Lake Havasu City Weather History - Flood of 1974

Arizona Monday, July 20, 2020 0

On July 19th, 1974 a severe thunderstorm and heavy rains caused flash flooding and extensive damage in Lake Havasu City.

National Storm Summary

Friday, a severe storm struck Grand Junction, Colorado with 72 mph winds causing damage to aircraft, trailers and power lines. The storm soaked Grand Junction, Colorado with 1.30 inches of rain in less than an hour. Late Friday night extensive flooding occurred between Needles, California and Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where power and phone lines were downed. Three persons drowned as a result of the floods.

National Flood Summary

July 22, 1974

"Considerable flooding occurred during the weekend in western Arizona and some nearby areas in California and Nevada. Some of the areas affected included Lake Havasu, Arizona; where three lives were reported lost by drowning; and Bullhead City and Kingman. Several roads and highways were closed by high water."

- Both above from the July 23, 1974 Edition of the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, NOAA

"Severe thunderstorm with winds to 80 m.p.h. and up to 2 inches of rain caused very extensive flooding of streets. Some streets had completely washed out sections 4 and 5 feet deep and some streets and normally dry washes were flooded with water up to 5 feet deep. Many cars were abandoned during the storm and a number washed away. Three members of one family were carried to their death and one injured when their station wagon was carried 3,000 feet down a wash by a wall of water 10 feet high. Damage to public and private property amounted to 1.7 million."

- Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena - July 1974, Volume 16, Number 7, NOAA

Those who lost their lives were members of the Parker family. The family member that survived was a 12-year-old boy.

More Weather History: Major Storms and Floods in Arizona 1862-1977

Circa 1974 Video of London Bridge in Lake Havasu City

Mary Jemison by Jane Marsh Parker

Western New York Thursday, June 04, 2020 0

Mary Jemison

by Jane Marsh Parker
Cosmopolitan, Volume 1, pages 371 - 374, March - August, 1886

She was a slender slip of a girl to send alone at nightfall a mile or more to borrow the horse that she was to lead home before breakfast in the early morning; a fair-skinned. blue-eyed girl of thirteen, delicate

in feature. little hands and feet, the daughter of the well-to-do farmer, Thomas Jemison, a Scotch-Irish settler on the frontier of Pennsylvania. There were six of the Jemison boys and girls. and a very happy home was theirs, with their good and thrifty mother.

They heard of trouble with the Indians in other localities along the border, but they felt safe in their frontier home, even when they heard the wolves howl at night, or missed a lamb or a calf after the visit of a prowling panther. Mr. Jemison must have been over-driven with work that Spring day, when Mary was sent alone to borrow the horse. No doubt the adventure was a pleasant change for the child, although she used to tell, in her after life, that she had a warning that night that something was going to happen.

She was safe home betimes in the morning, leading her horse, and hungry for the breakfast she knew would be waiting for her. She found that company had arrived the night before, a woman and three little children, and the woman's brother-in-law, the family of a man that was "fighting in Washington's army." Mary's mother was getting breakfast. The children were playing together, The two elder Jemison boys were at work near the barn. The men were outside, There was the sound of the firing of guns, shot after shot, in quick succession. and before those women and children could speak for fright, in rushed the savages that had killed the uncle of the children, and had bound Mr. Jemison at his very door. In a few moments, they were all helpless prisoners, their hands tied behind them, and the Indians driving them into the woods, lashing the little children forward with a whip.

Each Indian carried away as much plunder as he could, the bread, meal, and meat of Mrs. Jemison's larder, and the breakfast her children might not taste. All day they marched to the westward, never a mouthful of food or a drop of water, expecting every moment to be tomahawked or burnt at the stake. At night. they were suffered to drop down on the damp ground, without fire or shelter, the pitiful wailing of the starving children awakening no pity in the savage heart. On again they moved at early daybreak, halting at sunrise, when Mrs. Jemison's meat and bread were sparingly given out.

At the end of the second day's journey, the good mother, who had cheered her dear ones all she could, saw the Indians taking off Mary's shoes and stockings and putting a pair of moccasins on her feet. The same was done to the little boy whose father was in Washington's army. The mothers knew what that meant. The two children were to be adopted by the Indians. All but Mary and the little boy would never see another sunset.

Mrs. Jemison managed to say a last word to her little Mary. She bade her good-bye, charging her to remember her prayers and the English language. and not to try running away from the Indians. "I was crying," said Mary Jemison, in telling the story years after, "and an Indian Came and led me away. 'Don't cry, Mary,' mother called after me. 'God bless you. my child.'"

She and the little boy lay under the bushes that night with an Indian guarding them. They never slept, but the Indian did; and then the boy begged Mary to run away with him, to hide in the woods; but her mother's counsel kept her where she was.

