tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48606258003183457232024-03-17T03:25:20.112-04:00Never Enough HistoryMichael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-46328279041698582872017-08-26T20:35:00.000-04:002017-08-26T20:35:24.595-04:00The Brewery on the Palisades: The White Brewery<div style="text-align: center;">
In today's world, craft beer has taken on a life of its own. Anyone with a passion for beer can brew themselves a nice homemade batch, like I have done, or with enough capital can start a venture in the brewing business. This last weekend I visited the New Jersey Beer Company in my home town of North Bergen, New Jersey. I had their Hudson Pale Ale and the seasonal, Wheat Heavy, both very excellent beers. But while I was there enjoying some finely crafted beers, good conversation, plenty of laughs and the ambiance of the brewery I noticed, cover by a jacket or 2 a familiar poster on the wall. The poster was an old advertisement for the Hudson County Consumer's Brewery, which was once located where present day Union City High School is. During its heyday it was the probably the most successful brewery in the area, only the William Peter Brewery Company, which is now the American Self Storage building in Union City, could have been a close second. Seeing the poster got me thinking, what about the breweries before Hudson Consumer's and William Peter? I know Hudson County has a long history of brewing, which the NJ Beer Co. is now continuing, but which brewery could be called the first in Hudson County?<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Weehawken Ferry (1875) by Andrew Melrose</span></i><br />
Notice the White Brewery in the upper left area.</div>
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I will give credit where credit is due, the first actual brewery in Hudson County was Aert Teunison Brewery of Hoboken, which began operation in roughly 1648. However, after that the idea of what we'd call a brewery died out and only small home brewers would supply the public and basically 17th and 18th century brew pubs would be the only place you could grab a cold one...coldish one. However, that would change in 1855. Otto Kohler of Hannover and Andrew Finck, of Munich, opened the first major brewery in Hudson County in the area that would become Guttenberg, White Brewery. However, Finck would leave in the mid 1870s to from his own brewing business in New York City, the White Brewery accountant Woltze Kamena, would then become Kohler's partner for a brief time. Finally it would be run under the name Kohler & Son, as it became a family run endeavor after 1876, with his sons Frederick and Peter. The brewery was between the area known as Belle Vue, now the area of Guttenberg between 68th and 71st and Park and Boulevard East, and Bulls Ferry Road. The brewery was quite impressive, standing at eight stories high and perched on the edge of the Palisades, it was the major landmark atop the the cliffs at the time. </div>
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The brewery was also home to an outdoor beer garden, obviously, and a dance hall. The brewery also sponsored and housed a sporting club. Wrestling and boxing matches were held weekly and even a cock fight or two were known to take place there, I know, it was a different time. The brewery also sponsored medicine shows, which Kickapoo Indians were brought in and gave examples of Native American medical practices. The brewery was not only used by residents of Hudson and Bergen county, but by Gothamites as well. Every weekend the brewery would be filled to capacity with people from all over and from all social classes. </div>
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The White Brewery circa 1862<br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">History of West New York</span></i><br />
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Aside from being an extensive building the brewery also dug deep into the Palisades. Remember this brewery was built in 1855, and the idea of modern refrigeration was still a long ways away, but they had the next best thing, the Palisades. The blue stone of the Palisades provided for a cool place to store the barrels of beer produced. Under the brewery 2 storage rooms were kept, both 60 feet high. Tunnels were also dug at the base of the Palisades to keep beer cool as it waited to be ferried to New York City, which if your old enough may remember them before the Galaxy and river front was developed. Most of the lager produced at the White Brewery made its way to New York City. However, for sometime, Kohler had his bottle beer shipped to distant ports, mainly in England, Germany and Holland as many shipping lines from these countries called New York Harbor their American home port. Even though the brewery was a success the White brewery was not destined to be in operation forever.<br />
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Otto Kohler would pass away in 1880, and is buried in the famous Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, and with him ended not only Kohler & Son, but the White Brewery as well. The brewery was sold several times and each new brewing company failed to have the success of Kohler. From 1880-1884 Hauenstein & Weiss Brewery operated in the building followed by Alois Kremer Brewery (1884-1891) and finally August Hammersen Brewery (1891-1896). After the August Hammersen Brewery closed the building was left vacant. It burnt down in October of 1896. Today, the memory of Kohler and the brewery are practically gone. Kohler was a great man, an intelligent business man but a man of the people as well. With any venture he partook in, he was always interested in how it would affect the people of Guttenberg. He was influential in the creation of the Guttenberg school system. He was frank, open and outgoing. When he wasn't in the brewery or working to make Guttenberg better, he tended to his grape vines and cacti, that's right the man grew cactus in Guttenberg. Kohler was kind of an unofficial representation of Hudson County. His brewery stood proudly atop the Palisades as a welcome sign to those in New York City looking to escape to the "country" for the weekend, while at the same time was a community gathering place for locals, as the first annual Guttenberg Ball was held there on October 29, 1866. That is why, as I sat in the New Jersey Brewing Company building, enjoying more than a few drinks, I found it amazing that the brewing industry is returning to the area and in almost an unchanged manner. Locally brewed beer, people coming to enjoy it, and it's shipped elsewhere. So even though Kohler and his business are long gone from the memories of Guttenberg, it is important to remember the man for what he contributed to the newly forming town, and that at one time in the town's history, it was home to Hudson County's own <i>King of Beers</i>. </div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-84882895508442394372016-07-20T16:22:00.001-04:002016-07-20T16:22:04.057-04:00The Revolutionary War Comes to North Bergen<div style="text-align: center;">
The Revolutionary War is a huge part of New Jersey History, especially right here in Hudson County. The British held a fort in Bergen Neck, now present day Bayonne. At the time, the Continental Army used the area for spying on British held New York City. Even George Washington was known to travel along the top of the Palisades to observe British activity in New York harbor. The Battle of Paulus Hook was fought in Jersey City in 1779 so the county was a hot bed of activity between Patriots and Tories. However, one event always seems to fall through the cracks of history. Perhaps it has been overshadowed by the victories at the Battle of Monmouth and Stony Point, both turning points for the Americans in the war, it could also be overlooked due to the arrival of the French, or it could be the the Baylor Massacre took place only a year prior in River Vale. The war itself also started to move south, as the Siege of Charleston began only 3 weeks before, and was an utter disaster for the Americans. The main reason it's been forgotten is because it was not an American victory, even though it would later be proved successful in its own right. The event at hand is the Battle of Bull's Ferry, yes, as in Bulls Ferry Road - and no, it was <i>not</i> a battle to beat that red light at the top of the hill! It put one of the greatest American generals (perhaps in our nation's history), "Mad" Anthony Wayne and his troops against staunch Loyalists whose goal was to support the crown and keep the colonies as is, in the last major skirmish in the North Campaign.</div>
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A little background information on Bull's Ferry is need first to understand why the battle took place. First, Bull's Ferry is named for the Bull family that first operated the ferry. It was the second-most used ferry to get to New York City during the Revolution, first was Burdett's Landing in Edgewater. It was accessible from every major road way the time and was the link between the farms, forests and other resources the British desperately needed to supply New York City during the occupation. The main reason Bull's Ferry became a target for the American's was due to the harsh winter of 1779. The unbelievably harsh winter that year caused New York City to literally burn through their supply firewood to keep themselves warm. Some reports even claim people took to dismantling sections of their homes for firewood and even taken wood from the British fortifications throughout the city. British general Henry Clinton was in charge of the city and responsible for keeping it a safe, happy and fully functioning during the war. During the winter a blockhouse was built near Bull's Ferry, which some say was actually on the border of present day North Bergen and Guttenberg as the site of the Blockhouse is not clear based on different histories and maps, some placing it a top the Palisades, others right on the river and some with it placed in between. The Loyalist there would use it to gather lumber from the woods Hudson County, starting with the woods in the Woodcliff area of North Bergen and send it into New York. The British placed Captain Tom Ward there with seventy men to fulfill the task of supplying the city. As you could imaging, George Washington was not very happy General when he learned about this, so on July 20, 1780 he order Anthony Wayne to take care of the blockhouse...by any means necessary. (Not his exact words! I may have just added that for some dramatics.)</div>
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The next day the attack began. Wayne commanded the 1st and 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade, which had 4 pieces of artillery and the 4th Continental Light Dragoons. The offensive began with an hour long cannonade, lasting about an hour. However, due to the locations of the blockhouse, which according to Wayne's battle report was nestled strategically along the Palisades, most of the American fire missed. The blockhouse was also well protected with a protective stockade and ditches to slow the American's advancement. Some men from Wayne's force did make it to the stockade but found it impossible to break through. The fight continued for most of the day with the British Loyalist, about 70 of them under the command of Thomas Ward peppering the attacking Americans with musket fire from the safety of the blockhouse. Wayne attacked with roughly 2000 men, 50 of which would be injured and 15 would fall during the attack. It is rumored that as the Americans pushed to take the blockhouse, the Tories were quickly running out of ammo and about to surrender. However, word reached Wayne that British Regulars were being sent from New York City to reinforce the despaired Loyalists, which made Wayne hasten and wisely get out of town.<br />
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The attack on the blockhouse may have not been a direct victory for the Americans but the attack would result as beneficial to the Americans in the area for the remainder of the war. First, the blockhouse was abandoned. The damaged caused by the Americans during the attack was enough for the Clinton to leave it and send his men to Fort Delancy in Bergen Neck (Bayonne). Second, with the blockhouse unusable, lumber supplies to British occupied New York City would have to come from somewhere else. Also during the attack, Wayne had sent the 4th Continental Light Dragoons, lead by "Light Horse" Harry Lee to Bergen Neck to round up cattle and horses that the British kept there. However, Wayne's reputation was tarnished, for the time being. Matters were not made any better due to the British Major John Andre's poem, <i><a href="http://www.americanrevolution.org/andrepoetry.html" target="_blank">The Cow Chace</a></i>, mocking Wayne and his failed attack. The lash back was so bad Washington himself had to defend Wayne to the Continental Congress. Yet, in an ironic twist of fate, and on a complete side note, when John Andre was taken to the gallows for his actions in relation to Benedict Arnold, he was accompanied by no other than Anthony Wayne. But we all know what happened from there on out. The colonies win their independence, the United States is born and our history had begun to be written. But what happened to the blockhouse?<br />
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The blockhouse was last use by the British in 1780. After the Battle of Bull's Ferry, the house fell into disrepair. The area then became a lumberyard and mill in the mid 19th century. The door of the blockhouse was salvaged around the close of the 19th century and placed in a museum near Hasbrouck House, Washington's Headquarters at Newburgh. The foundation of the blockhouse was still visible until the late 1920s, but then covered due to the ever changing nature of the Hudson County waterfront. Today, there is no marker where the blockhouse once stood or the events that took place around it. Today, the door to the blockhouse sits in a storage room on Peedles Island State Park, as a relic of the past. It is a piece of forgotten North Bergen History, and I feel as a resident of this great town, the door should be returned. So as the waterfront continues to develop, new homes and businesses will be added, but it is important the Battle of Bull's Ferry be remembered, and the it's legacy be a milestone in the town's history.</div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-44952275620658641972014-01-29T19:26:00.001-05:002014-01-29T19:48:19.567-05:00The Forgotten Officer Down of West Hoboken<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Hudson County, New Jersey is perhaps one of the most historical areas in America. The Lenape Indians had a history in the area long before the arrival of Henry Hudson (Weehawken). The Dutch settled the land and created Bergen (Present day Hudson and Bergen Counties). The Revolutionary War was fought in Paulus Hook (Jersey City) and at Bull's Ferry (Guttenberg). The Burr and Hamilton Duel took place at the Weehawken Dueling Grounds. The spot along the Underground Railroad (Jersey City). The Guttenberg Racetrack which would later turn into a testing ground for early flying attempts (North Bergen). Millions of immigrants from across the globe have continually made every town in Hudson County home, from the Germans and Irish of the 19th century to the Italians of the early 20th century up to today's Hispanic immigrants that now add a new chapter to the areas history. The towns of West New York and Union City were giants of the embroidering industry. The political powerhouse that was Mayor Frank Hague (Jersey City). The shipping industry that once dominated the Hudson River (Hoboken). Hell the film Rocky is based on Chuck Wepner (Bayonne). There is so much history in this area it is easy to see how some of it can fall into the cracks. Recently, I found myself walking past the Union City Town Hall. Outside there is a small monument to the police officers who lost their lives protecting Union City.One name that stuck out was the first name on the list, Charles Harm. I felt the need to write about Harm and keep his story of service and duty alive. The story of Charles Harm will take us back to 1922. A very interesting time in, not only American History, but Hudson County. A time when Union City wasn't a town, North Bergen and Jersey City were still broken up into neighborhoods and a time in which Hudson County was a cross roads for many.</div>
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Just a little background information of the Lieutenant Detective. Charles Harm was born July 17, 1894 in
Secaucus, NJ to John Harm, a saloon keeper who was also a former
Councilman of West Hoboken and Freeholder of Hudson County, and
Louisa, he was one of two children, the other his sister Frieda. They
moved to West Hoboken around 1905 Harm joined the West Hoboken Police
Department, badge number 41, in 1916 and was assigned to the motorcycle division. By
1920 Harm was promoted to Detective Lieutenant, for having an
excellent service record and his physical prowess. In 1919 he married
his wife Anna and had two children Louisa, born 1919 and Charles,
born 1921.</div>
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On Sunday January 29, 1922 Harm was
assigned to escort a bank messenger from First National Bank of North
Hudson, located at 141 Summit Ave., to the West Hoboken Post Office,
at 402 Clinton Ave, present day 20th street and New York Ave. The
bank messenger was sending $21,000 from the bank to the Federal
Reserve in New York City. The bank messenger was 21 year old Secondo
Gallo, a West Hoboken native. The job of escorting the bank messenger
was routine, and a job traded between Harm and Captain Angelo
Stanton. Harm and Gallo got on a trolley to Highpoint Ave., now 22<sup>nd</sup>
St. and Clinton St., now New York Ave. As they walked towards the Post
Office they were approached by 3 men, at Monastery St., now 21<sup>st</sup>
St., not to be confused with Monastery Place. The trip took a total
of about 15 minutes.</div>
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Clinton Ave, Between Stevens and Monastery</div>
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archives.gov </div>
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As three very well dressed men neared, Harm warned Gallo “Look out for these guys,” and “if anything
was to happen, run for the post office.” It was 1:30pm and snow had
just begun to fall. As Harm readied to reach for his pistol, two of
the men drew theirs and opened fire. Harm was first hit in the right
elbow, then once in the torso. Harm then took out his .38 caliber Colt and opened fire,
firing twice and then his pistol jammed. Now in between 20<sup>th</sup>
and 21<sup>st</sup> St. with a jammed gun, Harm, with two bullets in
him, stood up and started to push the robbers back. By the time they
reached 21<sup>st</sup> St. they realized his gun was jammed. During
this time Gallo was making a run for it. The robbers shot at Gallo,
even with jitney bus passing by. As Gallo ran he dropped the money
between the jitney bus, which was now stopped, and the curb. The
robbers then picked up the bag even with the bus full of witnesses
and made off with the money. They made off in a Dodge Touring Car,
the model was never identified.</div>
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archives.com</div>
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Harm barely made it to Dr. John
O'Conner, the town doctor's, home at 434 Clinton Ave, (New York Ave.)
The doctor opened the door to find a bloody Harm, “They got me and
got away with the money,” “Call up headquarters,” and then he
collapsed. The West Hoboken P.D. Had already been alerted by numerous
witnesses, since the Post Office was in a residential area. There was
even an innocent bystander wounded. Mrs. Magnofio, who lived on the
second floor at 401 Monastery St. (401 21<sup>st</sup>.) was hit in
the face by a piece of bullet after if broke through her window and
passed through the wall separating the kitchen and dinning room. She
was having lunch and did survive. Witnesses included Joseph Arn, a
retiree, William Leifer, manager of the Lincoln Theatre, William
Baach and Henry Ebel, both Post Office employees.</div>
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North Hudson Hospital</div>
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archives.gov</div>
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Chief of Police George Rohrbach and
Captain Stanton headed the investigation. They theorized that the
robbers had inside information coming from the bank, as the escorts
varied, in date, time and officer. They believe that the robbers
waited outside the bank then made it to Monastery Pl. (21<sup>st</sup>
St.) first and waited to see Harm and Gallo and cut them off in
between the trolley and the Post Office. They took statements from
witnesses, Gallo, O'Connor and Harm. There was never any suspicion
attached to Gallo as “he told a straightforward story, which
corroborated with Lieutenant Harm.” Harm was taken into surgery and
operated on in North Hudson Hospital. The doctors involved were Dr.
