Samuel Hopkins

(Wikipedia) Samuel Hopkins (December 9, 1743 – 1818) was an American inventor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Pittsford, Vermont. On July 31, 1790, he was granted the first U.S. patent, under the new U.S. patent statute just signed into law by President Washington on April 10, 1790. Hopkins had petitioned for a patent on an improvement "in the making of Pot ash and Pearl ash by a new Apparatus and Process." ... the second child of Quaker parents, was born just north of Baltimore, Maryland. At about the age of 16, he was apprenticed to Robert Parrish, a Quaker tradesman in Philadelphia. Continued

The Burning of Chambersburg

General Early's order was now published, requiring a levy of $200,000 in gold, or its equivalent in greenbacks, and in default of payment Chambersburg was to be laid in ashes. Just then some scouts returned with a prisoner from Averill's command, reporting him to be not more than two or three miles off, with a heavy force of cavalry. The citizens knew it too, and positively refused to raise the money, laughing at us when we threatened to burn the town.
After we had breakfasted at the hotel, General McCausland ordered me to arrest fifty or more of the most prominent citizens, and put them under guard. I had arrested about forty, when he sent for me, and said that there was no time to be lost—the town must be burned; he was sorry for it on account of the women and children, but it must be done, to check the burning of private property in Virginia, and they had none to blame for it but General Hunter, and their own press for extolling such fiendish acts of Vandalism. He then ordered me to fire the town, and showed me General Early's order to that effect. Deeply regretting that such a task should fall upon me, I had only to obey. I then directed my men to fire the town, but be kind to the women and children, and lend them all the assistance in their power. While I could remain in the streets, I did nothing but assist the people and see that no excesses were committed. Several times I received peremptory orders to make a thorough work of it, and was especially directed to destroy all fine dwellings.
When the town was no longer tenable, I took two men with me to fire a fine brick dwelling beautifully situated on an eminence northwest of the town. Dismounting, I went in, and told the lady who came to the door that I was there to perform the extremely unpleasant duty of burning her house, which I much regretted; that we were obliged to resort to such extreme measures in order to prevent or check the terrible devastation committed by such men as General Hunter. I told her that the people of that town had seen us twice before, and that all had spoken in the highest terms of our behavior, saying that our soldiers had behaved better than their own. She was weeping, evidently much distressed, but she acknowledged the justice of my remarks, and declared that she blamed none but the administration for allowing such horrible acts of cruelty to go unpunished. She was in deep distress, and shed many bitter tears; did not beg me to spare her house; only asked time to remove some articles of value and clothing. This was readily granted. Breakfast was on the table, and she asked me to eat something while she was getting her things together. Being hungry, I accepted the invitation, and drank a glass of wine before sitting down. I delayed as much as possible, in order to afford her more time, and when I rose from the table I had half a mind to disobey orders in regard to this house. She then came in, and entered into conversation. I asked her the name of her husband. She replied, " Colonel Boyd, of the Union Army." " What! Colonel Boyd, of the 1st New York Cavalry?" "The same, sir." "Then, madam, your house shall not be destroyed."

I now understood why she had not pleaded for it. The reader will recollect that this officer has been already mentioned as operating in the Valley. He had ever been kind and lenient to the citizens, men, women, and children, warring only against men in arms. The fact of her being the wife of Colonel Boyd decided me at once. I told her that I knew her husband, and had fought against him for two years in the Valley of Virginia; that he had gained a high reputation among the citizens for kindness and gentlemanly conduct; that while we were there for the purpose of punishing Vandalism, we were ready and anxious to repay acts of kindness done to our people, who, when unprotected, had been exposed by the fortunes of war to the mercy or harsh treatment of our foes. I told her that her house should not be burned, blame me for it who would, and that I would leave a guard for her protection till all were gone. She seemed to be completely overwhelmed, as though she did not comprehend what I had said; but when I assured her again that neither her house nor any thing that belonged to her should be molested, her gratitude knew no bounds. To the picket near by the house she afterward sent baskets filled with nice eatables, hot coffee, and as much wine as they desired.
I left a guard; and well I did, for an officer who had been drinking too much came up soon after, and tried to force the guard and burn the house.

