Thursday, October 29, 2020
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Slip King - Sleight of Hand Master
Slip King - Sleight of Hand Master
By Brenda DeVore. Published in Wayne County Historical Newsletter March 2015
The 1969
Seymour High School Yearbook, The Tomahawk, was dedicated to Ernie Bryan also
known as Slip King. The dedication referred to Bryan as Seymour’s number one
booster. Ernie graduated from Seymour about 1936 and never forgot his hometown,
even while living in Oregon over 50 years.
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| Slip King performs a rope trick |
Slip King, as most Seymourites knew him, made his living as a representative of women’s fashion companies, selling merchandise to high end department stores and boutiques. But he was probably best known among magicians as one of the country’s best card handlers. More on that later.
Born
February 8, 1917 in Seymour to Thomas & Lillie Bryan, Earnest Carl Bryan
had three brothers and a sister. His
father died a few months before Ernie’s fourth birthday in 1921.
A widow
with several small children, Lillie probably had a difficult time. A woman
alone in that era had few options for support or income. In 1922 Lillie married Victor Lee King in a
small ceremony, presided over by Mayor W.S. Merritt, at her home on West Main
Street.
Lee King operated
a pool hall in Seymour on the north side of the square. He was also known to play cards for
money. Ernie Bryan learned a great deal
about playing cards from his stepfather.
He also learned con game techniques from the carnival workers his
parents would board during the off season.
At age
nine, Ernie saw Howard Thurston, a renowned magician and master of card tricks,
at the Iowa State Fair. During his magic
show, Thurston invited the young Ernie on stage to assist. That probably gave Ernie his first taste of
entertaining that became a lifelong passion.
Maurice
Stamps, Seymour’s resident historian, recalled that Ernie was a freshman when
he was a senior at Seymour High School. They
were both on the football team together.
In
those days a country kid attending high school had to find his or her own way
to town. The father of classmates
Leonard & Ray Noel had a building in the south part of town for his sons
and others to stay at night so they didn’t have to drive back and forth from home
each day. As a country boy, Maurice
Stamps sometimes stayed the night with the Noel boys. Ernie Bryan would drop by to visit the upper
class-men at night and practice his card tricks.
When World
War II broke out Lillie King’s four sons all joined the service. Oldest son Guy joined the army, his brothers
William, Victor, and Ernest all joined the navy. Ernie Bryan is pictured at right during World
War II in his Navy uniform. His fellow
sailors nicknamed Ernie Mandrake the Magician
after the well-known comic strip of that time. Ernie never forgot his time in the Navy and
performed magic shows for thousands of troops over the years.
After
leaving the Navy, Ernie Bryan moved to Portland, Oregon. He graduated from Utah State College in
Logan, Utah, where he wrote a paper on “The History of Cards.
Ernie’s day
job took him all over the western United States selling women’s clothing. As a
top notch salesman Ernie’s ability to entertain was usually an asset. If he couldn’t get an order, Ernie would do a
magic show and quite often the customer would soften and buy merchandise.
Ernie Bryan was a nationally recognized authority on counterfeiting devices and sleight of hand. He worked with numerous law enforcement agencies and many of the major casinos in Nevada exposing cheating methods. He taught classes to police departments and businesses on how to recognize con game techniques. Ernie was on the security board of Harold’s Club in Las Vegas for several years. He was past president of the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians and of the Portland Society of Magicians. Ernie was also an active member of Society of American Magicians and International Brotherhood of Magician
Genii
News, a magazine for magicians, featured Ernie Bryan several times and he
graced the cover in June 1968. At the time he was president of Pacific Coast Association of Magicians.
One thing
Ernie Bryan never did was gamble for money.
He told friends it just wouldn’t be fair.
He returned
to Seymour many times and became Slip King again as he entertained students at
Seymour School assemblies, homes of friends and celebrations. There are many fond memories of time spent in
his hometown as you can see from the following comments by students and friends
of Ernie (Slip King) Bryan.
