JAMES C ROBISON, JR

James C Robison, JR pictured here with his prize winning shorthorn sweet, Lockdhu Lindy.

​MY TRIP TO CHICAGO

"On account of my Shorthorn steer LOCHDHU LINDY winning First Prize at Championship in the Shorthorn Division of the 4-H Club show a the Kansas National Live Stock Show at Wichita in November 1927, I was awarded a trip to Chicago by the Rock Island Railroad.

We left Wichita at 9:15 in the morning and arrived in Kansas City at 4:15 in the afternoon.  Several other boys and girls who belonged to the 4-H Clubs in Kansas and who had been awarded free trips to Chicago were also in the train.  When we arrived at the Union Station in Kansas City we were met by Miss Bender who had charge of the club Boys and Girls.  We got our suppers in the Union Station and left Kansas City for Chicago at 5:45 in a special sleeping car attached to the regular Rock Island train, arriving at Chicago the next morning at 8:15.  We left the train at the La Salle Street Station and walked to the La Salle Hotel which was our headquarters while in Chicago.  After checking in, we were taken for a bus ride along Michigan Boulevard which is the longest street in Chicago and follows the shore of Lake Michigan for several miles.

After coming back to the Hotel, we cleaned up for supper.  Mr. Coe, who was charge of the Club work in Kansas took we boys and girls to a cafe about a block from the Hotel.  After we had finished our supper we went back to the Hotel for the balance of the evening.  The next morning we went out to the International Live Stock Show and saw the fine stock that was on exhibition there.  In the afternoon we were entertained at the Horse Show.  On Monday we went to the Wilson Packing Company, by invitation from Mr. Wilson, and were given our suppers there and entertained for a couple of hours, then back to our Hotel on the elevated Railway.

On Tuesday morning w were invited to the Armour Packing Company, where they gave us our breakfast and entertained us for about and hour.  We were then shown through the packing plant.  In the afternoon we were taken to the Field Museum where we spent a very enjoyable afternoon looking at the mounted animals and other things they had there.  It was a grand place and would take more than one day to see it all.  From the Field Museum we took taxis back to our hotel, got supper there and spent the evening in the Hotel.  Wednesday morning we went to the Argo Corn Starch Factory at Argo, Illinois.  Also went to the International Harvester Co. and saw them making tractors, stationary engines and other kinds of machinery.  There are almost every nationality of people working in this factory.  The manager of the plant took Mr. Coe, Mr. Clapp and Mr. Gibson down the line where all the different nationalities of the world almost were working in the factory assembling tractors.  As they passed each man, the manager would speak to them in their language and they would answer him, but we could not understand anything they said.

We went back to Lincoln Park in Chicago and saw the many kinds of animals and birds they have there and watched the keepers feed and care for them.  Lincoln Park is very fine and contains several hundred acres.  From Lincoln Park we went back to our Hotel.

Friday morning we went back to the Museum and from there we went across the street and saw the second largest stadium in the world.  It is called Soldiers Field Stadium.  This is where the University of Southern California and Notre Dame University played football on Thanksgiving Day this year.  We went from there back to the La Salle Hotel, packed our grips and left on the Rock Island for Kansas City.  We arrived at Kansas city the next morning on time and left at 10:25 for Wichita, arriving at Wichita at 6:00 P.M.  It was a grand trip and I enjoyed it very much.  I thank the Rock Island Railroad Company for giving me the trip."

This story was written by JC Robison, JR following his journey to Chicago in November 1927.  JC Robison, JR was the son of James Robison, creator of the Whitewater Falls Stock Farm Barn.