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Digital Archive Provides Access to Historic Atlanta Newspapers

UpFront with NGS: Digital Archive Provides Access to Historic Atlanta Newspapers:

"A new digital database providing online access to 14 newspaper titles published in Atlanta from 1847 to 1922 is now available through the Digital Library of Georgia, housed at The University of Georgia Libraries."

Norris G. Henthorne

Norris G. Henthorne,
Former World Editor,
Civic Champion, Dies
Newspaper Career,
Almost Spanning a Half-Century,
Paralleled Growth of Tulsa

Printed in
The Tulsa World
Monday, December 10, 1962

Norris G. Henthorne, whose life was intimately connected with The Tulsa World and the city of Tulsa for nearly 50 years, died at 10:34 p.m. Sunday in St. John's Hospital. He was 71.

Henthorne, noted for his civic interests in Tulsa's parks, aviation, and health, had been ill since January 1960 when he retired as president of the World Publishing Company and editor of The Tulsa World.

A member of Oklahoma's Hall of Fame, Henthorne was one of the titans of journalism in Oklahoma and the Southwest.

He started his career with The Tulsa World in 1913 when he joined this paper as a bookkeeper, but, as he put it, really functioning as a handyman, keeping books, handling want ads and taking subscriptions. In this "handyman" capacity, Henthorne participated in an early-day World milestone when he signed up the paper's 10,000th subscriber.

The man who handled both editorial and business projects for the World with equal facility was born at Ironton, Ohio, March 22, 1891. Born in modest circumstances, Henthorn, as a youngster, held a series of jobs that nowadays has the ring of glamour from another era. However, in those days they were humble jobs but, in his case, led up.

As a small boy, Henthorne's first job was with an Ironton blacksmith who paid him $1 a week to help around the shop. His most responsible duty was to shoo flies from the horses while the blacksmith shod them.

Page Boy in Ohio

Between the ages of 10 and 12, Henthorne was a newspaper carrier.

Warren G. Harding, lieutenant governor of Ohio and later President of the United States, appointed 13-year-old Norris Gifford Henthorne to his first, and only, political post. He became a page boy in the Ohio state Senate. Henthorne served three terms as a page, gaining an insight into politics at an early age.

As a teen-ager, he worked on the crew of an excursion steamer plying between Cleveland and Chicago. In 1908, Henthorne, then 19, went to Columbus, Ohio to take a job with the Union National bank. When the bank was closed by federal action in 1911, he embarked on his life-long newspaper career "by accident." He went to work for a Columbus printing house getting his first taste of the publishing business.

Came to Tulsa in 1913

In March 1913, he migrated to Oklahoma. He came to Tulsa chiefly because an older brother, Clifford Henthorne, lived here. Shortly after he arrived, he met Gladys Roberts, another native of Ohio. Born at Findlay, the soon-to-be Mrs. Henthorne had moved to Bartlesville in 1904. They were married in Tulsa in 1914.

Henthorne served on the Tulsa park board for more than 30 years, serving as its president in 1920, 1921, 1922 and from 1933 to 1958 when the board's park and airport functions were divided.

Following the split, Henthorne became chairman of the Tulsa Airport Authority, a post he resigned early this year. Always aviation-minded, he was one of the leaders in creating Tulsa's new $10 million airport, one of the nation's finest.

Heard Rites Via Phone

Due to poor health Henthorne was unable to attend the dedicatory dinner for the new facility in November 1961. He listened avidly via telephone which linked the ceremony to his home at 1543 S. Yorktown Place. He retired from his Tulsa airport authority post in May of this year.

Henthorne and the board members were credited with being primarily responsible for one of the most important things that ever happened to Tulsa -- the acquisition of the American Airlines modification center.

Tulsa became a city of parks during Henthorne's long tenure on the board. One of the most spectacular contributions was the wading pool program which provided pool facilities for small children in almost every part in the city.

In the 1920's, Henthorne and E. Fred Johnson, president of the Fourth National Bank and a longtime park board member, interested oilman Frank Reed in the park program. Through their efforts, Reed built the first wading pool here and established a $100,000 trust fund with which to build pools over the state. The fund has constructed nearly 50 pools in Oklahoma, including several in Tulsa.

Two years ago a new eight-acre park at 48th St. and Quincy Ave. was named Norris G. Henthorne park in recognition of his long and fruitful service.

Henthorne, who became editor of the World in 1932 and president of the World Publishing Company in 1950 -- the year after former owner-publisher Eugene Lorton died -- kept up a steady flow of outside activities in addition to his newspaper duties.