The next morning they were hurried forward again, she and the boy the only captives. They knew, without being told, that the others of their party, father, mother, brothers, and sisters, had been murdered in the night, and that they would never see them again. They dared not cry, dared not complain.

The next night, they encamped by a fire. It had been raining, and they were cold and wet. Again Mary ate her mother's bread, and, crouching by the fire, she watched the Indians dress the bloody scalps they had brought with them. One was combing the gory locks Of her mother; another, the flaxen hair of her little brothers and sisters. If she fell asleep at all, it was to start and see those horrible scalps drying before the fire.

Through rain and snow, they marched on, day after day, at last reaching Fort Pitt, now Pittsburg. There the face and hair of the captives were painted red. A young white man, a prisoner, had been added to their company. They were shut up alone in an empty building inside the fort. Another terrible night was passed : for they might well dread the morrow, when, they had reason to believe, they would be horribly tortured and put to death, or turned into the forest to save themselves from the wild beasts as best they could. Early in the morning, the young man and the little boy were taken out of the fort, leaving Mary alone in her terror. She never heard from them again ; never knew their fate.

Now, two Seneca squaws, who had lost a brother in the warfare going on between red man and white man, were looking at that moment for a prisoner, or an enemy's scalp. Either would comfort them for the loss of their brother. It was a custom among the Indians for the mourners of the dead in battle to welcome the returning braves and claim a prisoner or a scalp. With the prisoner they could do what they liked, torture or adopt, just as they pleased. The two Seneca squaws received a prisoner and scalps in this case.

They were extremely pleased with Mary, and decided to adopt her. So she sailed away with them in their canoe, a larger canoe going before them down the Ohio, an Indian standing in the stern, holding upon a pole the scalps of her family. Her mother's bright red hair floated before her eyes, and seemed leading her to her new home. They passed a Shawnee town, where she saw a smouldering fire and the suspended fragments of the bodies of white people, who had just been burned to death. About eighty miles by river from Fort Pitt they landed at the wigwam of the Seneca Squaws.

Her new sisters were very kind to her. They named her Deh-ge-wa-nus, meaning Two-falling-voices. The little pale-faced stranger, who had taken their brother's place in their hearts, had lulled by her voice the voice of their sorrow. She was given light work only to do, and was forbidden to speak English. Remembering her mother's last words, she would go away alone and repeat her prayers and familiar English words. In time, she ceased doing so ; but she never wholly forgot her mother's tongue.

The Story of her life for four years at Shenanjee, where in summer she planted, and hoed, and harvested the corn, and squash, and beans, and where in winter she went into the forest with the hunters ; her hopes of escape more than once prevented by the watchful affection of her Indian sisters ; her early marriage to Sin-nin-jee, a Delaware brave--all this. as told in the account of her life by James E. Seaver, is a romance of thrilling incident, giving us a deep insight into Indian life. Singular as it may seem, she became contented, even happy. "Only one thing marred my happiness," she said in after years, "remembering my parents and the home I loved."

Some of Sin-nin-jee's kindred lived in the Genesee valley in Western New York, the fair hunting grounds of the Senecas in the Iroquois long house. In the fall of 1758, when her baby Thomas was about nine months old, she set out with her husband and three of his brothers, and her baby, of course, to visit these relatives in the Genesee. Sin-nin-jee, hearing of good winter hunting "down the river," concluded not to go to the Genesee until the spring. Mary went on with his brothers, her big baby on her back, traveling nearly six hundred miles on foot through an almost pathless wilderness, reaching Little Beard's Town (now Cuylerville) late in the autumn. The fatigue and suffering of that journey she never forgot, and in her old age she would go over the trail in her fancy, "sleeping on the naked ground. with nothing but my wet blanket to cover us."

Little Beard's Town was a place of considerable importance, to the Senecas at least, in 1759. It was on the west bank of the beautiful Genesee river. She found that many of the Seneca braves were off on the war path, helping the French against the English. She saw those of her own race brought in as captives and tortured, but her pleadings for them often saved their lives.

She was the first and only white woman in the country. Not until 1797, thirty-eight years after, was any of the land around her sold to the whites. The first orchard west of the Genesee, planted by a white settler, was in 1799, when Mary Jemison had cultivated her Indian patch for forty-one years. At the time of the treaty of Stanwix, in 1784, she had been with the Indians twenty-nine years. Seventy-two years she lived in the valley of the Genesee, and then left it, rather than be separated from her adopted people.

But we anticipate. The summer after her arrival at Little Beard's Town. she heard of the death of Sin-nin-jee, in the Ohio country. Not long after, she became the wife of the big chief Hickatoo. a famous warrior of seventeen campaigns, whose prowess in taking Cherokee scalps was only equaled by his wrestling and fleetness of foot. By him she had many children, her half-Indian boys giving her no end of trouble with their quarreling, One of them, John, brutally killed two of his brothers, Thomas and Jesse. before he was finally killed himself in a drunken dispute. But the things that were horrible to her, alien to her nature, she had to submit to, as Deh-ge-wa-nus, the mother of Seneca braves.

