ON THE ROAD WITH US

PICTURES YOU MIGHT LIKE TO SEE 12/11/2010

2010-12-11T05:53:00.009-05:00

Here are some pictures that we thought you might like to see from different times and places during the last 2 months including Thanksgiving at Scott's in Binghamton. We had a great day as Tim and his family also made it down which was great to have 2 of our boys and their families together at one time.

Picture 1 L-R Cody, Luke, Jasmine, Melissa, Erica, Nikki, Tim

Picture 2 L-R Rachel, Cheryl, Anna, Cory, Scott

Picture 3-10 Thanksgiving at Scott's

Picture 11 Rachel's 21st Birthday Party at a Japanese Restaurant

Picture 12-15 Sean, Tyler, Chris at NY Giants-Cowboys game at Giants Stadium....I took the picture

Picture 16 A grave marker we ran across in AR

Picture 17 Anna's Halloween outfit

Picture 18 Tyler's Halloween outfit

Picture 19 Alexis and a friend in their Halloween outfits

Well Hi Once Again 10/4-18/2010

2010-10-19T17:47:00.005-04:00

We left the Memphis area on Tuesday the 5th and headed for Crossville, TN for a 3 day stay. While we were in Crossville we did a few caches and had a great BBQ dinner at one of the local restaurants. We left Crossville and headed for Morristown, TN where Kim and Sean live and we stayed at Panther Creek State Park while we were there. We had a great visit with Kim and Sean as we stayed a week. We had a nice stay while we were there and we didn't do very much. We went out to dinner with Sean to a wing place and went to lunch with Kim and Sean at a Thai restaurant. It was the first time I had Thai food and I enjoyed it very much. We did take a ride to the Bush's Baked Bean factory about a 45 minute ride from Sean's. We didn't get to go through the factory but we walked around the gift store and got a few things. We left Sean's on Friday morning as they were leaving for their trip to South Africa and a safari and a swim with the sharks. We headed for Asheville as we are on the last leg of our trip back to MB. We stayed in Asheville for 4 days and did some caching on Monday. Other than that we haven't been doing an awful lot as I watched football on Saturdays and Sundays and Mom goes shopping whenever she has a chance. Well that's about it for now so until next blog everybody take care and we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

On the Road Again 10/1-3/2010

2010-10-04T17:08:00.003-04:00

Friday we just stayed around the campgrounds and watched TV, read and had the transmission fluid in the coach changed which took about 2 hours longer than they figured as they had a problem finding a filter. Saturday we were up early and on the road by 8:00. We had almost 300 miles into Southaven, MS which is about 12 miles south of Memphis, TN. It was a long tough drive as the truck traffic was unbelievable for a Saturday. There was just truck after truck after truck passing us all along the whole trip. We got to the campgrounds, E Z Daze RV park about 3:00, got set up and hung around the rest of the day.

Sunday we took a ride into Memphis to do a few caches and take a walk down Beale Street. Beale Street was built on memories – good and bad. It first rang out over the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta. It migrated to the streets and clubs of Memphis. It went on to influence the sound of music all over the world. Memphis is the Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll. And it all starts here on Beale Street.
Beale Street’s heyday was in the roaring 20’s, when it took on a carnival atmosphere. The booming nightclubs, theaters, restaurants, stores, pawnshops and hot music thrived alongside gambling, drinking, prostitution, murder and voodoo.
In the early evenings, boxback suits and Stetson hats mingled with overalls.
Young ladies sashayed down Beale Street and inside the bars, gamblers waited for an easy mark to stroll in. If the mark escaped from the dice or the cards, maybe he would fall victim to Little Ora – always ready to prove her reputation as the best pickpocket between New Orleans and St. Louis. Maybe he’d just stop over at PeeWee’s and visit with the musicians, play a little pool, or secure the voodoo protection of Mary the Wonder.
By mid-evening, the street would be packed. A one block walk could mean a detour around the medicine show set up in a little hole in the wall, as much as stopping and listening to the wandering bluesmen playing for pennies and nickels.
One club, The Monarch, was known as The Castle of Missing Men due to the fact that gunshot victims and dead gamblers could be easily disposed of at the undertaker sharing their back alley.
Machine Gun Kelly peddled bottled whiskey from a clothes basket back before moving into the ranks of big-time crime. Numerous gamblers set a box next to the card table and slid a share of the take into it for the church down the street.
There were big vaudeville shows at the Palace and the Daisy, hot snoot sandwiches at the corner café, Memphis jug bands playing down at the park, and one block over on Gayoso, the red-light district rivaled New Orleans’ Storyville.

Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately 1.8 miles. It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of the blues. Today, the blues clubs and restaurants that line Beale Street are major tourist attractions in Memphis. Festivals and outdoor concerts periodically bring large crowds to the street and its surrounding areas. Though given an exemption by the state of Tennessee to keep clubs open until 5 a.m., there is now an effort to reduce the hours to a 3 am closing time.
Beale Street was created in 1841 by entrepreneur and developer Robertson Topp (1807–1876), who named it for a forgotten military hero. The original name was Beale Avenue. Its western end primarily housed shops of trade merchants, who traded goods with ships along the Mississippi River, while the eastern part developed as an affluent suburb. In the 1860s, many black traveling musicians began performing on Beale. The first of these to call Beale Street home were the Young Men's Brass Band, who were formed by Sam Thomas in 1867.
In the 1870s, the population of Memphis was rocked by a series of yellow fever epidemics, leading the city to forfeit its charter in 1879. During this time Robert Church purchased land around Beale Street that would eventually lead to his becoming the first black millionaire from the south. In 1890, Beale Street underwent renovation with the addition of the Grand Opera House, later known as the Orpheum. In 1899, Robert Church paid the city to create Church Park at the corner of 4th and Beale. It became a recreational and cultural center, where blues musicians could gather. A major attraction of the park was an auditorium that could seat 2,000 people. Some of the famous speakers in the Church Park Auditorium were Woodrow Wilson, Booker T. Washington, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In the early 1900s, Beale Street was filled with clubs, restaurants and shops, many of them owned by African-Americans. In 1889, NAACP co-founder Ida B. Wells was a co-owner and editor of an anti-segregationist paper called Free Speech based on Beale. Beale Street Baptist Church, Tennessee's oldest surviving African American Church edifice built in 1864, was also important in the early civil rights movement in Memphis.
In 1905, Mayor Thornton was looking for a music teacher for his Knights of Pythias Band and called Tuskegee Institute to talk to his friend, Booker T. Washington, who recommended a trumpet player in Clarksdale, Mississippi, named W. C. Handy. Mayor Thornton contacted Mr. Handy, and Memphis became the home of the famous musician who created the "Blues on Beale Street". Mayor Thornton and his three sons also played in Handy's band.

In 1909, W. C. Handy wrote "Mr. Crump" as a campaign song for political machine leader E. H. Crump. The song was later renamed "The Memphis Blues". Handy also wrote a song called "Beale Street Blues" in 1916 which influenced the change of the street's name from Beale Avenue to Beale Street. From the 1920s to the 1940s, Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Memphis Minnie, B. B. King, Rufus Thomas, Rosco Gordon and other blues and jazz legends played on Beale Street and helped develop the style known as Memphis Blues. As a young man, B.B. King was billed as "the Beale Street Blues Boy".
In 1938, Lewis O. Swingler, editor of the Memphis World Newspaper, a Negro newspaper, in an effort to increase circulation, conceived the idea of a "Mayor of Beale St.", having readers vote for the person of their choice. Matthew Thornton, Sr., a well-known community leader, active in political, civic and social affairs and one of the charter members of the Memphis Branch of the NAACP, won the contest against nine opponents and received 12,000 of the 33,000 votes cast. Mr. Thornton was the original "Mayor of Beale St." an honorary position that he retained until he died in 1963 at the age of 90. In the 1960s, Beale became run down and many stores closed, although on May 23, 1966, the section of the street from Main to 4th was declared a National Historic Landmark. On December 15, 1977, Beale Street was officially declared the Home of the Blues by an act of Congress. Despite this national recognition of its historic significance, Beale was a virtual ghost town after a disastrous urban renewal program with every building except Schwabs boarded up. It was not until the 1980s that Beale Street was redeveloped by Elkington & Keltner (now Performa Entertainment Real Estate) which led to an economic revitalization with new clubs and attractions opening.
During the first weekend of May (sometimes including late April), the Beale Street Music Festival brings major music acts from a variety of musical genres to Tom Lee Park at the end of Beale Street on the Mississippi River. The festival is the kickoff event of a month of festivities citywide known as Memphis in May.
We walked up one side and down the other and saw so so many quaint little jazz and blues clubs in addition to many many restaurants all serving one thing in common.....RIBS. We saw B. B. King's Blues Club, Miss Polly's Soul City Cafe, POrk With An Attitude, Silky O'Sullivan's and Tater Red's.

