Move to Kansas City, Missouri

KENNETH:
During the Second World War, the Farm Credit Administration was moved to Kansas City, Missouri to make room in Washington for the several wartime agencies.

In 1941, Mary and I and the boys moved to 6140 Morningside Dr., Kansas City, Missouri which we rented for five years from the estate of a prominent builder. This was a beautiful three-story colonial mansion with large rooms and spacious porches and deck. We held many delightful parties there for our Farm Credit friends.

"Mary E. and James Mitchel Scott at the front door to welcome all." (Caption in Mary's handwriting)

Recent photo of 6140 Morningside Dr.  Courtesy Gerald L. Scott

Gerald, Richard, and Walter were members of the famous Southwest High School Marching Band. Gerald became drum major.

Gerald and Richard at Morningside Drive, March 5, 1946

Gerald and Mitchel, Morniingside Drive, March 5, 1946

During these years, Mary often played golf and became very good at it. I played very little golf after we moved from Pocatello.

Kenneth and Mary with golf clubs

MARY:
When Mitchel was four years old, during World War II, we were transferred to Kansas City, Missouri, and lived there for four years.

Gerald and Richard (standing), Walter, Mary and Kenneth (seated), Mitchel and Wayne seated on floor

Richard and Gerald (standing); Walter, Mitchel and Wayne (seated), in Kansas City, Missouri

Richard began his high school in Southwest High, Gerald also. He had R.O.T.C. in Washington before Kansas City. Walter now had taken up the tuba and belonged to the grade-school orchestra. Wayne was taking piano lessons.

Richard with clarinet, Gerald with gun.  March 1, 1943, Kansas City, Missouri

Caption on back of above photo in Mary's handwriting

Our home was full of different music, you can be sure. Often orchestra practice was held at 6140 Morningside Drive in Kansas City. There was a marching band and the three boys were members. The Tooters Club was formed so the parents were as involved as the students. We met many of the people and enjoyed them very much.

I often had the Tooters mothers meet at our home. It was a central place and we had plenty of room with a beautiful colonial home, three stories with white columns going to the second floor, and believe it or not, it cost only $100 a month. Our living room was 38 feet long, a beautiful sun porch, and a large screened porch out back, wide entrance halls, large dining room, break fast room, nice kitchen on the first floor, a large bed room and baths on the second, and the third had a large bedroom with full bath. I did enjoy the place!

South side and front "profile" of 6140 Morningside Dr., July 25, 1942

Sleeping porch, living room and window to Richard's room, July 1942

Wayne and Mitchel outside the side porch

In Kansas City we had some real good times with our friends we made at the office. The yearly parties were usually held in our home because we had plenty of room in which to entertain. The boys enjoyed it also for they had a few class dances and birthday parties here, too.

Mary and Kenneth in their bedroom at Morningside Drive, Feb. 27, 1943

On the back of the photo above, Mary wrote:
"Our bedroom--showing just about half of it.  It's such a nice room.  You can't see any of the furniture except in the mirror--but the bed is opposite the fire place--and alongside from the arrow is K.L. chest of drawers--then the french doors at the end opening on the deck, then K.L. dressing room or clothes closet--then the bed around to my dressing room--

Mary in the dressing area at Morningside Drive, Feb. 27, 1943

Mary continued on the back of this photo:
"--which is where I am now.  Its quite a place and has so many places to put things away.  The door with the mirror goes to the bathroom.  It's not too clear as it's a double exposure.  We had the picture of the bed and that seems to be the one with this."

Clearly, Mary and Kenneth and the boys loved this home!

Uncle Zene's Farm and Richard's analogy of the rope swing

Weiner Roast at Zene's Ranch, May 2, 1937
Kenneth didn't write about this event in his autobiography, but we have some charming photos and commentary from the day.  I'm not sure who did the writing--it's not Kenneth or Mary--but it shows a great sense of humor.

Zenith Wayne Scott, "Uncle Zene," is the younger brother of Elzumer's father; hence, Kenneth's uncle.  Myrtle M. Knight is his wife.

Zenith Wayne (1887-1969) and Myrtle M. Knight Scot (1889-1987) in 1937.

Zene and Myrtle owned property in Loudin County, Virgina, sometimes referred to as a "ranch" and sometimes as a "farm."  I (Mary Lee) remember my father, (Richard), telling me that the Tyson's Corner Mall is now located on or near Zene's property.

