1905 tornado in Alta Vista, Kansas
Creator: McCoy, W. A.
Date: May 13, 1905
Photographs of a tornado passing over Alta Vista, Kansas, on May 13, 1905.

4th of July parade in Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: 1905
Photograph of the parade held on July 4, 1905 in Alta Vista, Kansas. William F. Kahle is seen hauling a large log behind the Royal Neighbors and Modern Woodmen of America float.

Alta Vista Cornet Band from Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: May 15, 1898
A photograph of the Alta Vista Cornet Band from Alta Vista, Kansas. People in the photograph are: lower row (left to right) Andrew Turney, Charles Chitty, Pearl Thomas, Martin Biglin, Herman Webber, Ottis Turney; middle row (left to right) John Wilds, Joe Syring, Harry Christenson, Union Thomas; upper row (left to right) George Turney, Will Karnisky, Bret Hull, Sam Scott, and Milt Bond.

Alta Vista Cornet Band in Council Grove, Kansas
Date: September 29, 1899
A photograph of the Alta Vista Cornet Band in Council Grove, Kansas. People in the photograph are: standing (left to right) Martin Biglin, Gus Webber, George Turney, Bret Hull, Will Karnicky, Hala Bond-Baugh, Charles Chitty, Rachel Thomas, Robert Webber, Min Biglin-Jacobs, Ralph Hull, Milt Bond, Paul Johnson, Prof. Hull; and sitting (left to right) Union Thomas, Pearl Thomas, John Wild, Andrew Turney, Ottis Turney, and Herman Webber.

Alta Vista State Bank, Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: Between 1900 and 1910
View of the Alta Vista State Bank, located in the Meseke building in Alta Vista, Kansas. Various grocery stores occupied the right half of the Meseke building over the years.

Alta Vista band in Delavan, Kansas
Date: Between 1920 and 1929
View of the Alta Vista band arriving at Delavan, Kansas, sometime in the 1920s. Also visible are men, women, and children, automobiles, businesses, and buildings.

Alta Vista business leaders
Creator: Coulman Studio
Date: 1900-1910
Several portraits of the leading business men and women of Alta Vista, Kansas. They include J. E. Reagen, August Wolgast, W. C. Meseke, Otto Wolgast, Percival Hawes, T. A. Gantz, G. W. Gantz, L. A. Johnson, P. Holman, William Kahle, Chris Johnson, P. E. Hesser, S. P. Scott, Chris Langvardt, J. L. Snodgrass, Mrs. A. M. Hunger, J. N. Bolton, Myrtle Coulman, H. E. Syring, B. R. Hull, Frank Bailey, Frank Amsbury, W. A. Little, B. B. Brechill, H. J. Wertzberger, J. T. Firestone, Maggie Cooper, Thomas Holman, William Addie, James Butcher, Union Thomas, John Wilde, Ben Hesser, and A. A. Orton.

Alta Vista skyline
Date: 1900-1910
Two views of the skyline of Alta Vista, Kansas.

August Meseke property after tornado, Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: 1912
Photograph of an ominous sky as August Meseke (far right), a noted businessman in Alta Vista, Kansas, and others examine the damage from the 1912 tornado that struck the town.

August Meseke residence in Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: Between 1910 and 1930
Photograph showing a street view of the August Meseke home in Alta Vista, Kansas.

August and Lillian Meseke
Date: Between 1920 and 1929
This portrait of August and Lillian Meseke was taken in front of the couple's house in Alta Vista, Kansas. Meseke, a long-time Alta Vista businessman, was president of the Alta Vista State Bank.

Bandstand in Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: 1900-1910
Photograph of four women at the bandstand in Alta Vista, Kansas.

Barbecue in Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: 1919
This small photograph shows a man cooking in large caldrons in the business district of Alta Vista, Kansas.

Bartholomew Buchli home in Alma, Kansas
Date: Between 1980 and 1990
Photograph of the home originally owned by Bartholomew Buchli in Alma, Kansas. Buchli was the county surveyor from 1891 until his death. In modern times, the house was owned by Arnold Schmitz, grandson of Henry Schmitz, one of the founders of Alma.

Bunger Hotel, Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: Between 1908 and 1909
Photograph of nine men standing on the porch of the Bunger Hotel in Alta Vista, Kansas. Writing on the back identifies the man in the center with his arm around the pole as Dr. William Smith. In 1909, the Bunger Hotel advertised room and board for $1.00 per day.

Buster Brown show at Star Mercantile in Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: 1905-1910
Exterior photograph of the Star Mercantile in Alta Vista, Kansas, as a group of people watch a scene from a Buster Brown show. The Brown Shoe Company hired an actor to travel the country drawing crowds at stores which sold the brand of shoes.

Cecil Craig and David Prickett
Date: 1943
A photograph of Cecil Craig, a neighbor, with David Prickett in Alta Vista, Kansas. David Prickett is shown wearing a Navy uniform.

Chautauqua parade in Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: 1908-1915
Photograph of parade cars representing the People's State Bank and Wolgast Lumber Company preparing for the Chautauqua parade in Alta Vista, Kansas. The Chautauqua events were often like a traveling program offering entertainment, education, and cultural enrichment for people particularly in rural areas.

Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad depot, Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: 1900-1920
Two photographs of the old Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad depot in Alta Vista, Kansas. The first photograph shows an exterior view of the depot. This was the first CRIP depot constructed at Alta Vista, built even before the rails were laid in 1887. This was one of the two-story depots which the railroad used in rural areas. Often the depot agent and their family would live upstairs. The second photograph shows five men posing inside the depot. In addition to providing freight and passenger services, the depots also contained the telegraph offices.

Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad depot, Alta Vista, Kansas
Creator: Killam, H.
Date: September 02, 1957
This black and white photograph shows the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad depot at Alta Vista, Kansas. It was part of the Missouri -Kansas Division, Sub Division 36, at mile post 141.8.

Classroom in Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: Between 1890 and 1900
An interior view of a school classroom filled with students in Alta Vista, Kansas.

Co-op tour group from Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: January 30, 1958
A large group of Alta Vista farmers and ranchers stop at the Co-op offices in Kansas City while on a bus tour in 1958. Identified from left to right, first row: Vernon Zeckser, Oral Weeks, Homer Roberts, Walter Kraus, Vernon Richter, Clyde Thomas, Albert Meinhardt, Theodore Jones, Victor Zimmerman, and Virgil Bryant. Second row: Aaron Unruh, Harlow Crowell, O.H.Swenson, George Eberle, Roy Carlton, Wayne Horne, Dale Fechner, Emmit Furney, and Walter Rutledge. Third row: Charles Wrenn (bus driver), Carl Ziegenhirt, Purley Horne, Bert Sisson, Arthur Kahle, T.W. Hodge, W.R. Zimmerman, Henry Andret, M.W. Andres, and Walter Swartz. Fourth row: Roy Reed, John Little, Maurice Cashman, Wallace Cripps, Dan Cashman, William Reineke, Benjaman Pape, C.E. Ensiminger, and Ed Newmeyer.

Community fair in Alta Vista, Kansas
Date: 1923
This photograph of the community fair was taken from atop the viaduct bridge in Alta Vista, Kansas.

David Lowell, Jack Rathbun and Loren Rathbun
Date: 1943
A photograph of David Lowell, Jack Rathbun and Loren Rathbun dressed in military uniforms. The boys lived in Alta Vista, Kansas.

David Prickett
Date: 1936
A photograph showing David Prickett posed by the Alta Vista Grade School building holding a basketball trophy in Alta Vista, Kansas.