The burning of Chambersburg was an awful sight, nor could I look on without deep sorrow, although I had been hardened by such scenes in Virginia. At one view had we not, with anguished hearts, from the mountain top, gazed upon the sky reddened by the burning of one hundred and eighteen houses in that once smiling valley, a small part, indeed, in the history of Hunter's ruthless raid; inflicted, too, not by an ungovernable soldiery, but under a coldly calculated mandate. Who, then, taking a dispassionate view, will condemn our government for this act of righteous retribution.
Hitherto the fires had been applied to the houses of my friends, which roused within me feelings of the sternest vengeance ; still, I felt more like weeping over Chambersburg, although the people covered me with reproaches, which all who know me will readily believe I found hard to digest; yet my pity was highly excited in behalf of these poor unfortunates, who were made to suffer for acts perpetrated by the officers of their own government.
The day was bright and intensely hot. The conflagration seemed to spring from one vast building. Dense clouds of smoke rose to the zenith, and hovered over the dark plain. At night it would have been a grand but terrible object to behold. How piteous the sight in those beautiful green meadows—groups of women and children exposed to the rays of a burning sun, hovering over the few articles they had saved, most of them wringing their hands, and with wild gesticulations bemoaning their ruined homes! - Harry Gilmor (Four Years in the Saddle)

Images: 1. Ruins of the Franklin County Court House, Chambersburg, Pa., destroyed by Confederate troops in 1864 (Library of Congress). 2. General McCausland (CSA). 3. General David Hunter (USA). 4. Colonel William H. Boyd (USA). 5. Colonel Harry Gilmor (CSA).

Harford Historical Society recipient of $3,000 grant

(ægis) The Historical Society of Harford County has received a $3,000 grant from a statewide non-profit organization toward its restoration work on the Hays House in Bel Air. The society was one of nine non-profits to get a grant from Preservation Maryland earlier this month, and the only one from Harford County. The Hays House, which was built in 1798, has been undergoing structural and aesthetic repairs. Continued

Image: Michael O. Bourne/Maryland Historical Trust

In Roosevelt Archive, History as He Made It

(NYTimes) A month after the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, Joseph P. Kennedy, the American ambassador in London and father of a future president, expressed grave doubts about “this war for idealism” against Hitler.
“I can’t see any use in everybody in Europe going busted and having communism run riot,” Kennedy wrote to Marguerite LeHand, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s personal secretary. Continued

Image: Library of Congress

97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement

(NYTimes) ... “97 Orchard” dispels a pile of myths about immigrant foodstuffs. Corned beef and cabbage isn’t an Irish invention. Gefilte fish and challah did not originate with the Jews. She tracks the immigrant origins of many well-known brands — Breakstone’s, Fleischmann’s — and she is not a snob about time-saving inventions. Beginning in 1911, Crisco began to replace schmaltz (chicken fat) in many Jewish kitchens. Ms. Ziegelman writes about the harried kosher cook and imagines “the freedom awaiting her in the blue-and-white can.” Continued

Image by Bernarda Bryson Shahn (Library of Congress).

The Bonus Army

(LoC) On July 28, 1932, protesters known as the "Bonus Army," or "Bonus Expeditionary Forces (B.E.F.)," who had gathered in the nation's capital to demand an immediate lump-sum payment of pension funds (benefits) for their military service during World War I, were confronted by Federal troops (cavalry, machine-gunners, and infantry) following President Herbert Hoover's orders to evacuate. (While Congress had approved the payment in 1924, the bonus was not payable until 1945.) The presence of the Bonus Army was a continuing embarrassment and source of difficulty for Hoover. He sent in troops under the command of Brigadier Perry L. Miles and General Douglas MacArthur. The veterans faced tear-gas bombs, bayonets, and tanks. Continued

Comin' Through the Rye

(Baltimore Style) ... Placing a close second behind Nuzback’s Lounge is the bar at the Elkridge Club, the most exclusive of exclusive golf clubs in Baltimore. I telephoned the club manager to arrange an interview, and was told I would be transferred to the bartender, Andy Ervin. The manager referred to him reverently as “Mister Andy.” When I told Mister Andy that I was doing a story about Pikesville Rye, he replied without hesitation. “Ah yes. A true Marylander drinks only rye.” I had never met the man, but already I liked him. Continued

