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Carlsbad Irrigation Flume

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New Mexico, Eddy County, Carlsbad
The massive concrete flume in the distance carries water from the Pecos River to irrigate much of the farmland in this area. It is a vital link in an extensive irrigation system which made possible development of the region's agricultural resources. A wooded flume constructed in 1890 washed away in 1902 and was replaced by the more substantial concrete structure in 1903.

(Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Civilian Conservation Corps Carlsbad Campsite

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New Mexico, Eddy County, Carlsbad
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) provided employment for more than 50,000 young men in New Mexico during the Great Depression as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal Program. Three CCC companies were located where the Carlsbad Hospital now stands. They worked on flood control and reclamation projects along the Pecos River and the Guadalupe Mountains and helped build Carlsbad's "President Park".

(Charity & Public Work) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

The 1992 River West Gas Fires

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Illinois, Cook County, Chicago
At 4 P.M. on January 17, 1992, a series of explosions and fires ravaged the River West community. The fires were in an area bounded by the Chicago River, the Kennedy Expressway, and Kinzie and Division Streets. The devastation was caused by over-pressurization in the natural gas pipelines leading to homes and businesses.

Two-hundred and twenty-five fire fighters responded to the emergency. The disaster resulted in 4 fatalities and 18 buildings destroyed or damaged.

Initially the increase in pressure was attributed to a faulty regulator. However, after lengthy investigations, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that a Peoples Gas Company crew was responsible. While doing routine maintenance on gas pressure valves in a vault at Erie and Green Streets, the crew failed to monitor downstream gas pressure. When the regulators were off-line, normal gas pressure of ¼ PSI soared to at least 10 PSI – 40 times the normal level.

The extreme pressure caused hissing noises in stoves, furnaces, and space heaters. Many individuals shut off their gas service, thereby saving lives and property.

Based on recommendations by the ICC and the NTSB, regulator valves that once controlled entire neighborhoods were replaced by individual regulators at each building. Increased training for gas crews was also initiated.

This marker is mounted at 911 North Willard Street, one of the original buildings damaged by the River West Gas Fires.

Sponsored by the Neighbors of River West, Timothy O’Mahony, and the Illinois State Historical Society

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

Robey W. Estes Sr. Plaza

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Virginia, Bedford
Robey W. Estes Sr. served with the United States Army in the European Theater of Operations. A platoon sergeant in Company E of the 116th Infantry Regiment on D-Day, he was part of the first wave of the attack on Omaha Beach. Wounded during the assault, he was evacuated to England, where he recovered from his injuries. After rejoining his regiment in Germany, he was wounded two more times, and was finally transferred out of the war zone and back to the United States. Mr. Estes returned to his home in Virginia and helped to build Estes Express Lines into one of the nation’s top trucking firms. His life exemplifies the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice this Memorial exists to honor. By Resolution of the Board of Directors of the National D-Day Memorial Foundation on 23 September 2005, Robey W. Estes Sr. Plaza of the National D-Day Memorial is named in tribute to him.

(Industry & Commerce • War, World II) Includes location, directions, 8 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

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Virginia, Fairfax County, Vienna
In 1966, Catherine Filene Shouse donated her farmland to the U.S. Government to create Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts… a nature oasis near our nation’s capital where great artists and people of all ages would come out to play. We honor those whose contributions ensure that her legacy continues today.

“Wolf Trap has a destiny. It reaches out for people asking that they restore their sprints at its theatre, on its hillsides, in the woods or by the stream… And it can grow in scope and meaningfulness to the extent of one’s imagination and support.”
Catherine Filene Shouse
Wolf Trap Founder, 1896-1994

(Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Faces of Freedom Veterans Memorial

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California, San Luis Obispo, Atascadero

Throughout history patriotic Americans have been drawn together to serve a cause greater than themselves. Some came because of common experiences. Most came because of common values. All came because they shared a dream.

The people who belong to the Atascadero Veterans Memorial Foundation are such a people. They believe that the true reflection of America is her ability to honor our Veterans of the past, who have given so much that all Americans might live free. They feel the Memorial honors our military members serving today, as it represents those who stand guard between America and those who seek to destroy her. Finally, the Foundation believes the Memorial is about our future, as it will be used to teach our youth about our nation’s core values and will serve as a symbol of our gratitude to those, who through their service and by their sacrifice, put their country first.

