Wisconsin Street School Bell

June 21, 2016, 6:32 am

≪ Previous: Propeller from the S.S. Badger

Port Washington, Wisconsin.

This bell once graced the tower of Wisconsin Street School, which stood adjacent to the present fire station. School bells such as this were often used to sound the fire alarm. The school was an early Port Washington public school, as well as the vocational school. Former vocational school director, Mr. Gustav Hirsch, purchased the bell when the building was being razed. It was donated to the Port Washington Historical Society by the Gustav and Paula Hirsch family. Dedicated April, 2015

(Education • Communications • Charity & Public Work) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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Propeller and Shaft

June 21, 2016, 6:35 am

≫ Next: Population Center

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Sevastopol, Wisconsin.

This stern frame cast iron propeller and steel shaft is believed to be from the lumber steamer Mueller which was built as Edwin S. Tice in 1887 at the Burger yards in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She measured 159.9 x 32.1 x 12.5; 728 gross tons. The vessel had many owners. In 1901, she was sold to William Mueller & Company of Chicago at which time she was rechristened Mueller. Until the time she was laid up at Sturgeon Bay in 1932, she towed barges in the pulpwood trade on the Great Lakes under four additional owners. In 1933, she was dismantled in the "boneyard." The hull was burned and scuttled about four miles north of the city of Sturgeon Bay in 1935.

For more information on Door County's rich history - visit the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, Gills Rock, and Cana Island.

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

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Population Center

June 21, 2016, 6:38 am

≫ Next: Mason and Dixon Line-Survey Start

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Warren, Vermont.

Nearby is an official survey mark, set July 2002, to identify the symbolic center of population for the State of Vermont as determined by the 2000 U.S. Census. The actual center of population (44° 04' 52.05" north latitude, 72° 48' 51.51" west longitude) is located on Prickly Mountain, approximately 0.64 miles southwest of this location, and would be the point where the State of Vermont would balance perfectly, if it were flat and weightless, and all of its 608,827 residents (based on census 2000) were of identical weight. For survey information on this survey mark, go to the National Geodetic Survey web site at www.ngs.noaa.gov.

(Government) Includes location, directions, 1 photo, GPS coordinates, map.

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Mason and Dixon Line-Survey Start

June 21, 2016, 6:44 am

≫ Next: Ginseng Trade

≪ Previous: Population Center

Fenwick Island, Delaware.

This is the marker from which Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon started the survey for the famous Mason-Dixon Line that separates Delaware from Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

This marker was settled in 1750 by John Emory and Thomas Jones, both of Maryland, and John Watson and William Parson, both of Pennsylvania. It was to separate the lower three colonies of Pennsylvania (which later became the state of Delaware) from the state of Maryland.

You will notice on the south side (facing you) the crest of Lord Baltimore, while the opposite side is the crest of William Penn.

(Landmarks) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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Ginseng Trade

June 21, 2016, 7:55 am

≫ Next: Richard Allen, Sr.

≪ Previous: Mason and Dixon Line-Survey Start

Boone, North Carolina.

Native root valued in China for medicinal uses; long collected by locals. Wilcox Drug (est. 1900), among its exporters, operated 175 yds. SE.

(Industry & Commerce • Horticulture & Forestry • Science & Medicine) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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Richard Allen, Sr.

June 21, 2016, 8:02 am

≫ Next: The Singing River Sculpture

≪ Previous: Ginseng Trade

Roaring River, North Carolina.

Colonel of N.C. Militia at Battle of King's Mountain. Delegate to the Hillsborough Convention, 1788; in General Assembly, 1793. Grave is 4 mi. N.

(Colonial Era • War, US Revolutionary • Politics • Patriots & Patriotism) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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The Singing River Sculpture

June 21, 2016, 8:36 am

≫ Next: The Progressive Club

≪ Previous: Richard Allen, Sr.

Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

This sculpture is dedicated to the many individuals whose efforts made Muscle Shoals and the Muscle Shoals area the “Hit Recording Capital of the World,” and to those who continue that legacy.

