A vintage postcard sent from Kinsley, Kansas, in 1911, to Birmingham, Michigan, contains about as brief a message as I’ve come across. On the front of this card is a photo of men harvesting wheat near Kinsley.
“Kinsley, Kansas 7-22-11
Dear Cousin Theador,
This leaves us all well and may this find you the same. We are having dry weather for the last 7 weeks.
From your cousin,
Chris Krupps”
To begin with, Kinsley, Kansas is a small town located in Edwards County in the central part of the state. Founded in the late 19th century, Kinsley developed as a stop along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, which helped boost its growth and economic activity.
The town is known for its unique position as the “Midway, U.S.A.,” being equidistant between New York City and San Francisco, a fact commemorated by a sign in town. Agriculture has long been the backbone of Kinsley’s economy, with wheat, corn, and other crops being cultivated in the surrounding area.
Over the years, the community has weathered periods of drought and boom, as referenced in the letter above, and remains a close-knit town rooted in its farming heritage and small-town values.
Chris Krupp worked at a grain elevator in Kinsley. Newspaper articles describe him as hardworking and investing in local farmland. Christopher (Chris) George Krupp was born on October 7, 1877, in Illinois, with his parents coming from Germany.
He married Anna Amelia Lippoldt, and they had one son, Ulysses. It appears that Chris tried so hard to be financially successful, that the stress put him in an early grave. He died on July 3, 1928, at the age of 50.
The person that Krupp sent the card to, Theador Gierada, was a factory worker in Birmingham, Michigan. Theador was born on November 19, 1893, and died October 17, 1974, at the age of 80. Theador married Agnes Gomula in 1915.
I like to write junk... 