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67th Fighter Squadron

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Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Campaigns. World War II:

China Defensive; Guadalcanal; New Guinea;
Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archigelago;
Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon;
Southern Philippines; China Offensive;
Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

Dedicated 18 September 1997

(War, World II • Patriots & Patriotism • Air & Space) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.


The National Zoo of El Salvador

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, El Salvador.

Antes de que se conociera como tal, al interior del Museo Nacional, hoy denominado “David J. Guzmán”, había funcionado un área de exhibición zoológica, según consta el Diario Oficial Numero 239, Tomo 15 Pag. 985, de fecha 16 de octubre de 1883. Es decir, estuvo ligado al Museo Nacional desde 1883 hasta el 23 de mayo de 1953.

Desde el 26 de mayo de 1953, se denomina Parque Zoologico Nacional, pero no es si no hasta el 23 de diciembre de ese mismo año, que se desliga totalmente de Museo. Esto, durante la Administración del Presidente de la Republica, Coronel Oscar Osorio, dentro del Ministerio de Cultura. En esa fecha se traslada a los terrenos actuales de la antigua Finca “Modelo”, en un área de 10 manzanas. Su primer Director fue el Dr. Eduardo Fisher. Se crea con 208 animales de diferentes especies. Dos años más tarde, el 29 de junio de 1955, el Parque adquiere un lote de 17 ejemplares exóticos, comprados en Hamburgo Alemania, por la cantidad de cincuenta mil colones, lote entre los cuales se encontraban antílopes, camellos, cebras, tigres de bengala, carneros, mandriles y una elefanta asiática de cinco años de edad (Manyula). Así se mantuvo el Zoológico atendiendo y proporcionando el cuido y mantenimiento de su infraestructura y especies.

Durante la administración del Presidente de la Republica Dr. Armando Calderón Sol, y a través de la Secretaria Nacional de la Familia, dirigida por su esposa Licenciada Elizabet de Calderón Sol, se hacen trabajos de reacondicionamiento del Parque en 1997.

El Parque Zoológico Nacional, desde su creación ha pertenecido dentro de la estructura gubernamental, tanto al área educativo como cultura, tal como se ha visto anteriormente. Al crearse, en septiembre de 1991, el Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y el Arte, Concultura, su administración está bajo su responsabilidad, primero al interior de la Dirección Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural y desde el 17 de agosto de 1999, al crearse la Dirección Nacional de Espacios de Desarrollo Cultural, siempre en Concultura, está los cuales lo determinan como un verdadero espacio de desarrollo cultural, con dinámica propia.

El 1 de septiembre de 2007 teniendo la estructura del parque 54 años, la administración del Presidente de la República Elías Antonio Saca González , en Consejo de Ministros anuncia el Proyecto de “Remodelación del Parque Zoológico Nacional 2008” el cual con una inversión de $700,000.00 del Presupuesto General de la Nación, se ejecuta por primera vez una Remodelación más integral de su infraestructura que incluyó la separación y construcción de áreas específicas tales como: Plaza de Juegos, restaurantes, clínica veterinaria, cuarto frio, comedor y preparación de alimentos, recintos de leones, tigres de bengala, elefante indio, fachada principal, ampliación de parqueo, readecuación de calles y senderos, y señalización en general. Dicho proyecto fue dedicado a Manyula la elefanta asiática única sobreviviente del primer lote de animales exóticos desde 1955

San Salvador, octubre de 2008

English translation:
Before it was known as the National Zoo, there was a zoological exhibit within the National Museum, now named after David J. Guzman, as recorded in the Official Journal No. 239, Volume 15, page 985, from October 16, 1883. The zoo was linked to the National Museum from 1883 until May 23, 1953.

From May 26, 1953 it was named the National Zoological Park, but it was not until December 23rd of the same year when it became completely separate from the Museum. This was during the Administration of President Colonel Oscar Osorio and it was placed within the Ministry of Culture. On that date it was moved to its current location here at the site of the old Modelo farm in an area of about 10 blocks. Its first director was Dr. Edward Fisher. It was created with 208 animals of different species. Two years later, on June 29, 1955, the park took on a batch of 17 exotic specimens, bought in Hamburg Germany for the amount of fifty thousand colones. This group included antelopes, camels, zebras, Bengal tigers, sheep, baboons and a five-year old Asian elephant, named Manyula. During this time the Zoo attended to the public and provided for the care and maintenance of the infrastructure and the animals.

