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Prospecting

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Wyoming, Sweetwater County, Superior
In 1900, while prospecting was being carried on in the vicinity of Cumberland, Morgan Griffiths, Gus Paulsen and a party of prospectors went northeast from Rock Springs to prospect in Horse Thief Canyon, since outcrops of a promising deposit of coal were known to exist there.
Only twenty miles out, they established their camp in the picturesque canyon, named by early settlers who claimed that a gang of outlaws had made this their rendezvous and hiding place for their stolen horses. One of the crew was delegated cook for the party, with the understanding that anyone who complained about the cooking would immediately take over the job.
One morning when breakfast was especially inedible, a crew member spoke out unguardedly, stating that the biscuits were nothing but dough, the bacon burnt to a cinder, and the coffee not fit to drink. In the midst of his tirade, he remembered the agreement, and stopped with a smile. “You know, boys, I like everything cooked that way.” The original cook kept his thankless job and the men continued to sit down to their less-than-delectable victuals.
With drinking water from the springs in the vicinity, and wild game, including deer, antelope, and sage chickens in abundance, the crew had all the necessities, and were not dependent on the day’s drive by buckborard and mule to headquarters in Rock Springs.
Morgan Griffiths was a native Welshman who came to America in the late 1870s. Universally liked by all who knew him, he carried on much of the preliminary negotiation work when the United Mine Workers of America organized the miners of the Union Pacific Coal company.
Gus Paulsen, who later became Mayor of Superior and Outside Foreman of mines, had quite a reputation. The miners said he could take a meager lunch, a pocket compass, and a map of any district, no matter how difficult the terrain, and locate the section corners with unerring accuracy. He had the distinction of once refusing a raise in salary when it was offered him, stating that the company was then paying him all that he was worth.

(Industry & Commerce • Exploration) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Unions

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Wyoming, Sweetwater County, Superior
Unions were established in the Wyoming coal fields for several reasons. In part, they developed due to the dangers found underground in coal mines, the lack of fair wages and the fact that coal companies often controlled a man's life from cradle to gave. Labor unions and coal mines became almost synonymous.
In 1903, the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) began organizing miners into what would become the most powerful union in the state of Wyoming. By the spring of 1907, the UMWA had organized coal miners along the "Southern Wyoming Coal Field". Naturally, Union Pacific Coal Company objected to the UMWA, as it weakened their control over their mining operations. Like mine managers throughout the United States, UP saw little to gain and much to lose if the mines became unionized.
The year 1907 witnessed one of the largest labor strikes in Wyoming history. Pro-Union speeches delivered in different languages were enthusiastically received in Sweetwater County. By the end of 1907, Union Pacific Coal Company recognized the UMWA, and South Superior, whose livelihood depended on coal mining was now "Union" town.
Immediate benefits of the Union were the establishment of an 8 hour day (from 10 hours previously) and wage increase from $3.03 a day to $3.40 a day. By 1934, the 7 hour day had been realized, with wages of $5.42 per day.

The Union Hall
The Union Hall in which you are now standing was built not only to house union offices, but to serve as a community center. On the second floor of the building was a large stage and dance floor. Here people would gather for plays, concerts and dances. The second floor served several functions and was one of the largest meeting halls in the Superior area.
The Union Hall was constructed ca. 1921, the architect and builder are unknown. In South Superior six UMWA locals contributed to the construction fund for this substantial hall. Neither a rectangle nor a square, the building is a trapezoid, unique in Wyoming as a structure of this type.

(Man-Made Features • Labor Unions) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Cold War

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Arkansas, Benton County, Bella Vista

The Cold War was a period of East-West competition, tension, and conflict short of full-scale war. It was characterized by mutual perceptions of hostile intention between military-political alliances or blocs. Quoting from a Veterans of Foreign Wars publication, "By definition the Cold War would seem to exclude the concept of combat. And for 45 years of its duration, this fiction was maintained----". "The cold fight to contain communism worldwide (which excludes the full-fledged wars in Korea and Vietnam) involved numerous hostile encounters and claimed the lives of at least 359 Americans." After Premier Stalin's death, East-West relations went through alternate phases of relaxation and confrontation. A final period resulted in the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the international symbol of East-West confrontation, in November of 1989. It was during this latter period that independence for former USSR republics as well as arms reduction led to increased cooperation between the two powers.

