JCHS Presentation on Occidental May 6

The Johnson County Historical Society (JCHS) will present the final program for the year Monday at the Johnson County Library in Buffalo.

Joan K. Smith will be discussing the history of the Occidental Hotel.

In a release from the JCHS, Smith said, “the Occidental Hotel is a part of the Smith story: mine, along with my sisters, Margaret and Betty, as well as my cousin Alfred B. Smith and his children Sheryl and Mike.”

The story of the Occidental, from 1917 through 1997, is a story blended with the story of the Smith Brother’s Ranch, as well as the stories of the extended families.

The Occidental was more than a building or a business, it was the story of a family, of the good and bad, of struggles and the successful perseverance and a lasting legacy.

The program will be presented Monday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Twing Room at the library in Buffalo.

The public is invited to attend the free event.