Treasure Chest Thursday - Great-Grandfather Lon Kinnick and Percherons

Treasure Chest Thursday

Great-Grandfather Lon Kinnick and Percherons

Great-Grandfather Alonzo (Lon) Kinnick, Coon Rapids, Iowa, and

Prize-winning Percheron

This is another of the photos shared by cousin Ellen DeVilbiss (THANK YOU, again!). It is a postcard, which was not an unusual way to share photos in the early 1900s - this is likely 1910-1920 (he died in 1923, as you will see, if you keep reading).

If you are not familiar with the Percheron breed of horses, Wikipedia has a great article on them.

This was the first I'd heard of his affection for and attachment to this breed of horse. Ellen's note included the following: 

"I do remember Grandma's stories about how much her father loved those horses and how upset he was after his first stroke when he realized they would have to move to town because he couldn't keep them.  Grandma also remembered going with him to the fields and sleeping under the wagon, guarded by the horses while he fixed fences."

Her Grandma was Lillian, Lon and Nettie's youngest daughter. Paul, their oldest son, was my Grandfather. 

I thought I'd check the Coon Rapids Enterprise Archive for mention of Lon Kinnick and Percheron. Unfortunately, only one connecting statement came up, and that was the sale of his horses, by his wife, shortly after he died.

 From the Sale Bill:

17—HEAD OF HORSES—17
1 Team grey geldings 14 years old, wt. 1000; 1 bay mare wt.
1700, age 8; 1 black mare 9 years old, wt. 1600; 1 black registered
Percheron stallion age 6, wt. 1750; 1 grey registered Percheron stallion
age 2, wt. 1500; 1 team grey registered Percheron mares age 6, wt
1600; 1 grey registered Percheron filly coming 2; 1 bay gelding 

coming 4, wt 1300; 1 black mare and 1 sorrel mare coming 3; 1 black
mare, 2 geldings coming 2, 2 weanling colts.

 Here is the copy of the whole page; Sale Bill, upper right corner:

While I was in the archive, I did save the front page story announcing Lon's death, a few days earlier; left hand column - several death notices across the front page - interesting, wide age spreads...

Families are Forever!  ;-)