Not forgotten- a reminder- and a Victory -Lorain

Photo Dan Brady

The lines of communication were broken and entangled, opinions of just what is “historic” and what is not – were bogged down in who  “remembered ” and who  forgot, who  said what and who  did what.

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/lest-we-forget-lorain-administration-forgot/

A battle commenced in the hearts of those that not only  have loved the “Dark Angel”, Miss Victory, Lorain’s Angel, whatever name she was known by.   People rallied , historians, writers, council people who  had voted NO to  the sale of her place of honor, the possible movement to  “monument row ” at nearby  Lakeview park. Social media lit up  with  a resounding NO!!! Articles appeared in newspapers , on-line .

https://www.morningjournal.com/news/lorain-county/for-sale-lorain-s-victory-park-land-and-monument-honoring/article_935a5b0c-e170-11e8-8c44-63b43d01ce65.html

https://www.morningjournal.com/news/lorain-county/lorain-clarifies-victory-park-plans/article_033d711c-e44a-11e8-b253-5fbd76a0277f.html

Photo Karen Ferraro

The consensus of the general  population  was the “Dark Angel” should remain in the place of honor in  perpetuity . Lorain, in the past,  has had a history  of moving and get rid of its tangible history  as if it is some “outdated décor” put away  to  be stored in pieces parts or demolished. But the latest ideas found a community  saying not this time.

I  am proud of those who  stood up, researched,  reached out to  government, and wrote of their displeasure  Matt Nahorn, Dan Brady , Diane Medina , Mary  Springkowski , Jeff Sigsworth , and hundreds of people on face book pages.

I am glad to  say  that after not only  was her “sentimental  worth ”  acknowledged  but also  her “historical” worth.

Thanks has to  go  to  Mayor Ritenauer  and Port Director Tom Brown because they  came together ( as government should)  to not only  save that little park but to  honor those that  had kept her and this country  free , through  all the wars that followed  the war to  end all wars. It is a victory  for  common sense , historical worth  and yes for sentiment.

Yesterday  the Port of Lorain and The city  of Lorain issued  a joint statement  saving the “lady”

 

Instead of angst and turmoil   and he said ,she said, the coverage this morning is one of thanks , thanks to  those with who  served , are remembered and those whose passion fought for  a Lady  of Victory”

https://www.morningjournal.com/news/lorain-county/victory-park-will-remain-intact—city-port-craft/article_9b2df8d2-e5e6-11e8-beb8-9759a69bb824.html

http://www.chroniclet.com/Local-News/2018/11/12/Port-Authority-may-take-control-of-Victory-Park-veterans-honored-in-Lorain.html

Thank  YOU  LORAIN!!!

.

 

Lest we Forget – Lorain Administration Forgot –

Well I  finally  am angry  enough  to  write , because that is what it takes to  get my  fingers flying across a key  board.  This was not the Remembrance Day  post I  had planned .

Lorain’s  tangible history  is almost extinct. I  have given up  for the most part  because the interest in tangible history  is not a priority  in Lorain. If it is not maintained, knocked down , bastardized  or moved about , it becomes  a photo  in file at the Lorain Historical Society  on 10th  street.

Tomorrow is Armistice Day  , all over the world  but Lorain Ohio, the administration under Mayor  Ritenauer, Safety  Service Director Dan Given and Chief of Staff Phil  Dore decided in their “wisdom” that a little park ” was not worth  the upkeep and had no  historical significance” . Now to  fill in readers NOT  from Lorain but elsewhere in the country  and world that come to  this blog.

In April 1922 this town decided to  honor the Great War’s war dead and injured  they  put their heart , soul, money  and pride into  a little V shaped park , commissioned a statue  and the town gave due honors :

Photos courtesy  of Dan Brady

Please access Dan Brady’s blog for the “historical research ” and story  about the little park that became Victory   Park https://danielebrady.blogspot.com/2012/05/ninety-years-of-miss-victory.html

Photo  Dan Brady

Apparently  this little  tiny  memorial park demands too  much  upkeep and was lumped in with  other “vacant and overgrown lots in their mind.

 “The city’s position is that we own hundreds of parcels all over that we’ve acquired over time,” Given said. “Why are we sitting on these things, maintaining them, cleaning up junk when we can actually make it productive?”