In this account, Elzumer goes by his nickname "Zumer."  I have a feeling he's the one who wrote the captions on the back of the photos.

"Gerald, Myrtle, Kenneth, Mary, Walter, Carrie, Zumer, and Richard at ZW's cottage in Loudin Co., VA."

Analogy of the Rope Swing
Richard shared a humorous, but powerful memory of Uncle Zene's farm in a talk he gave in General Conference in Oct. 1992, later quoted in an article in the Friend in Jan. 1997.  His message is a good one for us all to ponder!

"Some of the sweetest memories of my childhood center in the occasional summer and fall days spent with my brothers at Uncle Zene’s farm in rural Virginia. There we hiked through woods with fragrant wildflowers. We marveled at flying squirrels, colorful birds, and even occasionally discovered a fox or pheasant. Meandering streams invited us to catch sunfish, and a cool, pure spring satisfied our thirst. There were roasted hot dogs, potato salad, sweet pickles, and of course hot apple pie with homemade ice cream. Every turn of the crank heightened our anticipation of that seldom-savored treat.

But the most treasured experience was the rope swing Uncle Zene had hung in a tall tree near a beautiful brook. Its long, gliding passes provided hours of pure joy. We would arch our backs and fling our legs and feet to see who could go the fastest and highest. It was sheer delight.

Rope swings in the United Kingdom.  Photo by Martin Addison.  Source: Wikimedia Commons

Once, to treat me to even more excitement, my brother Gerald put me on the wooden seat, then rotated the swing until the ropes were twisted in a double row of knots. With a mighty thrust he launched me into a spin of ever-increasing velocity. At first there was a feeling of exhilaration as I began to pick up speed. That short-lived pleasure was quickly replaced by increasing feelings of dizziness, nausea, and just plain terror. When the horrible experience was over, I couldn’t walk without falling, my head reeled, and I was certain my stomach would never again be the same.

Throughout it all, Gerald jumped with glee. When I finally fell out of the seat, he shouted, “Wasn’t that terrific?”

My mind thought, “You’re crazy,” but my mouth said, “Yeah, that was great. Get in and I’ll show you how much fun it is.”

I wonder if some of you are doing the same thing in your own life. Instead of enjoying countless wonderful experiences, wholesome relationships, and the beauties of the earth, do you pursue excitement beyond the bounds Heavenly Father has set?

He has given us commandments. They guide our lives to happiness. He also gave us agency, which allows us to choose among alternate paths. Whichever path we choose, we are bound to the consequence God has decreed.

Heavenly Father wants you to succeed. Where there is purity of heart and real intent, it is known by Him. Your obedience to truth and proper use of agency open the door to His divine help. If you have chosen the wrong path, the only way out is through repentance.

I testify that as you choose to obey truth and use your agency to keep His commandments, you will be blessed."

Mary's story: Meeting Kenneth, early married years, births of sons, and move to Washington, D.C.

Editor's note
After much thought, I've decided to begin incorporating Mary's version of events into the blog, parallel to Kenneth's version.  For this post, however, we'll return to Mary's account of when she and Kenneth first met, then quickly move forward to their move to Washington, D.C.  At some point in the future, we will return to Mary's childhood and the stories of her ancestors, then finish Kenneth's and Mary's story with the concluding years of their lives.  It's a little complicated, but I wanted to make sure that it was easy to separate Kenneth's ancestors from Mary's so we could remember them better.

Mary's story is taken from recorded interviews transcribed by Wayne's wife, Ann.  We are very grateful to her!

Introduction to K. L. Scott
About this time in my life another chapter was beginning to open up. My brother LeRoy came home from work one night with the news that a new fellow had arrived in town. LeRoy and I both worked at the movie house. He was the one who operated the picture machine and I sold tickets, so he knew all the new faces in town. I was interested as all girls are, and wanted to know who, what, how old, and was he interested in anyone or not. LeRoy told me first thing that it wouldn’t do one bit of good to get interested, for the other girls had seen him first--and besides, he wouldn’t be interested in me.  A brother’s opinion of a sister, I guess.

Kenneth LeRoy Scott at about the time Mary met him in December, 1924.

Marriage
To make an interesting observation, after I met the new man in town, the one who wouldn’t be interested in me, we were married in six months and I do know that his interest was and still is in me. Brothers aren’t always right.

