In Search Of America
The very first blog I opened in 2008 was entitled InSearchOfAmerica or ISOA. It was about my portfolio of pictures I had taken on my travels around the country documenting historical sites. In those days the Internet was in its … Continue reading Seeking US History Buffs
I made an “executive” decision a while back to use Flickr as the residence of my future InsearchOfAmerica photo arrays. Just added a new photo album there. If you ever wondered what the island of Nantucket looks like click here. We were there in 1999. We knew that would be our last year living on the east coast so Yvonne insisted we go to Nantucket so she could buy a lightship basket to add to her collection. The island is not as famous as Martha’s Vineyard but still had its share of multimillionaire’s summer cottages and thousands of small shops. The … Continue reading Nantucket…
I ran across a rather startling picture at the Andrew Johnson Historic site in northern Tennessee this year. Before I talk about that, I was thoroughly amazed at how Johnson’s hometown managed to spin the story of him to make him appear to be a heroic figure which is very contrary to most public opinion. I guess I have not come across too many photos showing how intrinsic slavery was to the southern States. This picture, according to the legend below it, was taken in Atlanta in 1864 just after the Emancipation Proclamation. The “Auction & Negro Sales” store … Continue reading Slavery..
I have always admired Henry Clay for being a statesmen during some tumultuous times in America and was looking forward to visiting his home during my last micro-RV trip through Kentucky and Tennessee. I don’t like giving negative reports here on RJsCorner especially when it come to important historical site but this one deserves it. I got there at 1:05pm to tour the home and small grounds and was told I would have to wait an hour as they only gave 15 minute guided tours on the hour., I explained that I was deaf and wouldn’t get anything from … Continue reading Henry Clay Historic Site… Sigh…
I thought for this mid-week post I would again visit the Museum of the Appalachia. This time I want to concentrate on Asa Jackson and his perpetual motion machine. It looks like Asa spent many hours working on his … Continue reading Perpetual Motion..
On my most recent trip InSearchOfAmerica I visited the Museum of Appalachia. I was not expecting too much but was blown away by what I found. It is a museum like no other I have visited. The totally unique thing about this place was that all the building and most of the antiques were identified by the person who owned them and included stories about their lives. It is almost as if you could picture them living in the buildings and using the instruments and such. I took literally a hundred photos of the place. Here are … Continue reading Museum of Appalachia
Last week I showed you some of the amazing art at the Green Bay Railroad Museum. This week I will focus on the mighty engines and such. Here are the pics for your browsing pleasure. As usual click on any image to see a larger slideshow view Continue reading Green Bay Railroad Museum – Part 2
Yes, I know that the heyday of the railroad is long past but I am one of those who believe they will return again in all their magnificence sometime in the future. They are just so much more eco friendly than the millions of interstate trucks that currently dominate our highway system. The point of this post is about a recent visit to the Green Bay Railroad Museum. It is a massive place displays dozens of the giant engines of the past. If you are in the area it is well worth a visit. Here are some pics for you. … Continue reading Green Bay Railroad Museum
We visited the Memphis Antique Archeology store in 2016 and a couple of months ago we managed to get to the original store in Le Clair Iowa. Having a DVR we watch this show when we are eating dinner. … Continue reading Le Clair – Antique Archeology
About a week ago I spent the day at the Des Plaines Valley Rendezvous near Chicago. It was a smallish event but maybe one of the most accurate ones I have been to. Here are some pictures of some the the recreators. It is sometimes difficult to think of Chicago as once being s fur trapping rendezvous. They certainly had a lot of enthusiasm for what they were doing. click on any picture to see a larger slideshow view Continue reading Rendezvous..
I know the topic of paperweights sounds very boring. A paperweight can be a rock or just about anything with enough weight to hold down a stack of paper. But when you see some of the glass paperweights from around … Continue reading Paperweights..