During the administration of President Dr. Armando Calderon Sol, and through the National Secretariat for the Family, headed by his wife Elizabet Calderon Sol, the Park was remodeled in 1997.
The National Zoological Park, both the educational and cultural areas, since its inception has belonged within the government. When created in September 1991, the National Council for Culture and Art, Concultura, took the administration of the Zoo under its responsibility, first within the National Directorate of Cultural Heritage. From August 17, 1999 the management of the Zoo has been under the National Department of Cultural Development Spaces, also within Concultura, which is determined as a true space for cultural development.
On September 1, 2007 with the infrastructure of the park 54 years old, the administration of President Elias Antonio Saca Gonzalez and the Council of Ministers announced the Project "Remodeling the National Zoological Park 2008" which with an investment of $700,000 from the national budget, was a major remodeling of its infrastructure which included the separation and construction of specific areas for use as: a playground, restaurants, a veterinary clinic, a cold room, dining room and food preparation areas, a lion area, bengal tiger area, space for an Indian elephant, the main facade, a parking expansion, realignment of streets and trails, and signage in general. The project was dedicated to Manyula: the only Asian elephant and survivor of the first group of exotic animals acquired in 1955.

San Salvador, October 2008

(Education • Animals) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

The American Hippopotamus

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, El Salvador.

Toxodonte o Hipopotamo americano
Mixotoxodon larensis
Se originaron en Sur America y logran llegar hasta el sur de Mexico cuando se consolida el puente centroamericano, que origino el gran intercambio biótico centroamericano, hace unos tres millones de años.
Estos herbívoros son conocidos en la actualidad solamente por sus fosiles, ya que todo el grupo al cual pertenecian se extinguio completamente sin dejar descendencia alguna en el planeta, hace ya 10 mil años.
Se movían en manadas y habitaban en cuerpos de agua estancada como grandes charcas, lagunas, lagos y ríos. Se alimentaban de algas y todo tipo de plantas acuáticas, por eso los paleontólogos les llaman “hipopótamo americano.”
Sus restos fosiles son muy escasos y en El Salvador solamente se han recolectado restos de algunas partes de su esqueleto en sitios paleontológicos como El Hormiguero, Comacaran, San Miguel y Rio Tomayate, Apopa, San Salvador.

English translation:
Toxodonte or American Hippopotamus
Mixotoxodon larensis
It originated in South America and made their way to southern Mexico on the Central American Bridge, which originated the great Central American Biotic Interchange, about three million years ago.
These herbivores are now known only by their fossils, and the whole group to which they belonged became completely extinct about 10,000 years ago without leaving any related animals anywhere in the world.
They moved in herds and lived in bodies of standing water such as large ponds, lagoons, lakes and rivers. They ate all kinds of algae and aquatic plants, so paleontologists call them "American hippopotamus."
Their fossil remains are very scarce and in El Salvador remains of some parts of its skeleton have been found in paleontological sites like the El Hormiguero, Comacarán, San Miguel and the Tomayate River, Apopa and San Salvador.

(Anthropology • Paleontology) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Edwin C. "Ned" Humphreys, Jr.

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Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

In Honor Of

Founder and Executive Director
of Bombardiers, Inc.
An organization dedicated to collecting,
recording and preserving the
heritage and tradition of the
military profession of bombardiering.

(War, World II • War, Cold • Patriots & Patriotism • Air & Space) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Waterfront Sites

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Buffalo, New York.

Waterfront Sites From the LaSalle Park Gateway
From the miltary garrison in Fort Erie to the wind turbines visible to the south, this vantagepoint depicts the endeavors of over 250 years of economic history.

