The Photography of Louise French - Album 2 - Unmounted photos from Rome

  In an earlier blog post I told the story of the glass lantern slides that Huron College Latin professor Louise French had made.  These lantern slides are the blending of her loves of both travel and photography.

Court of the Vestate (?), Rome

Interior of Temple of Neptune

The Photography of Louise French - Album 1

 In an earlier blog post I told the story of the glass lantern slides that Huron College Latin professor Louise French had made.  These lantern slides are the blending of her loves of both travel and photography.

St. Efflam in the Brittany region of Côtes-d'Armor in France.

St. Efflam's box in the Brittany region 

Fishermen in the Dives River in Normandie

Normandy - William the Conqueror of Dives

Normandie  (remainder illegible)

Normandy - Church of William the Conqueror - Names of Knights over door

Normandy - Church of William the Conqueror - Dives

Normandie - Tents of (illegible)

Historical Lantern Slides from Huron College

 

Voorhees Hall

The heart of Huron College, Voorhees Hall, along with other college buildings had their contents auctioned off and were demolished. I loved that building; you could feel the 103 years of history as you walked through it. I always regretted that I was not there for the auction, just to get a small piece of it. I missed it. But my dad didn't.

Recently, he offered me a large collection of glass slides he had purchased at the auction – about 300 of them stored in plastic shoeboxes, with about 70 more in other small boxes.  I happily took them, and quickly discovered they were “Lantern slides” - positive photographic images put onto a piece of glass and covered by a second piece of glass, bound on all sides with black paper tape.  Inside the boxes with the slides were some other items – many pictures of classic art that had been cut out and mounted on pieces of cardboard, some small boxes and an old envelope that had been used as scratch paper.  All in all, these were reminiscent of materials that might have been used by a teacher.  There were a couple of clues as to who these items belonged to and how old they might be – the back of one of the cardboard mountings had some writing referring to an insurance check from 1932, and the envelope had “Louise French, 510 Nebraska SW” written on it. A quick check of the 1930 census showed Louise French as a roomer at this address, along with her occupation of teacher at the college.  Bingo!

Another item I received from my dad was a small cabinet with drawers like a card catalog.  As I was cleaning it up, I noticed most of the drawers were labeled:

I suspect these slides were owned and donated by Miss French to Huron College after her retirement.  Some of the glass slides apparently had been ordered from commercial companies (see catalogs at left).  I suspect that Miss French also made some of these lantern slides herself.  Two of the small cardboard boxes among the slides are labeled, “Thin Cover Glass for Lantern Slides” and  "Eastman Lantern Slide Plates," both ordered from Eastman Kodak company.  For whatever reason, some of her lantern slides were never mounted, and the boxes are labeled as such. 

Louise French was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia on October 29, 1865, to Rev. Charles P. and Mary (Brown) French.  The couple had three children, their son being a president of Huron College, Dr. Calvin French.  Miss French taught at Huron High School for ten years before teaching Latin and fine art at Huron College for twenty-five years after that.  Among her hobbies were travel and photography. 

In 1909 she was one of the winners of a contest put on by the Sioux Falls Argus Leader; the prize was a trip to Colorado, which would be her second trip to the state. She would make a third trip to the area in 1929.  There she took numerous photos that ended up as lantern slides. 

She took a 3 month trip overseas visiting Holland, Austria, Germany, Belgium Switzerland, Italy, France, the British Isles, and Greece.  She departed at the port of New York aboard the S.S. La France on June 29, 1922.  Lantern slides labeled Italy, 1922 are among her collection.  She was able to make two overseas trips in her years at Huron College.

