Salisbury's Colonial Jack Walks Over 9,000 Miles
In 1938 during Salisbury's 300th anniversary parade, a prominent citizen joined in the festivities. He became famous for walking a phenomenal distance, all in the pursuit of stamps.
The photograph caption reveals the tale:
Celebrating Salisbury's tercentenary (300th) birthday parade, August 14-18, 1938, with celebrity Colonial Jack (John Albert Krohn of Salisbury), pushing his wheelbarrow. Colonial Jack walked 9,024-miles around America and had to get cancellation stamps from 635 post offices along the way. By the end of his journey, Krohn walked 9,024 miles and visited 1,209 cities. He went through 11 pairs of shoes, 112 pairs of socks and five wheels and three tires on the wheelbarrow. The trip cost an average of $3.25 per day. Krohn, a 35-year-old former newspaperman, relied on his flair for publicity to defray his expenses. He called himself “Colonial Jack." His wife traveled ahead arrival and restocked his supply of commemorative tokens. The photo was taken in the Town Common where the Institution for Savings was later erected.
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