O'Connor, Dr. Louis Lang and Dr. H.H. Tyndall. They believed that
Harm would make it through the surgery due to his physical stature.
However, he'd succumb to his wounds the following afternoon, January 29th, at
5:20pm. His wife and 2 children, his parents, Chief Rohrbach and
Captain Stanton were at his bedside. The bullet that killed Harm was
the second bullet that struck him, it entered just under his heart,
cut through his liver and exited his right side. Harm was laid out in Amsterdam Hall in West Hoboken. He was
posthumously promoted to Captain at the urging of Mayor William G.
Weller, in order for his wife to receive a an $1,100 dollar pension
instead of $800. A relief fund started by Harm's friend also raised
over $1,000 dollars for the Harm family. He is buried in Fairview
Cemetery.</div>
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West Hoboken</div>
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archives.gov</div>
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On January 31<sup>st</sup> two men
were arrested in connection to the murder/robbery. 27 year old Carl
Rettich and 22 year old Benjamin Alberts, both of Hoboken. They were
charged with highway robbery and murder. Alberts was arrested in his
home, while Rettich was found at the Hudson Tube Terminal(Hoboken
PATH Station) in Hoboken. Both were known criminals, Alberts for car
theft and conspiracy to commit car theft, also they were both
arrested in 1919 for holding up a drug store in Brooklyn. They bound,
gagged and robbed the merchant, but the charges were dropped. Rettich
was also tried for the murder of a man in Homestead, NJ (which is now
in North Bergen, it would be the area between Schuetzen Park and the
Five Points) but was acquitted. Aside from these charges, they've
also been arrested several times for disorderly conduct. The arrest
was made by Lieutenant Herman Bolte of the WHPD and charges were
preferred by Chief Rohrbach. On January 31<sup>st</sup>, WHPD
predicted 3 more arrested would be made shortly, as witness put 5 men
in total at the scene of the crime, 3 shooters, a lookout and a
driver.</div>
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archives.gov</div>
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This is were it gets weird. After
interrogating Alberts and Rettich, the WHPD concluded this was the
work of professional gunmen, a gang. From the information they were
given it showed the gang had some ties to the Baff murder several
years early which grew out of problems with lower Manhatten poultry
dealers, Carl Alberts' father was Morris Alberts, was Hoboken poultry
merchant with ties to the crime. It was also believed that the gang worked for local
bootleggers and gambling houses that need help. The police also
issued a warrant for the arrest of Lawrence Garavanti aka “Babe
Seiger.” He was a prize fighter and local roughneck with
connections to multiple crimes, a hold up in Weehawken resulting in
the death of a messenger, a Public Service messenger in Secaucus, the
murder of Yung Wing Fong in Hoboken, and a hold up in Jersey City, as
well as the Baff murder.</div>
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archives.gov</div>
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Garavanti was arrested on February 2<sup>nd</sup>
along with John Marthaler aka “Dopey Benny.” Both 22 and
residents of Hoboken. A source told the Hoboken Police that they
could be found at the Hotel York on 7<sup>th</sup> Ave and 36<sup>th</sup>
St. in Manhattan. Police from Hoboken and New York City waited for
the 2 suspects across the street at the Mills Hotel. The suspects
were stopped outside the hotel and when one of the Hoboken officers
were recognized, Garavanti swung at the officer and was taken to the
ground, as was Marthaler after he struggled to make a run for it. Now
with 4 men in custody, the police reviled that Harm, Gallo and
several witness pick photos of Alberts, Rettich and Marthaler. Marthaler was the first to draw his pistol at the scene of the crime. Garavanti,
however could not be placed at the crime.
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archive.gov</div>
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The four men would ultimately be
released from custody and Harm's case would remain open for another
10 years. Of those 4, one died and 2 more were arrested and sent to
prison on unrelated charges. Rettich was arrested for mail robbery in
East Cambridge, Massachusetts and convicted to 25 year sin 1935.
Alberts was also arrested in the mid 1930s and Marthaler died in the late 1920s. Garavanti would
live the rest of his life out in Hudson County, passing away in 1978.
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archives.gov
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Harm's wife would remarry, his
children would grow up and have families of their own. His son served
proudly during WWII with The Big Red One and was awarded a Purple
Heart. His daughter went on to become a teacher receiving her
Master's from Montclair University. According to his grandson, Craig
Harm, the actions of their grandfather on that snowy January day will
never be forgotten by the family and the story of his heroism has
been and will continue to be passed down from generation to
generation. So, I wonder, why is Harm's actions reduced to just a name etched on a stone? Could Jose Marti Freshman Academy or Colin Powell Elementary not have been named for Charles Harm? Especially since both of those schools fall in what used to be the town of West Hoboken. Could the stretch of New York Ave between 21st and 23rd streets not be call Charles Harm Way? Or the intersection of of 21st street and New York Ave be called Charles Harm Plaza? I know a new page of history is written every day, but does that mean we have to forget the past and the sacrifices made by everyday citizens? I know the family and the descendants of Secondo Gallo don't and certainly not the family of Harm. I guess what I am trying to say is, it is important to preserve our areas History, while we continue to write the next chapter of it. History is a reflection of ourselves, so what does it say when we forget someone like Charles Harm.</div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-46469690080968294412013-12-09T10:54:00.003-05:002013-12-09T10:54:53.516-05:00Have The Valet Bring My Zepplin Up.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Empire State Building is perhaps<i> the </i>iconic skyscraper. It has stood the test of time as a classic piece of art deco architecture, and has continued to dominate the city's skyline ever since its completion. Recently, the Empire State Building has gotten an update. There has been a new antenna put on and most notably are the new LED lights that illuminate the New York Skyline every night. So it got me thinking, what is something most people don't know about the Empire State Building. I could talk about the Astoria Hotel, which once stood where the Empire State Building sits now, the beautiful five story lobby, how a B-25 crashed into the building in 1945, that the building has been visited by numerous celebrities since 1931 including Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Pope Pius XII, Fidel Castro and Queen Elisabeth II to name a few, or that at the cornerstone laying, only one man in New York City declined to go, Walter P. Chrysler. But then I thought, I need something better and bigger. So I looked to the higher floors of the building, and did you know, when the Empire State Building was completed, it was fully equipped with a zeppelin mooring station, aka a parking spot for a blimp.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QYjafVMjrFfyyLFGqs3jOwtyTmhtLiQ64eZErLwV4KO_Wcg-jIYXOD3tatpOpPOfB_5QfK536eWDqeI4Y6xph_5GSBXpsw900zBo9m6aNza0iz92TIg9lEl-3hH6bPvXV_gQ_mSNsJk/s1600/Scapes-1-popup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QYjafVMjrFfyyLFGqs3jOwtyTmhtLiQ64eZErLwV4KO_Wcg-jIYXOD3tatpOpPOfB_5QfK536eWDqeI4Y6xph_5GSBXpsw900zBo9m6aNza0iz92TIg9lEl-3hH6bPvXV_gQ_mSNsJk/s320/Scapes-1-popup.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>nytimes.com</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The idea of making it possible for zeppelins, blimps, dirigibles or whatever you like to call them docking at the Empire State Building came in 1929. The theory came from the investors who backed the building and were, well looking for more investors and money, a 1250 foot and 2 inch building doesn't come cheap you know. They even had an image produced of the US Navy's airship Los Angeles docked on the antenna (shown above), using the 1929 version of Photoshop. Now the building itself was originally supposed to be only 1050 feet high, but the idea of docking a blimp forced the designers to add an addition 200 feet, also they really wanted to dwarf the Chrysler Building, which in my opinion is a much better building, but that's another story. The idea was also brought up thinking trans Atlantic travelers would be much happier "landing" at the Empire State Building, hop in an elevator and be on the city streets in just a few minutes, instead of landing in New Jersey. the funny thing though is, no zeppelin, blimp or dirigible company even asked for this, and the market for those traveling across the Atlantic on airships was still just a small number, as travel by sea was more affordable. So you really have to ask, why even bother?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>ww2talk.com</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">BIG DREAMS! That's why even bother! It's New York City at the onset of the Great Depression and if anywhere in the US was <i>not</i> going to be affected by poverty it was going to be New York. We all know this not to be completely true, but the Empire State Building was a huge deal back in 1930. It was setting a president for which all future skyscrapers would be measured to, so of course it needed a dock for airships. But here is what really happened. I think it was a grand dream of the designers and an even bigger venture by the owners to do something not only different but unique and that would generate tons of cash for the building. The idea of people flying into New York, getting out and being in their hotel, or business meeting or whatever they were doing there in a matter a minutes was an idea that would change the construction of buildings forever. But sadly it would never happen, and mainly because the dominating airship companies found it to be not practical. Dr. Hugo Eckner, of</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Graf Zeppelin the world leader in airship travel at the time, pointed out numerous flaws and found that trying to connect to a building would be impossible. So the dream of zeppelins landing at the Empire State Building was dead...or was it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">tranquiltybaseblog.com</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We all know that when American's have an idea we stick to it, I mean Americans invented the light bulb, the Colt Revolver, the internet, the rainy day cigarette holder, the curved barrel machine gun and the Slap Chop. So certainly they could figure out how to attach a zeppelin to a building. They never did. They made several attempts but nothing ever proved to be successful. The Naval Airship J-4, the Goodyear Blimp, the airship Columbia and several other tried. The most success came from a smaller blimp owned privately which connected for only 3 minutes and unloaded no passengers or goods. The problem was, first, the winds. Wind gusts at the top of the Empire State Building reach between 40 and 50 MPH. Second, it takes more than a few ropes to hold a blimp in place. Third, no airship company wanted it. And lastly, it was too dangerous, I mean we all know what happened to the Hindenburg, now imaging that, over New York City, not a good idea. In theory docking an airship there may be one of the coolest ideas in history. But it would never happen. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>untappedcities.com</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The idea of getting off on the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building, walking on a small ramp to the observation deck that gives you a sensation of being pushed off the building, doesn't sound like something people would sign up for. I know I'd need to be blindfolded and guided off with a safety harness on in order to do something like that. But I don't think that is what stopped the venture from happening. I think it was just viewed as impractical by the airship companies and simply easier to land in a field than to risk attaching to a building. Today building engineers look back at the daring idea and see that it was possible, with a little tweaking. The idea was a grand one and is pretty sad to see that it never came to be. Today we are left with some doctored photos and some records of what could have been. The Empire State Building has always been viewed as before it's time and the idea of docking a blimp to it just adds to the buildings legacy and the allure of the Empire State Building. A mooring station would have paved the way for the city of tomorrow, well a city of tomorrow in the 1930s sense, but image the impact it would have had on the Big Apple today.</span></div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-5429794455653031442013-11-28T08:27:00.001-05:002013-11-28T08:27:39.600-05:00I Hope You Don't Mind, I am Bringing My Friend Tisquantum To Thanksgiving Dinner<div style="text-align: center;">
Thanksgiving, the day which almost every American family gathers together to give thanks for what they feel blessed to have, but mainly all we do is stuff our faces and watch football...and there is nothing wrong with that. Everyone knows the story of Pilgrims, the Mayflower, the landing at Plymouth Rock, the inviting of the Native Americans and so on. Then Americans know more contemporary History about the holiday, Congress passed a law in 1941 making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November, the Macy's Day parade has been bringing in the Holiday season since the 1920s, Abe Lincoln set the first Thanksgiving in 1863 and so on...ok well most people don't remember that stuff. But the one often forgotten part of not just Thanksgiving, but the first Thanksgiving is my main man Tisquantum, or as he is better known as, Squanto.</div>
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<i style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Teaching of Agriculture in the High School</span></i><br />
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Squanto, what do we know about him? Well not much. Everything we know about him is second hand and kinda legendy. For instance, historians aren't even sure when his birthday is, which is why there is no Squanto Day holiday. They also have no idea where he was born, so instead of continuing to research it, they take an "educated guess" and say he was born somewhere around present day Plymouth. What is know about the young Squanto is he was abducted by Captain George Weymouth. But believe it or not, they aren't to sure about the year, best guess is 1605, and better yet they are not sure where the captain found him, some say along the coast near Plymouth, others say somewhere along the coast of Maine. It was after this that Squanto was taken to England, taught English and trained to be a guide and interpreter for future English expeditions to the New World. Ok, so Squanto experts know two things for sure, I wonder if they know if Squanto liked tea and cricket as well.<br />
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<i style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Teaching of Agriculture in the High School</span></i><br />
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Squanto was supposed to return back to his people in 1614. He should have but a man by the name of Thomas Hunt, abducted Squanto and several other Native Americans and planned to sell them in Spain. Luckily for Squanto and the others, some local friars caught wind of Hunt's plane and helped the Natives escape. The friars then intended to teach the Natives about Christianity, Squanto on the other hand was more interested in getting home. So he made his way from Spain to London and then hooked up with John Slany, a shipbuilder, who taught Squanto more English and then stuck him on a ship heading to the New World...well it would be Squanto's Old World...he was going home in 1617. However, when the ship reached Newfoundland, Squanto was informed he'd need to receive permission in order to go back to his native lands. So he hope back on a ship to England, go the permission need and finally was able to return home in 1619. The home coming was not the kind of fairy tales however. Squanto learned that after he left, his people were killed off by the settlers, either through warfare or disease. It is here that Squanto falls out of the scope of written history, but don't worry he comes back again.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>thestoryofliberty.homestead.com</i></span><br />
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In 1621, Squanto had been living with the Wampanoag Indians. When fellow tribesman Samoset made initial contact with the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, Squanto was called up to be the middle man between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag. Squanto then acted as an ambassador for both groups. It is believed by Squanto historians that if not for his help that the Pilgrims would have never survived their first harsh New England winter. Again, this is where fact means legend, but it is believed that Squanto taught the pilgrims how to farm the lands of Plymouth Rock and how to fish the waters around it. Squanto basically retaught a group of city slickers how to live in the untamed wilderness, he was basically the 17th century Les Stroud. This of course is what Americans today celebrate as the first Thanksgiving, even though that isn't<i> the</i> first Thanksgiving. Squanto was a diplomatic statesman by this point, having allegiance to his people but feeling morally obligated to helping the new settlers survive, he was more or less a 17th century Henry Kissenger. Towards the end of 1621, he acted as a guide and translator for Stephen Hopkins<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> and </span>Edward Winslow. He was even kidnapped by his own people, in which Myles Standish responded by getting a posse together to <span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">rescue Squanto if he were alive or, if he had been killed, to avenge him. He was found alive and well, but because of the rescue attempt by Standish, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;">Massasoit, the </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;">sachem of the Wampanoag lost trust in Squanto and sent Hobomok to keep an eye on him and be second in command. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>examiner.com</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">Squanto continued to work closely with the Pilgrims, as a guide, translator, diplomat and so on. In November of 1622 while returning to Plymouth after a meeting with the Wampanoag, Squanto fell ill and developed a deadly fever. To make the story of Squanto even more interesting, a few days before he fell ill, while planting corn, his nose began to bleed, something Natives viewed as a death omen. he died on November 30, 1622 in present day Chatham, Massachusetts at the age of 37. It is believed by some Squanto experts that he was poisoned at the meeting by the Wampanoag, as they viewed Squanto as more of a traitor everyday he helped the Pilgrims. To the Pilgrims, the death of Squanto was devastating, as Governer William Bradford wrote, "</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><i style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">His death was a great loss</span></i><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19.1875px;">." </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">But what is most important about Squanto is his selflessness. He was taken from his home at a young age, returned to a "New World" and then torn between two peoples. The life of Squanto is something Americans should look back on for inspiration. He faced countless trials and always overcame. He worked to make his changing world better. He acted a a bridge to peace, as even after his death the diplomatic works he arranged last from another 50 years. So today after reading this maybe it's time to give Squanto his due, even though some of the piece of his life are missing the parts that are known make him a true hero. </span></span></span></div>
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Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-81620882773067667082013-11-20T08:55:00.000-05:002013-11-20T08:55:09.183-05:00Who Needs A Skyline Filled With Skyscrapers Anyways<div style="text-align: center;">
There are two things most major American cities have in common, silly laws and skyscrapers, among other things as well, but that is another topic. For example, New York City's tallest building is One World Trade Center at 1776 feet, and the city has a law, which has probably never been enforced, were a fine of $25 can be levied for flirting. In Chicago, the tallest building is the Willis Tower, aka the Sears Tower, at 1451 feet and a city ordinance that kites may not be flown within the city limits. In Los Angeles the tallest building is the U.S. Bank Tower standing at 1018 feet and just in case you were wondering it is still illegal for dogs to mate within 500 yards of a church. I think you are getting the point, but could there be a major American city that set a height limit on its buildings? Doesn't that sound kind of un-American? Well, there is such a city and that city is ironically, Washington DC and it's Heights Building Act of 1910. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>2s2u.com</i></span><br />
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Most people have heard that buildings in Washington DC can not stand higher that the Capital Building. This is where fact meets myth. It is true there is a height restriction but the limit is not the Capital Building. In reality the law comes from the previous Heights of Building Act of 1899, that and the construction of the Cairo Apartment Building. The Cairo was built in 1894 and was 12 stories higher than the surrounding buildings, and stood at 164 feet tall. This caused two things to happen, first residents of DC freak out and dub the build "Schneider's Folly," after the buildings designer, Thomas Franklin Schneider. Second the upset residents petitioned Congress to stop other potential "skyscrapers" from being built. The Heights Act of 1899 was passed and enforced under the idea that the new technologies used in building these "skyscrapers' were untested and ultimately doomed to fail. Not wanting the nation's capital to become a chaotic scene of destruction from faulty construction the law stood and no residential building could pass 90 feet, while commercial buildings were allowed to be as high as 110 feet.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i> <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">dmsasparchment.com</span></i></span></div>