Legend of the Singing River
The Yuchi and other early inhabitants living along the banks of the mighty Tennessee River held the legend of a Spirit Woman who lived in the river. She protected and sang to them. When the river was angry, she sang loudly. When the river was peaceful, she sang softly and sweetly, sometimes humming a comforting lullaby. Some say that all they heard was the high waters mighty rush and roar over the mussel shoals, or at other times, the calm low waters babbling through the river rocks. Other say she is real and can still be seen in the early morning mist, hovering over the waters, just as she did those many years ago. In her honor, they called it the Singing River , and in her honor, we named these sculptures the Singing River Sculptures.

The World-changing Muscle Shoals Music
From throughout the 20th century to the present, Muscle Shoals area artists, musicians, songwriters and music-industry professionals have helped shape the world’s expansive music heritage. Few styles of music were untouched by Muscle Shoals, and local contributions have been made in all other areas of the complex industry: producers, recording engineers, songwriters, music publishers, and other positions in the music business.

Many of the world’s greatest performers began their ascent to stardom in Muscle Shoals, and artists, such as Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, the Staple Singers, Bob Seger, along with many others, quickly created a legacy which earned the area the title, “Hit Recording Capitol of the World.”

The area grew as a music center by drawing together people of all races and religions. In the 1960s, despite the segregation of the races enforced outside the studios, great soul classics were being created in the studios with each musician contributing his innate musical talent. The collaborations created some of the most widely loved music of the 20th century, including Steal Away, Mustang Sally, Tell Mama, Patches, Respect Yourself, and many others.

The warning issued in Arthur Alexander’s You Better Move On got the attention of the Rolling Stones. The Beatles heard Alexander’s song, Anna and each band acknowledged their respect for Alexander and his writing by recording their version of his songs on their first albums.

The songwriting tradition continues as one of the strongest facets of Muscle Shoals music, with area songwriters penning songs such as, I Loved Her First, I Swear, Blown Away, Before He Cheats, and hundreds of other hits over the decades.

The heart and soul of Muscle Shoals music has always been the players and singers. Four members of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section were immortalized in the Lynyrd Skynyrd song, Sweet Home Alabama. The lyric, “Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers, and they’ve been known to pick a song or two,” honors Jimmy Johnson, Barry Beckett, David Hood,and Roger Hawkins, studio musicians who produced and played on hundreds of hits recorded at area studios from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s.

Muscle Shoals and Its Contribution to this Golden Era
Muscle Shoals bestowed much more than its name on the world-famous “Muscle Shoals sound.”

The city served as the birthplace for early breakthroughs in the local music industry and later provided a home base for some of the area’s top studios. The first commercial recording to emerge from Muscle Shoals — the Bobby Denton single, A Fallen Star — was produced by James Joiner in the Second Street studios of WLAY Radio in 1957. Four years later in an old candy-and-tobacco warehouse on Wilson Dam Road, aspiring producer Rick Hall joined forces with bellhop-turned-singer Arthur Alexander to cut Muscle Shoals’ first national hit, the Southern Soul anthem, You Better Move On. In the wake of that success, Hall built FAME Recording Studios on Avalon Avenue in 1962. Artists ranging from Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and Etta James to Duane Allman, the Osmonds, and Bobby Gentry later recorded there. From 1970 to 1985, Muscle Shoals became known as “The Hit Recording Capital of the World” as FAME and Al Cartee’s Music Mill, Steve Moore’s East Avalon, and Terry Woodford and Clayton Ivey’s Wishbone Studios generated hits by Clarence Carter, Hank Williams Jr., the group Hot, George Jones, the Forester Sisters, Mac McAnally, Shenandoah, and many others. In 2011 Hall received the American Music Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2014 he was awarded the Grammy Trustees Award for significant contribution to the recording industry.

The City of Muscle Shoals, Alabama
David Bradford, Mayor
Audwin Pierre McGee, Sculptor
Historical commentary by Terry Pace, Dick Cooper, David Anderson, and Bill Matthews.