LaSalle Park. Named for the French explorer, this waterfront park was developed in 1931. It features picnic facilities, ball fields, and an amphitheater. LaSalle Park is connected to other historical and recreational facilities in the Niagara River Gateway by virtue of the Shoreline Trail that passes through it.
Lackawanna Wind Turbines. The eight turbines on the former Bethlehem Steel Plant site deliver 56,000 megawatts of clean energy to the region. The turbines not only create a new image for the Buffalo waterfront but also promise to revitalize the local economy.
Buffalo Water Intake Built in 1907, this building was originally known s the "Emerald Channel Water Intake Building". It takes in 125 million gallons of water each day and, through a 12 foot diameter concrete tunnel, delivers it to the Col. Ward Pumping Station just south of where you are standing.
Federal Channel Markers
Bird Island Pier
This pier extends 2900 yards from Squaw Island to Bird Island at the mouth of the Niagara River. It separates the Black Rock Channel from the Niagara River and is a favorite fishing spot in the region.
Fort Erie, Onario, Canada A city of 30,000 people, Fort Erie is directly across the Niagara River from Buffalo. Th earea was settled in 1764 around the construction of a military fort by the British.
Black Rock Channel. The Channel extends 3-1/2 miles from the Buffalo Harbor to the Black Rock Lock. It was creaed in conjunction with the Erie Canal in 1825 and includes the historic commercial and social center known as Black Rock.
Buffalo Yacht Club. The Club was established in 1860 and organized its first regatta - a tradition uninterrupted through the present day. The current clubhouse, just north of where you are standing, was built in 1893.
International Peace Bridge Connecting Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, the 4400' bridge was completed in 1927 and commemorated 100 years of peace between the US and Canada. It remains an important commerical port today with over 4000 trucks crossing each day.

(Waterways & Vessels • Bridges & Viaducts • Environment) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

The Giant Sloth

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, El Salvador.

Perezoso Gigante
Eremotherium laurillardi
Este mamifero se extinguio hace unos 10 mil años por causas que aun se desconocen, pero se cree que tuvo mucho que ver el cambio climático que produjo la ultima glaciación. Se originaron en Sur America y logran llegar hasta Norte America aprovechando el puente de tierra que se formo cuando surgio de manera permanente el Istmo de Panama, hace 8.5 millones de años.

Eran animals herbivoros, se alimentaban principalmente de frutos y brotes de arboles, habitaban zonas semi-boscosas y se movían en manadas buscando alimento constantemente. Alcanzaron a medir en promedio 5 ½ metros de altura, y podían llegar a pesar hasta cuatro toneladas.

En El Salvador, restos fosiles han sido descubiertos en casi todo el territorio, desde la zona occidental hasta la oriental, como son los sitios paleontológicos: Rio Tomayate, Apopa, San Salvador; Barranca del Sisimico, Apastepeque, San Vicente; Hacienda San Juan del Sur, Comacaran, San Miguel; Rio Frio, Ahuachapan, Ahuachapan La Criba, San Cristobal de la Frontera, Santa Ana, entre otros.

English translation:
Giant Sloth
Eremotherium laurillardi
This mammal became extinct about 10,000 years ago for reasons that are still unknown, but is believed to have much to do with climate change that was produced during the last glaciation. They originated in South America and made their way to North America by exploiting the land bridge that formed when the Isthmus of Panama was formed 8.5 million years ago.

They were herbivorous animals, feed mainly on fruits and tree buds. They inhabited semi-wooded areas and moved in herds constantly looking for food. They grew to be on average 5 ½ meters high and could weigh up to four tons.

In El Salvador, fossil remains have been discovered in almost all the territory of the nation, from the west to the east, including such paleontological sites as: Rio Tomayate, Apopa, San Salvador; Barranca de Sisimico, Apastepeque, San Vicente; Hacienda San Juan del Sur, Comacarán, San Miguel; Rio Frio, Ahuachapan, Ahuachapan; La Criba, San Cristobal de la Frontera, Santa Ana, among others.

(Education • Paleontology) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Kachina Bridge

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near Blanding, Utah.
Kachina (Ka-cheé-na) Bridge was named for the Hopi kachina spirits which frequently displayed lightning snake symbols on their bodies. Similar snake patterns were carved by prehistoric people on the base of Kachina Bridge.

Kachina Bridge is the best place in the monument to observe the making of a natural bridge. Here meandering streams cut downward into the Cedar Mesa Sandstone, leaving a thin wall of rock. The streams attacked the wall from both sides, eroding the weaker areas. Eventually, the streams broke through the wall creating a natural bridge.

Kachina Bridge is still being enlarged by the streams. Flash floods wear away at the abutments and gravity pulls at loose rocks.