Our first cache was behind Sun Studio a Memphis Landmark. Sun Studio was opened by rock pioneer Sam Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 3, 1950. It was originally called Memphis Recording Service, sharing the same building with the Sun Records label business. Reputedly the first rock-and-roll single, Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats' "Rocket 88" was recorded there in 1951 with song composer Ike Turner on keyboards, leading the studio to claim status as the birthplace of rock & roll. Blues and R&B artists like Howlin' Wolf, Junior Parker, Little Milton, B.B. King, James Cotton, Rufus Thomas, and Rosco Gordon recorded there in the early 1950s.
Rock-and-roll, country music, and rockabilly artists, including unknowns recording demos and others like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Feathers, Ray Harris, Warren Smith, Charlie Rich, and Jerry Lee Lewis, signed to the Sun Records label recorded there throughout the latter 1950s until the studio outgrew its Union Avenue location. Sam Phillips opened the larger Sam C. Phillips Recording Studio, better known as Phillips Recording, in 1959 to take the place of the older facility. Since Sam had invested in the Holiday Inn Hotel chain earlier, he also recorded artist starting in 1963 on the label Holiday Inn Records for Kemmons Wilson.
In 1969, Sam Phillips sold the label to Shelby Singleton, and there was no recording-related or label-related activity again in the building until the September 1985 Class of '55 recording sessions with Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash, produced by Chips Moman.
In 1957, Bill Justis recorded his Grammy Hall of Fame song "Raunchy" for Sam Phillips and worked as a musical director at Sun Records.
In 1987, the original building housing the Sun Records label and Memphis Recording Service was reopened by Gary Hardy as "Sun Studio," a recording label and tourist attraction that has attracted many notable artists, such as U2, Def Leppard, Bonnie Raitt, and Ringo Starr.
In May 2009, Canadian blues artist JW-Jones recorded with blues legend Hubert Sumlin, Larry Taylor and Richard Innes for his 2010 release at the studio. In July 2009, John Mellencamp recorded nine songs for his album No Better than This at the studio. Wes Paul and his group The Wes Paul Band are recording their album at Sun this forthcoming May.
We went but didn't take the tour of the studio but did get some coffee and a danish and bought a couple of souvenirs.

Next cache was at the Magevney House. The Magevney House is a historic residence on 198 Adams Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. It is located in the Victorian Village of Memphis. It is one of the oldest residences remaining in Memphis.
n the 1830s, the Magevney House was built by Eugene Magevney as a clapboard cottage. Eugene Magevney was born in Ireland in 1798, immigrated to the United States in 1828 and settled in Memphis in 1833. He was a pioneer teacher and civic leader and died in 1875.
During the late 1830s and early 1840s, three important events in Memphis religious history took place in the cottage. In 1839, the first Catholic mass in Memphis was celebrated in the house. In 1840, the first Catholic marriage in Memphis was officiated at the residence. And in 1841, the first Catholic baptism was performed in Memphis at the Magevney homestead.
In 1941, the family of Eugene Magevney gave the property to the City of Memphis.
In 1973, the Magevney House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Since 2005, the house and museum are closed to the public. A sign installed at the museum informs visitors that the property is closed to the public temporarily, due to the budget situation of the City of Memphis and that the house will re-open upon the availability of funding. The Magevney House is part of the Pink Palace Family of Museums.

