east side of the 1300 block of North Main Street.
In the mid-1930s, Arthur Valentine partnered with the Ablah Hotel Supply Co. and started manufacturing small, portable lunch buildings in Wichita. He produced at least 2,000 "Valentine Diners" in various designs in a 40-year career.
They were very small and had fewer than a dozen seating stools placed around a serving counter. There are still many in use today. The first photo shows one of those in 1959.
It was first placed there in 1946 by Charles Hall and called the "Chef System Lunch #3" — addressed as 1308-A N. Main. It changed hands many times with the last being in 1965, called the "Chef Cafe" and owned by Everett Waite.
Next to that was "Friendship House Gifts," owned by Walter Pace at 1306 N. Main — 1959 was the last year for that business. That's when Dick Langenwalter of Reno Hardware, just to the South at 1304 N. Main, purchased the properties and expanded his business into those slots. The second photo shows the same properties after Westlake Hardware purchased the business.
The third photo shows the 1306-1308 N. Main business today, still Westlake Hardware, with the property being owned by RENOS L.L.C. c/o Barbara Lappin.
To purchase a print, contact: [email protected].
Throwback Thursday is brought to you by:
Gambino's Pizza
Sleep Shoppe & Furniture Gallery
Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce
STRATACA Kansas Underground Salt Museum
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