at one time hays had businesses and yes there were grocery stores and other businesses on the south end of town. why is it, to me anyway, that the only businesses around and south of the tracks are nothing but bars. with the new apartments where the varsity bowl use to be and across from larks park some Entrepreneur could set up shop. "could" but who would want to? first is one would have to compete with Dillons and wally. second the taxes in this johnson county of western kansas is way too high for a dieing community. Third it would be next to impossible to keep overhead down enough to offer a product at a reasonable price to lure in and retain consumers.

Hays once had Penney's, Montgomery Ward, Duckwalls, Woolworth's, IGA, Dillons, Western Auto, Sears, and a few others all South of 13th. Mammals was just North of 13th on Main. Until the Centennial area came to be no big stores were North of 13th. The motels were once all South of the tracks too.

When the completion of I-70 did away with old 40 as the major East-West highway and modern motels and new style department "discount" stores like Tempo came in on Vine the big downtown stores were doomed.

that is interesting i never knew those stores were located anywhere else. besides dillons was in the wild rose, and that place next to the old down towner was either a grocery store or something, and I barley remember the sears was where that rent to own is now next to the home.

once saw an old map of hays that showed there was a railroad that ran north and south through hays in the area of milner street.

sure do miss shopping k-mart, alco, jack and jills, wiesners, and ben franklin.

The building to the South of the old DT was a Gibsons store and a Giant Value at one time

In my day...

I liked Tempo, an ashtray at the end of every isle...... -sigh-