Waterford Virginia is perhaps the most iconic town I have been through. It is located in Loudoun County about 50 miles from DC. You won’t find any franchises or many other businesses for that matter. Nor will you find cars speeding by. Here is a little about Waterford from Wikipedia: After falling into disrepair in the early part of the 20th century, the Waterford Foundation was formed to help save and preserve Waterford and its history. In 1974, the Waterford Foundation helped create an innovative land preservation program in which the historic properties of Waterford are protected through open space … Continue reading Waterford VA
Nauvoo Village was one of several settlements established and then all but abandoned by Mormons due to battles with their neighbors. The first was in Ohio, the second in Missouri, and then came Nauvoo in Illinois. This was the site that it’s founder Joseph Smith was killed and Brigham Young took over the leadership. Mauvoo has recently been been called the “Williamsburg of the Midwest” and to some degree they deserve that title but in others they fall short. Many of the building have been restored to the 1840s but many are still in private hands. Unlike Williamsburg there … Continue reading Nauvoo IL – Mormon Settlement
Caterpillar Tractors and such are very much a part of my search of America. So, when I was near Peoria Illinois recently I had to stop in at their museum at the headquarters building. What I found amazed me. I never realized the size of much of their equipment. Peoria is a wonderful city to tour and this exhibit is one of the prime destinations. If you are ever in the area stop by the city and this museum. Continue reading Caterpillar Tractors..
I will admit up front here that I didn’t spend as much time in Quincy IL as I planned. There are about a thousand historical homes in this small town but I will only feature one of them in … Continue reading Quincy Illinois – Villa Kathrine
On my most recent uRV trip I visited the RV Museum in Elkhart Indiana. Being that I have spent the last three years converting my twenty-five year old pickup truck with a six foot cap into a rat-rod micro-RV I wanted to learn a little more about the beginnings of that idea. John Steinbeck, who as one of my favorite authors when I was growing, up wrote a book entitled “Travels with Charley” about when he custom built a pickup truck into an RV he named Rocinante (Don Quixote’s horse) and traveled around the country with it. I have read that … Continue reading RV Museum..
I will start off this series of religion in America with the latest place I visited and that is Zoar Village in central Ohio. I visited here last summer on one of my frequent micro-RV trips. As is … Continue reading Religion In America – Zoar Village Ohio
Let’s celebrate South Dakota in this post. I don’t know why there is a North and South Dakota, even together they make a very small State population wise. I’m sure it had something to do with politics. Yankton is one of my favorite small towns but I have also included a couple of others in this gallery. Continue reading South Dakota… Gallery
Ft. Wayne Indiana is an interesting town in the northeast corner of the State. I go there on an annual basis to pick up my supply of Sechler’s Pickle products. I am simply addicted to their kosher dill green tomatoes. During a visit a few years ago we discovered a local museum that had a large section to do with Prohibition. That is what I am offering for ISOA Saturday today. Take the time to read the mural included to see some pretty quirky things about my home State. I will leave the more historical report for a future post. Continue reading Ft. Wayne, Indiana
I thought I would use this week’s ISOA post to show you some pictures of old buildings and such I have found during my travels in Indiana. Continue reading Places Around Indiana
Antonito Colorado is without a doubt one of the strangest towns I have ever been in. We went through the town on our way back from Mesa Verde two years ago.According to the statistics, it has a population of about 800 people, we didn’t see more than a handful while we were there. Continue reading Antonito Colorado
One thing that Indiana simply doesn’t have are mountains. To me, there is just so much majesty in mountains. Sometimes I have brief glimpses of being a mountain man but I think that is probably just too much watching “Jeremiah Johnson” than anything approaching reality. :) So, this InSearchOfAmerica post gives you some of my favorite pictures of my travels out west in the last decade. Continue reading Mountains…
In this weeks ISOA post I thought I would finish off my report about San Francisco. Of course the first view is the Golden Gate Bridge, second is The Wharf. Don’t miss the Aquarium, it is one of the best in the country. We must have roamed about 6 miles one day throughout the neighborhoods. Not bad for a couple of senior citizens. Regretfully we never managed to get a ride on a cable car. As usual click on any picture to bring up a larger slide show view Continue reading San Francisco..
