Ray and Dibble's

Ray Morgan, Grandad, worked in groceries for a good part of his life. In this photo from 1919 he's shown in the Dibbles Store at 6th and Quincy in Topeka. Ray grew up in Valley Falls, the youngest of four children of Elias Morgan and Emma Ellingwood. In 1918 he moved to Topeka to marry Vala McClenny who had recently moved from Valley Falls to Topeka. In Valley Falls he had worked in the local grocery and upon his move to Topeka started work in Dibbles.

According to this article in the Capital Journal from 2008, Dibbles ran a grocery store at this spot from 1917 until 1951. http://cjonline.com/stories/071708/loc_305084958.shtml The store is currently in use by Senior Care Pharmacy.






To me it was exciting to see Grandad in a grocery store because as kids we always heard he was a grocer, but I don't remember seeing this picture from 1919 or any other for that matter. It took me some time to figure out if it truly was Ray in the picture because in 1919 he would have been only 23, but he looks twice that age here. Part of my problem was that the photo had been reversed when it was printed, but after solving that and consulting with Scott I'm pretty sure he's the man on the left.

It's fun to read the signs in the store. Two dozen oranges for 25 cents, etc. Not being able to read the signs was when I realized it was reversed. There were three other similar pictures, but only one with Ray in it. The other one I posted here has patriotic buntings. One would guess it's probably around the Fourth of July, but it's also right after the end of the First World War.

More 1925 Colorado Trip

Now that Father's Day is over, I can get back to the 1925 trip to Colorado by the Morgans, Harfords and Edith McClenny. In my experiences with Dad he never seemed that comfortable around animals, but that could have been because he was allergic to most of them. But here at the age of three he looks very comfortable and in control on what I think is a mule. At first I thought it was a horse, but upon closer examination it appears to be a mule.

Edith and Helen look good in their knickers while protecting Ray, Jr. from falling from his mule.

Vala, Ray and Edith look slightly bewildered in the photograph of them standing next to the tent. In another photograph Vala had on a hat so it must be in her hand now. I also would venture to guess that everyone is dressed in khaki, very monochromatic.

The fourth picture is intriguing in the details. Kit Carson is about 200 miles from Rocky Mountain National Park. My guess is that this is the first overnight stay after leaving Estes Park. A 1923 Model T had a top speed of 45 miles an hour, but I would think their speed would have been at best 30 miles an hour. That would make this a 8-hour day. Also from the body language of no one sitting that close I'd say they were on the way home. It would seem a trip from Topeka to Colorado would have taken at least a week, maybe more.

But I like the details of this picture as it appears they are using cots for benches to sit at a long narrow railing. It doesn't seem wide enough to have been a true table. Even Ray Sr is sitting on folded quilts to be tall enough to be comfortable at the table. One of the Model T's has sneaked into the picture. In the background is a picnic basket, coffee pot, etc.

A good time for all.

Father's Day

Here are a few pictures to celebrate Father's Day. As all who knew him know Dad loved a holiday and a reason to don a clown costume. I'm sure Mom will know, but it looks like we're sorting treats on the coffee table in our Topeka apartment.

The photograph of Mom and Dad holding Steve and me is of my Christening in July 1950 in Topeka. The last one is of us in front of the apartment in October 1950.

Happy Father's Day.

Ray Sr's Birthday

Today I was looking for pictures of Dad and his dad for their birthdays, yesterday and today, and found these of a trip the Morgans took in 1925.

Apparently Ray and Vala took a trip with Vala's sister, Helen and her husband, Wert, to Rocky Mountain National Park. Adding to the group were Dad and his grandmother, Edith McClenny. From a brief bit of Googling the distance between Topeka and Rocky Mountain National Park is in excess of 600 miles. Unfortunately I don't know my cars from the 1920s but from looking at the pictures, the cars don't have a lot of amenities - like windows or air-conditioning. Dad turned 3 in 1925 and as you can tell from one of the pictures he's already wearing glasses. That summer Vala would have turned 28 and Ray Sr 29. Edith was 59. Wert and Helen had married in 1923 and would have been 26 in 1925.

Having known a few of these people it would have been an interesting trip. All five of his traveling companions doted on Dad, sometimes a bit to his detriment. (Mary Grace would probably say, even at 3 Dad would have been in charge.) If I were to guess, Ray Sr and Wert would have spent a lot of time trying to keep peace between the two sisters. We do know that all survived the trip. The people did anyway.

I'm sure a good time was had by all.

Dad's Birthday

Today Dad would have been 89 years old which he would have enjoyed. Cindy and I found this slide while looking for pictures for Sally's birthday. This was taken in 1969 and you can hear him telling Mary Grace to make sure she got both the plaque of Roy Roberts and The Star in the picture.

Dad and The Star were one in my mind. I can still hear, "Hi, Ray Morgan, Kansas City Star." Mom said he did that so no one would have questions about his identity. At some stages of growing up this was embarrassing, but we all survived. He worked hard at being a reporter and a father. Saturday mornings were piano lessons for Steve, Sally and me. He drove us to the lessons and then while one of us had lessons the others spent the time with him. We discussed how the Star should really be run, how much fun it would be for him to be governor of the state of Kansas and why did the A's send all their decent players to the New York Yankees. After the lessons we often had to go to the Star for something. Occasionally we'd meet Roy Roberts, the giant of a man who ran the paper. I'm sure these interactions with Mr. Roberts made Dad nervous. Mr. Roberts usually gave us a dollar bill which was great. Although apparently one time he gave one of us(probably Steve) a ten dollar bill. After that occasion Dad made us present our bills to him so he could make sure that nothing like that happened again.

Happy Birthday Dad!