Salina Post is proud to present Flashback Friday in partnership with the Smoky Hill Museum. Enjoy a weekly tidbit of local history from the staff at Salina Post and the Smoky Hill Museum as we present “Salina-Flashback Fridays.”
By SALINA POST
As Salina grew out of log cabins and other wooden structures, the Knights of Pythias, a secret, fraternal organization, began constructing a castle on the northeast corner of Ash Street and Santa Fe Avenue in the late 1880s.
Construction continued on the sizeable three-story structure, but the Knights of Pythias fell into financial troubles by the end of the century in 1896.
The secret society sold the building at a sheriff’s auction to the city, and the same year, city officials created a library in its large halls. Initially, Salina’s officials considered relocating to the building.
Multiple tenants populated the large building, including a publishing company, bottling company, cigar factory, newspaper and skating rink until 1907, when Salina Candy Company moved in.
The candy company grew throughout the early 1900s, utilizing the three-story building to create stick candies, Italian squares and sultan chocolates among its numerous specialties.
By the 1910s, the company competed with other significant confectioners in the Midwest, like Chase Candy Co. in St. Joseph, MO, or Brach’s Palace of Sweets — known today as Brach’s Candy — in Chicago, IL.
In the late 1920s, Salina Candy Company moved out of 200 N. Santa Fe Avenue, and the structure underwent a complete remodel. Contractors removed the top two stories of the building, lowered its tower and fireproofed it to create a new bus depot for Salina.
Click and drag to see how the building changed over time.
Café Casa Bonita opened at the same building a few years later and served travelers warm meals like baked ham, roast beef and Swiss steak — a dish of tenderized beef slow-cooked with vegetables and served with gravy.
The café continued operation until the early 1960s, but the depot remained until it moved in 1982, and two years later, contractors tore down the building.
Click and drag to see how the building changed over time.