My Latest Read by Jim Potter Having just completed reading Laurence Kruckman's Driftless Anthology: Coming of Age in Western Wisconsin (Little Creek Press, Mineral Point, WI, 2026), I'm highly recommending it to readers and writers. If you're a reader, you can meet magnificent people without leaving home. If you're a writer, you'll see how a sense of place is a requirement in great writing and the setting allows for your creative characters to interact. Author Kruckman is a … [Read more...] about Driftless Anthology
Blog posts
Researching Robert
Naval Radio School at Harvard University By Jim Potter By January 20, 1918, when Seaman Second Class Robert Parks began classes at the Navy School of Radio Electricians, on Harvard University's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the training facility was overflowing with men, graduating four hundred radio operators a week. The Navy was doing its best to meet the immediate shortage of trained wireless operators for merchant ships, troop transports, armed guard vessels, and … [Read more...] about Researching Robert
In 1934, how could Fay Brown legally sell beer at his Hutchinson restaurant?
In 1934, how could Fay Brown legally sell beer at his Hutchinson restaurant? By Jim Potter Steve Harmon, Hutchinson, Kansas, historian, called me recently to help him solve a mystery about state prohibition that was triggered by one of his incredible, local, historical photographs. Steve couldn’t explain how a Hutchinson restaurant on Main Street in 1934 could advertise beer, when state legislation permitting the sale of 3.2% beer (by weight) wasn’t passed until 1937, when it … [Read more...] about In 1934, how could Fay Brown legally sell beer at his Hutchinson restaurant?
Chelsea Piers, New York City, in 1912
Chelsea Piers in 1912 New York City By Jim Potter New Chelsea Piers, New York City (1900-1920) fixp While researching the New York City waterfront and its piers, I found this incredibly detailed photograph of Chelsea Piers. The photograph was identified as having been taken between 1910 and 1920, but I was pretty sure I could narrow the date down to the exact year. In this essay I'll share some history and explain how I determined the photo was taken in 1912. The accompanying … [Read more...] about Chelsea Piers, New York City, in 1912
Researching Robert
Gladys Gamble Parks Sailed on the RMS Scythia By Jim Potter RMS Scythia’s passenger list revealed personal information about Gladys Mary Parks. She was eighteen, married, born in 1908 in Kingston-Hull, England. Gladys was five feet, three inches tall (two inches shorter than Robert), with brown hair, brown eyes, and a dark complexion. She had a burn scar on the back of her neck, was in possession of twenty-eight dollars (worth $516 in 2026), and her occupation was listed as housewife. … [Read more...] about Researching Robert
Cobh, Irish Free State
Cobh, Irish Free State By Jim Potter Before Gladys Parks could get familiar with the sounds and rhythm of her ship, the RMS Scythia, and prior to traveling in the rougher seas of the Atlantic Ocean, the liner had one port call, Cobh (pronounced "cove"), located in the Irish Free State. Although I don't know Saturday's departure time from Liverpool or the arrival time at Cobh the next day, the trip could have taken between 15-18 hours. Scythia would have arrived in Cork Harbor on … [Read more...] about Cobh, Irish Free State
A Horse and Buggy Doctor
By Jim Potter Recently, while at the Wichita Postcard Club's annual show, I purchased a photo postcard of the residence of Dr. J. S. Graves. He lived in Inman, Kansas, from 1888 until his death in 1915. I noticed the photo was taken by Marion Bailey (1869-1944), an exceptional photographer residing in Hutchinson, Kansas, working at his trade from 1905 to 1915. The postcard was sent on July 29, 1908, by Anna Epp, 12, who was visiting Inman, to her sister Louisa Epp, 17, at … [Read more...] about A Horse and Buggy Doctor
No One Ever Forgets Their First Car
No One Ever Forgets Their First Car Blog Post by Jim Potter Many authors seem reluctant to promote other authors and editors, but when I discover impressive literary work, it’s easy for me to publicly commend their important contribution. Such is the case with writer-editor Mike Durall of Salina, Kansas. Editor Durall’s just published book by Sunset Park Press, No One Ever Forgets Their First Car, is a fun read, one car story at a time. Eighty-seven contributors have shared … [Read more...] about No One Ever Forgets Their First Car
Postcard Detective
Horse Stolen - $70 Reward By Jim Potter The oldest artifact we have in our home is 148 years old. It's a postcard from 1877. The Reward or Wanted postcard informs the reader that a horse was stolen June 5, 1877, from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and that a reward of $70 was offered for the arrest and conviction of the thief and the return of the bright bay (reddish-brown body and black points) mare (adult female … [Read more...] about Postcard Detective
Researching Robert
Leaving Liverpool By Jim Potter On June 5, 1926, as Mrs. Gladys Gamble Parks prepared to board the RMS Scythia from Liverpool’s landing stage, she may have considered the many ships she had previously observed from the docks of Hull, her hometown. However, this time was different. Gladys was a traveler, not an observer. The eighteen-year-old watched busy ferry boats crossing the River Mercy, dodging massive ships as squawking seagulls flew overhead and rode the waves that lapped … [Read more...] about Researching Robert
