Motoring Monday: Buster Keaton

Joseph Francis “Buster” Keaton was born in Piqua in 1895 when his family was performing in the area with magician Harry Houdini and his mother happened to go into labor. In 1917 in New York City, Buster met Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, a famous comic actor at the time and Buster showed him the ropes for the movie industry. He moved to Hollywood and became an actor, writer and director.

In 1992, the nearby community of Iola started an annual event devoted to Keaton, and people started donating memorabilia; thus was the beginning of the Buster Keaton Museum. The Piqua Rural Water District #1 office in Piqua houses the collection with many donations from Keaton’s widow, Eleanor. The collection includes movie posters, articles and many photographs. The museum also has a small collection of his movies that can be played.

The annual Buster Keaton Celebration in Iola is scheduled this fall on Sept. 23-24.

For more information on the Iola celebration, click here.

For more information on the museum in Piqua, click here.