Richard
Joiner, in January 1992, wrote a touching tribute to his friend and mentor that was
published in the Seymour Herald:
The past week I lost a friend who changed my
whole life (in a sense) and maybe the lives of a lot of others. I met Ernie
like a lot of others, at the school in the gym after one of his magic shows
that he put on for the school. I helped him with his tricks along with someone
else. I became interested in the rope tricks and asked to see how they were
done. Well, he
said, he
would show me if I would show him where to catch catfish. So we went fishing, I
never did learn the tricks but know how they are done.
In
1954 I drove him on his spring run selling ladies clothes to Utah, Idaho,
Oregon, Washington, and Nevada. I was
introduced to a lot of people as Ernie did his magic to entertain when we
weren’t working.
He loved putting on a show. I met a man in
Laketown, Utah, I liked and he offered me a job the next summer so I went back.
Ernie had me drive him till the middle of May and then I went to work for
Parnell Johnson in Laketown, Utah. I stayed in the west for 36 years and was
privileged to become acquainted with a lot of Ernie’s friends, who became my
friends. I never met anyone who didn’t like him. He overwhelmed them with his
showmanship and personality. Ernie was the best salesman I ever knew.
One of the things he always told me was to
respect people for what they are and always be presentable. He dressed
impeccably. His magic shows opened a lot of doors for him and thrilled
thousands from governors, senators, CEO’s, cowboys, ranchers, loggers, truck
drivers and others.
Ernie
Bryan filled a room when he walked in with his personality and his girth. He had a great dislike for flying because of
his size and cramped quarters in an airplane. For this reason he would hire
young people, many Seymour grads, to drive him on his sales route through the
northwest. Ken Davis, Seymour graduate and son of longtime Seymour Herald
publisher Wayne Davis was one of those chauffeurs.
In the summer
of 1968, Kenneth Davis had just finished his master’s degree and would be
reporting for Army duty in August. Ernie Bryan asked if Ken would drive for him
that summer over his sales territory, which was everything approximately north
and west of Denver. Ken agreed, and recalls that as being one of the greatest
summers of his life.
A
highlight for Ken was flying to Edmonton, Alberta to help Ernie serve as
security for the Canadian Mounted Police, who were running a casino for charity
during Klondike Days (similar to Iowa State Fair). Ernie is pictured at right during Klondike
Days.
A favorite Ernie
story recalled by Ken Davis: While in
Edmonton, Alberta, he and I were walking along the midway and stopped to watch
a young man do card tricks, then sell “magic” decks. The deck was what’s called
a Svengali deck: 26 cards were normal, but the other 26 were identical to each
other and trimmed about 1/16” shorter than the others. The deck is set up with
every other card being a special one. So when you riffled the deck, all the
cards looked different, but when you cut it, or stuck your finger in it while
it’s ruffling, you always get the same card, say the 8 of clubs.
This kid on the midway did 8 or 10
different tricks with the deck, with spectators always selecting the 8 of clubs.
That evening, Ernie and I were having supper
with two plainclothes Mounties at a Chinese restaurant. Across the room, we saw
the kid from the midway, with some friends. So Ernie got up, walked over to the
kid’s table, and with his best southern Iowa drawl, said, “I was just telling
my friends about how great you are. If I bought you a drink would you come over
and do some tricks for us?” “Sure,” the kid said. So he came to our table, sat
down, and proceeded to do his routine, 8 or 10 tricks which all came up with
the 8 of clubs.
Ernie
watched admiringly, and then said, “Do you suppose I could learn to do card
tricks like that?” “Sure,” he said, “I’d be glad to sell you this deck.”
Ernie
said, “But I wonder if I could learn to do them with a regular deck.” He asked
me for a new deck (I always carried his cards for him: he said they made him
look bulgy.”) Ernie opened the seal on the deck, gave it to one of us to
shuffle and cut, and proceeded to duplicate the kid’s routine, trick by trick,
always coming up with the 8 of clubs. Then he turned the cards face up and
fanned them, saying, “But mine are all different.”
The kid’s jaw dropped. Then he looked at
Ernie, and the kid was just enough of a magician to know there was only one man
that size in the world who could do what Ernie had just done. He said,” You’re
Ernie Bryan,” Ernie said, “Yes, I am.”
The kid said, “Sir, it’s an honor being had
by you.” In more ways than one, it was
like seeing a young pool hustler realize that he’d just been hustled by
Minnesota Fats.