I will be the first to admit that I have only been in California on a handful of occasions and only once in the 21st century. But here is my gallery celebrating your State. I visited San Francisco and those pictures will be coming soon. But for this gallery I want to concentrate on the central farm lands and such. Here is a gallery of that: As usual click on any picture to see a larger slideshow view: Continue reading Here’s To You California..
I need another ISOA post to take my mind off this very stressful week. For this week’s ISOA (in search of America) post lets go to the Oklahoma State house in Oklahoma City and focus particularly on the paintings and sculptures there. This was one of the most lavish state houses I have been in and it was also the most paranoid as far as security is concerned. It was my feeling that they didn’t really appreciate people taking pictures. When a young Asian couple were taking pictures of the unoccupied House chamber a guard came up and confiscated their … Continue reading Oklahoma State House..
One of the most impressive city projects I have ever seen is the Wildnerness Park that extends through downtown Omaha Nebraska. I goes on for about a mile with bronze after bronze celebrating the buffalo that once populated so much of that State. Here is a rather extensive gallery/slideshow but it is still nothing like actually seeing them in person. As usual click on any picture to see a larger slideshow view. Continue reading Omaha’s Wilderness Park
Omaha is perhaps my favorite city. It has a small town feel but is ripe with history and preservation. The sculptures strewn throughout the downtown area are awesome. It is also the home of the Durham Museum and Father Flanagan’s Boys Home. We spent four days there on two separate occasions and still haven’t seen all there is to see. For more pictures of Omaha click on the gallery page on the right side here. as usual click on any picture to see a larger slideshow view Continue reading Omaha…
I spent a couple of summers during high school as a farm hand. A lot of it was putting up hay but some was helping with the planting and harvesting. I hate to admit it but some of these antique tractors were the same models that I drove during those years.
Everything is being automated now. Even the tractors are beginning to be driven by GPS enabled robots. Less then 1% of us are now working the land. Its good to look back on the past to see where we have been. I enjoy the continuing tractor shows here in the Midwest. Continue reading “Antique Tractors…”
A part of my “In Search Of America” journeys is about documenting the many different containers used in our past. Each one is as much an art object as it was a functional container for our goods. They come in various sizes and materials. Here is a sample of some I have collected: Continue reading Containers Through History..
For this ISOA post I want to remember my honeymoon lodging at CoCo Palms in Kawaii Hawaii. We were there in April 1986 and it was almost dream like. At that time Kawaii was still very rural and Coco Palms was … Continue reading CoCo Palms…
One of the most unique places I have ever visited in this country is the “Grounds For Sculpture” in northern New Jersey. It is a fascinating place where you sometimes don’t know if the person beside you is real … Continue reading Grounds For Sculpture…
I have visited and posted about Pleasant Hill Shaker Village many times here on RJsCorner but never about it’s sister village at South Union. Unfortunately it did not have the fortunate fate of Pleasant Hill so most of the buildings and even the graveyard was destroyed. But there is enough there to appreciate its unique beauty. This post will concentrate on some of the rural farm artifacts found in just one of the buildings but in another post soon I will discuss its history and current status. click on any picture above to see a larger slideshow view Continue reading South Union Shaker Village..