Mary Jemison's house, during the Revolutionary war, was headquarters for Brant and the Butlers. "Many a night," she said, "have I pounded samp for them from sunset to sunrise, and furnished them with provisions for their journey, and clean clothing." But she became attached to the life she lived. She fled with the women and children of the Senecas before Sullivan's raid in 1779, showing the same unwillingness to be restored to her race that she had shown several years before. when the King of England offered a bounty for returned prisoners. On that occasion. she had hidden, fearing that she would be taken back by some one anxious to claim the reward.

After the close of the Revolutionary war, however, when her Indian brother Black Coals offered her her liberty, and her son Thomas wanted her to seek her relatives and let him be her guide in finding them, she was inclined to go. But when she learned that Thomas would not be permitted to go with her, that she must leave her favorite son behind her, she resolved to stay with the Indians the rest of her day. "If I should find my relatives, those two brothers that escaped that morning, they might despise my Indian children."

She lived at Gardeau Flats until she followed the Senecas to the Buffalo Creek reservation in 1831. She was never sick, and, although she did not look strong, she did more work in a day the year round than

most men ; that is, white men. "I backed all the boards that were used about my house." she said, "from a mill nearly five miles off, my young children helping me." As late as 1823, when she was eighty-one years old, she husked her corn as ever and carried it into the barn.

When the Senecas sold their lands to Thomas Morris in 1828, the Indians asked that a reservation be made for the white woman, a free gift from them to their captive. Morris thought, from the description of the lands named at Gardeau Flats, that the reservation did not exceed three hundred acres at the most. She described the boundaries of what she wanted, and outwitted the crafty speculator completely. After much delay and vexation (Red Jacket opposing her bitterly), she was declared the rightful owner of more than seventeen thousand acres of land in the garden of the state of New York, the tract including Gardeau flats and the surrounding hills. But for the trickery of white men, who robbed her as they would an Indian, she would have been in her old age one of the wealthiest women in the country. Once she was sadly imposed upon by a man calling himself George Jemison and pretending to be her first cousin. She gave him land and many farms, until he proved himself to be what he was.

When the Genesee country was opened to settlers in 1789, Mary Jemison was by no means disposed to make herself one with them. She kept aloof, and said as little to her gaping visitors as an Indian would have done. They looked upon her as a curiosity, visited her house as they would a museum. She dressed like a squaw, and was an Indian in her religion. When led to talk about her capture, she would shed tears. She spoke English fairly well, and she never lost her soft, white skin nor the pinkish glow of her cheeks. She clung to her moccasins always, and slept on the floor on skins, eating her food from her lap, Indian fashion.

As she grew feeble with age (she lived to be ninety-one), her memory of her childhood came back to her more distinctly. Not long before she left the valley, the agent of a large land owner in the locality tried to prevail upon her to remain at Gardeau Flats, for she was bent upon joining the Senecas at Buffalo Creek reservation. "Her children wanted to go," she said; they would be happier." That was enough for her. The agent was a native of the north of Ireland, and, in his earnest plea, his Scotch-Irish dialect came out. She caught it at once, looked up into his face in a half-startled way, her memory trying to recall something. "Are ye fra that kentry, too?" she asked, smiling. "I know noo whar ye carn from, and I leck ye better nor better." But she did not consent to stay at Gardeau Flats, nor was she ever sought out and found by her kindred, if any she had. She died on the Buffalo Creek reservation in September, 1833, and was buried near the grave of Red Jacket. Her little feet were encased in moccasins, and her burial dress was like the one the Indians gave the captive child one hundred years before.

The good missionary that visited her not long before her death found her in a poor hut, on a low bunk, a little straw on the boards, over which a blanket was spread. She had just awakened from sleep and began telling her dream. "It was that second night after we were taken," she said. "and we were so tired and hungry. My brothers and little sister Betsy were asleep on the ground. Mother put her arm around me and said, 'Be a good girl, Mary. God will take care of you.'" When she heard the missionary saying the Lord's prayer, she started up and smiled. "That is just what mother used to say ; that is what I could

not remember all these years."

In 1874 her remains were removed to the grounds of Hon. William P. Letchworth, of Glen Iris, Portageville, N.Y., and re-buried by her descendants near the old councilhouse of the Senecas, where Mr. Letchworth has his valuable collection of Indian relics. It is believed that it was within the walls of this old council-house that Mary Jemison rested after her long journey from the Ohio country.

The Life of Mary Jemison from G. Peter Jemison on Vimeo.

