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August 1908. "An Enforced Rest. Harry Swope, aged 15, 426 Elm Street, Newport, Kentucky. Carrying heavy bundles of paper for a News & Stationery company." Photo and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.
"That would be my grandfather. His name was Henry Clay Swope. He married Rose Arizona Casebolt, and had three sons: Harry, Stanley (Bud), and Glenn (my Daddy). He was born in Newport, Kentucky, to Jacob Swope (Schwab) and Sally (Sarah) Bogart."
A bit of Google work turned up a link to an 1889 Cincinnati Bell Telephone Book that lists a Robert J. McCombs, Grocer, at the southeast corner of Sycamore and Fourth Streets in Cincinnati. It would have been an easy walk for Harry to cross the Ohio River to this location.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kycchgs/BOOK_M.htm
I was unable to find any information about the wirework company that probably provided the seat that Harry is using.
Dave, Happy Birthday to Shorpy.com! This is a great time to say how much I Thank You. When I look at the photo that you posted of our buildings, and study the super-sized print we got from you, I live in 1933 for a time; I visit Tom's Lunch.
The print was in the storefront window of subject building for a while and drew and held nearly every passerby- homeless to bank exec.- who would look, and look up, and then look again... and laugh with the joy of discovery.
Thanks for that and every other treasure you bring to light.
[You're very welcome. Last year Lisa kindly took an hour out of her busy day to give me a tour of the "Tom's Lunch" building, which she owns and was renovating. Someday I will get around to posting the photos! - Dave]
Nice try, Dave, but the 400 block of Elm St. in Newport is non-commercial, residential, detached, single-family housing, and the houses there even today well predate the 1908 date on this photo. At first I thought I was wrong with my previous (unpublished) comment, but there's no way this photo was taken at 426 Elm Street in Newport. There's no commercial architecture there now, and never has been, seeing as all the houses there now are mid 19th. c. shotguns with aluminum siding tacked on.
[Hello? Try reading that caption again. 426 Elm in Newport is where Harry lives, not where the photo was taken. - Dave]
I too visit this site almost daily. When out of town, I always look forward to seeing what's new at Shorpy when I get back home. Thank you for the many hours of entertainment I have enjoyed here.
That Shorpy have a long and happy life on the internet.
Thank you for all your work. I look forward to the variety of splendid images, full of the rich details of lives lived and experiences past.
Not a day goes by that I don't check your site! I love it when I see shots of hometowns from times past! Keep up the good work!
to Shorpy! A great website. Thanks Dave for all your time and effort in making this work.
This Canadian agrees Shorpy.com is one of the best sites on the web . Thanks again.
For most of the three years, this site has been part of my daily routine. Hardly a day goes by that I don't find at least a few minutes to stare back in time. Shorpy himself I think, would love to have known about the noteriety he'd find, a century after posing for that photo.
Seems like an accomplished young man.
http://freepages.school-alumni.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~schoolpics/KY/newp...
[Let's check our math. Harry would have been 42 years old in 1935. - Dave]
Oops! Oh well... his son seems pretty accomplished. :-)
Has it been three years already! Dave thank you so much and happy belated birthday to the site. One of my daily favorites.
Thank you, Dave, for enabling this lover of history and photography to travel into the past each and everyday for a glimpse into history. And to all the other "tipsters", thank you as well, specially those who have posted present day shots of the many scenes presented here. The best site on the web!
Hurrah and happy birthday! Shorpy's a true gem. It's engrossing, educational, classy, just plain fun, and has one of the most civilized message boards on the 'net. Thank you Dave!
Thanks Dave, for making Shorpy.com such a nice, genteel place to visit. This place is the next best thing to having a time machine.
[Thank you, and thanks everyone else. Also thanks to Shorpy co-founder Ken, who manages all things financial having to do with the website, as well as many other aspects of its operation. - Dave]
SHORPY is the only reason everyone needs a computer! Thanks, Dave. A brilliant idea carried to fruition.
