Friday, October 21, 2016

Ralph Green and Avis Tucker


According to Wikipedia the Solomon Valley Milling Company was founded in 1902 by Lemuel K. Green in Osborne, Kansas. The steam mill used to process flour and Green discovered he could sell electricity. Lemuel Green then bought and sold a series of electric companies
In 1926 he sold his assets to the Fitkin Group again which merged with the Missouri Public Service Company. Green retired to Escondido, California where bought a 2,000-acre orange grove. He died in 1930.
The Public Utilities Act of 1935 broke up utilities. Green's son Ralph Green bought controlling interest in Missouri Public Service. He made himself president of the company and his grateful employees gave him this piece of paper with all of their names on it

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The book, An  Informal History of Black Families of the Warrensburg, Missouri, Area by Lucille D. Gress explains, "Alice J. Goodwin Jones related some of her experiences, 'My husband...later began working at the Missouri Public Service Company in Warrensburg, When the company moved to Raytown, my husband drove for six months.  April 19, 1955, the company moved the workers to Lee's Summit...' Allice Jones commented that R.J. Green and Truman Henry were swell men to work for.  She recalled, 'When my husband was transferred to Raytown, Mr. Green told him to take me to see whether the house suited me.  When my husband was sick, he visited him.  He kept up with his employees."

The poster then was an acknowlegement from the employees to a good boss.

R.J. Green, lived for a while just outside of Warrensburg near his daughter's (Avis Green Tucker.)  

His daughter Avis Green Tucker  Avis Green Tucker

Avis Tucker was the publisher and editor of the Warrensburg Daily Star Journal for many years after her husband, the previous owner and editor, died.

Buddy Baker remembers, "My dad used to drive a show wagon for William Tucker in parades.  He'd go out to the farm to help with the clydesdales.  R.J. Green would often be there kicking the shit with Tucker and my dad."

Missouri public service provided power to a lot of West Central Missouri counties.  I don't know which district Johnson country was in so here's a closeup of some of the signatures.  You might recognize some of the names.







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