Author Archives: kihm
The Cyclone
My father’s photo album included three photos of the legendary Cyclone roller coaster at the Crystal Beach amusement park in Fort Erie, Ontario, just across the Peace Bridge from Buffalo, N.Y. The Cyclone was one of three coasters designed and built by Harry G. Traver, and was variously described as “the thrill of thrills,” “revered […]
Fish, Rooster, First Car
My father, probably at Chautauqua Lake. Al Kranz, with pipe and fish. My best guess: a bagpiper at the Canadian National Exposition, Toronto, Ontario.
Lewiston Ice Jam, 1938
My father took seven photos of the Lewiston ice jam of 1938. Lake Erie, being shallow, was prone to the buildup of ice in the winter, which then went over Niagara Falls in huge blocks. The flow of the lower Niagara River couldn’t handle that much ice, and it collected in ice jams, most notably […]
Honeymoon
My father took three photos on his New York City honeymoon.
Three Photos
After my parents died, these photos were among the things passed down. They show my father as an infant, his mother’s family, my Winship grandparents, who I knew, and my Slocum great-grandparents, who died before I was born. And my Aunt Mame, who also went by Mazie. Bucktooth Run (circa 1905). L. to r., Hollis […]
Colgate vs. Tulane, 1937
In October of 1937, Tulane, the Green Wave, defeated Colgate’s Red Raider football team 7-6 in the new Roesch Memorial Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y. My father took three pictures… And even sneaked a shot of the press box… I love the hats, the microphone on a trunk, and the headphones. Roesch Memorial was soon renamed […]
Dr. Steven Alexander
A doctor, who was a great help to me, died yesterday. In 1989, Dr. Steven Alexander got me to specialist who solved a problem that had dogged me until then. More importantly, Dr. Alexander made me realize that my health wasn’t his responsibility; it was mine. I couldn’t just coast and say, “Fix me, doctor” […]
A Father’s Day Story
My father was a fisherman. He loved to go fishing. And then he would bring his catch home and we would have fish for dinner. Dinnertime with my father, at a very small kitchen table, was never fun, but the fish added a new element of pain. Every mouthful could contain a fish bone, an […]
Our Florida Vacation
Before our trip to Florida, our daughter Abbie was discussing our itinerary with Ruben, her significant other, and he said, “So, essentially, all we’re going to do is eat.” Well, yes, restaurants comprise a large part of every Florida visit. At One Ocean, where we stay in Atlantic Beach, and the young men who open […]
Memento
I think it was called Fire Watch. I was in the U.S. Air Force, stationed at Ft. George G. Meade, an Army base in Maryland. Occasionally, we would be chosen for some duty that had nothing to do with what we were there for. I was tapped for Fire Watch in a former hospital, an […]
Faithful Readers 