New Century hotel block fire in 1913, and other fall 1913 events

Compiled by Betty Jane Wilson, society president

A sundry of news items borrowed from the "65 Years Ago" column (1978) of the Valley Falls Vindicator files compiled by the late Edith Harden and found in a Valley Falls Historical Society scrapbook. All are 1913 events:

Sept. 12: Wm. Johannes, Nortonville, and Miss Rose Wunder, North Cedar, were married in Topeka Wednesday and went to Mr. Johannes's home in Nortonville on the evening train.

Sept. 19: Muddy Roads — The first in months muddy enough to keep the autos off the road more than 24 hours. (It was reported earlier Dr. Mann and family en route to the fair, encountered so much mud they were forced to return here without attending the fair).
The latest report of the state gives Valley Falls 1,231 and the only town in Jefferson County with a population of more than 1,000 people.
The second car load of coal was hauled to the school house this week. Ordinarily it takes about 120 tons of coal per year. (High school notes)

Oct. 10: This Friday is the day when the Panama Canal will be cut through from ocean to ocean. Listen for bombs and join in the celebration.
A fine new barber pole of latest design and newest stripes and colors, crowned with a whiteway electric bulb now adorns the front of the Norris Northside Tonsorial Parlors. It's smooth as are the shaves inside.

Oct. 24: New Century Hotel Block Burns — Unprecedented calamity — The worst ever suffered by Valley Falls. A mysterious fire at 3 a.m. Sunday wiped out $40,000 worth of property, including the principal business block of the city. It came at that bewitching hour when most people are deep in slumberland enjoying in full the Sunday morning sleep.
The alert fire workers were soon at work fighting against great odds as the fire had a big start before the full force of firemen could turn three streams of water on the fast-devouring flames. By half past three, nearly half the population was on the streets helping fight the fierce fire or watching it eat through the various rooms of the once pretentious hotel and business section. In destruction of that favorite doorway through which many thousand guests have passed, the name of the builder of the block, M.P. Hillyer or Hillyer House, cut in the capstone over the door, was lost in the debris.
From Hillyer, the block was owned by an Eastern company for years. Last year it was purchased by E.F. Wettig for $14,500, at a bargain.
Elmer Lewis will reopen his barber shop in Steffens Room next door to Norris' North Side (barber) Shop. It will be handy for the artists to exchange visits when business is quiet.
Burning out did not keep Nick Gahm, the baker, long out of business. Next day he bought the home bakery of J.J. VanDell and took immediate possession. He is in the same room he started here in business five or six years ago. Mr. VanDell returned to Oskaloosa. J.H. McNutt, grocer displaced by the fire, bought the Gerit Grocery and will be ready for business next Tuesday.

The Valley Falls Historical Society Museum will be open at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 15.

Pioneer mill operator Joseph M. Piazzek (1834-1921)

by Betty Jane Wilson, society president 

Nationally, February is the month for honoring the birth dates of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the first and 16th United States presidents respectively, and not to be ignored, traditional Valentine's Day for flowers, candy, love cards, and gifts.

Locally, a pioneer, a long time citizen, one of the most prominent personalities in this part of Kansas, industrious, frugal, and a maker of history, were a few of the descriptions afforded Joseph Miller Piazzek, long time builder and operator of mills in Grasshopper Falls, Kan., and later Valley Falls. He deserves local honor and remembrance.

Born in the Novia Vauk-Kuz No (New Hammer) in the province of Protskow, Poland, Feb. 28, 1834, and died in Valley Falls, Jan. 20, 1921,  he said himself he was born in a room separated from a flour mill by only a brick partition. He spent more than 60 years of his life in and about the various developments of mill ownership and power.

He came to America in 1854 and soon to Grasshopper Falls with less than 25 cents in his pocket. He found work helping to build a sawmill. In order to get wages, he had to take a one-fourth interest in the sawmill from his boss, Isaac Cody, father of Buffalo Bill.

Volumes could be written about Mr. Piazzek, his influence, his mills. He was responsible for developing use of water power. His mills were a complex, flour mills, stone mills, woolen mill, even a cotton gin. The cotton gin is now owned by the Kansas State Historical Society. Mr. Piazzek once sold one of his mills and used funds from the sales to pay the depositers of a bank that had failed while he was a leading head of that bank.

Mr. Piazzek was first married to Miss Melinda Minier, Feb. 14, 1862, and to this union two children, Minnie May and DeForest, were born. Minnie May died in 1885. Mrs. Piazzek died in 1872.

Piazzek married Miss Emma Kiebenstein in 1887. Three children born to this union were Edmund Paul, who died in early boyhood, Joseph M. Jr., and Edna Pauline. Mr. Piazzek visited his mill until a week before his death.

At age 82, he wrote, "I started here when I was 21 years old, worked like a tiger, made barrels of money, and now at 82 years, I have an idle woolen mill, an out-of-date oil mill, an idle flour mill, and still I see lots of money to be made if only I were able."

He died Jan. 20, 1921. The burial was in the family vault in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Happy Birthday, Joseph Piazzek, 180 years old!

The Valley Falls Historical Society Museum will be open at 10 a.m. Saturday.