Gertrude Stein Dies

(LoC) On July 27, 1946, American avant-garde writer and art connoisseur Gertrude Stein died in France. Her longtime companion, Alice B. Toklas, was at her side. In their last conversation, Stein reportedly questioned Toklas about the meaning of life: "Alice, what is the answer?" When Toklas was unable to reply, Stein queried, "In that case, what was the question?"
Stein was born on February 3, 1874, in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Her family moved when she was three years old—first to Vienna, then to Paris. They returned to the U.S. and settled in Oakland, California, in 1879. After her parents died, she joined her eldest brother, Michael, in San Francisco in 1891. Next, she moved to Baltimore with her brother, Leo, and sister, Bertha, to live with an aunt. Stein attended the Harvard Annex—the precursor to Radcliffe College, from 1893-97 and then enrolled at Johns Hopkins University Medical School (1897-1901)—but decided not to pursue a medical career. Continued

Image: Carl Van Vechten, Library of Congress.

George Washington's Whiskey Sells Out

(ABC) Just 213 years after George Washington started distilling his rye whiskey, it has once again hit the market. A nearly 15-year process of research and archeology allowed historians at Mount Vernon to recreate the first president's whiskey recipe. The distillery, just three miles from Mount Vernon outside of Alexandria, Va. opened for business after the Virginia General Assembly approved sales in small amounts, selling out all 471 bottles at $85 dollars a pop. Continued

Image: Moonshine still recently confiscated by the Internal Revenue Bureau photographed at the Treasury Department, between 1921 and 1932 (Library of Congress).

Trolley parks: Survivors of an earlier era

(AP) Before Disneyland and Six Flags, before steel coasters went 50 mph and rides were named for cartoons, movies and superheroes, there were trolley parks. The parks were built by trolley companies at the end of the line in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as a way to get workers and their families to ride streetcars and railways on weekends. They had carousels, picnic grounds and live entertainment, and they were often located by lakes, rivers or beaches where visitors could take a boat ride or swim. Continued

Image: The Casino, Kennywood Park, near Pittsburg, Pa. (Library of Congress).

Independence Day

(LoC) Joseph Jenkins Roberts declared Liberia, formerly a colony of the American Colonization Society, an independent republic on July 26, 1847. He was elected the first president of the republic in 1848.A native of Petersburg, Virginia, Roberts immigrated to Liberia in 1829 at the age of twenty under the auspices of the American Colonization Society. The Society was organized in late December 1816 by a group which included Henry Clay, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Francis Scott Key, Bushrod Washington, and Daniel Webster. The colonization scheme, controversial from the outset among blacks and whites alike, was conceived as an alternative to emancipation. Continued

Image: Joseph Jenkins Roberts (Library of Congress).

A Legal Battle Over Jim Thorpe’s Remains

(NYTimes) ... He very likely never visited the towns of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk, straddling the Lehigh River in the Pocono Mountains of eastern Pennsylvania. But months after Thorpe died in 1953 at age 64, his third wife, Patricia, struck a deal.
Build a monument and care for the remains, and a nifty roadside attraction and Jim Thorpe’s name for the merged towns are yours. And so it has been, for more than 50 years. Continued

Image: Library of Congress

Video: Jane Austen's Fight Club

We were no longer "good society" . . .

Via boingboing

Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America

(NYTBR) Alexander Hamilton, eulogizing the renowned general Nathanael Greene in 1789, claimed that without the American Revolution, Greene’s true genius might never have been revealed. Jack Rakove, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian at Stanford University, applies Hamilton’s insight about Greene to the entire cohort of Revolutionary leaders in his elegantly written new book. Part collective biography, part narrative history of the years 1773 to 1792, “Revolutionaries” adeptly explores the factors that led these remarkable men to reject British sovereignty and create a new nation. “The Revolution made them,” Rakove asserts, “as much as they made the Revolution.” Continued

Image: Library of Congress

Jane Frank

(Wikipedia) Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank) the American artist, was born Jane Babette Schenthal on July 25, 1918, in Baltimore, Maryland, and died in Baltimore on May 31, 1986. She is known as a painter, sculptor, mixed media artist, and textile artist.A pupil of Hans Hofmann, she can in much of her work be categorized stylistically as an abstract expressionist, but one who draws primary inspiration from the natural world, particularly landscape — landscape "as metaphor", she once explained.Her later painting refers more explicitly to aerial landscapes, while her sculpture tends toward minimalism. Chronologically and stylistically, Jane Frank's work in totality straddles both the modern and the contemporary (even postmodern) periods. She referred to her works generally as "inscapes." Continued

Canadian archaeologists hunt long-lost Arctic explorers

(BBC) It has been more than 150 years since Capt Sir John Franklin and his 128 men perished in the Canadian Arctic, their ships lost in one of the greatest disasters of British polar exploration.
Now, a Canadian archaeological team is en route to the Arctic in a fresh hunt for Franklin's ships. Continued

Image: "Man Proposes God Disposes" 1864 oil painting by Sir Edwin Landseer. Allegedly a reference to Franklin's Lost Expedition (Wikipedia).