(captions)
Rick Hall and Duane Allman c. 1968 (FAME)
FAME Studios at 601 E. Avalon Avenue (Photo furnished by FAME)
East Avalon Studios (Photo furnished by Dick Cooper)
James Joiner and Bobby Denton at WLAY Radio Studio (Photo furnished by Bobby Denton)
Muscle Shoals City sign proclaiming it the Hit Recording Capital of the World (Photo furnished by FAME)
Wishbone Studios (Photo furnished by Terry Woodford)
FAME Studio at old Candy and Tobacco Warehouse (Photo furnished by FAME)

(Notable Events • Entertainment) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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The Progressive Club

June 21, 2016, 8:45 am

≫ Next: William C. Oates

≪ Previous: The Singing River Sculpture

Johns Island, South Carolina.

(front)
The Progressive Club, built in 1962-63, was a store and community center for Johns Island and other Sea Islands until it was badly damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The club had been founded in 1948 by civil rights activist Esau Jenkins (1910-1972), who worked to improve educational, political, economic, and other opportunities for blacks on the island and in the lowcountry. (Continued on other side) (back) (Continued from other side) Jenkins, Septima Clark (1898-1987), and Bernice Robinson (1914-1994) founded the first Citizenship School in 1957 to encourage literacy and voter registration. Its success led to many similar schools across the South, called “the base on which the whole civil rights movement was built.” The Progressive Club was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

(Civil Rights • African Americans) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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William C. Oates

June 21, 2016, 9:31 am

≫ Next: Battle of Crowheart Butte

≪ Previous: The Progressive Club

Montgomery, Alabama.

Born November 30, 1833,
Died September 9, 1910.
Born in poverty,
Reared in adversity,
Without educational advantages,
Yet by honest individual
effort he obtained
a competency and the
confidence of his fellow man,
while fairly liberal to
relatives and to the worthy poor.
A devoted Confederate soldier,
he gave his right arm for the cause.
He accepted the result of
the war without a murmur;
and in 1898-9, he was
a Brigadier General of
United States volunteers
in the War with Spain.
OATES

(War, US Civil • Heroes) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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Battle of Crowheart Butte

June 21, 2016, 9:40 am

≫ Next: Cheyenne Frontier Days™ (Part I)

≪ Previous: William C. Oates

Laramie, Wyoming.

This bronze sculpture captures the moment when Chief Washakie first raises his lance challenging Crow Chief Big Robber to a duel.
The Battle of Crowheart Butte was ignited when Crow Chief Big Robber and his braves refused to leave an area near this unique geological outcropping at the middle northern boundary of the present-day Wind River Reservation. Game had become increasingly scarce in other areas, with more tribes looking to the Wind River Valley for their winter supply of meat. Like the Shoshone, the Crow believed that this was their territory too. When the Crow moved in to hunt, Washakie allowed them to stay for several weeks. Eventually, however, Washakie sent one of his best warriors and the warrior's wife as a peace envoy with a message telling Big Robber that it was time to move east toward the Owl Creek Mountains.
The Crow chief's response was to kill the Shoshone scout as the woman watched helplessly. Big Robber then sent her home to relate the horrific scene to Chief Washakie. Although Washakie considered Big Robber to be a very strong opponent who was revered among his people for his steadfast bravery, the Shoshone chief immediately organized a war party of men he had trained personally to military precision and set out to attack the band of Crow camped on the Big Wind River near the Kinnear Ranch. A group of Bannocks joined Washakie in his attack on the Crow. Although taken by surprise, the Crow proved to be formidable adversaries for Washakie's men, and the two sides fought for nearly an week without resolution. Finally, realizing that both chiefs were losing too many warriors, Washakie approached Big Robber with a proposition: the two chiefs would fight each other. The warriors of the losing chief would forfeit the hunting lands and go home.
Fearless and menacing, Washakie rode close to the Crow chief and taunted him: "You and I will fight. And when I beat you, I will cut out your heart. And I will eat it!" As the Shoshone and Crow warriors gathered on opposite sides to watch, the two chieftains rode back and forth taunting and yelling at each other.
As the fight raged on, it became impossible to distinguish one from the other in the distant haze of dust. Finally, Washakie emerged with Big Robber's heart on the end of his lance, determining the winner. True to his word, Washakie had indeed cut out the dead chief's heart, but his descendants say he did not eat it. Instead, he displayed it until after the Shoshone victory dance that night. Out of respect for the triumphant Washakie, the Crow gave him two young women. He later took one of them as his wife.