(Native Americans • Environment) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Chutchui and Sitlintac

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San Francisco, California.
For the last 5,000 years this particular site served as a vantage point to the southeast, overlooking an ancient salt water bay fed by fresh water streams.
Standing on this bluff three to four hundred years ago, looking southeast, you would have seen small creeks flowing from the sandy hills into hundreds of acres of tidal marshlands around a broad, shallow stretch of open water, later named Mission Bay.
You might have seen smoke from villages that survived here for thousands of years. One, known as Chutchui, was located near the willow-fringed, fresh-water creek where the Franciscan fathers built their mission. The other village on the shore of Mission Bay was named Sitlintac; it occupied different habitats, as meandering sloughs changed and high ground appeared in different seasons.


(illustration 2)
It was into this landscape, more water than land, that people came - from the East Bay and Marin - as well as from villages to the south and east. Skimming over the shallow waters of Mission Bay in their lightweight boats that they made of tule reeds lashed together with willow withes. With pointed sticks, they pried mussels from rocks and dug up clams; with woven basket, they scooped up herring and smelt, with throwing nets weighted by grooved stones, they snared ducks and shorebirds. Paddling up the creek they cut willow withes for their baskets, making lashings to hold the pole framework of their huts. They harvested tule, using reeds for their boats, fibers for sleeping mats and aprons, and thatch for their conical houses.

(illustration 3)
A hunter's paradise, Mission Bay's 300 acres of sunny shallow water, abounded with fish, attracted thousands of birds. Migrating Canadian geese, swans, and snow geese; wild geese, whose wings and cries, as they moved from place to place caused a kind of roaring noise. In this drawing, San Francisco Bay hunters used entire fox skins as quivers for arrows they made with stone or bone tips, attaching bird feathers to the shanks with asphaltum. Fox, rabbit, and other small game animals proved to be so tame that early European explorers found no sport in hunting animals that refused to run and give chase but would wait to be taken.

(illustration 4)
The earliest European sighting of the people on the shore of Mission Bay occurred in August of 1775, when Pilot Juan Baptisto Aquirre explored the bay in a redwood dugout long boat lowered from the Spanish brig San Carlos, anchored at Angel Island, Three individuals were seen on shore, where they stood lamenting and weeping. Aguirre commemorated his sighting by naming this protected bay - Ensenada de los Llorenes, or Cove of the Weepers.
In 1816, artist Louis Choris drew these faces of long time Mission San Francisco converts and commented: "I have never seen any of them laugh, I have never seen a single one look anyone in the face. They have the air of taking no interest in anything." By then, for more than forty years, the Mission at San Francisco has been actively recruiting and converting the people of Mission Bay, the East Bay, Marin, and from across the Carquinez Straits.
In September of 1816, arriving on the Rurik under the command of Captain Otto von Katzebue, artist Louis Choris drew these faces of long time Mission San Francisco converts. Choris identified each portrait with a particular tribal group given by the individual as a place of origin. We can be confident that these are authentic representations, because on the same voyage Choris made other drawings of the Inuit people and Polynesians, whose portraits could be interchanged with their descendants today.

(illustration 5)
Mission Bay people played music on flutes fashioned of hollow alder branches, on whistles made of hollow bird bone, and with rattles made of seed pods and cocoons. Fascinated by the chanting of the Mission priests, accompanied by bells, flutes, and a violin, native converts performed their own ceremonial dances in the Mission plaza.
Although the tribal people might decide many many times to reject conversion and Mission life, once individuals had taken a vow to become Christianized, the Spanish fathers took this as a sacred oath designed to rescue these "Lost Children" from the observed hardships of life in this world, and tortures of the damned in the next. Therefore, it any converts decided to leave, soldiers and Christianized Indians were sent after them, to bring them back for punishment - saving them from eternal retribution as lost souls.

