History

The Danielson Building

In 1895, Deroy Danielson, Sr. established an implement and hardware store in St. Francis, Kansas. Originally from Bishop, Illinois, Deroy arrived in Cheyenne County from Clay Center, Kansas in 1887 with plans to be a cattle rancher. He quickly learned that the days of big cattle ranches were waning with the rapid arrival of settlers.

With $200 in his pocket, he took the cattle train to Kansas City to buy inventory for his new store. He returned home with a train-car-load of merchandise and placed it in the small building he rented for $10 a year. Initially, the store had neither glass in the windows nor a lock on the door. Within a year, he made repairs and continued operating his business at that location for 25 years.

In 1904, Mr. Danielson along with Mr. Finley bought 3 lots from William H. Lawless directly across from his old store to build his new store. Then in 1911 Mr. Danielson bought out Finley’s shares of the properties. The following year he sold the corner lot to Citizen’s State Bank. It was 1920 when he took out a mortgage for his building using the properties as collateral.

In 1922, he described his new store in the August 26 edition of The Merchants Journal.

“The new store is built in L-shape. I let the Citizens State Bank have 25×80 feet on the corner and I have built around the bank building. The store is 126 feet long with the L fronting east. The main front is south. There is a basement under the whole and it is steam heated. The fixtures are all modern Warren shelving. Scales, show cases and office fixtures are all new and modern. We have a rest room for ladies, furnished with rockers, desk, etc. The building is modern in every way and cost $25,000.”