Telling the history of Claremore one story at a time
This story appeared in the January 23, 2012 Claremore Progress by Larry Larkin
For almost a quarter of a century one family provided carriers for the Claremore Progress. They were the son of Claremore’s Mr. and Mrs. Ray Akin, Sr. This picture appeared on Page 1 of the Second Section of The Progress on May 10, 1956. Youngest brother Tommy, 14, had been delivering for two years before the picture. He followed his big brothers (from left to right) Paul (carrier during 1952-54), Donald (1942-45), Kendall (1939-42), and Ray, Jr. (1935-39). An Akin was not on the staff between Kendall and Donald.
It was Ray, Jr., the oldest brother, who may have served at the most colorful era for the circulation staff. He joined when most of the carriers were girls. The circulation manager was Mrs. Emma Cook. In time most of the female carriers gave up their routes. Ray, Jr. at the time of the photo admitted it may have had something to do with the planks he and his buddies pulled on the ladies. As an example he and another male carrier once drew the wrath of Mrs. Cook when they hoisted one of the girls’ bicycle to the top of a telephone pole behind the paper office. He added it was harder getting the bike back down than it was putting it up.
The Progress actually can claim six Akin Family members as paperboys. Ray Akin, III, later a Claremore mayor, delivered newspapers in the downtown area in the late 1950s.