(War, Cold • Patriots & Patriotism) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Korea

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Arkansas, Benton County, Bella Vista

On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops started the Korean War by invading South Korea. Two days later, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling member nations to help defend South Korea. In all, 16 nations sent troops to assist South Korea; over 90 percent were American. By September, United Nations forces had been pushed back to the Pusan Perimeter. On September 15, 1950, UN forces landed at Inchon, cutting off North Korean forces in the south. They pushed all the way to the Yalu River, which separated North Korea from China. Uneasy with UN forces on its border, China intervened in the war and pushed UN forces south of the 38th Parallel. Truce talks began in July 1951, and in July 1953 the two sides signed an armistice ending the war.

Deaths: 36,568
Wounds: 103,284

[Photo captions read]:
F-86s South Korea
"The Forgotten War" [map]

(War, Korean • Patriots & Patriotism) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Fort Loudon

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Pennsylvania, Franklin County, Fort Loudon
Erected by Col. John Armstrong. In the winter of 1756, by the order of the Province of Pennsylvania, was situated a mile south-east of this spot. The fort was built for the protection of the frontiers against the Indians and took the place of the fort at McDowell's Mill, which was situated at Bridgeport. Fort Loudon was the scene of many thrilling events during the Indian raids into this region. During the expedition of Gen. John Forbes, in 1758, and that of Col. Henry Bouquet in 1763-4, this fort was used as a rendezvous for troops and as a base of supplies. It was the scene of the exploits of Capt. James Smith and his "Black Boys" in 1765. Before the building of the state road to Pittsburgh, it was the point of departure of great trains of pack-horses, laden with goods, for the west and south.

(Native Americans • Forts, Castles • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Chambersburg

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Pennsylvania, Franklin County, Chambersburg
Settled 1734 by Benjamin Chambers, who laid out "Chambers Town" in 1764. Seat of Franklin County since 1784. Scene of Civil War events: Raided by "Jeb" Stuart, 1862; occupied by Confederates in 1863; and burned by them in 1864.

(Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Oakdale/Carver Pool

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Kansas, Saline County, Salina

Brooklyn-based artist, Molly Dilworth, combined traditional European and Afro-Caribbean patterns for Oakdale/Carver pool. Integrating the histories of Salina's summer pastime activity - swimming - the large 1920's municipal pool (more recently an ice skating rink and shallow pond) is painted with two patterns. The framing design is derived from Pennsylvania Dutch barn decorations and English-Irish quilt designs - reflecting the population allowed to swim at Oakdale. The inset design - sourced from Central African baskets, beadwork, and Gee's Bend quilt patterns - demarcates the size (40ft by 60ft) of the Carver Pool which opened in 1948 as a blacks-only pool during Salina's days of segregation. This work will be visible through virtual maps such as Google Earth, marking a visual history of Salina from an aerial perspective.

(Civil Rights • Man-Made Features • Charity & Public Work • African Americans) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Penn State Mont Alto Campus

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Pennsylvania, Franklin County, Mont Alto
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1893 purchased the surrounding lands from the Mont Alto Iron Co. The State Forest Academy was established in 1903 on this site and in 1929 was merged with the Penn State's School of Forestry. Mont Alto continued offering the freshmen year of the forestry curriculum until 1963, when it expanded its academic program and became a commonwealth campus.

(Education • Industry & Commerce) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Robert J. Paulette, P. E.

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Kansas, Saline County, Salina

In appreciation of
Robert J. Paulette, P. E.
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His vision and foresight paved the way for
a better and safer Salina.
His outstanding contribution
was the idea of local flood control
and the value of upstream storage
which has since become a reality
by means of Kanopolis Reservoir

(Man-Made Features • Waterways & Vessels • Charity & Public Work • Disasters) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Jessie Gertrude Johnson

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Kansas, Saline County, Salina

Daughter of Wallace H. & Mary Louise Johnson. Pioneer family of 1858. Born, Abilene, Kan. Aug 28, 1872. Went to her rest, Salina, Kan. July 7, 1939. Charter member Business & Professional Women's Club. Only woman member of Kansas Anti-Horse Thief Assn. Honorary member John A. Logan Post G.A.R.