Katys Church - The Real Story - Muncy, Pennsylvania

muncy pennsylvania Tuesday, April 28, 2020 0

"Katys Church was built on Vandine property in the late 1800's by German immigrants who had relocated to the area. Because the closest Lutheran church was 15 miles away - and horse and buggy were the primary mode of transportation - Widow Catherine Vandine's church was well received. She herself attended services there until her passing at 87 years old. Several years later, her grandson granted possession of the church to its board members." - Credit: May Shetler and Cris Michaels

Source, read the rest at https://web.archive.org/web/20170518135904/http://outhousesoutandabout.com/

Facts about Katys Church (formerly Immanuel Lutheran Church) aka VanDine Church:

The stories about Katy and the haunting are just that.. Stories

The church was built in the late 1800s by German immigrants.
Catherine (Poust) Vandine attended services at the church until her passing at 87 years old, in 1899.
The church closed in 1969 but in recent years has been regularly holding services and other events.

Famous, Funny, Retro Commercials - Iconic Soft Drinks from the 1980's!

retro commercials Tuesday, April 14, 2020 0

Commercials featured in these 1980s soft drink commercials:

7UP - featuring John McEnroe, Tony Dorsett, and Larry Bird - 1979

John Patrick McEnroe is an American tennis player. He was known for his shot-making artistry and volleying skills, and for confrontational on-court behavior that frequently landed him in trouble with umpires and tennis authorities.

Anthony Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.

Larry Joe Bird is an American former professional basketball player, coach and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "The Hick from French Lick", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Pepsi - The Pepsi Challenge - 1980

Tab Cola - 'What a beautiful drink for beautiful people' - 1981

Sprite - 'Reach for Sprite' - 1981

Sunkist - 'Good good vibrations' - 1981

7UP - featuring Geoffrey Holder - 1982

Geoffrey Lamont Holder was a Trinidadian-American actor, voice actor, dancer, choreographer, singer, director and painter. A multifaceted performer and creator, he is best remembered by audiences for his performance as the villainous Baron Samedi in the 1973 Bond-movie Live and Let Die and as the pitchman for 7 Up.

Diet Rite Cola - featuring Lee Majors, jingle possibly sang by Randy Newman - 1983

Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary) is an American film, television and voice actor. Majors is best known for portraying the characters of Heath Barkley in the American television Western series The Big Valley.

Tab Cola - 'You're my Tab' - 1983

Caffeine Free Tab - Taste test - 1984

Pepsi - 'The choice of a new generation' - voiceover by Martin Sheen - 1985

Martin Sheen, is an American actor. He first became known for his roles in the films The Subject Was Roses (1968) and Badlands (1973), and later achieved wide recognition for his leading role in Apocalypse Now (1979).

Sprite - News Rap with Kurtis Blow - 1985

Kurtis Walker professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record/film producer, b-boy, DJ, public speaker and minister.

Minute Maid - 'It's amazing' - 1985

Sprite - Santa Taste Test - 1985

Coca Cola - Max Headroom Cokeologists - 'Catch the wave' - 1986

RC Cola - Some people go out of their way for RC - 1986

Sprite - featuring Jim Varney - 'The Un-Cola' -1986

James Albert Varney Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his broadly comedic role as Ernest P. Worrell, appearing in numerous television commercial advertising campaigns and films.

Diet Pepsi - featuring Billy Crystal - 'Absolutely marvelous' - 1986

William Edward Crystal is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, singer, writer, producer, director, and television host.

Slice - Karate ad - 'We got the juice' - 1986

Pepsi - featuring Michael J. Fox - Printable Pepsi - 1986

Michael Andrew Fox, known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, author, film producer and activist with a film and television career spanning from the 1970s. He starred in the Back to the Future trilogy in which he portrayed Marty McFly.

Pepsi - Pepsi vs Coke - Baseball kid - featuring Martin Sheen voice over - 1987

7UP Gold - Limited edition 7UP Gold - 'Wild thing' - 1988

Cherry 7UP - featuring Matt LeBlanc at a diner, black and white - 1988

Matthew Steven LeBlanc is an American actor and comedian.[3] He is best known for his portrayal of dim-witted yet well-intentioned womanizer Joey Tribbiani in the NBC sitcom Friends and in its spin-off series Joey.

Mountain Dew - mountain biking theme - 'Doing it country cool' - 1989

Diet Pepsi - The Diet Pepsi Challenge - 1989

Coca Cola - Bottled Coca-Cola Classic - A boy and his dog - 1989

White Stargazer Lily - Planting and Growing

White Stargazer Lily Thursday, March 19, 2020 0

The White Stargazer Lily, as with all lilies, is a hybrid of the Oriental Lily. Like other lily varieties, the flowers of the White Stargazer Lily has attractive flowers. Its flowers are perfect for adding to any flower garden. Or even along the edge of a fence, or along the side or front of your house. As its name suggests, the flower is a pure white color. They can go along with other varieties of Stargazer Lilies or any other type of lilies. Not only lilies but also tulips and even irises. With your white Stargazer lilies, One stem can develop anywhere from two to eight flowers. Each plant is sure to offer plenty of blooms wherever you plant them.

