In 1880, Margaret Guest married William Henry Grogan in Brevard, North Carolina. One year later, their son, Vance Lewis Grogan, was born. Ten days after giving birth, Margaret died. William Grogan remarried in 1882. At the age of 15, Vance Grogan moved to Asheville and soon after started calling himself Vance Guest.
Vance Guest was a flamboyant character who worked as an entertainer, wrestling promoter, firefighter, and painter, and spent time in federal prison for counterfeiting. I don't know if he ever legally changed his last name to Guest: when William Grogan died in 1941, his obituary referred to his son as Vance L. Grogan, interior decorator of Asheville.
When Vance died in 1956, his death certificate listed his name as Vance Lewis Guest, while the line for Father's Name was left blank. The line for Mother's Maiden Name was listed as Margaret Guest. The information on the death certificate was supplied by his wife, who perhaps didn't know or didn't remember any details about the Grogans, or perhaps she was honoring her husband's choice to distance himself from his father.
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| Death Certificate (detail) for Vance Lewis Guest North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1976, Ancestry.com |
My best guess about the family legend is that Vance didn't want to have anything to do with the Grogans and invented a story about being half Cherokee because, well, it makes for a good story. The real story of his life is one that I was able to learn thanks to the wealth of historical material that is now available online.
William Henry Grogan and Margaret Guest
William Grogan, my great-great-grandfather, was born in January 1856 or 1860 in South Carolina. By 1870, he was living with his family in Brevard, North Carolina. His father was a farmer.
Margaret Guest, my great-great-grandmother, was born December 21, 1862 in North Carolina, possibly in Flat Rock. The 1860 census lists her father, William, as a carpenter living in Henderson County near Flat Rock. Ten years later, William Guest was listed as a farmer near Brevard.
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| Main Street, Brevard, North Carolina, circa 1886 Transylvania County Library, DigitalNC |
William Grogan and Margaret Guest were married on May 15, 1880. Both were listed in the marriage record as living at Davison River, not far from Brevard.
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| Marriage Record for Wm. H. Grogan and "Margrett Guess" North Carolina Marriage Records, 1741-2011, Ancestry.com |
Vance Lewis Grogan, son of William and Margaret, was born on May 4, 1881.
Margaret died on May 14, 1881 and was buried in a small cemetery in Brevard.
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| Margaret Grogan's headstone, King-Old Town Cemetery, 2019 |
William married Hasseltine King on October 19, 1882. Her family, the Kings, owned the portion of the cemetery in which Margaret was buried. Margaret was the only Grogan or Guest buried in that cemetery. She may have been one of the first people buried there. Her grave is front and center, and of the headstones listed on Find-A-Grave, hers is the oldest.
William Grogan's house in Brevard is on the National Register of Historic Places, notable for retaining much of its original architectural detail. The house is believed to have been built around 1890.
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| William H. Grogan House, Brevard, North Carolina, 2019 |
Vance Lewis Guest
The earliest record I have found of Vance is the 1896 City Directory for Asheville, NC, in which he is listed as Vance Grogan, no occupation, boarding at 167 Hill Street. Also living at 167 Hill Street was William Guest, who worked at the Asheville Cotton Mills. Vance was about 15 years old at this time.
Six years earlier, the Asheville City Directory of 1890 listed an extended Guest-Grogan family living at 167 Hill Street:
Alexander Grogan, lab bds 167 HillI have not yet been able to figure out how all of these Guests and Grogans were related.
James Guest, blacksmith, bds 167 Hill
William Guest, night watchman Marx Factory, r 167 Hill
Cathrine Guest, r 167 Hill
W. M. Guest, lab, bds 167 Hill
Lucinda Guest, r 167 Hill
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| View of Asheville, circa 1902 Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division |
Vance's next appearance in the historical record is a newspaper article in the Asheville Daily Gazette published on August 22, 1899. Vance Guest, as he was known by this time, and Harry Miller completed a "century run" on their bicycles, riding from Asheville to Brevard, Hendersonville, and Mill's River, then back to Asheville in one day, a total distance of 102 miles.
