1929 – Aviator Anne Morrow Lindbergh makes her first solo flight
Ten Top Money-Making Westerns Released by Republic Pictures between 1930 and 1960
Tumbling Tumbleweeds starring Gene Autry
Young Buffalo Bill starring Roy Rogers
Son of Paleface starring Bob Hope
The Fighting Kentuckian starring John Wayne
Ride Ranger Ride starring Smiley Burnette
The Oregon Trail starring Fred MacMurray
Git Along Little Dogies starring Gene Autry
Johnny Guitar starring Joan Crawford
Rootin’ Tootin’ Rhythm starring Gene Autry
Gun Lords of Stirrup Basin starring Bob Steele
Gail Russell in the arms of John Wayne
To learn more about the many films made by the small, but mighty studio read
Cowboys, Creatures, and Classics: The Story of Republic Pictures.
This Day…
1927 – America’s oldest aviation school, Parks College, opens
Ten Bordello Businesses in the Bad Lands of Deadwood in the 1930s
Ace High Rooms which were operated by Frank Mitchell, Inez Keough, and Delphine Smith. Owners were taken into custody in December 1932 for selling intoxicating liquor.
Arcade Rooms which were operated by Madam Iva Ginter. Owner was arrested in November 1930 for violating national prohibition laws.
Cozy Rooms which were operated by Gertrude Bell. Madam Bell was arrested for selling intoxicating liquor without a license in 1935.
Daly Rooms which were operated by Madam Martha Daly. She was arrested for “selling, keeping, and storing intoxicating liquor” in 1932.
Nifty Rooms which were operated by Charlie Brown. Brown’s bordello was recognized as the “best brothel in Deadwood” in 1934.
Phoenix Rooms which were operated by Madam Geraldine Murphy. Arrested in 1935 for operating a house deemed a “public nuisance.”
Shasta Rooms which were operated by Madam Cora Reid. Madam Reid was taken into custody in May 1936 and charged with illegal sale of liquor.
Shy-Ann Rooms which were operated by Madam Jackie Burke. She was taken into custody on May 21, 1936, and charged with engaging in the sale of intoxicating liquor without a state license.
Virginia Rooms which were operated by M. J. Curley Cooperman. Arrested on May 30, 1936, for selling intoxicating liquor without a state license.
Winner Rooms which were operated by Madam Vivian Piper. Madam Piper was taken into custody for possession of moonshine liquor in October 1932.
To learn all about the history of the most notorious bordellos in Deadwood read An Open Secret.
www.chrisenss.com The Voice of Women’s History in the American West.
This Day…
1873 – The first free kindergarten in the United States is started by Susan Blow in Carondelet, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri
The Kellys in Deadwood
The Kellys travel with me next to South Dakota. Can’t wait to be back in Deadwood.
American gangster George Kelly Barnes (1895 – 1954), aka Machine Gun Kelly, with his wife Kathryn at their trial for the kidnapping of businessman Charles F. Urschel, at the Federal Court in Oklahoma City, 9th October 1933. Kelly has a bump on his head after being hit with a pistol butt during an altercation on his arrival at court. Kelly and his wife pleaded guilty and were sentenced to life imprisonment. (Photo by FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
This Day…
1942 – Walt Disney’s animated movie “Bambi,” based on the book by Felix Salten, is released
Top Ten Facts About Gangsters Machine Gun Kelly and Kathryn Thorne
Machine Gun Kelly’s real name was George Kelly Barnes – he was born on July 18, 1895, in Memphis, Tennessee.
He earned his nickname from his favorite weapon – a Thompson submachine gun (“Tommy Gun”), which Kathryn reportedly encouraged him to pose with to build his gangster reputation.
Kathryn Thorne Kelly was born Cleo Lera Mae Brooks in 1904 in Oklahoma, later changing her name after multiple marriages and adopting the “Kathryn Thorne” persona.
