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Huron

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Texas, Hill County, near Whitney
The U.S. Army established Fort Graham in this area in 1849. Although the fort closed in 1853, the presence of the troops stationed there had prompted the development of settlements throughout this part of Hill County. By 1860, James Monroe and Martha Louisa (George) Neal moved to this immediate area with their family, and the Elm Mott community developed around their property. Over the years, the Neal family donated land to local residents on which to build a school, teacher housing, a Methodist church, a tabernacle and a Woodmen of the World hall. The turn in the road known as Community Corner was the settlement's social center, and Elm Mott became the central stop between the communities of Whitney and Blum, established as railroad towns in 1876 and 1881, respectively. In the early 1880s, widower Jehu Gist moved to Elm Mott with his sisters and children and opened a general store that served the dispersed agricultural community. He later applied for a post office, which required that he find a unique name for the town. After several suggestions, the postal service approved the name Huron, the name of Gist's youngest son. The post office operated in the Gist store from 1897 to 1904. In the early part of the 20th century, the Huron School served about 200 students, and area residents supported three church congregations. Huron students consolidated into Blum and Whitney districts in 1949, but Cedar Creek Baptist Church, established in 1888, remains a spiritual and social center, as well as a gathering place for area residents and for descendants of early Huron families.

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

Battle for the Mississippi: The Vicksburg Campaign

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Louisiana, Madison Parish, Taliulah
  The fall of New Orleans in April1862, capped the beginning of an 18-month drive to control Vicksburg and the Mississippi River. The fight for this strategic location was arduous. Vicksburg, sitting high atop bluffs, was protected by artillery and a maze of bayous. Confederate river fortifications interrupted the flow of Northern troops, supplies and commerce.

Driving southward from Tennessee and northward from the Gulf, Federal troops forced the surrender of Vicksburg. With this victory, the North opened the Mississippi and dealt a psychological blow to the Confederacy. The South was split in two and unable to move men and munitions across the river. While war's end was still 20 months away, control of the great Mississippi led ultimately to Union victory.

(Map included)

(Right side text)

An 18-Month Campaign
The battle for Vicksburg hit a fevered pitch when Ulysses S. Grant was appointed commander of the Department of the Tennessee and Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, a West Point graduate and native of Pennsylvania, was given charge of 50,000 Confederate troops defending the Mississippi. Grant was ordered to clear the river of Confederate resistance and Pemberton to defend it.

Grant planned to draw Confederate troops defending Vicksburg north and pin them down while another column. led by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, moved moved south from Memphis. Grant led 40,000 troops from La Grange, Tennessee, toward Grenada, Mississippi, but met fierce resistance from Confederate forces dug into the Yalobusha riverbank to defend the crossing and the railroad. Grant's plan was thwarted.

Confederate cavalry, led by Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn, headed northward from Grenada, captured the Federal supply base at Holly Springs, Mississippi, and stopped the Union advance. The Mobile & Ohio Railroad carrying Northern supplies fell to Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's raiders. These events caused Grant to retreat to Memphis. Confederate troops heading south toward Vicksburg engaged and decisively beat, Sherman's forces at Chickasaw Bayou.

Grant launched yet another drive to disrupt Southern communications and transportation, confuse the Confederates, and divert Pemberton's troops. He led his troops 50 miles down the west side of the river from Milliken's Bend, Louisiana to Hard Times. At the same time, Union Col. Benjamin H. Grierson led a brigade of 1,700 cavalry from La Grange through Mississippi to Baton Rouge destroying rolling stock, bridges, trestles, track and telegraph lines during this 16-day, 475-mile ride. He also succeeded in luring Pemberton's cavalry and one infantry division in pursuit.

With Grant in southern Louisiana, Adm. David D. Porter maneuvered his gunboats into place to secure the river at Grand Gulf, forcing Grant farther down river to cross at Bruinsburg. Grant fought his way towards Vicksburg on the eastern side of the river, overwhelming and scattering Confederate troops. With these victories to buoy his resolve, Grant began the final siege of Vicksburg with Confederate surrender coming on July 4, 1863. Five days later Port Hudson fell and the domination of the Mississippi River was complete.

