Looking Back: October, Johnson’s Barbershop

The October page in the Grain Valley Historical Society 2023 Calendar featured a photograph of Charlie Johnson and some customers in his barbershop. You may recall an article about the barbershop in the Valley News (May 21, 2020). Mr. Johnson was a WWI veteran who returned home to Grain Valley, married Ruby Huff and ran a barbershop for 16 years. In 1935 he began a career with the post office serving as acting postmaster, postmaster and finally as rural carrier for thirteen years before his retirement.

Unfortunately, I have no idea where this barbershop was located. Old photographs show barber poles on both sides of Main Street, as well as one on Walnut just west of the old Royal Playhouse.

While the 1881 Grain Valley Directory does not list a barbershop, family records indicate that John T. O’Connell was operating a tonsorial and bath house when he married Creole Warren in 1906. The shop burned in 1920. The 1910 United State Census tells us that August O. Thieme was operating a barbershop in Grain Valley. Imagine that; our little town had two barbers at the same time! The 1920, the United States Census indicated that the Thieme family he had moved on to Cass County.

Robert McQuerry had a barbershop “somewhere in town” during the 1940s. His wife, Mary was a school teacher and later Grain Valley Elementary School principal.

During the 1950s and 1960s Claude Batman was our barber and also the resident painter. Dale Riffle came along in the 1970s. He moved his shop to a new location further south on Main Street near Broadway.

 I’m sure there have been many others in our town in recent years. I really haven’t kept up so I Googled barbershops near me. I learned we have at least three, Great Clips on McQuerry Road near the movie theater, Michael$ Custom Cut$, just down the road in Hoot Owl Estates, and the Grain Valley Chop Shop on Eagles Parkway.

I’m thinking they no longer offer baths, however you can probably get a perm ,a dye job and maybe highlights!

If you are a frequent reader of this column, you may know that I left out the September calendar page because it was a photograph of the 1923 football team and it has been in several publications this fall. After all, GVHS football has been around for 100 years and we have been celebrating!

Check out the Fall issue of Eagles’ View when it arrives via mail sometime in November. You will find other pictures and stories about  Grain Valley football. Hopefully, we will be celebrating all the way to a State Championship! Wouldn’t that be an exciting way to celebrate 100 years! Go EAGLES!
​

Charlie Johnson’s Barbershop. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society