Photo Lorain 365

So  the wheels started going round and round and talks were ongoing between “Veterans Groups” not with  any  transparency  apparently  because I  live with  a veteran and I  had to  tell him what was happening .

Ironically   it was to  me  “that woman” to  whom Dan Given and the city  came to  get the information about the “historical significance” to  that V  and the statuary . I  duly  got them all the historical significance and the who is who and how a city  remembered  in 1922 and for the past 96 years.

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/victory-no-longer-empty-handed-v-for-volunteers/

How annoying then to  read from the Morning Journal www. morningjournal.com  today   the Chief of Staff  of the City  of Lorain quote :

He said the city also went out of its way to ensure the property had no historical significance for WWI and found none.

“It just so happened, that whoever funded the statue, put it there,” Dore said.

 

 

Did this man read any of the information given objectively  or did they  just cut and paste  to  fit what  the intended purpose to  do  away  with  a “nuisance” hand it over to  someone else.

I  can taste my  anger at the moment. They  reached out to  Veterans groups  after the DAV post  reached out to  them but not the community  that  Mayor Ritenauer  was concerned about . The agenda for Monday  Night’s City  Council meeting  slipped this item in

Item G- ord – authorizing the Safety /Service Director to  advertise for bids for the sale of two  parcels no  longer needed for municipal purposes.

The city  council then went into executive session to  discuss this   with  council members – of course not only can’t the community at large   attend this session but Council  members in their wisdom just voted on the matter when they  came back  to  the floor.

Dissenting Votes,

 

 

 

Mary  Springkowski, Greg Argenti  and Josh Thornsberry. the rest could not apparently  decide to  send this to  at least a committee so  the “community  could have its say?

NO! in their impeccable timing of the Administration and Dore and Given one week before NOVEMBER  the 11th they  decided this little park  ” Dore:  had no historical significance for WWI and found none. LOOK AGAIN PHIL!!!!!!

Well I  beg to  differ, there are still relatives of the American Legion Commander instrumental in organizing  those honors ( see the article from 1922)  who  take pride in the Historical Worth  of that little Park. Once the city   sells it to  whomever the Veteran Organizations decide that park can be torn down ,statues moved to  monument row at Lakeview Park where they  are totally  out of context.  or destroyed  . We Only  have “their word” this won’t happen in the future and forgive me but that isn’t good enough

The plan isn’t to go in and disrupt the entire community and move monuments,” he said. “But when we have veterans groups that their sole purpose is to honor the people who lead us in war with their bravery, it’s our obligation to listen to them.”

Been down that road before : Once bitten twice shy!!!!!! and so  glad Mr. Given when YOU  were on City  Council you  didn’t “listen to  the Vets Council” when they  wanted to  give away  the 200 year old park on 4th  to  make way  for “Condos”

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/veterans-memorial-park-thanks-for-the-memories/

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/07/31/veterans-memorial-park-faulty-memory/

The mayor said ‘hey, I don’t want a nasty storm over this whole issue. If it’s good for the community, it’s good for the community,’” Given said

quotes from www. morningjournal.com   article Lorain Clarifies Victory  Park Plans .

 Well maybe if the “Community” had been informed though   discussion   there would not be the blog post, the social media  outrage at this “deal”

 

Never has so much blather been uttered by  so  few to  cause outrage to  so  many!!!!

There is a “shame in this ” that shouldn’t be forgotten. Oh  it will be forgotten yesterdays news!!! Lorain  and her “non historical worth  will move on” BUT as long as there is an internet  and this blog is archived  ” the “memory” of this debacle of decisions” will live on!

NOTE: I  welcome any  op ed for the city administration…. and this situation has earned the not so  coveted  Notorious Opponents of Exactitude Award

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A tale of two “city” houses – downing of quality

Durand Map 1834

Many, years ago in a place called Lorain the settlers, pioneers of their day, in those early 1800’s built a foundation for this city of hard work, diligence and pride.

Families followed to work in the ship yards and steel industry. How wonderful for the immigrants to this country , state and city to have a living wage and able to “own” a home , dreams coming true. Neighborhoods grew , log houses became wood sided houses with porches and designed not for shelter only but for home and hearth, curtains hung , window shades drawn to be even with the next window, grass planted , sidewalks made an appearance , and bricked roads replaced wooden planks. The homes loved and admired.