When Ernie
(Slip King) Bryan performed at Seymour School he also brought along examples of
the ladies fashions he sold. Women of the community and high school girls (now
adults) recall modeling the beautiful clothing.
Ernie Bryan
died December 27, 1991 from complications of diabetes at age 74. Left to morn was his wife Jean, sons Douglas
& Robert Bryan, granddaughter Alanna Bryan and a large group of friends who
still remember him fondly.
Ernie (Slip King) Bryan was cremated and his ashes scatter over his favorite fishing spot, the Seymour Reservoir in Seymour, Iowa.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Andersonville Prison
Andersonville Prison – Stories of Survival
The camp was surrounded by a 15 ft. stockade wall. It was overcrowded to four times its capacity with inadequate water and food supplies and unsanitary conditions. Of the approximately 45,000 Union prisoners held at Andersonville, nearly 13,000 died, mostly from scurvy, dysentery and diarrhea.
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John R. Henry in Union Army 1862 - 1865
In the three years of existence the 17th Iowa took part in many battles in Mississippi under Generals Grant and Sherman, including Luka, Corinth, Port Gibson, Champion Hill and the Siege of Vicksburg. In 1864 and 1865 the regiment took part in the charge up Mission Ridge outside of Chattanooga. Of the 1,085 men who joined the 17th Iowa in 1862, only about a third were present for the Grand Review in Washington D.C. on May 24, 1865.
On October 13, 1864, First Sergeant Henry, along with 280 other men from the 17th Iowa were guarding a rail line near Tilton, Georgia when a corps of several thousand Confederates surrounded them and demanded their surrender. The Union troops held out for seven hours under heavy artillery fire until their ammunition was exhausted and they were forced to surrender. He and many men from Company A were taken to the notorious Andersonville prison camp where he spent the rest of the war under horrendous conditions.
Sergeant Henry and the other 17th Iowa prisoners arrived by train at the small town of Andersonville, GA and were marched several hundred yards up a hill to the prison camp. The men were thoroughly searched before entering the camp, according to Sgt. Henry, for the guards to steal any valuables the men might still have. Sgt. Henry hid a gold ring in his mouth inside a tobacco plug to protect it from the guards.
The prison camp was horribly crowded and filthy with no protection from the cold or rain for the men. According to an account from the Andersonville Historic Site, a Massachusetts sergeant is quoted, “The camp was covered with vermin all over. You could not sit down anywhere. You might go and pick the lice off you and sit down for half a moment and get up and you would be covered with them. It was very swampy, all black mud and where the filth emptied it was all alive; there was a regular buzz there all the time, and it was covered with white maggots.
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| John R. Henry ca.1918 |
Sergeant. Henry was released from Andersonville in April, 1865 when the war ended. He was discharged from the army on May 26, 1865 at Davenport, IA.
He returned to Wayne County and resumed farming. He married and raised seven children. His hardships in Andersonville took a toll on his health and his daughter, Edith Henry Sturgeon, said that he was never able to work a full day. In later years, when he lived with Edith, he would sometimes stand in the corner to take a nap, a skill acquired from a lifetime before. John Henry died in 1921 and is buried in Kilbourn-Rankin cemetery near Allerton.
+++++++++++
Newton C. Michael served 1862 - 1865
Newton Michael’s time in Andersonville prison affected his health for the remainder of his life and he never fully recovered. He was much affected by the war and collected a number of lithographs of battles and a large lithograph of Andersonville Prison. All are in the collections of Prairie Trails Museum.
The crude wooden spoon pictured above was carved by Newton Michael while a prisoner in Andersonville. He wrote the date Dec 25, 1864 on the handle as a way to mark his first day in the notorious prison. This spoon can be seen at Prairie Trails Museum in the Armed Forces Gallery.
Newton Michael returned to Centerville and worked in a confectionery and canned fruit business under the name Pennington & Michael. In the fall of 1869 Mr. Michael moved to Genoa in southeastern Wayne County where he engaged in a general mercantile business, Conger, Conger, & Michael. The business moved to the new town of Seymour in 1872 where it was in operation for 30 years.
