The oldest city in Johnson County, Wikipedia says. Forty-seven hundred souls. The nearest community to the eat is Venus, and now I have to give that a look. Notable people born there include Terry Southern. I assume he fled at the earliest possible opportunity.

Ill-served by every renovation, from the awning to the brick. It must have been fully glassed once, a bright showcase of goods.

A bit much, that.

On the other hand, why not.

3 When they’re left open to the elements like this, you know nothing’s ever coming back.

I mean, maybe it could be fixed up, and rented, and someone could make a go of it, and the locals would smile with pride, but . . .

This one seems ready to go, and there’s nothing there.

Perhaps it’ll be different the next time the Google car rolls around.

A senior center now, but you know what it once was.

I’d bet money on it.

And the money would come from a pnuematic tube!

Cool old sign.

One day it’ll fall, or burn.

This appears to be a going concern.

It has a lot of history but you sense it doesn't want to talk about it at all.

Original post-war building, once the local nice store for nice things.

Or so I believe. The plate glass windows give no clue about what it sold, though. There's no name, no sign. Could've been clothes; could've been appliances.

An admirable symmetry and concision to the design.

A view from 2013 has an unusual shadow from the Buckaroo Revival overhang. Makes the building look as if it's levitating.

And the most recent view.

So there’s hope.

That'll do. Now hit the road.