(illustration 6)
When Choris drew these Mission San Francisco converts from different bay area tribes, Captain Otto von Kotzebue wrote: "The filthy state of these barracks was beyond conception, which is probably the cause of great mortality among the inhabitants..." Removed from their scattered small tribal villages, these indigenous people lived in such crowded conditions, with no natural immunization to foreign diseases, that illness swept through first one mission and moved on to another.
"Very few children born at the missions grew to adulthood. Gastrointestinal diseases flourished. Syphilis, and tuberculosis became endemic. Occasional epidemics of measles, possibly influenza and typhoid fever, ran through mission populations. Recorded death rates at missions Santa Clara and San Francisco between 1780 and 1830 were among the highest continually sustained death rates anywhere." -- Dr. Randall Milliken, A Time of Little Choice

(black and white tiles on the left side of the pylon)
Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific, 1826, Captain Frederic W. Beechey, on H.M.S. Blossom, concerning life at San Francisco's Mission
... If any captured Indians show a repugnance to conversion it is the practice to imprison them for a few days, and then allow them to breath a little fresh air in a walk around the mission to observe the happy life of their converted countrymen after which they are shut up, and continue to be incarcerated until their readiness to renounce the religion of their forefathers... Having become Christians they are put to learning trades, if they have good voices, (they) are taught music... there are weavers, tanners, shoemakers, brick layers, carpenters, blacksmiths. Others are taught to rear cattle and horses, while the females card, clean and spin wool...

The Testimony of Captured Run-away Converts from the Mission San Francisco
Lt. Jose Arguello, along with other Presidio soldiers, captured these run-aways, and on August 12, 1797 took down their personal reasons for escaping from the Mission. He filed his military report with Spanish authorities.
Tiburcio -- He testified that after his wife and daughter died, on five separate occasions father Danti ordered him whipped because he was crying, for theses reasons he fled.
Marciano -- He offered no reason for fleeing other than he had become sick both his wife and two children lived through the epidemic of 1795.
Marin -- He testified that he left due to his hunger and because they had put him in stocks when he was sick, on orders from the Alcalde.
Ostano -- He testified that his motive for having fled was that his wife, one child, and two brothers had died, and because he fought with another Indian who had been directing his work group.
Liberato -- He testifies that he left because his mother, two brothers and three nephews died, all of hunger. So that he would not also die of hunger, he fled.
Jose Manuel -- He testifies that when they went to bring wood from the mountains, Raymond ordered them to bring him water, When he wouldn't do it, Raymundo hit him with a heavy cane, rendering his hand useless.
Magno -- He declared that he ran away because his son having been sick, he took care of him and therefore could not go to work. As a result he was given no ration, and is son died of hunger.
Homobono -- He testifies that his motive for fleeing was that his brother had died on the other shore and when he cried for him at the Mission, they whipped him. Also, the Alcalde had hit him with a heavy club when he went to look for mussels on the beach.
Otolon -- He reports that he fled because his wife did not care for him or bring him food. The vaquero, Salvador had sinned with her. Then Father Antonio ordered him whipped because he was not looking out for said woman, his wife.
Milan -- He declared that he was working all day in the tannery without any food for either himself, his wife or his child. One afternoon after he left he went to look for clams to feed his family. Father Danti whipped him. The next day he fled to the other shore, where his wife and child died.
Prospero -- He declared that he had gone out one night to the lagoon to hunt for ducks for food. For this Father Antonio Danti ordered him stretched out and beaten. That following week he was whipped again for going out into the paseo.
Archiva General de la Nation, Mexico City, Rama Californias Toma 65, Doc. 106. Transcribed from the Spanish in "Manuscripts in Translation" from A Time of Little Choice by Randal Milliken, Ballena Press, Menlo Park, 1995

(black and white tiles on the back and right side of the pylon)

Baptismal Records
1777 -- 1787

All of the individuals listed here were baptized at the Mission San Francisco de Asis, founded in 1776, and later known as the Mission Dolores.
When baptized, Native Americans gave their own name, as well as their tribal village of origin. Franciscan priests gave them a new Spanish name. Both names are shown here, as they appear on Mission baptismal records from June of 1777 through January of 1787.
Six thousand, three hundred and sixteen individuals were baptized at San Francisco's Mission during this first decade. They hailed from many far flung regional tribal villages.
The one-hundred and six individuals listed here came from the six tribal villages in the territory that would become San Francisco.
Mission Bay's vanished people came from two nearby villages. Sitlintac, on the shore of the once great bay; and from Chutchui, close by the site chosen for San Francisco's Mission.

(Baptismal Records for one hundred and six individuals)

Research on individuals from San Francisco Mission baptismal records accomplished by Dr. Randall Milliken
Shown here with his help and kind permission and published as
A Time of Little Choice:
The Disintegration of Tribal Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area 1769-1810
Ballena Press, Melo Park, 1995

(Native Americans • Colonial Era) Includes location, directions, 6 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Fort King Burying Ground

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Ocala, Florida.
This marks the burying ground of the soldiers and civilians who died at Fort King during the Seminole War 1835-1842.