Rhubarb Syrup

(Tmagazine) Rhubarb grew like weeds in Wisconsin, where I grew up. As young hellions we would pick it, tear off the elephant-ear leaves (which are mildly poisonous) and dip the stalks in sugar to eat. That fibrous green tang remains one of my Proustian tastes of summer. Nowadays I have to buy my rhubarb at the greengrocer, but even at three bucks a pound I consider it a grand find and pounce while I can. I wish I could preserve the taste for the rest of the year, but I’m not a jam maker. So recently I decided to try my hand at making a drinking syrup with it. Continued

Second Battle of Kernstown

(Wikipedia) The Second Battle of Kernstown was fought on July 24, 1864, at Kernstown, Virginia outside Winchester, Virginia, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War. Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early soundly defeated Union Brig. Gen. George Crook and drove him from the Shenandoah Valley back over the Potomac River into Maryland.
... With his army broken, Crook retreated to the Potomac River and crossed near Williamsport, Maryland, on July 26. As a result of this defeat and Early's burning of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, on July 30, Grant returned the VI and XIX Corps to the Valley and appointed Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan as commander of Union forces there. Continued

Photo: Jubal Early (Library of Congress). Map:Wikipedia

The Patriot Who Refused to Sign the Declaration of Independence

(HistoryNet) In the decade before the American colonies declared independence, no patriot enjoyed greater renown than John Dickinson. In 1765 he helped lead opposition to the Stamp Act, Britain's first effort to get colonists to cover part of the mounting cost of empire through taxes on paper and printed materials. Then, after Parliament rescinded the Stamp Act but levied a new set of taxes on paint, paper, lead and tea with the Townshend Duties of 1767, Dickinson galvanized colonial resistance by penning Letters From a Pennsylvania Farmer, a series of impassioned broadsides widely read on both sides of the Atlantic. He even set his political sentiments to music, borrowing the melody from a popular Royal Navy chantey for his stirring "Liberty Song," which included the refrain: "Not as slaves, but as freemen our money we'll give." Yet on July 1, 1776, as his colleagues in the Continental Congress prepared to declare independence from Britain, Dickinson offered a resounding dissent. Continued

Journalism Legend Daniel Schorr Dies At 93

(NPR) Daniel Schorr, a longtime senior news analyst for NPR and a veteran Washington journalist who broke major stories at home and abroad during the Cold War and Watergate, has died. He was 93.
Schorr, who once described himself as a "living history book," passed away Friday morning at a Washington hospital. He was able to bring to contemporary news commentary a deep sense of how governmental institutions and players operate, as well as the perspective gained from decades of watching history upfront. Continued

Battle of Manassas Gap

(Wikipedia) ... Following the defeat of the Confederates at the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee's Army of Northern Virginia retreated across the Potomac River at Williamsport, Maryland, and withdrew into the Shenandoah Valley. Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Army of the Potomac, in pursuit of the Lee's broken army, decided to try to flank the Confederate army by crossing the river east of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Harpers Ferry and Berlin, Maryland, into the Loudoun Valley and then forcing a passage across the Blue Ridge in Lee's rear. To this end, on July 23, Meade ordered the III Corps, under Maj. Gen. William H. French, to cut off the retreating Confederate columns at Front Royal, Virginia, by forcing passage through Manassas Gap. Continued

Images: 1. General William H. French (U.S.). 2. Pontoon bridge at Berlin (now Brunswick), Maryland.