Our last cache was at the former site of Fort Harris. The founders of Memphis set aside a number of public areas. This is Market Square. Funny thing about the names that were given them, they didn't match their use. Market Square was the site of the first courthouse, a log cabin. It was later used to house the first newspaper. The other public spaces were Court Square,(which never had a courthouse upon it) Auction Square, and the Promenade. The Promenade was basically Front Street above the docking areas downtown.
The court opened in 1820, and would be the place where the accused would make their defense. Fast forward 41 years and another kind of defense was taking place, this time on the river. The year is 1861 and Tennessee has voted to secceed from the Union. In an earlier vote it had voted to remain in the Union, but Lincoln informed the states they would be required to provide their militias to fight their southern neighbors. This was the tipping point, although not all were pleased to be interjected into the turmoil. Memphis was built on trade and was a major link between the river and the railroads. There was a strong Unionist contingent and many who felt it was just bad for business. There was also a very strong Pro-Confederate part of the population and many enlisted to fight the North.
Governor Harris ordered fortifications to be made to protect Memphis and the river. A fort bearing his name was built just north of the city on Mill's Plantation. Civil engineers WD Pickett and Montgomery Lynch were enlisted to build the fort. The soldiers and their artillery were ordered north to Forts Randolph, Pillow and Donelson.
In early 1862 Fort Donelson was the first to come under fire and fell into the Union's control. Fort Pillow held the Union ships at bay for a while, but the fort was abandoned and the Confederates fled south. They abandoned Fort Randolph without a fight as well and made their way to Memphis.
Fort Harris and Fort Rector(on the Arkansas side opposite Ft Harris) had been abandoned much earlier and played no part in the defense of the city. On June 5th,1862 the Union ships were tied up just south of the fort within sight of downtown Memphis. The Confederate's River Defense Fleet was all that stood in the way of the Union Army. All other troops had been evacuated by train. The RDF lacked the coal needed to make more than 2 hours steam and could not make it to safety. Early on the 6th the Union ships made their way down the river and the Battle of Memphis ensued. It was the only pure naval battle of the war and 90 minutes later the Confederate fleet had been destroyed and the Union sent an emisary ashore to demand the surrender of the city. Lacking any choice the mayor capitulated. Since it had been purely a naval battle the city was spared ruination and became a vital link for the Union as well as a major medical center, with over a dozen hospitals. Soon after the battle the city's docks were soon flowing with merchandise and commodities.

We also saw the Hunt-Phelan Home a lovely inn and restaurant. Located on Beale Street, this 1828-32 restored Federal style house represents the lifestyle of a wealthy Southern family. In addition to hosting dignitaries such as Confederate president Jefferson Davis, Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, and President Andrew Jackson, the house also served as Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's headquarters following the battle for Memphis in 1862. In addition the house was used as a Civil War hospital and as the site of one of the first Freedman's Bureau schools, established to educate newly liberated slaves.

After we finished our caches and driving around we headed back to the coach and Mom went grocery shopping and I engaged in Sunday football. Well that's about all from here so until next time we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Finally We Will Be Off Again 9/29-30/2010

2010-10-01T19:52:00.009-04:00

Well they finally got the part for the coach and put it in yesterday and we will be off again on Saturday morning. It only took them 45 minutes to put the part in and the slide out seems to work fine. They do have to change the transmission fluid as we have been checking it and have found tiny bits of metallic flakes in it and they are not sure where they might be coming from so better safe than sorry. We will be heading to Memphis, TN for a 2 night stay and then on to Nashville for a 2 night stay and then on to Sean's in Morristown, TN for a short visit before they head for Africa. We haven't been doing much the past 2 days except reading and watching TV. Like we said not much to do here unless you want to do it over and over again. The pictures on the blog today are from our visit to Eureka Springs.

A couple of the pictures are of the Queen Anne Mansion in Eureka Springs which has a long long history. Built in 1891 by decorated Civil War veteran and mining industry businessman Curtis Wright, The Queen Anne Mansion was a modern marvel of the 19th century and a work of art. From the personal touches including mineral covered gables and limestone facing to the superb craftsmanship of hand carved stone and stained glass, The Queen Anne Mansion remains magnificent in scale and artful in details.

The Architecture

The Queen Anne exemplifies style inside and out. A wraparound porch, moon windows, an asymmetrical roofline, multiple shingle patterns and balconies all work to create a distinctive exterior while the interior showcases a skylight to illuminate the main staircase, massive pocket doors, intricate metalwork, and hand carved woodwork by German and Italian artisans.

