Seventy-five years after Marceline’s founding in 1888, the city celebrated with a Diamond Jubilee. I had been in Marceline a couple years and was excited to play a part. I was operating the KGHM radio studio in Marceline and was involved with many of the committees and took part in the pageant, overseeing the queen contest, and various other events in the celebration.
At the time all this was going on some of Marceline’s future leaders had plans of their own. They banded together and formed their own committee, made arrangements, and opened their own venue to celebrate the occasion. They called it, The Wooden Nickel Saloon.
While the grog served had no formulation with alcohol, their Sasparilla (old time name for root beer) quenched the thirst and washed down the other fare on the menu. No period (1888) saloon worth it’s sawdust on the floor and pressed tin ceiling, would be complete without dancing girls.
Here the Wooden Nickel excelled. The proprietors of the place (who made up much of the koolest of the kool at Marceline High School) Kent Robertson, Jim Payden, and Andy Potts enticed their sisters, friends and classmates to form the infamous Marceline Red Garter Girls. Without the luxury of practice sessions it was on-the-job-training. The "girls of the garter", Stephanie (Powell) Yates, Pam (Robertson) Place, Kathleen (Flynn) Mendenhall, Linda Taylor and Connie (Pollard) Lane entertained young and old alike, kicking up their heels and giggling their way to infamy. The girls recall “There was no money in it for us, we did it all for fun”. Part of the fun was making their own dresses. The guys went to Kansas City and purchased satin material and the girls took it from there.
Stephanie told of meeting with a professional advertising sales person to make up the “Swindle Sheet”, the comic menu, which was sold for 10 cents and was a comedy act on it’s own. She remembers walking through the carnival, in costume, selling menus and advertising The Wooden Nickel. She said that many patrons came to the Saloon from those invites. (Possibly several followed her back for the next show).
In addition to the Red Garter Girls the establishment offered vaudeville acts and entertainment of dubious fame, but high on fun. To say The Wooden Nickel stole the show, would be an understatement. .
The Wooden Nickel possible site was moved a couple times before landing on the corner at the alley, on then South Kansas Avenue, now Main Street USA. It was across from the Western Auto Store and Payden Furniture operated by Jim’s parents. The building was in use as furniture storage, so everything had to be stacked in back before the Saloon equipment could be positioned. Lots of work, but lots of fun.
All involved give credit to Kent Robertson as the driving force behind the project. He and Andy had been collecting antiques for some time and felt they could use some of them to make the Wooden Nickel a part of, and a contribution to, the Diamond Jubilee.
Not all of the fixtures inside came from that collection. The wooden bar and a poker table top, used to make the hanging sign outside, were borrowed from Dick Lane in Brookfield. Terry Henry did the artwork and painting of the signs. He also touched up the bar back drop canvas which was found from an old theater in Sumner.
The project was financed by as needed contributions. Jim told me little things like tools and some supplies were liberated from his dad’s Western Auto Store when the need arose. The “Swindle Sheets” were type set and printed gratis at R. Wallace Pischell Publishing, where Stephanie’s father was a manager and part owner.
After all the expenses were paid there wasn’t a lot of profit. Just enough to take some of them to a Beach Boys Concert in Kansas City. At least that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it! (Note) What started as an idea for a cool story showcasing the ingenuity and leadership of a group of Marceline High School students in 1963 has turned into a e-reunion 2010 style of the parties involved. Based upon pictures I saw posted on Facebook, by Connie Lane, I contacted her in hopes of adding to the facts I already knew.
Connie in turn contacted others who took part and a network developed. Each contributed and persons were located that had been heard from in years. I have really enjoyed the trip guys and thank you all for your contributions.
Paul A. Coram is a regular columnist for the Linn County Leader
|
|
|
Seventy-five years after Marceline’s founding in 1888, the city celebrated with a Diamond Jubilee. I had been in Marceline a couple years and was excited to play a part. I was operating the KGHM radio studio in Marceline and was involved with many of the committees and took part in the pageant, overseeing the queen contest, and various other events in the celebration.
At the time all this was going on some of Marceline’s future leaders had plans of their own. They banded together and formed their own committee, made arrangements, and opened their own venue to celebrate the occasion. They called it, The Wooden Nickel Saloon.
While the grog served had no formulation with alcohol, their Sasparilla (old time name for root beer) quenched the thirst and washed down the other fare on the menu. No period (1888) saloon worth it’s sawdust on the floor and pressed tin ceiling, would be complete without dancing girls.
Here the Wooden Nickel excelled. The proprietors of the place (who made up much of the koolest of the kool at Marceline High School) Kent Robertson, Jim Payden, and Andy Potts enticed their sisters, friends and classmates to form the infamous Marceline Red Garter Girls. Without the luxury of practice sessions it was on-the-job-training. The "girls of the garter", Stephanie (Powell) Yates, Pam (Robertson) Place, Kathleen (Flynn) Mendenhall, Linda Taylor and Connie (Pollard) Lane entertained young and old alike, kicking up their heels and giggling their way to infamy. The girls recall “There was no money in it for us, we did it all for fun”. Part of the fun was making their own dresses. The guys went to Kansas City and purchased satin material and the girls took it from there.
Stephanie told of meeting with a professional advertising sales person to make up the “Swindle Sheet”, the comic menu, which was sold for 10 cents and was a comedy act on it’s own. She remembers walking through the carnival, in costume, selling menus and advertising The Wooden Nickel. She said that many patrons came to the Saloon from those invites. (Possibly several followed her back for the next show).
In addition to the Red Garter Girls the establishment offered vaudeville acts and entertainment of dubious fame, but high on fun. To say The Wooden Nickel stole the show, would be an understatement. .
The Wooden Nickel possible site was moved a couple times before landing on the corner at the alley, on then South Kansas Avenue, now Main Street USA. It was across from the Western Auto Store and Payden Furniture operated by Jim’s parents. The building was in use as furniture storage, so everything had to be stacked in back before the Saloon equipment could be positioned. Lots of work, but lots of fun.
All involved give credit to Kent Robertson as the driving force behind the project. He and Andy had been collecting antiques for some time and felt they could use some of them to make the Wooden Nickel a part of, and a contribution to, the Diamond Jubilee.
Not all of the fixtures inside came from that collection. The wooden bar and a poker table top, used to make the hanging sign outside, were borrowed from Dick Lane in Brookfield. Terry Henry did the artwork and painting of the signs. He also touched up the bar back drop canvas which was found from an old theater in Sumner.
The project was financed by as needed contributions. Jim told me little things like tools and some supplies were liberated from his dad’s Western Auto Store when the need arose. The “Swindle Sheets” were type set and printed gratis at R. Wallace Pischell Publishing, where Stephanie’s father was a manager and part owner.
After all the expenses were paid there wasn’t a lot of profit. Just enough to take some of them to a Beach Boys Concert in Kansas City. At least that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it! (Note) What started as an idea for a cool story showcasing the ingenuity and leadership of a group of Marceline High School students in 1963 has turned into a e-reunion 2010 style of the parties involved. Based upon pictures I saw posted on Facebook, by Connie Lane, I contacted her in hopes of adding to the facts I already knew.
Connie in turn contacted others who took part and a network developed. Each contributed and persons were located that had been heard from in years. I have really enjoyed the trip guys and thank you all for your contributions.
Paul A. Coram is a regular columnist for the Linn County Leader