(Bottom) 1862 - 1863 Timeline
1862
North May18
Farragut calls for surrender of Vicksburg
South May 18
Vicksburg refuses demand

North June
Farragut steams upriver past Vicksburg

North July
Brown and Arkansas launch surprise attack against Farragat's fleet South July
Farragut retreats to New Orleans

North Sept
Federal divisions sent to reinforce Buell at Louisville
South Sept
Bragg sweeps across Tennessee to Louisville, KY

North Sept
Grant orders attacks from north and south against Price at Iuka
South Sept
Confederate force moves from Baldwyn to Iuka, MI [ sic] to deter Federal divisions

South Sept
Confederates evacuate Iuka and return to Baldwyn

South Oct
Van Dorn suffers defeat by Union at Corinth

North Oct
Grant appointed to secure the Mississippi for Union
South Oct
Pemberton appointed to defend Mississippi

North Nov
Grant marches from Grand Junction, TN into southern Mississippi along Mississippi Central Railroad

North Nov
Sherman pushes down Mississippi River toward Vicksburg
South Nov
Pemberton successfully defends river and railroad at Grenada

South Dec
Van Dorn captures Federal supply base at Holly Springs

South Dec
Forrest secures the Mobile & Ohio Railroad

North Dec
Grant retreats to Memphis
South Dec
Confederate troops repel Sherman at Chickasaw Bayou

1863
North Jan-Feb
Grant launches unsuccessful Bayou Expedition

North Mar
Grant begins march from Milliken's Bend south through Louisiana to Hard Times

North April
Grieson marches from La Grange, TN through Mississippi to Baton Rouge

North April
Porter's gunboats unsuccessfully bombard Confederate forts at Grand Gulf

North May
Grant continues south and crosses river at Bruinsburg
South May Pemberton's forces attempt to defend Port Gibson and retreat to Vicksburg

North May
Grant defeats Confederate force at Port Gibson, Raymond and captures Jackson

North May
Grant moves along Southern Railroad toward Vicksburg with victories at Champion Hill and Big Black River Bridge

North May
Grant and Porter assault Vicksburg and are repulsed

North June
Grant and Porter continue the siege of Vicksburg by land and sea

South July 4
Pemberton surrenders Vicksburg

(War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Grant's March Thru Louisiana

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Louisiana, Madison Parish, Taliulah
Grant's March Map included

Winter Quarters
(Picture included)
Winter Quarters, the country home of Haller and Julia Nutt, is the only plantation home along Lake St. Joseph that survived the Vicksburg campaign. The Nutts were Union sympathizers who offered hospitality to Union soldiers at Winter Quarters. I return they recieved "letters of protection" from Ulysses S. Grant, which spared their home from the devastation levied by advancing Union troops under the orders of General William T. Sherman. Union army stragglers later destroyed many of the out- buildings, leaving only the main structure standing.

Milliken's Bend
Following the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, the United States Colored Troops were formed (Picture included)
and hundreds of thousands of blacks served. Poorly trained and poorly armed, the African Brigade was guarding the Union supply depot at Milliken's Bend when it came under Confederate attack. Reports of this skirmish indicate that the black soldiers engaged the Confederates in hand-to- hand combat with bayonet and clubbed muskets, success- fully defending the outpost. Their service to the Union in guarding supply bases allowed many white troops to carry on with the siege of Vicksburg.

(Center text)
Vicksburg National Military Park
The Louisiana Monument stands on Confederate Avenue in Vicksburg National Military Park. The monument consists of an 81-foot high Doric column topped by a brazier of granite with an eternal flame, and stands on the highest point in the park. A list of organizations involved in the Campaign and Siege of Vicksburg appears on its base with "Louisiana" displayed on the front. Construction begun on July 10, 1919, and the memorial was dedicated on October 18, 1920. Louisiana Governor John M. Parker later transferred ownership of the memorial to the Federal government.

Grant's Canal
In June 1862, Union troops under Brigadier General Thomas Williams began to dig a canal across the base of De Soto Point, opposite Vicksburg, in hopes of bypassing the city's Confederate batteries. Sickness and disease, unrelenting heat, and an uncooperative river that seemed to drop more rapidly than the soldiers could dig continually plagued the efforts. In just a few short weeks, the weary soldiers withdrew. However, in January 1863, work on the canal was resumed by troops under the command of Major General Ulysses S. Grant whose troops were ultimately foiled by heavy rains and flood waters that broke through the levee and inundated the area. With the death toll rising daily, Grant eventually abandoned the canal and embarked on new strategies to capture Vicksburg and gain control of the Mississippi River. (Picture included)

(Right side text)
Life Under Occupation
"Making Do"
In an excerpt from Brokenburn, Kate Stone (Picture included) wrote, "We have been on a strict war footing for some time — cornbread, and home-raised meal, milk and butter, tea once a day, and coffee never. A year ago we would have considered it impossible to get on for a day without the things that we have been doing without for months... Clothes have become a secondary consideration... just to be decently clad is all we expect. In proportion that we have been waited-on people, we are ready to do away with all the forms and work and wait on ourselves."

