From the Lawrence Daily World for July 22, 1909: “One by one the band of old local settlers who made Kansas free are passing away. Yesterday, John Gilmore, one of those pioneers who has lived in Kansas and Douglas County for more than a half century, died. We are losing many such people who have gone through many difficult times to get us as far as we are. … Selling soda pop on the streets is now very popular with our youngsters and they seem to be having fun. However, too often they drink up their profits.”