Category Archives: history

Jayhawkers Part 4: The Watkins

Jabez Bunting Watkins was born in 1845 near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, about forty years before its Groundhog Day celebrations commenced. He had humble beginnings, studying law and settling in Lawrence, Kansas in 1873, where he established a land mortgage firm connecting … Continue reading

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Avoiding the Nostalgia Trap

This week they really got going on destroying the old convention center in Oklahoma City. There was a dramatic photograph showing the arena bowl half destroyed, and then they brought the remaining roof down. At the start of 2025, I … Continue reading

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Western Village in Millennial Gray

Real estate websites have a secondary function as time machines since when properties are marketed for resale we may catch glimpses into houses we left long ago. The home my parents built in 1962 was “flipped” in 2022. I lived … Continue reading

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X to Z Shifts in Alcohol, Driving, Sex, and More

I am intrigued by societal shifts. Economics is usually one of the largest drivers of change, and the internet and then smartphones and social media and the COVID-19 pandemic have also had significant impacts. Data shows increasing contrasts between my … Continue reading

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Summer Solstice 2025, Part 2: Erick

After leaving OKC, we rolled along Interstate 40 from OKC to Amarillo, Texas. About a decade ago, we visited a couple of attractions along the way: the Heartland of America Museum in Weatherford in 2015 and the Route 66 Museum … Continue reading

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