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| Asheville Daily Gazette, 22 August 1899 |
Acting and Vaudeville
In 1900, after working odd jobs at a grocery store and the J. M. Hearn bicycle company, Vance Guest joined a vaudeville show, twirling a baton and performing as "a splendid clown in the trick bicycle riding..." (Asheville Daily Gazette, 14 July 1900 and 15 August 1900).
In 1902, Vance made an appearance as a supporting actor in a Peruchi Beldeni Company play about Jesse James (The New Bern Daily Journal, 7 December 1902). His brief acting career continue for at least one more year: he played the role of Yonnet (A Shepherd) in "The Romance of a Poor Boy" at the Riverside Casino in Asheville in 1903 (Asheville Citizen Times, 9 August 1903).
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| Asheville Citizen Times, August 9, 1903 |
Firefighting
In 1900, Vance became a firefighter, joining Asheville's Hose Company No. 1 (The Asheville Weekly Citizen, 9 November 1900).
As a firefighter, Vance played on the department's baseball team which competed regularly against the police department's team at Riverside Park.
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| Panoramic view of Pack Square from Legal Building, Asheville, 1910. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division |
Family Life
Vance Guest married Ida Miller on July 25, 1903. Their daughter, Lois, was born on December 21, 1905. A son, Herbert Vance Guest, was born on March 10, 1915. Herbert Vance was sometimes called Vance Guest, Jr. Later in life, he would boast about being part Cherokee, perpetuating the false family legend.
When Ida and Vance married, Ida's family lived in the Chunn's Cove area of Asheville, where her father worked as a laborer and carpenter. Ida's mother, Mandie, lost her eyesight in 1902 and was later known as "Blind Granny" by her family. Ten years after going blind, Mandie was abandoned by her husband, who was then taken to court and ordered to provide support for her ("Arthur Miller Must Support His Wife," Asheville Citizen Times, 27 November 1912).
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| Asheville Citizen-Times, 7 February 1902 |
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| Mandie Miller with family, 1920s? Shared to Ancestry by jamfore11 |
Boxing
By 1906, Vance Guest had given up on acting and become a semi-professional boxer. A heralded seven-round boxing match with Kid Williams was shut down by the Asheville authorities, who threatened them with a $500 fine and jail time if they proceeded with the match. A North Carolina state law prohibited boxing matches in which either contestant was being paid (Greensboro Daily News, 28 February 1907).
Kid Williams went on to hold the Bantamweight World Championship from 1914 to 1917 and is currently ranked as the number 2 or 3 bantamweight of all time.
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| Kid Williams (1893-1963) George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress |
Arrests and Imprisonment
In 1908, Vance was arrested for selling whiskey, but was acquitted (Asheville Citizen Times, 11 December 1908). North Carolina had banned all alcohol sales starting on May 26, 1908, becoming the first southern state to enact prohibition.
A little over a month after being acquitted of selling whiskey, Vance was arrested for counterfeiting. On Wednesday, January 20, 1909, Vance attempted to pay for two meals at a Mountain Street restaurant with a counterfeit dollar coin. The restaurant owner, J. F. Dowls, gave the coin to Patrolman Lanning, who promptly arrested Vance. According to court testimony, Vance had actually presented the coin to Lanning the day before, asking for change, then threw "it on the sidewalk with a laugh" when he realized the police officer knew it was fake. For whatever reason, Lanning let Vance keep the coin.
On the evening of Tuesday, January 19, Vance tried the same trick at a soft drink place, asking the clerk for change for a dollar. According to testimony by W. H. Souther, Vance grinned when he handed over the coin and almost got away with it, but a few minutes later, Souther realized there was a counterfeit coin in the drawer and demanded that Vance give back the four quarters he had given him. Vance once again tried to brush it off as a joke, saying that "he had wanted to see if the clerk would take it." The clerk, Clarence James, testified that he told Vance to cut the coin in half and throw it away. Both Souther and James were willing to believe that it had been a joke, not a serious attempt at fraud.