The Collection

The Queen Anne Mansion is home to a private collection of 19th century decorative arts which include works by some of the most famous of their craft including works by John Henry Belter and J. & J. Meeks among others. Similar works can be viewed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum. The Queen Anne Mansion provides Mid-America’s most coveted access to such craftsmanship with intimate look at these works of art in their intended setting.

The Gallery

Intimate viewing of art is not restricted to 19th century works. The Queen Anne Mansion features a state-of-the-art gallery that will host rotating cultural exhibits throughout the year. The first such event, coinciding with May Festival of the Arts, is the First Annual Eureka Springs Invitational Art Show during the entire month of May. The show features accomplished artists living in Eureka Springs. The Queen Anne will donate a portion of museum ticket sales to benefit the Eureka Springs Art Council. Future cultural events planned for The Queen Anne Mansion include touring exhibits from respected cultural institutions like the Smithsonian.

The Lore

The Queen Anne Mansion has no shortage of stories from family, friends and remarkable feats. Tours introduce guests to the Wright family and some of their famous friends including Buffalo Bill and best selling early 20th century author, Harold Bell Wright while also recapturing the history of The Queen Anne Mansion’s move. (Originally built in Carthage, Missouri, The Queen Anne was dismantled, moved, and reassembled in the current location in the 1980’s.) The Queen Anne Mansion's first family and their distinctive house guests including Buffalo Bill and Harold Bell Wright.

Well that's about all for now so until we meet again we love and miss you all and can't wait to see our family. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Caching & Sightseeing in Eureka Springs 9/27-28/2010

2010-09-29T20:00:00.004-04:00

Well our last gasp at caching around this area before we hopefully get back on the road. We headed for Eureka Springs about 8:30 and hit one cache at the Luther Owens Park and Muzzleloading Firing Range in Berryville, AR that was hidden in a hole in the foundation of the building. Then it was up to Eureka Springs and our first cache in a rockwall at a huge motel and conference center that is closed. Third was a cache at a small church in the woods. Next was a cache at a overgrown seldom used baseball field, then it was off to the Chamber of Commerce and a cache under the bench outside. Seventh was at cache in a bush at the Heartstone bed & Breakfast. Next cache was at Califf Springs which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the 62 springs in Eureka Springs.

Ninth cache was at Gavioli Chapel. As Eureka Springs was growing, the need for churches arrived with the newcomers and several were built around town. Tents and shacks were going up quickly and buildings were being built just as fast. In 1879, a City Improvement Company had been formed, and that company submitted to Mr. Shadrach Turner, a trustee of the already organized Christian Church, a plot of ground across from what was then the Red Brick Schoolhouse on Prospect Avenue. Soon a small frame building was erected and painted white, and became known as the "Little White Church", its formal name being the First Christian Church of Eureka Springs
During the period between the establishment of the Church and the creation of official records there is little information available except for the Church Roll of FCC. This roll showed a membership of 204, which probably necessitated the remodeling of the building in 1912.
According to the minutes from April 15, 1932, the church membership now numbered 92. By this time the depression was well underway, and the church had its share of hardships along with everyone else. Members were urged to pay in pledges to help with expenses and debts. The pledges ranged from five cents to two dollars per week and collections were unbelievably low.
In 1999, the First Christian Church sold the building to a private owner, a family who tried to preserve it as a Church as well as a historical site. There were no set congregational meetings. The building was being used mostly for weddings and other religious events, such as baptisms and memorial services under the name of The Old Stone Church.
With the buildings natural acoustics, there have been several local musicians who have recorded music here. The church has been featured in the news and has also been used in a film project by a local youth group.
This historic structure is currently experiencing yet another renaissance. In June of 2006, noted preservationists Marty and Elise Roenigk purchased the building and have been using it not only as a wedding chapel but also as a museum for special pieces of their world-renowned mechanical music collection. One such piece is their Gavioli Fairground Organ that has 59 keys, 210 pipes, is 15 feet wide and 11 feet tall. This ornate mechanical "orchestra" that plays everything from festive turn-of-the-century dance tunes to sweet, melodic traditional wedding songs will be the interior focal point of the chapel. The organ is so spectacular that the Roenigks have even renamed the historic structure Gavioli Chapel.
A prominent member of the Church, with his own pew, was Gerald L K Smith, who moved to Eureka Springs in 1964. Smith began construction of a planned religious theme park. Although the park was never fully developed as originally planned, in 1966 the centerpiece, the Christ of the Ozarks statue, was completed, overlooking the town from Magnetic Mountain at an elevation of 1500 feet.
While visiting the Gavioli Chapel take a short walk down Mountain Street and check out Penn Castle. Constructed in the late 1880's by Major W. E. Penn, a prominent Lawyer and evangelical leader of his time. The Castle was also home to Gerald L. K. Smith and is still a lovely home.