Newton Michael died in 1920 at age 77 at the home of his son Franz Michael in Los Angeles.
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Walter Hartsough's Daring Escape
The following is recounted from a letter written by Walter Hartsough on May 27, 1879 and published in a book titled Andersonville: A Story of Rebel Military Prisons by John McElroy (late of Co. I., 16th IL. Cav.)
Hartsough overheard the guards at Thomasville say they intended to march a number of prisoners back to Andersonville. The men concluded it would be better to risk their lives in escape than to return to Andersonville Prison. Hartsough, Frank Hommat, of Co. M, and a man named Clipson of the 21st Illinois made a daring escape on Dec. 7, 1864. The prisoners were held in the woods with no stockade and only a line of guards between them and freedom. The three men agreed to meet up after escape. They were able to slip though the guard line without a shot. The rendezvous was to be the center of a small swamp, that had a stream supplying water to the prisoners. Hartsough and Hommat got together soon after passing the guards, partially submerged themselves in the steam near a large log and began signaling for Clipson.
Pretty soon a Johnny ( slang for a Confederate soldier - Johnny Rebel or Johnny Reb) came along with a bunch of turnip tops that he was taking up to the camp to trade to the prisoners. As he passed over the log I could have caught him by the leg, which I intended to do if he saw us. But he passed along, heedless of those concealed under his very feet which saved him from a ducking at least, for we were resolved to drown him if he discovered us. We waited a little longer, still signaling for Clipson. We could find nothing of him and at last gave him up.
We were now between Thomasville and the camp. Thomasville was the end of the railroad so the woods were full of Rebels waiting for transportation. We crawled up to the road, seeing no one started across. At that moment a guard about 30 yards to our left supposing we were Rebels, sang out:
“Whar ye gwine to thar, boys?”
I answered: “Jest a-gwine out here a little ways.”
Frank whispered to run but I said, “No, wait till he halts us, then run.” He walked up to where we had crossed his beat-looked after us a few minutes, then, to our great relief, walked back to his post.
Hartsough and Hommat made their way through all the troops and began to travel toward Florida. The country was very swampy, and with constant rain, it was very slow going. Walking all night, they had traveled only about eight miles.
Morning found the men near a large turnip patch where they filled their pockets and found a thicket in the center of a large pasture to lie concealed during the day. In preparation for the escape, Hommat had acquired a suit of Rebel clothes. Hartsough had stolen enough food sacks at Andersonville to make a shirt and pantaloons, which a sailor fabricated for him.
Dressed as such, the two men made their way through Georgia and on toward Florida. Several times they were helped by black slaves sympathetic to the Union cause.
One particular evening the men halted an old man returning from a day’s work in the fields. They told him they were Rebs, who had taken a French leave of Thomasville and were tired of guarding Yanks and were going home. They asked him for something to eat. He was the boss of the planation, and his master lived in Thomasville. This man didn’t have much to eat himself, but he promised to bring the men food when the folks went to bed. Passing near the negro quarters, Hartsough and Hommat got over the fence and lay down behind it to wait for supper.
We had been there but a short time when a young negro came out, passing close by, went to a fence corner a short distance away. Kneeling down he began praying along and very earnestly for the success of our armies. I thought it the best prayer I ever listened to.
When they were about 50 miles south of Columbus, GA the men found a boat a third full of water and paddled across the river to a little town. Six miles from the river they saw a negro woman roasting sweet potatoes in a backyard. Hommat asked for something to eat. She told him to go ask the white folks. This was the answer she gave for every question. Soon the woman ran into the house.
As Hartsough and Hommat ran away they heard the sound of a horn and hounds were soon fast on their trail. Fortunately, they had given the woman false information on where they were traveling and the hounds soon circled back in another direction. They didn’t waste any time congratulating themselves over the marvelous escape but traveled at a fast clip for another eight miles.
On Dec 22, 1864, a very cold night, the men came close to capture again when they almost stumbled into a Rebel camp. Hommat was suffering greatly with swollen and badly cut feet. A kindly woman had given him the shoes from her feet a few weeks before, but they were now worn out. Tramping through the swamps and briers had taken a toll on both men, but Hommat was almost beyond walking. Walter Hartsough pulled off what remained of his army shirt, tore it into pieces and Hommat wrapped his feet in them.