Crop Destruction
Governor Thomas Overton Moore called upon the citizens of Louisiana to destroy cotton crops, also known as "white gold,"(picture included) where Union occupation was a danger. In order to keep this valuable commodity out of the hands of the Union army the crops were set ablaze in sacrificial bonfires. Burning cotton crops was considered an act of loyalty to the Confederacy and since plantation management during the war was often left to the women, it was their oppertunity to actively participate in the Confederate cause.



(War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 8 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Chester, New York

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New York, Orange County, Chester
When the first train entered Chester, New York on September 23, 1841, few realized exactly what kind of an impact the railroad would have on the town. Before the New York & Erie Railroad (later reorganized as the Erie Railroad) entered town, Chester was a small farming community best known for their dairy products such as butter and cheese. For many years, dairy farmers in Orange County had been shipping butter out of Newburgh to New York City. With the advent of the Railroad, farmers started shipping their butter by rail and at shorter intervals. Thaddeus Selleck, Chester's first Station Agent, proposed the shipment of milk directly to the city. By 1843, four million quarts of milk were being shipped by the Erie Railroad. Orange County milk was in high demand. Farming interests in Orange County were revolutionized, and a new and nationwide industry was introduced into the American landscape.

The railroad prospered for over 100 years. However, with the dawning of the age of "superhighways" and the rise of the automobile, the railroad began a steep decline from which it would never recover. As more people traveled by automobiles, less people traveled by train. Trucking soon became the preferred mode of shipping freight and the Erie Railroad felt the sting. By 1960, the Erie could no longer be profitable on its own and it merged with the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad to form the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad. Despite the merger, the railroad continued to lose money. Finally, in 1976, the United States Government was forced to intervene and the Erie-Lackawanna was merged with five other bankrupt Northeast railroads to form Conrail. By 1983, the rail line in Chester had fallen under the control of Metro-North Railroad. That year, they decided to abandon the former Erie Railroad main line from Harriman to Middletown in favor of the Graham Line to the north (which currently serves as Metro-North's Port Jervis Branch). In November of 1984, the rails were ripped up and the last page of the railroad's history was written.

For more information, visit the Chester Historical Society's website at http://chesterhistoricalsociety.com


[photo captions]

On December 3, 1961, Erie-Lackawanna diesel locomotive #850 leads a train westbound through Chester.
From the John Stellwagen Collection Courtesy of Doug Barberio

On May 12, 1940, Erie Railroad steam locomotive #2744 leads a passenger train past Chester.
From the Robert F.Collins Collection Courtesy of John Locke

These four Erie-Lackawanna diesel locomotives look much like steam locomotives as they round the curve above the bridge at Meadow Avenue. Even though it has been two years since the merger, these locomotives have not been repainted in Erie-Lackawanna colors.
From the John Stellwagen Collection Courtesy of Doug Barberio

By 1975, the station agent in Chester had been relocated and the station began to deteriorate. After the railroad was abandoned, the station was left completely to the elements. In the early 90's, the station was in danger of being demolished, but due to the efforts of the Chester Historical Society, the building was restored. The renovated station now serves as the Chester Historical Society Museum.
From the John Stellwagen Collection Courtesy of Doug Barberio

At the turn of the century, the rail yard in Chester was a busy place. The Erie Railroad main line is to the right while the local freight tracks are in the foreground. Note that the 1915 station has not yet been built. The original station (seen here) would be moved and commissioned as the freight house. Below the telephone pole are the tool sheds, one of which has recently been restored by the Chester Historical Society and now stands in the same location as when this picture was taken. The Route 94 bridge is seen in the distance.
From the Ray Brown Collection Courtesy of Doug Barberio



Alan Arthur Held
Eagle Scout Service Project
Boy Scout Troop 45
Warwick, New York

Dedicated 2012
Marker made possible by the generosity of the Chester Historical Society

(Railroads & Streetcars) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Greycourt - Orange Co., N.Y.

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New York, Orange County, Chester
The origins of a railroad in this area date back to 1836, when the Hudson & Delaware Railroad was chartered to build a rail line from Newburgh, New York to Chesterville, New York (now known as Greycourt) with the intention of extending the line to the rich coal fields of Pennsylvania, However, funds soon ran short and the plan was eventually picked up by the New York & Erie Railroad. The New York & Erie Railroad (later reorganized as the Erie Railroad) built its mainline west through Chesterville in 1841 and by the end of 1849; the Newburgh Branch was completed, giving Orange County a direct rail link to the Hudson River.

On April 1, 1862, the Warwick Valley Railroad completed a 10-mile rail line from Warwick, New York to the Erie's Newburgh Branch in Greycourt. Originally a branch line of the Erie Railroad, the Warwick Valley Railroad gained its independence in 1880. Two years later, it merged with several other lines to form the Lehigh & Hudson River Railway. By 1889, the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge (now known as the Walkway Over the Hudson) was built across the Hudson River, providing a faster link to New England. The L&HA soon expanded the line south into Pennsylvania and also north, past Greycourt. and into Maybrook. New York. At Maybrook, freight traffic delivered by the L&HR would be collected and then taken across the Hudson via the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge. The L&HR's main function was to act as a "bridge line"; to transport freight from other railroads and forward it to Maybrook.

