Orchard Breeze Neighborhood Association

FUN FACTS TO KNOW . . .

Feb 09, 2007

Here are some interesting historical facts about businesses in our neighborhood. Maple used to be Highway 54 from West Street to downtown Wichita. It was a brick street, which they covered over with asphalt. When they bought the land for Christ the King Church on Maple, it was very sandy. When the wind would blow, it would drift sand across Maple Street. Workers had to bring in dirt, because the land was so sandy. They hauled dirt from Central and Ridge Road. It is where the bowling alley is located today. The land was filled with watermelons and cantaloupes. A big fresh fruit stand was owned by Carley?’s and located on the northeast corner of Maple and Tracy. There was a factory that made houses, just east of West Street on Douglas. The factory made prefab type houses. Several of these prefab type houses were built in our neighborhood, located in the area of Maple to Douglas and from Anna to Hoover. There was a real nice restaurant called the ?“Red Barn Restaurant?” on the northwest corner of Anna & Douglas. The restaurant was housed in a barn that was moved in from just west of Anna. The restaurant was known to serve good fried chicken. The restaurant burnt down after a couple years. There was a large furniture store called ?“Cardinal Furniture?” located on the southeast corner of Anna and Douglas. The furniture store also burnt down. The round roof building located at Florence and Douglas, was originally built for a movie theater and was called the Rex Theater.