Back when he was a young husband, my grandpa worked as a laborer building roads in Minnesota. He and Grandma Esther Clara had two children by then. Those of you who regularly read my blog know they lived in a raggedy tent through a harsh Minnesota winter while Grandpa helped build those roads.
Grandpa was in Iowa, working as a hired hand and sparking Grandma in 1914 when the Great White Way was built in Kansas. Highway 9, which passes through Grandpa's home town of Frankfort KS, was the Kansas portion of the Great White Way and stretched from Chicago to Colorado Springs. The inaugural run of this dusty winding highway was May 1914. This year on May 13, that run will be re-enacted on a modern highway instead of dirt and gravel. You can read all about the planned celebration in Lori Parker's blog found at http://kswhiteway.blogspot.com.
The Frankfort Kansas Public Library invited me to do a book signing for My Name is Esther Clara as a part of the celebration. I'm excited about this honor because I spent many happy times in Frankfort as a child, swam and played in the park there, enjoyed visiting my great grandparents and other real life characters in the book. If you live anywhere near Frankfort, Atchison, Concordia, or points in between, consider joining in the re-enactment -- which ends at the city park in Frankfort -- and come see me at the library. You don't even have to buy a book. Just stop by and say hello.
Networking is a wonderful thing. At some future time, not yet decided, I'll do a reading and signing at the Blue Rapids Mercantile in Blue Rapids Kansas. Tom and Lori Parker own the Mercantile. Both have interesting blogs listed in my links or discussed here or both. Grandma and Grandpa had many friends in Blue Rapids at one time, and visited the cemeteries there every Decoration Day. I'll be so pleased to take their story with me to Frankfort and Blue Rapids.
Stay tuned for full reports of both adventures.
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