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VICTORIA KANSAS HOME OF ONE OF THE 8 W ONDERS OF KANSAS HISTORY ∞ FAITH ∞ DINING COMMERCE ∞ EVENTS ∞ RECREATION
VICTORIAKansas
Home of one of tHe 8 Wonders of Kansas
History ∞ FaitH ∞ Dining CommerCe ∞ events ∞ reCreation
D NERCONVENIENCE
STORE
D NER
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Daily Lunch SpecialsBURGERS ~ PHILLIES ~ RUEBENS
COUNTRY FRIED STEAK PULLED PORK ~ LIVERS & GIZZARDS
WINGS ~ FISH ~ SHRIMP~ SALADSCOLD BEER
Open11 am- 8 pm
Monday-SaturdayCall:
785-735-9200For Carry Out
VICTORIA, KS — EXIT 168JuST SOuTh OF I-70
Open 6:30 am - 9:00 pmSun - Sat.
TRuCK PARKING AVAILABLEEASY ACCESS FROM INTERSTATE
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History 3
Victoria was founded as an English colony by George Grant, a successful silk merchant and Scottish noble-man. He came to America in 1872 to explore the
vast open plains and found what he was looking for in the great fertile prairies of Kansas. He envisioned the develop-ment of this region into a profitable agricultural and livestock producing area.
He purchased an estimated 70,000 acres from the Union Pacific Railroad in October 1872. This was land that was mostly south of the current day community of Victoria. When he returned to England, he carried out his plan of selling large tracts of the land to men of wealth he knew in England. He organized these British and Scottish noblemen in preparations for the journey to America. They arrived May 17 and soon began to build their new homes and form a town he named Victoria, in honor of Queen Victoria of England. The original town site was generally in an area south of today’s railroad tracks and east of Main Street.
The town grew slowly during the next few years, but two severe winters, prairie fires, drought in the summers and other hardships caused despair among the colonists and some returned home to England. After the death of Grant in April 1878, many more moved away, gave up on farming or returned to England.
In 1876, Germans who were immigrating to Kansas from the Volga River region of Russia, began to settle in Ellis County. On April 8, 1876, a group from Herzog, Russia, settled north and west of the town of Victoria on the east bank of Victoria Creek. Another group of Germans from Rus-sia arrived Aug. 3. These Germans were accustomed to the hard work associated with farming and even though they had many hardships with the rough winters, drought and poor crops the first several years, their community continued to grow. More Volga-German immigrants settled in Herzog, and it became the largest and most important German-Rus-sian colony in Ellis County. Eventually, Herzog and Victoria grew together, officially becoming Victoria in 1913.
A view of Victoria from the top of St. Fidelis Catholic Church in 1918.
ProFile4
Just as the railroad had a major impact on the town’s development, the completion of Interstate 70 in 1966 had a big impact on the physical development of
Victoria.For more than 30 years,
U.S. Highway 40 was the main east-west route through Kansas, which brought travelers right through downtown Victoria. With the interstate connecting on the north end, development began to move that direction.
Today, Victoria is a thriving and close-knit community that is a typical Kansas small town with a handful of downtown businesses, nice parks, quiet residential areas and an outstanding public education system.
Because many of the residents are descendants of Catholic Germans from Russia, much of the community life centers around St. Fidelis Catholic Church, the main focal point of the community. The elementary school is within easy walking distance for many of the school children and the high school is just down the street. The variety of school events, sports and activities for the kids and fami-lies make Victoria a great place to raise a family.
Average annual temperature: 67 Average summer high temperature: 89.3
Average winter temperature: 30.9Average annual precipitation: 23.45
Average annual snowfall: 16.7
Raindrops on a car windshield invert the towering spires of St. Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria.
