by Bronwyn Page, From the Archives – Reno County Museum
As the holidays are officially upon us, I find myself swept up in the familiar rhythm of the season—running around town in search of the perfect gifts, planning festive meals, and joining neighbors at the Light Up Hutch Christmas parade and countless community events.
Yet, amid all the bustle, I can’t help but pause and wonder what this time of year looked and felt like for generations before us. My thoughts drift to the Wiley Building, Hutchinson’s “skyscraper on the prairie,” where holiday traditions weren’t just about shopping but about experiencing the joy of community during the most magical time of year.
For generations, Hutchinson families began the holiday season at Wiley’s Department Store. The towering eight-story building at First and Main became a beacon of festivity each December, its street-level windows glowing with elaborate displays of toys, winter fashions and glittering ornaments that captivated children and adults alike. Inside, the store bustled with carolers, Santa visits and the aroma of hot cocoa drifting from the mezzanine tea room.
The Wiley Building was the bold vision of Vernon M. Wiley, who partnered with A.O. Rorabaugh to establish the Rorabaugh-Wiley Dry Goods Company. In 1912, Wiley announced plans to replace Hutchinson’s opera house with an eight-story skyscraper—twice the height of any other downtown building. Local bankers balked at financing such an ambitious project in a prairie town, but Wiley secured a $350,000 loan from Chase Manhattan Bank in New York. The banker famously remarked, “If you have the nerve to build an eight-story skyscraper out in the middle of the prairie, we ought to have the nerve to lend you the money.” Construction began in 1912, and by Nov. 20, 1913, the store opened to great fanfare, welcoming 10,000 visitors on its first day.
Wiley’s occupied the first four floors, offering everything from linens and cosmetics to bridal gowns and housewares. The mezzanine tea room became a social hub, where shoppers dined in elegance under chandeliers and heavy drapes. The upper floors housed more than 90 office suites, including the Commercial Club and Hutchinson Board of Trade. The Wiley Investment Company also built the Fox Theatre in 1930, connected to the department store by a bridge. This integration of retail, entertainment and community spaces made the Wiley Building a center of both commerce and civic life.
By the mid-20th century, malls and suburban shopping centers began to draw customers away from downtown. Wiley’s closed its tea room in 1968, and after a fire in 1971 and years of declining sales, the department store shut its doors in 1985. The building fell into disrepair, but preservationists recognized its historic significance. Listed as endangered in 1993, it was eventually saved in 2014, ensuring that Hutchinson’s “skyscraper on the prairie” would remain part of the city’s landscape.
The Wiley Building symbolizes Hutchinson’s ambition, resilience and civic pride. It was a place where families celebrated milestones, where brides planned weddings and where holiday traditions flourished.
Its towering presence on Main Street reminds residents of a time when downtown was the center of life, and shopping was an event woven into the fabric of community. Today, the Wiley Building stands as both a monument to Hutchinson’s past and a reminder of the city’s enduring spirit.
Bronwyn Page is the director of operations at the Reno County Museum. She can be reached at bronwyn@renocomuseum.org.