Browse Items (87 total)

Hook made for snagging individual, large fish without bait required. Fishermen would make these by hand. These hooks were also used for dragging the Kaw River when someone drowned, which was a common occurrence in the early 1900's in Lawrence.

Double-throated hoop nets were submerged in the river to catch large quantities of fish. This net has been passed down through the Higgins family to Barbara Higgins-Dover, the director of the Riverkings Museum. Barbara remembers her grandfather…

Net knitting needles were used with a spacer block to create hoop nets, along with other kinds of nets like dip nets and wide nets. This knitting needle has been passed down through the Higgins family to Barbara Higgins-Dover, the director of the…

A grapple hook would be thrown out to retrieve submerged fishing nets. This grapple hook was likely made in Lawrence by a Riverking, a fisherman who made a living fishing during the Kaw River fishing industry boom.

Charles (right) and Phil Saunders (left) were commercial fishermen on the Kaw River. In this photo, they are holding a line of recently caught fish.

Newspaper clipping of Henry "Catfish" Oakes holding a large catfish. Oakes was a great uncle to Barbara Higgins-Dover. She remembers that he used to play the harmonica and sing, making up songs for her.

Newspaper clipping of Richard Higgins holding a Burbot, a rare fish to catch in the Kansas river. Richard Higgins was a Riverking and the grandfather of Barbara Higgins-Dover, who remembers fishing on the Kaw River with him as a young girl.

Photograph of Richard Higgins, the grandfather of Barbara Higgins-Dover, weaving a fishing net, which he used to catch fish in the Kaw River. Barbara remembers her grandfather weaving fishing nets in the living room when she was growing up.

Photograph of Richard and Theda Higgins standing in front of their fish market, Higgins Fish Market. Richard was a Riverking who caught fish on the Kaw, while Theda was responsible for cleaning, cutting, packaging, and selling the fish at the market.…

The home of Dr. S.B. Prentiss and his wife, Annie J. Soule, in Lawrence, Kansas. Mrs. Prentiss is in the picture with three of her four stepchildren (from left: Ella Prentiss Niell, Louisa Prentiss Simpson, Mrs. Prentiss, and Frank Prentiss). Rebecca…

A USS Vammen hat worn by a neighbor of Anne Tangeman's. This neighbor always sat on the front porch with his wife and watched the Barker neighborhood Memorial Day parade, which included almost the entire neighborhood: kids with streamers and…

Neon sign for Francis Sporting Goods, a sports gear and equipment store that used to be on Massachusetts Street in the House Building. The sign now hangs in April Dwyer's office as a memento of the family business.