Appointment by Governor

He served as a member of the Will Rogers Memorial Commission from the time he was appointed by the late Gov. E.W. Marland in 1938 until his death. He served as chairman of the commission for more than 20 years.

Henthorne, a 1918 charter member of the Kiwanis Club, served as it president in 1920 and was on its board of directors for four years.

Another area of active service in Henthorn's life was his connection with the Tulsa Public Health Association. He was president of the organization from 1921 to 1940. He became a director in 1941 and was appointed a life-time director in 1949. Henthorne's health service dated as far back as 1918 when he was chairman of the dispensary committee of the anti-tuberculosis committee of the Tulsa County chapter of the American Red Cross.

Ex-Chamber Director

Henthorne, a former director of the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, was especially interested in the organization's highway committee, serving first on the panel in 1936.

During World War II, Henthorne was chairman of the Oklahoma State War Council, a civilian assistance group.

Activities he engaged in over the years were diverse. In 1930 he was named to a special Oklahoma commission to study ways of reducing illiteracy in the state. In the 1950's he was a member of former Gov. Roy J. Turner's citizens advisory council which directed the expenditure of a $36 million bond issue for the expansion and improvement of state mental institutions.

Honored by Press Club

Henthorne, a trustee of the Southwestern Art Association, a Mason, and a member of Southern Hills Country Club, was honored for lengthy service in the newspaper field in 1958 when the Tulsa Press Club name him a "Headliner," the organization's highest honor. Two years later, in January 1960, he wrote "30" to his career, stepping down from his posts at the World after an association of 47 years.

Henthorne also had served as president of the Oklahoma Press Association.

He is survived by the widow and four children and five grandchildren.

The children are:

• Norris G. Henthorne Jr., 2750 S. Evanston Ave.;
• John R. Henthorne, 3737 S. Evanston Ave.;
• Charles Thomas Henthorne, 4100 E. 61st St.;
• Mrs. Fred L. Lewis, Denver, Colo.

Other survivors include a sister, Mrs. Leon H. Miller, 2207 S. Delaware Court, and a brother, Leslie Henthorne, Chicago.

Services are pending with Stanleys Funeral Service. Burial will be in Rose Hill Mausoleum.

(Article included a photograph - furnished by Bill Henthorn, Enid, OK)

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Email: Dick.Henthorn@gmail.com
Posted: 25 Sep 2009
File: StoNorr.txt

Eldon Henthorne In Show Biz

The Swede, The Tramp, And the Girl
Eldon Henthorne In Show Biz
by
Janice A. Sime
Epitaph - News
Viola, WI
18 Jul 1991

In April of 1928, 21 year old Eldon Henthorne was working for a roofing company in LaCrosse. He was laid off - two weeks before his wedding to Sophie Hammer of Avalanche. He accepted the only job he could find. He and Sophie joined the Dalton Show, a vaudeville company passing through this area.

The company was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Carl Dalton and was showing a combination of melodrama and acrobatics called "Sis of the Circus." Including Eldon and Sophie, the show employed fifteen people. They were people of varied talents ranging from musicians to acrobats to loose wire artists. The only problem was that the show was losing money. In the twenties, many people in small towns felt that they had been cheated by circuses and circus people. As a result they were reluctant to come to the show with the word "circus" in the title.

Mr. Dalton decided drastic measures were called for - so he laid off the entire company except for Eldon and Sophie. He then took the show to Ortonville, Minnesota where for the next two weeks they did nothing but read lines and fish. Presently, they opened in Big Stone City, South Dakota (across the lake from Ortonville) in a new show called "The Swede, the Tramp, and the Girl". Mr. Dalton played the Swede - the hero, Sophie played the Girl, and Eldon played the villain of the piece, the Tramp. Eldon also helped out by playing the piano. For their work, the Henthornes were paid $65 per week plus traveling expenses. Eldon says: "It was a good, clean show - a good show that made people laugh." The Dalton Show toured Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, and Montana. They gave a performance six nights a week. Each performance was in a different opera house in a different town.

Although the Daltons had a caravan wagon in which they slept, the Henthornes lived in a tent. Eldon recalls that it was really quite comfortable. They had a bed, a camp stove, and a little cupboard.

When they weren't performing or rehearsing, the company spent a lot of time fishing. In Minnesota there were many private lakes owned by Norwegian farmers, however, these lakes were often posted for "No Fishing." Eldon would send Sophie down to the farm houses to ask if they could fish there, as she could speak Norwegian. Many times they were allowed to fish where others could not.