On my most recent uRV trip I visited the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green KY. I am not necessarily a Corvette or even a car fan but I recognize that Corvettes are a significant part of America. They are our answer to all those expensive foreign cars like Porsche and such. One of the things that drew me to this particular place was the story on the Velocity channel about how the main display area collapsed into a giant sink hole a couple of years ago. Of course this event is a major part of story now for them. I worked … Continue reading Corvette Museum – Bowling Green
There is just something soothing about seeing people do good words in Jesus’ name. Given our totally insane political season we all need something soothing. Catholics seem to be especially suited and tuned to doing good works. With that in mind one of the places I visited this year during my uRV trips was St.Meinrad Archabbey in Ferdinand Indiana. It is one of only two archabbeies in the nation. I visited here many years ago but the experience affected me even more this time. The serenity of the place almost melted away my pent up anxiety caused by our current … Continue reading Something Soothing…
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending The Feast of the Hunter’s Moon in Tippecanoe County Indiana. It is one of the largest re-enactor events in the Midwest. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what was there. More on this in a later post: As Usual click on any picture to see a larger slideshow view Continue reading Feast Of The Hunter’s Moon…
Recently I visited the Zoar Village in central Ohio that is one of the few villages where the whole town is on the National Register of Historic Places. As is often the case Zoar was platted by Germans escaping religious prosecution by the Lutheran church in the early 1800s. It was a communal colony but unlike most did not discourage gawkers so it has a rich pictorial history that I hope to bring you more of in future posts. For now just enjoy some of the buildings found there. It shamefully seems that many of these type sites are falling out of … Continue reading Zoar Village – Ohio
When I was hearing I enjoyed the songs of John Denver, especially his 1971 album with “Take Me Home, Country Roads” about West Virginia. I certainly enjoyed my visit to WV in 2011 and yes it did have a lot of beautiful country roads. Click on any picture to see a larger slideshow view An especially delightful time was at the State Museum in the capital city. I think it is the best I have ever visited. Continue reading Take Me Home, Country Roads..
There will be much more later but I wanted to give you a quick pic of my recent three day adventure into central Ohio and particularly the Zoar Village. If you are into history it is an awesome place. Continue reading Zoar Village, Ohio
When I came across these pictures in my database I began dreaming of Pittsburgh and particularly the Heinz Museum. Don’t miss it if you are in the area. Pittsburgh is different from any other major city I have visited. It has a raw edge to it that is a legacy of it steel industry heritage. Click on any picture to see a larger slideshow. Continue reading I’m Dreaming Of Pittsburgh
I know that most people from outside the Midwest probably can’t even put Indiana in the right place on the U.S. map. But I think when asked “How would describe Indiana?” the answer many would give is that it is a cornfield with lights. I admit that for the most part Indiana is kind of boring. It doesn’t have an ocean or mighty mountains. But it does touch (barely) a Great Lake and the part where I reside is pretty hilly. On my recent uRV trip I took the quintessential picture of Indiana and thought it deserves its own … Continue reading When You Think Of Indiana??
My latest micro-RV (uRV) trip was to Madison Indiana which is on the Ohio River east of Louisville. As usual I took county and state roads during my 400 mile trek. One of the towns that intrigued me was Flat Rock Indiana. I’m sure it was once a thriving rural town in the area. There is a gravel pit near the town as the only traffic through the town while I was there were loaded dump trucks. (as usual click on any picture to see a larger view slideshow) I think there were still a few houses occupied in the … Continue reading Welcome To Flat Rock…
On one of my recent uRV trips to northeastern Indiana I visited the Swiss Heritage Village. It was recommended to me by the tourist information center in the city of Berne. I was not aware that there was a strong Swiss presence in that part of the State. Here are some pictures of that visit. (Click on any picture to see a larger slideshow view) I felt very privileged that Phil Montgomery who is a docent at the village gave me a personal tour. The info about the area was very interesting and the buildings were well restored for their appropriate time … Continue reading Swiss Heritage Village – Berne Indiana
I have been dreaming of my trip to Alaska ten years ago so I thought I would pull a couple of pictures for today’s post. No we didn’t eat at “Smiles Seafood Cafe” but looking back I wish we had. Continue reading All Smiles Today…
Country music has never been my friend but in 1012 when we were in the area we visited the Grand Old Opry, or at least the early version of if. It was fascinating to see this almost eighty year old building that had been the start of so many country and blue grass artists. Here are some pictures of that visit. As usual click on any picture to see a larger slideshow version. Since my mind can no longer wrap itself around the sound of musical instruments this media hasn’t much meaning to me anymore but this Nashville building was … Continue reading Grand Ole Opry…
One of the sites I visited while on my southern Illinois trip was to Fort DeChartres. Here are some pictures of that visit. The museum building was not open during my Wednesday visit, State budget cuts I guess. It would have been nice to learn more about the site but that is how it goes I guess. (click on any picture to see a larger slideshow) Continue reading Fort DeChartres…