(Native Americans) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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Cheyenne Frontier Days™ (Part I)

June 21, 2016, 10:31 am

≫ Next: First Century of the City of Atiquizaya

≪ Previous: Battle of Crowheart Butte

Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The year was 1897, Wyoming was still a young new State and the economy was still reeling from the Panic of 1993. The town's new Mayor and leading business men were looking for something to bring in outside business. The names of those involved reads like a who's who of early day Cheyenne (Francis E. Warren (rancher, Governor, U.S. Senator), Joseph M. Carey (wealthy businessman, Mayor, Governor, U.S. Senator), A.E. Slack (Owner/Publisher of the Cheyenne Leader), and Warren Richardson (rancher, wealthy businessman, Chairman of the Cheyenne Board of Trade). It has been said that after a train trip to Colorado to visit a Greeley Fair they came upon the ideas of having some sort of fair in Cheyenne. The man in charge of arranging the excursion trains for the Union Pacific Railroad was Traveling Passenger Agent Frederick W. Angier. It is said that he stepped off a train from Denver the morning of August 30th with the mission of establishing a "fair" in Cheyenne. Angier related how he watched a bunch of cowboys in a corral trying to load range horses into a stockcar of a train and how he believed that people would pay to come see this type of event. Why not have wild broncos and wily cowboys do this at a place along the Union Pacific and have the crowds brought in by rail. The rest is history as they say for on September 23rd - three weeks hence - the First Frontier Days came to pass and has been celebrated every year since.
The City's Pioneer Park was secured as the site and in those days it was also called Talbot's Grove. With trees, and grandstand, a racetrack and corrals it served as a city park. Just over $500 was raised by donations from shopkeepers; Slack ballyhooed the event in his newspaper, and the town was spruced up with bunting and decorations. Angier as good as his word, had plastered the area along the tracks with posters and sold over 1,600 tickets for trains from Denver. The Commander from Fort D.A. Russell agreed to provide a band and troops for marching in drills. At noon on September 23rd all the whistles blew and church bells rang. A cannon shot launched the event with one big boom! The Rodeo starts with this boom even today. Cowboys rode in from a radius of 50 miles trailing their "worst bucker." A rancher provided a few head of steers for roping, prize money was secured and Slack printed a colorful program. Spectators walked from town or drove out in the family buggy. Rigs lined the arena. Restaurants and saloons did a land office business.
The 1920's have been called the Golden Age of Rodeo and by then the Frontier Days Committee has taken the lead in managing the event. Town men ballyhooing Cheyenne at that time were Tim McCoy and T. Joe Cahill.
Tim McCoy was here only two years before he went out to Hollywood as a consultant and director of Indians for the movie industry. He had a ranch near Thermopolis and was a Wyoming favorite son who was said to be responsible for getting the Stetson Hat Company to develop the "50-gallon" hat which became popular with western movie star Tom Mix. Designed by local merchant Maxie Myer's Stetson Shop, the nine-inch crown and six-inch brim took a special block to make it, so for a time the little Cheyenne shop became the Stetson Hat headquarters of the world.
T. Joe Cahill as a boy started out selling programs but later was Committee Chairman (1914-1919). In the 1920's while in New York promoting rodeos produced by Tex Rickard, he never missed an opportunity to publicize his hometown Frontier Days. He was friend of all the journalists from Damon Runyon, to Gene Fowler, to Courteney Ryley Cooper; it has been said that he also urged the likes of Will Rogers, William S. Hart, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. to come to Frontier Days, and they did. While in charge of publicity, he is also credited with coining the phrase, "Daddy of 'em All." Today Cheyenne Frontier Days is and remains rated as the best or one of the best large, outdoor Rodeos in the world.
The list of Rodeo winners at Cheyenne reads like a whose who of the industry. Many of the cowboys who have come here as rookies have gone onto major rodeo careers and although rodeo is inherently dangerous there have been few fatalities over the 100 plus years of its existence. Five have been killed in the arena and they are: Eddie Burgess, Steer Roper; Reva Grey, Relay Rider; Rod Bullock, Chuck wagon Driver; Joseph Creel, Chariot Racer, and Lane Frost, Bull Rider.
Events added to the Rodeo since its meager beginning include: Frontier Nights (early 1930s) evolved into Night Shows (1949) which started with the "Big Bands" who traveled the circuit of major events (1945 to 1955); Canadian chuckwagon racing was added in 1952; and the 50-plus year association with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds performances held each midweek. Although Indian dancers and music have been around since the beginning the Indian Village has grown along with the presentation of western culture as seen in Wild Horse Gulch.