The reality of this Memorial and today’s dedication is proof, that we as Americans will be forever proud of our Veterans. We honor them today, not only with words, but with this lasting tribute.
“All gave some….some gave all”
Dedicated November 8, 2008

Faces of Freedom
November 8, 2008
Mark Greenaway, Sculptor
The Faces of Freedom sculpture is a tribute to the men and women who have served in the American military. The statue is a timeline that represents the selfless service of our military since the beginning of World War I to the present. At the far right of the sculpture and “on point” is a figure that represents the modern day Marine/soldier, leading vigilant, committed. He is “joined at the hip” to a Desert Storm soldier who in turn is lending aid to a stricken Vietnam hero. Beyond and behind these figures proudly waves the American flag, emblazoned with the many faces of those men and women who have valiantly secured and protected our nation’s freedoms. We are grateful that their commitment and sacrifice, like the threads of our flag, unites us all as Americans. On this side of the statue is the head of the bald eagle, part of the Great Seal of the United States. It not only signifies strength and power, but serves as a reminder of those who have given so much that we might live free.

World War I
1914-1918
Europe plunged into the “Great War” following the 1914 assassination of Austria’s Archduke Ferdinand in the Balkans. More than 20 countries fought in the conflict. Its brutal trench warfare led to approximately 20 million military and civilian deaths. The U.S. Congress declared war on Germany in April 1917 at the request of President Woodrow Wilson, Great Britain and France. More than one million U.S. Troops under the command of General “Blackjack” Pershing joined in breaking a stalemate and helping swing the tide of the war in favor of the entente powers, which initially consisted of Britain, France and Russia, their empires and dependencies. Over 50,000 U.S. military personnel died in WWI between April 1917 and the Armistice on 11 Nov 1918.

Manuael Souza • Peter Larsen • Ellis Ferrini • Francisco Garcia • Albert Tarwater • James Garcia • William Reeves • Manuel Ormonde • Clement Turri • Joseph Clark • James Mosher • Nelson Waterman • William Caldwell

World War II (a)
1941-1945
The United States entered World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941. In response to Japanese aggression and at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the U.S. Congress declared war on Japan on 8 December 1941. Nazi Germany, an ally of Japan, then declared war on the United States. In response, the U.S. followed with a declaration of war on Germany leading to the total mobilization of the United States and 16 million Americans under arms. World War II was fought on five continents and resulted in about 60 million military and civilian dead, the largest loss of human life from war in human history.

Glenn Lawrence • Frank Burnett • William Souza • Loren Bubar • Angelo Bernardasci • Sammy Bilauski • Wilbert Byrne • Ray Cloud • Domingo Martinez • Edwin Bushnell • Clarence Bello • Ira Barlow • James Snodgrass • William Cashin • Robert Castro • Harry Chapek • Randolph Donalson • Paul Coffing • Richard Steele • Charles Eddy • Patrick Connolly • Raymond Dauth • David Cottle • Eulis Farris • Ramon Patterson • George Crozier • Sadami Fujita • Roy Gruwell • Raymond Farnell • Donald Griffith • Claude Newlin • James Bauer • Edward Johnson • Frank Gularte • Theodore Lee • Lester Hambly • Forest Hemstreet • Milford McAngus • William Irwin • Merle Heyd • Charles McMahan • Fredrick Gillis • Troy Lancaster • Buford Jones • Vincent Martinez • Jack Langston • Donald Laird • Dale Jones • Cornelius Norton • Basil Martinez • Richard Ojeda • Billy Ioham • Noel Nellermoe • A.J. McGovern • Eddie Mosqueda • Johnny Nicks • Harold Nankivell • James Pearson • James Righetti • James Mikel • Mervin Rodriguez • Nicholas Covell • Harry Searle • Miguel Rocha • Max Rouse • Lewis Brandt • William Everding • Joseph Crettol

World War II (b)
1941-1945
The World War II battle was concentrated against Nazi Germany in Europe and Imperial Japan in the Pacific. General Dwight Eisenhower led allied forces to victory against Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany in Western Europe and North Africa with the Russians crushing the German Army in Eastern Europe. Germany surrendered to the United States and its allies on 7 May 1945. General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz led allied ground, air, and naval forces to victory against Imperial Japan in the Pacific. Japan surrendered to the United States on 2 September 1945.