Founded in May 1873Population: 1,214
Elevation: 1,923 feet
Contact the City of Victoria:
1005 Fourth(785) 735-
2259skyways.lib.
ks.us/ kansas/towns/ Victoria
Victoria KS
Victoria KSVictoria KSVictoria KS
VictoriaWelcome to
St.FidelisChurch
High School1107 10th785-735-9211
Grade School602 10th785-735-2870
Victoria Fire Department1004 Fourth
785-735-9354
Victoria Police Department1005 Fourth
785-735-9354
Welcome to the City of Victoria and all of the history this small town settled by German/Russian immigrants has to offer. Please feel free to look around at your leisure and watch for signs that point to various attractions. Of course there is no sign needed to find the pinnacle of history in our small city, the St. Fidelis Catholic Church, sometimes referred to as the “Cathedral on the Plains.” I would invite you to stop by City Hall if you have any questions and the church offices for additional information. We hope you enjoy your stay in Victoria. Please visit us often. Curtis B. Unrein, Mayor
Victoria Family Healthcare Medical Clinic208 Marc Wagner Drive
785-735-2627
sites6George Grant Villa2680 Grants Villa Road(785) 621-2572; [email protected]: Drive-through tours availableFree admission
Originally a success-ful silk merchant, George Grant
came to America in 1872 in search of a place to build a country estate on which to retire. What he discovered was a new vi-sion to turn the country into a major agricultural and livestock producing area.
In the fall of 1872, Grant purchased an esti-mated 70,000 acres from the Kansas Pacific Railroad and then returned to England to organize a colony of Brit-ish and Scotch noblemen. The group left England on April 1, 1873, with the necessary provisions, including several head of black polled Aberdeen Angus bulls, a red short-horn bull, 30 sheep and some horses. Upon their return to the area, Grant named the new settlement after Queen Victoria, and he and his companions began construction on homes and town buildings.
Grant was the leader of the new colony and had specific stipulations as to what types of homes were to be built, livestock invested in and crops cultivated.
George Grant
Billinger InsuranceKeith and Gladys Billinger
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104 Ball Park Rd. Victoria, KS 67671785-623-3999
sites 7The four black Angus
bulls that were brought on the journey became the breeding stock to cross with native Texas longhorns. This produced calves that survived well on the winter range and weighed more the next spring.
Grant’s hope for his country estate wasn’t forgotten in all of this. He had an English architect design his villa, which he built 5 miles south and 11⁄2 miles east of Victoria. The two-story home was constructed of native limestone that was quarried near the site, and it was built atop a hill overlooking Big Creek. The home featured a large double door front entryway, open staircase, a study and wine cellar in the basement. The villa became the center of so-cial activities for the English colonists and was a comfort-able residence for the Grant family during George’s final years.
The villa was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Although there have been some updates made in the home, the original structure made of native limestone is still intact. Black Angus cattle even still roam the pasture land around the Villa.
The house now is owned by Susan and Ron Legleiter, and the ranch-land is owned by Susan’s parents,Paul and Lucy Baier. Drive-through tours are available at the property.
It is their hope to preserve the memory of George Grant and his contributions to the agricultural life of west-ern Kansas.
Grant Memorial.
Grant’s house was built in 1873 and 1874.
sites8George Grant Memorial100 Angus Drive(785) 735-2259Hours: Sunrise to sunsetFree admission
George Grant was the founder and
leader of the English colony of Victoria and he brought the first Angus cattle to America in 1873. He was born in Scotland in 1822 and died at his home south of Victoria on April 28, 1878. He received worldwide recognition as a successful silk merchant in London and gained consider-able wealth in other well-timed transactions in textiles.
Near his grave is a monument that commemorates the arrival of the first Aberdeen Angus cattle to America on May 17, 1873. The Aberdeen Angus Breeders Associa-tion had a rededication ceremony May 17, 1973, and added the replica of the Angus bull capping the monu-ment. Improvements were made to this park in summer 2008 with trees planted, a lighted paved sidewalk and benches added. On September 27, 2008, the American Angus Association had a ceremony that unveiled the monu-ment restoration, which also commemorated the 135th anniversary of Angus cattle arriving in the U.S. and the 125th year of the American Angus Association serving the beef industry.
