Historic Downtown Salina Tour Map

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Smoky Hill Museum

Art (and History) for All

“Land” and “Communication” greet visitors climbing the steps of the Smoky Hill Museum. Commissioned as a Section Project to adorn the post office building, these figures are carved from the same Indiana limestone used for the building. Designed by Carl C. Mose and executed on site by his assistant Jon Jonson in 1940, the sculptures represent the pioneer spirit. Allegorically, the man, “Land,” symbolizes agriculture. The woman and child, “Communication,” symbolize the relationship of the family and the community to federal services. Based on these sculptures, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1989.

Originally designated as a federal post office in 1938, this Art Deco structure housed the post office in Salina for many years. In 1985, it became home to the local museum, which was newly acquired by the City of Salina. The collections were moved from the former bathhouse in Oakdale Park to this location. The Smoky Hill Museum opened its doors to the public as a free museum in October of 1986.

Visit the Smoky Hill Museum website

Next stop: Proceed east across Seventh St. to the United Life Building.

United Life Building

Beauty and Function

Thoroughly modern, the 10-story United Life Building opened its doors on January 2, 1930. Local architect, Charles Shaver, designed this Art Deco building for the United Life Insurance Company. Shaver, holder of Kansas Architect License #1, followed his personal philosophy — design beautiful, functional and affordable buildings.

Terra cotta tiles and granite grace the north and west façades. Inside was a vision of arcade walls covered in Carthage marble and terrazzo floors. Functional features included temperature controls for each office, a mail chute connecting every floor, and elevators. Over 600,000 bricks were used in the building. All bricks were manufactured in Kansas. The estimated cost was $440,000.

Many business have called the United Building home through the years, including:
• Architects
• Attorneys
• Insurance offices
• Kennedy and Co. accounting firm
• The Kansas Pipe Line and Gas Company general offices
• United Life Insurance Company
• United Realty and Investment Company
• United Telephone Company
• Western Union Telegraph

See more downtown Salina businesses

Next stop: Cross Iron Ave. at Seventh St and proceed north to the next stop, The Cozy Inn.

Cozy Inn

You Can’t Eat Just One

Onions, tears and an open grill create an unmistakable burger … and smell. Since Bob Kinkel opened Cozy Inn in 1922 on North Seventh Street, people have been lining up to enjoy these tiny hamburgers known as “Sliders.” The secret flavor of Cozy burgers comes from the mixture of lean steer meat mixed with onions, ground fresh daily and special seasoning from the original grill.

Despite an unsavory experiment with a new grill, traditions remain strong at this 90-year-old eatery. Today Cozy enthusiasts walk up to a window to pick up a sack of sliders. Voted Salina’s favorite hamburger in a Salina Journal survey, Cozy burgers’
reputation also draws people from across the country due to travel books, brochures and web sites. The Cozy Inn’s simple no-nonsense approach delivers great taste and a memorable experience that lasts.

Visit the Cozy Inn website

Next stop: Proceed north to Iron Ave., east to Santa Fe Ave., then north on Santa Fe to the H. D. Lee Warehouses (near Elm St.).

H.D. Lee Warehouses

A Credit to Salina’s Success

Henry David Lee, founder of Lee Jeans, was an entrepreneur and great leader. Already retired from the oil business, Lee decided to go West in hopes of revitalizing his failing health. Looking for a business proposition, Lee soon discovered that there was a void of wholesale mercantile establishments in Kansas. Ignorant of this line of business, Lee surrounded himself with a lot of “honest, intelligent workers.” The Lee Mercantile Company began operation in 1889 and in just nine short years it had become the most dominant wholesale grocer and jobber in the Midwest.

Always keeping an eye open to improve his business or the town in general, Lee established several other businesses like the Kansas Ice & Cold Storage Company to handle larger shipments of perishable goods. The H.D. Lee Flour Mill (one block north) was created to make profitable use of the large amounts of grain received in trade. Dedicated to helping younger men in business, as he was once helped himself, Lee supported the Schwartz brothers with $100,000 in capital to start Lee Hardware Company. Lee’s innovative business style led to several other ventures including The Harvesters Building Company and The Farmers’ National Bank of Salina. Then in 1911, dissatisfied with a supplier in the East, Lee expanded his mercantile operation to include the first garment factory in Salina producing overalls, jackets and dungarees.

Visit the Lee Jeans website

Next stop: Proceed south on Santa Fe Ave. past the Bank of America building to Phillips Plaza.

Phillips Plaza

What's In A Name?