Clarence Ballagh • Benjamin Sauret • Peter Pesenti • W.H. Selvidge • Norman Pierce • Charles Wescom • Walter Stillwell • John Thomas • Francis Sullivan • Orville Tucker • Joseph McKusick • Lee Tucker • Clarence Lavelle • Albert Anderson • Robert Troy • Charles Vaca • Kenneth Wagner • Lawrence Swain • Felix Estabil • Royal Waltz • Clarence Wright • Robert Plunkett • Robert Rogers • David Vaca • David Ammaturo • Fredrick Barger • Owen Hartley • Clair Tyler • Manuel Quintana • Lincoln Williams • Laverne Dennis • William Dudy • Elwyn Righetti • Louis Gerriets • William Yates • Louis Brown • Warren Marshall • Clyde Thomason • Barry Luther • Frank Coyle • Harold Sarmento • Gerald Proctor • Edgar Williams • Wylie Wolfe • Abraham VanHorn • George Murray • Michael Doty • Billy Sutton • Robert Altamirano • Otis Kennison • Donald Tingdahl • Paul Gill • Elmer Hagerman • Kenneth Hansen • Norman Hoover • Bill Hone • Eugene Sanderson • Charles Valys • William Steve • Stanley Probst • Richard Smith • Joseph Schwagerl • Theodore Ruiz • Jack Nilsson • Charles Guilford • Alfons Lerno


The Korean War
1950-1953
The Korean War started 25 June 1950 when communist North Korean forces attacked across the 38th Parallel into democratic South Korea. United Nations forces under the command of the United States responded to this unprovoked invasion by attempting to halt the spread of communism in Eastern Asia. Although Congress supported President Harry Truman’s commitment of U.S. forces and the United Nations policy, the Congress did not formally declare war against North Korea. Over 50,000 U.S. servicemen gave their lives in the defense of freedom for our South Korean allies.

Louis Brodur • William Christie • Clyde Adam • Donald Ghezzi • Reginald Garcia • Johnny Dunlap • Hugh Jenkins • Martin Parlet • Joseph Thomason • Charles Romero • Daryl Rodney • Edward Pool • Francis McNeil • George Rosa • Isaac Bonifas

The Vietnam War
1957-1975

Kenneth Schwartz • Robert Fryer • Dennis Bruce • James Lee • Larry Baldwin • Curtis Cropper • Steven Amescua • Eric Bosch • Arnold Chap De Laine • Joseph Martin • Michael Miner • Roy Davis • Dennis Dieball • Alfred Quiroz • Pete Segundo • David Dyer • Richard Vaughn • Edward Schultz • Donald Lee • Jon Young • Lawrence Swarbrick • Dennis Moore • Gary Halliday • Joe Ramey • John Winningham • Robert Maguire • Terry Ratliff • John Bell • Michael Paddock • William Hansen • Mark Alford • Roy Parker • Dennis Stanley • Frank Oster • David Moreno • Lucio Reis • Kenneth Eatherly • Alvin Stallcup • Thomas Twyford • Jose Birco

The Cold War
1946-1991
The Cold War resulted from a state of conflict, tension and rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. It began after the end of World War II when Soviet troops occupied Eastern Europe and Asia while forcibly imposing totalitarian communist governments in each of the countries they controlled. In 1948, the Soviets blockaded Berlin in an attempt to force out allied forces, but a U.S. airlift ended the blockade by successfully delivering food and supplies. Revolts against the Soviets in Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968) were crushed by Soviet tanks. In 1962, tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union peaked when the Soviets placed nuclear missiles in Cuba. President John F. Kennedy responded by establishing a naval blockade around Cuba and warned that he would regard “any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the western hemisphere as an attack on the U.S. requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union.” The Cuban Missile Crisis ended two weeks later when the Soviets agreed to dismantle its missiles in exchange for a no-invasion agreement and a secret removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey. The Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. By then, the world’s two superpowers had engaged in costly defense spending, a nuclear and conventional arms race and numerous proxy wars.

Laura Brown • Matthew Sturtevant • Gavin Beem • Michael Nolan • Edward Hernandez • George Dempsey

The Global War on Terror
1979 -
The War On Terror began in 1979 under the presidency of Jimmy Carter when Iranian extremists occupied the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held U.S. citizens hostage for 444 days. Muslim terrorists bombed the U.S. embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon (1983), hijacked TWA Flight 847, where they tortured and murdered an American sailor (1985), hijacked the passenger ship Achille Lauro (1985), placed a bomb aboard Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland (1988), bombed the World Trade Center (1993), bombed U.S. forces at Khobar Towers in Saudia Arabia (1996), bombed U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania (1998) and executed a suicide attack on the USS Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden (2000). Terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 11 September 2001 killed nearly 3,000 Americans and prompted President George W. Bush to direct a U.S. military response and troops to fight in Afghanistan, Iraq and wherever terrorists might be.

