THEY ALSO RAN GALLERY

The mezzanine of the First State Bank in Norton, Kansas, holds the They Also Ran Gallery, a museum that consists of portraits of unsuccessful contenders for the office of President of the United States of America.  Most are from the nation's two primary parties, Republican and Democrat.  The gallery of wood-framed portraits from the Library of Congress starts with Jefferson, who lost in 1796 to John Adams and won four years later against Aaron Burr.  Many that appear had been President, but lost when they ran for a second term.

W.W. Rouse, a former owner and president of the bank, started the gallery in 1965.  Mr. Rouse, an avid history buff, had just finished reading Irving Stone's book, They Also Ran, about presidential candidates who lost.  Irving Stone's book was especially appealing to Mr. Rouse because considerable attention was paid to Horace Greeley, the publisher of the New York Tribune.  Greeley reportedly stopped in Norton at Station 15 of Leavenworth Pike's Peak Express Company stagecoach line on his campaign in 1872.  A reproduction of Station 15 is located at the Roadside Park on Highway 36 (across from the Dairy Queen) in Norton.  It's called Station 15 because Norton was the 15th stagecoach stop from Kansas City to Denver.