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By 1910, Washington DC was growing and the city need more building space. Instead of scraping the Heights Act of 1899 they simply amended it. Section 5 was added in 1910 and made a few adjustments.I won't bore you with the measurement details but basically buildings in DC would now be allowed to be built a few feet taller and wider, but it depended on where the building was as well. Now, why did the city wait ten years later to change their building codes? Well, the building techniques were shown to be safe and the city wished to keep up with the architectural times of the 1910s. But it's been over 100 years since the Act was put into law, so why has there never been a push to build up the skyline of our nations capital?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i> dcpast.com</i></span><br />
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There have been several attempts to change the Heights Act of 1910 since its enacting, but they have all been turned down. The most notable was in 1991 when Congress disapproved of a DC Council law that would amend the Heights Act. Most recently in 2012 there was the "Changes to the Height Act: Shaping Washington, D.C., for the Future" hearing. Once they hearing is completed, which should have been on November 14th of 2013, the finalized outline and documents will be given to the chairman Darrell Issa (R) of California for a possible update of the Heights Act. Along with lawmakers, developers have been licking the chops and can hardly hold control themselves when it comes to the idea of building in DC. The developers claim that amending the Heights Act will benefit the city and at the same time update it. But local residents beg to differ claiming that the law has made DC a unique place unlike any other nations capital and they also don't seem to mind the city being so short either.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i> <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">rozannehakala.photoshelter.com</span></i></span><span class="irc_dim"></span><br />
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The idea that Washington DC's skyline has been effected by the Heights Act of 1910 is just bunk. And the idea that buildings in DC can not be built higher than the Capital Building is also just silly. However, the idea has been spread by articles in the Washington Post, The American Surveyor Magazine and even the WE Love DC blog which just proves that these guys just don't know how to fact check. But, back to DC's skyline. The skyline of DC is something unique in America. Instead of being lined with buildings that are a testament to making money, the DC skyline is filled with buildings and monuments that are a testament to America. When you walk around the city and look up and see the Capital Building's dome, the Washington Monument or the National Archives Building you see structures that honor the spirit of America. Or if you see the Cairo Hotel, the Old Post Office Pavilion or Healy Hall you can see architectural history come to life without straining your neck. The idea the DC needs to have buildings as tall as New York or Chicago or Los Angeles is wrong. DC is the nationals capital and should have a certain aesthetic to it, tree lined streets, open spaces, clear skies, a vibrant city that all, Americans and visitors, can enjoy and not just another concrete jungle. Sometimes simplicity is the best design. </div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-83829550990690889922013-10-31T20:20:00.002-04:002013-10-31T20:35:24.557-04:00I Call The Ghost of Elva Zona Haester Shue To The Stand!<div style="text-align: center;">
As you can see this post is published on October 31st and that means only one thing, its time for a creepy story about American History. No, I will not be talking about the 2000 Presidential election, but rather of an eerie yet interesting event that took place in West Virginia around the turn of the century. Everyone has watched a TV show that featured a climax in the courtroom, so one can picture all the crazy defenses and unexpected surprise witnesses. But this 1897 murder mystery takes the cake and no writer today could even imagine handing this type of story over to a publisher, well unless they work for the Fox Network. To most, it has been forgotten, but lets revisit the ever-so-spooky case of the Greenbrier Ghost. </div>
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The above photo is of Elva Zona Haester Shue. Not much is know about her except that she born in about 1873, lived in Richlands, West Virginia, had a child out of wedlock in 1895, married a drifter by the name of Erasmus Stribbling Trout Shue in 1896. Her mother hated Erasmus and then in 1897 Elva is killed. So pretty easy case to close right? Wrong, see late 19th century police work in West Virginia wasn't top notch. The way it was recorded is that Elva's body was found by a boy, who sent to the Shue home by Edward. Upon discovery, the boy freaked out and ran to tell his mother. The mother then alerted the officials which then took well over an hour to arrive at the Shue home. By then, Edward had moved Elva's body, cleaned her and dressed her. Now if you know anything about turn of the century funeral practices, this job mainly was done by women, so this was considered odd by the coroner. The coroner also noted that there was bruising around the neck but, due to the husband's "grief", he had to cut his examination short. The official report states Elva's cause of death as "everlasting faint" which was then changed to "childbirth" as a local doctor had been treating her for pregnancy. When the news reached her parents, her mother stated, "that devil killed her!"</div>
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Although the story can be considered weird and it seems almost like Edward committed the murder, he wasn't charged with anything. At the funeral, he started to lay it on <i>really</i> thick. He refused to leave the coffin, and acted with extreme sadness and then extreme happiness. He also did everything he could to cover her neck. First, he wrapped a scarf around Elva's neck claiming it was her favorite scarf. Second, he placed a pillow and rolled up sheet next to her head, and said it would help her rest easier. Finally, people paying their respects commented on a looseness in Elva's neck. It is pretty apparent to everyone that some type of foul play was involved in Elva's death, especially to her mother, Mary Jane Haester. She was convinced that Edward had killed her daughter. Supposedly, Mary Jane found a bloody sheet and saw this as a sign that her daughter was murdered.</div>
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Mary Jane did what any grieving mother would do, she prayed. She prayed asking for Elva to give her a sign that proved she was murdered, and after four weeks she got her sign. According to Mary Jane, Elva appeared in a dream and told her what a horrible man Edward was. He was abusive, a drunk and would attack her when he believed that Elva hadn't cooked meat for dinner. Now here is where the real evidence comes into play. Elva's ghost said Edward had snapped her neck, and to prove it, she spun her head a complete 360 degrees. The ghost visited Mary Jane for four nights in a row and every time, she'd appear as bright as the sun and then eventually had away leaving the room in a freezing chill. Now, with the truth from <i>beyond the grave</i>, Mary Jane went to the authorities and demanded her daughter's body exhumed and reexamined. Edward tried everything he could to stop it but on February 22, 1897 Elva was dug up, examined and was found to be murdered by having her neck broken and windpipe crushed.<br />
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archives.org<br />
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Cue the theme from "Night Court!" Get me the detectives from Law & Order! Send in the Perry Mason and Matlock and lets get this case under way! After the autopsy of Elva was published, Edward was quickly arrested and held in custody at the Lewisburg town jail. It was at this time that Edward's past came to light. He was married twice before, having his first marriage end in divorce due to extreme cruelty and his second ending with the mysterious death of his wife. The case got underway in June of 1897 and the star witness was the ghost of Elva...via Mary Jane of course. As the defense cross examined Mary Jane, she never faltered and ultimately cost the defense the case. They tried to have her testimony stricken from the record, but the jury and town seemed to believe in the ghostly evidence from the great beyond. In the end, Edward was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Edward died a few years later in prison from an "unknown" epidemic.<br />
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flicker.com<br />
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Today, the legend of Elva Zona Haester Shue lives on. The state of West Virginia has placed a historical marker in the cemetery which she is buried in, Sam Black Church in Lewisburg. There have also been, plays, musicals and books all covering the story of the Greenbrier Ghost. The legend of Elva is a great piece of American History. The first and only time a ghost was used as any kind of witness in a legal proceeding. Aside from that, it is a pretty cool ghost story, as it has everything a ghost story needs and more. So, I hope you enjoyed the read and please feel free to share it at anytime, especially at night and preferably on a creepy or spooky one. </div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-3344637636830918542013-10-22T09:37:00.002-04:002013-10-22T09:55:16.113-04:00How A Russian Czar Saved America<div style="text-align: center;">
That's right America, if it wasn't for Russia we might not be a county today. Ok, so that statement isn't entirely true, but Russia played a key role in American sovereignty during the bloodiest time in American History. When the Civil War is discussed, as it will be as this year marks the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg, little is discussed about the global impact the American Civil War had. That said, the world had a lot to gain form a divided America and some nations wished to exploit that, I am looking at you England and France. But one man in a far away land, who was very much like President Lincoln, came to America's protection. Today we as Americans, some of us were brought up to fear this nation and others now see this nation as a threat on the horizon, but back in 1863, Russia came as a guardian angel of sorts to American shores.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Di Rocco Wieler Private Collection</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">This imperial dressed fellow is Alexander II of Russia, better known as the Czar Alexander ruled over Russia from 1855 until 1881 and during that time he was quite the liberator, so much so he was dubbed Alexander the Liberator. Alexander took power in 1855, after his father Nicholas I, who died of pneumonia during the Crimean War. The Crimean War fits into why Alexander wanted to help out America, as the war was fought between Russia and an alliance of England, France and Turkey. Russia had lost the war and the country was on the verge of crumbling under the rule of Alexander. So he grab the reigns of the country and straightened them out how only a Russia Czar could, radical social reforms and a rebuilding the nation from within and being pretty much an awesome dude. During this time Alexander passed the </span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Крестьянская реформа 1861 года, or for my none Russian readers, </span></span></span>The Peasant Reform of 1861. In short he eliminated serfdom, or a version of Russian slavery, in which people were sold with the land and forced to work it by new owners for the bare minimum to survive.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Di Rocco Wieler Private Collection</span></div>
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<span class="mceItemHidden">So we can see the Czar was a pretty stand up
guy, he was no Stalin and he always had a pretty bad ass
handle bar mustache side burn combo going on. But how does Czar
Alexander, who was practically on the other side of the world, fit into
the American Civil War? It is very rarely talked about but the American
Civil War was somewhat of a global event. How is it a global event?
Well, European governments and industries were very invested in the
United States. Some saw the Civil War as a gateway to immense gains,
both economically and politically. For instance, the French and English
governments were officially neutral during the war. However, member's of
those governments favored the Confederacy. Along with the government
official's personal views, the social elites and business tycoons of the
day also favored the Confederacy. The Confederates knew they had
support from the two nations and actually was hoping for them to intervene
in the war in their favor. But why? Well, cheap goods and a starving
population that's why. The southern states supplied everything a growing
French/English boy needed. And with the war raging production slowed
and costs doubled. Not to mention, the southern ports were so heavily
blockaded trans Atlantic shipping from the states was near impossible. So
we can see it was simple economics that made these two nations favor
the south and hope for a southern victory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> wikipedia.org</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enter the Russians. Fearing that their fellow European neighbors would stick their noses into the American Civil War, Czar Alexander sent both the Russian Atlantic and Pacific Fleets to winter in Union ports in 1863. Now this happened for two reason. First, the Czar dug Abe Lincoln's style. Remember Alexander was had freed the serfs and he saw Lincoln in the same light he held himself. Second, Alexander was gearing up for a possible war with France and England. The war brewing in Europe would have been set off had France or England intervened in the Civil War. With the Russian Fleet station off the shores of the United States, in New York and San Francisco, it offered a distraction from the war for some Americans, but mainly served as a warning to the world. At the same time it gave the Russians an advantage to attack both British and French ships on the Atlantic and not leaving them trapped in the Baltic Sea. So as we know from history, France and England never entered the war. France and English companies did support the Confederates very nominally, the north won and the Union was preserved. But do we owe a debt of gratitude to the Russians and Czar Alexander?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> conteco.com</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Did the Russians really save America? I think they did. Remember in 1861, the Trent Affair almost brought England into the war. The English sent diplomats to the south to establish ties. And it should be no surprise, that the English did have an attack and invasion plan if they ever decided to enter the war. As for the French, the blockades severely hurt their major industries. A French military force landed in Mexico in 1861, as a "peace keeping" force. And like the British, France also hosted Confederate diplomats and sent their own to the Confederacy. So even though the Russian Fleet was sent on its own agenda, it could have been the deterrent that France and England needed to stay out of the war. So a nod should be given to Czar Alexander for making a tactical move which may have ultimately stopped the first world war. I mean the Russian sailors on those ships sure must have enjoyed wintering in the states instead of some God forsaken, frozen, snow cover port in Russia. But whether we wish to give him credit or not Czar Alexander did send his fleets here to the United States, and they may have been the reason, or at least part of it, the British and French never entered the American Civil War.</span> </span></div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-44384950839018148982013-10-14T21:19:00.000-04:002013-10-14T21:19:49.643-04:00The Plot To Kill Lincoln, No Not That One, The Other One.<div style="text-align: center;">
Now everyone knows about the Lincoln assassination. We all know the story of John Wilkes Booth along with Samuel Arnold, George Atzerodt, David Herold, Michael O'Laughlen, Lewis Powell and John Surratt. The plans they hatched and acted out that fatefully April night in 1865. But what a lot of people don't know about is about the 1861 plot to assassinate Lincoln, The Baltimore Plot. Now of course, no one really talks about this because, first, it never happened and second, no one is really sure how much of a threat the plot was to Lincoln. However, what it did do was give critics of Lincoln a good amount of .</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i> msa.maryland.gov</i></span></div>
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Now I don't know about you but this is exactly how I picture a Presidential assassination plotting session to look like in the 1860s. Now the plan was simply, Lincoln would hop on a train in his home state of Illinois, get to D.C and then deliver a kick ass inaugural speech. But there were others who had an alternate plan, a more sinister plan. Lets go back a bit before all this came to light. Right before the Civil War broke out Maryland was an iffy border state. At the time it was still a slave state and home to many southern sympathizers. The state was also a hot bed of activity being stuck literally in the middle of a dividing nation. Due to this uncertainty of the President's safety the railroad company hired Allan Pinkerton, of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency to provide security before and during the trip. As Pinkerton began his study of the train route he became increasingly convinced an attack on the train would happen. He felt the attack would come between the Northern Central Railway's Calvert Street Station and the B&O Railroad's Camden Street Station as the train passed through Baltimore on February 23, 1861. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>smithsonianmag.com</i></span><br />
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So, Pinkerton went to Lincoln and his people and pleaded his case. He claimed that when the President stopped at, oddly enough, at the President Street Station, several armed assassins would be able to get close enough to the train to attack the President as he did his wave by. Of course due to lack of solid evidence, the President really didn't see a need for worry, but after much discussion, and the disapproval of Ward Hill Lamon, a plan was hatched as a safety precaution. On a side note though Lamon wanted to arm Lincoln, with a revolver and knife but Pinkerton was much against the idea of an armed President on the eve of a Civil War entering the capital. So the night before Lincoln's train reached Baltimore, all the telegraph lines to the city were cut, while at the same time Lincoln switched trains in Harrisburg and arrived in Baltimore in the middle of the night. this was the tricky part and most unsettling for Lincoln. Due to a city ordinance, trains had to be pulled through the city after dark by horse, Lincoln's train would be no exception. As we know, Lincoln made it through the city that February night. To let those in D.C. know everything went according to plan, Pinkerton sent a one line telegram, "Plums delivered nuts safely."<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>archives.gov</i></span><br />
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The next morning Baltimoreans crowded the train stations only to be disappointing to find there was no Presidential train passing through town, or at least learned they missed it while it secretly crept through town while they were asleep. So, was there a reason to disappoint all these 1860s Lincoln-manics, even though they were most likely there to boo him. Looking back not really. There was never any actually evidence and most believe it was Pinkerton's fear of something bad happening on his watch. However, this overprotective move caused President Lincoln's image to take a serious blow. Papers on both sides of the Mason Dixon Line blasted Lincoln. Papers ran wild stories about how Lincoln slipped through the city, all exaggerated of course. From the President wearing numerous disguises to him hiding under seats or in trunks. In short the Lincoln was painted as a coward, and in most parts of the country he was the butt of many jokes. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>memory.loc.gov</i></span><br />
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When we look back at this decision it seems like it made sense to do it. Think about the way the President has traveled since WWII, always private and always under strict security. I know in my life time when Preseident have visited New York City it is a nightmare to get around, if a President visits the Empire State Building, don't even think of getting anywhere in midtown, let alone downtown or well any other part of the city in a reasonable time. Ok, I got a little off track there, but you get my point. Sure, now we know Pinkerton was wrong, but at the time he was convinced something would happen to the President and made a call to protect Lincoln. Not a lot of people know about what happened that February, like I said before, because nothing happened. Lincoln went on to become President with no assassination attempt, well at least that night in 1861. He led the country through the Civil War, perhaps the greatest threat to the United States in history. Cemented himself in the Top 5, maybe Top 3 POTUS of all time. The event was such an at the moment event, that top when Lincoln is discussed it is never even brought up, but now you can bring it up next time you talk about President Lincoln's presidency. Yet in defense of Pinkerton, when we look at Baltimore during the Civil War, we have the Pratt Street Riots, the constant argument of secession, the imposing of <span class="mceItemHidden">martial </span>law on the city, Union Troops occupying the city and southern sympathizers, Baltimore was basically a city on a hot plate. So when looking back at the event, Pinkerton should not be viewed as an overcautious hired gun, but as a hero, a man who saw a city that was ripe for trouble and knew that with Lincoln passing through, it could have been the spark that ignited the city, with the President of the United States trip within in.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>memory.loc.gov</i></span></div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-29732288382037039262013-10-07T15:05:00.001-04:002013-10-07T15:05:09.639-04:00Yo-Ho-Ho, And A Bottle a Rum! Albert W. Hicks, The Last American Pirate<div style="text-align: center;">
When we think of pirates, we think of peg legged bearded men, swashbuckling on the decks of ships, drinking rum, sailing the seven seas and plundering what ever they like. Or we think of pirates in a more modern day version, as men who attack ships and kid nap the sailors on board and hold them hostage. Either way, or era, we think about them they are one in the same. Pirates have a glorified place in history, even though they don't necessarily deserve it. We've all heard stories about Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Davey Jones, Francois l'Olannais, Jean Lafitte, Stephan Decatur, Black Bart and so on. These men today are viewed as rebellious outlaws who showed no mercy to anyone who got in their ways and for some reason have turned into heroes. But what is often highlighted is the fate of most pirates, death. Such is the case of one Albert W. Hicks. Sure, the name doesn't sound like a cool pirate name, but Hicks is an important figure in pirate history. How? Well, Hicks was the last person executed in the United States for piracy. </div>