Fort King occupied the hill to the north-east and was established as a military post in 1827.

(Forts, Castles • Cemeteries & Burial Sites) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Roberts City

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Tampa, Florida.
In 1909, cigar manufacturer J.W. Roberts and Sons Company moved into an abandoned cigar factory on Garcia Avenue and Green Street. The neighborhood, bordered on the north and east by the Hillsborough River, on the south by Cass Street, and on the west by North Boulevard, was then reborn as Roberts City. Unusual among Tampa's neighborhoods, it included a mix of Italians, Spaniards, Cubans, African Americans, Bahamians and Anglos. African Americans could not escape the laws that mandated segregated facilities. Still, whites and blacks in Roberts City largely ignored Tampa's ethnic and racial social barriers.

Boxing played a prominent role in Roberts City and many world-renowned boxers trained at the Buena Vista Hotel. The neighborhood also had its own grocery, pharmacy, hotel, and fish market. In 1938, Clara Frye Hospital opened to serve the city's black population.

In the early and mid-1960s, almost all the homes and businesses in Roberts City were razed to make room for the interstate highway and for Tampa's Riverfront urban renewal project. Still, former residents of Roberts City fondly remember their neighborhood and sponsored this historic marker to remind others of the strong community that once thrived.

(Notable Places) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Mission of Nuestra Señora del Rosario de La Punta

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St. Augustine, Florida.
From the late 1720s to the early 1750s the green space just beyond this wall was the site of the church and cemetery for the mission community of La Punta (FL Site #8SJ94). This mission was home to refugee Yamassee and Apalachee Indians who had fled the attacks of English colonists and allied Indians from Carolina to the relative safety of the Spanish capitol.

The mission church was located near the center of La Punta, which consisted of dispersed farmsteads within a 30-acre area just south of the Rosario Line, one of the city's colonial defensive walls. Along with other mission communities that surrounded the city, La Punta formed part of St. Augustine's comprehensive defense-in-depth system.

This green space protects the resting place of more than 75 individuals, the majority of whom were buried below the church floor. The church was constructed of palm thatch and lumber, which deteriorated shortly after LaPunta's abandonment circa 1755.

(Churches, Etc. • Cemeteries & Burial Sites) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

The Boat Basin

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St. Augustine, Florida.
A Boat Basin at the east end of the Plaza was constructed as part of the new coquina seawall of 1840. This Basin was important to St. Augustine residents who depended on the river and harbor for their livelihood, travel, and recreation. This photo (right) is a view of the Boat Basin after the devastating fire of April 12, 1887 destroyed the wooden St. Augustine Hotel and burned the roofs of the Cathedral and the Public Market.

Archaeological investigations in 2000 discovered the west wall of the Basin now under the Ponce de Leon statue and Avenida Menendez. When the Basin was abandoned in 1895, a wooden bridge was constructed across Matanzas Bay which was itself replaced by the current Bridge of Lions in 1927.

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

Historic Florida Railroad

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Callahan, Florida.
The Florida Railroad was the state's first cross-peninsular railroad. David L. Yulee, a Florida resident and United States Senator, incorporated the Florida Railroad Company in 1853. Construction of the line began at Fernandina Beach in 1856 and was completed to Cedar Key in 1861, covering a distance of 155 miles. The railroad passed through the present-day communities of Baldwin, Starke, Waldo, Gainesville, Archer, and Bronson. Railroad stations in Nassau County included Fernandina Beach, O'Neil, Lofton, Yulee, Whittsville, Italia, Callahan, Crawford, Dahoma, Inglehame, and Bryceville. The railroad roughly parallels present-day State Road 200 from Fernandina Beach to Callahan and present-day US 301 from Callahan south to the Nassau County line.

Intensive manual labor was required to construct the Florida Railroad. The company recruited slaves and free laborers to fell trees, drive spikes, and lay crossties and rails. The railroad used a broad gauge of five feet between rails with heavy rail generally of sixty pounds per linear yard. Crossties were made of yellow pine and were eight feet long, seven inches wide, and seven inches high. Wooden bridges were constructed across Nassau County's many creeks and rivers, including Kingsley Creek, Boggy River, Lofton Creek, Mills Swamp, and Plummer Swamp.

