History of Wichita’s McLean family up for sale

Four generations of McLean family history is now for sale.

“Everything is going: All the paintings, furniture, rugs on the floor, everything in the cabinets, the china, crystal and silver,” said Angela McLean, the last of the McLeans living in Wichita.

The McLeans are one of the oldest, most prominent Wichita families. That’s McLean as in McLean Boulevard, McLean Bridge and McLean Science and Technology Magnet Elementary School.

So why the sale, and why now?

“Since my mother passed away last year, I am the only one living here,” said Angela McLean. “It is just too much for any one person.

“The stuff that is in here belonged to the same family, in the same house for 60 years – four generations of items dating back to my great-grandparents.”

Julianne McLean’s Steinway piano is for sale and expected to go for between $50,000 and $70,000, said George Byfield, co-owner with his wife, Janice, of Byfield and Byfield Estate Sales. Their company is organizing the sale.

George Byfield estimates as many as 2,000 to 3,000 people may come to the first day of the sale, which starts Wednesday.

Family history

Benjamin McLean – Angela’s great-grandfather – served as Wichita’s mayor three times during the early 20th century and was president of Fourth National Bank.

He is credited with getting much of Riverside Park cleared of brush and being one of the first city officials to help beautify the riverbank area.

Elizabeth McLean – Angela’s grandmother – is the reason I-235 curves where it does in northwest Wichita. Decades ago, when state and federal engineers wanted to route the I-235 bypass through the Benjamin Hills development, Elizabeth McLean protested – driving all the way to Topeka and sitting in Gov. Andrew Schoeppel’s office until he agreed to see her.

She named the streets in her developments after her favorite animals and flowers.

During the Roaring ’20s, Elizabeth Anna and Drew McLean (Benjamin’s son) lived in New York City, where she attended the National Academy of Design and he taught English at a boys school.

The Elizabeth A. McLean Residence at 2359 N. McLean is a 1956 split-level ranch house in Benjamin Hills. It is the only pink marble house in Wichita – and one of a handful in the nation – constructed of 100 tons of marble installed by one of the craftsmen who worked on the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The living room was constructed for Elizabeth’s daughter, Julianne, a classical pianist who in 1956 was on board the Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria when it sank en route to Copenhagen. Julianne escaped the sinking ship.

Julianne was a friend of famed pianist Van Cliburn and studied voice under choral conductor Robert Shaw while in New York.

The Benjamin Hills neighborhood is named for Angela’s uncle, Benjamin. He was killed in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

For sale

Items for sale include Benjamin’s ceremonial military sword, a knuckle knife, helmets, goggles, some military clothing items and a pair of Lucchese military boots in pristine condition.

Other items include a 1930s Navajo Indian rug, Indian baskets, a Hitler “photo album” book, old newspapers, books, an autographed photo of Wrong Way Corrigan and a hand-carved totem pole that Benjamin made, which will need to be removed from the yard.

There are many pieces of Venetian glassware, pottery, dishes and linens. There is antique living room furniture, bookcases and French Provincial bedroom furniture.

And records, CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes. Ordinary things mixed with the extraordinary.

There are ceramic elephants from Thailand and frames made from sea shells. There are original paintings by Karl May, Charles Webster Hawthorn and Robert Redbird.

“I have enjoyed this my entire life,” Angela McLean said. “My great-grandfather was born in Nova Scotia and wanted to come to the United States and go West in search of opportunity. In the late 1880s, this was the end of the line.

“There are many stories in this house.”

After the estate sale, McLean said, she will eventually put the house up for sale.

“It has well over 3,000 square feet and almost two acres of land,” she said. “Everything, with the exception of a small handful of personal items I am keeping for myself, is for sale.

“There are items from every continent except Antarctica – and I don’t know if they have a gift shop there.”

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 6:22 PM with the headline "History of Wichita’s McLean family up for sale."