historical research

Kirch Split

September 11, 2019 by Jim Potter 14 Comments

· Kirch Split William C. Kirch, Photographer · Part 2 - Conclusion During the 1920’s, women’s first names were still mostly missing from newspapers. The publications identified a married woman as either “the wife of” or as “Mrs.”, followed by the initials of her husband’s first and middle name, then his surname. For the most part, married women were forced to agree to play by the unequal rules of the only game in town. At least the U. S. Federal Census consistently documented some … [Read more...] about Kirch Split

Kirch Couple

September 4, 2019 by Jim Potter 7 Comments

· William C. & Mae Besore Kirch · Adam (1843-1907) and Margaretha Mayer (1851-1914) Kirch, who had farmed in their home country of Bavaria, becoming part of Germany prior to their emigration to the United States in 1872, had to wait several years before having another opportunity to work the land. Will, like his two older brothers, Fred and Henry, were born American citizens in Brooklyn, New York. Soon after his birth, the Kirch family may have moved to Jersey City, New Jersey (across the … [Read more...] about Kirch Couple

Creative Non-Fiction

August 28, 2019 by Jim Potter 8 Comments

· Western Kansas Photo Club · I’m a postcard collector and historian who loves reading, research, and writing. As a result, I’ve been curious about some early-day Kansas photographers who created some of the postcards in my collection. Now that I know these people better, I’m ready to share some of the conversations they might have had. The following is a story with real people and events. The meeting actually took place. Let me set the scene for you. Photographers from Kansas during late … [Read more...] about Creative Non-Fiction

Richard Wickliffe

August 21, 2019 by Jim Potter 12 Comments

· Captain Richard Wickliffe Giving, Not Taking · People who know Richard Wickliffe remark about how he’s always calm. I’ve never seen him upset. So, when we sat down together for an interview, I had to see if he would share his secret. And while I was at it, maybe I’d also learn how a guy who retired from the Hutchinson Police Department (HPD) in 2001 at age 64, still looks young enough to be running marathons. Richard, a/k/a/ “Wick”, didn’t reveal his secret of eternal youth but he did … [Read more...] about Richard Wickliffe

Is this man Elmer Swanson?

August 7, 2019 by Jim Potter 13 Comments

· Is this man Elmer Swanson? Photo Postcard from the Past · Is this man Elmer Swanson? Morgan Williams, collector and expert on exaggeration postcards, sent me another postcard challenge. As I examined the image of the front and markings on the back, I thought, Boy, there isn’t much information here! The photograph had the feeling of early 1900s but the clues were sparse: a man, sharply dressed, was holding a sword next to a step-ladder. He was staged as if preparing to climb the … [Read more...] about Is this man Elmer Swanson?