Mary Eliza Whittle in 1925

Well, beginning a life as Mrs. Kenneth LeRoy Scott was the most happy and rewarding experience, one that has been exciting, full of love and understanding, really no hardships.

The new Mrs. Kenneth L. Scott on their honeymoon in July, 1925

Cities we have lived in
We left Blackfoot and moved to Pocatello to be near his work with the Live Stock Credit Corporation. After about three years, he was offered a position in the Land Bank so we moved to Spokane, Washington, living there just three months when a new offer for a bigger and better experience came. 

Location where Kenneth and Mary and family lived in Spokane.

We moved to Washington D.C. in 1934 and have been here since with time out for Kansas City, Missouri--four years during World War II.

Births of our first three children
Our oldest son, Gerald LeRoy, was born in Blackfoot, Bingham County, Idaho, on 6 July 1926.

Baby Gerald with his grandmother, Carrie Mae Sallee Scott

Richard Gordon, our second son, was born in Pocatello, Bannock County, Idaho, 7 November 1928.

Baby Richard and Gerald with their dad

Walter Conrad, third son, born in Pocatello also, on 31 March 1931. He was about three years old when we moved to Spokane, Washington.

Walter Conrad Scott

Our move to Washington D.C.
It was difficult to leave both of our families, moving to Washington state and even more difficult for Washington D.C., with the entire country dividing us and not knowing a person in the East. Kenneth’s Uncle Zene and Aunt Myrtle lived in D.C. and had found a place for us, a home on 1735 Upshire Street, N. W. We didn’t know them or the area in which we would be making our home. Getting used to having colored people around me was a difficult task for I did have to depend the help of a colored woman.

Births of our last two children
It wasn’t long after coming to the District that we had our fourth child, another fine son, Kenneth Wayne Scott, born 6 November 1936. 

Mary holding Baby Wayne; Gerald and Richard standing by.

Kenneth Wayne Scott

K. Wayne Scott on a fancy "tricycle" with four wheels and no way to pedal.

Before, when the babies arrived, I had Mother to call upon. This time it was so difficult but I found I could get used to all things.

The colored woman was Gertrude Turner who proved to be a real wonderful person. In fact, she was still with us when our fifth and last son was born, James Mitchell Scott. He came the 13th day of July, 1940. Kenneth has always said the 13th was his lucky day. 

Baby Mitchel with his mother, Mary Eliza Whittle Scott

Portrait of Baby James Mitchel Scott

J. Mitchel and K. Wayne Scott

In his account, Kenneth states, “Our fourth fine son, Kenneth Wayne, joined our family circle on November 6, 1936 being born at the Columbia Hospital for Women in Washington, D.C.  Our fifth fine son, James Mitchel, was born in the same hospital on July 13, 1940.”

The mystery of the diagonal bangs

Walt and Richard at Jamestown, VA, circa 1934

After noticing the unusual way the boys bangs were cut in the photos above and below, I asked the Scott brothers if they knew anything about it.  (You may want to double click on the photos to get a good look.)  Here is Gerald's very interesting response:

Gerald, Richard, and Walter, circa 1934

"All of us, especially during the growing up years, enjoyed having our own barber in residence. Dad learned how to cut hair on me, using a pair of hand operated clippers which could pinch and dig in to your hide at times. He further improved his skills on Richard and Walter. He was still using the hand operated clippers, assisted with a pair of barbers scissors and a barbers comb which was quite thin with fine closely spaced tines. Dad became very proficient over the years. By the time Wayne and Mitch arrived, Dad had acquired a good sized green colored electric powered hair clipper that took the pain out and sped up the process a good bit. As I recall, it wasn't until we got into Junior High School that I had my first professional hair cut.

Over the years Dad cut a lot of hair."

Gerald, Walter, and Richard.  The diagonal bangs disappear when their hair is parted and combed to the side.

Kenneth’s Work at the Farm Credit Administration

Continuing in Kenneth's own words:
The offices of the Farm Credit Administration were in the old Southern Railway Building at 13th and Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.  [For more information on the history of the Farm Credit Administration, see History of FCA. Scroll down to The Emergency Farm Mortgage Act of 1933 and The Farm Credit Act of 1933 for the history of the period when Kenneth was involved and note that he was personally responsible for the events described.]

