April 15, 1872 Osborne County, Kansas
Heard tell that he came here five years ago. Can you imagine…the man who once made likenesses of President Lincoln was here in Kansas? They said he even took likenesses of the aftermath of battles in the War of the Rebellion. He came west by wagon with that magical box of his. They say the Kansas Pacific Railroad hired him to show the progress of the railroad being built across here. Can you imagine?
Heard tell that man made likenesses of settlers making dugouts on their homestead land. He wanted to capture the feel of families building their first homes on the prairies where trees, and thus lumber, were at a premium. He aimed to show how homesteaders would scrabble onto the sod to fashion shelters. Can you imagine?
Heard tell that man left his magic box behind. He went back East to live in Washington, D.C., where he once began his work. Yep, he gave up making instant portraits. Heard tell he started an insurance agency. Said his name is Alexander Gardner. Can you imagine?
~ Signed… Mary Etta Soule Storer Osborne County, Kansas
Note: This is an imaged telling of Mary Etta’s account of Gardner coming to Kansas. She is my second great grandmother.
Once Upon A Lifetime: Tales And Vignettes Of My Ancestors 