President
Truman didn't waste any time preparing for a trip to
historical immortality. On January 15 he succeeded
Allan Hoyt, the District Deputy Grand Master of the 59th
Masonic Lodge. A dinner was held at the Christian
Church. The whole affair was broadcast on KLDS, the
local radio station.
In March a
dinner for the 150 Masons of the 59th district was held at
the Mt. Washington Lodge No. 641. Harry was
toastmaster for the evening and proved that he was getting
more comfortable talking to large groups of people. He
set the tone for the evening. Dinner was prepared by
the ladies of the Mount Washington Order of the Eastern
Star. By June, now Colonel Truman and Major
Robert W. Barr had filed for ballot space in the August
election for judge. Barr was going to be the Western
District judge, and Truman filed for Presiding Judge.
In July Mr. Truman was elected by the "National Old Trails
Association," at a dinner held at the Muehelbach Hotel in
Downtown Kansas City, replacing Judge Joseph Lowe, the
founder. Their goal was to pave the old trail west of
Kansas City to Los Angeles. The road from Washington,
D. C. to Kansas City was already in fine shape. It
would soon be known as Federal Highway No. 24.
The county
election in November was a sweep by some local Democrats.
Judge Truman would be the Presiding Judge, both other
Democrats won. The seven circuit judgeships were all
won by Democrats. It didn't help the Republican core
when they ran out of money. Unfortunately, Judge
Truman had just won a job that was a political dead-end,
according the pundits of the day.
Meanwhile, in
Germany, a part of Herr Hitler's probation was "no
inflammatory speeches." Not being the sharpest knife
in the drawer, he did just that. Justice was swift, no
speeches for 18 months or it was back to Spandau.
Besides, who could take someone seriously who had such a
striking resemblance to Charlie Chaplin, the comic silent
movie star?
Nationally,
the first sniffles of the coming pneumonia were heard when
the Florida real estate bubble burst. Locally, the
Bank of Englewood, Missouri, just east of the city limits of
Independence, tapped out. Fortunately, Judge Truman
and his buddies had gotten their money out of the
institution a few months before this happened.
Kansas City's
two remaining outdoor amusement parks opened in unison, at 6
p. m. Saturday, May 15. Fairlyland's fourth season and
Fairmount's twenty-second were recipients of the greatest
economic boom in history. Prosperity was spreading
even to Germany, thanks to loans from his wealthy Uncle Sam.
Sam Benjamin
was in his fourth season as the manager of Fairyland Park.
Several thousand enjoyed the fair weather. Fairyland
boasted twelve new attractions this season. The
Hey-Day, reverse engineered from England, combined The
Whip with the up-and-down movement of The Caterpillar.
Described as a sensation of "skidding out of control down a
mountain in a motor car." By far the most popular new
attraction was the "Monkey Autodrome." A sort of
miniature automobile demolition derby, with monkeys as the
drivers, many laughs. An off-duty Kansas City traffic
officer observed that his job would be a lot easier if
"motorists exhibited as much dexterity as the monkeys."
From six until midnight, the rails of the Monkey Autodrome
were elbow to elbow.
Both parks
joined the Orpheum circuit, meaning all acts were controlled
by people from out of town. With Electric gone, the
two parks were obviously in cahoots.
The Orpheum
started along with vaudeville in 1880's Boston. Arthur
Wortheim owned a theater that catered to small, quick acts.
The first theater called Orpheum was in San Francisco in
1887. Soon they controlled a large portion of the
acts. By the 1920s there were the "Vaudeville Wars,"
as corporations tried to control the live acts of the
nation.
Fairyland
Park's first act came from Chicago. Roy Max "Palm
Beach Frolics". Roy himself attended the opening night
and thought the crowd "adequate." The two stars of the
musical, Victor Caplin and Gladys Kern would stay on for the
entire season. While the shows and supporting
acts changed every two weeks it must have made for some
interesting rehearsals. In the dance pavilion was
Haley's twelve piece orchestra.