In a Crumbling Estate, Creativity and History Meet

(NYTimes) IS the past a burden and a trap? Or an anchor and a springboard? This opposition is being worked out daily at Rokeby, a 195-year-old, 43-room stucco house on 420 rolling acres, one of the last family-owned properties in the Hudson River landmark district, where Astors once roamed.
Populated by a colorful but mostly impecunious cast of Livingston and Astor descendants — who are struggling, sometimes with each other, to keep the house from falling down while tending to their own deeply individual destinies — Rokeby is a study in contrasts, a lively dialogue, as one inhabitant put it, “between the creatives and the historians.” Continued

Image: Library of Congress

Amenities coming to the Susquehanna River

(YDR) Hikers, boaters and visitors may soon find it easier to explore land and water trails along the Susquehanna River in Lower Windsor Township.
The National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office recently awarded $100,000 to the Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area for new visitor attractions at the Zimmerman Center for Heritage.
Plans include a floating dock for boats, a canoe and kayak launch area, a boardwalk and a new trail head for the Native Lands County Park and Heritage Trail, which are part of the Susquehanna Heritage Park and Mason-Dixon Trail system. Continued

Taking Photos In Public Places Is Not A Crime: Analysis

(Popular Mechanics) Today, most people walk around with a camera of some sort in their possession. Point-and-shoots, DSLRs and tiny video cams--not to mention cellphones--have become ubiquitous. And yet it seems that in many public locations, security officials are touchier than ever about letting people actually use those cameras. Our guardians of public safety often have the idea that shooting pictures in public places might be a precursor to some sort of terrorism. It's an understandable concern, but misguided. I believe there is a good case to be made that having lots of cameras in the hands of citizens makes us more, rather than less, safe. Continued

Image: Falmanc likes taking pictures. Falmanac gets harassed by the cops a lot. Falmanac is leaving the region for freer pastures.

Robert Dallek on Medicare’s Complicated Birth

(American Heritage) In 1965, after winning in a landslide against Barry Goldwater and helping to carry Democratic supermajorities into both houses of Congress, President Lyndon Johnson set out to enact a battery of Great Society reforms, including Medicare, government insurance for seniors. Despite his political mandate, 60 years of conservative opposition to such a measure meant proceeding with caution. Later, California Governor Ronald Reagan, for example, would characterize the Medicare bill as the advance wave of a socialism that would “invade every area of freedom in this country.” Reagan predicted that this reform would compel Americans to spend their “sunset years telling our children and our grandchildren what it was like in America when men were free.” Continued

Navy considers moving USNS Comfort

(Baltimore Sun) The Navy is considering moving the hospital ship USNS Comfort from its home in the port of Baltimore to Norfolk, Va., when its current berthing agreement expires in 2013, officials said Tuesday.
... "The USNS Comfort has long been a source of pride and jobs for its home, the port of Baltimore, and the rest of the region," Ruppersberger said in a statement. "When a catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina or the recent earthquake in Haiti strikes, time is of the essence. The Comfort and its team of military medical professionals quickly answer the call to serve." Continued

Image: 090411-A-1786S-088 PORT-AU-PRINCE (April 11, 2009) The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) is anchored near Port-au-Prince supporting Continuing Promise 2009, a humanitarian and civic assistance mission to Latin America and the Caribbean. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Landon Stephenson/Released via Wikipedia)

Moe Drabowsky

(Wikipedia) Myron Walter Drabowsky (July 21, 1935 – June 10, 2006) was a Polish-American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs (1956-1960), Milwaukee Braves (1961), Cincinnati Reds (1962), Kansas City Athletics (1962-1965), Baltimore Orioles (1966-1968, 1970), Kansas City Royals (1969-70), St. Louis Cardinals (1971-72) and Chicago White Sox (1972).

... the Orioles signed him for the 1966 season.
Now pitching out of the bullpen, Drabowsky won six with no losses and seven saves, and struck out 96 in 98 innings pitched. In the opening game of the 1966 World Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Drabowsky entered the game in the third inning and set a still-standing one-game World Series record for relievers by striking out 11 batters, including tying Hod Eller's record of six consecutive strikeouts in the 1919 World Series. He walked Jim Gilliam with two out in that third inning to force in Lou Johnson for a run that, although it cut the Orioles' lead to 4-2, would be the last run the Dodgers scored in the series, as the Orioles would sweep the Dodgers 4-0, their next three wins coming on shutouts from Jim Palmer, Wally Bunker and the starter Drabowsky had relieved in Game 1, Dave McNally. Continued

Researchers: Donner Party member carried Lincoln documents on journey

(CNN) Researchers have made an unexpected discovery among the items a member of the Donner Party kept in a carpetbag on the group's ill-fated journey to California: a military document with Abraham Lincoln's handwriting on it.
Donner Party member James Reed and his family carried muster rolls with Lincoln's name on them among their treasured heirlooms, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum said in a statement released Monday.
A team of librarians, historians and handwriting experts combined forces to confirm that Lincoln's writing was on one of the documents, which list Lincoln and volunteer soldiers who fought in the 1832 Black Hawk War. Continued