George Grant Memorial site.
BoB’s Custom CaBinets LLCRobert Dinkel • Terry Dinkel
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Beautifully Designed Custom Made Cabinetry
sites 9English Cemetery 100 Angus Drive(785) 735-2259Hours: Sunrise to sunsetFree admission
This location on the southeast edge of town became the final
resting place for 18 Scot-tish and British pioneers who were some of the original members of Victoria. They were part of the group of colo-nists organized by George Grant in 1873. Many of the colonists were “Remittance Men,” who received monthly allowances from back home in England or Scotland. They were not accustomed to hard physical work and were not too interested in the manual labor of building homes, cultivating the soil and farming.
They found the pioneer life too extreme, and shortly after the death of George Grant in 1878, many of these noblemen returned back home to England.
English Cemetery
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sites10St Fidelis Catholic Church900 Cathedral Ave.(785) 735-2777; [email protected]: Open during daylight hours seven days a week
St. Fidelis is the largest of the historic church-
es in Ellis County and is known as the “Cathedral of the Plains.” It was built from 1908 to 1911 of native limestone. This ma-jestic church is built in the shape of a cross 220 feet long and 110 feet wide at the transepts, or lateral arms. The twin bell towers are 141 feet tall and can be seen from miles around. The church was dedicated Aug. 27, 1911, and has a seating capacity of 1,100. At the time it was built, it was the largest church west of the Missis-sippi River. William Jennings Bryon nick-named this church the “Cathedral of the Plains” in 1912. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Visitors are welcome. Free self guided tours 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Guided tours available by appointment. It is an active parish with weekend Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
St. Fidelis Catholic Church is pictured behind the Capuchin Franciscan Friars Sculpture.
The interior of St. Fidelis is shown.
sites 11The First Church Upon settling in Herzog, the Volga-Germans erected
a tall wooden cross in the heart of the village, where they gathered on Sunday to recite the rosary and litanies and sing hymns. It is estimated the first Mass was said in April 1876. A few months later, the first church measur-ing 40-by-24 feet was built by attaching it to a parish member’s home.
The Second ChurchThe first church only could accommodate half of the
church members, so the next year a second church was started. It was made of stone and measured 60-by-30-by-16 feet. The settlers, financially poor, contributed their part by quarrying and hauling the stone. The church was completed in 1878 and dedicated to the Mother of Sorrows.
The Third ChurchFather Anthony Schuermann, O.F.M. Capuchin,
pastor and a skillful builder, drew the plans for the third church. He also supervised the construction between 1880 and 1884. This church measured 168-by-46-by-35 feet and had a seating capacity of 600. Upon completion, the name was changed to St. Fidelis, in honor of a martyred priest of the Capuchin order.
The Present ChurchOnce again, the parishioners found themselves in
need of a larger church around the turn of the century. This time, under the guidance of their pastor, Father Jerome Mueller, O.F.M. Capuchin, it was decided to build a spa-cious and artistic church that would be a worthy house of God for present and future ages. Adjacent to St. Fidelis is the Capuchin monastery, also built of native stone nine years prior to the present church.
In 2008, the Cathedral of the Plains was designated one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas by the governor.
St. Fidelis is pictured before 1951.
sites12Capuchin Franciscan Friars Sculpture 900 Cathedral Ave.(785) 735-2777www.capuchins.org/stfidelis.html
To meet the spiritual needs of the German speaking immigrants from Russia
who arrived in this area in the late 1870s, the Catholic Diocese established the Capu-chins in Ellis County to serve as priests for the new communities. The St. Fidelis Friary, lo-cated in what then still was named the town of Herzog, was established by Father Mathew Hau, O.F.M Capu-chin, and Father Anastasius Mueller O.F.M. Capuchin.