The Southern Railway building is in the middle, 1932.  Courtesy Library of Congress

William I. Myers was the Governor of FCA. Steve Garwood was our commissioner with “Cap” Arnold and Stanley Stewart the Assistant Commissioner of the Production Credit Division where I was employed. I worked under the direction of Charlie Stewart, an experienced and very practical agricultural credit man.

[In a tape recorded interview, Kenneth tells about working for Charlie Stewart in Texas and the western states.]
Mr. Arnold was his deputy and I was his assistant. That was a fine relationship. ‘There were so many new agencies set up and almost all of them wanted the government to pay all their expenses--everything. Fortunately these men I’ve just mentioned believed in farmer organizations operating on their own resources.

The government gave us a capital--not anything to spend--but just capital. I think it was a hundred and twenty million dollars, if I remember. That was invested in U. S. government bonds. Then we organized these local production credit associations. They were farmer owned and we would go out and get some leading farmers with the help of the help of the county agents to be on the board of directors. That was the pattern we followed all around....This was for the whole country not just those in the west, even the oyster farmers.  [He tells about meeting Dick Nelson, who represented the oyster industry. Congress said that they would be declared farmers so Kenneth’s organization had to finance them. Discussed that they also financed other organizations when they met criteria and regulations.]

The Production Credit Division had a very fine record. It has grown, I guess, up in the billions annually. It’s a big operation. I never dreamed of it getting that large. (It’s always been a program that has paid for itself— not taken.) They had this 60 million dollars to stake it and that was paid out and after that they’ve had a reputation developed with the money market in New York like big corporations....That’s a common way of financing. It hasn’t been with government funds. They’ve gone into the private sector. Oh, no. That was a temporary arrangement. Specific loans were approved locally. You just set the policy up in Washington. They had these intermediate credit banks that accepted loans. They were the ones that really went into the money market and got the funds. They weren’t farmer-owned at that time but they have been since then for a number of years—all branches of the farm credit, the production credit, the operating loans which has grown to be the largest and then the financing of the cooperative mills, etc.

The land banks get their money from the public. If they go out and appraise a farm, determine its productivity, and question the owner in great detail about his operating expenses, and if they are satisfied...that it will create income and pay off the loan, then they make a loan. It could be to purchase some land but probably would be to make improvements.

Back to Kenneth’s personal history:
New Concept of Agricultural Lending
For the first few years I spent probably two-thirds of my time in the Western states from Texas--Colorado, Montana, and the states farther west, helping the regional officials get the Production Credit Associations well established. I had an important part in drafting and getting into operation a Credit Examination system that was a companion to the Credit (Lending) Manual that we put into practice throughout the system. This was an entirely new concept of agricultural lending. The existing lending practice was to make agriculture production and livestock loans as a percentage of the estimated value of the farm chattels--which had resulted in heavy losses to banks that foreclosed when the loans couldn’t be repaid--with thousands of farm families being forced out of business.

Under our policy, we first determined what the essential living and farming expenses would amount to and when they would occur. Then we made estimates of the income that could reasonably be expected from the farming operation. If it appeared that the needed credit could be repaid in an orderly way--annual costs being repaid annually and longer term needs being repaid over a period of years, we made loans on appropriate terms with such supervision during the term of the loans as seemed prudent and such mortgage security as desirable.

The bankers ridiculed us loudly and predicted our system of having loan committees of successful farmers making loans to their neighbors would be disastrous. Within about five years, the manager of the American Bankers Association asked if he could get a copy of our credit manual to furnish copies to banks in agricultural areas throughout the country. Our commissioner “Cap” Arnold replied that he was interested in seeing the farmers who are being financed by banks receive constructive service and he would be glad to furnish the Bankers Association a copy of our manual for reproduction on the condition that the Production Credit System be given credit for the authorship--which the bankers agreed to do. Our lending system with supervision by agriculturally experienced men, together with our Credit Examination procedure proved to be very sound. More than thirty years after we put these policies into effect in the Production Credit System, and when the annual volume of loans made exceeded five billion dollars, the annual rate of losses was less than 1/10th  of 1%. From the beginning of the system, we held periodic credit training conferences for the staff of the 12 PCC’s and maintained a staff of credit field men to supervise their lending policies--which soon reduced the need for travel by those of us in the Washington headquarters to just a few trips each year.