Captain Wilford Home -416 Washington ( take a drive by today )

Ladies proud of their part in the growth of the community , starched white blouses , the very ladies who kept the those homes shining with pride, the daughters of the founding fathers .
2nd row no 7 – Mrs. Fannie Wilford – wife of Captain Wilford – Gillmore Civil War letters

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/civil-war-letters-fannie-gilmore-lorain/

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2008/02/12/capt-wilford-a-hero-of-the-inland-seas/

There has been a plethora of history of those same homes on this blog and others . However, as you drive around these same streets today , you will notice missing windows instead of lace curtains or even window shades, you will see homes not kept with pride but hanging on to their last gasping breaths of “being”.

Did people and values change , that is up for debate, did the plethora of social service agencies located in a cluster in this area cause problems , again up for debate, administrations , city councils that came and went , did we suffer from party politics or lack of forward thinking and the consequences of one’s administrative actions?

One thing is not debatable is that in the 44052- and the old neighborhoods in what is called South Lorain something happened or ,in my opinion, didn’t and hasn’t happened – property accountability. So where does that leave us , those who are now stranded by economics and age who are still trying for a quality of life, homes built with love for “home” now home to heroin dealers and fences not surrounding gardens but “fencing the stolen goods”.

In this series I am going to look at what is, in my opinion, an issue that is one of the major concerns as to how we got this way. The tale of two homes – their paper trail – and conclusions………

As one official stated at a meeting ( paraphrasing) – There are people in the west side of Lorain complaining their neighbor’s fence is leaning on their property but in ( what is called old Lorain neighborhoods) we have people complaining the next door house is falling onto their property…

To be continued

What is their story and the story tellers- Lorain

I have lived in this old neighborhood of Lorain since we purchased our “starter home”- it will hopefully be the home where we “finish up”.
I know a few facts about the people who lived here through the 1/2 century before we became its caretaker. I certainly hope that someone will enjoy this home after we are gone BUT I don’t hold out much hope the way things go in Lorain.

too many examples to show…. this is the latest poster child 3620 Clinton and YES! it too has a story.

Local bloggers, council people such as Dennis Flores,
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=dennis%20flores%20city%20of%20lorain%202nd%20ward%20councilman
have been trying to fight the blight of non enforcement of building codes for years. They have tried the name it and shame it until there were just too many to name. The outing of mega landlords with 300 such properties and those that followed him in his “business” plan. I went to housing court and another story. https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/10/22/housing-court-and-you-lorain-continued/

However recently Lisa Miller of Lorain 365 Blog – (a blog https://lorain365.com/ that photographs the good and sometimes quirky in Lorain every day) posted a picture of a little building on Colorado Ave. Lisa , had her curiosity tweaked by the name on the top of the little building . “Giuseppino”.

I remember another “version” of that building from when I first came here. The building was right next to the Royal Canadian Legion ( no longer there) It was getting a little jaded even then but still someone still cared . This is how (with the help of picmonkey https://www.picmonkey.com/ ) I remembered this little building – original photo Lisa Miller.

The building changed hands through the years and at one point looked like a facsimile of what I remembered – this photo from the Lorain County Auditors site
and now of course Lisa’s photo of this week – SIGH

Lisa followed through researching the story behind the name on the building

http://wp.me/p1Rd8f-4Pt

A tornado memory – revisiting the Giuseppino 1924 building

This name and date stone turns out to be a memorial
to a 9-year-old boy who was killed in the 1924 tornado.

A family member reached out:
“That building was built by my Grandfather, Sam Garbo.
It was constructed with salvaged bricks after the tornado.
That stone, in fact, does say Giuseppino and is the child you reference.
His parents were Sam and Josephine Garbo, My Grandparents.
-Susan Garbo”

My genealogy search had ended with one Lorain connection,
a deceased 9-year-old child named Giuseppino Garbo. No relatives were listed.

Update 4/29/17:
Reader and contributor Rick Kurish picked up the search:
“You are on the right track in the research of this building. The nine-year-old child, Giuseppino Garbo, who is buried in Calvary Cemetery, is associated with the building. Giuseppino (English version Joseph) Garbo lived at 311 Colorado Avenue and was killed in the Lorain Tornado of June 28, 1924. He was buried in the children’s section of Cavalry Cemetery on July 1, 1924. While the grave marker lists the Italian version of his name, the cemetery records list him as Joseph Garbo. The marker also indicates that he was killed in the tornado. He is also listed in the Official Souvenir and Memorial Book of the Lorain Tornado, under the heading “Killed in Lorain Tornado”, as Joseph Garbo, 9, 311 Colorado Avenue.”