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archives.gov</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Now Albert W. Hicks was your average 19th century Joe Schmo. Born around 1820, Hicks was a life long sailor. He worked different ships and acted in many roles. However, all that would change in 1860. According to Hicks, he was out pounding some grog, you know a real all bender in the making kind of night. It was during that night he believes he was drugged. The reason? Well, he woke up on a ship the next day. Now this isn't an uncommon event to happen to men of the sea. During the 19th century, and even the early 20th century, there was a technique in which men was drugged, put on ships and forced to work for little or no money at all. This was done because, well lets face it, who wanted to be a sailor in the middle of the 19th century? This way of "recruiting" was known as shanghaiing and was quite affective, but this time they messed with the wrong sea dog. </span></span> </h2>
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archives.gov<br />
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So the following day, Hicks wakes up on board the <i>A.E. Johnson</i>. She was a small sloop heading down to Virginia. The ship would then pick up a shipment of oysters and head back up to New York City. However, Hicks had another idea. Once out of New York Harbor, Hicks was ready to enact his plan of escape. In the middle of the night, Hicks was given the wheel as the captain, Captain George H. Burr and an other mate, Oliver Watts caught some shut eye. While on at the helm, Hicks was accompanied by Oliver's brother, Smith, the acting look out. It was then that Hicks attacked Smith with a club, killing him. The noise awoke Oliver, who then met the same fate. Hicks then went down to the captain's quarters to finish Burr. However, Burr was a big guy, strong as all hell and probably beat up men tougher then Hicks in the past. Unfortunately for Burr, Hicks got the better of him and killed him after fighting for his life. Hicks then went through the captain's room in search of anything of value. He found about $500 (in 1860 money that's a boat load of cash...get it boat load?) and then dumped his victims bodies overboard about 50 miles out to sea. After all this Hicks then turned the ship around and headed back to New York. The ship was found several days later, and was the scene of a gruesome murder. The man hunt for the killer was on.</div>
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As officials searched for the killer, Hicks had made his way to Providence, Rhode Island. When the authorities caught up with him and arrested him, on his person Hicks was wearing Captain Burr's watch, a coat of one of the Watt's brothers and in the coat a photo of Oliver Watt. Once in custody, Hicks was questioned about the murders. Hicks admitted to not just those three murders, but close to one hundred others out in California at various mining camps, as well as killing men and stealing from ships in ports across South America. So needless to say this was pretty much a shut and close case, but not without one final twist. Hicks went for, what we'd call today, an insanity defense. Hicks claimed that the time of every murder he even committed he was possessed by, none other than, the devil himself. The trial was a real 1860s media circus. Newspapers ran stories of Hicks crimes, the police chase, the trial and the resulting punishment, which is when this case get a little weird. </div>
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nyhistory.org<br />
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Hicks' execution was set for July 13, 1860. The execution would take place at Fort Wood, located on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor. For some this may be ringing a bell, the reason is Fort Wood is the base for the Statue of Liberty and Bedloe's Island is now called Liberty Island. But, back to Hicks. Since his actions and case received so much publicity, it is estimated that somewhere between ten and twelve thousand people surrounded the island, all in hopes of catching a glimpse of Hicks' last moments on this earth. Now I don't know about you, but people's fascination with watch executions has never made sense to me, seems like it's a morbid part of human nature, like slowing down to look at a car wreck today. Now, it was reported that the crowds watching the execution set a carnival like atmosphere, live bands were present, refreshment vendors and even beer stands, as if it were a Yankees or Knicks game. My thoughts are that the Civil War was right around the corner, starting in April of 1861, and people were looking for an outlet. Oddly enough their outlet was a mans execution, but to each their own I guess. The reason is, the Hicks trial pushed the news of war and secession off the front pages of the paper and out of the minds on New Yorkers. And as if this story couldn't take another turn, the day after Hicks was buried his body was stolen from his grave. This led to wild speculations that Hicks had fooled everyone and somehow survived the hanging. However, that was not the case. In fact, the truth is his body was dug up and then sold to a medical school. When looking back Hicks goes down as the last man tried and executed for piracy in America. But in reality Hicks was no pirate, just a guy who was drugged by a rival gang on the docks of 19th century New York City, but he will forever be remembered in American History as Hicks the Pirate, last pirate executed in the states.</div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-7617899066788506632013-09-29T23:00:00.002-04:002013-09-29T23:00:43.246-04:00PROST!!! How The Germans Changed American Brewing<div style="text-align: center;">
Zufrieden Deutsch-Amerikanische Erbe Monat! Or for my none German reading readers, Happy German-American Heritage Month! Every year between September 15th & October 15th German American communities around the states celebrate their German heritage. During this month long celebration, everything German is celebrated, culture, food, music, achievements, history and of course <i>beer</i>. There are a few things in the world that the Germans are renowned for, but beer is the number 1 recognizable German contribution to the world. I mean the country has had a purity law in place since 1516. Now, that beer making tradition spread as German people did, and one man, Johann Wagner would forever change the landscape of American brewing upon his arrival in the states.<br />
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<span class="irc_ho">sites.davidson.edu</span><span class="irc_dim"></span></div>
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Let me set the scene for you, picture it, Philadelphia in 1840, a bustling city full of people (128,139 to be exact), the second largest city in the United States, an inexpressive port filled with ships importing and exporting and a city with a very rich brewing history and full of even thirstier residence. Enter Johann Wagner. Wagner, a Bavarian immigrant, decided to pack up his belongs and make a new start in America. However, Wagner wasn't just packing the usual items an immigrant would bring. He had with his a fermenting yeast used in Bavaria for centuries, but unknown to those in America. Wagner arrived to a city, well nation of ale drinkers. But with the largest group of immigrants being German, he knew he'd be able to make a little money for himself with his a beer his country longed for.<br />
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<span class="irc_ho">prostbrewing.wordpress.com</span><span class="irc_dim"></span></div>
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Wagner set up shop around 3rd and Poplar St, there is a historic marker there today. Now, just a warning the marker is not on the exact site, as Wagner brewed from his home and the original street address is still...well missing. They know it was originally on St. John Street, which is now American, but the original numbering system is completely gone. It is believed that the original address was 455 St. John St, but no one can figure out where that actually is today. Either way, Wagner started using his new yeast and it was a big hit with the German citizens who could get their hands on it. Why was it such a big hit? Or more importantly, how did Wagner change the American brewing culture? Well, the yeast Wagner used was lager yeast, and in his tiny brewery Wagner would be the first person in America to produce lager beer. From his very small brewery Wagner was able to produce eight barrels of lager at a time and they'd be gone before you could say <i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;">Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft,</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">actually don't try that. Wagner's operation was very limited, only producing eight barrels of lager was enough to support his small beer garden and that's about it. It is at this point that Wagner's story and American lagering get a little fuzzy.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"> </span></span></span><span class="irc_ho">getweird.info</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"> So according to Charles Wolf's "100 Years of Brewing" he is actually the first man to make lager beer in America in 1844. But first we have to examine his book and see he indirectly credits Wagner. The way Wolf tells it is as goes. he is awesome and made lager beer, the end. Ok, so that is not exactly the way it goes. In reality, Wagner sold some of his yeast to a friend and patron, George Manger. Manger himself worked at Haas & Wolf Sugar </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">Refinery, see how this is about to go down? Manger told Wolf and another employee Charles Engel how Wagner had brought tradition German brewing yeast to the states and that his fellow workers, mostly all German, would enjoy a nice cold one after work. Long story short, by 1844 Wolf opened the first large scale lager brewing company in America. So when looking back on his career, Wolf credits himself with opening the first brewery to produce lager, but also tells how Wagner brought the lager yeast to the states, so when looking back we see that Wagner, not Wolf is actually the grand daddy of brewing lager in America. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"> </span></span><span class="irc_ho">shepherdandflockfarnham.blogspot.com</span><span class="irc_dim"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">So why is this important? Well if it wasn't for Wagner, and even Wolf and the others that followed, we'd still be drinking crappy, room temperature, English ales. Also it was from this moment that the United States found a new industry, brewing. When looking at the history of brewing, once lagering was made possible in the states, breweries popped up everywhere, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit and so on. Every large city and small town seemed to have a brewery and business was good. And today there is one company left that in some way owes there some of their success to Wagner, Pennsylvania's own Yuengling Brewery. Yuengling adopted the lagering system and never looked back making them the U.S.'s longest and oldest running brewery. Even Pabst Breweing still get their yeast directly from Germany as another example of the long lasting effects Wagner caused on American brewing. Most of America's largest breweries today have their roots in German lagering. Today, in the world dominated by mass production, we can take what Wagner did and compare him to the micro brewers of today, carrying on a tradition that for sometime seemed lost in the brewing world. So to all those out there celebration German American Heritage Month, when sipping on a glass of your favorite lager, give a nod to Johann Wagner, because without him we'd have nothing to wash down our wurst and spatzle with. </span></span></div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-61385693043689194522013-09-22T19:21:00.002-04:002013-09-22T19:21:21.998-04:00Where In the World is David Fagen?<div align="center">
The Spanish-American War is often a under studied and unappreciated part of American History. Apart from a few key events, the sinking of the <a href="http://mikethehistoryguy.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-uss-maine-and-why-she-is-still.html" target="_blank">USS Maine</a>, the Battle of Manila Bay, Teddy Roosevelt & the Rough Riders and the birth of an Imperial America. But most often, the Pacific Theater, especially the war in the Philippines is rarely mentioned, with the exception of the aforesaid Battle of Manila Bay and the leadership of Admiral Dewey. But enough about what we know, I hear to write about what we don't know. Today's person of interest is one, David Fagen. Never heard of him? Me neither until <a href="http://vimeo.com/65594787" target="_blank">Christopher T. Wood</a> brought him to my attention, and like the clip says "he starts out good and then sucks," but we will see he is a hero in every sense of the word and actually doesn't suck at all.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>archives.gov</i></span><br />
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So like I said before, the Battle of Manila Bay is usually, and hopefully, something people know about the Spanish-American War. What most people don't know about is the role of African Americans in the during the war, which would be the first war they'd be a part of since the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction Era. The Spanish American War would be a major event in the history of African Americans. Why? Well because, even though still segregated, they would be a major part of the American fighting force. Now, the Spanish American War didn't really sneak up on Americans, but what really fired Americans up was the attack on the USS Maine, in Havana Harbor. After the attack American men of every color and creed signed up to avenge the victims on the Maine, and David Fagen was no different. Fagen, a native of Tampa, Florida would have heard the news earliest and more rumors than any other part of the states due to his proximity to the attack. Not much is now about Fagen's early like, but what we do know is he enlisted in June of 1898 and made his way to the Philippines with the 24th Infantry Regiment in June of 1899. However, by this time the Spanish American War had ended and the U.S. was now an occupying force fighting a "guerilla" Philippine Army.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>archives.gov</i></span><br />
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Now, if you thought the Spanish American War was under studied, try to find someone whose studied the Philippine-American War. In short it somewhat parallels the current situation America is facing in Afghanistan and Iraq. After the Spanish American War the U.S. failed to recognize the Philippine's claim to independence, talk about irony, and instead tried to control the island nation, remember the birth of American Imperialism? Fagen fits back into the story because he saw that fighting the Filipino's was, well wrong and drew similarities between the Filipinos and the treatment of African Americans back home in the states. It was after requesting a transfer out of the Philippines three different times, and not getting it, Fagen's view on his service in the Philippines changed. On November 17, 1899 David Fagen went AWOL and well disappeared.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i> blackpast.org</i></span><br />
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Sometime shortly after this, and it is unclear how, but Fagen ended up in the ranks of the Filipino Army. Over the next year Fagen lived and worked with the Filipino resistance in the Pampanga Province. Fagen was slowly becoming a hero through out the Philippines, but a villain back in the states. He fought against American forces at least 8 times, the most important exploit was at the capture of a steam ship on the Pampanga River. It was during this time Fagen was promoted to captain but known as "General Fagen." At the same time the New York Times reported on Fagen somehow complimenting him, but at the same time vilifying him. Fagen's success did two things to the American Army occupying the Philippines, first, he pissed off the white commanding officers, and second he created a fear of mass African American defection, which would result in actually a total of 20 men, both black and white. Fagen was becoming a bigger fish then the actual occupation of the Philippines. A planned court martial and execution were planned and throughout the country reward posters were posted offer a whopping $600 for Fagen, dead or alive. Eventually, Fagen disappeared off the radar until Anastacio Bartolome brought the head of a man to American officials. He claimed it was Fagen as he came across his Fagen living with natives , but there is no evidence that it was really Fagen's head. So what happened to David Fagen?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>flickriver.com</i></span><br />
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What happened to Fagen? No one really knows. The file on Fagen even notes a supposed killing but nothing certain. What we can say is David Fagen's life after the war is just as shrouded in mystery as his life before the war. One theory is that Fagen started a family and lived the rest of his life out, peaceful in the Philippine country side, which sounds nice, but very fairy tailish. What is more important is that David Fagen she be held in very high regards. In the Philippines, Fagen is remembered as a national hero, a man who worked to gain Independence for a foreign nation. Now, here in the states Fagen isn't even a blip on the America History radar. But I think he should be. Sure he switched sides during a war, but lets look back at that. He left an imperialistic and racist military to support a nation seeking Independence, liberty and freedom from an occupying army, as well as personal freedom from a segregated society. I think it is important when looking at David Fagen the whole picture is looked at, David Fagen embodies all the characteristics that America was built on, in reality he did what America should have done. So remember David Fagen when celebrating forgotten heroes of America. So where ever you are or what ever happened to you ''General" Fagen kudos to you and may your memory not be forgotten.</div>
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Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-86946576042619919892013-09-15T21:32:00.000-04:002013-09-15T21:32:00.231-04:00FedEx'd to Freedom<div style="text-align: center;">
Before slavery was abolished in the United States, there were many numerous and curious was that enslaved African Americans tried and did escape slavery. For example, William Craft crossed dressed his way into the north, Eliza Harris ran across the barley frozen Ohio River, Robert Smalls hijacked a ship, Samuel Burris was freed by a fund raiser and well you get the picture, by any means necessary. But my favorite story is about Henry Brown. But what makes his story stand out amongst the rest? Well, it involved a daring plan, a life risking move and was a pretty out there idea. The plan stick Henry Brown in a box, seal him up and ship him from a plantation in Louisa County Virgina to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a 234 mile journey. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>housdivided.dickinson.edu</i></span></div>
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So the 234 mile trip today, takes a little over 4 hours by car, 8 hours by public transportation, 25 hours by bicycle and 77 hours on foot. Unfortunately for Brown, his trip was a little more difficult even though it only took a little over a day. But before we get into the trip lets talk about how this plan came to pass. Brown was going through a perhaps one of the most difficult things an enslaved person could go through, the loss of his family. Brown's wife and children were all sold to a different slave owner. It was then that Brown began having "heavenly visions," to send himself to a place where slavery did not exist. He pitched these "visions" to James Smith and Samuel Smith (no relations). Together, the three put the plan together.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>pastispresent.org</i></span></div>
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Brown had to pay $86 dollars for shipping and handling, half of his life savings. He was ship via the Adams Express Company and was addressed to James Miller McKim, whom was contacted by Sam Smith about the planned escape. On March 22 1849, Brown burned his hand in order to be excused from his daily schedule, it would be then that he'd make his escape and meet up with Samuel Smith. He was boxed up and sent out early on the morning of March 23. Now even though the shipment only took a day, Brown was transported via,wagon, railroad, steamboat, than wagon again, another railroad, ferry, a third railroad and last yet again another wagon. Now as you could imagine this trip really sucked. Even though the crate was marked with the usual ''this side up" and "handle with care" it wasn't. Brown recalled several different times the crate was flipped upside down or tossed incautiously on or off the wagons, trains, or ferry. But, the crate and Brown survived and arrived in Philadelphia in one piece.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>docsouth.unc.edu</i></span></div>
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The crate containing Brown was picked up on March 24 in Philadelphia by McKim and taken to his home. There McKim along with other members of the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee popped open the crate and out came Henry Brown. He didn't request anything but instead his first words were, "How do you do, gentlemen?", than hopped out of the crate stretched out and sang a psalm from the Bible. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"I waited patiently for the Lord-</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>And he, in kindness to me, heard my calling-</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>And he hath put a new song into my mouth-</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Even thanksgiving-even thanksgiving-</i></span><br />
<dl><dd><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Unto our God!</i></span></dd></dl>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Blessed-blessed is the man</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>That has set his hope, his hope in the Lord!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>O Lord! my God! great, great is the wondrous work</i></span><br />
<dl><dd><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Which thou hast done!</i></span></dd></dl>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>If I should declare them-and speak of them-</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>They would be more than I am able to express.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I have not kept back thy love, and kindness, and truth,</i></span><br />
<dl><dd><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>From the great congregation!</i></span></dd></dl>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Withdraw not thou thy mercies from me,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Let thy love, and kindness, and thy truth, always preserve me-</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Let all those that seek thee be joyful and glad!</i></span><br />