According to the newspaper coverage, the coin was discolored and the lettering was imperfect, but the weight was about right for a silver dollar coin ("Carried Too Far Was "Dollar" Joke," Asheville Citizen-Times, 23 January 1909).
Vance was released on bond and returned to court on May 8, 1909. He was sentenced to one year and one day in the federal prison at Atlanta (The Charlotte Observer, 9 May 1909).
Despite his conviction, Vance remained a popular figure in Asheville. The newspaper coverage of his crime tended to be favorable, and he was regularly described as a "young man about town" and as a white man (a reminder today of how profoundly racist the south was during this era). Asheville must have had at least one friend of Vance with connections to President William Howard Taft; Vance received a presidential pardon in January 1910 and was released from prison four months early (The Charlotte News, 18 January 1910).
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| The Charlotte News, January 18, 1910 |
Myrtle Hawkins Trial
Vance's next court appearance was as a witness in a murder trial. He was not a witness to the alleged murder, but testified about a conversation with Lizzie Shaft, a midwife and alleged abortion provider and one of several suspects in the death of Myrtle Hawkins, whose body was found in Lake Osceola. According to Vance's testimony, Lizzie said that Myrtle Hawkins had "died from an overdose of chloroform and not from an operation" ("Vance Guest Springs Sensation in Myrtle Hawkins Murder Case," Asheville Citizen-Times, 25 May 1912).
Vance Guest was related to Lizzie Shaft by marriage. Vance's wife's sister, Laura Miller, was married to Lizzie Shaft's son, Albert Shaft. Vance and Lizzie both lived in the Chunn's Cove area on the outskirts of Asheville.
Vance's father-in-law, Arthur Miller, also testified at the murder trial, saying that Lizzie knew Myrtle Hawkins and that Myrtle "had told her that she would steal $150 worth of jewelry out of her father's store to hire her (Mrs. Shaft) to "DO THAT JOB."" ("Vance Guest Springs Sensation in Myrtle Hawkins Murder Case," Asheville Citizen-Times, 25 May 1912).
The defense attorney, R. S. McCall accused Vance of lying about Lizzie Shaft's involvement, saying that "Sam Brown, a chaingang convict, Vance Guest, a penitentiary convict and a negro detective got together and arranged evidence" implicating Lizzie Shaft and Nora Britt (one of the other defendants) in order to collect a reward for their conviction ("Settle Makes Strong Appeal," Asheville Gazette-News, 11 June 1912). All defendants were eventually found not guilty and the case was never solved.
One More Arrest
Vance was arrested in 1913 for being drunk (despite North Carolina's ban on alcohol), convicted in police court, and fined $12 and costs (Asheville Citizen-Times, 11 February 1913). This is the last reference I've found to his run-ins with the law.
Day Jobs
Throughout all of his more colorful adventures, Vance worked a day job as a painter and paper hanger (i.e., wallpaper installation), supporting his family with a steady paycheck.
A month after his son was born, Vance and a coworker were painting the exterior of the Reynolds Building at 11 Patton Avenue, suspended forty feet above the ground on a swinging stage, when the stage suddenly collapsed. Vance's coworker, J. W. Brown, fell all the way to the ground, but escaped serious injury. Vance's right arm caught a telephone wire about fifteen feet down. The wire lacerated his arm, but he managed to climb into the building through a second story window, then "walked down to the front entrance of the store, sat down in a chair and asked a man to bring him a coca cola" ("Two Painters Fall 40 Feet To Ground," Asheville Gazette-News, 8 April 1915).
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| Photos of Patton Avenue in 1904 North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Library |
Vance also worked as a stage manager at the Majestic Theater in 1920, running the movie projector, and he continued to volunteer with the fire department.
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| Asheville's Majestic Theatre, 1921 From Cinema Treasures |
Vance's domestic life included a little bit of farming. In 1915, he made the news for his giant yam weighing 3 1/8 pounds ("City News," Asheville Gazette-News, 28 August 1915).