At last, the two men came to the Union camp at Jacksonville, FL where they were halted and questioned before being welcomed. I never expect to enjoy as happy a moment on earth as I did when I again got under the protection of the old flag. Hommat went to the hospital a few days and was then sent to New York by sea.
Oh, it was a fearful trip through those Florida swamps. We would very often have to try a swamp in three of four different places before we could get through. There is not enough money in the United States to induce me to undertake the trip again under the same circumstances. Our friend, Clipson, that made his escape, got very nearly through to our line before he was taken sick and had to give himself up. He was taken back to Andersonville and kept until the next spring but he came through alright. There were 61 of Company K captured at Jonesville, and I think there was only 17 lived through those horrible prisons.
Walter Hartsough came to Wayne County about 1869, settled in Genoa and opened a general store under the name of Hartsough and Miller. His biography was published in the 1886 Biographical and Historical Record of Wayne and Appanoose County. He became the Genoa postmaster in 1870 and remained for a number of years. He married Mary Miller in 1870, and they had two daughters. The family later moved to Seymour where he operated a general store for 22 years.
Each of these men were forever changed by the horrible conditions encountered as prisoners in Andersonville Prison.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
This story was first published in the March 2011 newsletter of Wayne County Historical Society. Mr. Davis just recently passed away on October 25, 2018 at age 92. To those of us who knew him as band director he will always be Mr. Davis. A memorial servicewill be held at the Corydon Baptist Church on Sunday Dec 2 @ 2:00p.m.
Billy D. Davis retired in 1988 after teaching instrumental music for thirty-eight years; three in
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| Bette Neely, Priscilla Thomas, Nancy Deaver 1953-1954 Band Students |
Mr. Davis’s program included performing
as a marching band, concert band, jazz band, stage band, pep band, solos, and
groups in festivals and annual contests.
There were several years he also served the school system as the vocal
music teacher in addition to his duties as Director of Instrumental Music. Mr.
Davis directed the popular summer band concerts on Corydon square for 32 years.
During
his 35 year tenure at Wayne Community School there were over 300 ensembles and
soloists who earned Division I and first place awards. Over the years the B Sharp Marching Band
brought home numerous awards. In April
1987 the B Sharp Marching Band won first place in class 2A at the Drake Relays
Parade (the band is pictured in front of the Iowa
Under Mr. Davis’s direction the Wayne High
School Prairie Trails Museum
Every
four years the band took an out-of-state extended trip to Missouri ,
South Dakota , or Colorado
In Bill Davis’s final year of
teaching instrumental music at Wayne Community High School the band won eleven
first place awards, plus sweepstakes trophies and plaques at contest within the
state and also won the Silver Medal at the International Music Festival in
Estes Park, CO.
A 1985 article in the Peptimist
(student page in Times Republican) noted that Bill Davis had the longest tenure
of any teacher at Wayne Community at 32 years. He taught three more years,
retiring after 35 years of teaching kids to keep time, step in unison, perform
intricate formations on the football field during half-time, and appreciation
of playing a musical instrument to the
best of one’s ability.
Editor's note - I recall with fondness my time in marching and concert band under the direction of Mr. Davis. I was part of the front row twirlers during marching band. One particular half-time performance for a home football game the band played Alexander's Ragtime Band. We modified it to fit our band by shouting out "Billy D's Ragtime Band!" I'm not sure Mr. Davis appreciated our cleverness as much as we did!
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Corydon Connections - West Eye Infirmary
Where was the West Eye Infirmary?
A recent post on the Facebook page, "Discover Corydon" has many people commenting and wondering about the location of this beautiful brick building. Inquiring minds, interested in Corydon Iowa history, want to know. Well, I did a bit of sleuthing at the museum, cause that's what I do when we have questions, and found some interesting facts. What do you think the West Eye Infirmary, Ocobock Bank, Wayne County Courthouse, Wayne County Fair, Grismore Turkey Farm, and Wolf Funeral Home have in common? Keep reading to find out!