Much thanks to Rick and Susan for helping to fill in the blanks of Giuseppino’s story.



Memory Lane – The Ladies who lunched and accomplished

I received a phone call yesterday from Barbara MacGregor and memories of good times in Lorain surfaced. I wrote about some of them in this post

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/ladies-of-lorain/

I was in my very early twenties when I first arrived, a Mrs. Osmundson of the “Lorain Chapter of the Welcome Wagon” knocked on our apartment door and there followed the introduction to the Ladies of Lorain.

These ladies , some of whom have passed away , then introduced me to the “volunteer aspect” that was and is Lorain. The ladies that saved the Palace Theatre, built Lorain Community Hospital, literally ran the entertainment for Lorain International , planned the ” Hospital Follies” and fundraisers, celebrated the “anniversaries” and gently bullied administrations, newspapers and public servants to join in and refused to take No for an answer . They organized their projects and committees with a battle plan and strategy that would have made any General proud.

Ruth Calta, Jean Schaeffer, Marylou Connone, Lori Hoke, Barbara MacGregor, Corky Bruck, Charlotte Zakowski, Jane Baran, Jane Norton, Lou Kepler, Alice Weston, Phyllis Pfaff, Sally Bobel , Lilly Yuzon, Sally DeLuca , Mirium Schneider , Jean Anne King , Lee Mattei, Darlene Brown , Mrs. Robert Bostwick, Mrs. Dave Herzer , Carol Kramer, Frances Cellozzi, Marie Bonaminio,

and so many others whose names have faded with my memory . Some of these ladies are still volunteering and making a difference in Lorain everyday.

Barb had called to tell me of the 40th anniversary celebration of the Palace Theatre and of burning the mortgage
http://lorainpalace.org/theater/

“December 10, 1977 was a landmark date. On the stage of the theater that night following a Christmas musical program, the mortgage was burned ceremoniously, thanks to the generosity of many groups and individuals.”

Oh those were the days before the mortgage could be burned though fundraising took place at 319 Broadway ( the annex)

” Forty civic groups participated in this week long street fair, Stores soon to be torn down were converted as if by magic into an old fashioned ice cream parlor, a “Second-Hand Rose” shop, a casino, a book and plant store, an open air barbecue, international shops, etc. The Saturday night “Great Gatsby Party” at the Palace climaxed the week’s activities.

Civic Center Madness – Oh and it was, the ladies served lunches , painted poppies on pianos, sold artifacts-

I still have a little chair -was left after one auction in a terrible state – it was headed for the dumpster when Ruth Calta decided I should buy it for a dollar – and you didn’t say no! – rehabbed and upholstered is still with us – a memory of can do!

I was just a young newly married transplant when Jean Schaeffer decided I needed to be introduced.

There was so much joy- energy – a pushing ahead through problems- these were the “can do ladies” and they did and they pulled each volunteer along with them in their net of enthusiasm. These ladies who saved a theatre and built a hospital. The Great Gatsby Party – what great fun – The Palace Players and Henry 8th night- not to be forgotten-

Cover Arcade MJ

As Barb and I talked, I remembered a time of energy and of loss of those ladies no longer with us- 40 years of life tends to do that. Still the Palace is there a testament to perseverance and pride- still needed in this old town.

Lorain -History Mystery- In conclusion – Clara

Part One https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/12/27/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara/

Part Two https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/12/28/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt-2/

Part Three https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/12/29/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt3/

Part Four https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/05/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-part-4/

Part Five https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/13/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt-5/

Part Six https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/16/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-part-6/

Part Seven https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt-7/
Part Eight https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/25/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt-8/
ED NOTE Please click on any of the photos to enlarge

The consensus of opinion is the pages found tucked away on top of the beam in the basement of 212 W. 18th Street are in all likelihood the writings pertaining to a “novel” or story. Clara, a character in a writer’s fertile imagination. The research turned up similarities of place names but nothing that could be traced either in Lorain or in Oklahoma. Just the intriguing Lorain Lumber letter head

However, we were able to track the history of the home – and the family that probably built it “The Greggs”. Renee Dore and I were fortunate to have spent a lovely afternoon on Thursday with Mrs. Margaret Gregg. This gracious lady allowed us to look through family photos and documents to see if we could unravel just who may have been the author of the pages.

