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Kansas City, Missouri, circa 1906. "Jackson County Court House." Please mind the signs. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
He was active in Jackson County politics in Prendergast's organization after WWI.
Is that trash I see on the lawn? Tsk tsk. Get someone form the chain gang out there to cleanup!
What are they burning, in there? Coal. Sure. Or maybe there's black market bakery in the basement, just beyond that propped-open door. Loafing on these grounds: prohibited. Loafing inside, if you gots the passwoid: "The brisk breeze billows the burning buns."
As a present day resident of the area, a detail I can appreciate -- the stray dog hanging out at the far right edge of the sidewalk!
[There are two dogs in this photo. - Dave]
Although the old Kansas City court house was truly magnificent, what interests me more is that stone house perched up high above a stone wall to the right of the courthouse. Prior to the 1860s, downtown Kansas City had very different landscape of high limestone bluffs along the Missouri River. These were graded to better accommodate commerce and city-building. The Greek Revival style and elevated site show this to be one of Kansas City's early houses -- can anyone out there identify it?
I intend to lead the movement to return "loafing" to the popular lexicon.
On the sidewalk under the "Loafing" sign -- you decide, is it a hitching post or a fireplug for a toy firetruck?
It just looks so tiny sitting there!
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