WILSON -- Libbie Sebesta thought of the old wedding dress and costumes on mannequins, and the pictures chronicling the history of this Czech community.

All are likely gone, said Sebesta, caretaker of the Wilson Opera House -- built in 1901 -- as she surveyed the charred remains of the town's limestone icon.

"I came down to get some groceries, and to look at it," Sebesta said late Friday morning.

The old building was "still burning" late Friday afternoon, she said, holding no hope that any priceless artifacts and historical records could be salvaged.

"If the fire didn't get it, the water would've," Sebesta said.

Hours after the blaze was controlled Friday morning, firefighters were dousing hot spots as smoke continued to billow from the ashes. Others were taking a breather after a long night of battling a blaze that claimed so much Wilson history.

"We had a lot of old stuff -- rolltop desks, display cases from stores that have closed," said Sebesta, 79. "All my scrapbooks are there. They're gone. The pictures are the main thing. Many of them will be 100 years old or more."

Dozens of folks watched from across the Union Pacific Railroad tracks as cleanup began at the opera house, Dr. Ronald Whitmer's medical office and the Johnson Building, an auto garage and storage building that sits between the two.

Wilson Police Chief Mike Schoenhofer said the fire started in the garage, but how it started was anybody's guess. The building's owner, John Johnson, could not be reached Friday.

Rod Oldridge, of Salina, an investigator with the Kansas Fire Marshal's Office, was "just getting started" with the probe aimed at determining what sparked the fire.

By late Friday afternoon, Oldridge said the cause of the fire was undetermined, the police chief said.

Could've lost the block

The fire was reported by a citizen at 2:30 a.m., Schoenhofer said. When he arrived, the garage was engulfed in flames, and the east wall of the opera house was on fire.

Wilson firefighters were moments behind, and immediately called for backup, said Nick Nelson, a Wilson firefighter.

Fire departments from Russell and Ellsworth brought their aerial trucks so they could attack the blaze from high above the roofs of the three buildings.

"If it wouldn't have been for the aerial trucks, we could've lost the whole block," said Tim Whitmer, a Wilson firefighter.

There were at least a dozen fire departments helping at the fire. The North Central Kansas chapter of the American Red Cross sent an emergency response truck from Salina to provide food and drink to 126 emergency workers, according to a Red Cross release.

Firefighters fought the fire for more than eight hours, Schoenhofer said. "The worst of it was over in three to four hours."

The building next door to the opera house, where American Legion Post 262 is located, was spared. Police Chief Schoenhofer said there are concerns whether the wall separating the legion and the opera house can function as an outside wall.

Police, Ellsworth County sheriff's officers and others were busy at midday, setting up barricades on the south shoulder of Old Highway 40 in front of the burned buildings. That section is known as 27th Street in Wilson.

Medical records were safe

At the longtime medical clinic, people were hauling out furniture, equipment and files to a soggy side lot.

Most important were the confidential medical records of patients at the clinic, said Beth Vallier, spokeswoman for Ellsworth County Medical Center, Ellsworth.

"Those were all safely secured," she said.

Whitmer's office is a rural health clinic associated with the medical center.

Walking through the clinic was difficult for Dr. Ronald Whitmer. Its roof collapsed, and the basement was full of water. Debris in the hallway outside of his examination rooms was 6 inches deep in places.

"It's really bad. It was such a nice building," said Whitmer, 65, of Ellsworth.

The building's owner, he practiced here on Mondays and Thursdays, other days at the clinic in Ellsworth. His wife, JoAnn, is a receptionist.

Could see the flames

Ronald Whitmer said he could see the flames from five miles away.

"I thought at 2:30 that we could save it, but the heat was so bad," he said.

Both Wilson natives, the Whitmers were mourning not only the loss of their clinic building, but the historic structure two doors down.

"I remember watching my first movie in the opera house. I was probably 10 or 11," Ronald Whitmer said.

Many in the town of 765 were born at the clinic, assisted by the late Dr. Francis McVoy.

"He delivered babies in the back room," Whitmer said.

Despite the loss, JoAnn Whitmer praised the firefighters from many surrounding communities.

"There are a lot of people to thank," she said.

Beginning Monday, Whitmer will see patients at Dr. Dennis Kepka's clinic off Main Street in Wilson. It is also a rural clinic associated with the medical center in Ellsworth, Vallier said.

Whitmer said he doesn't plan to rebuild his clinic.

"All we can do now is move forward, not dwell on the last 12 hours," said Roger Masse, of Ellsworth, the CEO of Ellsworth County Medical Center.

Friday morning, he was "just providing labor," at Whitmer's clinic.

Basement was a museum

The fire was a heavy blow to many in Wilson, including Sebesta. The opera house was home to many events, such as special meals and dances. Movies from the early 1930s to the early 1960s were shown there, she said. The basement served as a museum.

"A lot of history is lost there. I don't think there's a thing you could salvage," said Larry Ptacek, the assistant Wilson fire chief and a local plumber. The opera house was remodeled in the late 1970s, he said, and many dances were held there.

Ptacek said the building is owned by the nonprofit Wilson Czech Opera House Corp. Sebesta is the corporation president. She was hopeful Friday that the opera house has enough insurance coverage to clean up the mess.

"I was in there (Thursday) emptying the dehumidifiers in the basement," Sebesta said, putting her hand over her heart.

"It's horrible."

n Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by e-mail at tunruh@salina.com.

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Citizen Kane says....
The whole twon should just dry up and blow away!
11/12/2009

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Mark Bigaouette says....
This was a huge loss for the Czech community of Kansas, our hearts go out to you at this time.
11/8/2009

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mplstrout says....
My dad was born and raised in the Wilson area, and we spent many summers at the Czech festival - this is so sad - hope they will re-establish the museum - myself and I'm sure many others would donate the pics and bits of history we have - the Midland Hotel would be a wonderful alternative !!
11/7/2009

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says....
thats horrible to hear, i remember as a kid going in there with my oldest brother and watching magic shows all the time. i cant believe its gone now.
11/7/2009

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lori(socha)ostmeyer says....
How sad! So many memories of movies and dances -- the place to go in the forties and fifties. Makes me want to cry.
11/7/2009

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