My interest in creating a Corbin, Kansas Web site started with this old postcard above of Corbin in 1909, the year the school was built. Many of my own stories of Corbin are part of an autobiography, "My Sister Was an Only Child," which is available on the Web. Some of the content herein is based on that earlier writing. My interest was sparked again when my cousin, LaRue Watts, sent me the picture of Corbin School along with a brief history of Corbin he had written as an eighth grader. His short history herein begs to be read by anyone interested in Corbin.
The postcard of Corbin belonged to my aunt, Finace Watts, and was given to her son, LaRue, who in turn gave it to me a few years ago. The back of the postcard has the name Mrs. Max Utterback [Orene], so I assume that it must have been hers at one time. I really love this old postcard and felt it should be shared with anyone who has an interest or connection with Corbin. The scene is looking north up mainstreet. Although my family lived in 4 different houses in Corbin, the one we had the longest is just out of the picture on the right side of the photo across the street from the hotel. The Niebaum house actually started its life across the street north and just east of the hotel, but was moved to its final location sometime later. It was known in Corbin as the George Cox place for the family that owned it prior to us.
The photo shows the old Madison hotel on the right side of the picture where my Dad, Herman Niebaum, later had his car repair business, the Corbin Garage on that same site. His partner in the 1940's and early 1950's was Francis Conrady. The white house showing behind the hotel was home to Raymond and Pauline Black and daughter, Judy, when I lived in Corbin. The photo shows a grain elevator and the Rock Island depot in the far distance. The post office is on the left with the two fellows standing in front. The sign reads:
CORBIN
POSTOFFICE
SUMNER CO. KANSAS
The larger building on the left was the IOOF Hall, which housed the grocery store on the ground floor and lodge activities on the second floor. The lodges were the International Order of Odd Fellows [IOOF] for men and Rebekahs for women. Our mothers, Finace Watts and Grace Niebaum, who were sisters, were members of the Rebekah Lodge. I remember one carnival type party held in the IOOF Hall. It was a fund-raiser for the lodge and there were all kinds of booths to attract kids to spend money. I remember one booth had small fishing poles, with which you "fished" behind a curtain. When you felt a tug on the line you pulled out your prize. One side-show booth that tickled my dad so much was titled, "See the green man with the brown back." Inside were two friends talking - Perry Greenman and Bunny Brownback.
Sometime after the above photo was taken a gazebo style bandstand was built about in the center of the picture. According to my parents every Saturday night a band would play in the summers. It was gone when I lived in Corbin.
LaRue recalls that "the two buildings between the post office and the grocery store were torn down and a new smaller (white) post office was built in their place. The old post office, when we were kids, was home to the hardware store, run by Roger Whitten's dad, Frank Whitten. I always thought he looked like Randolph Scott. My folks bought him out and they ran the hardware store in that location until the Bank closed. Then the hardware moved into the bank building."
This Web has many contributors. Among them are Francis & Marvin Kloefkorn and Amy Lungren Shoffner. Thanks to them for photos and stories of Corbin.
Please report any additions, corrections, or comments to: jniebaum@wizardofkansas.com
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