Our Past Is Present June 18, 2018

June 18, 2018

            This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Today’s story is about A.P. Trott, who was a pioneer photographer in Junction City. The information comes from an article published in The Daily Union newspaper and written by Jennifer Dixon, Director of Programs and Education at the Geary County Historical Society.

            “A.P. Trott was one of the first professional photographers in Junction City.  He was born in 1938 and was originally from Boston, Massachusetts.  A. P. Trott was described in his obituary in 1918 as a man of honor, a good citizen, a faithful husband, a splendid father and one who left a heritage of memories to loved ones.     

            Trott took pictures of Plains Indians, including the Kaw, Pawnee and Snake peoples.  He also photographed Wild Bill Hickok, when Wild Bill was the Marshal of Abilene.  Hickock traveled to Junction City and had his picture taken at Trott’s studio.  On the day that Hickock’s term as Marshal ended, Wild Bill stopped at the bank to give a copy of his photo to the bank president.  Early Abilene resident J. B. Edwards, who was once arrested by Wild Bill for discharging a firearm, also happened to be in the bank that day, so Hickok gave him a copy too.

            Decades later, Edwards had it copied by an Abilene photographer named Forney, who sold it as a carte de visite, which was a popular format about the size of a visiting card that nineteenth-century Americans bought and traded among themselves.

            You can see this rare photo by going on-line and typing in A.P. Trott’s picture of Wild Bill Hickok.  We also have a picture in our Museum that A.P. took of a member of the Kaw Tribe.  Stop by and see this picture and the varied galleries in our Museum at the corner of Sixth and Adams Streets Tuesdays through Sundays between 1 and 4."

            You will see why we say “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.