In 1960, decreasing profits drove the Erie Railroad to merge with the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad to form the Erie· Lackawanna Railroad. Then, a crippling blow was delivered on May 8,1974, when the Poughkeepsie Bridge burned. By 1976, freight revenue had declined to the point where the L&HR. the Erie-Lackawanna, and four other railroads were forced to merge to form Conrail. Trains continued to pass through Greycourt until 1983. when the Erie Mainline itself was abandoned. Today, trains running on
the former L&HR still utilize the siding in Greycourt as storage and for local farm deliveries, but it is only a mere shadow of what it once was.


[photo captions]

1918 Erie Railroad Track Evaluation Map Courtesy of Doug Barberio

From the Lehigh & Hudson's bridge above Greycourt, the Erie Railroad's main line can be seen curving west toward Chester. The Greycourt freight house is at the left. The freight house was operated by both the Erie Railroad and the Lehigh & Hudson River Railway (which is located to the rear of the depot).
From the Simms Family Collection.

Looking west from the Lehigh and Hudson's bridge, most of the Greycourt Yards can be seen. On the right, the L&HR tracks are visible leading into the interchange yards (hidden behind the station), and on the left is the Erie Railroad's main line. In the distance, at left, the water tank can be seen at the beginning of the Newburgh Branch. At one time, Greycourt was home to two railroads, a branch line, railroad station, freight house, post office, general store, and two hotels. Today little remains.
From the Ray Brown Collection Courtesy of Doug Barberio

By the turn of the century, when this photograph was taken, Greycourt had become an important part of the Orange County transportation system. Passengers and commuters would ride the Lehigh and Hudson River Railway to Greycourt, depart at the ornate Greycourt Station, and then wait for the Erie Railroad to take them to Jersey City. One of Greycourt'a two hotels can be seen behind the station.
Courtesy of Robert McCue.

On July 8, 1939, the Lehigh & Hudson River Railway ran its very last scheduled passenger train. During the 20's and 30's, the L&HR’s passenger train revenue had plunged significantly due to the increase in automobile usage and later, the poor economy. Among the few in attendance that Saturday afternoon is the train crew of the ‘63, who posed on the front of the locomotive.
From the Simms Family Collection.

In July of 1960, an Erie commuter train thunders westbound past the abandoned Greycourt depot. Within a few months, the Erie Railroad would become the Erie?Lackawanna Railroad. The station had been abandoned since 1939, when the L&HR discontinued passenger service, Eventually, the nearly 100-year-old station would be destroyed.
From the John Stellwagen Collection Courtesy of Doug Barberio


Alan Arthur Held
Eagle Scout Service Project
Boy Scout Troop 45
Warwick, New York

Dedicated 2012

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

Monroe, New York

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New York, Orange County, Monroe
Before the railroad came to town, Monroe had been an isolated community, composed mainly of farmers. When the New York & Erie Railroad (later reorganized as the Erie Railroad) rolled into town in 1841, an entirely new way of life was introduced. What used to be a day's horse ride to New York City, now only took a few hours. Local farmers could ship fresh milk to the expanding metropolis of New York City without risk of spoiling. Industry began to grow and one of the first cheese factories in the United States was built in Monroe.

With such a short trip from New York City, Monroe became a very popular tourist destination for wealthy vacationers. And with the tourists, came an influx of money flowing into Monroe and into Orange County. Summer houses, cottages, and hotels were built to handle the summer visitors.

But, by the 1920's and 30's, an increasing amount of people began to travel by automobile. Passenger travel by train was in decline and by the postwar era, four-lane highways were pushing the railroad toward bankruptcy. Not only were vacationers taking to the highways, but freight was now being shipped by truck, rather than by rail. This spelled disaster, and in 1960, the Erie Railroad was forced into merger,
re-emerging as the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad. The merger however, did little to solve the railroad's financial woes. Further mergers followed and in 1983, it was
decided that the rails in Monroe were to be torn up, later to give way to the modern Orange County Heritage Trail.