By now,
Fairmount Park had acquired almost 100 novelties,
concessions, and rides. A new concession was the
"Jolly Jungle," dark tunnels and passageways with stuffed
animals in different scenes and even a ghost, then to the
"White River", rolling like the waves, then deposited on a
rotating disk and mercifully put back on your feet.
Another new attraction was the "Jumping Jack." A new
miniature city was built, this time it was St. Paul,
Minnesota. On the stage were the Dixon Riggs Group,
gymnasts. Skeeball machines were introduced, a game of
skill.
The lake now
had 100 aluminum boats. Every year they were newly
painted in silver and numbered. The beach was newly
sanded, more locker space and new suits were raring to go.
The mild weather allowed for the beach to be opened to
swimmers a week early. On May 22 the lake opened at 6
a. m. and closed at ten. Harry Smith's band played in
the Venetian Ballroom. While Fairlyland covered their
picnic area, Fairmount covered its midway. Rain and
sun no longer drove patrons under the trees. Now they
would be close to the darts, balloons, and kewpie dolls.
Improvements were also made to the picnic grounds.
The following
week brought a real thriller for the kids, Ezra's "Barnyard
Circus." The act consisted of about thirty animals,
goats, pigs, chickens and dogs trained to act like lions,
elephants, etc., etc. The star of the show was Mickey,
"The World's Only High Diving Pig". Shows at 3:45 and
9:45.
The first
large picnic at the "Home of Picnics" was held by the
Missouri Conclave of the De-Molay. The Order of De-Molay
was started in 1919 here in Kansas City. Sponsored by
the Masons, membership was limited to boys 12 to 21, open to
all, as long as they were white. Today there about
18,000 members nationwide. The highlight of the picnic
was a baseball game between a team from St. Louis and Kansas
City.
Memorial Day
came and went, and so did the weekly changes of vaudeville
at Fairmount. June brought many picnics as the economy
grew. Leisure and fun became a passion in America.
Hem lines were going up faster than the stock market.
Young adults danced and many of the pre-World War I
generation wondered what would become of them. Today
we know the answer: They were going to save the world,
again. First they would have to survive the coming
Depression, Fairmount park wouldn't.
Vaudeville
changed weekly. In June, the park's third week brought
Merrill's Circus, ten acts meant for amusement, aerial
rings, tumbling, and a mule, which was followed by "Betty's
Pets," trained dogs, and "Marvelous Darro," a contortionist.
"Butterfly Girls," the three Kinswell sisters, who flew
about using aerial rings and a "Spanish trapeze," described
as the "Dianas of the Air." June's vaudeville ended
with "Stewart's Scotch Review," opening on the 20th.
Six pretty Irish lassies dressed in kilts. Accompanied
by bagpipes, they danced and sang songs of their native
land. The "Four Sensational Jacks" closed out June,
comic acrobats.
Fairmount Park
was still the "Home of Picnics." Among some of the
hundreds in 1926 were the Southern Kansas City Business
District, Proctor & Gamble, The Syrian Club, Blue Valley
Manufacturers and Business Men's Association, Missouri
Pacific Railroad, Order of the Eastern Star,
Spanish-American War Vets of Independence, Grand Convention
of the Edwards Estate Heirs, Mt. Washington Chapter of the
Eastern Star, Kansas City P. T. A. and all elementary
schools, Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company, and United Country
Clubs of Missouri filled the park until the Fourth of July.
A visit to
Fairmount Park would have gone something like this:
The first concession you would have found was a mysterious
sensation, where balls roll up hill, then you would float
over the darkened canals, there was an Egyptian fun house
full of mirrors, the merry-go-round had tigers, a giraffe,
and ponies; the model city, there were three coaster rides,
the Mountain Speedway, the Jumping Jack and the Giant
Dipper. They had aerial ships, the Caterpillar gave
you a creepy, crawling sensation and sudden blasts from big
air fans. There was the Dodge-Em (bumper cars), and a
ride on the Whip. For the kids there were miniature
automobiles, the Motor Speedway, and for babies there was
the Umbrella Ride. Dancing in the ballroom and
swimming in the lake.
