· Searching for Alice, Finding Elizabeth: Alice Elizabeth Thomas Hartford * It’s Tuesday, February 12, 1935, at 108 E. 14th Street, Hutchinson, Kansas. Alice Elizabeth Thomas Hartford, 80, is on her death bed. * “Ethel, Ethel,” Elizabeth cried out, “stay with us, we love you.” Elizabeth was talking to her eldest daughter who was dying of typhoid malaria on a Saturday night, September 8, 1894, when Ethel Winter was 15 years old. “You’re our pride and joy, Ethel,” … [Read more...] about Reno County: Searching for Alice
Reno County Museum
Sheriffs of Reno County: John W. Hooper
· 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 next to Fay, 35, is Houston Whiteside, 81, a friend and retired attorney. * “The … [Read more...] about Sheriffs of Reno County: John W. Hooper
Is this man Elmer Swanson?
· 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?
The Joy of the Hunt
· 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 impression they were all peacefully engaged while sitting for a portrait. The lettering at … [Read more...] about The Joy of the Hunt
Talking Tombstones
· Henry Hartford in Two Worlds · If you’ve heard of Talking Tombstones then you probably know that real people, now deceased, have their stories brought to life in an abbreviated forum. In Hutchinson, Reno County, Kansas, contemporary actors, often affiliated with Stage 9 (run by the Hutchinson Theater Guild), transform into dearly departed residents from a distant era. Thanks to Talking Tombstones, the attendees who visit Hutchinson’s Eastside Cemetery each October, learn a great deal in a … [Read more...] about Talking Tombstones