[photo captions]

On April 9, 1968, Erie-Lackawanna diesel locomotive #824 eases into Monroe. The station (at right) was built in 1913 and was located on Carpenter Place. Unfortunately, it would eventually become a victim to fire.
From the John Stellwagen Collection Courtesy of Doug Barberio

This early postcard shows just the amount of activity Monroe hosted. As an Erie Railroad passenger train speeds westward, dozens of locals and vacationers can be seen milling around the Main Street crossing. The building to the left is the original Monroe depot. Built in 1841, it still stands today. The building to the right is a local hotel, the Monroe House, which is also still standing.
Courtesy of Marvin Cohen

On May 12, 1940, Erie Railroad steam locomotive #2926 rolls past the Monroe Station grounds.
From the Robert F.Collins Collection Courtesy of Doug Barberio

The dangers of the Main Street crossing are illustrated here as a passenger train stops at the original Monroe station. When a train stopped at the station to pick up or drop off passengers, it would stop in the middle of the street! Not only was this dangerous, but in later years, when more cars were on the road, it became a traffic nightmare. Thus, in 1940, the road was re-routed and the Mapes Place Underpass was built. It still stands today, bearing the name of its original owner; the Erie Railroad.
Courtesy of Marvin Cohen

On May 14, 1966, Erie-Lackawanna diesel locomotive #913 leads a train westbound over the Mapes Place Underpass.
From the John Stellwagen Collection Courtesy of Doug Barberio


Alan Arthur Held
Eagle Scout Service Project
Boy Scout Troop 45
Warwick, New York

Dedicated 2012

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

Soldiers' Memorial Fountain

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Massachusetts, Dukes County, Oak Bluff
This monument depicting a Union Soldier was erected in 1891 by Charles Strahan, a former Confederate who relocated to Martha's Vineyard after the Civil War. Due to lingering bitterness over the conflict, local Union veterans first excluded him from their gatherings. In a gesture of conciliation, Strahan established this memorial in honor of their organization, the Grand Army of the Republic. As its dedication he professed his loyalty to the restored Union and gave thanks for the abolition of slavery. His wish that "more kindness" would be shown toward his "old comrades" was fulfilled in 1925 when a tablet honoring Confederate soldiers was added to the pedestal.

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

Marine Railway Gears

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Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons
Gift: Gorman A. Buckler CMM74.521
Set of cast iron gears formerly used to operate the marine railway at M.M. Davis and Son shipyard on Mill Creek, Solomons, Maryland: The gears were originally powered by steam and later converted to electricity. A heavy chain connected to a cradle that ran on inclined rails. In this fashion, boats could be hauled out of the water for repair and maintenance. The gears were acquired by Calvert Marine Museum in the 1970’s after the shipyard closed, and re-erected in 1991.

(Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Waterways & Vessels) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Drum Point Lighthouse

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Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons
“The necessity of a light at this point is very great, as all vessels bound up or down the Chesapeake put in at this place during the winter to seek protection from floating ice; and as the entrance is formed by a low sand spit, which cannot be seen at night, vessels are often obliged to anchor outside the above mentioned point until daylight, and in consequence, are often driven ashore in heavy and adverse winds.” (Lt. William D. Porter, 1883)

Drum Point Lighthouse was built in 1883 to mark the northern approach to the Patuxent River. It was originally located due south of Drum Point, 120 yards offshore, on five acres of submerged land conveyed by Maryland to the federal government.

A white-painted hexagonal wooden structure was built on seven iron screwpiles. All parts were prefabricated and numbered, enabling assembly in only thirty-three days. A fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed and first lit on August 20, 1883, showing a fixed red light. The living quarters contained four equal-size rooms on the first floor-kitchen, sitting room, and two bedrooms. The second floor contained two additional rooms, one housing the bell striking mechanism. Four 200-gallon tanks collected water from the roof.

(Man-Made Features) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Wm. B. Tennison

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Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons
Wm. B. Tennison was built in 1899 by Frank Laird at Crab Island near Oriole, Maryland. Her hull is constructed in traditional Chesapeake log canoe fashion-nine large pine logs. Hollowed out and fastened together. She was built as a two-mastered bugeye and designed mainly for oyster dredging. In 1906-1907 the Tennison was converted to engine power and her sailing rig was removed and a pilothouse added. This is how she appears today.

From 1907 until 1978 the Tennison earned her living as a buyboat, hauling oysters and dredging on leased oyster beds. For much of that time she was owned by the J. C. Lore and Sons Company of Solomons. She was acquired by the Calvert Marine Museum in 1979 from Alton Kersey, her last owner.

Wm. B. Tennison today serves as a floating exhibit and tour boat and has become a symbol of the maritime heritage of Calvert County. She is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1994 was designated a National Historic Landmark.

Wm. B. Tennison offers narrated one-hour tour of Solomons harbor and nearby Patuxent River, Wednesday-Sunday, including holidays, from May through October. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. A maximum of 45 passengers can be carried.

