The Pittsburg Business College was founded in 1894 by O. S. Johnston and remained in operation until 1946. The building at 318 South Broadway was built in 1918 at an approximate cost of $100,000 with another $25,000 being spent on furnishings. The official dedication was on Dec. 2, 1918 and was touted as “one of the finest privately owned college buildings in the country,” according the Pittsburg Business College Journal of 1919-1929. It also stated that the Pittsburg Business College was the only school in the Midwest that was fully accredited by the National Association of Accredited Commercial Schools.

The college occupied the top two floors of the building with its offices on the second story. The first floor was the home to the Central Automobile and Tractor School. The basement contained a 50’ x 80’ gymnasium that was used for meetings and sports competitions.

Enrollment at the school started with a few dozen students in 1894 reaching its peak attendance around 1919 with 2000 students. Upon its closing in 1946 there were fewer than 200 students. After the Pittsburg Business College moved out, the building became home to the Annshire Garment Factory. The third floor was converted to a skating rink during the 50’s and 60’s.

On April 11, 2001, a bad windstorm caused the back southeast part of the roof to collapse which resulted in the third floor then collapsing. The building being beyond repair was unfortunatly torn down later that summer.