<dl><dd><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Be joyful and glad!</i></span></dd></dl>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>And let such as love thy salvation-</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Say always-say always-</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Lord be praised!</i></span><br />
<dl><dd><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Lord be praised!"</i></span></dd><dd><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i>-Pslam sung by Brown upon exiting the crate.</span></dd><dd><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></dd><dd><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">After the escape Brown began touring the north with the Anti Slavery Society. At the May 1849 convention, which was quite the rager, Brown was dubbed Henry "Box" Brown, a nickname that would stick for the rest of his life. Later that year he published a biography and numerous essays regarding slavery in the U.S. Unfortunately for Brown, he was forced to flee the U.S. after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. However, he was warmly welcomed in England. There, Brown toured the country speaking about the horrors of slavery in the U.S. He also gave lectures on how America could eradicate slavery: allow slaves to vote, a new President and the North to speak out against the South. He became such a staunch abolitionist he even worked with Frederick Douglass. However, Douglass was very vocal he wished Brown would have kept his story quite as it would have been a great tool to free more enslaved African Americans. Due to the publicity surrounding the story Samuel Smith was arrested when trying to free other slaves later in 1849.</span></span></dd><dd></dd><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i> facebook.com/BoxBrownMovie</i></span></div>
<dd></dd><dd><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> After the Civil War ended, Brown stayed in the English spotlight. He continued until 1875, to argue the issue of slavery and the bettering of life for newly freed slaves. During this time he also got in </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="mceItemHidden">performing </span>as a conjuror, under the stage name Professor H. Box Brown and The African Prince, even though he was born in Virginia. He also remarried a white English women and began a new family, even though he could have reunited with his first family back in the states. He did return to the states in the 1870s and toured the country with a family magic act. Brown died in the 1890s. Today there is a monument to Brown on Canal Street in Richmond, Va. In more recent times the story of Brown has been revived. He was the subject of a play at P.S. 122 in New York City, several books have been published, both for children and adults and there is currently a film in post production which retells the story of Box Brown. Brown was a very influential figure during the abolitionist movement, both in the states and abroad. He showed great courage and ingenuity in order to free himself from the bonds of slavery. He did something daring and never done before all in the quest of freedom. It is important to keep the story of "Box" Brown alive for future generations Americans to show not just the faults of America, but the creativity and quest for liberty and freedom that all Americans have always sought after.</span><i><br /></i></span></dd></dl>
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Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-38578145151553408162013-09-07T12:26:00.000-04:002013-09-07T12:26:09.620-04:00Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams, At The Brooklyn Bridge!?<div style="text-align: center;">
Yes, the Brooklyn Bridge has not just one, but two champagne cellars. Now, I know what your thinking, no way. But wait, I mean if a <a href="http://mikethehistoryguy.blogspot.com/2013/04/and-if-you-believe-that-i-have-bridge.html" target="_blank">George C. Parker</a> could continuously sell the Brooklyn Bridge over and over, why can't there be champagne cellars, I mean think of how much more he could have charged for the bridge if he knew they were there. But why would engineers leave massive gaps in the bridge to store champagne? And why the Brooklyn Bridge? And why have most people never heard about their existence, in such an iconic piece of architecture? So if you'd like pour yourself a glass of bubbly, put on your finest house coat and get ready to learn about the Brooklyn Bridge Champagne Cellars.</div>
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The Brooklyn Bridge was completed by 1883 and building it was no easy task, but why leave room for a champagne cellar? The answer, they were there before the bridge was built. Prior to the Brooklyn Bridge connecting Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan, at the very spot where the anchorages were placed, stood Rackey's Wine (Brooklyn side) and Luyties & Co., (Manhattan side) another liquor company. So, the bridge builders worked around the business and incorporated storage spaces into the bridge. More importantly, the spaces were rented to the companies in order to help the city pay for the bridge's construction. For example according to city records, in 1901, Luyties & Co. was paying $1000 a year for renting out the Manhattan side, while renting the Brooklyn side was only $500 a year, sorry you had to read that New York business renters. But why keep your booze in a bridge? Temperature control of course. These business need a storage area that remained a constant cool temperature. Where better in New York than inside a vaults made of limestone and granite. But how could these vaults have been lost to history? Imaging how much you could rent these vaults out for today.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqhgm4QMRNWTvWs6ADbVKx3b2MtTH0lSO9_qtcgYL0hmd1jO-KijqOdvD06OVN1MyQUDx8I64HdYrZB6EseHJS9k2G37mTvT6tYy5M_rc13vze7UbdDg3NYUQstpYGo16iV02LFf9gt4/s1600/201252_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqhgm4QMRNWTvWs6ADbVKx3b2MtTH0lSO9_qtcgYL0hmd1jO-KijqOdvD06OVN1MyQUDx8I64HdYrZB6EseHJS9k2G37mTvT6tYy5M_rc13vze7UbdDg3NYUQstpYGo16iV02LFf9gt4/s320/201252_v2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The reason these vaults were lost to time is because of three events. First, World War I. Due to WWI everything in New York Harbor, that includes the East River, was under lock and key, especially after the <a href="http://mikethehistoryguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/911-just-another-terrorist-attack-in.html" target="_blank">Black Tom Explosion</a>. The second reason, or what I like to call the worst idea in American History, Prohibition. So from about the years 1916 to 1933 the vaults remained empty, tapped, dry, a very sad place. But as soon as Prohibition ended, the vaults were back in service, at;east for a brief time. When booze was allowed to flow free in the U.S. the vaults were reoccupied and reopened with a bang, well more like a pop. The Anthony Oechs & Co. would be the newest tenants. Only a few 100 New Yorkers were invited and witnessed the big to do. What do I mean by big to do? Well, the Alderman President, Bernard S. Deutsch, hand over the keys to the vault, live music was played, people danced and oh yea, people got pretty drunk. Even though there was a short revival for the vaults, they were closed again due to World War II. After that the city then took over the vaults and they have been almost forgotten ever since.</div>
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Now it is a shame what happened to the vaults. At one time known as the "Blue Grotto" the vaults were a sight to be seen. Throughout the vaults, the walls were decorated with murals of different vineyards from France, Italy and Germany. Also the vaults were labeled as French street names, also very intricately done, like, Sichel Bordeaux, Avenue Les Deux Oefs and so on. In other areas different mottoes, in French, Germany and Italian, graced the walls, most likely mottoes of the vineyard or liquor companies. The main focal point was a shrine to the Virgin Mary which was brought from the Pol Roger cellars in Epernay France. But after WWII the vaults were taken over by the city and used for storage. The murals have long faded and the walls stand bare. The vaults are still there, a testament to the construction of the bridge. The vaults are still even being explored, by city workers but also urban explorers. Most recently a cache of provisions from the Cold War era were found deep in the vaults. What may be most intriguing is the vaults are still not 100% mapped. So no one knows just how far, deep or where the vaults end up. Perhaps one day the vaults can be fully explored, and what would be better is if they let me do it, and a great discovery can be made about the use of the vaults during their champagne hosting days. Or who knows maybe it can be turn into some kind a beer garden, I'm talking to you Brooklyn Brewery, so don't forget the History Guy if you ever make that a reality.</div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-30947082595626073822013-09-02T20:13:00.001-04:002013-09-02T20:14:46.476-04:00 They Want You! They Want You! They Want You As A New Recruit! <div style="text-align: center;">
Well I am back after my summer hiatus, and I've decided to come back in a big way and discuss...early 20th century U.S. Navy recruiting! Now, I know what your thinking, what a snoozefest this topic is going to be, but wait and give it a chance, I mean I haven't let you down before. In today's world we think of military recruitment as a small store front and a few servicemen, or women, inside informing young American's about the opportunities the U.S. military can offer them. Surprisingly not much has changed since the early 1900s, well except the scale in which recruiting was done. Believe it or not but the at the start of WWI the U.S. Navy used the <i>USS Recruit</i>, to recruit young men in New York City. But this ship didn't sit in New York harbor, she rested at anchor in Union Square Park!</div>
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The <i>USS Recruit </i>was a model of a standard dreadnought, the battleship of choice back in the days of the Great War. Now the U.S. Navy didn't just use the <i>Recruit </i>a<i> </i>recuiting tool, as she was a fully functioning ship and complete with a captain and crew. Why staff a ship that was on land with valuable servicemen in the time of war you might be asking, well because the <i>Recruit </i>also served as a training ship for those New Yorkers that signed up to serve their country. The <i>Recruit </i>was captained by C.F. Pierce and had a crew of 39 seaman...well in this case landmen? They ship had examination rooms, necessary for recruitment purposes, officer's quarters, heating systems, conning tower, a wireless station, and enough cabins to house the crew. The <i>Recruit </i>was also armed...well armed with dummy weapons made of wood, three twin turrets made of of six guns, ten 5 inch guns, anti torpedo weapons (remember it was WWI and the German U Boats terrorized the Atlantic) and two one pounder saluting guns. </div>
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So why put a gigantic model ship in the middle of New York City and not just dock a real life ship in harbor? For the answer we have to look to former New York City mayor, Mayor John Purroy Michel. It fell on his desk to drum up 2000 men from New York City to fight the Huns. I guess you can say that this is just another grand idea that could only work in New York City. The mayor needed to build something on a grand scale because as of 1917 only 900 men from NYC had volunteered for the war. So to find another 1100 men, Michel set up the Mayors Committee on National Defense to come up with a way to find more men and thus the <i>Recruit </i>was born. She was christened by Michel's wife Olive and on that day was the largest public gathering in NYC since the 1861 rally in response to the attack on Fort Sumter. The <i>Recruit </i>then passed her goal of 2000 recruits as some reports estimate that 25,000 men registered for the war on board the <i>Recruit</i>!</div>
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The <i>Recruit </i>was a success as it gave New Yorkers a sense of what life on a ship was like with out being out on the war, On the water ships rock and sway and most people are not accustom to that, just ask my father-in-law about me on his boat. But the ship wasn't just used as a recruitment center, but was used as a focal point in New York City activities. The Red Cross held drives, it hosted dances for New York's socialites, different city ceremonies took place at the bow of the ship, a variety of patriotic events to gain support for the war effort, as well as boxing matches and Vaudeville shows. It was these events, and the sheer size of the <i>Recruit </i>that lead to exactly 25,600 men to sign up and serve in the U.S. military. </div>
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The <i>Recruit</i>'s service would come to an end in 1920. After the war the government began to scale down on its military costs. Now that the world was at peace, there was really no reason to keep the <i>Recruit</i> operational. So she was decommissioned and careful deconstructed starting on March 16, 1920. The <i>Recruit </i>was planned to be rebuilt in Luna Park on Coney Island. However, it is here that the <i>Recruit</i> disappeared from history. If you've ever visited Coney Island, you know there is no giant wooden WWI recruiting ship there. There are two theories on what happened, but neither have any concrete evidence to back them up. First, some believe the ship was destroyed by termites when it was kept in storage. A second theory is because the ship was moved from the city to the coast that the damp and sea air caused the wood to rot. It is hard to tell what happened because after the ship was deconstructed any paperwork on it seems to disappear, or there is just no mention of it anywhere. But when looking back on the history of the <i>Recruit</i> we can see ship was a grand venture and a great success, and it is a share that such a unique piece of history has been lost to time.</div>
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Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-65279060351045902842013-06-02T17:27:00.001-04:002013-06-02T20:49:44.642-04:00Excuse Me, But Is That An Original Antoine le Blanc?<div style="text-align: center;">
American History is full of weird events. The relationship between some wallets and Antoine le Blanc is one of those historical oddities. Some times when writing I notice myself sticking to events that take place in my own home state, New Jersey and wondering, how could people have forgotten about this. In this case though, I still can not see how this piece of history is forgotten due to... well, due to every aspect of it. It involves murder, mystery, technology and some wallets. So how does this all link together? Sit back, and be prepared to be shocked, entertained and maybe even disgusted.</div>
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njhallofshame.com</div>
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America during the 19th century was the land of opportunity, well at least from the outside looking in. Millions of immigrants flooded to the shores of America in search of a new life that would ultimately lead to champagne and caviar dreams. One such person was a Frenchman by the name of Antoine le Blanc. He arrived in April of 1833. The reason for him coming to the states? Love...and of course money. See back home, le Blanc had a sweetheart Marie. Unfortunate for him, Marie's parents felt le Blanc wasn't good enough for their daughter, so he set sail for the U.S. with the goal of making mountains of cash in order to wed his dream girl. Only after 3 days in New York City, le Blanc was contracted to work on Samuel Sayres' farm in Morristown, New Jersey. this is were our story takes a turn for the worse not just for le Blanc, but the Sayres family as well.</div>
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The Sayres were desperate for work. They were an older couple, with no sons, a few other workers and a young teenage slave girl to work their lands. The work on the farm would be hard work, much harder than le Blanc was interested in doing. le Blanc was not the ideal worker either. He tended to shy away from the strenuous labor that was 1830s farm labor. He spoke almost no English and the Sayres and other workers spoke no French. There was also the complaints about his habits, cigar smoking, lack of showering, you know, typical complaints about the French. Needless to say all this began to add up and the tension between le Blanc and the Sayres was so thick, well you could cut it with a knife.</div>
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cromwellcrew.com</div>
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So on the night of May 11, 1833 le Blanc was in the local tavern really pounding down the hard cider. Sometime during his binge drinking he had the idea to kill the Sayres. He returned to the farm and proceeded to kill Samuel Sayres and his wife Sarah, in the barn, with a shovel and then buried their bodies in a pile of manure. He then kill their slave Phoebe, in her room, with a club, pitchfork or axe the accounts all seem to vary. After the murders, le Blanc then stole everything of value in the Sayre home that wasn't nailed down. He changed into one of his victims suits and rode off into the night heading to New York Harbor. His plan was to pawn the stolen goods, pocket some cash and head back to France to his waiting Marie. However, le Blanc didn't secure the stolen goods very well and left a trail of valuables to the area were he was staying, which was followed by Sheriff George Ludlow and his posse. le Blanc was then caught at the Mosquito Tavern (a very happening 19th century Tavern) in Hackensack Meadows, present day Jersey City. There le Blanc was taken into custody and returned to Morristown for trial.</div>
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murderbygaslight.com</div>
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The case was pretty cut and dry. le Blanc confessed to the murders, the jury took only 20 minutes to convict and Judge Gabriel Ford ordered the hanging. Pretty standard stuff if you ask me. Yet there is a twist, after le Blanc's sentence was carried out his body was to be given to science by order of the court. Looking back it really just saved some time and paperwork. Most bodies given to science were stolen from graves, so Judge Ford just cut out the illegalities that would follow the execution. On a side not almost 12,000 people went to watch the execution, 5 times the population of Morristown at the time, and most were women. The reason, well le Blanc was going to be executed in a new style of gallows, one where the sentenced is jerked upward instead of dropped below. But back to the story, and yes there is still more...but what can be left?</div>
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murderbygaslight.com</div>
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So as le Blanc's body was removed from the gallows it made its way to Princeton University. There the body was used to test the effect of electrical current on the human body. It was a success as the notes of Dr. Joseph Henry marks that le Blanc's limbs would tense, eyes would move and there is even a not about le Blanc's face muscles tensing up causing him to grin. Ok, so aside from creepy post death experiments, how could this get worse? Well, after the experiment le Blanc's ears were cutoff and taken as souvenirs (gross). Also, as customary than a death mask was made. And then it got weird...well weirder. For some reason le Blanc's skin was peeled off his body and sent to a local tannery. Once there the skin was turned into book jackets, lampshades, even a purse and of course a few wallets. As if this isn't odd enough, each item was signed and dated by Sheriff George Ludlow. The New Jersey Historical Society still has on of these le Blanc wallets and it is believed that there are several still out there in private collections. </div>
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weirdnj.com</div>
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And if your interested or ever in the Morristown are you can visit several sights involved with the le Blanc murder and trial. First, the Sayre farmhouse is still there at 83 South Street, Morristown, NJ. Second, you can visit the village green where the execution took place...if your into that kinda stuff. Also you can visit the Morris County Court House were the trail took place located at Washington & Court Street and if you play your cards right maybe, just maybe you can see the gallows that le Blanc was hung on, as they are kept in the courthouse attic. And if your really interested head over to the New Jersey Historical Society located at 52 Park Place, in beautiful city of Newark. And remember, if you get lucky enough to see the wallet ask to see the back were Sheriff George Ludlow wrote..."Thou Shalt Do No Murder." Thanks for the tip Sheriff.</div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-51578678627854852402013-05-19T11:09:00.000-04:002013-05-19T11:09:00.406-04:00Who Made The First American Flag? Not Betsy Ross.<div style="text-align: center;">
The American Revolution is shrouded in many myths and legends. From the ideas that Americans won the war fighting in a guerilla style, to the notion that the war was strictly between the Brits and us, even Molly Pitcher the heroine of the Battle of Monmouth. But one myth that really bothers me is the Betsy Ross flag myth. So what is my beef with Betsy Ross? Nothing really, but she did not make the first American Flag and it is time most Americans know why she gets the credit but more importantly why she doesn't deserve it.</div>
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quilting.about.com</div>
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We all know the story of Betsy Ross. She was just sitting around her house in Philadelphia in 1776, when all of a sudden George Washington showed up and was like, "<i>Hey Betsy, stitch me a flag really quick</i>." Ok, so that is not an exact quote or even what happened but I am just having a little fun here. To be honest Ross was a well know upholsterer in the city of Philadelphia, but one of many upholsterers. She repaired uniforms, tents, blankets and so on, but flags? Well that is whats up for debate here. The truth is there are several other people ahead of Ross as creators of an American flag, but not the present day American Flag, you know, Old Glory, the Stars and Stripes, The Star Spangled Banner. </div>
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frauncestavernmuseum.org</div>
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So if Ross wasn't first who could have it been? Well the list is pretty long, there's Margaret Manny, who is credited with creating the Grand Union Flag. There is also Rebecca Young, Anne King and Cornelia Bridges, all who were better known flag makers than Ross. Other options would be William Barrett, Hugh Stewart, Francis Hopkinson or William Alliborne, all of whom were involved with flags in one way or another. Aside from these possible flag makers there are a few other facts to take into consideration. First, there is no evidence that Ross and Washington knew each other, or
that Washington ever visited her shop. Second, the flag is never
mention at all, in any letters by any member of the Continental Congress
in 1776, in fact there is no mention of a flag by anyone in that year.