The Chesapeake Bay Buy-Boat
Wm. Tennison
Built 1899
Crab Island, Maryland
Has been a designated a
National Historic Landmark
This vessel possesses National Significance in
commemorating the history of the United States of America.
1994
National Park Service
United States Department of the Interior


(Waterways & Vessels) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Lawrence Lafayette Richardson, M.D.

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South Carolina, Greenville County, Simpsonville
Physician 64 Years.
Mayor of Simpsonville 38 Years:
1917 • 1923 • 1928 • 1958;
Chairman Simpsonville School Board 20 Years

(Notable Persons) Includes location, directions, 6 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Cambridge

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Alabama, Limestone County, near Athens

North Side

This marks the site of Cambridge, a small town established in the earliest years of Limestone County. In 1818, it consisted of several business houses, shops, and a mill. It was one of three locations considered for the county seat, however the choice went to Athens, and Cambridge never grew as hoped.

During the "Great Spiritual Revival" of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, camp meetings were held here, sometimes lasting for weeks at a time. Among early Methodists who preached here were, John B. McFerrin who later became a Methodist Bishop and Lorenzo Dow, a man whose presence and message were so powerful that hundreds were converted by him, and children were named for him for generations. (Continued on other side)

South Side
(Continued from other side)
Temperance rallies were held here by the "Sons of Temperance" during the 1840's, drawing large crowds. The campground was also used as a muster and drilling ground by confederate units formed from Limestone County.
The eight acres for the meeting house and campground were originally donated by George Malone, an early settler, who came from Sussex Co. Virginia. He had large land holdings here and built his large home which he named "Cambridge" nearby. It was destroyed by fire in 1955.
Over the years, business gravitated to Athens, the rallying cries for salvation, abstention and freedom have faded from here, and all that remains of Cambridge is the old Methodist Church and the cemetery.

(Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches, Etc. • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 13 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Great House

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Massachusetts, Suffolk County, Charlestown

History and Archaeology
In the 1900s, as part of the major highway reconstruction project that built the tunnels beneath this park, a team of archaeologists studied City Square and its history.The investigators researched historic documents and conducted an archaeological dig to determine what happened in City Square's past. This research was supported by the Federal Highway Administration and the Massachusetts Department.---

The archaeology uncovered a very important aspect of Charlestown's history beneath City Square, the Great House, which was first public building erected by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. the Great House was built as part of the Charlestown settlement in 1629 for Governor John Winthrop. As the Governor's residence and a meeting place for his Court of Assistants, the Great House was the Company's seat of government for several months during the summer of 1930. Governor Winthrop and the operations of the Massachusetts Bay company moved across the river to Boston (then called Shawmut) in October 1630. The company sold the Great House to the town in 1633.---

The Great House was then uses as a meeting house and center of community life. It later became the Three Cranes Tavern when it was purchased by Robert Long in 1635. The Three Cranes Tavern served merchants, sailors, and craftsmen that required lodging, and provided a meeting place were ideas as well as goods could be exchanged.

The building in City Square were razed by fire during the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. The square was left as an open marketplace after the battle and the remains of the Great House/Three Cranes Tavern site were preserved beneath the ashes.---

A Time line
The archaeologist carefully removed about four feet of fill from the surface of City Square before they hit a layer of demolition and ash. This burned layer was from 1775 when most of Charlestown was destroyed during the battle of Bunker Hill. An excellent time market, the archaeologists knew that what lay beneath and among this rubble was older than 1775.---
What are these stones?
The stones in the lawn in front of you are the actual foundation stones of the Three Cranes Tavern that were uncovered during the archaeological dig. Post holes marking the location of the original wooden posts of the Great House structure were also found among the foundation stones. These structural elements are reused here to designate the foundation as a "trace" of the original building.---
What the Archaeological investigation revealed In addition to the tavern foundation, several privies were also uncovered. Privies were used as both outhouses and trash pits. The artifacts found in these privies allowed archaeologist to date the site and tell us how people lived or used the site. The privies in City Square contained important pottery, fine wine glasses, and butchered animal bones, which tell us that the occupants were wealthy colonists. As you walk around the stones, you will find yourself in the kitchen, the wine cellar, and the main hall of the tavern.

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

Deacon Larkin House

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Massachusetts, Suffolk County, Charlestown
This 1790s Georgian residence was built for Deacon John Larkin, a patriot best remembered for his role in Paul Revere's legendary midnight ride. It was Larkin's horse that carried Revere out to Lexington and Concord to warn the Committee of Safety of the approaching British troops.

Larkin's original house stood in nearby City Square. Along with the rest of Charlestown,it was destroyed during the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. This clapboard-sided house with a low third floor and quoin-embelished corners is a rare survivor from Charlestown's post-Revolutionary era of construction.

