Fran Baker's Blog, page 9

Monday, July 30, 1934

Annie gave me a pen. Helped Aunt Jessie a little. Daddy went to Clay. Had fried rabbit for dinner at Henry's. Mart's and Emmett were there.

Now and Forever
Starring Gary Cooper, Carole Lombard and Shirley Temple
Genre: Drama/Romance
Director: Henry Hathaway
Run Time: 81 minutes
Writers: Melville Baker and Jack Kirkland

Plot Summary:

Young freewheeling wanderer Jerry Day and his beautiful wife Toni are at odds over their lifestyle. Jerry can't accept responsibility but Toni yearns for a family and a settled life. Then the Days 'rediscover' Jerry's young daughter Pennie, who has been living with his rich deceased wife's family. Pennie appears to be just what Jerry needs to mend his swindling ways and lead a straight life. Despite the responsibility of his new family, Jerry is swayed by the corruptible influence of jewelry thief Felix Evans. When Evans lures Jerry into a job, it puts the continuation of his new family life at risk.

Sunday, July 29, 1934

Had fried rabbit for breakfast and fried chicken for dinner at Joe's. Emmett and Melvin and Henry and Newt were there. Shot rabbits. I stayed at Mart's all night.

Kansas City Metropolitan Rivers with Brush Creek in the middle


Kansas City political boss Tom Pendergast

The two most prominent companies owned by Pendergast were Ready Mixed Concrete Co. and the T. J. Pendergast Liquor Distributing Co.

His concrete company, one of the first in the nation to deliver to the site, furnished the concrete for many construction projects during the Depression, including the “Pendergast Pyramids”--present-day City Hall on 12th street and its sister building across the street, the Jackson County Courthouse. Other buildings built with Pendergast concrete were the Municipal Auditorium and Police Headquarters. Paving Brush Creek began November 1935 at a cost originally estimated at $1,395,000 and employing at one time 1,647 WPA workers. Concrete was laid eight to 10 inches thick and 70 feet wide.

Rumors to the contrary, the king of corruption apparently did not lay anyone to rest under Brush Creek on the Plaza. In 1991, when the Army Corps of Engineers was working on a Brush Creek flood control project, it found the creek was paved with just 10-12 inches of concrete — “insufficient,” The Kansas City Star pointed out, “for burying any but the skinniest political enemy.”



 




Saturday, July 28, 1934

Ollie, Ruby, Minnie and Joe came up here for dinner. Then Ruby, Henry and I went to Palmer. Stopped at Nell's. Went down to Joe's. I learned to drive.


July 27, 1934 - Winfield, Kansas Tex West of Dallas, Texas is shown here on the front straightaway of the race track at the Cowley County Fairgrounds, Winfield, Kansas.  That is the Mayfield Special #C13 of Carl Mayfield of Wichita, Kansas backed up next to the fence at left in this photo.  As dangerous as it was, the cars actually pitted along that inside rail and stayed there throughout the racing program when not competing.

Friday, July 27, 1934

Stayed all night with Gladys last night. Mother came up and we had a fried chicken dinner. We listened to the radio with Sue and Howard.

July 27, 1934 ad for new radio

Thursday, July 26, 1934

Rita Mae stayed here at Henry's last night. Then Ruby and Gladys and Emmett and Melvin came up. Took pictures.

Clay Center Cousins - July 26, 1934
Front Row (L-R) Gladys, Ruth, Ruby, Rita Mae
Back Row (L-R) Emmett and Melvin

Wednesday, July 25, 1934

Rained. Rita Mae and I walked to Susie's. Mother and Mart's went to Clay. Rita Mae and I came back and made candy.

Kansas City Star - July 25, 1934

History repeating itself?

Tuesday, July 24, 1934

Rita Mae and I practiced up at Susie's this morning. Went to show at Palmer. Saw "Dollar Down Family." Sure good.

Heim No. 20 fire station (former Heim Brewery)
Guinotte and North Montgall, Kansas City, Missouri

The Brewery was well-known in the Midwest for its lager beer
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After the Prohibition-era
demise of the brewery, Heim No. 20 operated as a Kansas City fire station.

Monday, July 23, 1934

Mother is still sick. Daddy and I went down to Mart's for dinner. I stayed all night at Rita Mae's.

[image error]Helen Stephens (1918-1994)

Growing up on a farm in Callaway County near Fulton, Missouri, Helen loved to run and jump and climb. She also had to work hard on the family farm. By the time she was in high school, her coach was working with her
and took her to St. Louis for her first official race. She beat Stella Walsh, a Polish gold medalist in the 1932 Olympics, in the 50-meter dash at 6.6 seconds, setting a new indoor record on a dirt track.

On August 4, 1936, eighteen-year-old Helen Stephens set the Olympic world record for the 100-meter event at 11.5 seconds. Her record stood for twenty-four years until Wilma Rudolph beat it in the 1960 Olympics. On August 9, Stephens was the anchor in the 400-meter relay team that also set a world record time of 46.9 seconds. She received a gold medal for each event.

Helen returned to Fulton after the Olympics and earned a degree from William
Woods College. She paved the way for future female athletes of all ages. She is in the National and United States Track and Field Halls of Fame as well as the Women’s Hall of Fame. Helen Stephens died on January 17, 1994. She is buried in Fulton, Missouri.






Sunday, July 22, 1934

Didn't go to church or Sunday school. Rita Mae came up this afternoon. Went with Sue and Henry for ice cream.

John Dillinger in the morgue - July 22, 1934
Shot and killed by lawmen as he left the Biograph Theater in Chicago, IL.



Public Enemy No. 1 ... a goner.

Saturday, July 21, 1934

Mother is sick. Rita Mae and Henry and Daddy and Mr. Lakes and I went to Clay Center. Stopped by Aunt Nellie's for a while.

Oreo Cookies - Happy 100th Birthday!

Oreo is a trademark for a popular sandwich cookie by the Nabisco division of Kraft Foods. Since its 1912 introduction, Oreo has become the best selling cookie in the United States, through the 20th century and into the 21st.