A sampling of Louise French's lantern slides from her travels

Above: Arapahoe glacier (L), Big Thompson Canyon, Colorado

Below: Goats on the street of Naples (L); Fishermen

Outside of her work with the college, she participated in many presentations at various clubs and organizations, usually using her lantern slides to enhance the talks given by local travelers.  She assised with talks for the Fortnightly Club, the P.E.O., the Beadle County Historical Society, the Girl Reserves, the Literary Coterie, and many travelogues, using her “projectoscope.”  She also educated outside of school, giving talks on “Principles of Kodakery,” such as how to enlarge photos, how to tint photos, and how to make “time exposures.” 

In addition to her love of travel and photography, Miss French wrote a song long used for many years during Huron College's Pow Wow Days.  It was still being used at least 11 years later, and she was given a memory book in appreciation.  She also had a poem printed in Pasque Petals, South Dakota's poetry magazine, in 1930.   

On her second tour of Europe, she spent twenty-five days on the Mediterranean sea, a week in Rome, and a visit through north Africa.  She also made stops in Switzerland, Germany and France.  Many of the photographs from this trip were used to illustrate a new edition of “Horace” being published by Dr. John C, Rolfer of the University of Pennsylvania. 

The Eastman Kodak company often used Miss French's photos for their advertising.  The Bureau of University Travel has also used her photos for their circulars.  The Service Bureau for classical teachers in New York procured her negatives to make prints to be used by high school Latin teachers.

At the close of the school year in 1939, Louise French retired from teaching. She had served on the faculty of Huron college for 25 years.  At an August, 1939 meeting of the Huron College Board of Trustees meeting it was noted, “Miss French's resignation was formally accepted.  The committee expressed regret over the veteran instructor's resignation and at the same time voiced sincere appreciation of her excellent services.”  She lived in Demarest, Georgia and with her widowed mother,  in a home operated by Lois Leech, a former Huron College student.  In 1956 she underwent intestinal surgery and passed away shortly thereafter at the age of 90.  She was buried in Grand Ridge, Illinois, with her parents.

SOURCES:

Findagrave.com

“Lantern Slides”  https://www.magiclanternsociety.org/about-magic-lanterns/lantern-slides/

Huron, South Dakota City Directories: 1907, 1909, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1932, 1934, 1938,

The Journal-World, Huron, South Dakota, February 21, 1907.

Dakota Huronite, June 11, 1908; April 29, 1909; July 15, 1909

Evening Huronite, May 10, 1928; July 30, 1929; July 23, 1929; May 12, 1930; June 7, 1930; September 16, 1930; March 11, 1931; March 28, 1931; October 13, 1931; October 16, 1931; October 18, 1932; November 23, 1932; April 14, 1934; September 27, 1934; April 7, 1936; April 16, 1936; September 24, 1936; February 18, 1937; December 10, 1937; July 27, 1939; August 24, 1939

Huronite and Daily Plainsman, June 28, 1955; February 22, 1956; February 26, 1956

Daily Plainsman, July 20, 1960

1920 Federal Census

1930 Federal Census

1922 Passport Application, Louise French

1920 Huron College Wadahupacan Yearbook

1926 Huron College Rubiyat Yearbook

1938 Huron College Alphomega

Woolworths, Ben Franklin stores of Huron, South Dakota

The beginning of Woolworth's in Huron starts with the end of the Weir building. The Weir Building was a small frame building just south of the Costain building on Dakota avenue, between 3rd and 4th streets. Like so many others frame buildings of that era, it was being removed to make way for the more “modern” brick buildings.

Above: The Costain building, with Bell Bakery to the north (left) and the Weir building to the south. The Weir building at that time was occupied by Geo. Mills, Grocer.  

The “New Weir building” erected in its place was a two story structure with a basement, and would be rented out to the F. W. Woolworth company for a new 5 and 10 cent general merchandise store. The basement would be used for storage, and the upper floor would have two living quarters.

The red “X” on the side of the building that housed the Woolworth's store. While it is impossible to read the sign on the storefront, Woolworth's would have been located in this building at this time. Bell Bakery, which was 2 buildings north, was moved to make way for the I.O.O.F. Building.

