Hercules Juneau 1836 - 1921
Mr. Juneau was one of the organizers of the Phoenix Club, served as its president, and was also active in organizing the Industrial Club, which he likewise served as president. These two clubs have since been merged and comprise the Phoenix-Industrial Club, both a social and business organization. As an old soldier Mr. Juneau has been commander of Lewis Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and was a member of the board of directors of the Soldiers Home at Dodge City for three years. He is a Scottish Rite thirty-second degree Mason, with membership in Wichita Consistory. At Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the fall of 1866, Mr. Juneau married Miss Louise Teafeau. She was also born in the district of Montreal, Canada, and her death occurred at Theresa, Wisconsin, and she left no children.
Phoenix Club
It started out as the “Dog House, Inc” and ended up as a forerunner to Dodge City’s Chamber of Commerce.
Hercules Juneau, who for a time owned the only lumberyard in Dodge City, helped organize Phoenix Club which chartered on June 28, 1887. This phoenix rose out of the ashes of its short-lived predecessor, Dog House, Inc. Juneau also helped found the Industrial Club which eventually merged with the Phoenix Club. These clubs were quasi-commercial and provided a place where men could play cards, discuss business and socialize. In today’s terminology, they were locations where people would “network.”
The Phoenix-Industrial Club was exclusive. A man couldn’t come uninvited to a meeting — he had to be solicited by a member. Members were considered the “elite” of Dodge City.
The members were Dodge City’s movers and shakers in the late 19th century and early 20th century. According to P.H. Sughrue, in an interview with the Dodge City Daily Globe during the late 1950′s, “When there was anything to be done, like getting a land office, the soldiers’ home, or the forestry station, it fell to one of the members of the old Phoenix Club to approach the proper powers.”
About one-half of the members were farmers, who were encouraged to join with a reduced membership fee of $1 per year. Other members had to pay that same amount per month.
At first, the Club met upstairs in Hiram T. Burr Building at 209 West Spruce, but the tenants and neighbors forced them to the basement after complaining of the noise generated from laughter and the pounding of fists on card table tops. According to Burr, the basement had “plenty of heat and light, and [was] cool in the summer.” This made it an excellent venue for the Club’s get-togethers.
In addition to card playing and meetings, the Club held dances and other gatherings which were highlights on the social calendar for both the men and their wives. Eventually the Commercial Club took the niche now filled by the Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce, supplanting the role of the Phoenix-Industrial Club. In 1911, the Commercial Club boasted over 180 business and individual members. At that time, Dodge City notables Chalkley Beeson, H.B. Bell, Drs. Thomas and Claude McCarty, and Dentist O.H. Simpson belonged to the Commercial Club. The Phoenix Club lasted into the middle 1930s.
Mr. Juneau was one of the organizers of the Phoenix Club, served as its president, and was also active in organizing the Industrial Club, which he likewise served as president. These two clubs have since been merged and comprise the Phoenix-Industrial Club, both a social and business organization. As an old soldier Mr. Juneau has been commander of Lewis Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and was a member of the board of directors of the Soldiers Home at Dodge City for three years. He is a Scottish Rite thirty-second degree Mason, with membership in Wichita Consistory. At Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the fall of 1866, Mr. Juneau married Miss Louise Teafeau. She was also born in the district of Montreal, Canada, and her death occurred at Theresa, Wisconsin, and she left no children.
Phoenix Club
It started out as the “Dog House, Inc” and ended up as a forerunner to Dodge City’s Chamber of Commerce.
Hercules Juneau, who for a time owned the only lumberyard in Dodge City, helped organize Phoenix Club which chartered on June 28, 1887. This phoenix rose out of the ashes of its short-lived predecessor, Dog House, Inc. Juneau also helped found the Industrial Club which eventually merged with the Phoenix Club. These clubs were quasi-commercial and provided a place where men could play cards, discuss business and socialize. In today’s terminology, they were locations where people would “network.”
The Phoenix-Industrial Club was exclusive. A man couldn’t come uninvited to a meeting — he had to be solicited by a member. Members were considered the “elite” of Dodge City.
The members were Dodge City’s movers and shakers in the late 19th century and early 20th century. According to P.H. Sughrue, in an interview with the Dodge City Daily Globe during the late 1950′s, “When there was anything to be done, like getting a land office, the soldiers’ home, or the forestry station, it fell to one of the members of the old Phoenix Club to approach the proper powers.”
About one-half of the members were farmers, who were encouraged to join with a reduced membership fee of $1 per year. Other members had to pay that same amount per month.
At first, the Club met upstairs in Hiram T. Burr Building at 209 West Spruce, but the tenants and neighbors forced them to the basement after complaining of the noise generated from laughter and the pounding of fists on card table tops. According to Burr, the basement had “plenty of heat and light, and [was] cool in the summer.” This made it an excellent venue for the Club’s get-togethers.
In addition to card playing and meetings, the Club held dances and other gatherings which were highlights on the social calendar for both the men and their wives. Eventually the Commercial Club took the niche now filled by the Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce, supplanting the role of the Phoenix-Industrial Club. In 1911, the Commercial Club boasted over 180 business and individual members. At that time, Dodge City notables Chalkley Beeson, H.B. Bell, Drs. Thomas and Claude McCarty, and Dentist O.H. Simpson belonged to the Commercial Club. The Phoenix Club lasted into the middle 1930s.
Dodge City, Kansas A Wicked Little Townhttps://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-dodgecity/
Famous for its rich history as a frontier cowtown, Dodge City offers up a wide array of legends, lore, and history to travelers in western Kansas. Once called home or visited by such notables as Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Big Nose Kate, and Clay Allison, this old town had a reputation for being the most wicked town in the Old West.
In 1865, Fort Dodge was established near the present site of Dodge City. During these rough times, the pioneers were often attacked by marauding Indians. The Fort offered protection to the wagon trains from the Indians, provided mail service and served as a supply base for troops engaged in the Indian Wars to the south. Major General Greville Dodge was placed in command of the 11th and 16th Kansas Cavalry Regiments and began work during the harsh winter of 1865, to repair telegraph lines and reopen travel routes. The Indians usually refrained from attacks during winter months.
Famous for its rich history as a frontier cowtown, Dodge City offers up a wide array of legends, lore, and history to travelers in western Kansas. Once called home or visited by such notables as Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Big Nose Kate, and Clay Allison, this old town had a reputation for being the most wicked town in the Old West.
In 1865, Fort Dodge was established near the present site of Dodge City. During these rough times, the pioneers were often attacked by marauding Indians. The Fort offered protection to the wagon trains from the Indians, provided mail service and served as a supply base for troops engaged in the Indian Wars to the south. Major General Greville Dodge was placed in command of the 11th and 16th Kansas Cavalry Regiments and began work during the harsh winter of 1865, to repair telegraph lines and reopen travel routes. The Indians usually refrained from attacks during winter months.