Arthur Stilwell: Railroads and Voices From Beyond

1200px-Southern_Belle_Kansas_City_Southern_Railroad_1941

Arthur was a mover and shaker. He was an innovator in the advertisement and insurance businesses, making a comfortable living for himself. He had a vision; connecting Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico, a vision he saw through. Many towns including were built along his new rail line, two of which bore his name. He was a Captain of Industry – and he owed it all to the…voices.

Lorenzo Fuller: From High Plains to Television Pioneer

YOUNGFULLERWITHHARPSMALLER

 

Lorenzo Dow Fuller, Jr. was a pioneer in the early days of television, but his parents were also Pioneers in their own right. His father was a traveling musician, taking his family on his tours throughout the Midwest.  Young Lorenzo played the harp, like his father.

After attending the University of Kansas on a scholarship, Lorenzo made his way to New York and quickly made a splash, becoming a sought after talent on Broadway, radio and television. He soon had a spot as the host of his own network show on the new NBC TV network.

His star began to fade and he spent the last many years of his life living anonymously in New York. He did make a final visit to his western Kansas hometown…although it should not have been his last.

Red Ferns and Coon Dogs: Our Brush With Hollywood

coon-cover1

When I was a kid growing up in the foothills of the Ozarks there wasn’t a lot of excitement, but that changed the summer I turned nine. The filming of “Where The Red Fern Grows” had come to town with all the glitz and bustle making a movie can provide. One school friend had a special relationship to the REAL stars of the movie.

 

 

They Can’t All Be “The Original:” The True History of Frozen Pizza

Frozen_Pizzadreamstime_xxl_10214661

Who hasn’t had a frozen pizza? Many of them claim to be “the Original” frozen pizza. That’s pretty big talk. So, who’s right? In this encore episode from Season One, we delve into that important question and the history of oven-ready pizza!

 

Keeper of the Stories

428467_428642910501251_389675771_n

 

As best as we can determine, this picture was taken in the spring of 1913. The baby in the photograph is my paternal grandmother surrounded by her older sisters. In today’s episode we discuss the importance of learning and keeping the family stories. Photos, such as this one, can provide a great entry into the family story. Family stories connect us to the past, places and an extended cast of characters all of which are a part of your story. It makes your story more colorful.

Being the nosy little kid with questions about everything, I was lucky enough to stumble upon the story of my grandparent’s wedding day. The story was unknown to the generation that followed them and would have been lost had I not asked the right question at an opportune time. This holiday season, find a few lost family stories of your own!