Image: "This is a photo of James F. and Margaret (Keyes) Reed, who were members of the Donner Party. Margaret died about 1862, and James died in 1874. The original photo is at the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. The photographer is unknown." (Wikipedia)

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877

(Wikipedia) ... The great railroad strike of 1877 started on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in response to the cutting of wages for the second time in a year by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O). Striking workers would not allow any of the stock to roll until this second wage cut was revoked. The governor sent in state militia units to restore train service, but the soldiers refused to use force against the strikers and the governor called for federal troops. Meanwhile, the strike spread to Cumberland, Maryland, stopping freight and passenger traffic.When Governor Carroll of Maryland directed the 5th and 6th Regiments of the National Guard to put down the strike, citizens from Baltimore attacked the troops as they marched from their armories towards B&O's Camden Station for the train to Cumberland, causing violent street battles between the striking workers and the Maryland militia. When the outnumbered troops of the 6th Regiment fired on an attacking crowd, they killed 10 and wounded 25. The rioters injured several members of the militia, damaged engines and train cars, and burned portions of the train station. On July 21-22, the President sent federal troops and marines to Baltimore to restore order. Continued

Illustrations: 1. "Sixth Regiment Fighting its way through Baltimore," an engraving on front cover of "Harper's Weekly, Journal of Civilization," Vol XXL, No. 1076 2. "Blockade of Engines at Martinsburg, West Virginia," ibid.

Recalling the 1905 trolley tragedy near Dallastown

(YDR) It was a Saturday afternoon. York Railways car 101, packed with 105 men, women and children, left York at 4:30 on its way through Spry to Dallastown, Red Lion and Windsor. Many of the passengers lived in those little towns and were returning home from shopping or visiting friends.
There was only a single track for the two-way electric trolley system. Cars could pass each other at switches. A signal system had recently been installed, and it was the responsibility of each motorman to set the signal switch as he entered a new section, or block, so that a light at the other end of the block indicated that an oncoming car must wait. Continued

Image: MDRails

Descendants want unmarked cemetery to be maintained

(Baltimore Sun) Under a hillside of thistle and milkweed secluded within Northeast Baltimore's Clifton Park rests an unmarked neighborhood of the dead.
Hidden from view and overtaken by nature, the mid-19th-century St. Vincent DePaul Church Cemetery is the burial ground for some 2,000 Baltimoreans. But only a few broken limestone markers remain.
The descendants of the Irish, German and Italian families buried here, using Internet message boards, are joining forces to bring recognition to the graveyard troubled by criminal, financial and maintenance issues for the past 65 years. Continued

Lost Cyclist: The Epic Tale of an American Adventurer and His Mysterious Disappearance

(NYTBR) O to be young and biking in Ameri­ca at the close of the 19th century and have nothing to worry about, except perhaps the roads (which were an issue only if they were good: on the big-wheeled “boneshaker” bikes, as one cycling reporter put it, “the element of safety is rather distasteful to a good many riders who prefer to run some risk, as it gives zest to the sport”)! O to ride when cyclists were called wheelmen, Bicycling World covered bike races as if they were moon launches and spectators cheered on men in short-legged pants and caps that — wait! — looked a lot like what that guy on the G train in Brooklyn was wearing the other day! O to ride between bicycling meccas like Pittsburgh and Buffalo, at a time when America was embracing travel and just setting out, like bicyclists, into the wide world! Continued

Image: Bicycling, Gobi desert by Eric Pape, 1894. (Library of Congress)

John Paul Jones

(Wikipedia) John Paul Jones (July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was America's first well-known naval hero in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among the American ruling class, and his career in the Continental Navy never saw him rise above the rank of Captain, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to this day.... On April 24, 1906, Jones's coffin was installed in Bancroft Hall at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. Continued

The Great Train Wreck of 1856

(Wikipedia) - The Great Train Wreck of 1856 occurred between Camp Hill and Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, on July 17, 1856. Two trains, traveling on the same track in opposite directions, collided, killing between 59 and 67, and injuring over 100.The incident was referred to as "The Camp Hill Disaster" in Montgomery County, and "The Picnic Train Tragedy" in the city of Philadelphia. It was the worst railroad catastrophe in the world up to that time and became one of the signature events of its era. Continued

