Beebe General Store
Historical Plaza Walking Tour Stop 13
Directly across South Main Street, a double building housed the general store owned by Jerome Beebe. He sold groceries, wines and liquor, and reapers and plows. The events of Sunday, August 15, 1873, led up to the shoot-out that killed Sheriff Whitney. Just as the Sheriff seemed to have the situation defused, "Happy Jack" Morco came charging down the street from the west with both guns drawn. Ben Thompson opened fire from the front of Brennan's Saloon (12) with his Henry rifle. The shot hit the door jam as Happy Jack dived into Beebe's Store. Five days later, Ellsworth lawman, Ed Crawford, shot an unarmed Texan, Cad Pierce, in the side. Pierce ran into Beebe's store where Crawford again shot him and beat him to death. Crawford was fired from the police force and was killed by an unknown cowboy at Lizzy Palmer's Dance Hall serveral blocks southeast of here in Nauchville on November 2, 1873.
Marker is on South Main Street near Douglas Avenue (Kansas Route 14), on the right when traveling west.
Courtesy hmdb.org