Note: Special thanks to Shirley Flynn as this information and photographs come from her book - Let's Go! Let's Show! Let's Rodeo! The History of the Cheyenne Frontier Days.

(Entertainment • Sports) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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First Century of the City of Atiquizaya

June 21, 2016, 6:55 pm

≫ Next: The Appaloosa

≪ Previous: Cheyenne Frontier Days™ (Part I)

, El Salvador.

Conmemoracion del Primer Centenario
del titulo de la ciudad de Atiquizaya
enero 24 - 1881 -- enero 24 - 1981
Concejo Municipal 1980 - 1981

Alc. Mpal. Don Carlos Israel Mendoza Figueroa
Sind. Mpal. " Jorge Ernesto Salman
1o Regidor Jorge Alberto Criollo
2^o Antonio Rodriguez
3^o Alberto Albanes Salazar
4^o " " Oscar Emeterio Barrientos
5^o Carlos Alberto Pacheco
6^o Jorge Eduardo Escob Albanes
7^o Fausto Enrique Oliva
8^o " " Carlos Alberto Valiento Orozco
9^o Héctor Antonio Linares
10^o Jose Israel Martínez Blanco
Srio. Mpal. Joel Estrada Valiente
Atiquizaya Nov. 30 - 1981

English translation:
In commemoration of the first century
of Atiquizaya having been promoted to the rank of city
January 24, 1881 - January 24, 1981
Names of the Municipal Council
Atiquizaya Nov. 30, 1981

(Notable Events) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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The Appaloosa

June 21, 2016, 7:57 pm

≫ Next: Chief Washakie

≪ Previous: First Century of the City of Atiquizaya

Laramie, Wyoming.

The legendary war-horse of the Nez Perce has a rich history dating as far back as 20,000 years. Detailed images of spotted horses can be found on cave walls in southern France. In Austria, a scabbard dating back to 1000 B.C. was found decorated with horses bearing the Appaloosa characteristics. Ancient art of Asia and China often depicts a horse with a spotted coat, and the Persians were known to worship the Appaloosa as the sacred horse of Nisea. In Europe the spotted horse appeared throughout recorded history, especially in paintings of the famous Lipizzaners, who often exhibit the characteristics of the Appaloosa.
The horse of the Nez Perce of the Palouse Rivere country was revered by many. As its reputation of sure-footedness, speed, durability and courage spread, many people would travel distances to acquire one of these magnificent animals. The neighboring Shoshone, being excellent horsemen, were known to have often traded for Appaloosa. No other breed except the Appaloosa can claim such a close association with a particular Native American group. The horse was an integral part of the Native American's way of life; he was an ally on the battlefield, he represented the wealth of a warrior, and was often what stood between life and death.
The quality of the Appaloosa was noted by Meriwether Lewis, himself a renowned horseman, in a journal entry dated February 15, 1806: "Their horses appear to be of an excellent race; they are lofty, elegantly formed, active and durable."
Never was a horse tested as severely as the Appaloosa, the Horse of the Iron Heart, as when the Nez Perce wars began. The odds were against the people of the Palouse; in a desperate attempt to save his people, Chief Joseph turned north toward Canada. Across some of the most punishing terrain of the Bitterroot Mountains, a distance of over 1,300 miles, the Appaloosa prevailed. Once again this horse had out distanced his pursuers and nearly brought his people to safety before being stopped at the Bear Paw Mountains.
The spotted horse from the Valley of the Winding Waters gave an unbelievable contribution of heart and endurance in a war fought for freedom. His conduct and the bravery of his people is written in an army ROTC manual as follows: "Joseph and his people, on extremely fine horses, engaged ten separate U.S. Commands in thirteen battles and skirmishes and in nearly every instance either defeated them or fought them to a stand still."
When Chief Washakie defeated the Crow chief Big Robber, at the battle of Crowheart Butte, he was carried into victory on an Appaloosa. This horse was a gift from Chief Joseph. Chief Washakie was known to have said that had it not been for the Appaloosa stallion he was riding, he may not have emerged victorious.
The actual horse used as the model for this sculpture is world-champion stallion Tom Tucker of Laramie and, like Chief Washakie's horse, is a descendant of the famous Nez Perce war-horse.

