Bennington History continued....
Some years after his brother's departure,  Dr. L. M. Hinshaw moved his office into the residence which had been owned  by Mrs. Hinshaw's the Alvords at 217 North Nelson.  Dr. L. M. Hinshaw served in the State Legislature as a Representative for two years.      Dr. Chas. C. Boyle, son of M. C. Boyle of Minneapolis, established his osteopathic practice in Bennington in March, 1919,  over the H. A. Elliott Drug Store.  Mr. Boyle acquired the  J. S. Boyle office building and in 1983 erected a new clinic building.  In 1954, Dr. Chas E. Werhan joined his uncle's practice and the Boyle-Werhan Clinic was formed.      Mr. Louden had a print shop about where the Jess Kirkby building stands on Main Street.  The Bennington Democrat, an early day newspaper, was published by John Hoskins and it too was located on the east side of Main Street.  On April 15, 1915, Albert B. Edson came to town and began publication of the Ottawa County Democrat.  His shop was located in the house at the southwest corner of Washington and Struble.  The Bennington Concert Band was an early day organization; it was reorganized in 1912 with Mac Shepard as the manager and Chas. E. Dale as leader.  This excellent musical organization was recognized as superior to any other similar group in this section of the state.  The members include L. L. Ostrander, E. B. Hinshaw, Chester Quinn, Geo. Kubach, A. M. McAdams, Chas. Rake, Israel Markley, Lewis Dale, Alex Rehberg, Arthhur Haley, Don Boardman, Chester Watts, Harley Watts, Carl Schuler, W. H. Garrison, Bently Nelson,  L. M. Hinshaw,  Chas. Benedict, Harry Drake, Will Drake, Marshall Haley, Chas. Dale, who was the leader, Oliver Benedict, Charles Houdek, and Mac Shepard, who was the manager.      Bennington was also the home of Solomon Valley Quartet, also known as a "Band of Merry Maker,"  owing to their excellent work in light comedy as well as their excellent variety of quartet numbers.  The quartet was composed of:  E. B. Hinshaw, A. N. McAdams, Marshall Haley and Otto Cole.      The late Lewis "Bobby" Dale founded the famous Black and Gold Band in 1930.  It was composed of approximately 140 musicians from Ada, Bennington, Beverly, Culver and Tescott.  Mr. Dale spent his life in music.  He went to the Navy School of Music from his Bennington home.  Three Bennington members of the Black and Gold Band remained in the field of music.  They include Julia Orner Wilson, Larry Watts and Ben Markley.  In 1957, Mr. Dale retired as director of the organization he founded and was succeeded by Charles Howard.  Now, nine years later, the Kansas school district unification law has rung down the curtain on the famous five community band.  The Black and Gold Band played its own requiem on April 15, 1966, at the Tescott High School Auditorium.      Before the 1912 fire, the following businesses were located on the east side of Main Street, beginning at the south end and moving north:  the hotel, Dr. Crosswaite's Drug Store, a bakery, a restraunt, Eicholtz's Racket Store, Chas. E. Dale Jewelry, Will Straight's Pump Shop, Hoskins Print Shop, Vineyard's Barbershop.  The block was vacant from there to the corner.  Then across Washington Street the Leidigh and Havens Lumber Yard and across  Main Street to the west, the Bennington State Bank across Main Street again going south, J. S. Boyle, real estate and insurance office, post office, Farmers State Bank, Gorsline Variety Store, Ostrander's Implement, O.H. Shepard's General Merchandise, Nina Shepard's Hat Shop, W. P. Rose and Will Rake meat market, McConnell's Metal Shop, Washburn's Hardware, Furniture and Undertaking establishment,  then across Bennington Street the Band Shell and proceeding east, across Nelson Street, Reinhardt's General Store, which did not burn.      In 1916, the following business enterprises were operating in Bennington:  May and Patterson, dealers in farm implements, automobiles, harnesses, carriages and grain and feed supplies, Ostrander Implement Co., Bennington Garage operated by R. A. Bowver and E. B. Boyer, Miller and Schmidt, hardware and furniture, Otto Cole, manager for the W. J. Werhan and Son Hardware and Furniture Store, Chas. Houdek, Blacksmith Shop, Chas. Russell Blacksmith and Machine Shop, R. Reinhardt and Co., General Store (one of the finest in Bennington and it was a family trading store), O. H. Shepard and Son General Merchandise, The Leader Store, Ralph Good, owner, General Merchandise and Clothing, Klein's Barber Shop, Leo Klein, owner, (this shop was equipped with a bath), Vineyard's Barbershop, D. E. Vineyard, owner, John Lee's Lunch Room, F. J. Honious' Restraunt patronized by regular boarders, as well as transients, E. O. Copple's Cafe, catered to the "fussy" trade, Elliott's Pharmacy, H. A. Elliott, proprietor, Bennington State Bank (still in operation), Farmers State Bank, Chas. E. Dale Jewelry and Mrs. Dale was a registered optometrist, Wm. Straight Pump Shop, City Meat Market owned by Wm. Rake, Farmers Elevator Co., S. R. Dillinger manager, J. S. Boyle, Real Estate, Loans and Insurance, W. F. Dale operated a Dray line, L. S.  Nolf operated a dray line and did all kinds of transferring in town, Dr. L. M.  Hinshaw, M.D., Dr. E. B. Hinshaw, Dentist, Union Pacific Railway, A. J. Swick, agent (this railroad served Bennington with two passenger and two freight trains daily), Mrs. John Lee's Rooming House, Ottawa County Democrat, edited by A. B. Edson, Leidigh and Havens Lumber Co., S. J. Swanson, manager, E. N. Lott, contractor and builder, M. J. Werhan, contractor and builder, Bennington Opera House, J. Moker Shoe Shop, P. W.  Smith and E. S. Cowell, painters and paper hangers, Bennington Telephone Exchange, Lee Henry's Experimental Wireless, B. F. Markley Light and Power Co., W. B. Washburn, funeral director and embalmer.  Mrs. Otto Cole was the postmistress in 1916, and the post office was open 8 a.m. to * daily, except Sunday, when there was no mail service at all.  J. H. Nelson was the mayor in 1916, and in that year he was instrumental in adding another 25 blocks of concrete sidewalks in addition to what had already been laid.
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