A life like hers has left a record sweet for memory to dwell upon

(Settlements & Settlers • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Patriots & Patriotism) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

War Memorial

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Kansas, Saline County, Salina

Our Unknown Dead
Are Remembered

(War, US Civil • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Patriots & Patriotism) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Superior

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Wyoming, Sweetwater County, Superior
This monument is dedicated to the miners who worked here and especially to those who lost their lives. It is also a monument to the living -- those who ave remained and exemplify the men and women whose independent character created this community.
The town of Superior, Wyoming had its origins in the coal boom days around the turn of the century. A prospecting team led by Morgan Griffiths entered Horse Thief Canyon in 1900, and established the site for the first of Superior’s many coal mines. The town grew to its largest population of 2,700 in the mid 1940s when, during world War II, hundreds of workers came to the mines, living in quarters fashioned from boxcars.
The Superior mines produced nearly 24,000,000 tons of coal annually in their prime, second only to Rock Springs. There were eight mines in the area, all but two owned and operated by the Union Pacific Coal Company to supply their locomotives. The Premier and Copenhagen Mines were independents. The Union Pacific mines were the last to close their mining operations, forbidden by law to sell their coal to the public, and having no great use for it themselves because of the advent of the diesel locomotive. The D.O. Clark Mine was closed in 1963.
The town of South Superior was an incorporated town, with a separate identity from the company town of Superior. This Hall and the standing buildings located north of here are all part of South Superior. The company-owned houses and stores have long since disappeared. These are the remnants of an independent venture built to serve the miners living in the area.

(Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Homesteading and the Jenkins Family

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Wyoming, Johnson County, Buffalo
This marker is in the form of a timeline. The left to right timeline is presented here from top to bottom. Jenkins Family History is in italics text. Homesteading History is in normal text. History Milestones are in bold text.

1862: First Homestead Act (160 acres)
1865: The Civil War ends
1877: Desert Land Act (640 acres)
1878: John R. Smith, first homestead in Johnson County -- Ft. McKinney established and the town of Buffalo is started
1881: Johnson County organized
1884: City of Buffalo organized
1890: Wyoming Statehood
1891-1892: Johnson County Cattle War
1893: M.D. Jenkins and Sylvia Allen born in Illinois
1898-1899: Spanish-American War
1904: Dry Land Farming introduced to Wyoming
1909: Homestead Act changes (increased acreage and less proving time)
1912: M.D. and Sylvia engaged
1913: M.D. travels west moving cattle
1914: M.D. and Sylvia moved to Johnson County
1915: M.D. and Sylvia filed homestead on Dry Creek. Forrest born in Buffalo. M.D., Sylvia and Forrest live in a dugout
1916: M.D. completes the cabin

1918-1919 (sic): World War I
1920: Jenkins' receive Homestead Patent (title) -- Louise born in the cabin
1921: Pauline Kathryn (Polly) born in the cabin
1925: M.D. and Sylvia sold the homestead, moved to the Salt Creek Oilfields

1934: General homesteading stopped
Circa 1935: Cabin moved to nearby ranch for use as a granary
1941-1945: World War II
1982: Polly (Jenkins) Oltion purchased and moved the cabin to Story
2005: Polly and her family donated the cabin to the Museum
2006: Cabin moved to the Museum
2007: Cabin opened


(Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Vietnam

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Arkansas, Benton County, Bella Vista

The 1954 Geneva Accords temporarily divided Vietnam into Communist-controlled North Vietnam and nationalist-controlled South Vietnam. Three years later South Vietnamese Communists, called Vietcong, began rebelling. To try to halt the spread of Communism, America sent military advisors to Vietnam. In 1964, Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution which granted the President the power to escalate American military involvement. In 1965, massive bombing of North Vietnam began and the first U.S. combat troops arrived in Vietnam. Despite the escalation, the war became bogged down in a stalemate. The Tet offensive in 1968 stunned Americans as coordinated attacks by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese regulars swept South Vietnam. Opposition to the war strengthened and in 1973, the United States signed a peace agreement and began withdrawing its forces from Vietnam.

