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.