Third, and perhaps most important, Congress issued the Flag Resolution in 1777, a full year after the supposed Ross Flag was made. But why does Ross get all the credit? </div>
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archives.gov</div>
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The name William J. Canby really does jump out as one of those big names in History, but Mr. Canby is the reason why Ross gets the credit for the first American flag. Canby was the grandson of Ross and was the first to make the claim about Ross's role as the mother of the American flag. It happened in 1870, six years before the American centennial celebration. His proof? Family stories passed down from generation to generation. And because of Canby and his claim people now visit 239 Arch Street every time they visit Philadelphia to see where the first American flag was made, and learn a little more about Betsy Ross. <br />However, what is not mentioned is that Canby's story and history really don't match up. For most of 1776, George Washington was preoccupied with the British in the Northeastern states and then later in New York and New Jersey. It wouldn't be till the end of 1776 that Washington would spend some considerable time in Philadelphia, but even then he was preparing for his counter attack that would then sing the tide of war in favor of the Americans.</div>
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bestyrooshouse.org</div>
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So who made the first flag? Well, I am not sure, but I am sure it wasn't Betsy Ross. Lets review the facts, there are no letters, diaries, newspaper accounts or bills of sale implicating Ross had anything to do with the creation or even making of the flag. Even the National Museum of American History's research has proven that there is no evidence supporting the Ross Flag and have deemed it just part of American folklore. Also Ross biographer Marla Miller said, Betsy Ross was one of several flag
makers in Philadelphia, and her only contribution to the design was to
change the 6-pointed stars to the easier 5-pointed stars. So, Facts 3, Ross 0. But lets remember Ross only gets the credit because her grandson claimed she made it first. Had any grandchildren of the other flag makers made the claim we'd be visiting their homes in Philadelphia and passing on their legend instead. However, Ross gets the credit and until some evidence arises that she didn't make the first flag she will continue to get the credit. But one can say even though she doesn't deserve it, Ross is still a great piece of legend that surrounds the American Revolution still some 237 years later. </div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-32758015040709234342013-05-06T14:18:00.001-04:002013-05-06T14:18:05.346-04:00Happy Train Robbery Day!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
When it comes to train robbers people always talk about Butch Cassidy Wild Bunch or the Reno Gang and great train robberies like Canyon Diablo Train Robbery or Fairbank Train Robbery. There is one train robbery that is always overlooked though, The Great North Bend Train Robbery of 1865. As you can see from the date it becomes obvious why it is overlooked, and for those not paying attention the Civil War was winding down, and that is why it is never talked bout. Well that is the main reason but there are a couple of parts to this story and why Americans don't know about it. What may be worse is that this train robbery is the first train robbery in American History!</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">legendsofamerica.com</span></i></div>
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So what happened that May 5, 1865 night. The 8pm, Ohio & Mississippi from Cincinnati to St. Louis left on time and very uneventfully. It was a fully load ride too, four passenger cars, two baggage cars, one of which was an Adams express car which carried three safes. Over 100 passengers boarded and mainly women were making the trip.The ride was going smooth until about 20 miles outside of Cincinnati between the stations of Gravel Pit and North Bend. Between these two stations the train suddenly derailed and flew off the tracks. What happened next? Well cue the bad guys...whoever they might have been. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>sonofthesouth.net</i></span></div>
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Now it is here that the story get a little fuzzy because, well know one knows who robbed the train. After the train was derailed 20 armed men boarded the train and held the passengers at gun point. After taking the terrified passengers valuables the robbers headed to the baggage cars. There they blew open 3 safes that were on board which contained roughly thirty thousand dollars in U.S. Bonds. Then the pioneers of train robbery made their way across the Ohio River and into Kentucky. Local authorities were notified but due to the scale and uncommon type of robbery the U.S. Army was brought in to find the culprits. Unfortunetly for the U.S. Army and passengers, but luckily for the train robbers, no one was ever found or tried for the robbery. Which leads us to the mystery. Who did it?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>glogster.com</i></span><br />
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Who were these daring bad guys? Confederate soldiers? Run of the mill bad guys? Very creative criminals? Frank & Jesse James? The Reno brothers? Well, no one knows. what we do know is that is wasn't Frank & Jesse James or the Reno brothers as, even though suspected, could have never carried out the crime. Stories conflict with one another, but there are some clues that can help us figure out maybe who pulled off this robbery. Some passenger retold the story of the night as seeing one of the robbers wearing a uniform very similar to that of the Rebels, and hearing the men refer to each other as lieutenant and captain. Now could they have been Confederates? Perhaps, but the robbery took place well north of the fighting and deep in Union territory. Secondly, the robbers were armed with various types of pistols, were if it were a group of Rebels, they surely would have been armed with rifles. Another reason it was not Confederates on a mission is the way the train was derailed. If it was some southerns they would have destroyed the whole track, the robbers only blew up one side of the track, an easy fix come the morning. So what does all of this mean?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>archives.gov</i></span><br />
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So here is my take. With the calling of military names and the possibility of a uniformed man, I think these could have been Confederate soldiers on the run. Remember it is May of 1865, Sherman had left a path of destruction across the south, Richmond had fallen and Lee had surrender to Grant. The war was more than over and the south would soon go through Reconstruction and northern occupation. It only makes sense that the men that robbed that train were Confederates, Confederates looking to get the hell outta dodge and make new start for themselves in the north or west. But we will never know. It one of America's greatest mysteries and is often overlooked and even forgotten. That May 5, 1865 the first train robbery in American History, and should be retold as the rest of the great train robbery tales are told. So instead of celebrating Cinco De Mayo, celebrate Train Robbery Day (Patent Pending, so hands off Hallmark) and honor who ever it was that held up that train and got away for the first crime of its kind.</div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-26749292514841872292013-04-28T22:01:00.003-04:002013-04-28T22:01:39.187-04:00Everybody Get The Hell Outta Building 30!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
When you think of Lyndhurst, New Jersey (if you ever do) you think of good schools, quiet neighborhoods and high taxes. Two things you wouldn't think of is that Lyndhurst was once the town of Kingsland, and second, Lyndhurst is home to a World War I era mystery. On January 11th, 1917, a fire broke out and spread through the Canadian Car and Foundry Company's factory. The housed almost 500,000 pieces of 75mm, all of which exploded and leveled the factory. Ok, I'll admit, that doesn't sound that much like a mystery. But trust me there were some unknowns about the fire than and even 'til this day. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>louisweb.com</i></span><br />
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January 11th, 1917 started out like every other cold winter day in New Jersey, however, it didn't end like a typical day. Now just some quick background stuff. WWI started in March of 1916 and the U.S. tried to keep Americans out of the war for as long as they could. However, American industry was not prohibited from supplying America's European allies. That being said, the Canadian Car and Foundry Company was one of those companies looking to make a buck or two off the war. At their Lyndhurst location, the factory's main objective was to assemble munitions for the Russians and British; 75mm ammunition to be exact. The factory produced about three million shells a month, so needless to say the Germans could have painted a metaphorical big red bulls eye right on the building.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>interestingamerica.com</i></span><br />
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The fire started in Building 30. The main job of those working in Building 30 was finishing of the munitions, cleaning them up before shipping them out, and being a general quality control department. It was in Building 30, amongst 48 work benches, and all the supplies to build munitions & run a war factory that a fire was somehow sparked and would ultimately lead to the factory being blown to smithereens. Surprisingly, not one person died in the explosion and that is all thanks to Tessie McNamara. As the fire spread she stayed posted at her switchboard and warned every building "Get out or Go up!" Thanks to her warning the 1,400 employees at the factory all safely left the complex. But lets get back to this explosion and who and how it started.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">louisweb.com</span></i><br />
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Today, it is pretty well accepted that the Kingsland Explosion was purely an accident. The reason is because the main suspect disappeared. Here is how the Germans "supposedly" sabotaged the factory. A German operative by the name of Frederick Hinsch was the brains behind the operation. Hinsch recruited German immigrant Carl Thummel (Thorne was the Americanized last name he went by). Thorne would get a job at the factory as assistant employment manager, simply the guy who hired everyone. He would work and wait for instructions from Hinsch on who to hire so an attack on the factory could take place. Hinsch would send Austrian immigrant Theodore Wozniak to Thorne and the plan was underway. Wozniak himself was former Austrian military, and would be more sympathetic to the German cause than the American and her allies'. It is believed that the fire was started by Wozniak as there are several reports from eyewitnesses about his work station on the day and his behavior leading up to the explosion. To point the finger even more at Wozniak, during the investigation he disappeared and was never head from again. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>hiddennj.com</i></span><br />
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So what happened? Well, nothing really. The explosion was soon overshadowed by the attack on<a href="http://mikethehistoryguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/911-just-another-terrorist-attack-in.html" target="_blank"> Black Tom Island</a> and the <a href="http://mikethehistoryguy.blogspot.com/2012/05/who-really-sank-lusitania.html" target="_blank">sinking of the Lusitania</a>. Today, Tessie McNamara is a local legend/heroine. Theodore Wozniak is a long forgotten name. The Germans would eventually pay reparations for the explosion in the 1950s to the tune of about fifty million dollars, even though they never claimed responsibility for it. And only a smokestack and a small plaque are left as reminders of what could have been the first attack on American soil by the Germans during WWI. The WWI era is an often overlooked time in American History, and because of that we miss out on great pieces of history like the Kingsland Explosion. So if you ever happen to be in Lyndhurst, NJ stop by the small park on Clay Street and visit the site memorializing the explosion and heroism of the day. Or if WWI ever comes up in conversation feel free to bring up this piece of history.</div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-90741794413954806082013-04-21T10:35:00.002-04:002013-04-21T10:35:21.053-04:00I Kid You Not, This May Be The Greatest Holiday Ever!<div style="text-align: center;">
Now it is no secret the American Revolution is my favorite part of history. From the exploits of George Washington & the Continental Army, the work of the Founding Fathers in Philadelphia, the writings of Thomas Paine, the celebration of Evacuation Day and so on. I always thought I knew everything one could know about the Revolution, especially when it comes to the events and role of my home state, New Jersey. But a few days ago I found out a little known holiday that used to, and still kind of is, celebrated right here in New Jersey and even better, it commemorates the American victory at the Battle of Princeton. It is here I feel obligated to warn you, the name of this holiday is a bit vulgar, and it may be forgotten, but with something this eye catching, it may be just the holiday needed to draw some attention to and re-interest Americans in the American Revolution, ladies and gentlemen, mark your calendars and get ready to party for, Peeing Day.</div>
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<span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span class="irc_ho">geniuscountry.com</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;">Ok<span style="font-size: small;">, <span style="font-size: small;">this picture says a<span style="font-size: small;"> lot. First, it sucks to be General Mercer (He is the guy about to get <span style="font-size: small;">bayoneted on the left side of the painting), Second, George Washington <span style="font-size: small;">is a bad ass for riding straight<span style="font-size: small;"> in<span style="font-size: small;">to the middle of a battle. Third, the Battle of Princeton <span style="font-size: small;">was pretty brutal. And finally<span style="font-size: small;">, Peeing Day <span style="font-size: small;">totally makes sense now...ok it do<span style="font-size: small;">esn't <i>now</i> but i promise it will<span style="font-size: small;">. So lets piece together how, the Batt<span style="font-size: small;">le of Princeton, the Continental Army, some <span style="font-size: small;">loser Redcoats and public urination all fit together to give us America<span style="font-size: small;">'s favorite forgotten hol<span style="font-size: small;">iday, Peeing Day.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>archives.gov</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i> </i></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Battle of Princeton took place on <span style="font-size: small;">J</span>anuary 3, 1777. It was part of Washington's "retreat to victory" <span style="font-size: small;">campaign</span>, or as <span style="font-size: small;">I like to call <span style="font-size: small;">it, "<span style="font-size: small;">his New Jersey <span style="font-size: small;">R</span>edcoat stomping tour." After he retook Trenton, Wash<span style="font-size: small;">ington <span style="font-size: small;">knew he had to press on. The British had regrouped at Princeton, effectively painting a huge b<span style="font-size: small;">ulls<span style="font-size: small;"> eye on the city. Washington called together a council of war t<span style="font-size: small;">o see how possible it would be to attack Princeton. Luckily, the <span style="font-size: small;">C</span>ontinental Army had Arthur St. Clair & John Cadwalader who had already came up with a sneak attack plan<span style="font-size: small;"> to <span style="font-size: small;">surprise</span> the British. At dawn, the Americans attacked and of course, everything fee<span style="font-size: small;">l apart. Washington wa<span style="font-size: small;">s late, the <span style="font-size: small;">surprise</span> attack wound up not being that much of a <span style="font-size: small;">surprise</span> and the British were alre<span style="font-size: small;">ady pushing the Americans back.<span style="font-size: small;"> H<span style="font-size: small;">owever, things were about to change.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>archives.gov</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i> </i></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">T<span style="font-size: small;">he <span style="font-size: small;">British </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mahwood was<span style="font-size: small;"> easily handling<span style="font-size: small;">, and out numbering, the American forces lead b<span style="font-size: small;">y Hugh Mercer, you remember that guy getting <span style="font-size: small;">bayoneted</span> in <span style="font-size: small;">the first picture. Mahwood had <span style="font-size: small;">Mercer <span style="font-size: small;">surrounded and some reports say<span style="font-size: small;"> he shouted, "<i>Surrender you damn rebels!</i>" But in true American fashion<span style="font-size: small;">, <span style="font-size: small;">Mercer respectfully <span style="font-size: small;">declined</span> and continued to fight on and eventually d<span style="font-size: small;">ied in the heat of battle. Then fellow American </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Brigadier General John Cadwalader arrives and see the ch<span style="font-size: small;">aos <span style="font-size: small;">in the wake of Mercer's <span style="font-size: small;">death<span style="font-size: small;">. He then tried attacked Mahwood but the result was <span style="font-size: small;">the same, pushed <span style="font-size: small;">to retreat. It was then that Ge<span style="font-size: small;">orge Washington stormed onto the <span style="font-size: small;">scene and changed the course of the battle. The <span style="font-size: small;">presence of Washington rallied the troops<span style="font-size: small;"> and the <span style="font-size: small;">inspired <span style="font-size: small;">Contine<span style="font-size: small;">ntal troops bega<span style="font-size: small;">n to route the Brit<span style="font-size: small;">ish. It was so bad Washington even had time to glot, shouting,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> "<i>It's a fine fox chase my boys!</i>,". which was<span style="font-size: small;"> Washington's way of thum<span style="font-size: small;">bing his nose at the British for the fox hunt comment at the<span style="font-size: small;"> Battle of Harlem <span style="font-size: small;">Heights. The <span style="font-size: small;">Redcoats retreated into the town of Princeton and into <span style="font-size: small;">Nassau</span> Hall, the oldest building at Princeton Univer<span style="font-size: small;">sity. Needless to say the Americans charged into the town, ransacked the British <span style="font-size: small;">supplies and forced the sur<span style="font-size: small;">render<span style="font-size: small;"> of the<span style="font-size: small;"> remain<span style="font-size: small;">ing</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> British<span style="font-size: small;"> troops. It w<span style="font-size: small;">as then news came in that Lord Cornwallis was on his way and the Americans hightailed it outta there, live to fight another day ta<span style="font-size: small;">cti<span style="font-size: small;">cs. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span class="irc_ho">gwpapers.virginia.edu</span></span></i></span><br />