It was April of 1916 when the “old” Weir building was moved and construction began. By August, the new building was complete and Woolworth's was ready to open its doors to the public.  

Above: The Costain building and, to the south (right), what was the “new" Weir building as they are today.

One-half block to the north, on the southeast corner of 3rd and Dakota, sat a large ornate brick building, known as the “Hills Block.” Myer's Cigar Store, among other businesses, was located in this building about 1940.

Above, from left, on corner of 3^rd and Dakota: Hill's Block; Potter shoe store building, Red Arrow building, small one-story building, I.O.O.F. Building (which housed Bell Bakery), Costain building, Woolworth's, several small buildings, Masonic Temple/Little Zee building on corner.

The Hills Block, a large, ornate building on 3^rd and Dakota, had two smaller frame buildings behind it on 3^rd street east – The Palace Barber Shop and the Nu-Way shop. In 1940, a realty firm from Minneapolis purchased the property and went forward with their intention to erect a new building extending over the sites of those small frame buildings. At the same time, M. A. Myers, proprietor of the Myers Cigar Store in the Hills Block, asked the city for permission to move his business and liquor license to the Root Building, one block north at 252 Dakota S.   

The new building was completed, and Woolworth's moved into it the following year. Just about 21 years later, on July 23, 1960, Woolworth's permanently suspended business at the end of the day. According to the manager at the time, William Fogelstrom, the company closed that location because it was not considered adequate for their operation.

But the building did not sit vacant long. On August 1, crews began the process of remodeling the building with the goal opening a Ben Franklin store.  At that time, Ben Franklin was one of the nation's largest retail merchandising businesses, with over 2400 independently owned stores. James Flynn of Redfield announced he would lease the building and operate the store, hiring 7 salesladies and a stock clerk, hoping to fill these positions from former Woolworth's employees.

Many of us have great memories of the Ben Franklin store. I loved to shop with my grandmother there and while she picked up her magnetic photo albums, Dippity-Do, Aqua-Net hairspray and the likes, I got to go to the back of the store to the pet department. Colorful parakeets, fish of all types, and even monkeys were in stock. The big attraction was a parrot sitting on a perch suspended from the ceiling. One of the highlights of my childhood was getting to hold a monkey while its cage was being cleaned. Browsing through the pet department was a thrill I never outgrew.

In October of 1994, it was announced that the store was under new ownership and would be converted to a craft store. While I had since moved from town, I did visit the store one last time during this era. Luckily, it was during a big sale, and I recall packing my trunk full of various craft goodies. For me, this one last thrill from Ben Franklin was a fitting way to say goodbye.  

SOURCES

Google Earth

Huron City Directories: 1918, 1922, 1930, 1932, 1938 and 1940

Huron Daily Huronite, August 07, 1916, pg. 1
Huron Daily Huronite, April 06, 1916, p. 8
Huron Evening Huronite, Oct. 29, 1940, p. 8
Huron Daily Plainsman, July 24, 1960
Huron Daily Plainsman, Feb. 2, 1964
Huron Daily Plainsman, Oct. 17, 1994
Huron Daily Plainsman, Dec. 14, 1994

Sheriff John Boyle - 100% Policeman At all Times

Patrolman John Boyle

Seems like Huron's patrolman John Boyle always got his man.  Well, maybe not always, but he got a lot of them and in his amazing 40-year career in local law enforcement, he kept Huron just a little bit safer. Over the years, he busted bootleggers, transported dangerous criminals, shuffled gypsies out of town, broke up brawls, escorted a US president, found lost children and put out fires.  Literally.  He was on the fire department as well.

John Boyle was not the only lawman in Huron, but in reading through early Huronites it's John Boyle's name that you see repeatedly.

And although he served as deputy sheriff under the notorious gangster Sheriff Verne Miller, he couldn't have been more different. Said one of the unlucky men John Boyle arrested, "If you drive through Beadle County, for the love of Mike, don't look guilty."   

