From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Sept. 5, 1911:

“Last spring the board of directors of the Civic League of Lawrence offered prizes to the members of the junior league for the best vegetable gardens, the best flower gardens, and the greatest improvement in the condition and appearance of the yards in general. This led to quite a lively contest among the young members. They immediately set to work with spades, hoes and rakes to win that $5 [gold piece] offered as the first prize. About 20 in all entered into the contest and there were some remarkable results in the work these little folks did and in the results thus obtained from their small gardens. They had to work hard through the past hot dry summer to keep their gardens growing, but by carrying lots of water and toiling hard there are today 20 of the prettiest little gardens in the City of Lawrence that one would care to see…. In the vegetable contest the first place was awarded to Lawrence Lamb, 1116 West Winthrop street. He had his garden well arranged and there was not a sign of a weed on the place…. In the flower contest Edmund Learned, 739 Alabama street, was named as the winner. He has a garden well filled with flowers and he made his work more beautiful by sending the flowers to sick people about the entire neighborhood…. The prizes will be awarded the winners at the opening of school this fall. The contest has been such a successful one and the children have taken such great interest in it that the civic league will make it an annual offer.”