Audrey from Central Pennsylvania, USA / CC BY

How to Plant White Stargazer Lilies

Stargazer lilies are easy to plant and grow. The blooms can withstand temporary cooler temperatures but the plants themselves do well in cold climates. They can also grow in poorer soils. But well-drained soil helps provide for the healthiest plants with the best blooms.

Once the plants become established they will provide many blooms, every season, for many, many years to come.

Since they can get up to three feet in height be sure to choose an optimal place for where you look to plant them. Much like other flowers that grow from bulbs, you can plant the bulbs of the Stargazer Lily in fall or early spring. Place the bulbs should a few inches apart, around six to eight inches apart, and at a depth of four to six inches. I usually plant the bulbs in groups of four and in a symmetrical manner. But the amount of bulbs you want to place together is up to you, with a maximum of five or six per grouping. Also, be sure to plant them somewhere where they can get full sun to partial shade. If needed, you can cover the base of the flowers with mulch to preserve soil moisture. In wetter soil, it's best not to use mulching since it can oversaturate the plant and cause the bulbs to rot.

When Will Your White Stargazer Lilies Bloom?

Your white Stargazer lilies will flower from mid to late-summer in most regions. Since they are perennial flowers, you can expect them to bloom around the same time every year. At the end of the blooming season, you can remove the old blossoms. Be sure to not remove any of the leaves from the plant though. As the plant dies back for the season, after the leaves discolor and turn brown, you can remove the leaves and stems. Which can also aid in having a good or better bloom the following summer.

Fertilizing and Watering White Stargazer Lilies

Fertilizing isn't always required if the soil that your lilies are planted in is healthy. If you do feel that your lilies need fertilizer, then a 10-10-10 fertilizer should do. You should add a good amount of fertilizer in the springtime. Be sure to add not long after the lilies have begun to sprout from the ground. Then water your lilies if needed.

When in bloom your white Stargazer lilies will need watering every week or whenever the soil looks dry. You can either keep a hose near your lilies for the convenience of watering them as needed. But don't over water them or water them in a way that damages your flowers. Essentially, you want the water to soak down six inches into the soil. You could also place a drip irrigation system to water your flowers. In really dry regions you can use mulching to help the soil retain water.

Transplanting a White Stargazer Lily

In a few years, you may find that your lilies have outgrown the area where you've planted them. You can take advantage of this and help spread your lilies out elsewhere in your yard or flower garden. You can dig up some of the bulbs, divide them, and plant them any time when the lilies are not flowering. But it's best to do it in the spring or in the fall to give the bulbs time to establish good roots. Transplanting them in the fall is the best time of year to do it.

Foxtail Lily - Facts and Planting Tips

Stargazer Lilies - Interesting Facts and Growing Tips

The Crying Woman of Persimmon Valley - Eastern Kentucky

spirits Wednesday, March 04, 2020 0

Deep in the heart of Eastern Kentucky lies a small, secluded valley. A quiet place tucked in the hills miles from any highway. The sides of this valley are lined with Persimmon trees, many planted long ago, that offer a mark of uniqueness to this valley on their own. During the late summer months past, as the pungent fruit began to ripen, people were once drawn from all over to pick the fruit. But, in many recent years, valleys like these have become more forgotten as people prefer not to stray too far from their electronic devices and wireless coverage. But some still do visit to find temporary refuge from all the noise of modern society. These adventurers make it a custom to visit during autumn to see the leaves of the persimmon trees turn bright yellow and red, making a beautiful mountain picture.

Some believe that not all is beautiful in Persimmon Valley though or, at least, not always cheery and serene. During the hours of some autumn evenings, during the twilight and unto darkness, one may just hear the spectral cries of a young woman coming from an indiscernible direction. In the past, many people have looked for her, thinking a young woman may have been in some trouble. They'd search, unable to pinpoint where her sparse cries were coming from and thus they were unable to find where she was. Many people have experienced that indiscernible cry, where the crying did seem to come from where ever they were not standing. One experience by a young man went as such, "I’d hear the sobbing of a young woman and it seemed to be coming from the upper end of the valley, but when I got to the upper end, it sounded as if it was coming from the lower end. I chased that sound all over that valley one night."

No one has ever seen the crying woman but many have heard her weeping. Sometimes the weeping can go on for hours here and there and other times only for a short interval. On some occasions, you can hear the weeping fade out as if it is slipping away into the ether. Many families have sought to purchase the property but when they find out about the dispirited sounds that emanate from the branches of the Persimmons and elsewhere within the haunted hollow, they change their minds.