A hobo by the name of Donald Cook was spotted breaking into the J. C. Oliver house just west of the fairgrounds.  Despite Officer Boyle's prompt response, Cook managed to get away.  But Boyle caught up with him, overtaking him by automobile, and brought the burglar and the stolen goods back to town.

And then there was the case of a stranger in town who made a spectacular getaway from the chief of police.  The chief spotted the man near some box cars just south of the C. & N. W. passenger station.  When asked who he was he claimed to be a switchman standing guard over a boxcar with a dead man in it.  As the chief went to examine the dead man, the stranger ran like a rabbit around the station, then past the pumping plant, "making championship time" to the James River.  He swam across and then was quickly over the hill.  The chief took the train to Cavour in hopes of heading him off, and Patrolman Boyle took off by automobile.  Boyle caught up with him about halfway between Huron and Cavour and hauled him off to jail.  And the "dead man" in the boxcar?  He was actually "dead drunk."

The police force and sheriff's office in Beadle County had a reputation for being suspicious of everyone and everything, particularly during Prohibition.  H. R. Carpenter, who was arrested by Deputy Boyle, complained "Don't carry anything in your car which looks like a bottle, a case, a package or a parcel," he said.  "Drive strait and slow and piously -- look meek and saintly if possible.  If you can't, don't go through Beadle County.  That county sheriff's office is composed of some of the most suspicious men I ever ran up against... Take it from me, they would haul in a man with a sour stomach on a charge of starting fermentation."   Joked the newspaper: "He has reasons for his praise of the efficiencies of the officers in question, especially the efficiency of Deputy Sheriff Boyle."  Incidentally, Carpenter was carrying a box of preserves in his automobile when arrested.

Later on, the chief of police was tipped off to a liquor party in town and with officer Mitchell and Deputy Sheriff Boyle and State Deputy Charles Wright raided the home of E. K. Albert, 1170 Beach Avenue.  Nearly a half-gallon of alcohol was confiscated, but that wasn't the biggest catch of the night.  Newly appointed State Deputy Sheriff L. W. Barnett was also nabbed and arrested for disorderly conduct.  Witnesses said Barnett assured them that due to his position in law enforcement they would be protected.  He even went so far as to pin his badge on the dress of one of the women at the party.  However, no one got protection and he was dismissed from his new position by the State Sheriff despite his claims of a "frame-up." 

During this period of time the jail was overcrowded; the Evening Huronite tells of 17 prisoners in a jail with capacity for 14, but that didn't slow the arrests.  Three more prisoners who were being held elsewhere were about to be brought in.  "Omaha Joe," a bootlegger, had escaped a federal raid in Huron just a few days later after bringing a carload of liquor into town.  Omaha officials had caught up with him and Deputy Boyle was enroute to get him, after bringing in the writer of a bad check from south of Virgil.

Gypsies also kept Boyle busy.  On one particular occasion then Chief of Police Boyle had his hands full.  As the Daily Huronite told it:

"Four wagon loads of gipsies [sic] arrived in the city this morning and stopped for a short time, but only for a short time, being instructed by the police to move on.  One of the dusky beauties of the party was availing herself of the opportunity given by the stop to circulate about town and tell fortunes, but one of her young men clients claimed she has picked his pocket of a dollar and raised a cry for the police.  John Boyle [chief of police] took her in charge and to the police station, where one of the men of the party made good the dollar, and she was given her liberty.  After returning to the vicinity of the wagons she hunted up her pipe and after smoking up in good shape began to tell the world in general what she thought of Huron and its police force.  Quite a crowd had by that time assembled, and her remarks would undoubtedly have been of great interest if anyone had been able to understand them.

While this was going on a fire started in the sorting room of the laundry, in front of which the teams were stopping, but it was quickly extinguished..."