The statue on display in front of St. Fidelis Catholic Church was sculpted by Hays artist Pete Felten and was dedicated July 28, 1976.
Capuchin Franciscan Friars Sculpture
sites 13Iron CrossesSt. Fidelis Cemetery1600 Cathedral Ave.(785) 735-2777Hours: Sunrise to sunset
As you drive south of Interstate
70 toward Vic-toria on Kansas Highway 255, you will notice something unusual looking on the east side of the road about a ¼ mile north of town. There are 110 iron cross grave markers that stand out among the traditional stone monuments in the St. Fidelis Cemetery.
Because wood was available and less expensive than granite or marble, the first burial markers for the Volga-German pioneers were simple wooden crosses. However, with the strong Kansas winds, storms and problems with the wood rotting, some of the local Volga-German blacksmiths began to craft wrought iron crosses. These iron cross grave markers proved to be more durable, and by using scrap metals in their shop, the men could make these crosses rather inexpensively.
Although the techniques used by the blacksmiths varied from community to community in Ellis County, many of the crosses were made of twin steel pipes bent and joined to form the main structure of the cross and rounded off with U-shaped joints. Metal lattice work was created and welded between the pipes. The coils were made from a soft rod clamped into a vise and turned to fit a particular pattern. The decorative inserts were twisted rods or thin flat metal, and the hearts were cut from tin and welded in place.
Iron crosses are shown in the St. Fidelis Cemetery.
A detailed look at an iron cross.
sites14Volga-German Immigrant Statue10th & Cathedral Ave.(785) 735-2259Hours: Sunrise to sunsetFree admission
Across the street from St. Fi-delis Catholic
Church is a life-size statue depicting Ger-man immigrants from Russia. This piece was sculpted by Hays artist Pete Felten in 1976 and is titled “Volga German Fam-ily.” It is made of Silverdale limestone that was shipped from Arkansas City, Kan. The commemoration of the statue took place in conjunction with the 100th anniver-sary of the Volga-Germans arriving in Ellis County.
Volga-German Immigrant Statue
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Jason N. Kippes1261 350th Ave.Box 50Victoria, KS 67671
Work: 785-735-9485Cell: [email protected]
sites 15Historical LandmarkOld U.S. Highway 40 & Ball Park Road (785) 735-2259Hours: Sunrise to sunsetFree admission
This historical marker is dedicated to the two groups of settlers who were the early pioneers of Vic-
toria. In 1873, there were the well-to-do gentleman farmers from England who established the town of Victoria. They did not have the endurance or interest in the farming way of life, and many eventually moved back home to England. In 1876, Germans from Russia arrived and built dugouts and sod houses north of the English colony. They proved to have the hardworking spirit needed to be successful on the harsh Kansas prairie. The English brought with them the first Aberdeen Angus cattle and bob-tailed ponies, and the Volga-Germans brought with them hard winter wheat and their strong religious faith.
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Historical Landmark.
viCtoria16 Interstate 70
Cathedral Avenue 10th Street
Third Street
Old U.S. Highway 40
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Attractions1. Original Cemetery2. St. Fidelis Cemetery and Iron Crosses3. Victoria Golf Course4. Victoria High School5. Victoria Grade School6. Volga-German Immigrant Statue7. St. Fidelis Catholic Church
Capuchin Franciscan Friars Sculpture8. Honey Braun Park
Union Pacific Caboose9. Swimming Pool10. City Hall11. George Grant Memorial
English Cemetery12. Historical Landmark13. Union Pacific Cemetery
George Grant Villa 5 miles south, 11⁄2 miles east
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10th Street
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Fourth Street
East Main Street
West M
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Third Street
Old U.S. Highway 40
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Surrounding CommunitiesWalker — 4 miles eastVincent — 7 miles southPfeifer — 9 miles southHays — 9 miles westCatharine — 7 miles north
sites18Union Pacific Caboose603 Iron(785) 735-2259Hours: Sunrise to sunsetFree admission
In the late 1980s, Union Pacific
Railroad Co. phased out many of their cabooses on their trains, and the community of Victoria was selected to receive one.
