Observatory Hill Timeline
By Zane Crow

• April 1898: H.H Martin and P.H Albright start to secure funding for the observatory.
  
• October 4, 1898: Lease granted to the Winfield Astronomical association to build the observatory.
  
• October 7, 1898: Building contract awarded to Strader & Olin.
  
• November 3, 1898: The cornerstone of the observatory was laid under the auspices of the Masonic fraternity, accompanied by music from Caman’s Military Band.
  
• January 13, 1899: The cottonwood trees that A.J Thompson planted in front of his house [1120 East 9th] in 1873 got cut down, so that the observatory can be seen from main street.
  
• November 14, 1899: H.H Martin dies Tuesday, Nov 14, 1899.
  
• 1899: The tower structure is completed, note that a telescope was never installed. Interest in completing the project fades.

• 1900: Several lady’s clubs, as well as St. John’s college take up the effort to plant trees on the hillside, the ladies planting more than 150 trees, the college planting 30.
  
• 1901:  Public Schools and local colleges take part in beautifying the hill.
  
• 1902: Suggestions to re-organize the astronomical society appear in newspapers.
  
• 1903: The dome is repainted, motivated by P.H Albright, saying he doesn’t want a good building to go into ruins. The doors and windows were boarded up by the city to stop trespassing and vandalism.
  
• 1904: P.H Albright holds a meeting with the astronomical association, it was decided that the stock of the Winfield astronomical association would be transferred to Southwestern College and the association be dissolved.
  
• 1906: An astronomy lecture by Professor Nowlin of the Cowley County Normal Institute was hosted on observatory hill.
  
• 1907: East End citizens complain about vandalism and cows pasturing on the hill.
  
• 1908: City buys property around the hill.
  
• June 1910: John Fuller, hired by the city, turns the observatory into an observation tower, removing the dome and adding a deck and ornamental parapet.
  
• June 8, 1910: The Winfield Daily Free Press writes in their paper people are “keeping the bonfire on the hill going by feeding it boards torn from the old observatory, which is going to rack and ruin fast enough without that sort of vandalism.”
  
• September 1910: At a city council meeting, the name of Observatory Hill got changed to Albright Park, in honor of P.H Albright.

• 1920-1921: BSA Troop 2 cleans up the tower, as well as set up a wireless radio station, with permission of the city. The tower inside was re-painted, as well as electricity and gas lines installed.
  
• August 1921: Thieves break into the observatory and steal the wireless radio set the boy scouts were using.
  
• April 17, 1922: Mrs. L.A Dungey took her Sunday school class to a picnic on the hill, roasting marshmallows, and hotdogs on a bonfire.
  
• 1927: The observatory tower was demolished.

• 1937: National Youth Administration builds retaining walls around the north, west, and south sides of the property.

• 1940’s: During WWII an Aircraft Observation tower is built on the hill.

• 1986: St. John’s College closes and land transfers to Trinity Lutheran Church and School.
  
• 1999: The property is sold to a private owner and Lone Pine Lodge is built, named for a single pine tree located at the top of the hill.

• 2023: Current view of property.