It's time to get back to this blog. I've been gone far too long. But the time was filled with the usual Harper County Hell & Damnation Corruption to target and destroy my decades of endeavors to preserve our rich history. Let's see now, how can we catch up? They put me in jail in Anthony for entering our historic King Parrot/Frazier's warehouse to remove our piano and other items. It was for only a day but the stress for a 68 year old woman was horrible and the costs incredible. Never mind, we had paid over $50,000 in repairs and legal fees to appease them. Then the City of Harper spearheaded by female bullies (No men this time), demolished our historic Buckeye to make darn sure their pals would get the new library out on the busy highway in their lemon building for sale. They confiscated our historic Palace of Sweets candy case, 10 ft trailer, historic Harper Truck hand trucks, and many other items. I've never endured so much bullying in my life. And where was the law enforcement? Ha ha ha Surely you jest? And where was our KS Attorney General? Ha ha ha Surely you jest again? Was there any type of kindness or community support during all of this loss and sorrow? Ha ha ha--now maybe you are starting to get the picture of what life is really like in Harper County Kansas America for a creative women who thinks and refuses to succumb to evil, hate and ignorance.
Now I am back concentrating on Rosalea's Hotel and will use Social Media to raise the funds to restore it. It certainly is not going to come from the locals who live in tranquilized fear and apathy. Rosalea's Hotel has been closed since the early 1980s. And no, it was NOT the den of iniquity folks thought it was--that rumor was started by the then-Chief of Police in 1968 who was the one trafficking drugs, running guns, and was later put in prison for it--and then murdered. His relative was the Mayor in Anthony who put me in jail. They made me "famous" as their Red Herring. (diversion tactic). And use your head--do you think I'd still be alive and healthy today at age 74 if I had used drugs??!! My heart breaks at all the people I knew as youngsters who are now ruined for life, or are deceased, simply becauase they got caught up in the world of drugs....drugs were NOT being sold at Rosalea's Hotel. And if anyone used them, I never saw it. It was a safe haven, an intellectual oasis from the madness of the masses.
I live quietly on a SS pittance in a small apartment with my pets and have an office in a corner of Rosalea's Patterson House Hotel to write all the time. The Hotel is not reopened to the public just yet but I relish intelligent, reasonable out- of -town visitors if you will just please let me know ahead of time, and we can meet somewhere for coffee/tea and a visit.
rosalea@prairieconnect.com or iread@prairieconnect.com
It is my hope to restore Rosalea's Hotel before I die--to leave a prairie icon for the enlightenment of future generations. It was unique, one of a kind, especially for the Midwest. Thanks to a curator who had vision, I now have a huge 43 year collection in a university Special Collections. If you ever sent a letter or a note to me, I have it archived for posterity! And so, your memories of Rosalea's Hotel at this time will also be hard copied and donated, too!
So make it truthful and interesting!! And let me know how your life turned out!!
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Hi Rosalea,
I met you once in 1983 or 1984 during the country fair. I ate a bagel in a cafe you had in downtown Harper. I understand from my grandmother, Rita Watts, that you and I are distantly related.
When I was a teenager, she had a copy of Bible Belt Oasis that she let me read. I have since reread it. I don't know if you know that your writing had an effect on many of us who grew up in Bible Belt towns and yearned for something better, something that spoke to who and what we felt we were. I think your book held out hope to me when I felt oppressed by the Oklahoma/Kansas fear and hate mentality.
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