 Clare
B. Richardson1 ,
2 , 3,
4, 5,
6, 7,
8,
9, 10,
11, 12,
13, 14,
15, 16,
17, 18
| George and I corresponded by phone and
e-mail and I sent him an entire package of pictures from the project and the series
of articles already published. He was amazed so much had gone on. He mentioned
he had decided to go to Hot Springs for his upcoming 12th wedding anniversary
because this story was taking on a whole new meaning to him and he was now becoming
a big part helping to solve the mystery photograph. George and his wife had visited
Hot Springs in 1999 and liked it so much that he always wanted to return. Now
seemed like an opportune time. He said he planned to go the week following Mother's
Day of 2004. |
| I had a brainstorm.
I was having Kathy White and her assistant, Sherry, start looking for the article
in the summer of 1951 and adjacent years but they found nothing. I later learned,
to save time and because negative microfilm is so hard to read, they were looking
more for the exact four photos Dairy Queen had provided me thinking they were
from the newspaper office back then and thus should be part of any article published
at that time. I live a long ways from Hot Springs but I now have something to
sink my teeth into - an exact year to research to find an article behind the picture.
Something was odd now that the date was determined to be 1951. This Dairy Queen
was three years old, not a typical reason to celebrate with such a large scale
party where the year 1953 would have made sense for a 5th anniversary. So it could
not be that. From A.J. Wagner's property search, there was not a change of ownership
that coincided with any summer 1951 date either. What could this celebration be?
Seems like Peggy Janske's recollection about the celebration for the installation
of the mechanical clown was really becoming the reason. Then Harold Wallace III,
identifying in the photo the owner of that Dairy Queen and the air brush artist
from NASCO standing side by side along with other Dairy Queen management sure
put credence in what she had said. I then recalled Mr. Wayne Truman's stories
about the NASCO owners and their ambitions to sell Dairy Queen on the idea of
using the mechanical clown sign. Certainly this must have been the reason behind
the picture. But now how to prove it? I realized that I could possibly meet George
in Hot Springs, if he didn't mind and on the way there visit my nearly 97 year
old mom in Albuquerque, New Mexico for Mother's Day as part of the trip. I could
now search the library for articles in 1951 instead. George Sammeth agreed and
I was off in a flash. |
| We had
planned to meet for supper on Tuesday night, May 11th if I could get there on
time. I got in after 11 p.m. so had to wait until morning but we did talk on the
phone to make plans for the day. We decided the most appropriate place to meet
would be on the exact site of the original Dairy Queen in the mural photo. It
was raining heavily so we stood together under umbrellas as George's wife, Jean,
took pictures of us. Then we went for breakfast at Jack's Restaurant. As we were
leaving and talking outside, someone tapped on the glass and tried to get my attention.
It was none other than George Bennett who recognized me. I had met George at the
same location last October. He still had his collection of pictures with him and
this became a good opportunity to get George Sammeth briefed so he could connect
what he had read and studied in my articles and what we talked about by phone
and e-mail attached to actual faces. Afterwards I took George Sammeth and his
wife to both the Dairy Queen to meet Ronnie Johnston and also Rainbow Realty to
tour the old fire station building. Probably the number one fan of this project
is Linda Bicks, a former receptionist at Rainbow Realty. She was anxious to come
down and see me again and to meet George and his wife. When I met Linda in October
she told me she thought I was some sort of "kook" from California because my intentions
weren't clear on why I was so interested in the Dairy Queen and I was seen prowling
around it and the old fire station grounds. She apologized and asked me to repeat
my story as she didn't hear very much of it, sizing me up. Little does Linda know,
"kook" was probably a very accurate observation and my son agrees. She is one
of my best Hot Springs friends out of her interest in this project. |
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