I spent my 14th summer in Garden City, Kansas. My step brother had a farm, an insurance business, wife, and 5 kids there. Garden City had a small city air about it. Many silos and farms. Add a few hillbillys and I might have thought it was KY, if it was not for seeing flat ground and wheat, no blue grass, as far as the eye could see.

Drivers age was 14 and my brother got me my license. What a letdown when I returned home and it was no good. Of course there was no chance my parents would have let me use it anyhow.

Late one afternoon we stood on the back porch watching a tornado run across the farm. It was a mile or so away. It hit one of the barns and swept it up into the funnel. Visions of Toto, and Dorothy flashed through my mind.

Enough of that:

Kansas:

I have a number of chips from Kansas. Here are 3 of them.
This is the first written account of the Military being involved in closing the illegal casinos, I’ve seen. I’ve heard they were involved in Phoenix City Alabama closures but never read it anywhere. Can you imagine today, an Apache helicopter hovering outside a casino and the loud speaker blaring out, “OK you crap shooters-everyone down.”

SGD
Hogan's Club
223 Delaware
Leavenworth, Kansas
Chips –Delivered from Mason Co over 7 years 1931-38.

I got this chip from Jim Kruse in 2002. I knew it had to be an illegal and got on the phone to many Curry’s and Hogan’s in Leavenworth. No luck on the first 15 or so calls. I finally talked to a fellow who said he was the grandson of one of the gents the chips were delivered to. He said he did not know a lot and was very guarded in his answers. He did not know about grand pa and any gambling. As we were getting ready to hang up, he mentioned that he was a high school football coach. I called a few more and gave up. The chip was forgotten for 8 years.

Fast forward to 2010 and the golden age of internet searches. I can understand why a high school football coach was guarded in conversations about his grand pa.

Andrew Broaddus Curry died Leavenworth 1949, age 66.
During the years the chips were ordered Curry was the manager of Hogan's (sometimes with Place/Tavern/Club added to the name).
Located at 223 Delaware, the building which housed the address no longer exists. Curry was a police officer turned bootlegger and gambler. He was arrested for gambling in Leavenworth as early as 1920 and as late as 1947.
Hogan's was named for Thomas Francis Hogan who owned the place at 223 Delaware as early as 1925 and as late as 1937--when he seems to have either died or left Leavenworth (Curry remained manager of the place until his death in 1949).

(I am spelling Curry the way it is on the record card. As you can see the newspapers have it spelled two ways. Not unusual for newspapers. Not sure which one is correct.)

Kansas City Star--20april1920:

Joplin Globe--5oct1947:
Curry’s name under “Released ON Bond.” Not highlighted in yellow this time.

Bessie Hotel
Pittsburg, KS
Joe Anderson
1936

Another one of those special chips. Greg Susong gave me this one and 3 others to me in 1998.
He had acquired the whole rack. He sent a lot of info on it but I am unable to find it. Any of you guys got the info? I know Greg sent them to others.

Wichita Club
Wichita, Ks