Kathryn played a major role in shaping Kelly’s criminal image – she bought him the Tommy gun and spread stories to inflate his notoriety, ensuring he was feared in the underworld.
The couple’s most infamous crime was the 1933 kidnapping of oil tycoon Charles Urschel in Oklahoma City, for which they demanded and received a $200,000 ransom (equivalent to several million dollars today).
Urschel’s intelligence helped the FBI track them down – despite being blindfolded, he carefully noted details about his captivity (like airplane sounds, farm chores, and even the weather), which agents used to locate the hideout.
Machine Gun Kelly was captured without a fight – on September 26, 1933, FBI agents surprised him in Memphis, where he allegedly shouted “Don’t shoot, G-Men! Don’t shoot!” (helping popularize the term “G-Men” for federal agents).
Both Kelly and Kathryn were convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to life in prison under the newly strengthened Federal Kidnapping Act, also known as the Lindbergh Law.
Machine Gun Kelly spent much of his sentence at Alcatraz before being transferred to Leavenworth, where he lived out the rest of his life until his death from a heart attack in 1954.
Kathryn Thorne Kelly was released from prison in 1958 after serving nearly 25 years. She largely disappeared from public life afterward, dying quietly in 1985.
To learn all about the gangster duo read
Meet the Kellys: The Story of Machine Gun Kelly and his Moll Kathryn Thorne.
Join award-winning author Chris Enss at Las Vegas Books in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, August 23, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, as she signs copies of her riveting book, Meet the Kellys: The True Story of Machine Gun Kelly and His Moll Kathryn Thorne.
This Day…
1940 – Louis Buchalter is indicted on murder charges in Los Angeles for the killing of Harry Greenberg, a mob associate of casino owner Meyer Lansky and mobster Bugsy Siegel
Ten Mail Order Advertisements from the 1800s to Ponder
“I’m fat, fair, and plan on losing no weight. Am a No. 1 lady, well fixed with no encumbrance: am in business in city, but want a partner who lives in the West.” Matrimonial News Ad #245
“A girl who will love, honest, true and not sour; a nice little cooing dove, and willing to work in flour.” Matrimonial News Ad #292
“A few lady correspondents wanted by a bashful man of 36, of fair complexion, 5 feet 5 inches tall, weight 130 pounds. Would prefer a brunette of fair form about five feet, between 18 and 25 years of age. Object, improvement, and if suited, matrimony.” Matrimonial News Ad #282
“I am fond of fun, age 18, height 5 feet 5 inches, weight 140 pounds, have auburn hair, dark eyes; I want a gentleman correspondent, from 20 to 25. Object fun and perhaps matrimony if suited.” Matrimonial News Ad #225
“An intelligent young fellow of 22 years, 6 feet height, weight 170 pounds. Would like to correspond with a lady from 18 to 22. Will exchange photos; object, fun and amusement, and perhaps when acquainted, if suitable, marriage.” Matrimonial News Ad #287
“Two good looking men in a Missouri town, having money at their disposal would be pleased to correspond with two jolly young ladies. Object, a quality time and its results.” Matrimonial News Ad #268
“I move in the best society, am 28 years of age, weight 168 pounds, height 5 feet 8 inches, light complexion, heavy mustache, and would like to correspond with some young lady, object matrimony.” Matrimonial News Ad #252
“A lady, tall, young and handsome, wishes to marry and have a home of her own; she is amiable, and would make a bright and happy home for any man.” Matrimonial News Ad #173
“A lady, 22, tall, fair, and very handsome, with $500 a year, wishes to marry.” Matrimonial News Ad #169
“I am a widower 5 feet 7 inches, 35 years old, weight 150 pounds. I am merrily disposed and would like to make the acquaintance of some honorable lady 30 to 35 years, who would like to share a pleasant home, a kind companion, widow preferred.” Matrimonial News Ad #229
To learn all about the risky business of mail-order matchmaking on the Western frontier read
Object Matrimony.
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