1985 Number Two Part 2

The Kenton Hardware Co., Kenton, Ohio

Largest Factory in U. S. ,( Exclush-·ely Making Iron Toys

BANKS MADE BY THE KENTON HARDWARE CO. OF KENTON, OHIO were highlighted at the 1985 SBCCA Convention and it is logical to illustrate a postcard which shows this once thriving manufactory. In 1983, Bob Saylor attended his first Convention and, having earlier spoken with Blossom Abell about his Kenton material, he brought a part of it to Chicago and showed it to anyone who was interested. Among the items Bob had was a postcard of the Kenton factory as it looked, he said, circa 1922� 1 This is one of those cards.

CONVENTION IN COLUMBUS O

FICIALLY, THE CONVENTION STARTED ON FRI­ day, May 31, but more than a few Members have be­ come "early birds" in recent years and arrive a day -- and sometimes two days -- early. This year was no exception for the Club's second Convention held in the State of Ohio. Twelve years earlier, the meeting was in Cincinnati; this year it was at the Columbus Mariott Inn - East in Columbus.

Registration was Friday afternoon. Convention Chair­ man Bill Robison and his charming wife, Jean, wel­ comed each person and distributed the necessary name tag and Convention Program.

DON MARKEY, one of the Club's most knowledgeable Members, checks in with JEAN ROBISON at the CONVENTION COLUMBUS! Registration Desk.

SBCC COLUMBUS CONVENTION PROGRAM FRIDAY MAY 31

EARLY ARRIVALS. ROOH HOPPING AND KENTON DISPLAY IN REGISTRATION ROOM.

2100 UNTIL �100 P.H.

SATURDAY JUNE 1

REGISTRATION

6100 UNTIL 7100 P.H.

SOCIAL HOUR, CASH BAR

7100 P.H.

COURTYARD COOKOUT

8145 P.H.

BUSINESS MEETING

9130 P.H.

SMALL AUCTION NO RESERVE

BREAKFAST

ON YOUR OWN

7100 A.H.

PRE-AUCTION SETUP AND DISPLAY

8130 A.H.

AUCTION

12145 P.H.

FIRST BUS LEAVINS FOR THE ROBERT WARNER RESIDENCE

6100 TO 7100 P.H.

SOCIAL HOUR, CASH BAR

7100 P.H.

BANQUET

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This year's theme was The Kenton Hardware Company and an appropriate exhibit of Kenton-made banks was displayed in the Registration Area, along with a post­ er-history of the Company. Bob Saylor, who is knownas "MR. KENTON" because of his vast knowledge.__,/ and expertise on the Company, unhesitatingly fur­ nished photographs of banks and toys Kenton once made and other Members supplied banks for the exhibit.

At left: BRIAN CLEARY examines some of the photographs which BOB SAYLOR has collected on the Kenton Company over the years. Below: The poster-history of Kenton which was on display.

The Registration Area also had an exhibit of many items the Club has sold or given away since 1966.

This exhibit was assembled by EARL ALBRIGHT, SBCCA Direc­ tor at Large, who has consented to collect, maintain, store and display these items at each year's Convention.

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Top left: Kenton banks on display in the Registration Area. Middle: BLOSSOM ABELL, one of the Club's most unselfish Members in sharing knowledge about banks (and the person who wrote and prepared the 1985 Special Project of the Club for publica­ tion) is holding one of the Kenton banks, the BOOM Safe, which is shown in the bottom picture at front center.

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Robert Peirce, John and Nicole Petro, Lin and Nancy Pickle, James and Louis Platt, Bernard and Marlit Polsky, James Redwine, Charles and Judy Reynolds, James and Janet Rogers,· Bill and Jeanie Robison, Marvin and Shirley Rukin.

Ed Russell, Bruce Russell, Bob and Anita Saylor, Herbert and Jacqueline Schriner, Gordon and Esther Schroff, John and Nancy Smith and their daughter Brooke, Elden and Ruth Smith, Robert and Arlaine Smith, Richard and Linda Soukup, Mark Suozzi.

William and Mary Jane Stutzman, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Turner, Burton Vanasdale, Harry Ward, Bob and Marilyn Warner, Bob Watkins, Curtis Werner, John and Eileen Wettrogh, Elaine and Bill Werbell • and their daughter Melissa, Carl White, Charles Wiebe, George Ann Wills, Harvey and Kriss Woollens and Greg Zemenick.

That adds up to a grand total of 162 attendees and hopefully no one was omitted!

Top, 1 to r: MARY LOU HAINES of McCon­ nelsville, Ohio has been a welcome guest at many Conventions. With her is GEORGE ANN WILLS of Illinois. Mrs. Wills has been a Member since 1968. Bottom, I to r: CARL WHITE of New York joined the Club in 1972 and was President from 1978 to 1980. ED RUSSELL became a Mem­ ber in 1971 and has been a Director at Large since 1982. He lives in Maryland.

ARLAINE SMITH be­ came Treasurer of the Club in 1977. She is from Ohio and has been a Member since 1975. KEN DERSEY, current Presi­ dent, is from Michigan.

He also joined in 1975.