(Notable Events • War, US Revolutionary) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Oklahoma State Seal

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma City


"This state seal was displayed at the entrance of the Oklahoma exhibit at the New York World's Fair 1964-1965"

(Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features • Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

City Square:

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Massachusetts, Suffolk County, Charlestown

Native American Settlement

Native American occupation of the Charlestown peninsula predates European settlements by approximately 10,000 years. Archaeological evidence, such as tools made of stone, bone, wood, and shells, suggests the early Natives were hunters of wild animals and gatherers of plant foods.

As early as 1000 B.C. Natives used local clay deposits to create pottery. Speakers of the Algonquin languages, local Native Americans formed alliances with tribes throughout the region. By the early -17th Century, the Native people had become agriculturalists, living in semi- permanent villages adjacent to their corn field.---------

English Settlement and Colonial Era (1629-1775)
Charlestown was settled on June 24, 1629 by Thomas Graves, an engineer dispatched from England to prepare a site for the newly-chartered Massachusetts Bay Company.

With the assistance of 100 colonists from Salem, Graves laid out the town and oversaw the construction of the Governor's residence, known as the "Great House." In June 1630, Governor John Winthrop moved into the Great House, which briefly served as the Company's meeting house and seat of government until Winthrop relocated to the Shawmut peninsula in October of 1630. This area was the heart of a thriving commercial port, and maintained its civic prominence through the colonial era s the location of the town's tavern, meeting house (1716), and court house (1735). This center of commerce, religion and government served as a marketplace for the colonists and the site of the town's stocks, whipping posts and pillory. Charlestown was destroyed by bombardment and fire on June 17, 1775 during the Battle of Bunker Hill.---------

Charlestown Square (1776-1846)
After the famous battle, the town voted to enlarge the open space and the area became known as Charlestown Square. By the close of the 18th century, new wharves, warehouses, ropewalks and shipyards bordered the square to the south and east. Transportation improvements, such as the 1786 and 1828 bridges to Boston, the 1803 Chelsea Bridge, and the arrival of the railroad in 1836, transformed the area into a busy crossroads and prosperous commercial center.-------

City Square (1847-1974)
In 1847, when Charlestown was incorporated as a city, hotels and boarding houses surrounded City Square, catering to travelers arriving by water and rail. the square was substantially transformed by post-Civil War public improvements, including a new City Hall, a grand hotel, and a ornamental park. Although its role as a civic center diminished following Charlestown's annexation to Boston in 1874, the square retained its commercial vitality. For most of the twentieth century, City Square was cast into shadow by dense tangle of elevated transportation structures, including the 1901elevated railway and the late 1950s expressway. -------

Rebirth of City Square (1975-1996)
Following years of neighborhood advocacy to reclaim this dark, blighted area as open space,the elevated railway was removed in 1975 and the highway viaducts were replaced by tunnels in 1994. Today, the City Square Historical and Archaeological Site is honored as a designated Boston Landmark and City Square has regained its status as a major gateway to Charlestown.

(Colonial Era • Man-Made Features) Includes location, directions, 7 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Site Of Wesley Park's Home

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Indiana, DeKalb County, Auburn
On this site stood the log home of Wesley Park, co-founder with John Howe of the City of Auburn in 1836. Park's cabin was an important social and government center, serving as a tavern, resting place, and courthouse for early settlers and westbound travelers. In 1841, after a fire destroyed the cabin, Park arranged for the construction of a two story frame dwelling at the same site. In the early 20th century, that home was moved to the northwest corner of Union and Second streets, where it remains today. Park moved to Missouri following his service in the Civil War. He never lived to see the community he helped establish grow and flourish and become known around the world for the carriages and automobiles it would produce.

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

Point Lookout Prison

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Maryland, St. Mary's County, Scotland
This memorial plaza is to honor the sacrifices of the 52,264 Confederate soldiers, sailors and civilians imprisoned near here during the War Between the States. Point Lookout prison camp was established immediately following the Battle of Gettysburg and was operated by the Union Army from September 1863 to June 1865

The camp was built to hold 10,000 prisoners; at times it held more than double that amount of military and civilians. Due to inhumane conditions as well as active persecution, thousands of prisoners died (the record is incomplete and is still being compiled). Even though there were funds to house and feed the prisoners adequately, they died of exposure to the elements, disease, starvation and indiscriminate shootings. Col. William Hoffman, Commissary General of Union Prisons, saved over two million dollars allotted for the care of Confederate prisoners by denying prisoners enough food to prevent starvation.

Point Lookout Prisoner of War Descendents Organization (PLPOW) was founded to honor the sacrifices of their ancestors as well as to bring to the public the true story of the inhumane treatment of prisoners at Point Lookout.