Eldon notes with interest that Mr. Dalton was a very nice person, although he was very superstitious. Perhaps this is a trait of many performers. He would drive miles out of his way to keep from crossing a black cat's path. Every day in a new opera house, he would count the rows of seats. If there were thirteen rows he would insist that one row be added or removed. At the end of the 1928 season, the Daltons asked Eldon and Sophie to go to Florida with them. However, the young couple decided that since they were going to start a family, they would come back to Readstown [WI]. Here Eldon got a job working in the creamery. Several years later the Dalton Show did play the Shamrock Opera House in Viola [WI]. At that time, Eldon and Sophie introduced their growing family to their former road companions.

Although Sophie's foray into show business was the season with the Daltons, Eldon had performed before. He began his musical career with a clarinet and piano duet with his sister Mildred on the platform of the Sugar Grove Church of Christ. They played "Love's Old Sweet Song." While recovering from a particularly serious appendicitis operation at the age of seven, he learned to play the clarinet. He was taught to play the instrument by Sam and Neli Asperheim, who were proprietors of the Sugar Grove store. He also took piano lessons from Helen Lake, who lived in the present day Don Krahenbuhl farm. After he finished school, one of the bands he played in was Readstown's own "Wisconsin Five." This band was headed by Leon Callaway (brother of the late Bernie Callaway) and included Elmer Mason, Orvin Salmon, Ted Callaway, and Eldon. They played at dances all over the area. In those days, bands played for a 60/40, 60% for the band and 40% for the management. A musician could average $14 per night. Admission was often $1.00 with 10› War Tax. The bands typically played waltzes, one steps, and fox trots. Popular songs included "Three o'clock in the Morning," "Sleep," "Stuttering," and "Moonlight and Roses." He played at a dance in Mt. Sterling on the night of the mysterious Clara Olson murder in that town. He remembers seeing both Clara and her husband at the dance.

Eldon was working at the village creamery in 1927 when the Rusk Comedy Show came to Readstown. They pitched their tent in the uptown park. This was a medicine show run by a son of former Governor Rusk - Frank Rusk. He sold such things as patent medicines and candy. Tickets were imprinted with the letters "SS." The buyers were told that these were the initials of the prizes the holders of the tickets would win, for example, a pair of shoe strings or a sugar shell. Once in a great while a silverware set was given away. The show was looking for a musician, so Eldon left his job with the creamery and signed on for $45 per week. The band included Eldon on clarinet, Gene Mitchell of Thorp on trumpet, Floyd Shepherd of Mt. Sterling on trombone, and Leona Barry of Alton, Illinois on piano. Leona's husband, Bert, was a tap dancer.

Eldon did not have to do any of the show's hustling and selling but the musicians did have to help put up the big tent. The show stayed about a week in each place. Eldon's last engagement was at the Viroqua Fairgrounds.

After he left the Rusk Comedy Show, Eldon and several friends (George Ewing, Pearlie Gochenaur, and "Skinny" Walters) took off for Carter, Oklahoma to pick cotton. Eldon and George had a career as cotton pickers that lasted exactly one day. Pickers were paid a penny a pound. For his day's work Eldon earned 37›. By chance Eldon and George met up with the local postmaster. He also managed the local opera house, which showed silent movies six nights a week and twice on Saturday. Week days he showed the movies in rural school houses. He hired the two boys to play for these movies and paid them $3 each for every performance. He also allowed all four boys to sleep in the opera house at night. Eldon spent several months in Oklahoma. He returned to Readstown on Thanksgiving Day.

Eldon was born in 1907 to Mertie and Herman Henthorne in the Sugar Grove, [WI] area. His parents farmed where Leroy McKittrick lives today. He attended the Coher school from grades one to seven. In 1921 his family moved to Readstown where Eldon went to eighth grade and two years of high school. After high school, Eldon did farm work and worked with his father in the creamery. He also worked in other creameries in the area, including Steuben and Soldiers Grove.

In 1932, Sophie and Eldon moved to Jump River, Wisconsin. They would later live in Ft. Atkinson and Hannibal, Wisconsin and Marquette, Michigan. Eldon retired in 1969 and the couple moved back to Readstown in 1980. Sophie passed away in 1989.

Looking back on their experiences on the road, Eldon says: "I liked it and Sophie liked it too. We saw a lot of country and got to know a lot of nice people. We saw life as it really is."

(The article appeared on page 1 and included two photos - furnished by Arthur Glick)

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Email: Dick.Henthorn@gmail.com
Posted: 25 Sep 2009
File: StoEldon.txt