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

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Chief Washakie

June 21, 2016, 8:03 pm

≫ Next: 200th Anniversary of the First Cry of Salvadoran Independence

≪ Previous: The Appaloosa

Laramie, Wyoming.

The history of the American West recognizes Washakie as one of its most remarkable leaders. Revered for statesmanship and respected in battle, he united his people into a significant political and military force. A skilled orator and charismatic figure who spoke French, English and a number of Native American languages, he successfully negotiated land and education settlements for the Shoshone.
Tradition holds that Washakie was gifted with the ability to foresee the future and work out the destiny of his people to the best possible advantage. He rose to a position of leadership in 1840, bringing together disparate groups of Shoshone warriors. With immigrants pressing along the eastern slope of the Rockies through traditional Shoshone hunting grounds, Washakie sensed that the tide of the White Man could not be stemmed. He believed that if the Shoshone were to retain their lands, they would need to make peace with the immigrants, and he convinced his own people and the U.S. government of the need for a protected Shoshone territory.
On July 2, 1868, Washakie signed the Fort Bridger Treaty, establishing a three-million-acre reservation in Wyoming's stunningly beautiful Wind River country. Thanks to his foresight and leadership, this "Warm Valley of the Wind" remains the home of the Shoshone today.
The Fort Bridger treaty included pledges for building schools; Washakie was as committed to his people's education as he was to protecting their lands. To this end, he and his good friend John Roberts, the Welsh clergyman, established a boarding school for Shoshone girls. Built on sacred ceremonial grounds along the banks of Trout Creek, the school encouraged traditional and native speech.
Washakie remained an active and respected leader until his death at 102. His wisdom, gained from a century of experience and leadership, was sought by non-Native Americans as well as his own people.
When Washakie died on February 20, 1900, he was accorded a full military funeral, the only one known to be given a Native American chief. The mourning Shoshone, Arapahos and U.S. soldiers formed the longest funeral procession in the history of Wyoming.
Chief Washakie is buried in the old military cemetery at Fort Washakie. The cemetery road leads to the heart of the Wind River Country, the land he loved and fought to protect and preserve for his people.

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

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200th Anniversary of the First Cry of Salvadoran Independence

June 21, 2016, 8:08 pm

≫ Next: Carver Elementary School

≪ Previous: Chief Washakie

, El Salvador.

El Concejo Municipal de la ciudad de Atiquizaya,
presidido por
La Licenciada Ana Luisa Rodríguez de Gonzalez,
Alcadesa Municipal,
periodo edilicio 2008-2012
En conmemoración de los doscientos años del primer grito
de Independencia.
Atiquizaya, 05 de noviembre del año 2011.

English translation:
The Municipal Council of the city of Atiquizaya,
presided over by
Ana Luisa Rodríguez de Gonzalez,
Municipal Mayor,
for the period 2008-2012
In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the First Cry of Independence.
Atiquizaya, November 5, 2011.

(Politics • Patriots & Patriotism • Wars, Non-US) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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Carver Elementary School

June 22, 2016, 6:18 am

≫ Next: Juan Ponce de Leon

≪ Previous: 200th Anniversary of the First Cry of Salvadoran Independence

Royal Oak Township, Michigan.

During the early twentieth century, many African Americans migrated north to work in Detroit's automobile factories. Increased migration during World War II prompted Royal Oak Township's Clinton School District to split into two racially segregated districts. The new Carver School District and the George Washington Carver Elementary School, built in 1945, served black students. By 1960 the Carver District suffered a drop in tax revenue and could not support a high school. Because neighboring districts would not accept Carver's students, Governor G. Mennon Williams merged the Carver and Oak Park districts. The Carver school closed in 1982. Although much altered, the building is a reminder of "separate but equal" government policies that institutionalized segregation.