Henry
Whitesell came up with a money-maker for people who wanted a
picnic without the hassle. He opened his Picnic
Restaurant, and he catered from small to large picnics.
His motto was "Coffee from One Cup to Fifty Gallons."
On the Fourth
of July, just west of the Independence Square, a memorial to
the fallen in the Great War was dedicated, arranged by the
Tory J. Ford Post of the American Legion. Among the
speakers were Col. Lewis J. Vanschaick of Ft. Leavenworth,
who made the main address. Other speakers were Col. E.
M. Slayton of the 110th Engineers, and Independence Mayor
Sermon. The Colonel's comments on the war were direct
and to the point. He said without U. S. involvement
the Germans would have won the war in 1918. Divisions
like the 35th stopped the Germans at the Battle of the
Muse/Argonne on September 22, 1918, when 2,600 cannon,
including 155mm, 105mm, and Captain Truman's 75s.
2,000 were in attendance. Colonel Truman was no doubt
there. Ironically, that building would later be named
after him.
Both Fairyland
and Fairmount Parks celebrated the Fourth on Monday, the
Fifth, making it a four-day weekend for the gate.
Besides fireworks on the evening of Monday the Fifth,
Fairmount Park featured a very unusual act: Captain
Blake, internationally known as Skyrocket the Human Comet.
Mr. Skyrocket had two assistants, a clown and a very lovely
lady whose job it was to ignite him, after which he jumped
into the deep part of the lake from a 100 foot tower, after
which his two assistants dove and clowned around. A
huge fireworks display Monday at dusk was followed by a
late-night plunge by Captain Blake.
Fairyland
Park's Third, Fourth, and Fifth started at 6 a. m. and ended
at midnight, the end of a perfect day. The 27 rides
and fun houses were busy all day. At 6 p. m., the
amphitheater presented Roy Mack's Palm Beach Follies, still
the main feature and continues non-stop until fireworks
time. Dancing, which began at 7 p. m., was halted
during the fireworks display of both aerial and set pieces.
The crowds milled around until after midnight, lessening the
usual traffic jam.
After the
Fourth the parks went back to picnics and fun in the sun.
By now Kansas
City had another swimming hole, Winwood Beach. Located
just north of the Missouri River, it offered swimming and
dancing. A $35,000 fire convinced them that they had
better not make it into an amusement park. Winwood
Beach would last about as long as Fairyland Park.
Now that the
two parks had their way with the pleasure seekers in most of
Kansas City and surrounding communities, the beat went on.
At Fairmount the weekly vaudeville act continued until the
end of the season. First came the five Glencoe
Sisters, singers, dancers, and musicians, appearing twice a
day, and on Sundays they would follow the fireworks.
July 18 brought the Seven Flying Melzers, who "hurled
themselves through space on the flying trapeze, and while
doing so execute a series of double and triple somersaults."
They also performed several comedy acts.
Fairlyland
sponsored a baseball game between the "Dries" and the
"Wets." The Wets took the field with a flask in most
back pockets. The Wets got drunk and lost 7-0, but had
a much better time, owing to not taking the game so
seriously by the third inning. The game was called on
account of errors.
July at
Fairmount ended with Flying Bodies of the Airplane Girls,
Allison and Martha Douglas, who showed their stuff on the
"whirling trapeze bars." "Back by Popular Demand"
meant that they worked cheap. This was followed by
movies, a new one every night in the Amphitheatre, which was
even cheaper. The last act of the season was a live
one, the "Aerial Rutts."
Labor Day
weekend was the last weekend for mirth at the park.
Kansas City labor met at Fairmount, although this year there
was no parade. It was not a good time for Labor.
The Republican Administration was very pro-business.
Someone gave a speech on the Joys of Labor. He, of
course, didn't work, being in the business of making
speeches.
In the town of
Sugar Creek, much activity was afoot. For openers, the
town finally moved into its new City Hall, April 16.
It was a two-story red brick job, described as "plain" and
"handsome." It had a garage for the city fire truck in
back. The move from the Slyman Building was postponed
because of a hassle over floors with the contractor.
