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.
The Kenton Hardware Co., Kenton, Ohio
Largest Factory in U. S. ,( Exclush-·ely Making Iron Toys
CONVENTION IN COLUMBUS
ODON MARKEY, one of the Club's most knowledgeable Members, checks in with JEAN ROBISON at the CONVENTION COLUMBUS! Registration Desk.
FICIALLY, THE CONVENTION STARTED ON FRIday, May 31, but more than a few Members have become "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 Chairman Bill Robison and his charming wife, Jean, welcomed each person and distributed the necessary name tag and Convention Program.
FRIDAY MAY 31
SBCC COLUMBUS CONVENTION PROGRAM
EARLY ARRIVALS. ROOH HOPPING AND KENTON DISPLAY IN REGISTRATION ROOM.
2100 UNTIL �100 P.H.
6100 UNTIL 7100 P.H.
7100 P.H.
8145 P.H.
9130 P.H.
SATURDAY JUNE 1
BREAKFAST
7100 A.H.
8130 A.H.
12145 P.H.
6100 TO 7100 P.H.
7100 P.H.
REGISTRATION
SOCIAL HOUR, CASH BAR COURTYARD COOKOUT BUSINESS MEETING
SMALL AUCTION NO RESERVE
ON YOUR OWN
PRE-AUCTION SETUP AND DISPLAY
AUCTION
FIRST BUS LEAVINS FOR THE ROBERT WARNER RESIDENCE
SOCIAL HOUR, CASH BAR BANQUET
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 poster-history of the Company. BobSaylor, who is knownas "MR.KENTON" because of his vast knowledge.__,/ and expertise on the Company, unhesitatingly furnished photographs of banks and toys Kenton once made and other Members supplied banks for the exhibit.
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 publication) is holding one of the Kenton banks, the BOOM Safe, which is shown in the bottom picture at front center.
Top,1tor:MARYLOU HAINESofMcConnelsville,Ohiohasbeen awelcomeguestatmany Conventions.Withheris GEORGEANNWILLS ofIllinois.Mrs.Wills hasbeenaMembersince 1968.Bottom, I to r: CARLWHITEofNew YorkjoinedtheClubin 1972andwasPresident from1978to1980.ED RUSSELLbecameaMemberin 1971 andhasbeen aDirector atLarge since 1982. He lives in Maryland. ARLAINESMITHbecameTreasurerofthe Clubin1977. Sheisfrom Ohioand hasbeena Membersince 1975. KEN DERSEY,current President,isfromMichigan. Healsojoinedin 1975.
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,MarvinandShirleyRukin.
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, Richardand LindaSoukup, MarkSuozzi.
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 andGreg Zemenick.
That adds up to a grand total of 162 attendeesandhopefullynoonewasomitted!
ENDERSEY,SBCCA.PRESIDENT,PRESIDEDAT the Friday evening business meeting. What happened is best stated by Secretary KarlKittelberger onthe following pages. Thiswas Karrs last yearas Secretary •and everyone in attendance expressed their appreciationforthefinejobhehasperformedintheoffice.
instead of your name, please write me and it will be corrected. for the record in the next issue_ This picture was selected as theone to enlarge 260% of itsoriginalsizeoutof two thatwillbereproduced 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 yourhelponidentifyingthosepersons I haven't identified on the second photo - and your corrections on anyonewhoisn'tidentifiedcorrectly.
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, CHARLIE REYNOLDS and oO ,..
Top left: EARL L. ALBRIGHT of New Jerseykeeper of the Club's archives, Director at Large and maker of some much appreciated Convention favors.
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.
SATURDAY 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.]
It's become traditional and the tradition was kept current 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 Convention attendees. He is not •paid for them and in fact, when once offered to be paid, refused any payment whatsoever.
Then, after the dinner and after the program, something else special took place: the 1985 Special Project of the Club was distributed. It's a wonderful story of THE KENTON HARDWARE COMPANY and that1s 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� Bob. [See separate article] '-7
After the dinner, receiving Earl's Map of Ohio bank, the program, the distribution of the booklet, the Convention ended.... >