Named for Salina’s first mover and shaker, Phillips Plaza provides a quiet respite for weary shoppers. A man of convictions, William A. Phillips championed the cause of freedom during Kansas’ territorial struggles as a correspondent for Horace Greeley and the New York Tribune. In 1857, he had the idea to organize a town and scouted locations in Kansas. Phillips, along with two companions – James Muir and Alexander Campbell, set out from Lawrence in February 1858. They selected the site along the Smoky Hill River where Salina stands today. Phillips liked this site for its natural advantages of water and timber, as well as its strategic location for future settlement. He also believed there was a good chance a railroad would be routed through the region.

Using a compass placed on Phillips’ stove top hat, the men drove stakes and made a rough survey of the town. Phillips went on to build the first sawmill in Salina as well as the first gristmill.

Phillips later became a colonel for the Union during the Civil War, a spokesman and legal council for the Cherokee Nation, a representative for the 74th district in the Kansas Legislature and served as member-at-large in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Learn more about the early history of Salina

Next stop: Proceed south on Santa Fe Ave. to the Iron Avenue intersection.

Iron Ave & Santa Fe Ave

The Heart of Downtown

The principal intersection of early Salina, established in 1858, is now the heart of Downtown Salina. Once the site of the first well, Santa Fe and Iron has been home to numerous businesses and banks. One of the oldest buildings in town is on the southeast corner. Built in 1885 by town founder A.M. Campbell, he operated a general store and early post office. The second floor once housed the board of education.

Just across the street to the west is the oldest bank in Salina, the UMB Bank, formerly the National Bank of America. Founded in 1887, this bank has been in several locations. In 1902, the bank built the building on the northeast corner of Iron and Santa Fe. In 1922-23, the bank built and moved to its current location.

The northwest corner also featured a bank, the Farmers National Bank. H.D. Lee was president of the bank for several years. The building was built in the 1880s but the façade was altered by later renovations in 1909, 1925, 1957, 1959 creating a hodgepodge of competing building styles.

Visit the Facebook page of The Market Shop (located at 101 S. Santa Fe Ave.)

Visit the UMB Bank website (located at 100 S. Santa Fe Ave.)

Visit the Facebook page of Auld Lang Syne Antiques (located at 101 N. Santa Fe Ave.)

Visit the Gentle Touch Chiropractic website (located at 100 N. Santa Fe Ave.)

Next stop: Proceed east approximately 1/2 block to the 100 block of E. Iron Ave.

100 Block of East Iron Ave

The Start of Salina and an Overlooked Gem

The southwest corner of Iron Avenue and Fifth Street was the home of the first building in Salina. Town founders James Muir, Alexander Campbell and A.C. Spilman built the dogtrot log cabin that served as a home, trading post and primitive hotel. It was completed in the summer of 1858.

Across the street at 112-125 East Iron stands the Moore Building. Built in 1930 by James Moore, this is one of the most overlooked buildings of downtown. This Art Deco building features terra cotta designs with motifs such as sunflowers, leaves and feathers.

See more downtown Salina businesses

Next stop: Proceed west to Santa Fe Ave., then turn south and proceed about 1/2 block to Campbell Plaza.

Campbell Plaza/ Strand Plaza

A Genuinely Nice Man

A community-gathering place … Campbell Plaza, on the east side of Santa Fe, is aptly named after town founder Alexander Campbell who operated Salina’s first trading post and post office. A natural gathering place, Campbell’s store was the only trading post and outfitting station between Salina and the Rocky Mountains from 1858 through most of 1859. Campbell never refused a customer, treating all equally and trading with both settlers and Native Americans. Fellow town founder Alexander Spilman said, “He is one the best and truest men I ever knew.”

No one worked harder for the interests of the town than Alexander Campbell. In addition to running the store, Campbell also ran a free ferry across the Smoky Hill River, where Iron Avenue crosses the river today. He also served for more than 25 years as Salina’s postmaster and was elected register of deeds of Saline County. Campbell and his wife Christena were life-long residents of Salina. The Campbells hold the distinction of being the first Salina settlers to be married and their daughter, Christina, was the first white child born in the county.

Strand Plaza, on the west side of Santa Fe, was named after the Strand movie theater. All the downtown plazas were developed in 1985-1986 during a beautification project.

Visit the Campbell Room of Kansas Research at the Salina Public Library for more information on local history.

Next stop: Proceed south on Santa Fe Avenue to the Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts, 151 S. Santa Fe.

