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Buster Brown comes to Ames
Postcard image from about 1912

When Buster Brown and his dog Tige, a Boston Terrier, paid a special visit to Bauge & Alm Shoe Store at 204 Main, the whole town turned out to watch.  Buster Brown was a comic strip character created in 1902 by Richard Felton Outcault.  The name Buster came either directly or indirectly from the popularity of Buster Keaton, at that time a child star of vaudeville.  Pete the Pup, who played Tige, was later associated with the popular Our Gang (Little Rascals) comedies.  Buster Brown's association with shoes began with John Bush, a sales executive with the Brown Shoe Company.  He persuaded his company to purchase rights to the Buster Brown name, and the brand was introduced to the public at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.  The logo is still used today.

Midgets were hired by the Brown Shoe Co. to play Buster in tours around the United States.  These little people, who were each accompanied by a dog, performed in department stores, theaters, and shoe stores from 1904 until 1930.

Contemporary view of 204 Main, site of Bauge & Alm Shoes

 

	Younkers Store advertisement from August, 1954

This unpublished Tribune photo from August, 1954 shows Buster Brown
with local children in the Ames Younkers store.
Can you identify these Ames girls?

Ames Tribune article from July 16, 1955

Pictured with the second prize winner of the nationwide Buster Brown Shoe company contest, Gloria Jean Hatasaki (center), are Lyle Frey (left), assistant manager of the Younkers shoe department and Cliff Ferguson (right), department manager, who presented a radio to Miss Hatasaki Friday.  Gloria Jen Hatasaki, nine-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hatasaki, 3105 Lincoln Way, won an Admiral portable radio as second prize in the nationwide coloring contest of the Buster Brown shoe company for children up to 16 years old.

The Ames Buster Brown representatives at Younkers store sent out 534 entry blanks to local participants.  Gloria Jean colored the drawing of the "Buster Brown gang" pictured watching a television set, which was to be first prize.  The picture on the television screen in the drawing showed the portable radio which was to be awarded as second prize.

Pretty little Miss Hatasaki, who attends Welch school, says she will probably listen for "cowboy things" and music on her newly-acquired radio.  When asked about her hobbies, Gloria apparently had many, but a rock collection and dance study seemed to top the list.