Oyster Growers Association
One day in 1935, Commissioner Garwood called me to his office and introduced me to A. Richards Nelson, whom he stated was an expert in oyster culture and the president of the Oyster Growers Association on the East Coast, the person responsible for having a Congressional Amendment to the Farm Credit Act of 1933 by which oyster growers who maintained their beds under controlled cultural methods were designated “farmers” and under the terms of our act eligible for financing on an individual eligibility determination.

Commissioner Garwood said, “Ken, add to your duties oyster financing and with Mr. Nelson’s help on cultural methods, draft an oyster financing policy and spend a few weeks with him in the oyster production areas familiarizing yourself with that business.”

That was the beginning of an enjoyable and lengthy friendship and some interesting trips to consider loan applications of the East Coast and Pacific Northwestern coast. Our son Richard spent one summer working on one of Nelson’s oyster boats in the Narragansett Bay off Providence, Rhode Island, where Nelson had about 6,000 acres of oyster beds under intensive care. Once “Dick” sent us a 250 pound barrel of oysters in the shell and we invited all the members of our division and their wives for a big oyster supper.

The oyster boat on which Richard worked one memorable summer!

Kenneth and Mary Move to Washington, D.C.

Continuing in Kenneth's own words:
It was a rather chilly fall morning when Mary, Gerald, Richard, Walter, and I started out in our Graham Paige Sedan for our new home in Washington, D.C.

Gerald, Richard, and Walt in front of an older car than the Graham-Paige (according to Richard)

We went back down to Pocatello for a few days visit with Mary’s folks and mine then started on the long drive through country that was mostly new to us.

Mary and her mother-in-law, Carrie Mae Scott

Mary with Gerald, Richard, and Walter

It was very interesting trip.  We would stop occasionally and “stretch” and let the boys run off some of their energy.  We took a somewhat southerly route after reaching St. Louis, Missouri, and drove through Kentucky and the Smoky Mountain country then into Virginia. The boys thought it was very amusing to see road signs of “steep dangerous hills” which by comparison with the high mountains they remembered in the West were very insignificant hills.

Kenneth with Richard, Gerald and Walt at Ft. McHenry, birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner , June 1936

Mary with Gerald, Walter, and Richard in a formal garden near Jamestown, Virginia

Walter and Richard at entrance to Jamestown.

[Noticing the unusual way the boys bangs were cut in the photo above, I asked the brothers if they knew anything about it.  Here is Gerald's very interesting response:
"All of us, especially during the growing up years, enjoyed having our own barber in residence. Dad learned how to cut hair on me, using a pair of hand operated clippers which could pinch and dig in to your hide at times. He further improved his skills on Richard and Walter. He was still using the hand operated clippers, assisted with a pair of barbers scissors and a barbers comb which was quite thin with fine closely spaced tines. Dad became very proficient over the years. By the time Wayne and Mitch arrived, Dad had acquired a good sized green colored electric powered hair clipper that took the pain out and sped up the process a good bit. As I recall, it wasn't until we got into Junior High School that I had my first professional hair cut.
Over the years Dad cut a lot of hair."]

Continuing in Kenneth's words:
Early Homes in Washington
Finally, we approached the nation’s capital through the rolling hills of Virginia and found our way to the home of my Uncle Zene Scott on New Hampshire Avenue where we stayed overnight. The next morning we drove to a comfortable “row house” at 1737 Upshire St., N.W., which Uncle Zene had located for us. It was in a real nice residential area of Northwest Washington. Our furniture arrived by truck shortly and we were soon settled in Washington with Gerald and Richard in school.

Mary with Gerald, Walter and Richard in front of their home at 1737 Upshire Street N.W. in Washington, D.C.

[Note: Evidently, Kenneth's parents and Mary's mother visited them while they were living on Upshire Street because we have this great photo taken on the porch there:]

Margaret Smith Whittle, Wayne, Walter, Gerald, Richard, and Carrie Mae Scott on May 9th, 1937.

Two years later, we moved to 1735 Taylor St., N.W. and in 1940 purchased a nice home at 4713 Blagden Terrace, N.W., near Rock Creek Park.

1735 Taylor Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Kenneth recounts an incident that happened at the house on Taylor Street.

[ Richard remembers crawling out of the window above the entrance and sliding down the columns at the house on Blagden Terrace.  Does anyone else have memories of a particular house?]

4713 Blagden Terrace, N.W., Washington, D.C.