Michael Mitchell • Ted Fitzhenry • Carl Seigart • Michael Sotelo • Michelangelo Mora • Brandon Parr • Justin Baldwin • Jacob Toves • Michael Mihalakis • Robert Ayres • Andrew Tyson • David Perry • Osbaldo Orozco • Duane Wolfe

The Scroll of Honor This Scroll of Honor is dedicated to the veterans of Atascadero who served in our armed forces. Some were held in long captivity as prisoners of war or gave their lives both in peace and war in defense of the United States. This scroll is intended to recognize the sacrifices of our patriotic citizens in Atascadero who have answered the call to duty since 1913 when Atascadero became a colony. We must never forget their honor, courage, and commitment to preserve the freedoms we hold so dear.

Benney Bain • Norman Pierce • Mark Alford • Dennis Stanley • Richard Smith • Eric Bosch • Ira Barlow, Frank Oster • Mike Doty • Francis Sullivan • Gary Halliday • Dennis Moore • Paul Gill • Edgar Williams • Robert Maguire • William Hansen • Owen Hartley • Bill Yates • Michael Paddock • Terry Ratliff • Joe McKusick • Ramon Patterson • Michael Mitchell • Bill Hone • Harry Searle • Joseph Thomason • Justin Baldwin • Kenneth Eatherly • Laura Brown • Edward Hernandez • Michael Ayres • George Dempsey • Robert Ayres III

(Military) Includes location, directions, 16 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Goodnight-Loving Trail

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New Mexico, Eddy County, near Carlsbad
After leaving Fort Sumner, the Goodnight-Loving Trail forked in two directions. This branch, developed by Oliver Loving in 1866, followed the Pecos River to Las Vegas, and the Santa Fe Trail to Raton Pass. The great Texas cattle drives followed this and other routes to Colorado and Wyoming until 1880.

(Roads & Vehicles) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Loving's Bend

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New Mexico, Eddy County, near Loving
In July 1867 Oliver Loving, a partner in the Goodnight-Loving cattle concern, was attacked by Comanches while driving cattle to Fort Sumner. Wounded, Loving held off the attack for two days and nights. With the help of Mexican traders, he made it to Fort Sumner, where he died of gangrene. Fulfilling his promise, Charles Goodnight exhumed Loving's body, reburying him a year later in Weatherford, Texas.

(Notable Events • Notable Persons) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Guadalupe Mountains

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New Mexico, Eddy County, near Carlsbad
Guadalupe Mountains to southwest rise from Pecos River Valley, with higher southern peaks at 8,750 feet. Bold escarpment is of famous Capitan limestone, an ancient reef similar to Great Barrier Reef of Australia, and host to Carlsbad Cavern as well as deep petroleum and underground water. Elevation 3,270 feet.

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

Espejo's Trail

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New Mexico, Eddy County, near Loving
Don Antonio de Espejo, leader of the third expedition to explore New Mexico, passed near here on his return to Mexico City in 1583. After learning of the martyrdom of two Franciscan friars from an earlier expedition, he explored the Pueblo country and then followed the Pecos river valley south.

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

California Wesleyan College

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California, Santa Clara County, Santa Clara
This plaque marks the original site of the first chartered college in California. It was chartered as the California Wesleyan College on July 10, 1851. The following year the name was changed to University of the Pacific and in 1911 it became the College of the Pacific.

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

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

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New Mexico, Eddy County, near Carlsbad
These vast and magnificent caverns contain over 21 miles of explored corridors. The chambers contain countless stalactites and stalagmites unrivaled in size and beauty. The caverns are within a reef that formed in an ancient sea 240 million years ago. Millions of years later, the reef was fractured, allowing ground water to begin work fashioning the caverns.

(Environment • Natural Features) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

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New Mexico, Eddy County, Carlsbad
The Civilian Conservation Corps provided employment for more than 50,000 young men in New Mexico during the great depression of the 1930's. At the National Park Service CCC Camp, they developed nearby Rattle Snake Springs into a permanent water source for Carlsbad Caverns, built roads, parking areas, and trails. Which made the park more accessible to the public.