Next was a cache at the old Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway. The train still operates on a 4 1/2 mile train ride which also serves lunch and dinner in a dining car.

Eleventh cache was at Magnetic Springs another of the many springs here. It was said that any metal object put in the springs would become magnetized. It was also claimed that exclusive use of the water from the springs would aid in overcoming physical disabilities and aid in overcoming drug addiction.

Next cache was at the Eureka Springs Carnegie Library inside in the chimney of the fireplace. this library was among the fortunate communities of America to receive funds from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to build a free public library. The initial request for help was made by a "Mr Southerland," who to the best of knowledge was a visitor to Eureka Springs, but not a resident.
By 1910 a Board of Trustees was organized. RC Kerens, a prominent investor in the Crescent Hotel, donated the building site. The design was prepared by St Louis architect Geroge W Hellmuth, who also designed Kerens Memorial Capel, later to become part of St Elizabeth's Church.
The building was completed in 1912. One of four Carnegie buildings in Arkansas, the Library has always borne the name of the donor. Initially open only three afternoons a week for the first few years, the Library depended on memberships and contibutions for income.
By 1920 the Library was open 6 days a week, and a year later the building was supplied with electrical lighting. Patrons and other interested citizens carried on endless fundraisers to keep the Library open. A succession of fine, dedicated Librarians served throught the years, and the collection of volumes grew steadily.
In 1956 the Library became part of the Carroll County Library System and began receiving tax funds. Presently it is a member of the two-county Carroll and Madison Library System.

Next cache was at the Adventure Mountain Outfitters store. Then it was off to Grotto Spring for a cache hidden in the rocks behind the fountain.

Our last cache was at the Crescent Hotel built in 1886 and said to be haunted. The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa has a rich and fascinating history. Read about some of the earliest accounts from these stories taken from the Eureka Springs Times Echo, one of Eureka Springs' early newspapers which is still in existence today and some fascinating information on Dr. Norman Baker, one time owner of the Crescent Hotel who ran a "Cancer Hospital" in his "Castle in the Air".
"For the first 15 years after its grand opening, The Crescent Hotel was operated by The Eureka Springs Improvement Company as an exclusive year-round resort hotel catering to the carriage set. During those Victorian Years, the years of grandeur, the gracious southern hospitality of the Crescent Hotel became well known."
"A stable with a hundred sleek-coated horses was provided for the guests' riding pleasure on early morning canters over the trails. Often as many as 75 riders could be seen making their way along some remote mountain trail - the ladies in their long skirts, hats and veils, mounted fashionably on sidesaddles while the gentlemen were gallantly astride mounts with English saddles."
"Visitors could enjoy tea dances during the afternoon and dance parties each evening with music provided with an in-house orchestra maintained by the hotel. Other forms of recreating available to the guest included picnics, hiking, streetcar rides, and the ever-popular Tallyho rides to Sanitarium Lake or some other attraction locale. The Tally Ho was a large open coach drawn by teams of four, six or eight horses."
In the spring of 1930 John Tunis's wife Lula was dying of cancer. In his private moments he must have alternately begged God not to take his wife and cursed him for letting her suffer such a cruel end. By the end of May, Lula was running out of time. John placed her and their dwindling hopes in the hands of a man named Norman Baker. They prayed he could provide the cure that the medical establishment could not.
With the opening of the grandiose Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs entered a new and exciting era. Notables from afar are arriving in our fair city and soon many others will follow.
The Crescent, built by the Eureka Springs Improvement Company and The Frisco Railroad is America's most luxurious resort hotel. Featuring large airy rooms, comfortably furnished, the Crescent Hotel offers the visiting vacationer opulence unmatched in convenience and service.
Tonight's gala ball will find in attendance many of the leaders in business and society. As guest of honor, the Honorable James G. Blaine, the Republican presidential nominee, will attend with his charming wife Laura. The very popular Harry Barton and his orchestra will play for tonight's festivities.
In the Grand Ballroom of the new Crescent, the opening banquet for the 400 celebrants will be followed by a dedication ceremony where the honorable Mr. Blaine will be the guest speaker. His introduction by Mr. Powell Clayton will follow an invocation by Reverend McElwee.
It was two years ago that Powell Clayton and his associates chose the site of the new Crescent Hotel.. twenty seven acres at the north end of West mountain, a majestic location overlooking the valley. The commissioning of Isaac Taylor as architect was announced and construction commenced.
Seldom has such a formidable construction undertaking been accomplished with such efficiency. Special wagons were constructed to transport the huge pieces of magnesium limestone from the quarry site on the White River near Beaver. Due to the density of this special stone, and the precision necessary in cutting and fitting, a group of specialist from Ireland was brought here to assist and advise in construction.
Mr. O'Shawnessey, the spokesman and leader of the imported group, was interviewed by this reporter before his return to Ireland. We recall that "Throughout the many years of his stoneworking, he has never encountered a stone with such density and quality as the White River Limestone". He predicts it will become a popular building stone in the future and further stated that because of its unique characteristics, the eighteen inch thick walls of the Crescent, fitted without the use of mortar, would withstand the destructive forces of time and retain its original beauty for many years to come.
The magnificent structure was then furnished in the most exquisite manner. It is lighted with Edison lamps, furnished with electric bells, heated with steam and open grates, has a hydraulic elevator, and is truly a showplace of today's conveniences.