Tony Weigel, a Victoria native who worked for UP in Kansas City, began the process of having Union Pacific donate one of their cabooses instead of just letting it rust away in one of their yards.
In late 1989, UP sent the caboose to Victoria along with all the paint numbers and new decals so city em-ployees could restore it back to its original bright yellow color.
The paint scheme for Union Pacific is still one of the oldest original paint combinations used by a major railroad. Armour yellow is the main paint color with red lines, white, black and harbor mist gray used on other parts of the caboose.
On March 21, 1990, the caboose found a new home in Victoria City Park. Lots of people came out to watch the move and see how they set it up in the park. Hubert Sanders was the mayor at the time and had the moving company weld the wheels to the short length of track to prevent any accidental movement.
Union Pacific Caboose, located in Victoria City Park
Victoria City Liquor1100 HWY 40 • Victoria, KS
Open daily & Sundays Noon-5 p.m.785-735-2626
sites 19Union Pacific Gravesite Third Street and Old U.S. Highway 40(785) 735-2259Hours: Sunrise to sunsetFree admission
This is the gravesite of six railroad workers killed by Cheyenne Indians on Aug. 1, 1867. The
workers had detached themselves from the main work camp and were unarmed when surprised by Indians. His-torians disagree on the exact location where the attacks occurred outside of Victoria, but a little known fact is there were actually seven workers attacked and killed on that day. One worker survived long enough to make his way to the Fort Hays military post, but later died of his wounds and was buried at the fort.
The known graves at the fort since have been relocat-ed. The other six workers were buried at this gravesite.
Union Pacific Cemetery
Proudly Supporting The Rich History Of Victoria, KS
George Grant VillaMoritz & Catherine Robben Baier occupied the house from 1897 to 1935. William and Elizabeth Dreiling Baier occupied the villa until 1972. Paul and Lucy Shippers Baier lived there from 1972 until 2008, when they retired to Hays. The home was then occupied by a grandson, Jason Pfeifer, who lived there until 2011. The Villa is now owned by a daughter, Susan, and her husband, Ron Legleiter. Drive-through tours are available.
events20Fidelisfest — Memorial DayCathedral of the Plains, 900 Cathedral Ave., Victoria(785) 735-2777; [email protected]
Memorial Day in Victoria is a community celebra-tion at the St. Fidelis Catholic Church fundraiser. The morning begins with visits to the five local
cemeteries — Emmeram, Walker, Pfeifer, Vincent and Victoria — followed by an 11 a.m. Mass at the Church. After Mass, the festivities begin with a German wedding-style dinner served until 2 p.m. The Country Store features homemade baked items and a gift shop includes crafts and handmade items by the parishioners.
Throughout the day are free kids’ games, musical en-tertainment, a beer garden, hamburger and brats stand. A drawing with cash prizes and an auction of 200 to 300 new items are donated by businesses and parish-ioners. Proceeds are used to maintain the church, which was named one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas.
Your home town lumber dealer with your complete line of
building needs.
East Hwy. 40Victoria, KS 67671
785-735-9215785-735-9228 (Fax)
Jim & Becky Scheck, Owners
Jared Scheck, Asst. Manager
events 21Herzogfest — AugustHoney Braun Park, Victoria(785) 735-4851; [email protected]
Celebrate the German heritage of
this Volga-German community with polka music, con-certs, parade, talent show, free swim-ming, food booths, kids’ pedal pull and fireworks show. Event features free entertainment Friday and Saturday night with national recording artists and local bands. Saturday includes a 5K run/walk, parade, traditional German welcome and toast, horseshoe tournament, bingo, pinochle, beer and food booths, polka music, German singers, talent show and fireworks.