A day without Shorpy is a day without sunshine. Many thanks and endless gratitude for the fascinating photos, brilliant commentary, re-awakening memories of the past and just giving us something worthwhile to look at and think about. Happy birthday Shorpy, all of us appreciate the time and hard work that goes into this pleasure for your viewers. Thanks to everyone at Shorpy, God bless us, every one.
I discovered this site two years ago. I am addicted to it now and I check every day or several times (according to how busy work is) to see what is posted next. Thanks for helping me get thru the every day grind. I look forward to my Shorpy fix every day. Jon
Shorpy is my hopeless addiction. I take breaks from my work several times a day to come here and prowl through your pages. The photos are so arresting, and I've learned a great deal from them, and from your well educated, well informed visitors. Happy birthday to Shorpys!
"Always something interesting"
Can't say better! I'm here every day looking for the new photos. Happy birthday, Shorpy!
Thanks, Dave! This is the first place I go to when I turn on the computer.
Pushing the limits of my free ancestry.com account, he was still alive as of the 1930 census, married to a Rose and still living in or near Newport, KY.
I feel a certain kinship to Harry, as we were both cursed to have that cowlick.
Oh and Happy birthday, Shorpy!
Thanks for the memories and hours and hours of entertainment and education, not necessarily in that order.
all the sentiments here! Over the past 84 some odd weeks (since stumbling onto Shorpy) this site has become my favorite spot on the web. I can gaze for hours in amazement at the detail in the photographs and day dream about times past. Thanks Dave.
Harry Swope's a fine-looking lad, and Shorpy's the finest site on the 'net. Happy 3rd birthday!
There really is "Always Something Interesting" on Shorpy's. Viewing many of the high quality photographs on Shorpy's is like actually looking back through time. Keep up the excellent work.
This website is wonderful, and fun to check each day. Thanks for all the work you do!
One last delivery to old man Potter.
Happy BDay, Shorpy. Keep them coming.
For the completion of 1,578,240 minutes of delightful entertainment and enlightenment. High fives and many thanks for generously sharing your labor of love.
It's been an enjoyable 3 years and hope that there's many more.
Thanks for three years of wonderful photos and opportunities to learn about people and places of our past.
And thank you Dave, for keeping it worth coming back to again and again!
Thanks Dave for all your hard work and for giving us a nice place to visit.
A peek at the past - http://web.archive.org/web/20070221050736/https://www.shorpy.com/
Thanks for the hard work and excellent captions.
Happy 3rd birthday to Shorpy and young Harry sure has big feet.
Shorpy has made my retirement that much richer. Thanks, Dave and thanks all you commenters.
Shouldn't we have one? Any excuse for cake and noisemakers! Happy Birthday, Shorpy! Thanks to all who have made this one of my favorite places to spend time.
for lucidity. Thanks Dave for holding our feet to the fire when we post to Shorpy.(feel free to edit,you usually do).
Happy Valentine's Day to all of the Shorpy Staff, my compatriot readers and commenters and the ghosts of the smiling Harry Swope and the frowning Lewis Wickes Hine.
I will hoist my tankard at 10:49 and say happy birthday Shorpy with thanks to Dave.
Thanks. You've changed my view of my parents' and grandparents' world. You've brought it alive for me.
Happy 3rd, Dave. I'm a daily visitor and never leave unhappy. We haven't, however, seen Marilyn lately ... but don't take me too seriously. Sincere best wishes and keep it coming.
As far as I am concerned I have had the privilege of seeing all the best -- right here. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you" etc.
Thank you for providing such a wonderful website. I really enjoy "going back in time" through some of the best pictures posted on the web.
Happy birthday, Shorpy The Site, from one three-year-old to another!
[Awww. - Dave]
May this site outlive all of us. And another thanks to Dave for running it so well; and to other contributors and tipsters, anonymous or not.
Well done to Dave and all at Shorpy, fantastic job you do. The most educational, enlightening and entertaining site on the net.
At 10:49 tonight Eastern time, Shorpy (the website, not the person) will be exactly 3 years old! Happy Valentine's Day to all.
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