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Getto Block Building; Wichita, KS
Photo of the Getto Block Building at 235 North Main in Wichita, KS. This four-story brick block-style building was erected by William Henry Sternberg (1832-1906). It was commonly known as the "Getto Building" and multiple references indicate it was located on the southwest corner of Main & Second Street. This structure no longer exists. It burned to the ground on February 5th, 1923 leaving only the exterior walls and taking with it nine lives.
Wichita was a confluence of people from all over the country and the world looking for opportunity. Peter Getto (12/31/1841 - 03/10/1902) originally from Germany came to Wichita in 1871 by way of Ohio and when he arrived in Wichita he started doing various jobs working as a soda jerk and selling cigars wholesale to various retail establishments. Not long after arriving, Peter Getto went into business with A. Hess (also from Germany) and together they formed, "Wichita Wholesale Grocer". This partnership was dissolved in 1877 (by Getto) on account of him being injured in a train accident while traveling to Ohio to visit relatives. "When he got back to Wichita", stated Hess about his partner, "not wishing to be on his feet, he dissolved the partnership with me in order to have rest and fully recover from the injury." By 1887, Peter Getto also was part owner of a boot and shoe company (the Getto-McClung Boot & Shoe Co) and that store was here in this building. Peter Getto also officed here in this building on the top floor (room 47). Peter Getto was a highly industrious business man getting involved in numerous businesses in Wichita... In 1878, he began manufacturing bottled mineral water from a shack in his back yard. This proved quite successful and in 1879, he had a one-story building at Main & Second Street (same location as photo above) built to handle the growing mineral water production (that building not pictured here but likely erected by W.H. Sternberg). About ten years after this Getto's brother-in-law joined the mineral water business as a parter. They moved the business to Waco Avenue & First Street and worked there until his brother-in-law passed away in 1896. In the 1890s, Getto had another building built at the corner of Douglas and Market (unconfirmed at this time but likely it was built by W.H. Sternberg). Still later, Getto replaced the one-story building with this multi-story building (confirmed to have been erected by W.H. Sternberg). Getto served on the Wichita City Council from 1878 to 1882.
Peter Getto also used W.H. Sternberg to design & build his own home (at 255 N. Water) in Wichita, KS (Getto's residential photos not yet posted to this photostream but will be shortly). Because of Sternberg's reputation for quality and fairness, many persons turned to him repeatedly to handle all of their building needs.
Peter Getto passed away suddenly on March 10, 1902 of a heart attack. At the time of his death, the Eagle reported, "As a citizen he held the best interest of the city at heart and was always an attendant on public meetings where the good of the town was to be considered."
Interesting to know what the pile of stuff is in the lower right-hand corner of this photo...
Any thoughts, comments, ideas or additional information about this building are welcome and appreciated!
This photo courtesy of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historic Museum (www.WichitaHistory.org).
Getto Block Building; Wichita, KS
Photo of the Getto Block Building at 235 North Main in Wichita, KS. This four-story brick block-style building was erected by William Henry Sternberg (1832-1906). It was commonly known as the "Getto Building" and multiple references indicate it was located on the southwest corner of Main & Second Street. This structure no longer exists. It burned to the ground on February 5th, 1923 leaving only the exterior walls and taking with it nine lives.
Wichita was a confluence of people from all over the country and the world looking for opportunity. Peter Getto (12/31/1841 - 03/10/1902) originally from Germany came to Wichita in 1871 by way of Ohio and when he arrived in Wichita he started doing various jobs working as a soda jerk and selling cigars wholesale to various retail establishments. Not long after arriving, Peter Getto went into business with A. Hess (also from Germany) and together they formed, "Wichita Wholesale Grocer". This partnership was dissolved in 1877 (by Getto) on account of him being injured in a train accident while traveling to Ohio to visit relatives. "When he got back to Wichita", stated Hess about his partner, "not wishing to be on his feet, he dissolved the partnership with me in order to have rest and fully recover from the injury." By 1887, Peter Getto also was part owner of a boot and shoe company (the Getto-McClung Boot & Shoe Co) and that store was here in this building. Peter Getto also officed here in this building on the top floor (room 47). Peter Getto was a highly industrious business man getting involved in numerous businesses in Wichita... In 1878, he began manufacturing bottled mineral water from a shack in his back yard. This proved quite successful and in 1879, he had a one-story building at Main & Second Street (same location as photo above) built to handle the growing mineral water production (that building not pictured here but likely erected by W.H. Sternberg). About ten years after this Getto's brother-in-law joined the mineral water business as a parter. They moved the business to Waco Avenue & First Street and worked there until his brother-in-law passed away in 1896. In the 1890s, Getto had another building built at the corner of Douglas and Market (unconfirmed at this time but likely it was built by W.H. Sternberg). Still later, Getto replaced the one-story building with this multi-story building (confirmed to have been erected by W.H. Sternberg). Getto served on the Wichita City Council from 1878 to 1882.
Peter Getto also used W.H. Sternberg to design & build his own home (at 255 N. Water) in Wichita, KS (Getto's residential photos not yet posted to this photostream but will be shortly). Because of Sternberg's reputation for quality and fairness, many persons turned to him repeatedly to handle all of their building needs.
Peter Getto passed away suddenly on March 10, 1902 of a heart attack. At the time of his death, the Eagle reported, "As a citizen he held the best interest of the city at heart and was always an attendant on public meetings where the good of the town was to be considered."
Interesting to know what the pile of stuff is in the lower right-hand corner of this photo...
Any thoughts, comments, ideas or additional information about this building are welcome and appreciated!
This photo courtesy of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historic Museum (www.WichitaHistory.org).