Boyle's duties didn't always deal with crime.  In 1911 President William Taft visited Huron and was taken through the business section of town.  A very poor picture was printed, identifying "the officer with the old-fashioned helmet" with the President as John Boyle, who at the time was a patrolman.

And then, there are the pennies.  Many of us have joked about paying a bill or a ticket that we weren't happy about with pennies.  Well, it happened to Sheriff Boyle.  The Evening Huronite reported, "Sheriff John Boyle, who has never collected coins, today is the possessor of an aggregation of pennies that would make the eye of many a devoted collector pop.  He has 700 Indian Head pennies.  G. F. Babcock brought them to his office as payment for taxes owed to the county."

The Weekly State Spirit, in 1917, published an annual report of the city's police department.  1,003 arrests were made, $2,142 in fines were collected, and the police department expenses were $5,627.  As far as the types of crimes the police force dealt with, "drunks" accounted for most of them.  Disorderly conduct, vagrancy, prostitution, thievery, gambling, speeding, and people using "profane language" were also common.  Less common were "wife beaters" and beggars.

John Boyle's career in law enforcement lasted nearly 40 years, from 1904 to 1943, with the exception of one year he farmed.  Boyle was a patrolman, Chief of Police, Deputy Sheriff, and Sheriff.  He was deputy under 5 different sheriffs, and it was only death that ended his career as a civil servant.  He died of pneumonia after surgery.  His appendix had ruptured, and he had felt ill for several days, but the night before his emergency surgery he was fighting a fire downtown at the Sauer building.  Oh, and he was 72 years old.  The Huronite editor summed it up:  Boyle was "100 per cent policeman at all times."  

Then and Now, Farmers Market

 Then and Now, the building at 800 Dakota Avenue, North in Huron (SD)

Caption of newspaper photo, from the Huronite and Daily Plainsman of July 22, 1956:

"Opening in Huron this week was the new Jack and Jill Supermarket shown above, located at 800 Dakota Avenue, North.  The Jack and Jill Supermarket franchise is held in Huron by the new store's owners, Mr. and Mrs. Herb Seveland.  The new store has four departments -- groceries, meats, frozen foods and produce -- and features Our Family Foods and Armour Star meats.  The new structure is 50 x 80 feet and includes a large parking area for automobiles."

Herb and Mary Seveland owned and operated Jack & Jill Farmer's Market until they sold the business in 1975 to Don Eden and Verlyn Ellis.

I get a little apprehensive when I see this building; living on the other end of town, I was only in this building once in my life, when it was Farmers Market.  I was about 16 years old and was called upon to take my grandmother potato shopping.  She made and sold lefse and was extremely particular about the potatoes she used so potato shopping was a lengthy and sometimes an embarrassing ordeal.  I was in the store with her while she went through bag after bag of potatoes.  She had the clerk call the manager and she proceeded to chew him out in no uncertain terms for the poor quality spuds they stocked.  I recall slinking off to the car and trying to hide all the way there.  Funny, all these years later I still get that feeling when looking at that building.

Sources:

Google Earth

Huron Daily Plainsman, Huron, South Dakota, Aug. 08, 1956

Huron Daily Plainsman, Huron, South Dakota, July 22, 1956

Huron Daily Plainsman, Huron, South Dakota, June 15, 1980

Huron, South Dakota City Direcgtory, 1958

Huron, South Dakota City Directory, 1960

Then and Now - Apartments on Lincoln Ave.

 

Top photo from Google Earth, Dec. 2021; bottom photo from the Huron Daily Plainsman of Dec. 31, 1961, 50 years apart.

Caption reads: New Apartment Under Construction:  Huron enjoyed a substantial construction year in 1961, including many new homes and multiple-unit structures.  One of the latter, an eight-unit apartment, is shown above under construction on Lincoln Avenue, immediately west of the State Fairgrounds.  The apartment building is one of three planned by a recently formed Huron corporation.