Food booths include fried noodles and beans, cream dumplings, brats, bierocks, German sausage, galushkies, kuchen, green bean dumpling soup and much more. Saturday afternoon polka Mass at 4 p.m. is a traditional Catholic service with polka music and German singers. The event is free and open to the public.
Victoria Homecoming — September or OctoberVictoria High School(785) 735-9211; www.victoriaalumni.com
An annual celebration bringing Victoria High School alumni back to town during a weekend in Septem-ber or October. A bonfire, parade, high school
football game, golf tournament, pep rally and barbe-cue, and memorial Mass and banquet also take place. Awards are given to select alumni.
Joe Dolezal, center, and Galen Schmidtberger perform polka music during the 29th annual Herzogfest in 2011 at Victoria City Park.
Dining22255 Convenience Store & Diner 2601 Cathedral Ave.(785) 735-9200Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through [email protected]
The 255 Conve-nience Store is located just south
of Interstate 70 at the Victoria exit on the west side of Kansa Highway 255. This location features three services for the traveling public — a clean and friendly convenience store, fueling station and diner. The diner serves everything from burgers and reuben sandwiches to country-fried steaks and livers and gizzards. Alcohol is served, along with lunch and dinner, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
provides many interior and exterior home improvement products.
• Vinyl, Steel & Concrete Board siding & trim• Window & Door Replacement• Seamless Steel Gutter• Patio Covers• Decks, Fencing and Railing• Tile and Laminate Flooring• Remodel Projects• And So Much More
Locally owned and operated with over 50 years combined experienceLicensed & InsuredExperience the Top Notch Difference-- “Top Notch” service with competitive pricing.
Victoria, KS 67671Terry Klaus - 785-735-4826 • Daryn Burns - 785-623-8538
[email protected] • www.topnotchimprovementks.com
255 Convenience Store and Diner
Dining 23Gambino’s Pizza 201 E. Main(785) 372-1627Hours: Daily 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8:30 p.m. [email protected]; www.gambinospizza.com
Gambino’s Pizza has been part
of the Victoria community for more than 20 years. It first opened in 1991 at a location on West Main Street that used to be a small bar and grill.
In 2003 and under new management, it moved to its current location on East Main Street. Gambino’s is part of a franchise sys-tem with more than 50 locations in five states.
Dine in, carry out and delivery are avail-able. The Victoria Gambino’s Pizza is also part of the group of restaurants under the same ownership in Hays, La Crosse and Hoisington. Pizza, pasta, calzones, sal-ad bar and sandwiches are available, and Gambino’s features an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Large enough to accommodate buses, school groups, sports teams, and group seating is available.
Total Convenience 106 W. MainVictoria, KS 67671(785) 735-2821
Pizza is served at Gambino’s Pizza in downtown Victoria.
Gambino’s Pizza
Dining24The Library Bar & Grill 1102 Third Street(785) 735-2839Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; grill closes at 8 [email protected]
The Library is the place in
Victoria to get some great tasting fresh hamburgers, weekly specials and a variety of other menu items hot off the grill. For many years dur-ing the 1940s and ‘50s, Victoria residents would come to the red brick building on Third Street to see the doctor and have their prescriptions filled at the drug store. The office of Dr. Anderson was located here, and a soda fountain and drug store was operated by his brother Leon.
Through the years, there were other businesses includ-ing a pizza place and a bar. Ilona Patterson and her husband, Ted, bought the building in 1983, made a few improvements and turned it into a restaurant that now provides Victoria with a unique bar and grill atmosphere. Lunch and dinner are served Tuesday through Saturday with menu items in the $5 to $10 range including salads, egg rolls, seafood, steak sandwiches, gizzards, mini tacos and their famous hamburgers and cheeseburgers.