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EN DERSEY, SBCCA. PRESIDENT, PRESIDED AT the Friday evening business meeting. What happened i.s best stated by Secretary Karl Kittelberger on the following pages. This was Karrs last year as Secretary • and everyone in attendance expressed their apprecia­ tion for the fine job he has performed in the office.

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FOR MANY YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN NO GROUP picture taken of attendees at an SBCCA Conventiona This year, several partial group pictures were taken in front of the papier-mache Rocking Horse in front of the home of Bob and Marilyn Warner. The picture below illustrates 36 who were at the Convention

and includes a number of those whose names I recognize but whose faces I don't - unfortur maybe because the picture of you doesn't do j1 It's always nice to have a photo fully -:den and I shall do my best. But, I need your _..Jpo are shown, and only a blank line ["__"]

rould tely, .tice. fi� �

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instead of your name, please write me and it will be corrected. for the record in the next issue_ This picture was selected as the one to enlarge 260% of its original size out of two that will be reproduced for two reasons: (1) it shows a goodly number of Members whose pictures have never been in the

Post and (2) it is the clearest and sharpest of them. l also request your help on identifying those persons I haven't identified on the second photo - and your corrections on anyone who isn't identified correctly.

- Carl J. White

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THE ROCKING HORSE AND PHOTO ONE: Left to right, from front kneeling or seated to back row standing are BOB WARNER, ___, JIM REDWINE, ___,. NORM BOWERS, JIM DARR, RAY LIND, ALVIN JAIHES, ___, EARL ALBRIGHT, ___, SONIA JAMES, FRANCES BLACKWELL, immediately behind her: ___, GENE BLACKWELL, immediately behind: LOIS PLATT, ___, ___. Now the people standing: ___, ELAINE WERBELL, ___,. ___, ___., MURIEL LEWIS, BERNICE KRAKER, .--=-""',,,-.,.-,,---., SANDRA CLEARY, ___ CLEARY, BRIAN CLEARY, ___, ___, ___, GORDON SCHROFF, and JIM PLATT. >

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=#= 2: THE ROCKING HORSE AND

PHOTO TWO: Left to right, from front are NITA DE MENT, BOB WARNER, ED RUSSELL, JERRY LANGE, CHARLIE MORRISON, CHARLIE MORRISON ID, ED NEUGUTH and HARRY WARD. The back row(s) is more tricky to identify: Again, left to right, is GENE DE MENT, DICK MEDWAY (bending), MIKE HENRY, ______ (behind him), GORDON JORGENSEN, TOM KELLOGG, JEAN ROBISON, --- (person with shoulder bag and behind her are two persons) ____ and ___, BERNICE KRAKER, ___ and ___ (again, two persons), MARTHA CROUSE, and

immediately behind her, RICHARD SOUKUP, and next to Martha is LINDA SOUKUP, STANLEY KASPER (behind Mrs. Soukup), HELEN ·KASPER, ___, ___, and ___ who is in front of DON DUER, (the tallest person in the photo), then two more people, ___, �-,,----' before BOB WATKINS (whose beard makes him easily identifiable), BRUCE RUSSELL, DOUG HARMAN, ___, ___, GWEN FREESE and behind her, MARK FREESE, and next to her, RALPH DYE, EILEEN WETTROTH, JUDY REYNOLDS, oO CHARLIE REYNOLDS and �

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ATURDAY EVENING'S DINNER WAS PRECEDED BY th� social hour and followed by the annual program.

This year's program featured The Kenton Hardware•�.

Company and the guest speaker was, who else, bu "Mr. Kenton". Bob Saylor discussed the history of� the Company and then answered questions from the audience. He also was presented with a sugar bowl after which the Kenton Duck Bank was patterned.

[See stories this section.]

Top left: EARL L. ALBRIGHT of New Jersey keeper of the Club's archives, Director at Large and maker of some much appreciated Convention favors.

It's become traditional and the tradition was kept cur­ rent this year when we· found at each plate at dinner the bank or bank-related gift from another Member known as "MR. TOYS" because that's what he makes in his new career after retirement. Earl Albrigh·t handcrafted from cedar wood a map replica coin bank of the State of Ohio which had SBCCA 1985 * COLUMBUS OHIO stamped on the front. As he has for a number of years, Earl presents these gifts to Con­ vention attendees. He is not • paid for them and in fact, when once offered to be paid, refused any pay­ ment whatsoever.

The 1985 favor (above) is about 3-1/8" high x 3-1/8" wide x 1-3/8" deep. The coin slot is at the top left of the bank, between the "S" and the "B". A hook to hang it on th,e wall is on the back. Top right: THE SATURDAY EVENING SOCIAL HOUR.

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Then, after the dinner and after the program, some­ thing else special took place: the 1985 Special Project of the Club was distributed. It's a wonderful story of THE KENTON HARDWARE COMPANY and that1 s what the unpaged publication is called. (With covers, it's 28 pages.) The booklet is illustrated with Kenton banks from the Collections of Bob, as well as Bob and Arlaine Smith and Bill Robison. Text was written by Blossom Abell from research material provided b� '-7 Bob. [See separate article] After the dinner, receiving Earl's Map of Ohio bank, the program, the distribution of the booklet, the > Convention ended....