|
|
|
|||||
|
|
||||||
|
B. T. Barber of Iola, Kansas in the Ford that he raced to a third place finish in the feature race at Winfield, Kansas on July 4, 1913 and to second place over-all at Belleville, Kansas on August 28, 1914 – Allen County (Kansas) Historical Society collection |
|
|||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
B. T. Barber in a car he raced on "various well
known tracks" in the 1920s. Photos from the |
|
|||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Basil T. "B.T."
Barber |
|
|
||||
|
Basil T. "B.T." Barber was born on May 27, 1885 at
Sunnyside, He worked as Iola's city
electrician until he and a partner became the area Ford Motor Company dealers
in 1912. A year later, Barber bought out the partner and eventually
added Chevrolets, Durants, and even airplanes to the dealership. His other business interests included an
Eveready service station franchise. He was an avid flyer and
opened Iola's first airport. He continued to race cars
for a number of years, competing on various well known tracks. He sold his business interests
in Iola in 1929 and spent nine years farming northwest of Iola near Barber suffered from
asthma and was in poor health for several years before he passed away in the
Iola hospital on March 30, 1958. He was survived by his wife, one son,
and one daughter. B.T.
Barber is buried in Highland
Cemetery on the north edge Iola,
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|||||