Completed in 1861, the railroad allowed ships from the ports of the eastern United States to avoid the lengthy and often dangerous passage through the Keys to reach the markets of the Gulf coast. Ship cargoes were unloaded in Fernandina Beach for transportation across the state via the railroad to Cedar Key. From there, goods were reloaded and carried to New Orleans, Mobile, and elsewhere. The railroad also benefited from the agricultural enterprises of the state's interior, which included sugar, cotton, tobacco, cattle, and fruits and vegetables. Naval stores and timbering, both of which were emerging industries at the time, also benefited from the railroad.

As Florida's roadways modernized in the twentieth century, the importance of the railroad declined. Tracks were removed in parts of Nassau, Alachua, and Levy Counties beginning in the 1930's. The railroad is still active in Nassau County from Fernandina Beach to Yulee and from Callahan south to the county line. Remains of the abandoned railroad can still be found along the 15-mile segment between Yulee and Callahan.

(Railroads & Streetcars) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Lake Mary Historic Sites

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Lake Mary, Florida.
1. Site of first store. West side of Second St. between Lake Mary Ave and Grand Bend Ave. Circa 1890
2. Site of A. E. Sjoblom general merchandise store. Between Crystal Lake Ave and South Florida Railroad at First St. Circa late 1800
3. Site of first church South side of Crystal Lake Av between First and Second Streets. Built by A. E. Sjoblom 1892. First congregation (Presbyterian) organized 1894 by the Rev John F Sundell also minister at Upsala Presbyterian Church.
4. Site of Florida Railroad depot (later Atlantic Coastline) east side of tracks at Palmetto St. crossing. Erected 1901. Razed in 1942. Railroad tracks laid in 1880.
5. Sites of first five Lake Mary Post Offices
a. Home of William N Webster-Postmaster 1887-1906 East of RR at cemetery
b. Webster second site. Behind A. E. Sjoblom store in old freight building. Moved there by mules.
c. Home of Bertie C. Martin Postmaster 1906-1919. East of RR at Cemetery.
d. A.E. Sjoblom store 1919-1927 Postmaster 1919-1932. East Crystal lake Ave at RR
e. A.E. Sjoblom third store. A two story brick building. Located northwest corner Crystal Lake Ave at First St. Post Office was located there 1927-1932 when it was razed.
6. Site of A.E. Sjoblom public water works and tank. Mid-19220's Between Old Lake Mary Road and Wilbur Ave
7. Site of A.E. Sjoblom two story brick garage. Corner First St and Crystal Lake Ave. Erected 1926
8. Site of A.E. Sjoblom skating rink. East side of First St between Wilbur Ave and Crystal Lake Ave. Erected 1926
9. A.E. Sjoblom Memorial Parks. A chain of nine small neighborhood parks. Platted 1916
10. Lake Mary Cemetery. Land donated by Judge David J. Pulling. 1894
11. Chamber of Commerce building and Community Center. Erected by Frank Evans 1926
12. Frank Evans two story brick building and water tower. Erected 1926. Dr. O.J. Miller Drug and Sundry store was an original occupant. 1932 part of the building housed the Post Office. Jonathan D. Evans was Postmaster.
13. Service station garage and house (house later razed) built by Frank Evans mid-1920. Rented to Guy Wyman. Later rented to Harvey and Lois Ought. Later sold to them.
14. Homer and Lena Gleason general store gas pump and home. Built by them in 1925.
15. Presbyterian Church. West Wilbur Ave. Construction started in 1927 was organized and directed by Rev. James M. Thompson. Strongly supported by the community with volunteer labor and money. Dedicated in 1930.
16. Rusticated cement block house. Wilbur Ave at Country Club Rd. Erected by A.E. Sjoblom mid-1920 as a store. Instead given to daughter Amanda Sjoblom Reaves upon her marriage. This material obtained locally used only in the early 20th century.
17. Douglas Building. Crystal Lake Ave. Erected 1932 as the Post Office. Helen Douglas, Postmaster 1932-1947
18. Site of early school. Northwest corner of Lake Mary Blvd at Country Club Rd. Built 1885 on land donated by Miles Tanner. Designed and construction supervised by Wm. H. Evans. Total cost $449.
19. Grammar school erected in 1925 on land donated by Frank Evans and A.E. Sjoblom. Financed by Frank Evans. Rebuilt 1987.
20. Site of dance casino-bath house on Crystal Lake near Lake Mary Ave. Mid-1920. Owned by Mrs. H.A. Phillips. Managed by Sherman and Laura Sewell.
21. Site of Planter Company Starch Factory. Fifth St at Crystal Lake Ave. 1901-1909.
22. Site of Planter Company hotel on west Wilbur Ave. Center of social affairs 1920's.
23. Oldest known existing house in Lake Mary. 182 Wilbur Ave. Erected 1899.
24. Site of John Bent grove on Crystal Lake east side. 159 acres bought in 1875 for $198. The original name of the railroad stop here was Bent Station.
25. Evansdale Park built by Frank Evans at west end of Lake Mary. Bath house swimming dock and pavilion provided early center for outdoor community activities. First community Easter Sunrise service there 5-17-1927. Services continue today on Frank Evans lakeside homestead.