One local legend tells the tale of a young couple that had moved into the region from northern Maine. They had just gotten married and were looking for a place to begin their life. When they rode by the valley, they both immediately fell in love with the hollow. That evening they camped under the branches of the largest Persimmon tree. Unknown to them, while they dreamt of their future home, they were spotted by a few Cherokee who had crept upon them. Before they could begin to fight, one of the Cherokee engaged with the young man then cut him down with stabs and slashes of their knife. Then they proceeded to scalp him. He fell to the ground, blood gushing from his head and multiple wounds. It is then said that they tied the young woman to the tree and left her there in those woods. She was helpless as she watched the last ounces of life drain from her husband. The Cherokee, who reacted out of frustration of encroachment on their lands, never came back to take her into captivity. Since this region of Kentucky, amongst the hills of the Appalachians, was sparsely populated the woman would have died from starvation before anyone found her.

It is told that the spirit of this young bride made its imprint and still roams the valley, crying for her husband as he had laid dying. Her tragedy marking itself upon the environment with every weight of her spiritual energy as she faded from starvation.

Today, a more established highway passes by the valley that lies amongst the forested roadsides. A highway on the path of what once was a dirt wagon trail. Its passengers, completely unaware of the history and everything else that they're passing through. Those persimmon trees still produce their fruits in the early fall. They become less noticed each year. Their leaves provide a beautiful sight for any motorists who stop to hike. And, in the still of the night, when all the cars have stopped making their way past the valley, one can hear the faint sobbing of that young woman, crying for her lost love.

Read a similar tale:
Legend of Murder Creek in Akron, New York - The Tragedy of Ah-weh-hah

The Patch Hollow Tragedy - Bear Mountain, Vermont

Wallingford Tuesday, February 11, 2020 0

The Patch Hollow Tragedy, also known as the Patch Hollow massacre, was an event that occurred on the evening of May 11th, 1831. A man, Rolon Wheeler, was not well-liked in the community. It was this community who developed a dislike of Wheeler because he was "guilty of indiscretion with his wife's sister".

The community worked out a plan to grab Wheeler from his home, tar and feather him, and then chase him out of town. The gathering of individuals who were going to seize Wheeler were young men from Wallingford, Shrewsbury, and Sugar Hill. A few of the young men threatened Wheeler publicly before May 11th and Wheeler made it clear that he would defend himself. Subsequently, he had a large metal file that he owned formed into a two-edged knife by the local blacksmith.

The 11th of May arrived and, on that evening, the party set out to grab Rolon Wheeler.

Here's an excerpt from History of Wallingford, Vermont By Walter Thorpe, Page 186-187:

The History of Wellingford, Vermont (Physical Book)

On the night of May 11, 1831, the party set out from the village. Several carried jugs of rum, one a bucket of tar, another a sack of feathers. The detachment from Shrewsbury got lost in the woods, either from darkness or too frequent potations, and after wandering about for a time went home and reported they'd had a great time with "Old Wheeler." Next day, hearing how the affair terminated they were glad to make it known that they had never reached the house. In a field south of the "hollow" the parties from the village and Sugar Hill met, compared the contents of various jugs and proceeded to disguise themselves. Isaac Osborne at the time a foreman in James Kustin's hat shop, was appointed leader. The party followed along the road until they came to Wheeler's house and there called for admission. They claimed they were going fishing in Shrewsbury Pond and wanted some fire. Wheeler had placed against the door a rail long enough to brace against the opposite wall and feeling secure paid no heed to them. Finding it impossible to force the door, they pried a hole in the gable end of the roof and Isaac Osborne, James Sherman and Silas Congdon sprang into the house. Then commenced a terrible struggle in the dark. Sherman got Wheeler by the hair and began to drag him out when Wheeler commenced to use his knife with deadly effect. The rail was knocked down and others rushing in from the outside added to the confusion. Benj. Brownell received a stab in the side. Jas. Sherman received fourteen wounds. Silas Congdon seized the blade of the knife in his hand and it was twisted around and wrenched from him, cutting out the inside of his hand. Isaac Osborne fell across the bed and died without a cry. During the struggle Wheeler slipped out of his shirt, dived under the bed, raised some floor boards crawled under the house and made his escape into the woods.

Exploration of where Patch Hollow was and an animated telling of the incident, by Green Mountain Metal Detecting:

Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York City

New York City Thursday, January 30, 2020 0

Green-Wood Cemetery, established in 1838, was originally a rural cemetery. It was called a rural cemetery since it was built miles from the main part of Brooklyn at the time. These cemeteries were built further from residential areas over health concerns and due to overcrowding at older cemeteries within Brooklyn and other parts of New York City. In 1997 the cemetery was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Later on, in 2006, it also became a national historic landmark. The gates and other buildings on the land are also preserved as landmarks in the city. The cemetery has around 600,000 graves and is still active as a cemetery.

