Electric Park

Electric Park in Kansas City 1907.

 Lily Walker married John Leib in 1903 and was soon living in Kansas City, Missouri where John grew up.  John was a traveling salesman and there is at least one letter he wrote to his children on the road in the collection of documents Laura and Dorothy had collected.

These are photographs from one of Mary Grace's scrapbooks.

Electric Park 1907

Electric Park according to Monroe Dodd's 2003 book, Then & Now 2, was started by the Heim brothers who had a brewery in the East Bottoms. The park featured a roller coaster and beer garden with the beer piped directly from the brewery. The park derived its name from the massive amounts of electricity for nighttime.Vintage Postcard of Electric Park


As a member of the Methodist Church, Betsy Sharpe Walker would have been a member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. But I'm guessing since she visited this park she would have had an open mind about the use of alcohol. I would guess she didn't partake of the beer.

But back to Electric Park - eventually the Heim brothers moved it to a larger area north of Brush Creek, but the park was destroyed by fires in 1925 and 1934.

Fred, Betsy, Lily and Eula at the Electric Park 1907.

Electric Park 1907

 My thought when I look at these pictures is I'm glad I was born and grew up in a time when you didn't have to wear you hair up. I can also tell by looking at these that I descend directly from women who considered their hair an after thought. They have their hair up but it doesn't look like they put in a great deal of time putting it up. Slap it up and go.

The Leib home on East 13th St Kansas City Missouri in 1907.

1921 Picnic

Visiting with Helen last Saturday at Morgan's wedding, I said I would post some pictures from a picnic in 1921. Helen's comment was they didn't picnic like others as they used skillets. I'm guessing to cook fried chicken.

Eula, Grace, Edna and Jennie-October 1921

More fun in the road.

Helen, EA, George Bale, Percy, and Frank Faust in October 1921

I couldn't figure out the fascination for standing in the road, but it makes for interesting pictures. One wonders if EA is aware that Helen is strolling apparently unattended down the road.

Bud Walker, Marcie Walker, Mildred Faust, Marguerite Faust, Allan, Ethel, Bernice Bale and Helen in October 1921. Seven of Betsy and Edward's eight Topeka grandchildren. Missing is Walker Smith, son of Ada and Bill Smith. Bernice and her parents lived in Clay Center. Also absent are the three children of Lily and John Leib who lived in Kansas City, Mo.

The 1886 - 1912 Scrapbook Continues

 Today is an assortment of photos from 1907. The one at the left I would guess is Edna's high school senior portrait. Its only label says 1907 and in 1907 Edna would have turned 19 in May.

Next is one from that same year - at least that's what it's labeled as.The white dresses and hats covered with flowers caught my attention. I wonder if they would be Easter dresses?

The next photo is anyone's guess. I don't recognize anyone in it, except the one guy looks like Nick Collison, whom I'm sure it's not. The only identification says Meryl Parks and he's not anyone I recognize. Gotta love the newspapers.



The final one for today has no identification except the year 1907. It's here because I like it's composition.

Edna, 18 and Ada, 13, in 1907.

Meryl Parks 1907 - why the newspapers?

Mom's Notebooks

As you know Mary Grace put together numerous notebooks-scrapbooks they were originally-of her life, her parents, her in-laws, her children and grandchildren. What to do with them? That is the question.

Sally and I have decided that scanning them is probably the best plan. For the past few months, I've started doing that. Apparently so often, that even 3-year old Cameron says, "Don't you think you need to do your pictures?" I've shared a few of them, but I thought I should try and do it more often. Daily seems like an impossible goal, but maybe with Cameron's goading I'll get it done.

Mr. F E Vincent and his class in 1898. Edna is second from right.

Mr. Vincent's Class

Mr. Vincent

Edna on the end of the first row in 1900 so she'd be 12.

Included in the scrapbook is a thank-you note from Mr. Vincent to Edna for her visit while he was home ill. According to the letter he'd been absent from school for nearly two weeks. Considering that she saved the letter and photographs Mr. Vincent must have been important to Edna.She did teach after college until she married. It's hard to believe, but once she was married she could no longer teach. I guess the thought was that she didn't need a job because she had someone to take care of her. It was immaterial that she was earning more than EA.

Hope to be posting again soon.