1997: The F.W. Woolworth Company closes after 117 years

(Wikipedia) The F.W. Woolworth Co. was among the first five-and-dime stores, which sold discounted general merchandise at fixed prices, usually five or ten cents, undercutting the prices of other local merchants. Woolworth, as the stores popularly became known, was one of the first American retailers to put merchandise out for the shopping public to handle and select without the assistance of a sales clerk. Earlier retailers had kept all merchandise behind a counter, and customers presented the clerk with a list of items they wished to buy. After working in a dry goods store in Watertown, New York, Frank Winfield Woolworth opened his first Woolworth’s store in Utica, New York, in 1878, but the store failed within a year. However, a second store he opened on June 21, 1879 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, became a success. Continued

Image: Washington, D.C. Christmas shopping in Woolworth's five and ten cent store, 1941. (John Collier/FSA/OWI/Library of Congress)

The Residence Act

(LoC) On July 16, 1790, the Residence Act, which stipulated that the president select a site on the Potomac River as the permanent capital of the United States following a ten-year temporary residence in Philadelphia, was signed into law. In a proclamation issued on January 24, 1791, President George Washington announced the permanent location of the new capital, an area of land at the confluence of the Potomac and Eastern Branch (Anacostia) rivers that would eventually become the District of Columbia. Soon after, Washington commissioned French engineer Pierre-Charles L'Enfant to create a plan for the city. Continued

Photo by Theodor Horydczak

After High Line’s Success, Other Cities Look Up

(NYTimes) Phone calls and visitors and, yes, dreams from around the world are pouring into the small offices of the Friends of the High Line on West 20th Street in Manhattan these days.
Detroit is thinking big about an abandoned train station. Jersey City and Philadelphia have defunct railroad beds, and Chicago has old train tracks that don’t look like much now, but maybe they too...
The High Line’s success as an elevated park, its improbable evolution from old trestle into glittering urban amenity, has motivated a whole host of public officials and city planners to consider or revisit efforts to convert relics from their own industrial pasts into potential economic engines. Continued

Image: Abandoned trestle at Safe Harbor, PA, part of the old Atglen & Susquehanna "Low Grade Route" railroad line, abandoned by Norfolk Southern and squandered by local municipalities. It had the potential to be a world class rail trail. (MDRails)

Billy the Kid: a pardon at long last?

(L. A. Times) "I expect you have forgotten what you promised me," Billy the Kid wrote to New Mexico Territory's governor, Lew Wallace, in 1881. The Kid was writing from a Santa Fe jail cell. He was there because of the dogged efforts of Pat Garrett, who had been elected sheriff of Lincoln County, which comprised the southeastern part of the territory, on the promise that he would put a stop to Billy and his gang of rustlers. Now Billy was waiting to be transported to Mesilla, where he would be tried for the murder of another Lincoln County lawman, Sheriff William Brady. Continued

Perryville's historic Rodgers Tavern to be restored

(Baltimore Sun) The state has awarded a $125,000 grant to the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway to complete the final restoration of the Rodgers Tavern in Perryville, a 315-year-old landmark that played a role in the nation's early history.
The tavern will serve as a modern-day anchor for downtown Perryville revitalization and provide public access to the water and the town in Cecil County. The grant will pay for interior and exterior repairs. Continued

Photo: Michael O. Bourne, Maryland Historical Trust

Owen Wister and Cowboy Culture

(LoC) Novelist Owen Wister was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, on July 14, 1860. His 1902 novel The Virginian helped create the myth of the American cowboy. Reared and educated on the east coast, Wister first visited the West in 1885. Set in Medicine Bow, Wyoming, The Virginian's tender romance between a refined Eastern schoolteacher and a rough-and-tumble cowhand, with its climactic pistol gunfight, introduced themes now standard to the American Western. Continued

Maryland prepares grand salute to War of 1812

(Baltimore Sun) Maryland will revel in its War of 1812 history with a two-year celebration of the pivotal battles, enduring sites and hometown heroes that played a role in the conflict that culminated in America's defeat[?] of the world's strongest military force.
... The National Parks Service is partnering with the state and numerous communities on organizing events to highlight the major battles. The service has recently awarded Havre de Grace $100,000 to fund its observance of the 1813 devastation of the city by British soldiers. Continued