The West Eye Infirmary was built sometime between 1890 - 1900 by Humphrey West and operated by Humphrey and his sons Walter and Lewis West until about 1908. The stately building was constructed with brick from the Mardis kiln that was only a few blocks west. The Infirmary was located on West street just north of Anthony street. It was one block east and north of John W. & Belle Freeland's stately home that later became the Wolf Funeral Home (more about that home later).
Humphrey West
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| Humphrey West in uniform |
Humphrey West was born in Knox County, Illinois in 1840. He enlisted in Company L, 7th Illinois Cavalry in August, 1862. On October 11, 1863 he was severely wounded in the left foot during the battle of Colliersville TN and taken prisoner. The wound was so serious he was taken to a hospital in Memphis where he remained until the end of the war. The wound gave him problems the rest of his life.
Humphrey and his wife, Climena came to Wayne County in 1871 by covered wagon and began farming in Clinton township. In 1881 he was elected county treasurer, serving two terms until 1885. After his term expired, the Wests purchased a farm on the east edge of Corydon where he raised short-horn cattle and horses.
That farm was known in the more recent past as the Grismore Turkey Farm, located at the end of East State Street. By that time the West family included six children. One son, Jesse, died in 1879 at age two and is buried in Greer Cemetery in Clinton Township.
Dr. Walter West
Walter West studied medicine at the State University of Iowa graduating in 1906. He joined his father, Humphrey and brother, Lewis in work at the West Eye Infirmary. The infirmary brought patients from all over the Midwest for treatment. This form was used to subscribe treatment.
Dr. Walter West soon grew tired of working in the infirmary. He practiced in Trenton for a time before moving to Centerville, IA where he worked with the Hamford Clinic, a group formed with doctors with Wayne County connections. Dr West died in 1961 of a sudden heart attack at the Elks Club in Centerville at age 80. A news article at the time of his death referred to him as a well known physician and eye specialist. He & his wife Mae had no children.
F. M. West - Grain and Seed Merchant
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| Fred West can be seen leaning on a stack of feed bags. |
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| Ocobock Bank several years after the robbery. |
Frederick M West was born in 1874 in Clinton Township, Wayne County. After graduating from Corydon High School around 1892, Fred continued to work with his father Humphrey on the farm. When he was 22, in 1899, he purchased the former Ocobock Bank building on the north side of the Corydon square where in 1871, Jesse James and his gang robbed the bank. Fred opened a grain, feed, and coal business in the landmark building.
Fred West's business continued to grow and prosper as the town of Corydon grew. After several years of business he had both wholesale and retail lines. Around 1910 he also had a mail order business handling hay, grain, field seeds, fuel and poultry supplies.
In 1911 he tore down the old bank building and built a two-story brick structure in it's place that held his grain and seed business on the ground floor. Painted on the window near the front door was - F.M. West Grain and Seed Merchant, Poultry Supplies, Feed and Fuel. In the upper floor was Dr Warder, dentist and two osteopathic doctors, Dr Daniel & Dr. Brarn. This building (pictured below) housed Iowa Southern Utilities in later years and is now Corydon City Hall.
On June 18, 1902, Fred married Floy Freeland, youngest daughter of John & Belle Freeland.
The couple had two children, Freeland and Ruth Isabelle.
John & Belle Freeland
John Freeland came to Wayne County at age 17 in 1857. Both he and the county were young, the population at the time was less than 100. He became a lawyer and served as county judge for one term, being elected in 1860. In 1873 - 1874, following the robbery of Ocobock Bank, Freeland and E.E. Clark operated a bank in the same building. Following that Freeland helped to organize Wayne County Bank which took over operations of Freeland and Clark. He was president of Wayne County Bank until his death in 1912. John Freeland practiced law in Corydon for over 50 years in practice with Lewis Miles, H.K. Evans, H.H. Carter, among others.
John Freeland and his wife, Bell were pioneers of Wayne County and contributed much to the early growth of Corydon and Wayne County. They were prominent, well-known citizens of their day. The Freelands built the stately brick home on Greeley street most recently known as Wolf Funeral Home. Brick for this home was most likely built around 1880 and constructed of brick from the Mardis brick kiln. The home of Alex Mardis, John Freeland, and West Eye Infirmary were all of similar design, possibly by the same architect. The homes were all in close proximity to one another in the northwest part of town.