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<span class="irc_hd irc_iis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I am su<span style="font-size: small;">re you<span style="font-size: small;"> are wondering, how does Peeing Day fit into this.<span style="font-size: small;"> Well here is how. A<span style="font-size: small;">s</span> the British were talking their walk <span style="font-size: small;">of shame out<span style="font-size: small;"> of Princeton, the Americans decided to give them a bit of a going away present. Now, it is not clear which regiment did this, or if this was planned or even what George Washington's re<span style="font-size: small;">action was, but as Mahwood and his men left Pri<span style="font-size: small;">ncet<span style="font-size: small;">on, <span style="font-size: small;">members of the Continen<span style="font-size: small;">tal <span style="font-size: small;">Army<span style="font-size: small;">, joyful <span style="font-size: small;">whipped out their Johnsons and began to urinate on th<span style="font-size: small;">ose</span> retreating <span style="font-size: small;">limey <span style="font-size: small;">Brits.<span style="font-size: small;"> Now<span style="font-size: small;">, I know what you<span style="font-size: small;"> are thinking<span style="font-size: small;">, and yes this <span style="font-size: small;">is awesome</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>. But why did we forget s<span style="font-size: small;">uch a<span style="font-size: small;">n amazing piece of history? Well<span style="font-size: small;">, <span style="font-size: small;">I am not sure, but I have a few theori<span style="font-size: small;">es</span>. The hol<span style="font-size: small;">iday wasn't first celebrated until 1<span style="font-size: small;">877, the <span style="font-size: small;">centennial</span> of the battle. <span style="font-size: small;">Another reason is the holiday is only celebrated in Princeton<span style="font-size: small;">, as it <span style="font-size: small;">stem<span style="font-size: small;">s from the Battle of Princeton. Thirdly, due to WWI & WWII, the holiday <span style="font-size: small;">was deemed too anti-British so the holiday was scraped. And finally, how do you even <span style="font-size: small;">start to explain this to a classroom full of students without them bursting into laugh<span style="font-size: small;">ter.</span></span> But <span style="font-size: small;">f<span style="font-size: small;">ear not lovers of the Revolution, Princeton<span style="font-size: small;"> and public urination. The holiday is still celebrated in Princeton, <span style="font-size: small;">N<span style="font-size: small;">ew Jersey. Moved from i<span style="font-size: small;">ts original day <span style="font-size: small;">of January 3<span style="font-size: small;">rd, the holiday is now celebrated <span style="font-size: small;">on the second <span style="font-size: small;">Saturday</span> of March. <span style="font-size: small;">Nassau St. is typically close<span style="font-size: small;">d as re<span style="font-size: small;">-enactors </span></span></span>partake in <span style="font-size: small;">reenactment</span> of the Battle of Princ<span style="font-size: small;">eton which the culminates with 1 <span style="font-size: small;">Redcoat</span> running fr<span style="font-size: small;">om 2 American<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">so<span style="font-size: small;">liders to a crow<span style="font-size: small;">d of about 50 to<span style="font-size: small;"> 200 plu<span style="font-size: small;">s people, who<span style="font-size: small;">, you guessed it, are peeing <span style="font-size: small;">in the street. Today, the anti-British sentiment is overlooked for <span style="font-size: small;">the days</span> historical <span style="font-size: small;">significance. So if anyone is interested, <span style="font-size: small;">t<span style="font-size: small;">he</span> next second <span style="font-size: small;">S</span>aturday in March, I will be in <span style="font-size: small;">Princeton d<span style="font-size: small;">oing my civic duty and patriotic duty,celebrating the birth of our nation...by peeing in the street.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-38567139602204715742013-04-14T11:01:00.000-04:002013-04-14T11:01:41.989-04:00And If You Believe That, I Have A Bridge To Sell You<div style="text-align: center;">
The Brooklyn Bridge can be described in many words: Iconic, Awe Inspiring, Timeless, Engineering Genius, For Sale...Wait, For Sale? Yes, the Brooklyn Bridge has been sold many times over throughout it's history. But no one sold it as often as George C. Parker, perhaps the greatest con man in New York City History. Parker was not the first person to try and sell the bridge but he went the extra mile to really sell his con. So lets examine the art of the con which Parker perfected and the landmarks he sold to the gullible.</div>
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Archives.gov</div>
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George C. Parker was no dummy and his con was not just some "fly-by-night" operation. This man had a calculated scam which could rouse almost anyone in New York City, then and perhaps even today as well. So how did he do it? He targeted the immigrants coming to New York through Ellis Island. Parker would bribe men working the boats that would ferry the newly arrived immigrants from Ellis Island to New York. On the boats they would target immigrants who seemed to be "with a crowded oakus" or in 21st century terms, carrying a lot of cash on them. The men on the boats would then befriend the new arrived immigrant and share with them the opportunity of "purchasing" the Brooklyn Bridge or Grant's Tomb or Madison Square Garden and so on. It was from that moment that they would be sent to Mr. Parker, the proud yet desperate to sell owner of any and all the major landmarks of New York City. Aside from immigrants focused mainly on tourist visiting the city, talk about a souvenir that could last a lifetime. Both groups were the easiest targets and most gullible. But just how successful was Parker?</div>
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<span class="irc_iis" id="irc_hd"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span id="irc_ho">chaz11.blogspot.com</span></i></span><span id="irc_dim"> </span></span></div>
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Parker claimed to have sold the Brooklyn Bridge twice a week for several years. The price? Well sometimes $5,000 dollars, other times $75 dollars but most of the time it was whatever Parker could talk you into spending, which was pretty much every penny you had. How did he make such a sale? Well he played the role of an over stressed bridge owner who just could handle it anymore. He then went on to explain to his marks how they could make millions by setting up tolls on the bridge. It was at that point that the NYPD would step in and break the bad news that they've been had. The police would have to remove gates, tollbooths and other home made structures all implaced by the bridges new "owners." However, Parker's scam wasn't perfect. He was arrested three different times for fraud and that third and final time landed him in Sing Sing. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1928. In Sing Sing, Parker was perhaps the most popular man in the joint. Prisoners and even the guards and warden loved hearing Parker retell the stories of the times he sold New York City's most famous landmarks.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_573524296"> </a></i></span><span class="irc_iis" id="irc_hd"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span id="irc_ho">dansorensenphotography.com</span></i></span><span id="irc_dim"></span></span><br />
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George C. Parker would die in 1936. His legacy though is as timeless as the Brooklyn Bridge. He is one of the most successful and notorious con men in American History. Today millions of people visit and travel across the Brooklyn Bridge everyday. Many of its frequent visitors have no clue about Parker and his exploits. The same can be said for the other great landmarks that dot New York City. Parker could have been a ruthless business man, but instead found a market that was untapped. Sure, it was illegal and immoral, but still very impressive. Aside from his selling of the Brooklyn Bridge there is one other story about Parker that may be my favorite story about Parker. Once, when selling Grant's Tomb, Parker played not the role of a salesman but of President Ulysses S. Grant's own grandson. Sure enough after enough of the ol' Parker charm, he sold Grant's Tomb.<br />
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Is George C. Parker the greatest con artist in History? Perhaps, he did what Ponzi and Madoff could have only dreamt about. Sure he did not make the money those two did, but still was more successful. So next time you're in New York City and walk past the Brooklyn Bridge or Grant's Tomb or the Statue of Liberty, just take a second and think, how many times did George C. Parker sell that?</div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-28575269347604846382013-03-03T11:36:00.002-05:002013-03-03T11:36:18.092-05:00Anyone Want To Go On A Treasure Hunt?<div style="text-align: center;">
Treasure, the word used to peak a persons interest in seconds. Today, however, when we think of treasure it is something in relation to pirates or conspiracy nuts. But what if I told you I knew where there was some treasure just waiting to be found. I'm sure your thinking, why would Mike share such valuable information with us? Well, because like I, you have almost the same chance of getting to it as I do. How come? Well because it is sitting somewhere on the bottom of the Hudson River and has been for the last 110 years. </div>
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theguggenheimfile.com</div>
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Like all good treasure stories there is always those that bury or in this case lose the treasure. The Guggenheim family are one of the most infamously wealthy families in American History. Making more money than I could ever imagine having, the Guggenheim's made their money in several mining and smelting ventures across the globe. One such of these ventures took place in New Jersey of all place. It was in 1903 that the Guggenheims would lose, what then was mere pocket change to them, but a fortune in today's money, thus starting on of the greatest treasure stories surrounding Arthur Kill, the strait between Staten Island and New Jersey. For the last 110 years the Guggenheim Treasure has been sought after, yet never found, many have tried and all have failed, but the treasure still rests out there and I can give you some hints on where it might be.</div>
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The name Arthur Kill doesn't sound fancy and guess what it isn't. A stretch of water connecting the Hudson River with the Raritan Bay it is a major thruway for ships heading in and out of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Perhaps the <a href="http://mikethehistoryguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/party-like-its-911.html" target="_blank">most famous use</a> of Arthur Kill was when Ben Franklin, John Adams & Edward Rutledge rowed across it from Perth Amboy to Staten Island to tell the British to stick their peace proposal up their bums. But that was back in 1776, lets fast forward a bit to that night in 1903 when the Guggenheim's would lose between 1,400 and 1,600 hundred solid silver bars, worth today roughly up to $26 million dollars, give or take a few bucks.<br /></div>
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panynj.gov</div>
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The Port of New York and New Jersey at the beginning of the 20th century was perhaps the busiest port in the world. Ships where importing and exporting goods, immigrant ships were arriving from Europe, ferries darted back and forth, fishing vessels left and returned from the ocean waters of the eastern seaboard and so on. But on the night of September 26, 1903 a treasure was lost. The barge Harold was loaded with 7,700 bars of silver & lead while docked near where South Street Seaport is today. The barge was then pushed down the Hudson and into the Arthur Kill strait. It was there while in route, to the Asarco smelters in Perth Amboy, that the barged listed and the silver bars sunk beneath the water. When the barge arrived and its cargo was, well missing, a very secretive salvage mission was planned immediately. During the salvage mission only 85 percent of the cargo was recovered, this leaving today, a small fortune just waiting to be found. The event was recorded in the New York Times which lucky for you I have attached the article from the original 1903 edition <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E0DE7D91439E433A25754C1A9669D946297D6CF" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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wikipedia.org</div>
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Ok, so where is the treasure right? Well if I knew exactly where it was do you think I'd be sitting here telling you where it is? Or even writing about it? I sure as heck don't have a clue where it is but there is still one man who thinks he is hot on the trail of the lost Guggenheim silver. Ken Hayes is the president and founder of Aqua Survey, based in Flemington, NJ. Hayes and his company are the leading experts in under water research and recovery. He has been on the hunt for the silver for the last several years, but like all those before him, he has found nothing. But that hasn't deterred him. Ever spring he hits the water and picks up right were he left off in the fall. But like all good treasure hunting stories this one has its conspiracy factors as well. Hayes claims that there have been other treasure hunters or even government officials that shadow his searches and wait for him to make a find. </div>
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dailyfinance.com</div>
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So it's still out there. Over $20 million dollars in silver just waiting to be found. Sure it's sitting on the bottom of the Arthur Kill strait. And sure, it's been covered by 110 years of muck. And lets not forget, there is no X marking the spot either. To find it you'd have to be someone like Ken Hayes or be an expert in underwater salvage or underwater archeology. But what is important about the lost Guggenheim treasure is this, you never know where history lies. You always hear the stories about a farmer plowing a field or a homeowner putting in a new pool and them finding some ridiculous treasure or something that people have thought was lost to history. Look at the most recent find of King Richard III in England. One day I am sure someone will find the Guggenheim treasure, it is only a matter of time. Hopefully whoever finds it read this blog and I was their inspiration and they throw me a few bucks when they find it, so thank you future treasure finder. But just remember, history is everywhere and all around us. Sometimes it can be as big as the Guggenheim treasure or it can be a beer bottle found inside a wall from when a home was built in the 1930s. It is everywhere and all around us and just waiting to be found. </div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-58664373789120654772013-02-17T11:46:00.001-05:002013-02-17T11:46:16.367-05:00Amelia Earwho?<div style="text-align: center;">
When people talk about women in aviation there is only one name that is spoken of, Amelia Earhart. Sure, she did everything "first," but does that make her the best? Most of the allure of Earhart is the mystery surrounding her fate. But there is another pilot in American History whose untimely death was surrounded by mystery as well. She is quite unknown to most, even to some aviation buffs. She was Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman. She was the first African American female pilot and the first African American to have an international pilot license. What makes Coleman interesting is what she did with an airplane. Unlike Earhart, who flew record setting flights, Coleman was the female Evil Knievel of early 20th century flight. So, it's time that Coleman get the respect she's do and is mentioned in the same conversation as Amelia Earhart.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">cutandpastaviation.blogspot.com</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Bessie Colman was born January 26, 1892 in the small town of Atlanta, Texas.</span> One of thirteen children, I guess there wasn't much for else for the Colman parents to do in Atlanta, her parenst were George and Susan. Colman spent the majority of her life in Waxahachie, TX. Coleman walked 4 miles, both ways, to her segregated schoolhouse. There she learned to read and write, she loved reading the classics and was an excellent math student. However, education was not the main focus in her life. Every year when the cotton harvest took place, she would join her family in harvesting, as it was major bump in their family income. However, at the age of 9 Coleman's life was turn upside down. Her father who was part Cherokee, became disgusted with the racial segregation that took place in Texas and left for the Indian Territory, present day Oklahoma. At 18, Bessie attended Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University but could only afford one year of schooling before returning back to Waxahachie. It would be in 1915 that she'd move to Chicago and her life would change in a direction the young girl from Texas could never imagine.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">eyesonvintage.blogspot.com</span></i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">While in Chicago, Bessie worked at the White Sox Barber Shop as a manicurist. There she overheard stories from returning WWI vets, and mainly from return pilots. She became captivated and fell in love with the idea of flying. However, two thing stood in her way of achieving her dream. First, she was a woman and back then women couldn't "do'' anything. Second, she was black. To add insult to injury not even African American pilots would train her. Not being one that was easily discouraged, she took the advice of the publisher of the Chicago Defender, Robert Abbott, and went to France to be trained. She arrived in Paris in November of 1920. Once in Paris, she learned to fly in a Nieuport Type 82</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">. </span><span style="font-size: small;">She became a liscened pilot in June of '21. However, the license wasn't enough. She took lessons from French Air Force aces to improve her skills. She returned to the states in 1921 and was an automatic sensation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In the cockpit, Coleman was fearless. A true showma...show-woman. She worked as a stunt flier and preformed in front of large but more importantly, paying crowds. She flew a few shows in the states, but returned to Europe in '22 to sharpen her skills and take her abilities to the next level. She trained and learned from some of the top pilots in France, the Netherlands and Germany. When she returned again to the states, this time she returned not as just the top female pilot but as one of the top pilots on the world. Better known to the public as Queen Bess, she was a part of every major flying event in the country. The media couldn't get enough of her and featured her at every chance they had. She was a fan favorite of both men and women, old and young but more importantly blacks and whites. She flew anything she could get her hands only, but she primarily flew the Curtiss JN-4 biplane, better known as the "Jenny." H<span style="font-size: small;">er first major Americ<span style="font-size: small;">a<span style="font-size: small;">n sh<span style="font-size: small;">ow w<span style="font-size: small;">as in September of<span style="font-size: small;"> '22<span style="font-size: small;">, <span style="font-size: small;">held at Curtiss Field<span style="font-size: small;"> on Long Island. The even<span style="font-size: small;">t honored the 369th Infantray Regiment, which was an all African A<span style="font-size: small;">merican regiment. Coleman was the main event and dubbed "the world's greatest woman flier." </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">archives.gov</span></i></div>
