Photos of an Estate Auction

By Staff
Published on July 1, 1996
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Miscellaneous machinery.
Miscellaneous machinery.
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Larry at the wheel.
Larry at the wheel.
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The 1907 Winton car which caused the family feud.
The 1907 Winton car which caused the family feud.
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Larry with a Pierce 4 cylinder motor cycle.
Larry with a Pierce 4 cylinder motor cycle.
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An unidentified tractor that was also sold at the 1958 sale.
An unidentified tractor that was also sold at the 1958 sale.

‘Airborne’ Powell 129 East 13th, Junction City, Kansas
66441

These are photos taken in 1958 in South Mound, Kansas. They were
taken by myself and my dad, Virgil Powell, one day prior to the
auction of the estate of a gentleman recluse.

There were two brothers and one sister and when the last of the
brothers died, the bank held a sale. This man was in his later
years, and a hermit to the max! No one had any idea of the items
that he had. In his younger life he had been an engineer for the
city of Parson, Kansas.

I had no interest in antiques, being a young man ready to enter
the 10th grade. The auctioneer was astounded at the number of items
they found and hired Dad to photograph everything. The main item of
the sale was a 1907 Winton automobile The story we’re told is
that one brother bought it new in Saint Louis at the World’s
Fair, had it shipped by rail to Parson, Kansas, drove it to South
Mound, Kansas. The two brothers got in a fight about the car. It
was parked in the shed and never driven again.

This is the first time I have written about the sale and hope
you readers will enjoy it and the pictures.

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