104.566.1-2

The barber in this photocard is John Kesley, the proprietor of the OK Barbershop which occupied the basement under the Union National Bank on the corner of Onondaga (Main) Street and Douglas Avenue. The entrance to the barbershop was on Douglas and the stairway leading to it is still there today [2005]. At the age of 11 months, Kesley moved to Ames with his parents from Elk Rapids, Minnesota, at about the beginning of the town of Ames. At the time of this photograph, 1897, Kesley had been in business about 17 years. The customer in the photograph, taken by Hoot & Read, is not identified.