The basement was a dungeon for any prisoners. The
first floor is where the city offices were located. An
office for the mayor, city collector, Water Department
Superintendent, and the Council Chamber. The second
floor had five rooms, four of which were occupied by the
Health Unit. The fifth was a bunk room for the fire
department. On the 22nd of April a check for $5,000
was cut to Bert Elmer, contractor. It was the final
payment on the $10,000 building. The council
immediately took bids for sod. The residents
benefitted by a reduction in home insurance. Other
improvements were to build a natural gas pipeline to the
city. A six-inch line was run to Kentucky Road and
Fairmount Avenue, where a two-inch low pressure line
spider-webbed its way through town.
Fifty street
signs were purchased, the names of many streets having been
changed. Fifty stop signs were produced. House
numbers were also introduced, making it possible for mail
delivery in the future. The speed limit on Fairmount
Avenue was ten miles per hour during the hours that Sugar
Creek school's 400 students. When school started,
Chief Mackey was ready with stop signs and two deputies.
Stop signs were placed at strategic locations around the
school, leading to the refinery. 45 people were
arrested for not stopping and paid a $1 fine, netting the
city $45. Since the city had no sirens the deputies
blew whistles. The Chief acted as the judge and jury.
Everyone was found guilty. It was mostly in fun, but
Chief Mackey informed everyone that there would be an
increase of the fine of $1 a week.
On Monday,
August 2, four Italian gentlemen in a big Buick ran John
Housaman, treasurer of Fairmount Park, his family, and a
vice-president of Commerce Bank and over $5,000 in cash off
the road. No one was shot, and the bandits got away.
A taxi driver wrote down the license plate number, and it
came back stolen off of a Ford. The same people had
just robbed the Fairyland Park treasurer going to the bank a
couple of weeks earlier. Again, no one was hurt.
On August 25,
things turned ugly. Morris Rosenberg, owner of the
Missouri Supply Company of Cement City, had just left the
Sugar Creek Bank. On the new Cement City Road, that
runs along the Missouri River, he and his security guard
were accosted by four men in a Buick. This time, the
hoods opened up with a sawed-off twelve gage shotgun, using
double-ought buck. The shots disintegrated the
windshield and struck Evestiro Hernandes, a laborer riding
shotgun. He didn't have a chance. Later the car
flew through Cement City at 70 miles an hour. Another
Buick from the police department tried to follow the dust
trail but gave up.
On October 5,
an article in a local newspaper mentioned that twice a month
an armored car from a Kansas City bank was filled with money
to cash payroll checks for the Standard employees. Two
weeks later, the Standard State Bank in Sugar Creek was
visited by five men carrying .45 automatic pistols.
Shortly after the armored car left, leaving behind $50,000
in cash, a nervous young man walked into the bank, produced
a twenty dollar bill, and asked for change, a ten and ten
ones. While Mr. Buckley, the bookkeeper, was doing his
job, two more men walked into the bank, and then another.
Dropping his pistol into a trash can, he figured there were
too many people in the bank to start shooting. Soon,
weapons were drawn. Marshal Mackey, who stood security
just inside the door, was disarmed. A fifth man stood
guard outside the bank. Soon one of them fired a round
into the wall, and as they drove away Mr. Buckley fired six
shots from his revolver into the Buick. While exiting
south on Fairmount Avenue, they opened up, shattering
windows, penetrating autos, but no one was hit. They
left town with ten grand, leaving $40,000 in the vault.
Tony Pappos and James T. Martin were charged with the crime.
Pappos left an umbrella wrapper from his business in the
bank, and Martin had just escaped from the penitentiary for
bank robbery the day before. At the hearing Pappos
didn't show and Martin was returned to prison with a 99-year
sentence. A bloody coat with two bullet holes were
found in the getaway car. No money was ever recovered.
Insurance covered the loss.
After the
annual Sugar Creek refinery picnic in August, my dad
resigned from the inspection department. He and Nick
Roper left for Detroit.