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

Guadalupe Escarpment Scenic Area

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New Mexico, Eddy County, near Carlsbad
Fellow Travelers, imagine the land and mountains before you covered by a deep inland sea. Then imagine a large reef forming over 255 million years ago. As the inland sea vanished minerals such as calcite and aragonite bonded together the sea life that remained, which helped to create the unique mountains, canyons and caves of the Guadalupes. You may still find a trace of that sea life, a sponge, some algae, clams or snails as you journey through the Guadalupes.

BLM manages these public lands with you, the traveler, in mind. Use your imagination to take yourself back in time, while you enjoy the mystery of this area.

(Environment • Natural Features) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Courthouse History

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Texas, Hill County, Hillsboro
(East Face)
Hill County was organized on May 14, 1853. The courthouse square is near the geographic center of the county and has been the site for five courthouse buildings. The present building was completed in 1890. McShane Bell Factory of Baltimore, MD was commissioned to cast the bell, which weighed 1,525 pounds. The clock was constructed by E. Howard Watch and Clock Company of Boston, MA. Both were added to the tower in 1891. This bell marked the hours for 102 years until its supports were consumed by fire on January 1, 1993.

(North Face)
The Fire
On January 1, 1993 at 6: 35 p.m. the first alarm was sounded that there was a fire at the Hill County Courthouse. Hillsboro firefighters quickly responded to find a third floor office engulfed in flames. Within minutes flames spread to the bell tower. County citizens gathered around the square while others watched on television, as the 70- foot tower collapsed in flames. The next morning the rim of the bell was visible through the ceiling of the first floor hallway. Fifteen Hill County fire departments along with firefighters from other counties, battled the flames throughout the night. The official cause of the fire was electrical.

(West Face)
The Restoration
   Talk of restoring the 1890 structure started before the final hot spots were extinguished. Architects with the Texas Historical Commission ruled the building was restorable and on January 11, 1993 the Hill County Historical Commission called a county-wide meeting to organize the restoration effort. Local fund raising projects, including two concerts on the square by Hill County native Willie Nelson and grants contributed to the restoration. The project was also aided by insurance proceeds, Texas Department of Transportation ISTEA funds and Certificates of Obligation issued by the county. Architexas of Dallas was engaged to oversee the restoration with Bryan Construction Company and R.J. King Construction as contractors. The restored building was dedicated April 24, 1999 with Texas Governor George W. Bush as keynote speaker.

(South Face)
Elected Officials At The Time Of The Fire / Restoration
County Judges
Tommy Walker   Andrea Holt   Kenneth Davis
Precinct Commissioners
M.L. (Bud) Raulston #1   J.K. Lane #3         Kenneth Reid #2
Bobbie Brustrom #3   Mildred Brustrom #3   John Erwin #4
Hill County Historical Commission
Architects
Architexas of Dallas - Craig Melde - Larry Irsik - Gary Skotnicki
Contractors
Bryan Construction Company    R.J. King Construction
Donor
George G. and Alva Hudson Smith Foundation Board of Directors
Betty R. Dohoney   D'ette F. Cowan   Bob R. Moon
Andrein L. Smith    John B. Tuggle

(Notable Buildings) Includes location, directions, 9 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Time for Horror

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Maryland, Prince George's County, Greenbelt
Sounds of battle could be heard here from Bladensburg, six miles away, on August 24, 1814. Victorious British troops then moved into Washington, D.C. The sky was already aglow above the city; Americans had torched the Washington Navy Yard to keep it from enemy hands. As the British burned the U.S. Capitol and other public buildings that night, the glow could be seen for miles—striking fear and indignation throughout the region.

Expecting Baltimore to be the next target, bedraggled American troops made their way north. Instead of pursuing, the British returned to their ships at Benedict. By the time they attacked Baltimore three weeks later, the Americans were ready.

“The spectators stood in awful silence, the city was light and the heavens redden’d with the blaze!”
– Eyewitness account, Margaret Bayard Smith, August 1814

The glow of burning buildings in Washington, D.C., 12 miles away, could be seen from here the night of British occupation.

