National and State Registers of Historic Places
Snowden S. Mouse Service Station & Tourist Home
413 E 6th St. & 526 N. Exchange St.
Emporia (Lyon County)
Listed in National Register
Jun 29, 2018
Architect: Unknown
Category: commerce
Thematic Nomination: Roadside Kansas
Located a few blocks east of Emporia's downtown, the Snowden S. Mouse Service Station & Tourist Home witnessed the history of Highway 50 through this town. The tourist home, built in 1894 as a single-family dwelling, was moved from its original location at the corner of 6th and Exchange by Snowden S. Mouse in 1930, and the first gas station structure was built shortly after to accommodate automobiles on 6th Avenue, which shortly thereafter became Highway 50. In 1934 the station's second structure was built, and the tenants evolved to accommodate high volumes of traffic and transportation across the highway. Around 1970, traffic on Highway 50 became less high-volume. As a result, the businesses in the property evolved to less-automobile related.