219. Ryan's Barber Shop in Lynn, Winchester native, 1954

RCHS Blog Post Number 219. 

Winchester Native, George Ryan, Gets Sendoff In Lynn Herald
December 2, 1954

     George RYAN, owner and operator of Ryan's Barber Shop in Lynn, was born September 20, 1888 in Winchester.  His father Isaiah (RYAN), better known as Pony, was a barber in the then small county seat. Pony, by the way, was a drummer boy in the Civil War and acquired the nickname due to the fact that in marching, the long drum he carried would bounce off the ground after every other step.
     George attended school at the North Ward school in Winchester but entered barbering at the early age of 13 years. He stood on a special platform built around one of his father's chairs. He also had three other brothers in the same shop with he and his father.
     George was very active in sports as a young fellow and participated in football, baseball, ice skating and rollerskating.
     As a young lad, George not only worked at barbering but also for the Fraze funeral directors as a driver of their horse pulled hearse. It was on a two day trip to Lynn for that Fraze that George met Vada Reece, the Inn-keepers daughter where he was staying, and on January 20, 1909, they were married.
     In 1910, George bought Orla Hill's barber shop in Lynn and worked here for one year before accepting a position as manager of a shop in the Hotel Severin in Indianapolis. While at the Severin, George had the opportunity of working on several celebrities including Will Hayes, James J. Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, Jack Clifford of Vaudeville fame, Jim Goodrich, James Watson and Senator Hemingway.
     In 1918, George moved back to Lynn and took over the Ben Johnson barber shop on South Main street. He recalls how the muddy streets in front of his shop were hazardous for man or beast and in the winter with ice on them, it was almost impossible to stand up. One thing that stands out in his memory of the mud streets concerns a cold, snowy day when the streets were frozen solid and covered in layer of ice. A farmer north of town was driving several head of white faced steers down Main street to the loading shute but the frozen mud was so slippery the cattle could not walk. After much deliberation, the farmer got a spike tooth harrow and broke the icy streets from the point where the library now stands to the railroad. The cattle were then able to walk.
     George moved to his present location in 1942. He remodeled the building and put in a modern apartment as well as a modern barber shop. He recalls how in the olden days, he would open his shop to find several men waiting in line, outside the door, for a quick shave or an early morning haircut. Upon moving to the new building, this stopped as all barbering since 1942 has been by appointment.
     George's favorite hobby is his beautiful rose arch that is a focal point of Lynn. If you have never seen the rose arch, it is worth your time to drive to Lynn when the roses are blooming just to observe the lovely gateway of flaming red. Also he collects state plates and displays them on the south wall of his living room.
     The Ryan's have one daughter, Mrs. Robert Bausman, who resides at Tucson, Ariz. In talking with the Ryan's, one gets the impression they would love to join their daughter in the western state where the sun shines every day but hate to pull up and leave Lynn.
     George is also very active in lodge and service work. He is Worshipful Master of Lynn lodge No. 223, F&AM, Past Worthy Patron of the Eastern Star, Past Watchman of the Shepherd of White Shrine of Jerusalem Manetho Shrine, charter and honorary member of the Lynn Fire department, member of the Lynn Businessmens association and served as scorekeeper for the Lynn basketball team for several years. He is also a member of the Lynn Lions club although due to other activities, has gone on the inactive list for the present.
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To learn more about Pony Ryan visit RCHS Museum Annex to see the drum and harmonicas he carried in The Civil War. A descendant has donated many artifacts of the family that are available to view on the 2nd story of the museum home.

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Vegederma barbershop bottle. 

Artifact from Pony Ryan's barbershop.

The shop was located in Winchester, Indiana. 

Donation from Mrs. Wm. Ryan. Date of donation unknown.

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Would you like a book to learn more about local history? 

Randolph County, Indiana 1818-1990
Commonly referred to as "The Red History Book"
Compiled by the Randolph County Historical Society, 1991, Second reprint 2003.

To obtain your own copy of "The Red History Book" stop in at The RCHS Museum Shop or send an email to arrange placing a mail order.