(Education • African Americans) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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Juan Ponce de Leon

June 22, 2016, 6:52 am

≫ Next: Fort St. Louis

≪ Previous: Carver Elementary School

Punta Gorda, Florida.

(side 1)
Born-San Tierra de Campos, Palencia, Spain-1460.
Died-Havana, Cuba-(probably Mid-June)-1522.
Interred-Entombment beneath the high altar of the Dominican Cathedral of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Epitaph to Ponce de Leon
"Beneath this stone repose the bones of the valiant Lion whose deeds surpassed the greatness of his name.”

(side 2)
Bahia Del Espiritu Santo-1513
First White Man Dies in America
On this day May 24, ships were sent to seek a mainland colony site and to sound and chart the newly found “Bay of the Holy Spirit” (Charlotte Harbor). For three weeks explorations continued, seldom by land. There were at least three meetings with the Caloosas; once they offered “guanin” (low gold) and skins for trade and promised more. But in other meetings fighting erupted and “several Indians” and one Spaniard, were killed. Thus the first white man died in America, victim of Indian arrows and the place of his death was called “Matanca” (Pine Island).

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

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Fort St. Louis

June 22, 2016, 6:58 am

≫ Next: Regan House

≪ Previous: Juan Ponce de Leon

near Inez, Texas.

Thirteen miles southeast of Inez is located the site of Fort St. Louis. First French settlement in Texas attempted by Rene Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle in 1685. Devastated by the Karankawa Indians, burned by members of the Alonso De Leon Expedition in 1689. On its remains the Spaniards constructed Presidio de Nuestra Senora de la Bahia del Espirtu Santo, established by Joseph De Azlor, Marquis of Aguayo, and Father Fray Agustin Patron, O.F. M. In 1722 as a protection for the mission of Nuestra Senora del Espiritu Santo de Zuniga for the civilizing and christianizing of the Indian tribes of the vicintiy. Moved to Mission Valley on the Guadalupe River near the present Victoria in 1726; moved finally to Santa Dorotea now Goliad near the San Antonio River in 1749.

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

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Regan House

June 22, 2016, 7:02 am

≫ Next: De Leon Plaza

≪ Previous: Fort St. Louis

Victoria, Texas.

Dominick H. Regan (1842-1927) was an Irish immigrant, Union Civil War veteran, and merchant in Corpus Christi and Indianola. He married Mary Hogan (d. 1894) and they became the parents of 13 children. Regan expanded his general stores to Victoria, Cuero, and Texana, and had this house built in Indianola in 1883. After devastating hurricanes in 1875 and 1886, Regan had the house moved to Victoria and rebuilt under the supervision of architect Jules Leffland. A fine example of Italianate Victorian design, the Regan house features jigsawn porch detailing and polygonal bay windows. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1996

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

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De Leon Plaza

June 22, 2016, 7:07 am

≫ Next: 1892 Victoria County Courthouse

≪ Previous: Regan House

Victoria, Texas.

Originally called "Plaza De la Constitucion" by Martin De Leon, the founder of Victoria, this square was included as part of an early 1830s survey of Victoria by Jose M. Carbajal, son-in-law of De Leon. Carbajal's survey expanded on the founder's basic design for the city, which followed the style of traditional Spanish municipalities.

A water well lined with brick was placed in the center of the square in 1850. By 1872 a windmill stood over the well; twelve years later it was replaced by a standpipe. Other improvements included a bandstand in the 1870s, hitching racks in 1897; a Confederate memorial statue, "Last Stand" by Pompeo Coppini, dedicated in 1912; and lamp standards in 1923. In that year the standpipe was removed and the bandstand was relocated to the center of the plaza. Sidewalks were added by the Public Works Administration in the 1930s. Through the efforts of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the site was renamed De Leon Plaza as part of a plaza beautification project in 1941.

As a gathering place, summer concert arena, exposition site, and town center, De Leon Plaza continues to serve the people of Victoria as it has for generations. The plaza stands as a reminder of the rich heritage of the city and its founder.

(Man-Made Features) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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