Parachuting
Vance started parachuting in the mid-1920s. In 1939, he announced that he would jump from 3,000 feet over the Asheville-Hendersonville airport (Asheville Citizen-Times, 27 July 1939). There's no sign that the jump actually happened.
Sports Promoter
In 1921, Vance started working as a fight promoter, organizing wrestling and boxing matches. One of the first matches he organized was a charity event for male patients at Oteen and Kenilworth hospitals, who were given free admission and free transportation to the event ("Free Admission At Match for Patients," Asheville Citizen-Times, 21 October 1921). The match was held at the City Auditorium, which was the primary venue for wrestling in Asheville during the 1920s.
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| Asheville City Auditorium, built in 1904 and in use until 1931 From the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Gateway website |
Early in his career as a promoter, Vance declared that he would not tolerate "faking" at his wrestling matches, promising "nothing but straight shows" ("M'Intosh and Ellis Match of Interest," Asheville Citizen-Times, 5 November 1921).
Tickets for matches arranged by Vance were typically sold at Pennell's Cigar Store.
In 1922, Vance announced that he would be starting up an athletic club "for the promotion of matches and bouts," with events every Wednesday ("Henderson Defends Welter Title Against Joe Loomis," Asheville Citizen-Times, 5 January 1922).
Vance created a "baby hippodrome" or "local Madison Square Garden" on the corner of Broadway and College, opposite the Langren Hotel, in the spring of 1922. The hall was large enough to accomodate 500 people, with tiered seating in a ring added to the center. Vance had previously held his matches at the Eagles' Hall, but it had been condemned by the building inspector, and the City Auditorium was deemed too expensive (although it soon became a regular venue for him) ("Asheville's Fight Fans Are Promised 'Baby Hippodrome'," Asheville Citizen-Times, 1 March 1922).
Also in 1922, Vance announced that he was starting up a wrestling circuit which included cities in South Carolina and featured John Ellis (light heavyweight champion), George Chakales (middleweight champion), and "Tigercat" Henderson (welterweight champion), as well as Cyclone Burns, Joe Willis, Al Hussar, "Big Mack" McIntosh and middleweight Sam Creasman ("Arrange Wrestling Circuit For Cities of Two Carolinas," Asheville Citizen-Times, 18 January 1922).
Vance made a brief attempt to add auto racing to his portfolio, organizing a race day on Cumberland Avenue on September 15, 1922. The day was to include a stock car race, a racing car race, and a motorcycle race. ("Auto Race To Be Held Here Friday," Asheville Citizen-Times, 11 September 1922). Some city official objected to the raise, questioning whether or not the city had the legal authority to suspend the speed limit for the race and appear to have declined to issue a permit ("City Board Fails to Meet Tuesday," Asheville Citizen-Times, 13 September 1922).
Other Asheville wrestling and boxing promoters during the 1920s included Jack Wilson, W. G. Kaliska, and Alexis Ardolino. In 1922, however, Vance could claim to be the "only recognized promoter" of wrestling in Asheville ("Joe Shimkus is Mat Title of "Masked Wrestler" Who Meets Fritz Hanson Friday," Asheville Citizen-Times, 30 March 1922).
Vance continued as a wrestling and boxing promoter into the 1930s, continuing to book wrestling matches between Tigercat Henderson, Cyclone Burns, Jesse Biddix, John Swann, Homer Berry, Curley Cooley, and others.
Asheville Sporting Club
A number of matches were organized in 1921 by the short-lived Ashville Sport Club. I don't know if Vance was involved with this club.
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| Asheville Citizen-Times, 23 February 1921 |
A decade later, in 1930, Vance became the first president of a newly formed Asheville Sporting Club, with Teddy Tobani as vice-president and business manager and Bill Billlings as matchmaker arranging matches under the supervision of the Asheville Boxing Commission ("Asheville Sporting Club Is Organized," Asheville Citizen-Times, 26 February 1930).
