Cattle Drive Mural

1041 Military Avenue, Baxter Springs, KS 66713
Phone:

East < GO > West

The Longhorn Cattle Drive Mural was created by John Gibbons in 1991 according to the signature in the lower right corner. It is located on 11th St. and Military Ave. (Route 66) on the side of the former Bilke's Western Store. The mural memorializes Baxter Springs as being the first "Cowtown" in Kansas.

In 2016 the Somewhere In Time antique store opened in this building and the place was chock full of cool old items when we visited. The antique store closed permanently in the fall of 2025, but as of the fall of 2025 the mural was still there.

Bilke's Western Store was on the first floor and Bilke's Western Museum was upstairs. They occupied this building for about 30 years until Jim Bilke retired in 2012.

Before the Bilke Western Store moved in the building had housed Sweet's Furniture. Before Sweets this was the home of Harvey's Furniture and Undertaking business going back to at least 1921 in this building.

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Vintage Advertising Highlights

Route 66 and Main Street, Baxter Springs, Kansas

HARVEYS

NOTE: This more of a generic city image postcard as opposed to a more typical advertising postcard.

1st image: The text on the front of this undated postcard indicates it was printed after Route 66 came on the scene, and the cars seem to be from at least the mid-1930s. There's no descriptive text on the back of this postcard.

2nd image: I enlarged a portion of the postcard to show the Harvey's name painted between the second floor windows on the building.
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Photo(s): 2013