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Downtown building transforms with the times he brick building at 201 East Sixth St. has stood in that spot for 90 years. This stately building began its life as an automotive garage and showroom welcoming eastern travelers to downtown Emporia. It is now a hodgepodge of businesses, including antiques, apparel and graphics, and a creative marketing agency. The location was chosen for the garage for one simple reason: It’s location on the New Santa Fe Trail, what we now call U.S. Highway 50. O.M. “Mit” Wilhite was a natural born businessman but, more importantly, he could see the future. Oh yes, Mit could see what was coming. Automobiles! Motor carriages! Horseless carriages! And lots of them. Automobiles were the future, as was a decent road system to handle these motorized vehicles. Wilhite was a zealous advocate for good roads, often referred to as the “good roads apostle.” In 1910, he spearheaded the development of the New Santa Fe Trail. With Wilhite in a leadership role, Emporia was front and center as the hub for the good roads conversation. In a 1913 speech, Wilhite predicted droves of tourists would travel to Colorado and the west coast using Lyon County roads and passing right through Emporia on East Sixth Avenue. The New Santa Fe Trail was officially designated in 1915 and linked Kansas City to Hutchinson. The plan was now in place to create the roads, but would they be good roads?
70 | EmpoRia Living