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After the success of the show on Long Island, Coleman preformed in another major American airshow at the Checkerboard Airdome, or better known today as Chicago's Midway Airport. At the show Coleman really stepped up her game. There she cemented herself as not just the greatest female daredevil but maybe one of the greatest daredevils to ever sit in a cockpit. She preformed figure eights, loops, and near-ground dips all to the delight of the crowd on the ground. Her reputation was growing as the best female pilot to ever take to the sky. She was absolutely fearless and not afraid of attempting new and innovative tricks. In February of '23 she crashed her plane at the Los Angeles Airshow and broke her leg and three ribs. However, because of this the press turned on Coleman and called her overly flamboyant and opportunistic... Umm did they realize she was a daredevil? Of course she is going to be overly flamboyant it comes with the job. It was at this point, after she had conquered the sky, it was time for her to share the joy of flying. Coleman wished to open her own flying school in the states and teach the next generation of adrenaline junkies, but there was a different plan for Queen Bess. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>archives.gov</i></span></div>
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In April of 1926 Coleman purchased another Curtiss JN-4 and began to break it in for a show in Jacksonville. However, her family and friends did not feel comfortable with her flying it and seriously encouraged her not to fly it. It was Coleman and her mechanic William Wills in the plane that day and everything was going fine. It was after about 10 minutes into the flight that something wasn't right. The plane didn't pull out of a dive but instead begin to spin out of control. Coleman was thrown from the plane at about 2000 feet and died on impact. She was thrown because during the flight she was surveying in the land as her next big trick was to parachute from her plane. Wills also died as the plane plummeted to the ground and burst into flames. The cause of the crash, a wrench was left in the gearbox and jammed into it, ultimately causing Coleman's untimely death. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>fan-pop.com</i></span><br />
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Elizabeth Coleman is one of the most overlooked women in, not only aviation history, but American History. She did things with an airplane that men then and not even now would be willing to do. But what is more impressive than being able to master flying a plane the way she did was her drive. Coleman never stopped pushing herself and never settled for anything. She always set the bar higher for herself every time she surpassed her set goals. She never gave up her childhood dream of amounting to something. Coleman is an under credit person in American History and it is a shame. She died at 34 years of age and it is unknown what doors she would have opened for not just women, but for African Americans as well. I think it might be fair to say that when we look at the timeline of women in aviation history that Coleman really paved the way for the most famous female pilot of all time Amelia Earhart. The truth is Coleman may be the greatest female pilot of all time, setting the standards not just for herself but for everyone that sat in a cockpit during that time. She is an American hero that has been forgotten for to long. </div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-56349902102010138102013-02-10T11:07:00.001-05:002013-02-10T11:08:37.070-05:00Why Doesn't Anyone Talk About This Guy!?!<div style="text-align: center;">
It's Black History Month and again one man is not mentioned. We always hear about Martin Luther King Jr., Harriett Tubman, George Washington Carver, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass and many other influence African Americans and rightfully so. But every year there is one name that is never mentioned and I have no idea why. He was at the start of the American Revolution and in fact was the first man killed in the Revolution. The name Crispus Attucks may not be familiar to most outside the city of Boston, but he is a familiar character in the story of America and should be honored during Black History Month as all the other great African Americans in our history are. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">ushistory.org</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">On the evening of March 5, 17</span>70 Crispus Attucks would become cemented in History as the first man killed in the American Revolution. But before we get to that, who was Crispus Attucks? Not much is known about Crispus but what is known is pretty interesting. Born in Framingham, Massachusetts on oddly enough, March 5, 1723. His father, a slave, was Prince Yonger. His mother was Nancy Attucks, a Natick Indian and descendant of John Attuck who was hung during King Philip's War back in 1670s, but that is another story for another blog. Attucks had a desire for freedom, so at the age of 27 he ran away from his owner, William Brown in 1750. Looking to make an escape Attucks turned to the sea and worked on several different ships. Mainly working on whaling ships, Attucks spent the remainder of his life sailing from port to port and ship to ship until March of 1770, when he found himself in Boston, awaiting the next ship to leave.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">archives.org </span></i><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
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Now we all know the story of the Boston Massacre. The British presence in the city was growing more and more unwanted. The Stamp Act and Townshend Acts were really pissing off the Bostonians and that radical group called the Sons of Liberty were stirring the pot and whipping the city into a frenzy. With the Sons of Liberty doing their thing and the British being, well just being British it was only a matter of time before the city would see everything boil over. That boiling point came on that cold March night in 1770. The lobster backs were the main target that night, specifically members of the 29th Regiment of Foot. It all started with some innocent snowball throwing and name calling. But then there was that one guy, who is always at these kind of things and forces things to escalate, and who started throwing chunks of ice at the Redcoats. Now, the Redcoats were agitated and the growing crowd jeered and the situation continued to get worse. By this time a group of men, including Attucks, armed with clubs and other weapons made their way to the Old State House. Now this is where things get spotty. Some say Attucks himself struck a solider, while others say he was just in the crowd. It was at this point that the freedom and liberty hating British troops opened fire on the crowd and hit five Americans. The first to be hit was Crispus, shot twice in the chest and died within minutes. That night, March 5, 1770 saw the first to fall in America's fight for Independence. A no name, runaway slave, shot twice and left to die on a street in Boston, would be the first casualty of the American Revolution. But why is Crispus not celebrated today? Not just during Black History Month, but during any talk of American History.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> graymorrow.blogspot.com</span></i></div>
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When talking about African Americans in American History, especially those who lived prior to the 20th century and even those who lived in the 20th century, it is impossible not to talk about good old fashion American racism. Even in the immediate wake of the Boston Massacre, a racist attitude could be seen. When John Adams was defending the British soldiers he referred to the group, including Atttucks, as "a motley rabble of saucy boys, negros and molattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish jack tarrs," I don't know about you but personally I think John Adams is kind of a jerk, so I don't put much value into anything he says but this line shows how even then Attucks was viewed, just a nameless person only to be described as racial term. Even depictions of the event are bias towards Attucks, as some show him, while others conveniently leave him out. From 1770 until the 1850 Attucks was an urban legend of sorts. Nothing celebrating him, nothing honoring his sacrifice, he's got nada, niente, nicht, zero. That is until 1858. It was then that "Crispus Attucks Day" was established by Boston abolitionists. Throughout History, Crispus has made momentary emergences. In 1888, a monument was dedicated to the victims of the Boston Massacre, in 1964 Martin Luther King Jr. referenced him in a speech, in 1976 Stevie Wonder mentioned him in his song "Black Man," in 1998 the U.S. Treasury released the "The Black Revolutionary War Patriots Civil Dollar" which had Attucks on the reverse side, in 2002 he was added to the 100 Greatest African Americans and he has several places that bear his name today, from schools to roads & parks to associations. I think James Neyland best sums up Crispus Attucks best and the reason why we need to remember him as "the first defy, the first to die;"</div>
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<i>He is one of the most important figures in African-American history, not for what he did for his own race but for what he did for all oppressed people everywhere. He is a reminder that the African-American heritage is not only African but American and it is a heritage that begins with the beginning of America.</i></div>
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-James Neyland</div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4860625800318345723.post-37005019065801702862013-02-03T12:27:00.003-05:002013-09-03T22:46:45.234-04:00And the Most Awesomest Nickname Ever Goes To....<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="mceItemHidden">Nicknames, they have been around forever and
everyone has one. For my entire life I've been referred to a Mick, my
brother Sean as Lumpy and my fiancée used to called Hueso (literal Spanish translation is bone) by her parents when
he was younger. The point is most nicknames will stick with a person
for life, whether they like them or not. All of our American President
from Washington to Obama have a nickname, as do most other famous
Americans that make up our history. But one man stands alone as the
holder of the greatest nickname ever. He may be unknown to most of you
but the man was a <span class="hiddenSuggestion">true blue</span> hero through and through. His name Eugene Bullard.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOdG8aBD0hodRoAEjxur6k677iWMQe88Rfuc2l0hfql2Y5MPPmvJrsyLKGsXEcC7Y_CpnLpIwjcL0bak8NWAbRET2UvsOok1Z43HkU6t2xg0kwdlW_mFMA-YO_E1gzIpFkp9dt2EbH7Q/s1600/Eugene-BullardPoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOdG8aBD0hodRoAEjxur6k677iWMQe88Rfuc2l0hfql2Y5MPPmvJrsyLKGsXEcC7Y_CpnLpIwjcL0bak8NWAbRET2UvsOok1Z43HkU6t2xg0kwdlW_mFMA-YO_E1gzIpFkp9dt2EbH7Q/s1600/Eugene-BullardPoster.jpg" width="231" /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>americancitizenstogether.org</i></span></div>
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Now I know what your thinking, what nickname could a guy name Eugene have? Well let me tell you,it is awesome. Born Eugene Jacques Bullard on November 9, 1895 in Columbus, Ohio, he was one of the ten children between William O. Bullard (whose nickname was Big Chief Ox) and Josephine Thomas. Growing up in Columbus was not an ideal place for a child of African and Native American mix to grow up. His father at one time was even a victim of an attempted lynching. So it didn't take him that long to decide to leave. He stowed away on a ship heading for Scotland where he sought to start a new life, free from racial segregation. Once in Scotland he made his way to Glasgow and started a career as a boxer and during that day worked as a stage hand. His life in Scotland wasn't so bad, he was working, not at risk of being lynched, getting a pay check, life was good. But for Bullard and everyone else living during the late 1910s, everything was about to change.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>africanamericancollection.com</i></span></div>
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Bullard was visiting Paris when the Great War broke out. At the time I
am willing to bet he was the toughest guy in all of France, so being the
toughest guy in the country Bullard joined the French Fo<span class="hiddenSpellError">reign</span>
Legion. he was fearless in battle, almost unstoppable as he charged
across No Man's Land. In 1916, at the Battle of Verdun he was wounded
and instead of being like the rest of his French comrades, Bullard
picked up he rifle and kept firing at the enemy. For his bravery he was
awarded the Croix de Guerre. After sticking it to the Germans on the
ground Bullard was transferred to the Lafayette Flying <span class="hiddenSpellError">Corps</span>
this way he could reign terror down from above. In August of 1917 he
was assigned to the 93rd Spad Squadron, and becomes the first African
American fighter pilot ever to take to the sky. Once in the sky he was a
nightmare for the Germans. Everytime they thought they had him he'd
somehow escape. He seemed to hit everything that moved too. He flew 20
different combat missions and is credited with taking down 2 German
planes. It was because of his bravery in on ground, his skill in the
cockpit and his imposing persona that he was nicknamed the Black Swallow
of Death. I know it is the most <span class="hiddenSpellError">awesomest</span> nickname ever. A guy named Eugene is the Black Swallow of Death.
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>aarkangel.com</i></span></div>
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<span class="mceItemHidden">By the fall of 1917 the U.S. had entered the
war. The U.S. Army Air Service was plucking the best pilots from the
British & French ranks. Bullard was the best and he passed the
medical exam which should have cleared him to fly and continue blasting
Red Baron wanna bes out of the sky. Unfortunately, that smug known as
racism that is dotted across American History reared its ugly head. Bullard was "overlooked" or in other words, not allowed because he wasn't a Caucasian. But that didn't deter Bullard, <span class="hiddenGrammarError">he the</span>
Black Swallow of Death, you think racism scared him? He kept fight for
the French and racked up more street cred as being the toughest guy
flying over the trenches. However, in January of 1918, Bullard was
involved in an altercation with a French officer. Naturally, Bullard
beat the croissants out of him but because of the fight he was
transferred back to the infantry, never to fly again. He stayed in the
war until Armistice Day and was always held in the highest of regards
amongst his fellow soldiers.
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>glamamor.com</i></span></div>
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After the war the <i>Black Swallow</i> stayed in Paris and did what any average retired fighter pilot would do, he opened a night club. While living in Paris and rubbing elbows with the likes of Louie Armstrong, Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes and fellow pilot Charles Nungesser, Bullard found love. He married the daughter of a French Countess and they had two beautiful daughters. The club, Le Grand Duc, was one of the hottest spots in Paris. At the out break of WWII, Bullard spied on Germans who visited his club. However, once the Germans invaded France, Bullard picked up his family and made a run for Spain. But don't think he didn't stick it to the Germans one more time. He joined a group of French soldiers that were defending <span class="mceItemHidden">Orléans</span>. Unfortunately, Bullard was hit and suffered a spinal injury. He returned home to the states in July of 1940 and recovered from his injuries in New York. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>archives.gov</i></span></div>
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<span class="mceItemHidden">Bullard never found the fame he had in Paris
in New York. The Black Swallow of Death was unknown outside of France
which is a shame, since he was a true American hero. Bullard worked odd
jobs to support his family, from a perfume sales rep to an interpreter
for his old friend Louie Armstrong. Once the dust settled from World War
II, Bullard wanted to go back to his nightclub in Paris. The club had
been leveled during the war, probably because the Germans were terrified
of his return. He did receive a settlement from the French government,
as because they to were afraid of him, and he used that money t buy a
home in Harlem. Bullard's life from here on out was that of most African
Americans, a time of uncertainty. For example, Bullard was attacked
during the Peekskill Riots, a riot started ironically by the Veterans of
Foreign Wars & the American Legion. The reason, Paul Robeson was performing to benefit the Civil Rights Congress, but Robeson was considered a <span class="hiddenSpellError">pinko</span>
commie, so obviously the right thing for them to do was to attack
innocent concert goers. By the 1950s, the Black Swallow was not even a
memory, practically an unknown hero in his own country, even in his own
neighborhood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>airspace.com</i></span></div>
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<span class="mceItemHidden">In 1954, Bullard was invited back to France
to light the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. Because of this The Black
Swallow's exploits during the war were made aware to those in the
states. He was paraded around France and under the Arc de Triomphe.
Later in 1959, he was made a Chevalier, in the Legion <span class="hiddenSpellError">d'honneur</span>.
Bullard would die of stomach cancer in October of 1961. He received a
full military funeral and is buried in the French War Veterans' section
of Flushing Cemetery in Queens. Bullard was one of the greatest heroes
of WWI. He never shied away from a fight, never afraid during a battle
or while flying through the sky. A man who was practically
indestructible, bullets, grenades, bombs, nothing seemed to be able to
stop him. His actions during battle were the stuff of legend. he was a
successful business man. But more importantly a good husband and
father. Bullard is the kind of guy we should still look up to today. The
Black Swallow of Death, he once terrorized the skies, would party all
night long, and love his family. The word hero is often used incorrectly
when referring to some people, but when calling Eugene Bullard a hero
is a understateme.</span></div>
Michael Maringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004905627579363026noreply@blogger.com1