STRALEY, WILLIAM WILSON

Copyright 2000-2020 John N. J. Lupia, III

William Wilson Straley was born on August 22, 1877, in Miami County, Kansas, son of Orlando Straley, and Elizabeth Ann Platt Straley.

In 1882, his family relocated from Pleasanton, Kansas, to Comanche, Texas, where he attended the public schools and learned the printers' trade on the local newspaper, Comanche Pioneer Exponent in 1892.

Later on he worked several years on that paper and the Comanche Chief; in 1897 in partnership with a younger brother, John, concluded a lease on the Comanche Alert; from May, 1898, to December, 1900, was on the Granbury News; from January, 1901, to May, 1903, was assistant postmaster at Comanche, Texas, resigning that summer to accept the foremanship of the composing room of the Comanche Chief; in 1905 transferred to the Comanche Exponent; thence in 1907 bought an interest in the Comanche Chief, where he labored until the panic of that year forced the new management to relinquish their holdings, which compelled Mr. Straley to seek a position elsewhere, which resulted in his going to Nelson, Nebraska, where he edited the Nuckolls County Herald from 1908 to mid-year 1910; then accepted a call to take over the management and editorial chair of the Hico (Texas) News-Review, where he labored from May, 1910, to February, 1920; he also served as secretary of the Hico Commercial Club in conjunction with his newspaper work; removed to Kansas City, Mo., in 1920, where he worked one year in the job printing offices, then secured a position as advertising compositor on the Kansas City Times, the morning edition of the Kansas City Star, where he is now employed.

He married Virginia A. Wilkes at Comanche, Texas, on April 30, 1905. They had two sons : William Thomas and Wilkes, both of whom moved to Kansas City, where they were employed with the Calvin Company, producers of industrial and educational motion picture films.

Straley was a specialist in Indian relics, stamps and books, especially books bearing upon the Indians, American archaeology, Texas, Pioneer, and frontier history.

Works :

"Paragraphs from a Collector's Note-book," "Archaic Gleanings: a Study of the Archaeology of Nuckolls County, Nebraska," "Pioneer Sketches--- Nebraska and Texas, " "Soldiers and Their Deeds," "Comanches" (a narrative poem); compiled "The Soldier's Last Beat, and Other Poems" by his brother, John T. Straley, the deceased.

Edited the Archaeological Bulletin, official organ of the International Society of Archaeologists (1915-1919); contributor to the Philatelic West (1904-1931), to Hobbies (1931 -1938); contributing editor National Archaeological News (1938).