(To listen to the audio of this blog post, use the purple play button.) · Tom Jennings (1860-1916) Sheriff 1915-1916 · It’s Friday, October 21, 1927, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Julia Whiteside and her husband, Houston, are still talking about the opening of the newest J. S. Dillon & Sons store at 13th and Main. * “The new Dillon store is clean and modern with reasonable prices,” said Julia. “John Dillon’s sons, Ray and Clyde, are carrying on their father’s tradition,” … [Read more...] about Sheriffs of Reno County: Tom Jennings
Morgan Williams
Sheriffs of Reno County: Konrad C. Beck
(To listen to the audio of this blog post, use the purple play button.) · Konrad C. "Koon" Beck (1876-1947) Sheriff 1911-1915 · It’s Thursday, October 20, 1927 in Hutchinson, Kansas. Julia and Houston Whiteside are making plans to attend a Saturday show on the south end at Riverside Park. The Wallace Bruce Players will be performing on stage. * “As much as I enjoyed Buster Keaton’s masterful performance in the 1916 movie, The Bell Boy,” said Julia, “years earlier, … [Read more...] about Sheriffs of Reno County: Konrad C. Beck
Sheriffs of Reno County: John W. Hooper
(To listen to the audio of this blog post, use the purple play button.) · John W. Hooper (1855-1936) Sheriff 1903-1907 · * It’s Monday, October 17, 1927, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Reno County Sheriff Fay Brown is parked in his new—actually, the county’s new–1927 Standard Six Dictator automobile. He’s parked near the northeast corner of 1st Avenue and Main Street, in the shadow of Hutchinson’s tallest skyscraper, the Wiley-Rorabaugh building, which opened in 1913. Sitting … [Read more...] about Sheriffs of Reno County: John W. Hooper
Kirch Split
(To listen to the audio of this blog post, use the purple play button.) · 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 … [Read more...] about Kirch Split
Kirch Couple
(To listen to the audio of this blog post, use the purple play button.) · 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 … [Read more...] about Kirch Couple
Is This Man Elmer Swanson?
(To listen to the audio of this blog post, use the purple play button.) · 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 … [Read more...] about Is This Man Elmer Swanson?
The Joy of the Hunt
(To listen to the audio of this blog post, use the purple play button.) · The Joy of the Hunt: Wade Photographer When Morgan Williams, known far and wide for his amazing collection of exaggeration postcards, sent me a postcard image to examine, I was hooked! The advertising postcard showed a side-view of an early model car, a convertible, with a smiling driver, parked on a brick city street. Photos of thirteen babies or infants had been added to the picture to give the … [Read more...] about The Joy of the Hunt
John O. Siemsen
(To listen to the audio of this blog post, use the purple play button.) · John O. Siemsen Framed by F. D. Conard in Garden City, Kansas · Last month I had my socks knocked off by a surprise email sent to my website as a comment to a blog/podcast I’d posted two months earlier. A person can’t prepare for unbelievable. My earlier post, “EXAGGERATION Postcards: Tall Tales from the Great Plains,” https://jimpotterauthor.com/exaggeration-postcards/ gave an abbreviated … [Read more...] about John O. Siemsen
Wichita Street Fair & Carnival
(To listen to the audio of this blog post, use the purple play button.) · 1899 Pin-Back Buttons · A couple of weeks ago, I received two electronic images of exaggeration postcards and one of a collector pin-back button. They were sent by an old-time collector but new friend, Morgan Williams. He co-authored an excellent book on exaggeration postcards in 1990 titled, Larger than Life: The American Tall-Tale Postcard, 1905-1915. Williams is fascinated with exaggeration images … [Read more...] about Wichita Street Fair & Carnival
