Real photo postcard, circa 1910
Handwritten’ labels’ on the card beside each fish identify three blue catfish and two American eels, the largest of which is 27 pounds. At the end of the card is written: “These are fish from the Osage River. Look kinda small here but were larger.”
Today, only eel of course are found in the 85-plus miles of free flowing river below Bagnell Dam. Lock and Dam #1 probably blocks most of their upriver journey, except in high water.
Every week we will post an unpublished image that relates to the Osage River, its ecology, history and development. None of these have been used in Damming the Osage, but they relate to the themes of the book. A brief caption identifies the location and our thoughts on its significance and meaning. Feel free to use these images for personal use if you credit “Collection of Leland and Crystal Payton.” For commercial use, email us for details and a modest fee for a higher resolution image. We have thousands of historic photographs and brochures as well as our own contemporary photos.
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