One of the club's first events was a 36-round boxing card featuring Bill Fannon of Houston, TX and Chick Hill of Asheville at the Central Labor Temple on Patton Avenue. Tickets were available at Pennel's Cigar Store. Other matches at the event included Kid Sellars v. Eddie Wike, Pug Hinton v. Jim Kid Jarrett, Bat Brock v. Billy Pearson, Baby Quarrels v. Lefty Wyatt, and Bill Chambers v. Popcorn Rollington ("36 Round Boxing Card To Be Given At Labor Temple," Asheville Citizen-Times, 5 March 1930).
The Asheville Sporting Club added black boxers to their roster in segregated matches. Kid Mack and K. O. Avery were the opening act in April 1930.
The Sporting Club's first bouts were held at the Labor Temple, but were moved to the City Auditorium as the audiences grew ("42-Round Fight Card Is Set For City Auditorium Tonight," Asheville Citizen-Times, 3 April 1930).
Vance Guest's Wrestlers
"Big Mack"
Vance organized several wrestling matches featuring "Big Mack" (James B. McIntosh), a 220-pound Asheville wrestler and former policeman who joined the Army during World War I and wound up touring Europe on a wartime wrestling circuit ("Big Mack Took A Back Seat To No One When Wrestling Was For Men," Asheville Citizen-Times, 27 December 1953).
During the war, McIntosh wrestled under the nickname "Wildcat," a reference to the 81st Division he served with ("M'Intosh Wins The Wrestling Honors," Asheville Citizen-Times, 29 April 1919).
At a 1921 charity wrestling and boxing exhibition for the Asheville firemen, Big Mack went up against "Georges Chackles" (George Chakales), followed by "Chrest the Greek" v. Kid Curley. Tickets were sold at the fire department (where Vance Guest was a volunteer fireman). ("To Stage Exhibition For Local Firemen," Asheville Citizen-Times, 29 June 1921).
Big Mack and Chakales "the Greek Demon" wrestled again in October 1921, this time at a "Big Championship" match at the City Auditorium.
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| Asheville Citizen-Times, 21 October 1921 |
John Ellis
Another wrestler featured by Vance was John Ellis, the "Greek Demon," who arrived in Asheville in 1919 from Ohio, where he had won the state's light heavyweight championship. Ellis went on to win the Southern Light Heavyweight Title (for the Carolinas and Virginia) in 1921.
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| John Ellis, the "Greek Demon" Asheville Citizen-Times, 22 December 1921 |
In 1921, Ellis defeated Con Albright with a toe hold after nearly two hours on the mat; the doctor on site ended the match, as Albright's ankle was injured. Al Hussar, the "Turkish Wrestler" or "Terrible Turk" from Chicago, was lined up to challenge the winner of the match two weeks later ("John Ellis Throws Albright One Fall," Asheville Citizen-Times, 26 November 1921).
Also in 1921, Ellis wrestled "Cyclone Burns" from Pittsburgh. The match went 47 minutes before the first fall (achieved by Ellis using a head hold and bar lock), followed by another 15 minutes before the second fall (Burns with a head hold and hammer lock), and then another 12 minutes before the match ended with Ellis using a toe hold ("Ellis Is Winner In Three Falls," Asheville Citizen-Times, 22 December 1921).
Ellis and Fritz Hanson were frequent opponents. Following a loss to Hanson, Ellis brought in a masked wrestler to take him on (see Joe Shimkus below).
By 1928, Ellis had moved to El Paso, TX, but returned to Asheville for a match against John Kilonis, arranged by Vance Guest. Kilonis, also a former Asheville wrestler, came in from Norfolk, VA for the match ("John Kilonis and John Ellis Signed To Grapple In City," Asheville Citizen-Times, 18 December 1928).
George Chakales
Vance signed George Chakales, Southern Middleweight Champion, in 1922 for a match against Adolph Marquardt at Eagles Hall. Marquardt was a member of Asheville Fire Department. Strangler Lewis, champion from the Philippines, was on hand to challenge the winner from the ringside. ("Chakales Defends Mat Title Tonight," Asheville Citizen-Times, 25 January 1922)
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| George ChakalesAsheville Citizen-Times, 15 January 1922 |
"Tiger Cat" Henderson
Pearson "Tiger Cat" Henderson (1902-1994) grew up in Asheville, graduating as vice-president of his class at Asheville High School, where he was involved in the Athletic Association (The Hillbilly, Asheville High School yearbook, 1922, p. 29).