Customers enjoy grabbing a book or magazine off the shelf and reading while waiting for their meal. It has free Wi-Fi hookup and is a local hangout for all ages.
The Library Bar & Grill
Diners enjoy a meal at The Library.
CommerCe 25N xcessThird and Main(785) 735-4809; [email protected]: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday or by appointment
Jan Piesker has been collecting things for years and years and now is selling her “excess” in this
old warehouse building. There’s a little something for everyone including dresses, kitchen cabinets, dressers, copper and brass items, garden pots and furniture, sofa tables and more. In addition, Piesker has reconditioned many items that are for sale. The shop is a “fun little pastime” for Piesker.
Smoky Hill Meat Processing Inc.108 Ball Park Road(785) 735-2278; [email protected]: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thurs-day; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Friday
This is a family owned and operated slaughter and meat processing
facility that has been pro-viding quality service and meat products since 1998.
In 2005, they added the retail area to sell the variety of ready-to-eat products they make, such as beef jerky, snack sticks, summer sausages and smoked cheeses. The frozen meat selec-tion includes cuts of beef, chicken and pork, as well as products made at the store — brats, breakfast sausage, liver sausage and bacon.
Smoky Hill Meat Processing also has contacts with local farmers who sell 1⁄4, ½ and whole beef or ½ and whole hogs to fill your freezer with some great tasting locally owned fresh meat. Smoky Hill Meat Processing also can process deer or other wild game.
Work continues at Smoky Hill Meat Processing.
These old artillery buckets have been trans-formed to drawers.
St. Fidelis Church Gift Shop601 10th Street(785) 735-2777Hours: 8:30 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday; and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday
The St. Fidelis gift shop is located in the parish office build-
ing across the street to the north of the church. Various religious items and St. Fi-delis souvenirs are for sale, including prayer books, the church centennial DVD and cookbooks. “Sharing Our Best Cookbook,” is a collection of more than 1,300 recipes of Volga-German, Russian, German, and other ethnic recipes, German prayers and helpful hints. The book is in its fifth printing with more than 12,000 copies already sold. For more information, visit www.StFidelisChurch.com.
CommerCe26
• Restored Furniture (we buy and sell)
• Antiques• Clothing
301 3rd & Main (Behind the Fire Station)
785-735-4809 Open Mon.-Sat. 9 to 5 or By Appointment
N xcessFeaturing:
• Shoes• Accessories• Unique Decor Items
A number of items are available.
CommerCe 27Victoria Food & Variety1104 Third Street(785) 735-2929Hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
A clean and modern small-town grocery store where you will be greeted with a “smile and hello” and with friendly service, high quality foods and great
prices. Along with groceries, there are items such as washclothes, rugs and candles. DVDs also are available for rent.
Victoria Lumber Co.1200 Old U.S. Highway 40(785) 735-9215; [email protected]: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. to noon Saturday
Owned and operated by the Jim
Scheck family since February 2006, this unique small town store features not only the build-ing products and hardware you typi-cally would find at a lumber company, but because they are the only place in town to purchase many household, lawn, garden and other supply items, they stock an assorted inventory to help local residents find what they need. After the previ-ous owner, Everett Braun, died of cancer, Jim and his son Jared took over the store and it became a true family operation with help from Jim’s wife and another son Justin helping out as well.
Victoria Lumber Co. features an old-fashioned Coca-Cola pop machine where it’s still only 45 cents for a can of soda. There is always free fresh popcorn pop-ping everyday, and visitors are welcome to stop by, browse around, ask for directions or find out what is going on in the community.
Victoria Lumber Co.
Historic Lightworks
Sale, Repair and Restoration of original vintage
lighting and other architectural
antiques.
Victoria, KS 67671785-735-4453
“ A family tradition since
1960”
1919 E. 22ndHays, Kansas
785-628-8822
412 MainVictoria, Kansas
785-735-9224
CommerCe 29Historic Lightworks 2567 Golf Course Road(785) 735-4453; [email protected] by appointment
This unique business is located in
a historic dairy barn that oper-ated as the town’s dairy for many years.