The Freelands had three daughters, Carrie, Lillie, and Floy. Youngest daughter, Floy married Fred West in 1902. John Freeland was devastated when his wife Belle died in 1903. In 1912 John Freeland passed away. Both are buried in Corydon cemetery.
After the death of their father, daughter Floy, and her husband Fred West, purchased the Freeland home on Greeley street and raised their family there. The Wests truly enjoyed entertaining in the lovely home and took pride in upkeep. The years went by, Fred and Floy grew older, and their health began to fail. In September 1939 they sold the home to Roy Wolf to become Wolf Funeral Home. Fred & Floy West moved to a home on East State street where they lived out their days. Floy died in 1949 and Fred in 1954.
As you can see the West family contributed much to the history of Corydon and there were many connections to other prominent pioneer families of the times. I hope all the information isn't too confusing. Once I began to find connections between the families and events it just kept going.
Brenda DeVore,
Museum Director
Friday, March 16, 2018
Promise City - One of a Kind
The title above is the
Promise City logo. In the
1990’s long before internet searches were commonplace Promise City resident,
Alice McMurry, researched the town name and came to the conclusion that there
is only one Promise City in the world.
Now with the ease of googling she has been proven correct. Google the town name and there is only one
answer, Promise City, Iowa population 113.
We aren’t sure if that includes dogs.
The first settlers arrived
at this flat spot on the plains in 1852. There were a number of homesteads located close to one another and
the settlers said this area had great promise to become a city. A post office
was established in August 1856 and the name Promise City became official. However, the town was not platted until 1881
and had a population of 300 at the time.
Wayne County was first joined with Appanoose and Des Moines counties. In 1848 Wayne, combine with Appanoose, was separated from the Des Moines county, but it was not until 1851 that organization began, and it was divided in precincts later known as townships. The northeast quarter, precinct Number One, was known as South Fork precinct. Probably so named because the south fork of Chariton River runs through it.
One of the first settlers to arrive was John Henanman. In 1854 Elisha Kinser age 47,along with sons David, 22,and Michael, 21, came from Indiana by ox cart to southern Iowa. Michael, his wife Elizabeth, and brother, Samuel Kinser came to this area in South Fork precinct in 1855. Also that year, John Estep and family settled here.
In the fall of 1856, John Estep, John Henanman, and M.J. Kinser began to lay the first site of the town, which they called "Promise of a City," and could only hope that it would someday fulfill the name. Elizabeth Kinser, wife of Michael, would stand on the roof of their log cabin and call the men to dinner while they were working to lay the site of the town.
A furrow was plowed from
Centerville to Corydon in the spring of 1856 by John Ferren at a cost of $5.
This was the early beginning of a road between Wayne and Appanoose Counties’ and
much of this path followed closely the present-day route of Highway 2. Soon after a road was established the stage coach began traveling between Centerville and Lynn (Leon?) in 1859.
The Railroad Comes to Town
When
the railroad came through in 1871 it gave a boost to Promise City and more
businesses came to town. There was a
bustling and active main street where one could purchase almost anything. There were general stores, banks, drug store,
furniture store, millinery shop, hardware store, restaurants, lumber business,
Dr. Offices, blacksmith, churches, and
hotels. For a time there was even
a newspaper, Promise City Press, a special edition of the Lone Tree Press of
Seymour with four columns weekly of Promise City news.
Barker House Hotel
One hotel, built by Willis Carr, was the
Western Hotel, operated by R.N. Barker. It later became the Barker House
operated by Calvin Barker and Harve Barker. The charming photo at left shows a
group of children, including Amy Robertson
at far left, on the front porch of the Barker House. This hotel was across the street from Amy’s
home where she grew up. (The hotel was
located where the home of Cary & Brenda DeVore is now just east of Lockridge Lumberyard on Highway 2.)
