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By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer

Fun for all, and all for fun.

That sums up an Arkalalah founder's vision for the first annual celebration in 1928.

Clyde M. Boggs, who served as the general chairman of the first Arkalalah, wanted everyone in town to be included in the festivities.

"I think to make this first Arkalalah a success, everyone should participate in at least part of the program," Boggs said.

He added that the event was "Arkansas City's big Halloween fun festival and frolic." Activities of the two-day festival, Oct. 30-31, included the queen's coronation, band concerts, a mammoth parade, many street stunts, and four dances held each night.

The queen's coronation opened the first Arkalalah that year at the former Opera House . She had a large court, including a master of ceremonies, ladies-in-waiting, heralds with trumpets, "snow flakes" running down the aisles.

"According to the spirit of Arkalalah, let the festivity begin," proclaimed Dorothy Moore, Queen Alalah I.

The theme that year was "Under the Big Top," according to a list provided by the Arkalalah Executive Committee. That went along with Boggs' vision of inclusivity.

This year, 2007, the Arkalalah theme is "Seuss on the Loose," in honor of the late Theodor Seuss Geisel, known as Dr. Seuss, who first published "The Cat in the Hat," 50 years ago. Arkalalah has been repeated every year since 1928, with the exception of three years during World War II.

From "Big Top" to "Halloween"(1932) to "Awetomic Age" (1947) to "Indians and Pioneers" (1954) to "Age of Aquarius" (1998), Arkalalah has had many themes over the years.

The themes have varied but the essence of Arkalalah has not. It's a time for fun, food, a coronation, carnival and parade. The festival requires participation for maximum enjoyment.

Here's a detailed look at some of the early Arkalalahs and their themes, according to Traveler archives.

* "Fun for all and All for Fun" in 1929. The stage for the coronation resembled a sunflower garden in "golden Kansas." Because of the large number of people who wanted to attend, two shows were held at the Fifth Avenue Theatre that year. A crowd of between 17,000 and 25,000 people attended the Arkalalah parade the next day.

"The second annual festival was highly successful despite the stock market crash on Oct. 24, a frost on Oct. 25 and a brutal double shotgun murder mystery, which occurred four miles northwest of Arkansas City on Oct. 26 ...," The Traveler reported.

* A "modernistic theme" prevailed at the coronation in 1930.

"Near tragedy entered the Arkalalah celebration Friday afternoon when Queen Alalah III, Miss Mary Geeslin, suffered serious injuries as her throne was knocked to the pavement when it caught on a wire stretched across Summit St. at Chestnut Ave.," The Traveler reported. "She fell about eight feet and suffered a slight skull fracture and slight brain concussion. Her condition was favorable and she rested in Mercy Hospital for several days."

* Another "modernistic" setting was prepared for the 1931 coronation, held in the Burford Theater. There were two performances of the coronation to accommodate large crowds. The setting for the show included a background in colors ranging from the pale yellow to deep orange, interspersed with silver, The Traveler reported.

* The coronation in 1933 had an autumn setting. The program featured the "dance of the trees" and it was staged by the Theater Guild -- "a recently formed organization in Arkansas City interested in dramatics and play writing," The Traveler reported.

* In 1934, the year that Miss Mary Jane Mitchell was crowned Queen Alalah VII, the theme was "The Girl in the Clock." It was created by the city schools under the direction of Edith Davis.

* The new Auditorium Gymnasium was the coronation site for the first time in 1936. Preceding the ceremony, the high school orchestra entertained with several numbers including "The Play House March," composed by the director, Archie San Romani. The piece was dedicated to the new building.

* A Southern setting highlighted the 1937 coronation, as Queen Alalah X was crowned in the Auditorium-Gymnasium before a crowd estimated at 3,000 people.

* A new feature of the 1938 Arkalalah was a Hobby Show sponsored by the Kiwanis. Model airplanes in two classes -- gasoline- and rubber-powered -- flew in a contest at the Municipal Airport.

* The 70th anniversary of the founding of Arkansas City was the theme of the 1940 celebration. The coronation stage was set in an "old-time atmosphere," The Traveler reported.

"The first recorded settlement here came on Jan. 1, 1870, when four men, John Brown, John Strain, T.A. Wilkinson and G.H. Norton moved in near the junction of the Arkansas and Walnut Rivers," The Traveler reported. "The called their embryo town Walnut City. From that time, the settlement made steady progress."

An estimated 40,000 people attended Arkalalah that year. By then, queen selection was accomplished by collecting 305 votes cast by people in the residential and business districts, the Traveler said. Candidates were sophomores at the junior college, and they were nominated by the junior college faculty.

"Threats of war were in the background," the paper reported. "First numbers were called that October for the draft."

* Rain, snow and cold winds resulted in a curtailment of Arkalalah activities in 1941, the Traveler reported.

"The variety show, held in the Auditorium-Gymnasium, Arkalalah afternoon, was a huge success, when the parade was called off and crowds flocked indoors," the paper said.

* In 1942, '43, '44, and '45, Arkalalah was called off because of World War II. But a celebration was held in October of 1942, when Miss Liberty Belle (Miss Sue Edwards, an Arkansas City Junior College freshman) was crowned.

"The show was built around a circus theme, interwoven with a strong patriotic motif," the Traveler reported. "Miss Edwards was revealed in the honor role early in the program as a duplicate-faced blue and silver throne was slowly rotated to reveal her as queen of the big top."

* In 1946, when Arkalalah was resumed after the war, bad weather again interfered with the festivities. The coronation theme was "It's the Queen's Town Tonight" -- a two-part program that included a salute to the queen (Miss Betty Smith) "with KMBC artists presenting the variety program," The Traveler reported.

"Overflow crowds watched the gala floor show in the Gilded Cage gay nineties night club at 122 N. Summit St.," the paper said. "... A record crowd of 1,000 attended the reunion of early-day residents on the third floor of Newman's (now First Intermark). Mrs. Emma Sleeth, 95, and O.H. Lewis, 89, were the oldest woman and man registered there."

* The coronation theme in 1947 was the "awe-tomic age." After the visiting queens were seated on either side of the Auditorium-Gymnasium, an "awe-tomic" president signaled the raising of the curtains to reveal the queen (Miss Rebecca Rine) on a satin throne that was wheeled to the center of the stage.

"Blessed with bright fall weather, all activities went forward on schedule," The Traveler reported. "Nine bands, 300 horses from 10 saddle clubs, Indians, pretty girls, patriotic displays, colorful floats and comic events made the parade an outstanding affair."

* No theme was listed for the celebration in 1949. Gov. Frank Carlson attended, eating at the Kiwanis Pancake Feed, an event that was started the previous year, in 1948. Carlson also crowned the 1949 queen, Miss Treva Jane Harrison.

* "Teamwork is the by-word and the secret of success for Arkalalah this year and every year," proclaimed The Traveler in its coverage of the 1950 event. "There are about 20 committee chairmen and co-chairmen ... They serve on 14 committees and with 100 percent cooperation with everyone else in Arkansas City."

Heading the list of all chairmen in an honorary capacity that year was Clyde M. Boggs.