Henderson started wrestling while he was still in high school, claiming the title of Champion Welter Weight of North Carolina.
In 1921, Tiger Cat Henderson took on Paul Swindler of Greenwood, South Carolina at a match organized by the Asheville Sport Club and held at the Eagles Hall on Broadway ("Swindler to Meet Henderson Tonight," Asheville Citizen-Times, 23 March 1921).
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| Asheville Citizen-Times, 23 March 1921 |
A 1923 match against Kid Berry was touted as certain to be "exciting" since both Tiger Cat and Berry "are fast and promise to mix it up for one fall" ("Boxing and Wrestling Card For Monday Night Announced," Asheville Citizen-Times, 13 June 1923). "The Tiger" won the match with a hammerlock ("Albright Floors Hanson In Short Time," Asheville Citizen-Times, 19 June 1923).
In 1927, Tiger Cat took on Homer Berry for the preliminary fight at a match organized by promoter Alexis Ardolino. "Toots" Mondt and Wayne "Big" Munn were the feature match. Asheville had begun to lose interest in wrestling by this time, with the newspaper speculating that it might not bring in enough money to cover the transportation costs of Mondt and Munn ("Munn and Mondt Grapple Tuesday at Auditorium," Asheville Citizen-Times, 17 November 1927). Unlike other wrestling matches, women were not given free admission to this match, with the promoter citing the "large guarantee" of Mondt and Munn as his reason. More than three decades later, Toots Mondt would co-found the World Wide Wrestling Federation with Vince McMahon, Sr.
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| Asheville Citizen-Times, 18 November 1927 |
Fritz Hanson
Fritz Hanson came to Asheville from Wilmington, NC, where he worked as a life guard at the Seashore Hotel, as well as an athletic instructor. A Swedish immigrant, Hanson arrived in the U.S. in 1900 and gained his citizenship in 1920.
When he first started wrestling at Asheville, he was known as the "Old Marster," but soon became better known as "the Swede."
Vance Guest signed Fritz Hanson in February 1922, booking for a winner-take-all light heavyweight championship match against John Ellis on February 22 ("Hansen Is Signed For February 22," Asheville Citizen-Times, 3 February 1922). A month later, Vance declared that the Swede would be moving his wife to Asheville to spend the season and, perhaps, to make Asheville their permanent home ("Fritz Hanson To Make Home Here, Promoter Says," Asheville Citizen-Times, 21 March 1922). Hanson worked as a lifeguard at Wrightsville Beach during the summer months ("Hanson Will Make Home Here And Wrestle All Next Fall," Asheville Citizen-Times, 3 May 1922).
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| Fritz Hanson, "the Swede" Asheville Citizen-Times, 23 March 1922 |
Hanson fought Cyclone Peters of New York City at the City Auditorium on February 15, 1923, defeating him in two falls out of three. A repeat match was set following a challenge from Peters. Vance Guest was no longer Hanson's promoter, so he played up a grudge between them to promote a fight the following week between Hanson and Vance's new wrestler, Tony Gardini. ("Fritz Hanson Beats "Cyclone" Peters In Great Battle At The Auditorium" Asheville Citizen-Times, 16 February 1923)
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| Asheville Citizen-Times, 14 February 1923 |
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| Asheville Citizen-Times, 21 February 1923 |
Vance brought "Rough House" Ross to fight Fritz Hanson at the City Auditorium in March 1923. During the week before the fight, Ross held public workouts every night at the Fire Department (where Vance was a volunteer fireman), while Hanson performed his workouts at the Y.M.C.A. in the afternoons ("Ross Will Arrive to Begin Workouts at Fire Department," Asheville Citizen-Times, 6 March 1923).