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Pictured in front of the Barker House Hotel are L-R - Amy Robertson, Lenore Newland, Frank Rynyon, Everet Barker, Faye Runyon, Robert Alexander, and Iva Barker. The Barker's were grandchildren of Calvin Barker, the hotel proprietor.Robertson Brothers General Store |
Samuel
Sharp operated a general store on the east side
of the main street which he
later sold to his son-in-law to be, Greenleaf Robertson and his brother
Grant. Greenleaf soon married Sharp’s
daughter Iona and they became parents of Amy Robertson. The Robertson Brothers operated the general
store that bore their name from 1892 until 1942.
The front original front entrance of the general store can be seen in Prairie Trails Museum in the Main Street Gallery. It is the front of a general store exhibit. The glass has a small hole from a gunshot reportedly by Grant Green. The store had apparently been broken into or someone had tried so Grant was sleeping on the store. Upon hearing a sound in the night he raised up and took a shot through the door. No one was injured and there is no word on whether there was a burglar. It makes a good story for a museum tour!
The store was located where the Promise City Community Center is now, on the east side of Center Street.
When the community center was in the planning stage Amy Robertson donated the lot where her father's store had been and gave a sizable donation for construction. The community center was designed to resemble the general store. It is designated in memory of Robertson Brothers General Store.
Promise City's Round Barn
On the east edge of Promise City was one of only four octagonal barns, sometimes called "Round" barns in Wayne County. It was located on what was known as the Anderson farm. It had long been a landmark but was destroyed by fire in 1957.
The Farmers State Bank built in 1903 by the Robertson's was the first bank in Promise City. Nate Robertson was the cashier for many years. After the bank closed the building was purchased by Amy Robertson. in the 1940's Amy and partner, Tilda Schmidt had a toy factory in the building, selling wooden toys all over the country.
The building is the only brick structure left in Promise City. It has had a number of uses, including as a cafe for several years. The building is currently home to apartments.
Friday, February 9, 2018
Millerton's General Store
Best Store in Town
A staple in any small town is a general store. Millerton, Iowa had one of the best that still is in operation today in 2018.
Fry's Store in Millerton is well known to anyone in several counties, especially farmers, electricians, plumbers, or anyone looking for that hard to find replacement part. If it was made or still made today Fry's probably has it somewhere in the recesses of that old building. Francis Fry opened the store in Millerton, Iowa in 1944. The following, written by Herb Owens was published in the Des Moines Register in 1958.
++++++++++
Nine Buildings, 125,000 Items!
Millerton, IA - A 5-foot bookshelf wouldn't hold all the catalogs necessary for running the general store operated here by Mr. and Mrs. Francis Fry.
From cookies to corn-cribs, the Fry enterprise include a stock of more than 125,000 items and occupy nine buildings in Millerton.
Francis Fry, 46, is a highly versatile artisan who handles repairs on radios and televisions sets, carburetors and brake systems. He also repairs - and carries a full line of repair parts for -all lines of small motors, like those for washers and lawnmowers.
Fry sells and installs electrical systems, plumbing systems, heating systems. And he has four service trucks - each for a different service so there's less loading and reloading.
Wife Handles Grocery Unit
Mrs. Fry, the former Dorothy Krouse, handles the grocery, sundry and light hardware departments of the business. Before the grocery line was taken on, Mrs. Fry had become adept at finding the right auto or small motor part for customers.
Currently the Frys have but one full-time employee. He is Kenneth Reynolds, 20, an alert, industrious youth who gradually is learning most phases of the business.
Electronic work is Fry's favorite activity. As a youngster he started experimenting with electricity in the 32-volt home plant on his father's farm. He was 14 when he did his first professional electrical wiring job.
At 16 he opened his first radio and electrical shop in Corydon. And in 1935 he built his first television set and scanner, demonstrating picture reception on a 3-inch "tube" at the Corydon shop. The telecast, from Kansas City was specially scheduled for Fry's demonstration.
During World War II, Fry served as an electronics instructor in the army. Upon his return, he went back to business quickly. He acquired a Millerton building for storage - and it soon became his operating headquarters.
"The business just grew," Fry said. "One thing led to another. For instance, from installing stock watering systems, I got started in plumbing work. I, and the fellows I had working for me actually studied nights to learn the business.
Editors Note:
Francis Fry passed away December 16, 1989 at 77 years of age. A jack of all trades and master of many.
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