I am sharing photos from my grand-aunt Susie’s collection. I scanned photos from her family album in September 2013 in Kansas. She has agree to let me share them on my blog along with the information we know about the people in the photos. It was so much fun to share family stories with her.
I apologize for the slight distortion in the photo. I must have accidentally moved my Flip-Pal as it scanned the photo.
I got very excited about this photo when I saw it. I immediately knew the name from the obituary of my great-great-grandfather, Abraham Strickler. Unfortunately, all of the information I know about the Rodger’s Hotel is what I found in that obituary. I have been unable to find any further information about the hotel. I believe this may be one of the last photos of Abraham Strickler before he died in March 1910. His obituary states that be bought the hotel when he moved to Fall River, Kansas in 1908. He was only there about 18 months before suffering a stroke. He died only four months later.
There are so many things I love about this photo including the street light, sign above the street, the columns on the building, the large porch, and the colored tiles on the roof.
I know the family was very invested in this town. Not only did Abraham buy the hotel but he also purchased the Fall River Creamery. We know his wife Effie ran a millinery shop in town. She had run an advertisement the day of her husband’s funeral apologizing for the delay in any orders for Easter. She went on to say that her and her daughters would work to be sure all orders were finished before Easter that weekend.
It makes me sad to think what hope for the future the family had when they moved from Northern Kansas to Fall River. It would all change so quickly. Effie Strickler and her three daughters would move to Topeka, Kansas between 1911-1914.
