Argonia is a small town in Kansas, located in Sumner County, in the eastern part of the state. The Chikaskia River flows nearby with tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad heading east and west through town. The 2020 census showed 456 people living there, which is 9 more than reported in 2024.
This place is known for having the first woman mayor in the US, Susanna Madora Salter. Alfred E. Parker proposed the name of Argonia in 1881, this name coming from the Argonauts of Greek mythology. Jason and the Argonauts mission was to find the Golden Fleece.
A vintage postcard on eBay I came across was mailed from Argonia, with a postmark of February 21, 1910. The recipient was Miss Edna Carper in Hooker, Oklahoma. A message to Miss Carper was transcribed from me with typos and misspelled words left as is.
“Argonia, Kans
Feb. 21, 1910
Dear Edna,
It is snowing here. Think I will start out there next week if the wether and roads is not to bad. Thay are having quite a reunite meeting here. Don’t suppose you will kno the fellows in this shop?”
There is no sender’s name or even initials to identify this person. I have to assume that if Miss Edna Carper was a school teacher, she knew exactly who sent it based upon the sloppy handwriting. These days, with arthritic fingers, I can’t do much better, although my spelling is still quite good thanks to AI.
On front of the postcard shows a vintage barber shop in Argonia. One man appears to be getting a shave while the other comfortably sits in a chair with his back to the camera. The barbers are nicely dressed, with one of them wearing a bow tie.
Eight shaving mugs sit on a shelf along the wall, and I have to assume they were for sale. It’s an excellent photo, and I can easily sensualize the smell of shaving cream and men’s cologne merely by looking at it. I miss those barber shop days, now cutting my own hair, what little that’s left.
Research shows that young Edna Rae Carper was indeed a school teacher, teaching in Hooker starting around 1906 for a few years before moving on to Goddard, Kansas. Newspaper articles report that she was ill quite often and had to relinquish her teaching duties several times.
While living in Goddard, she met George L. Hubbard. George Hubbard owned a drug store, so logic tells me it’s highly likely she romantically met him there.
The couple married in 1915, staying in that town before moving to Wichita in 1931. They purchased a drug store before selling out in short time and starting Hubbard’s Market. Their residence was at 437 S. Fern Street. The Victorian-style house still stands.
The Hubbards operated that grocery store with help from their sons, George Hubbard Jr. and Charles William Hubbard. It appears the store closed soon after Edna’s death. Both boys went on to similar careers, with George entering military service and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He then became a teacher and educational administrator like his mom.
Charles William Hubbard also entered the military, serving in WWII, and then reenlisted before ultimately retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Charles “Charlie” Hubbard became a teacher and administrator after that, while also being a leader in his church.
Edna Rae (Carper) Hubbard was born in 1886 and died on January 30, 1945. She was only 58. George Lewis Hubbard Sr. was born in 1856 and passed away in 1950. He was 76 years old. Both are buried in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Goddard.
I like to write junk... 