The Hanson-Ross fight was a "mixed bout" combining wrestling and boxing. It did not go over well with the audience. Hanson and Ross fought eight three-minute rounds with Ross wearing boxing gloves and Hanson using his wrestling moves. Each won four of the rounds. At the end of the eight rounds, the crowd shouted for Ross to remove his gloves and take on Hanson with wrestling. ("Mixed Bouts Not Popular," Asheville Citizen-Times, 10 March 1923)
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| Asheville Citizen-Times, 9 March 1923 |
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| Con Albright of Greenville, S.C. Asheville Citizen-Times, 6 August 1923 |
Joe Shimkus, the "Masked Marvel"
Following a defeat by Fritz Hanson, John Ellis brought in Joe Shimkus from New York to defeat Hanson at a match arranged by Vance Guest. Shimkus caused a stir in Asheville, initially keeping his name and face a secret, hidden by a mask ("Joe Shimkus Is Mat Title of "Masked Wrestler" Who Meets Fritz Hanson Friday," Asheville Citizen-Times, 30 March 1922).
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| Joe Shimkus, the Masked Marvel Asheville Citizen-Times, 30 March 1922 |
Ivan Michailoff, the "Russian Cossack"
Vance booked Ivan Michaeloff [sic], the "Russian Cossack," to wrestle Chicago's Jack Dugan at Asheville in February 1922 ("Ellis Beats Willis In Straight Falls," Asheville Citizen-Times, 16 February 1922).
In March, Wladek Zbyszko arrived in Asheville to take on the Russian Cossack at the City Auditorium. Wladek's brother, Stanislaus Zbyskzo, world heavyweight champion, had recently been defeated by Strangler Lewis at Wichita. ("Zbyszko Trains to Win Belt Lost By Brother to Lewis," Asheville Citizen-Times, 9 March 1922)
Tony Gardini
Gardini had arrived at Asheville in February 1923. Vance Guest was his manager, and his first match in Asheville, at the City Auditorium, was held on February 22 against Fritz Hanson. Gardini and Hanson had previously wrestled at Greensboro in December 1922 ("Hanson Meets Gardini Tonight," Asheville Citizen-Times, 22 February 1923). I have not found any connection between Tony Gardini and the more famous former Olympian Renato Gardini. Gardini later moved to Los Angeles, where he continued to work as a wrestler.
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| Tony Gardini Asheville Citizen-Times, 22 February 1923 |
Female Fans
The promoters encouraged women to attend the wrestling and boxing matched by giving them free admission, making sure to boast about the number of women in the audience. At a match held on July 9, 1923, promoters estimated 200 "female fans" were in the crowd ("Avara Is Expected To Arrive Sunday For Monday's Bout," Asheville Citizen-Times, 13 July 1923).
Black Boxers at Wrestling Matches
Wrestling matches often included African American boxers as part of the entertainment. At a 1923 event at the City Auditorium, for example, black boxers wearing 10-ounce gloves duked it out between matches by white wrestlers who were the headline performers ("Fritz Hanson Beats "Cyclone" Peters In Great Battle At The Auditorium" Asheville Citizen-Times, 16 February 1923).
While some of the African American fighters were well trained, others had little to no training, and the audience appears to have relished the raw fighting that resulted. A fight card in 1923 promised a "Free-for-All between colored boys" as well as a formal boxing match between Kid Brockman and James Garlington.
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| Asheville Citizen-Times, 15 June 1923 |
The match between Kid Brockman and James Garlington gave the audience "its greatest thrill" of the night, lasting only four rounds. A review of the fight noted that Brockman was "doing more fancy stepping and "hoofing" than is usually found on the average dance floor." At the end of four rounds, the two boxers had to be separated and continued shouting at each other until after they reached the dressing room. ("Albright Floors Hanson In Short Time," Asheville Citizen-Times, 19 June 1923).
James Garlington worked as a hotel porter during the day, while his wife Hattie worked as a cook for a private family. Known alternately as James and "Rags," Garlington was the "negro lightweight champion" of Asheville in 1923.