Fox Theatre

The Grand Dame of Salina

The lights go down, the curtains part, and the credits roll as Not Exactly Gentlemen with Fay Wray christens the screen of the Fox Watson Theatre. Opened in 1931, this grand example of Art Deco architecture boasted chandeliers, textured walls, and mirrored ceilings. It was the largest and most opulent movie theatre in the area. Named Fox Watson after the Fox West Coast Theatres and W.W. Watson, a Salina businessman, who donated the land, the Fox showed movies and theatre productions for fifty-five years. The theatre closed in 1987.

In 1988, the Fox Watson Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A complete renovation of the historic theatre took place in 2002 and it reopened to the public in March 2003. The theatre was renamed the Stiefel Center for the Performing Arts in honor of Milton Stiefel, a renovation benefactor. Developing into a regional draw, the Stiefel offers a wide variety of entertainment.

Visit the Stiefel Theatre website

Next stop: Proceed south and cross Walnut St. to the 200 block of South Santa Fe Ave.

200 Block of South Santa Fe

Bright Lights to the Birthplace of a Legend

Charles Shaver designed this business block from 200-216 South Santa Fe in 1924 to house the Ford and Studebaker automobile agencies. In 1925, the United Power and Light moved into the corner building, covered it with light bulbs and topped it with a huge electric sign.

A few doors down are the remnants of the Vogue Theater marquee. Originally housing the Lemon-Bell Tire Co the building was built in 1928. C.W. Burch had Eberhardt Construction erect this building to match its neighbor building designed by Shaver.

One of the most beloved downtown locations was 244 S. Santa Fe – home of Tony’s Little Italy. In 1963 as a side venture, Dick Barlow began selling half-baked pizzas to local drinking establishments. The operation began with a dozen employees. In 1965 with the closing of Schilling Air Force Base, Tony’s Pizza moved into a 19,000 square foot building to expand operations. In 1970, Dick Barlow sold out to Schwan’s Global Supply Chain.

Visit the Tony's Pizza website

Visit the Clubine & Rettele CPA website (located in the Vogue Theater building)

Visit the Salina Art Center website (located at 242 S. Santa Fe Ave.)

Next stop: Proceed south 1/2 block to Spilman Plaza (on the west side of the street)

Spilman Plaza

Kansas Fever

Deserting his engineering studies at the University of Michigan, Alexander Spilman headed for the Kansas Territory. Eager to take part in the border conflicts, Spilman moved to Lawrence to live with his sister Margaret Phillips. Spilman decided to join his brother-in-law, William Phillips, to establish a town “out west” in 1858.

Spilman, along with James Muir and Robert Crawford, completed a preliminary survey of Salina marking off streets, blocks, lots, squares and public ground. When completed, the boundaries of Salina were North, South, Front and Ninth Streets. Spilman continued surveying with a team of public surveyors to subdivide an area 48 by 30 miles, including parts of the future counties of Saline, Ottawa, Ellsworth and Lincoln. In addition to surveying, Spilman was a soldier, farmer, probate judge, attorney, register of deeds, Kansas legislator, businessman and mayor of McPherson, Kansas.

Links to more Salina history information

Next stop: Proceed south on Santa Fe Avenue to the Masonic Center, 336 S. Santa Fe.

Masonic Center

A Permanent Temple

Outgrowing their current home, dreams of erecting a new Temple large enough to accommodate vast bodies of Masons coalesced in 1919. Forming the Masonic Temple Aid Association with representatives from all five Masonic bodies (Salina Lodge No. 60, York Rite, Scottish Rite, Isis Shrine and Order of the Eastern Star), the Association took out a loan from the Ancient Order of United Workers of America. Land was purchased and an architect hired. Groundbreaking followed in the fall of 1920. Seven years later, after a partial building collapse, subsequent re-engineering, and over $1,000,000 spent, the Masonic Temple was dedicated on October 27, 1927. A week of formal public events and Lodge work followed, including a performance by John Phillip Sousa.

The structural collapse and subsequent expense led to the elimination of several planned exterior and interior features including a rooftop garden with a stage and loft, statuary and lighting fixtures at the main entrance, and a permanent Memorial Room to house traditional fixtures in Freemasonry.

Projecting a sense of importance, permanence and stability, the Masonic Center, historically called the Masonic Temple, is one of only five facilities in the nation designed to house all regional Masonic organizations within one structure. Architecturally, the building has minimal alterations and retains the dramatic spaces and rich interior detail that distinguish it as one of the finest neo-classical temples in the region.

Learn more about the Masonic Center's architecture

This is the final stop on the tour. Proceed back to the Smoky Hill Museum to check out the exhibits, or just have fun exploring downtown Salina!