" ... One of the Most Commodious and Handsome Residences in the County."

Front Page of The St. Paul Journal, April 9, 1908 [1]

​While looking through the manuscript of Randy Dunavan's upcoming book, "Who's Behind the Window," I came across newspaper clippings about a very familiar home at the northeast edge of St. Paul.   That is were W.W. O'Bryan built what was described as "... one of the most Commodious and Handsome Residences in the County" 115 years ago (Erie Record, Friday, February 9, 1906)

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During the early 1900's St. Paul was experiencing a residential building boom.  By then the town was well established, there were many businesses and businessmen, and we were prosperous.  On Thursday, October 19, 1905 the following article appeared in W.W. Graves' [2] St. Paul Journal:

"Town Builders.
  If St. Paul had a hundred men like W.W. O'Bryan, Harry Black, J.S. Burnett, Fielding Scott and Ed George, this old town would soon assume the air of prosperity and be a much better looking place.
    Mr. O'Bryan has men now busy completing a fine new dwelling on East Central avenue that not only is a great credit to the city but will be one of the nicest homes in the county, with all of the conveniences of the modern city.  It will be heated by steam, lighted by natural gas, and a complete system of water works is being installed. ...

​... It is such work as this that makes a town grow and look well.  Go thou and do likewise."

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Erie Record Article of Friday, February 9, 1906 (quoted above).

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Many of St. Paul's fine old homes, built during that era, are gone.  A few of them burned and others were razed.  But the home that W.W. O'Bryan built 115 years ago is still there and looks better than ever.  A few years back it received a great deal of love from it's current owners.  That love included thorough systems and equipment upgrades, while retaining it's original beauty and charm.  It also included a great deal of hard work and sweat equity while the owners lived in it.  The best part is the careful, loving update was done by David and Jane O'Bryan!

The O'Bryan home, January of 2020.

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1.  The same photo of the O'Bryan home appeared on the front page of two St. Paul Journals.  The top photo is from the April 9, 1908 issue.  It also appeared in the February 7, 1907 issue.  Clippings were downloaded from Newspapers.Com, via the Kansas State Historical Society's Kansas Newspapers site.

2. There can be little doubt that William Whites (W.W.) Graves, with his Journal Publishing Company, was one of St.  Paul's greatest, all time boosters.
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3.  The photo of the current home was taken by R. Brogan.