American Sales

American Sales was a discount store that sold factory-second and general merchandise.

I'm not sure when they opened, but the last entry in the phone book appeared in 1961.

Here is 202 N. Holden today.

I need to lose a little weight.

Consulting Detectives

Thanks to two consulting detectives for delivering information about these two pictures from the Simmons Studio collection of negatives that were filed together.  They appear to be high school prom and graduation pictures.

Deleta Williams recognized this picture and provided the information below.

Here's a graduating class, maybe College High School, standing at the entrance to some building.

Thanks to our other consulting detective, Lisa Irle, for finding a post card that gives a clue as to where this picture was taken:

Here's a close up of that door in the Ward Edwards building as it looks today:

Modern doors ain't got no soul.

If someone recognizes these pictures or has any additional information, it will be greatly appreciated.

Beebe's Garage

When the owner of Beebe's Garage had a professional photographer come out and take this picture, he knew what he was going to do with it.

It was going to be the centerpiece of all of his advertising.  For example here's the image that people saw when they looked under "Towing" in the 1953 Warrensburg phone directory:

They did well, but the time finally came for them to pursue new interests and the family posted this notice in the Daily Star Journal on June 30, 1967.

After 22 years in the Garage Business in the same location… 

We have decided to close Effective July 1  

We want to thank our many customers for their patronage 

and hope to have someone in the shop to take care of them in the future.  

The Beebes  Pop, Sonny and Barry

If anyone knows anything more about the history of Beebes Garage or has stories to tell of the people who worked there please post the information in the comments.

Update: Here's more information in the form of an obituary provided by Bruce Uhler.

BEEBE, Elizabeth Ila TRIPLETT b: Sep 30 1909, Flemingsburg, KY d: Mar 26 1993, Clinton, Henry Co, MO bur: Sunset Hill Cemetery, Warrensburg, Johnson Co, MO arr: Consalus Funeral Homes Daily Democrat, Clinton MO - Elizabeth Ila Beebe was born September 30, 1909, in Flemingsburg, Kentucky. Her mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Bell Walker and her father was Green Berry Triplett. She also had two sisters, Bulia May and Mary Henry; and one younger brother William. Elizabeth was baptized into the Christian Church at a young age and then married Harold Milo Beebe on January 15, 1928 in Denver, Colorado. During the course of their marriage, Elizabeth and Harold had two sons, Harold Milo Beebe, Jr. born January 20, 1929 in Denver, and eight years later, on November 6, 1936, Berry Richard Beebe was born in Pawnee, Ne. The family lived in Denver, Colorado and Summerfield, Ks. for seventeen years. Then in 1945, they moved to Warrensburg, where they resided until 1983 when Harold Sr. died. Elizabeth then moved to Clinton, where she had lived for the past 10 years. As a young housewife, Elizabeth kept books for the family business, Beebe's Garage, and in her old years, she owned Beebe's Antiques at the farm house south of Warrensburg. Elizabeth's hobbies included antiquing, playing bridge, and most of all reading which she was often found doing into the late hours of the night. Funeral services were Monday, March 29, 1993 at Consalus Chapel, Clinton. Burial was in Sunset Hill Cemetery, Warrensburg.

Also another piece from Bruce Uhler giving details about the location and the interior of the garage.

Always Inn

Back in the 1930s Buddy Baker and his best friend Homer Cline would ride their bicycles 11 miles west of Warrensburg down the two-lane winding 50 Hiway.  They were going to see Big Fat Auntie (Neomia Baker Kinder) and spend the night with her.  They would swim in her pond, help her in the garden, and run in the woods.

Her house was right beside the Always Inn and she worked there part time as a waitress (a welcome job during the depression).

Since neither of the boys had any money they would rarely step inside the roadside restaurant, but Buddy remembers the occasions when they did.

One side was a restaurant with a booth or two and some stools at a counter.  The other was a little country store witth quite a bit of stuff - kind of a general store. It had one gas pump out in front.

Unfortunately, he doesn't remember the name of the owner.

 It says Wakeman's Always Inn on the sign.

According to this extra piece of information dated Sept. 1948, submitted by Bruce Uhler, Always Inn changed hands several times.  So we don't know if we have a picture of Mr. Wakeman, Mr. Terry or the fellow who bought the business from the Terrys.

A little additional information from Neomia May Baker Taraba (named after Anna Neomia Baker Kinder): Always Inn had a few cabins to rent out to travelers.  They also were a bus stop. We'd ride the bus out of Warrensburg and stop at Always Inn to go see Aunt Neomia.  She lived beside there and she cooked for Toni.

Me:  Who's Toni.

May May: She's the woman who ran Always Inn.  I don't know her last name.

Me:  Did you ever call Aunt Neomia 'Big Fat Auntie?'

May May: NO! The boys did.  Did you Buddy?

Buddy: No. Never!

Oh, The Horror of It All

The photographer(s) at Simmons Studio apparently got called out a lot to photograph accident damage to cars.  These bright, shiny vehicles would be worth a lot today if they weren't smashed - but they're smashed.  Look at all of these lost opportunities.

Here's a '36 Plymouth.

 Here's a different car but it looks like another Plymouth from about the same time.

A '36 Plymoth coupe today goes for around $35,000

This looks like a '41 Chrysler Royal sitting in front of the old post office on College Street.

They're asking around $10,000 for a Chrystler Royal on the Internet

I'm relying on Buddy Baker to tell me what type of cars these are.  This one is too smashed up to identify.

 

Buddy Baker (upon being asked to identify this car): "Oh, forever more."

This is an old International grain truck.  International Harvester made farm equipment.  They made pick-ups and big trucks both that they sold as Internationals

Same truck, bottom view.

Tracks at the edge of the road

If anyone has any more information about these vehicles or these accidents, please leave a comment.

More Pain and Misery

Stored with the many happy portraits in the Simmons Studio collection are pictures of people who have been injured and are hoping to get compensation from insurance companies.

This poor lady certainly looks like she's in pain.

My knees hurt just looking at this guy.

Our photographer wasn't asked to record only human suffering.  The next few images are graphic, gruesome, and will be hard for historic automobile lovers to view.

I warned you.

If anyone knows the people or the cars and can tell the story about these pictures please leave a note in the comment section.

OUCH!

Not everyone who went to Simmons Studio did so to record a happy event.  This man came to document injuries he suffered.  These photographs were filed under Medical Insurance.  I hope he got something for his time and misery.

Pants that button instead of zip and a thin waist.  This was obviously taken before McDonalds and other fast food restaurants came to town.

As usual, if anyone knows this poor fellow and the story behind these pictures, please leave a comment.