Lincoln, Kansas

intersection of West lincoln avenue and south 4th street

a new direction

I’m starting the New Year by taking my blog in a new direction. If you’ve read earlier blog entries, you know I’ve focused on America’s wars. But it’s time for a change and there’s no better time than now.

I’m going to write about my hometown, Lincoln, Kansas, and the efforts of lots of folks who are working to revitalize the community. Today’s blog is a celebration of the incredible efforts of a young family to save the only Dutch Colonial home in Lincoln, the J. W. Grubb house built in 1910.

challenges

Lincoln, like thousands of small, rural communities across the United States is facing challenges. The town has experienced a significant loss of population. Many young people leave after they graduate from high school in search of higher paying jobs with advancement possibilities. Every farm crisis, coupled with the growth of mega farms, creates financial hardship for local agriculture. Long established businesses have closed as the population has decreased and owners have reached retirement age. As a small rural community Lincoln has also had difficulty in attracting new businesses that pay high wages and offer benefits like retirement funds and day care.

History of the J. W. Grubb house

James Winton Grubb was one of Lincoln’s pioneers – one of the true founders of the community. He arrived in the county in 1870, a year before the office of Register of Deeds received the plat for the town on May 9, 1871.

Mr. Grubb’s first business in Lincoln, with co-owner L. J. Dunton, was a grocery business. Sometime later Grubb sold his share of the business to Dunton and moved west. He returned to Lincoln in 1884 where he opened a general mercantile business which later became known as J. W. Grubb & Son. The Lincoln Sentinel, the local newspaper, described the store as “exclusive.”

According to his obituary, which appeared in the December 30, 1915, issue of the Lincoln Sentinel, Mr. Grubb was active in public affairs in Lincoln, serving as Mayor for many years. He was also the county chairman of the Democratic party for a time.

A historic house in jeopardy

The Lincoln County Hospital and Health Care Foundation (LCHHCF) purchased the house in 2019 with the intent of eventually using the land to benefit the Lincoln County Hospital which is nearby. The house sat vacant and by 2021 it had fallen into disrepair and was at risk of demolition.

Current and former residents realized that the house was an architectural diamond-in-the-rough with it’s dutch colonial design. While the exterior looked extremely shabby, the interior retained its gorgeous, unblemished oak hardwood floors, doors, baseboard and window trim, and most significantly, beautiful oak columns, wood boxes, fireplace surround, mantel, stairs, newel post, banister, and decorative railing in the living room.

success

The LCHHCF wanted the house moved and worked closely with the Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation to find a way to save the house and clear the land. In December, 2022, a local resident paid $1,000.00 to the LCHHCF to buy time so the Economic Development Foundation could find a qualified buyer. The director of the Foundation, together with a committee of volunteers publicized the house which

received national attention. . . the [economic development] foundation got hundreds of calls and emails from people expressing interest. They whittled the prospects down to 35 contenders, but only nine completed the process. After six months of searching for the perfect people to get the house, the foundation was pleased to announce that Eddie and Julie Flores are the new owners.¹

Once the house was moved from its old location to its new permanent home the resident received the $1,000.00 back. It was a win-win-win for everyone involved.

celebration

The transformation of the J. W. Grubb house was documented by the television show “In With the Old”. The show is now available on several streaming platforms including Discovery Plus, Max, Apple TV, and YouTube. The show will premier on the Magnolia Network February 7, 2024. I’ve watched it once already on Discovery Plus but plan to watch it again.

Please join me and watch “In With the Old”, Season 5, episode 1 on the Magnolia Network or one of the other streaming platforms. Share with me the beauty of the countryside and experience the thrill of seeing an old, decrepit house brought back to life.

I’m so proud of my hometown and the folks who are working tirelessly to revitalize it.

And thanks for reading my blog.

Sources

¹https://oldhousesunder50k.com/free-house-in-lincoln-kansas/ (accessed 1/2/24)