 Home | Recent News | Wichita | 1871 | Printme 01 Jun 2006 Men’s Group travels back to 1871, undergroundThe Men’s Group took a trip to Ellinwood to see the business district that was built below ground level. The owner of a local antique shop gave the men a grand tour of the underground curiosity. The town was made up of mostly German immigrants and was built in 1871. The tunnels provided a refuge from tornados and a safe place during anti-German backlash during World War I. Ellinwood sits on the Santa Fe Trail, which early settlers traveled on their way to the West Coast. The town also entertained cowboys who would pass through on cattle drives. The Men’s Group toured the remnants of the underground businesses including a blacksmith shop, coal bins that serviced each business, a bath house and barber shop. The remainder of the underground businesses were covered up by the city of Ellinwood for fear of the tunnels collapsing -- except for one section that a local woman inherited and refused to let the city destroy. These rooms today present an intriguing view of early Kansas history. Apartment resident Bill Newell sat in the old barber shop’s chair to get a feel for the experience. The barber in those days was not only the barber, he was also the dentist, and he could remove your tonsils if need be! Apartment resident George Laham had the honor of “trying out” the town bathtub they used back then. We are pleased to have more men than usual moving to our community so they wanted to start a Men’s Group. It is lead by Phil Patrick, director of Environmental Services. Each month the group will meet and take a trip somewhere in Kansas.
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