Inside the Fort Hamilton Gate Entrance to Green-Wood Cemetery

Tour of the crypts and catacombs

More Information and History about the cemetery:

https://www.green-wood.com/about-history/ - Official Site

Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY - Photos on Flickr

16-Month dredging operation at the Port of Miami DESTROYED 50 to 90 percent of nearby reefs | Natural News

Port of Miami Monday, January 13, 2020 0

New findings from a team of researchers from the University of Miami (UM) revealed significant damage to anywhere between 50 to 90 percent of Miami’s coral reefs during the 16-month dredging operation at the Port of Miami. This study, published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin found that upwards of 560,000 corals within 500 meters of the dredged channel were killed. Furthermore, they believe that the impact of the dredging operations may have spread across more than 15 miles of Florida’s reef tract, possibly killing tens or hundreds of thousands more.

Full article: 16-Month dredging operation at the Port of Miami DESTROYED 50 to 90 percent of nearby reefs

Sources from the article:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190530141448.htm

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X19303868

https://www.marine.usf.edu/news-and-events/new-study-finds-over-half-a-million-corals-killed-during-port-of-miami-dredging/

Appalachian History - Northern and Southern Appalachia

Appalachians Saturday, January 04, 2020 0

Appalachian Roots

by Mary Jo Brown

Editors note: This will be the last of the series of articles written by Mary Jo Brown. The genealogy newsletter, Appalachian Roots, ceased publication in Dec. 1997.

(mirrored from: https://web.archive.org/web/19980211085816/http://mcweb.martin.k12.ky.us/hillsweb/roots.htm)

The States of Appalachia

Southern Appalachia

North Carolina

It is believed that North Carolina was visited early by both the French and Spanish, but the English permanently colonized the area. Sir Walter Raleigh sent an expedition in 1584 to search the coast for a suitable colony site, and thus a colony was established in 1585. By 1587 more people had arrived, and John White was appointed governor. When White returned to England for supplies, he was detained until 1590, and upon his return, found no trace of the settlers. The fate of this lost colony is still debated.

The first permanent settlement was established about 1650 by Englishmen from Virginia. Many years of disputes followed, which resulted in very slow growth in the area. The settlers also had to deal with unfair taxation, Indians, and coastal pirates, and as a result, the first town to be incorporated was not until 1706, the town of Bath.

In 1729 North Carolina became a royal colony under King George II, and a 40 year period of progress and growth began. During this time 20,000 Highland Scots settled the Cape Fear Valley and about 65,000 "Scotch-Irish" and 25,000 Germans came by way of Pennsylvania to the Piedmont area and the mountains.

Many differences existed between the coastal settlers and those inland. Several rebellions arose in the western areas for reforms, but were crushed by the eastern-dominated officials. Turing the Revolutionary War, internal struggles subsided as North Carolina furnished ten regiments of troops and thousands of militiamen. Military aid was sent to other colonies in addition to the battles with Indians in the western territory. The Battle of King's Mountain repelled a large British Invasion.

North Carolina ratified the Constitution in 1789, the twelfth state to do so, and ceded its western lands (Tennessee) to the United States. The period from 1789 to 1835 was again marked by internal strife until real reforms were finally achieved. The Civil War also created controversy, and North Carolina seceded from the Union in mid 1861. The state furnished more troops than its voting population, and far more than its relative population in the Confederate States. About 40,000 North Carolina soldiers died in battle and from disease.

Descendants of North Carolina settlers were leaders of western migration, and left traces through Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia on the way West.

South Carolina

Although technically called the Piedmont area of South Carolina the northwestern counties constitute an extension of the southern Appalachian area. As such, many of the early Piedmont settlers were "Scotch-Irish" and English from North Carolina and Virginia.

The early history of the state was dominated by discovery and exploration. Attempts were made as early as 1526 by the Spanish to establish settlements along the coast, and later by the French in 1562. However, the first permanent English settlement was made in April 1670 at Albermarle Point, on the Ashley River, later moved to the site of present Charleston. The coastal area saw gradual increases in population for many years but the interior area was essentially not settled until after 1730. Many of the English were from Barbados, as were many French Protestants.

After a rebellion in 1719 against the proprietorship rule, the province came under royal control. Although the governments were always separate, both South Carolina and North Carolina constituted a single province. The period from 1725 to 1775 brought great prosperity. The government was taken over by council in 1775, and royal administration ended.