Deaths: 58,204
Wounds: 153,303

[Image caption] Rangers: Vietnam

[Map] "A Tragic Conflict in Southeast Asia"

(War, Vietnam • Patriots & Patriotism) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Persian Gulf War

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Arkansas, Benton County, Bella Vista

In 1961 and again in 1973, Iraq had claimed that the nation of Kuwait was part of Iraq. On August 2, 1990, Iraq troop invaded the disputed area claimed by Kuwait. Iraqi invaders looted Kuwait, then headed toward Saudi Arabia. For several months, the United States organized an international coalition against Iraqi aggression. On January 16, 1991, the U.S. and it's allies launched Operation Desert Storm by staging a massive assault against Iraq. On February 23, a successful air and ground offensive was launched from Saudi Arabia, which liberated Kuwait and defeated the Iraqi Forces. A cease-fire was announced on February 28th. Operation Desert Storm was over. Although the war was a decisive military victory for the U.S.-led coalition, the property damage in Kuwait and Iraq was enormous.

(Patriots & Patriotism • War, 1st Iraq & Desert Storm) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.


The Virgin of Guadalupe and Juan Diego

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Mexico, Distrito Federal, Ciudad de Mexico
En las inmediaciones de este lugar, al amanecer del sabado 9 de diciembre de 1531, la Madre de Dios hablo por primera vez con Juan Diego. Por la tarde, ese mismo dia, y al atardecer del domingo 10 de diciembre, nuevamente hablo con el dia 12 de diciembre por la mañana, Juan Diego recogio de este sitio las rosas del milagro.
1970 Año del Encuentro Guadalupano

English translation:
Near this location on the morning of Saturday, December 9, 1531, the Mother of God spoke for the first time with Juan Diego. In the afternoon, that same day, and on the afternoon of Sunday, December 10th, she spoke with him again. On December 12th in the morning, Juan Diego collected the miraculous roses from this site.
1970 Year of Guadalupe

Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

St. Peter's Church

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Jamaica, Kingston, Port Royal
Completed 1726
To replace the original parish church
sunk below the waves in 1692

(Churches, Etc. • Disasters) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Lucas Barrett

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Jamaica, Kingston, Port Royal
In Memory of
Lucas Barrett F.G.S. F.L.S.
Director of the Jamaican Geological Survey
From 1859 to 1862
Who died while conducting underwater research
off Port Royal on December 19, 1862
aged twenty five years.
Erected by
The Geological Society of Jamaica
on the centenary of his death December 19, 1962
Original monument replaced by
The Geological Society of Jamaica
December 5, 2005

(Science & Medicine) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

The Historic Royal Naval Hospital

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Jamaica, Kingston, Port Royal

Built around 1818, the Historic Royal Naval Hospital is an early example of the use of cast iron in construction. It was designed by a team headed by naval architect Edward Holl and constructed using the labour of enslaved Africans. The prefabricated cast iron units were imported from Sheffield, England, and the bricks were made from local clay. The building rests on a raft foundation, that is, all supporting iron columns are linked beneath the surface.

The hospital was built on the foundation of an earlier one erected in 1743 and destroyed by fire in 1812. Outbuildings included kitchens, staff quarters, isolation ward, mortuary and a storeroom. The services at the new hospital received high praise from those who were treated there. One of the first to be nursed at the hospital was Captain Botelier, RN.

Over the years and since the naval station at Port Royal closed in 1905, the building has been used for a variety of purposes.

(Man-Made Features • Science & Medicine • African Americans) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Fort Charles

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Jamaica, Kingston, Port Royal

Fort Charles, built in 1656, is the oldest fort in Jamaica. Originally named Fort Cromwell, it was renamed in 1662 to honour Charles II, restored King of England. The original armament of 10 guns was increased to 36 in 1667 and to 104 in 1765. When built, the fort was almost completely surrounded by water, but the area around it eventually silted up.

This fort, one of six located in Port Royal, served to guard the entrance to the Kingston Harbour. It was the only one of Port Royal's forts to survive the 1692 earthquake. Damaged, it was reconstructed in 1699 by Colonel Christian Lilly, chief engineer of Jamaica.

(Forts, Castles • Man-Made Features) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
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