The own-ers reside next door in a beau-tiful limestone house built in 1903 of the Queen Anne style of archi-tecture.
At Historic Lightworks, they have the largest antique lighting selec-tion in the state with more than 2,000 antique light fixtures and more than 3,500 original shades.
Visitors will see light fixtures from pre-electric gas fixtures from the 1880s to 1900s and early electric light-ing from the 1900s to 1940s. Learn about lighting and fixtures from a simple barn light or lamp, to lights that came out of the State Capitol in Topeka.
They sell, repair, rewire and refinish antique light fixtures and gas and electric fixtures from the 1880s to the 1940s.
Some of the variety of lights include ceiling lights, chandeliers, wall scones, barn lights, desk lamps, floor lamps and other antiques and architectural items.
To arrange a visit or see the large inventory, call (785) 735-4453.
Historic Lightworks operates out of a barn.
A variety of antique lighting is available.
Honey Braun Park603 Iron(785) 735-2259Hours: Sunrise to sunsetFree admission
This 10-acre park was established
in 1949 when Wendelin J. Braun and his wife, Loretta, donated the land to the city of Victoria with the stipulation it always would be used as a park.
It was named the Honey Braun Park honor of W.J. “Honey” Braun, who was the mayor of Victoria from 1971 to 1975. W. J. Braun was involved in the com-munity.
In 2002, the city of Victoria received a grant for a complete park renovation. The grant money, along with a match from the city, was used to make several improvements to the park, including the addition of a modern shelterhouse that is lighted, has three electrical outlets and picnic table facilities that can accommodate 80 to 90 people. The playground equipment has two separate age-appropriate play areas, six slides, climb-ing and agility features, recycled tire mulch under the play areas, connecting sidewalks, and is landscaped beautifully.
The park also has horseshoe pits, and with the natural sloping terrain toward the middle of the park, it creates a scenic amphitheater setting created by Mother Nature. This park is used for the concerts during Herzogfest.
Victoria Municipal Swimming Pool603 Iron(785) 735-2387Hours: 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily during the summerAdmission: $1 for 5 to 15 year olds; $1.75 for 16 and older; summer passes available
reCreation30
Honey Braun Park
UNITED AG SERVICEGorham • Galatia • Lucas • Hoisington • Olmitz • Victoria
Proudly SupportingVictoria, Kansas
and serving the areafor 98 years.
E-mail: [email protected] agricultural partner for the 21st century.
785-637-5481Gorham, Kansas
If the lights are on, we are open for business!Guaranteed hours: Mon. - Sat. 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday - 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
1104 3rd St. • Victoria, KS 67671785-735-2929
We are so much more thanJust a grocery store!
•DVD&VHSRentals •Toysforthekids •Pop&Snacks •AndofcourseGroceries
The GorhamState Bank
Proud to Serve our Community!
Over 100 Years Strong!
Deposit Accounts • Personal and Business Checking • Super Now • Money Market • Savings • Certificates of Deposit • IRA’s • Debit/Check Cards
Branch Location408 Main Street
P.O. Box 199Victoria, KS 67671
Lobby Hours8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Monday thru Thursday8:00 am to 5:30 pm Friday
Main Location129 Market Street
P.O. Box 199Gorham, KS 67640
Lobby Hours9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Monday thru Thursday9:00 am to 6:00 pm Friday
Drive-Thru Hours7:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday thru Thursday
7:30 am to 5:30 pm Friday
24 Hour Drive-Thru ATM & Night Depository
24 Hour Access Online Banking & Online Bill Pay
www.gorhamstatebank.com
Loans • Consumer • Real Estate • Commercial • Agricultural • Home Loans
Other • Cashier’s Checks • Notary Services • Foreign Currency
