The Life Of Willie Willey by Keith L. Yates

I got curious about who this guy might be and why the unusually nice photo, for a photo taken in 1933, ended up in a family photo album. Well, my aunt said that there was once this guy with the name of Wild Willy or something that used to be a colorful character around the Spokane area.

She said she didn’t either.Ībout mid-day I was talking to my aunt (mom’s sister) and briefly described the photo. I called mom over and asked her if she recognized anyone in the photo, as I didn’t. This morning while looking through my grandmother’s album, which contains images from Fighting Creek, Idaho, the place her parents homesteaded in 1911 (they actually won a land lottery), I stumbled upon the unusual photograph of a man in an early motorcar that I show below. As a part of my self-assumed title, I make it a point to look through the family albums and scan images whenever I’m visiting. It might not surprise you that my interest in history has led me to become the family historian. He was Willis Ray Willey, while his twin was Willard Roy Willey. UPDATE: Thanks to Mike for sorting out Willis’ real name. Who else had a name that includes both “Willis” and “Willey”? Anyway, this post is full of some great and useful comments. The post covers some of the history about Willis Ray Willey, which is a pretty cool name for a site about vintage jeeps. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions.UPDATE II: This post was originally posted in January of 2011 (yes, hard to believe it was eleven years ago!). Content can be used with the following standards: 3rd grade SS 3.28 Cultural Contributions in a lesson on entertainment and culture of the mid-1900s. His mural, 'The Corn Parade,' was hung in the Mount Ayr Post Office on Jand is still there today. In the early 1940s, Fisher was commissioned by the Works Projects Administration to paint murals for the post offices in Mount Ayr and Forest City, Iowa. He studied under Grant Wood and produced about 1,000 works. Keith Yates wrote a book in 1966 about 'Willie' entitled, 'The Life of Willie Willey.' Orr Fisher was an artist, writer, traveler, and political pundit. Willis Ray Willey moved to Spokane, Washington, about 1905 and embraced a life of homelessness with a disdain for clothing. 'Willie' and his twin brother Willard Roy Willey were born Septemin Mount Ayr. This photograph shows Ringgold County artist Orr Cleveland Fisher working on a portrait of Willis Ray 'Willie' Willey in the early 1920s.

The Life Of Willie Willey by Keith L. Yates