History of the Otto Building
Facebook Post published by Byron Schroder May 31, 2022
Fredonia Hardware occupies 3 buildings at the southeast corner of the square, from 702 - 706 Madison. Prior to the buildings we see today, the lots sat empty for nearly a decade after three earlier two-story buildings were destroyed by a fire in Feb. 1889, in which a 9-year-old boy, Cliff King, was killed. The three-story main building started as only the west half of today's three-story structure.
It was built in 1899 by Adolph Otto as an electric flour mill, replacing his water-driven mill on Fall River that was destroyed by fire in June 1898, with only the stone "basement" being salvaged. Otto operated his mill in the downtown building for several years.
In 1906, he moved most of the equipment to Miami, Tx., where his son was starting a new mill. He converted the mill space to retail and office. The Herald was located on the second floor for a short time.
In 1907, the east half of the building was added as a two-story building, with the Herald moving to the first floor of the new part of the structure. A third one-story building was built in 1907 east of these buildings to house the Wilson County Citizen.
By the summer of 1908, a third floor was added to the east half of the new Otto building and the top floors combined to create a 60' x 100' hall. The upper floors were used in the early years as the early home of Kansas Bank Note and the top floor as a skating rink. Wrestling matches and basketball games were also held there.
The west half of the first floor was used as a grocery store starting in 1907 when Swartz Grocery moved in. By the next year, it became Martin Matthews Grocery & Feed. Matthews was also instrumental in the early Kansas Bank Note.
In the 1920s, Self Service Grocery combined the ground-floor space and continued there for decades. Harlan's Hardware moved in after the Opera building collapsed in 1990. After the Citizen moved to their new location on the square, their former building eventually became part of the hardware store.
Facebook Post published by Byron Schroder May 31, 2022
Fredonia Hardware occupies 3 buildings at the southeast corner of the square, from 702 - 706 Madison. Prior to the buildings we see today, the lots sat empty for nearly a decade after three earlier two-story buildings were destroyed by a fire in Feb. 1889, in which a 9-year-old boy, Cliff King, was killed. The three-story main building started as only the west half of today's three-story structure.
It was built in 1899 by Adolph Otto as an electric flour mill, replacing his water-driven mill on Fall River that was destroyed by fire in June 1898, with only the stone "basement" being salvaged. Otto operated his mill in the downtown building for several years.
In 1906, he moved most of the equipment to Miami, Tx., where his son was starting a new mill. He converted the mill space to retail and office. The Herald was located on the second floor for a short time.
In 1907, the east half of the building was added as a two-story building, with the Herald moving to the first floor of the new part of the structure. A third one-story building was built in 1907 east of these buildings to house the Wilson County Citizen.
By the summer of 1908, a third floor was added to the east half of the new Otto building and the top floors combined to create a 60' x 100' hall. The upper floors were used in the early years as the early home of Kansas Bank Note and the top floor as a skating rink. Wrestling matches and basketball games were also held there.
The west half of the first floor was used as a grocery store starting in 1907 when Swartz Grocery moved in. By the next year, it became Martin Matthews Grocery & Feed. Matthews was also instrumental in the early Kansas Bank Note.
In the 1920s, Self Service Grocery combined the ground-floor space and continued there for decades. Harlan's Hardware moved in after the Opera building collapsed in 1990. After the Citizen moved to their new location on the square, their former building eventually became part of the hardware store.