Randall Braden | Special to The Herald-Chronicle

Archie Larison, 89, of Osage City says that while he can’t prove it, he believes that a historic structure in Osage City’s central business district razed by fire on Sunday was built in 1870. (City maps later indicated the building was slightly newer, being built sometime between 1885 and 1891.)

“At least this is what I’ve heard,” he said.

A common stairway into the two-story building separated Mink Photography and A Sign for You, located at 531 Market St., from the Ramblin’ Rose gift shop at 529 Market St.

Found in the original abstract compiled by the Osage County Abstract & Title Company were the rights to sell the land on which the two business sites were to be located.

Granting the rights on June 15, 1865, was then U.S. President Andrew Johnson, and recorded July 9, 1867. The first landowner was recorded as John McManus. At a later date, Mr. Wetherell was shown as landowner of the site. Throughout history, the land on which the structure has been situated is known as the Wetherell addition in Osage City.

According to Larison, the building was once occupied by a bank, “until it was closed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. He closed every bank in the country,” the longtime resident and business owner said.

Later it became home to a jewelry store owned and operated by V.E. Underwood.

“It made an ideal jewelry store because of the walk-in vault left by the bank,” Larison noted.

A school-trained watchmaker and jeweler himself, Larison bought out Underwood in 1960 and continued to run the business as a jewelry store.

“I operated it as Larison Jewelers,” he said.

Larison closed the store in December 1995 and later sold the building to a couple in Burlingame. The building was later sold to Nancy Washburn, who operated Ramblin’ Rose gift shop from this location until Sunday’s fire.

Larison said the building at 531 Market St. was once occupied by Sylvan’s Dry Goods.

“This is my earliest memory,” he said. “When I came to town in 1948, the Anderson brothers had a clothing store there. Pete Shawgo also owned and operated a clothing store at this location.”

After that time, several businesses set up shop at the downtown location, including a coffee shop, restaurant and gun store. It also housed The Osage County Herald newspaper prior to being occupied by Mink Photography.

“It changed hands pretty often,” Larison remembers.