In 2002, the Maryland State Park Service and U.S. Veterans Administration began to require all speeches and re-enactments to be submitted for censoring as well as other discriminatory actions directed at only Southern heritage organizations. The most unacceptable directive for descendents to accept was prohibiting the display of the Confederate Flag over the mass grave of the thousands of men that fought and died under the Confederate banner.

In 2003, PLPOW purchased this land to erect a memorial plaza that would be free of government interference and restrictions. This memorial will list the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of additional documented names of those that died that are not listed on the monument at the adjacent Federal Cemetery.

“All that was, or is now, desired is that…the truth be told, without exaggeration and without omission; truth for its own sake and for the sake of honest history…” Rev. James P. Smith, Last Survivor of the Staff of Lt. General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson.

The Flags at Confederate Memorial
The many flags at Confederate Memorial Park have a lot to tell us about the Confederacy. The flags of the States that seceded from the Union in the War Between the States 1861-1865 are in the monument circle with the Confederate Battle flag in the center.

Starting on the left and moving clockwise the state flags are: Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Texas, South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia. The flags along the walkway leading to the circle include;
1) “Bonnie Blue”-The first flag adopted by the seceding states before the establishment of the government of the Confederate States of America
2) 1st National-CSA
3) 2nd National-CSA
4) 3rd National CSA
5) Cherokee Confederation flag-The 5 stars in the flag represent the 5 “civilized tribes” of the Cherokee, Seminole, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Creek Nations. These Indian Nations negotiated a treaty of alliance with the Confederate government and formed their own companies and regiments as early as the fall of 1861. On June 23, 1865 Indian General Stand Watie was the last Confederate General to surrender his trips to the Union.
6) The St. Andrew Cross-The Confederate Battle Flag was patterned from the National flag of Scotland. Point Lookout is located in Scotland, Maryland.
7) In the center of the field is the flag of the Point Lookout Descendants organization (Point Lookout Prisoner of War-PLPOW).
8) Located to the right of the walkway is the Maryland flag. It is not part of the seceding states ring of flags as Maryland was occupied by the Federal Government and its legislatures imprisoned before it had the opportunity to secede.

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

As Long As The Waters Flow

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma City


Honoring the centuries-old presence and contribution of
Native Americans to Oklahoma
State Capitol Rotunda Sunday, June 4, 1989
Master of Ceremonies
State Senator Enoch Kelly Haney, Seminole Creek
Program Participants
Allan Houser (Haozous),
Chiricahua-Apache, Sculptor
[List of Participants]
Unveiling Ceremony - Flag Plaza
Traditional Cedar Smoke Blessing
George 'Woogee' Watchetaker,
Comanche Medicine Man

The ceremony was attended by more than one thousand guests, including Oklahoma Tribal leaders, who participated in an Allan Houser Honor Dance on the Flag Plaza
Red Earth Festival Drum - Mandaree Singers,
New Town, N. Dakota
——————
Allan Houser (Haozous), Chircahua Apache
Born near Apache, Oklahoma, June 30, 1914
Son of Sam and Blossom Haozous
Commissioned for the State Capitol
by the
State of Oklahoma
and the
State Arts Council of Oklahoma
Dedicated June 4, 1989

(Arts, Letters, Music • Man-Made Features • Native Americans • Peace) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

The Attar Center

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West Virginia, Raleigh County, Beckley
General Alfred Beckley, founder of the city of Beckley, shows this corner location as land lot 29 on his 1838 map. Reverend Matthew Ellison, founder of the First Baptist Church of Beckley, built his home here in 1850, and his heirs held title to the land until 1902. The lot was then divided. The lower section below the alley and fronting on South Fayette formed the site of Beckley's first theater, the (Boyd E.) Carter Opera House built in 1906. The upper lot opening on Main Street was successively owned after 1902 by the Raleigh County Bank, Beckley Hardware and Supplies, Gus Farris and Nicholas Rahall, and Beckley National Bank.

Beckley National Bank constructed this neo-classical style building and opened it on April 19, 1924. The bank president was Joseph Luther Smith, father of the future governor of this state, Hulett C. Smith. In 1928, Joseph Smith was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. This bank building was sold to Beckley Federal Savings and Loan Association (later Beckley Federal Savings Bank) in 1962. That institution operated here until it merged into the Bank of Raleigh (now City National Bank) in 1997. Following the merger the building was occupied.

Marz Attar, local businessman and philanthropist, purchased the building in 2000 and donated it to Forward Southern West Virginia for use as an economic development center. This historic structure of white glazed terra-cotta as a stained-glass dome rising 75 feet above the interior floor. The lobby floor and wainscot are of imported marble. The restoration required in elevator and balcony that modified the architectural view inside the building. The renovations were completed January, 2003, with a grant secured by United States Senator Robert C. Byrd.

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

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