The building at 373 Wisconsin SW in Huron in recent years.
Like many other local buildings, this one was designed by prominent architect F. C. W. Kuehn and built for Frank D. Kinyon to house his funeral home business. A little about Kuehn: He was born in 1884 in LeMars, Iowa, and shortly afterward moved to a sod house with his family to Sanborn co., Dakota Territory. At the age of 19 (give or take) they moved to Huron. Here he married and had a family. He took correspondence courses in architecture and afterward worked with Huron architect George Issenhuth. In 1909, he opened his own office. He designed many school houses in the area, including several in Huron; however he also was involved with designing homes and other buildings as well as drawing county maps. He died in 1970.
This building is described as a "two-story basement and brick building" for F. D. Kinyon, Plan No. H 3-30-7.
Kinyon Funeral Home was established in Huron in 1915, originating in Bradley, SD. When relocating to Huron, Frank D. Kinyon took over the funeral home of John P. Walsh, which was located at 127 Third St. SW. The building pictured above, located on 4th and Wisconsin Ave., was finished and occupied in 1927. The business was run by Kinyon, who was later joined by his son, Frank I. Kinyon. In 1945, the elder Kinyon retired, and his son took a job as field representative for the American Red Cross in Battle Creek, Michigan.
At that time, the building was sold to the American Legion Post #7 for $42,000. Besides a new home for the Post, the Auxiliary and the junior organization of the Legion were also to be housed there. The building continued in their ownership through at least 1992, and probably for some time afterward.
Sources:
Current photo - Google Earth
Huron City Directories, 1926 - 1992
Daily Huronite, 03 June 1945
Daily Huronite and Plainsman, 28 June 1946