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| Asheville Citizen-Times, 2 December 1923 |
In July 1923, promoters pushed a match between James Garlington and the Dixie Kid of Chicago (presumably not the legendary Aaron Lister Brown) as "one of the most enjoyable events of the entire evening" at the City Auditorium. The rest of the night's program included a ten-round boxing match between Sailor Haines and Chick Branch, a six-round match between Lefty Leach and Charlie Clayton, and a two out of three wrestling match between Tiger Cat Henderson and Sam Creasman. ("Boxers Are Primed for Big Card Tonight," Asheville Citizen-Times, 9 July 1923)
The follow-up article about the July 1923 fight declared that Garlington was "another local boy who proved his mettle last night," completely outmatching the Dixie Kid. The referee ended the match halfway through when it was obvious that the Dixie Kid was done ("Chick Branch Knocks Out Himmie Haines In Second Round," Asheville Citizen-Times, 10 July 1923).
When talking about black athletes in Asheville in the 1920s, it should be noted that the Ku Klux Klan was highly visible, holding its first parade through the city on September 11, 1923. The parade route ran from Pack Square to Aston Park by way of Patton Avenue, and was followed by a ceremony at Aston Park ("Klansmen To Stage Parade, Says Report," Asheville Citizen-Times, 11 September 1923). Six new members of the Klan were initiated during the ceremony, growing the size of Asheville's Klan to 105 men; the permit for the event was requested by O. K. Bennett, a former Police Court solicitor ("Klansmen Initiate Six New Members," Asheville Citizen-Times, 12 September 1923).
The Klan was not universally admired. During the parade, James J. Britt, Jr., son of former U.S. Congressman James Jefferson Britt, stood along the parade route shouting at the Klan, calling them clowns and suggesting they seek jobs with the circus. Britt called out several of the masked "clownsmen" by name: O. K. Bennett, Bill McConnell, and J. Scroop Styles. A formal fist fight/duel was later arranged between Britt and McConnell. ("Aftermanth Of Ku Klux Klan Parade Is Fistic Encounter Between Britt and McConnell," Asheville Citizen-Times, 14 September 1923). Bill McConnell is presumably William C. McConnell, a prominent and wealthy Asheville merchant.
Lois Guest
In 1923, the wrestling circuit overlapped with Vance's home life when his daughter Lois ran away with a wrestler. According to news coverage, wrestler Tony Gardini sent money to Lois so she could join him at Thomasville, N.C., where he had take out a marriage license for her. Vance filed charges, as Lois was only 17, and a deputy sheriff brought Gardini and Lois back to Asheville. ("Wrestler Being Held By Asheville Police," The Concord Daily Tribune, 17 March 1923 and "Dismiss Gardini Case With Costs," Asheville Citizen-Times, 20 March 1923)
The story is complicated by the fact that Lois married wrestler Ralph Urizzo on March 19, immediately after the deputy sheriff brought her back to Asheville. Vance served as a witness to his daughter's marriage to Urizzo. The ceremony was performed by Justice of the Peace Manley A. Creasman.
Was it really Tony Gardini that Lois eloped with, or did the newspapers get the story wrong? Perhaps Tony and Ralph were friends, and perhaps Tony helped the young couple elope, getting himself in trouble over the affair.
Later Years
Vance Guest continued working as a painter and paper hanger throughout his life. He also remained active in sports, volunteering with the West End YMCA ("YMCA Membership Drive Is Set To Open Tomorrow," Asheville Citizen-Times, 13 May 1951). He was also a member of the Salvation Army.
In 1951, Vance was presented with a "man of the year" award from Mayor Clarence E. Morgan at a banquet celebrating the Asheville YMCA's 62nd anniversary. Four others also received the award that night. ("Robertson Talks As Y Honors Five Leaders," Asheville Citizen-Times, 27 February 1951)
Vance Guest died in 1956. His grave marker simply reads "At Rest."
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| Vance L. Guest gravestone, 2019 |
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