Places to explore the War of 1812 in the Baltimore–Washington area:
* Riversdale House Museum – Home of witness to Battle of Bladensburg; house museum; annual 1812 reenactment event
* Oxon Cove Park – 1812-era home; part of National Park Service living-history farm
* Bladensburg Waterfront Park – Start at visitor center for tour of battlefield sites
* Baltimore – Visitor center in Inner Harbor; information on Fort McHenry and other War of 1812 sites
* Washington, D.C. – U.S. Capitol, White House, National Museum of American History, National Museum of the U.S. Navy

(War of 1812) Includes location, directions, 1 photo, GPS coordinates, map.

Shaded Reprise

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Maryland, Prince George's County, Upper Marlboro
Well-shaded Fenno Road provided relief for sweltering British soldiers marching from Benedict. On August 22, 1814, their fourth day of travel, they set out from Nottingham along the road that has existed since at least 1729.

Vestiges of the sunken road still resemble the wooded sections of the British invasion route.

Heavy Loads
Marchers fell behind from fatigue. Wearing woolen uniforms, carrying arms and ammunition, each also carried “a knapsack, containing shirts, shoes, stockings, &c, a blanket, a haversack, with provisions for three days, and a canteen or wooden keg filled with water.

“The road...we travelled...was remarkably good... Running through the heart of a thick forest, it was...sheltered from the rays of the sun...which, in a climate like this, is of no slight importance.”
– British Lt. George Robert Gleig

(War of 1812) Includes location, directions, 1 photo, GPS coordinates, map.

British Stopover

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Maryland, Prince George's County, Bladensburg
British officers stopped at Bostwick House on August 24, 1814, then the home of prisoner of war agent Col. Thomas Barclay. From Lowndes Hill, behind the house, British commander Robert Ross observed the American defensive lines. Bostwick House was built in 1746 for Christopher Lowndes, a local shipyard owner. It was later home to his son-in-law Benjamin Stoddert, America’s first Secretary of the Navy.

This 1806 watercolor suggests how Bladensburg appeared when British troops arrived in 1814. The wooden bridge shown below was the first point of British attack.

In Friendly Hands
“The agent for British Prisoners of War very fortunately residing at Bladensburg I recommended the wounded Officers and Men to his particular attention and trust…”
– British Maj. Gen. Robert Ross, August 30, 1814

(War of 1812) Includes location, directions, 1 photo, GPS coordinates, map.

A Valiant Stand

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Maryland, Prince George's County, Brentwood
After penetrating two lines of defense, the British rushed toward the third line. Commodore Joshua Barney and Captain Samuel Miller with 400 flotillamen, 114 U.S. Marines, and some militia made a stand with five big guns across Bladensburg Road.

Both Barney and Miller were wounded, and Barney’s horse was shot out from under him. Outflanked and out of ammunition, Barney ordered retreat. That night, August 24, 1814, the British burned federal buildings in Washington, D.C.

Due Respect
Joshua Barney’s Chesapeake Flotilla engaged the British on the Patuxent River. They later marched to defend Washington, where they helped form the third line at Bladensburg. After the battle, Barney’s opponents, Rear Adm. Cockburn and Maj. Gen. Ross, praised his actions in combat, paroled him, and provided medical assistance. The admiral said Barney and his men “…gave us the only fighting we have had.”

“The enemy who had been kept in check by our fire for nearly half an hour now began to out flank us on the right.…” –Com. Joshua Barney to Secretary of Navy William Jones, August 29, 1814

(War of 1812) Includes location, directions, 1 photo, GPS coordinates, map.

Signs of War

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Maryland, Prince George's County, Riverdale Park
From her home on August 24, 1814, Rosalie Stier Calvert saw rocket fire as the Battle of Bladensburg raged two miles away. Soon she would learn of the British victory and know from the reddened skies over Washington that the enemy had reached the city.

Her husband George and their field-hands helped to bury the dead after battle. Mr. Calvert visited injured British officers recuperating in Bladensburg.

High Anxiety
The War of 1812 distressed plantation owners. The British blockade prevented them from selling tobacco abroad. Enemy raiders devastated plantations and tobacco storehouses and lured away enslaved workers. The Calverts feared Riversdale might be at risk, but the British eyed bigger targets. Mrs. Calvert later wrote:“we hardly suffered at all.”

“We have been in a state of continual alarm.”
– Rosalie Stier Calvert, 1814 Battle of Bladensburg

(War of 1812) Includes location, directions, 1 photo, GPS coordinates, map.

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