Image: Library of Congress

History going to market at former Towson jail

(Towson Times) ... But the dilemma for Azola and Latshaw is giving the building a name that will capitalize on it's peculiar cachet -- without its negative connotations.
After all, one can hardly expect attorneys, business people and -- especially in this day, financial folks -- to list their address on a business card as a "jail."
"We haven't selected a name yet," said Latshaw. "For now, the working title is 'Historic Towson Executive Suites.'" Continued

Image: Baltimore County Public Library

Conrad Weiser

(Wikipedia) Conrad Weiser, born Johann Conrad Weiser, Jr. (November 2, 1696 – July 13, 1760) was a German Pennsylvanian pioneer, interpreter and effective diplomat between the Pennsylvania Colony and Native Americans. He was a farmer, soldier, monk, tanner, and judge as well. He contributed as an emissary in councils between Native Americans and the colonies, especially Pennsylvania, during the 18th century's tensions of the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War). Continued

Photo: Cerebro

Battle of Fort Stevens

(Wikipedia) The Battle of Fort Stevens was an American Civil War battle fought July 11–12, 1864, in Northwest Washington, D.C., as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 between forces under Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early and Union Maj. Gen. Alexander McD. McCook. Although Early caused consternation in the Union government, reinforcements under Maj. Gen. Horatio G. Wright and the strong defenses of Fort Stevens minimized the military threat and Early withdrew after two days of skirmishing without attempting any serious assaults. The battle is noted for the personal presence of President Abraham Lincoln observing the fighting. Continued

Image: "Fort Stevens north of Washington, D.C., 1864" (Library of Congress).

Gilmor's Raid

Gilmor's Raid, also known as The Magnolia Station Train Raid, was a foraging and disruptive cavalry raid that was part of an overall campaign against Union railroads, led by Maj. Harry W. Gilmor with 135 men from the First and Second Maryland Cavalry regiments. It was authorized by Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early during his Valley Campaigns of 1864, which threatened Washington, D.C., during the American Civil War.
As Early advanced north and east toward Baltimore, Maryland, a Union force led by Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace met Early's forces and was defeated in the Battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864. The cavalry brigade of the Second Corps, led by Brig. Gen. Bradley T. Johnson advanced further eastward into Maryland, led by cavalry forces under the command of Maj. Harry W. Gilmor. Upon reaching Westminster, Maryland, on July 10, Gilmor attacked Union cavalry forces, driving them out. Johnson's main cavalry force continued pressing Wallace's retreating Union troops, pursuing them into Cockeysville-Hunt Valley, Maryland, north of Baltimore, and then turned south destroying tracks and trestle bridges along the North[ern] Central Railroad. Upon reaching Timonium, Maryland, Johnson divided the Second Corps cavalry brigade. Continued

Images: 1. "The invasion of Maryland--capture of a train on the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad at Magnolia, near Gunpowderb sic [B]Ridge, July 11" 2. Harry Gilmor. 3. Bradley Johnson. 4. Wade Hampton and Bradley Johnson, long after the war.

Battle of Funkstown

(Wikipedia) The Second Battle of Funkstown (more commonly simply referred to as the Battle of Funkstown) took place near Funkstown, Maryland, on July 10, 1863, during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Union forces of the Army of the Potomac attacked the rear guard of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during its retreat from Pennsylvania following the Battle of Gettysburg.
A strong Confederate presence at Funkstown threatened any Union advance against Gen. Robert E. Lee’s position near Williamsport and the Potomac River as he retreated to Virginia after the Battle of Gettysburg. Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry, posted at Funkstown, posed a serious risk to the Federal right and rear if the Union army lunged west from Boonsboro. Stuart, meanwhile, determined to wage a spirited defense to ensure Lee time to complete fortifications protecting his army and his avenue of retreat.
As Brig. Gen. John Buford’s Federal cavalry division cautiously approached Funkstown via the National Road on Friday morning July 10, 1863, it encountered Stuart’s crescent-shaped, three-mile-long battle line. It was Stuart’s first defensive battle since reentering Maryland. The high ground constituted Stuart’s extreme right, held by Preston Chew’s horse artillery. A nearby stone barn and barnyard wall proved a superb defensive position for the 34th Virginia Battalion’s dismounted cavalry. Continued

Map by Hal Jespersen, www.posix.com/CW, some rights reserved.