Category: Uncategorized
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James Albert McKenney Family Photo, circa 1922
Photoshopped Original scan. Image courtesy of descendents of Mabel Clair (McKenney) Tripp. Family of James Albert McKenney and Vera Crockett. Right to left: Lela, James, Lloyd (in rear), Vera, and Thelma. Making a guess that this was circa 1922 when Lloyd was about 13, Thelma about 11 and Lela about 8. For more information on…
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Hathia Becker’s School Report on Liberal, Missouri
Liberal’s paper, “Enterprise”, published a number of essays on Liberal which were written by school students. A now defunct page on Liberal gave the following essay, by Hathia Becker, as published in December 1895. The first schoolhouse was built in Liberal in 1884. A 2 year high school was begun in Liberal in 1897, the…
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Timothy John Leahy
Timothy Leahy was a brother of M. D. (Maurice) Leahy who founded and was president of the Freethought University at Liberal, Missouri. The University was founded when Leahy was but about 21 years of age and lasted for two years, dissolving due to some falling out with George Walser, and subsequently being unable to maintain…
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Blue Grass Blade vs. Hough, Pt. 4 : The Truth is Out at Last
Continuing from part 3 with letters and editorials concerning the M. D. Leahy controversy, refuting the Rev. Hough assertion that Freethinker M. D. Leahy, who established the Freethought University, had undergone a Christian conversion. This letter which the Blue Grass Blade published in this September issue is written by M. D. (Maurice) Leahy’s brother, who…
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Blue Grass Blade Vs. Hough, Pt. 3: Rev. Hough Nailed Down
Continuing from Part 2 in which the Blue Grass Blade had published Hough’s letter in which he had attested M. D. Leahy’s conversion to Christianity. Here is published refutation by a C. E. Alexander. A number of new names are introduced here. First, C. E. Alexander, the individual who introduced Leahy to Freethought and who…
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Blue Grass Blade vs. Hough Pt. 2 : The Blade Asks for Facts
As seen in Part 1, on June 13 1909 the Blue Grass Blade had published its doubts on the veracity of the Rev. Hough’s account that M. D. Leahy, president of Liberal’s Freethought University, had later converted to Christianity, and that the Freethought University was funded by Col. Robert G. Ingersoll. The Blue Grass Blade…
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Blue Grass Blade vs. Hough Pt. 1 : A Reckless Assault Upon the Truth
Of Liberal, Missouri and individuals involved, there would of course be attempts to discredit the characters and beliefs of the Freethoughters, and how better to do so than with stories of their renunciation of Freethought upon experiencing Christian conversion. And I’m certain that such conversions did happen for whatever reason. Or were perhaps assumed to…
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“This Strange Town – Liberal Missouri” Name Index
J. P. Moore’s This Strange Town – Liberal Missouri, A History of the Early Years, 1880 to 1910 has no index. Thinking at least a name index might be helpful, I have prepared one. George H. Walser is mentioned on virtually every page of the book so I’ve not counted him in the index. Rather…
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Rosa Fields’ School Report on Liberal, Missouri
Liberal’s paper, “Enterprise”, published a number of essays on Liberal which were written by school students. A now defunct page on Liberal gave the following essay, by Rosa Fields, as published in December 1895. The first schoolhouse was built in Liberal in 1884. A 2 year high school was begun in Liberal in 1897, the…
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Old View of Liberal, Missouri’s Main Street
Click to view larger. View of Main Street in 1905, looking north. Image from J. P. Moore’s “This Strange Town – Liberal, Missouri”