Frederick S. Lamb’s painting of William Penn at the Brooklyn Museum

The Gregg family has a long history in these United States, one of the documents from the Gregg family was a completed family tree from the 1930’s. The family traced its roots from Ireland and eventually to arriving in the “colonies” along with the group accompanying William Penn. http://www.ushistory.org/penn/bio.htm

A quick search found
Thomas Coulson Gregg born in 1794 and deceased in 1878 in Belleville Ohio –
His son William Alan Gregg born 1823 -1873 also from Belleville
However it was his son Emmett Gregg who was born in 1860 in Belleville but eventually found his way to Lorain where he passed in 1938.

Emmett Gregg married Barbara (Reiff) Gregg 1857-1937from Maytown Pennsylvania

Photos scanned from the original tintypes
Why Emmett and Barbara ended up in Lorain is anyone’s guess but more than likely came for employment.

What is known is that the Sanborn Fire Maps for 1900 show what is now 212 W 18th as being 314 Forest and the dwelling footprint was very different on the 1900 Sanborn Fire Map

but that can be explained, as in amongst the Gregg family photos was a photo ( enhanced) of the Greggs home a small cottage – written on the reverse.

Was this the dwelling shown in 1900 Sandborn Fire Map? When we spoke to Margaret Gregg she remembers the home was added onto ( or possibly rebuilt??) early on .
In June 1905 according the Sanborn maps more changes had been made – it looks like the garage ( outbuilding) had been added.
1905 Sandborn Map

What we do know is that by 1910 the footprint had changed again
1910 Sandborn Map

The 1918 Sandborn Fire Map and 1926 through 1940 see minor changes


1912 Tax Map for the city we have Emmett and Barbara Gregg listed as the owners of the property.


Emmett and Barbara had a son George in 1882 he passed in 1947

George married Cora (Dyce) who was from Florida –

Cora followed her husband George back to Lorain and back to 212 18th Street. Cora was exquisite- the head and shoulders shot ( complete with Marcel Wave hairstyle) from the family album shows such. Unfortunately, we were scared to remove the photo from its folder due to the condition of the album fearing we might do damage . We do have a picture of her with her young son Donald ( Margaret’s eventual husband ) in 1932/3

George and Cora ( thanks to the research by Rick Kurish) listed themselves in the 1930 census as to their occupation as Lecturer in a Traveling Show.
Audience photo source River Time Players

http://www.rivertimeplayers.org/tent/tentshow.asp

These shows were extremely successful in the US and elsewhere .George and Cora it seems were quite the artistic couple – a life of audiences and stories . George seen here posing was quite the “dapper” gentleman

The vocation of George and Clara also is confirmed by family history. George and Cora were heavily involved with the Circus and Traveling shows of the 20’s and thirties . Margaret told us that Cora would love to tell how she had visited all 48 states and the provinces in Canada.

Don’t I wish I could talk to Cora of those days?

However, back to the pages and the mystery as to the author. Margaret, Cora’s daughter -in- law, doesn’t remember anyone ever mentioning anything like the story or writing .

Renee and I sat on the couch and poured over old writings, photos and family papers hoping to find a similarity in the penmanship.
Cora’s hand was very different to the hand that wrote the pages. Just when we felt all was lost we came across another picture of Cora – The Florida girl and the snow circa 1927

It was with a great deal of excitement we found written on the back of the photo

“It took as great deal of coaxing to get the Florida Girl to sit right down in the snow for this picture but she did”

And there is was the same handwriting as the pages, comparing the style of the words to those of the delicate pages, the “d’s” the a’s the I”s the B’s the “she” and the girl with the capital G- there was no doubt the writer of the pages was the same person as the writer on the back of the photo.

The conclusion was reached by myself, Mrs. Margaret Gregg and Renee, after comparing writing styles , the writer was not Cora but Barbara Gregg. Cora’s mother – in- law.

Barbara Gregg passed away in 1937 – was that the reason we will never know who murdered Bob Sandford? What was the rest of Rose Flemming’s story? Who was Clara and what was her mother’s secret? . Why were the pages tucked away all those years ago? We will never know unless somewhere in that old house there are other pages.

