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Atchison's black business past set for renewal

By Brian Hagen

05/20/2025

Credit: Atchison County Historical Society

(KAIR)--Forward steps are taken in the goal of restoring a part of Atchison history, as the County Historical Society continues forward with its plan of seeing new life brought to what once was Atchison's Black Business District, located on the City of Atchison's northside.

According to a release from the Society, last week, on Thursday, a new roof was put on the smallest building located within the district. The goal, the release says, is to have that structure serve as a Black History Museum once all remodeling is completed.

The release credits the work of Kenny Smith for assisting with reinforcing the building to allow for the roofing work.

The contractor, J.J. Seymore is also credited, with the release saying "he and his crew did an excellent job considering what they had to work with."

The release notes that "it takes time and money to make a project like this work," saying that anyone interested in providing support for the project should contact the Historical Society.

According to the Society, Atchison's northside was once the home to 100 Black-owned businesses, which was described in a past release as "a thriving hub of activity for the Black community," with students from Benedictine College, as well as Atchison residents, frequenting the once-standing businesses during the late 1960's.

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