The state suffered during the Revolution from British troops and from loyalists. Charleston surrendered to General Henry Clinton in 1780. The state experienced more battles than occurred to any other state for a two year period. Finally a Continental army under General Nathaniel Greene slowly drove the British back into Charleston. The chief battles were Ft. Moultrie (1776), Charleston (1780), Camden(1780), Kings Mountain (1780), Cowpens (1781), Hobkirks Hill (1781). and Eutaw Springs (1781).

The early state period after the Revolution was marred by a bitter struggle between the older low country and the newer upcountry. The old planters dominated the coastal area while the upper Piedmont was settled by the Scotch-Irish. In 1790 the capital was finally moved to a new site called Columbia, but a number of state offices were maintained in both Charleston and Columbia until 1865. By 1808, 80% of the white population was in the upcountry. South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union in 1860.

Since early settlers moved freely from North to South Carolina and westward, family records are often difficult to trace. Also, both wars caused shifts in population and data may be scattered through several counties and into neighboring states.

Tennessee

Tennessee was admitted to the Union in 1796 but a significant portion of its history occurred before then. Originally, the eastern portion was the hunting ground of several Indian tribes and many battles were fought as white men began arriving. The first explorer from the English colonies to reach Tennessee was reportedly James Adair of South Carolina. In 1750 Thomas Walker and other Virginians traveled to and named the Cumberland River, and in 1756 Fort Loudon was built just south of present-day Knoxville to oppose French activity in the area. Tragedy struck in 1760 when the fort was wiped out by an Indian attack.

In 1768. William Bean settled on the Watauga River in the northeast corner and became The first permanent white settler. Soon others followed and branched out to the Holston and Nolichucky Rivers. Many more settlers came after the defeat of Regulator Insurrection, a revolt against taxes in North Carolina in 1771. The settlers formed the Watauga Association as their government and after first leasing the land from the Cherokees, purchased their land in 1775. The territory became Washington District of North Carolina in 1777.

During the Revolution, a number of Tennessee mountaineers participated in the British defeat at King’s Mountain; among them were John Sevier, Issac Shelby, and William Campbell. In 1779 James Robertson founded a permanent settlement on the Cumberland that became Nashville. North Carolina attempted to cede the territory to the government which upset the Watauga settlers. They assembled a convention in 1784 to form a new state, but North Carolina repealed the cession and formed a new district from the area. By 1785 the settlers had again convened, enacted laws, and elected John Sevier as governor of the new state of Franklin. When federal congress refused to recognize the state, North Carolina again claimed authority, resulting in two sets of officials for a time. In 1788 Sevier’s term as Governor ended, as did the state of Franklin. By 1790 Congress accepted the territory from North Carolina and William Blount was appointed governor. The purchase of more land from the Indians after numerous battles allowed more settlers to arrive, and by 1795 there were over 60,000 free inhabitants. A constitution was written and Tennessee became a state in 1796.

Many Tennessee residents rose to political fame during the 19th century, including Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson. During the Civil War, Tennessee was second only to Virginia as a battleground, and deep-seated unrest continued for many years afterward.

Most early settlers were "Scotch-Irish" and English from Virginia and the Carolinas, and many of their descendants still inhabit the hills and valleys of this rich historical area.

Northern Appalachia

Only small portions of Pennsylvania and Maryland technically fall into the Appalachian Mountain region, but both states are very important to our genealogical history. Of course, both areas were colonies long before becoming states, and many records exist back to their very foundings in the 1600’s.

Most of the early so-called Scotch-Irish and German pioneers arrived in the New World at the port of Philadelphia, and quickly began moving toward the frontier. Several important migration routes existed in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The route to the "Great Valley of Virginia" actually began in southeastern Pennsylvania and crossed Maryland before reaching Virginia. Many of the pioneers who traveled this path may have stopped for varying lengths of time anywhere on the way. Often early settlers of Kentucky, Tennessee, or the Carolinas listed their birthplaces as Maryland or Pennsylvania.

A second important route led across southern Pennsylvania initially to the southwestern portion near present-day Pittsburgh. In addition to the many settlers who established communities there, a great number continued on down the Ohio River to (West) Virginia, Kentucky, and points south and west.

Part of southwestern Pennsylvania (including most of current Greene, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties) was claimed by Virginia for a time. Rival county governments were established by the two colonies in the 1700’s until the dispute was settled in 1779. Certain vital records pertaining to this period may be missing or difficult to find.

Border disputes also existed between Maryland and Pennsylvania, and also between Maryland and Virginia. Several counties now in Pennsylvania were once part of Maryland (including the area south of Philadelphia), again causing confusion in old records.

Many reference volumes have been published compiling early data from these two states, so be sure to check your local library or historical society. If a particular record is not easily located,remember to check all of the surrounding counties in neighboring states because of the boundary changes over time.

It has been stated that 90 percent of the "Scotch-Irish" and German immigrants to this country during the 1700's entered at Philadelphia - there's a good chance they left records as they moved south and west.