More Valentine HistoryArthur Valentine died in 1954, having already relinquished some of his duties because of health concerns.The company struggled on for a few years, and in 1957 it was purchased by the Radcliff family. The diners built during the Radcliff years were kept small for portability, but the design allowed for additional sections for booths. Furthermore, new structures were created for other uses. Arthur Valentine had designed some buildings for ice cream stores and apparently for liquor stores after Prohibition was repealed in Kansas in 1949, but the Radcliffs went further, making car washes and drive-up banks, to name a few. The diversification was necessary to attract business, but it wasn't enough to keep up with the competition brought on by such businesses as developing burger chains and general urban growth. By the end of the 1960s Valentine was slowly fading away, and by 1975 it was gone for good. Today a joint project between the Kansas Historical Society and the American Diner Museum of Providence, Rhode Island, is under way to locate existing Valentine Diners across the United States and document the history of the famous Wichita diner company. In some places, individuals or groups have purchased diners for personal use or to restore them to their original function. For example, the Lakewood Heritage Center in Colorado has plans to restore its Valentine building. A number of diners survive, and although many have been converted for other uses, many more stand abandoned and deteriorating. Fortunately, several Valentines are still operating as diners in Kansas and can be found in Wichita, Liberal, Welda, Topeka, and Junction City, as well as at locations beyond our state's borders. "The diner is like a family reunion every day," said Danny Dean, owner of Brint's Diner in Wichita. But it was a contented customer who may have been put into words the legacy of this Kansas creation: "One thing is sure," he said, "you'll find a lot of heart in the old Valentine Diner." If you have information about a Valentine Diner or the Valentine Manufacturing Company, please contact Blair Tarr, Museum Curator, at the Kansas Historical Society, btarr@kshs.org. This story may be found in the Summer 2003 issue of Kansas Heritage, available to members of the Kansas Historical Society. Explore other links on the Valentine story:
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