(Notable Places) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Fields of Fire

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near Vienna, Virginia.
On 17 June 1863, early in the Gettysburg Campaign, the Union XII Corps camped just north of here. The men left Fairfax Court House at daybreak, ate breakfast at Hunter's Mill, and halted by 11 AM because of extreme heat, 99 degrees in the shade. Devastated by sunstroke casualties two days earlier during the grueling 25-mile-long march north, the Corps continued to suffer. Brig. Gen. Alpheus S. Williams, the First Division Commander, noted on the 17th that "the dry old grass of the fields and woods got on fire, and filled the air with smoke and additional heat."

(War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 1 photo, GPS coordinates, map.

Baton Rouge Confederate Monument

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Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Erected by the men and women of East and West Baton Rouge to perpetuate the heroism and patriotic devotion of the noble soldiers from the two parishes who wore the gray and crossed the river with their immortal leaders to rest under the shade of the trees.

Original monument erected 1886 A.D.

(War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

The Citadel

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near Gulf Shores, Alabama.
The Citadel, a large ten sided brick and wood structure, once dominated the Fort’s parade ground. Capable of housing 400 soldiers, it served as a defensive barracks for the Fort’s garrison.

During the Union bombardment of Fort Morgan on August 22nd, 1864 the Citadel roof caught fire and burned out of control. Following the Civil War the structure’s gutted ruins were demolished.

(Forts, Castles • War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 6 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Zephyrhills Army Airfield

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Zephyrhills, Florida.
Constructed as part of a group of state and WPA projects, major expansion of the airfield began in 1941 when it became home to U.S. Army Air Corps training facilities in preparation for WWII. It was in full operation by 1943, providing advanced fighter pilot training to air crews destined for service in Europe.

After the war, Zephyrhills Army Airfield was transferred to civilian municipal service, including residences, a school, medical offices and Civil Air Patrol headquarters.

This building is the last of approximately 30 local war-time barracks structures.

(War, World II • Air & Space) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Hercules Powder Company Camp #39

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Zephyrhills, Florida.
The Hercules Powder Company Camp No. 39 was established on this site in September 1946. It was an eighty acre tract with sixty to seventy company built pre-fabricated homes rented to employees for four dollars per room per month; some employees lived off site. Once the largest employer in Zephyrhills, with 150 people at any time, there was a commissary and a baseball team.

Farmers and ranchers within a thirty-five mile radius contracted with Hercules to remove pine stumps, which were then shipped by rail to Brunswick, Georgia. There they were processed into naval stores, mainly rosin, turpentine, and pine oil, as well as byproducts used in paper, paints, varnishes, adhesives, asphalt emulsions, gun powder, and dynamite.

Hercules Incorporated is based in Wilmington, Delaware and operated in the Zephyrhills area for nearly forty years. This county park and nearby Zephyrhills High School and Woodland Elementary School were built on the Hercules Powder Company Camp No. 39 site.

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

Oakside Cemetery

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Zephyrhills, Florida.
Deeded by Zephyrhills Colony Co. to the Oakside Cemetery Association in November 1911 this hallowed tract is the burying ground of veterans of six wars in which the United States of America has been involved -- the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict and Vietnam.

(Cemeteries & Burial Sites) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
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