Barbara Gregg’s pages have now been published , the story forever on the internet , her life and times documented and along with her writing has taken us all on a “history tour”

Many thanks to the Gregg family for their permission to continue the story, the photos and a special thank you to Margaret Gregg who was so charming and helpful.
And a thank you to Dennis Flores , who showed up at my door with a file of very, very special writings.

The End???????????????

Lorain- History Mystery- Her Name Was Clara- Part 6

Part One https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/12/27/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara/

Part Two https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/12/28/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt-2/

Part Three https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/12/29/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt3/

Part Four https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/05/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-part-4/

Part Five https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/13/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt-5/

We left the Oklahoma pages with some answers – yes there was an oil boom in 1904 the probable location of the “town of Bartmore” but very little else and the town of Bartlesville? But we are not any closer. I cannot find Hartwell and Barton- nor Bruce Barton – so back to the pages of Oklahoma

Page 4 Clara- Oklahoma

….. Martha Barton Hospital was built by and fu(lly) (torn) equipped and given to the City of Bartmore and (he) torn gave 50,00 each year for its upkeep.

Bartmore boats of two of the best surgeons in ( the ) stet and they were brought her by Bruce Ba(rton)torn. He established six public playgrounds and ( torn and missing) gave them to Bartmore.

The people wanted to put him into politics. He never would concent(sp) I know that Bruce Barton could have been Govenor of this state if he had wished to be.

The firm Hartwell and Barton had gone on for several years and while I had married and was the Daddy of two fine children, Bruce still remained a Bachelor. He had built a fine home just north of Bartmore about 2 miles from the city limits and had a fine old couple Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney look after his place. Mrs. Sweeney acting as housekeeper and Phil Sweeney overseeing the farm.

ED NOTE: Internet searches have not turned up any of these names so far

Bruce seemed to get a great deal of pleas(ure)torn out of his home. He had a wonderful ….. torn stock and spent thousands of dollars ..keeping(?) his grounds

Page 5 Clara OK

Bartmore boasts of having one of the finest ??????? ED Note- this next word has me stymied- I am literally going crossed eyed trying t decipher these pages. You decide…. I can get Aviations – Carnation -( yes there is such a thing as carnation fields ) Donations – I am thinking “aviation” you decide

fields in the United States and Bruce Barton gave every acre of land and saw that everything was built and arranged to make it one of the best and then gave it to the city.

ED NOTE – again if it was a early aviation field I can’t find anything given to Barton
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/OK/Airfields_OK_E.htm however there is a Bartlesville (city owned air strip) and it made history – no mention of a Bruce Barton though
http://www.examiner-enterprise.com/news/local-news/bartlesville-back-when-flying-history-made-locally photo the Examiner – Enterprise

I just tell you these things to give you an idea of what k(ind) of a man he was.
Tom Sandford ED NOTE could not an oilman Tom Sandford BUT there was a Sanford Oil in Bartlesville Nov 1921 ) was another man who had made lots of money in oil and his son Bob who was just returned home from Law School was one of those young fellows who had always had everything he every wanted and his father wanted Bruce and I to take him in our office for a couple of years. I was in favor of it but Bruce said No and frankly told Tom very plainly just why he objected and he said ” Tom I like Bob and want to see him succeed but just as long as you furnish your son with all the money he wants and buy him high powered cars he never will work and never will amount to a …… ( word unreadable)

Well the result was that Tom Sandford was very much offended and said as much. But Bruce was firm and said “Tom just cut off ( missing) allowance and compel him to dig for him ( self) and in latter years Bob will thank you (…….. missing)

And there we have it more of the story and yet we know so very little that checks out . One thing I have found in trying to tie names to places I have found some very interesting reading about the oil fields and also since this is being written on MLK Day the riots in Tulsa in 1921

Tulsa’s darkest hour came on June 1, 1921, when racial tensions erupted in violence against African-Americans living in an area north of downtown. Thirty-five blocks of black businesses and residences were burned down including Greenwood Ave., known as “The Black Wall Street”. Both blacks and whites were killed, although the numbers are still debated today.

http://tulsahistory.org/learn/online-exhibits/early-tulsa-history/oil-and-riches/
and “on the rarely-mentioned 1921 onslaught, aerial bombing, and incineration of the “Black Wall Street” business district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1921, by white mobs, including the KKK and government forces.”

To be continued ……….

Pages 4 and 5 Black and White enhanced