There have been a number of strange stories coming from many guests at the Crescent Hotel. A number of rooms are haunted in the historic Crescent Hotel. Room 218 is the spot where Michael, an Irish stonemason, landed when he fell from the hotel's roof during construction. His ghost is said to bang on the walls and turn the lights and television on and off. Rooms 202 and 424 of the Crescent Hotel are also said to be haunted.
You don't need to stay in a haunted room to see a ghost at the Crescent Hotel. Outside of the Recreation Room, the ghost of Dr. Norman Baker often appears, looking a bit confused. He ran a controversial hospital and health resort in the building during the 1930s. A nurse, dressed in a white uniform, has been seen on the third floor of the Crescent Hotel. A woman in Room 419 introduces herself as a cancer patient to guests and housekeepers, then vanishes.
In the lobby of the Crescent Hotel, look for the ghost of a man who hangs out at the lobby bar or stands at the foot of the staircase.
A group of teens getting ready to take a ghost tour of the Crescent Hotel recently reported seeing a man carrying a tray of butter and dressed in a uniform similar to the waiter's uniforms. He followed them out of an elevator and towards their third floor room, where he seemed to disappear. A third girl at the room opened the door and saw him staring directly at all of them.
The Crystal Dining Room of the Crescent Hotel is particularly active, and many spirits in Victorian garb hve been spotted there at the tables or in the mirrors. Once, at Christmastime, the staff reported leaving a Christmas tree and presents at one end of the locked and empty Crystal Dining Room. Upon their return, the staff found the tree and presents moved to the other end of the room, and chairs facing the tree in a semi-circle.

Located in remote resort town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas stands the gothic Crescent Hotel. Called by some the "Grand Old Lady of the Ozarks, the hotel has served as many things over the years and yet strangely, each incarnation was reported to be haunted and each one also contributed to the legion of phantoms believed to walk the corridors of the building.

If there is a single place in the Ozark Mountain region that can be called "most haunted", it is this one! This hotel is said to be the most haunted hotel in the United States.
The hotel was built on the crest of West Mountain between 1884 and 1886 and may have gained its first ghost when a workmen fell from the roof during the construction. His body landed in the second floor area where Room 218 is now located. I doubt that it’s a coincidence that this room is considered to be one of the most haunted in the hotel!
The Crescent was designed by Isaac L. Taylor, a well-known Missouri architect who was famous for a number of buildings in St. Louis and who would go on to greater fame for his designs during the 1904 World’s Fair. The financing for the hotel came from a number of wealthy individuals and businessmen, including Powell Clayton, the governor of Arkansas from 1868 to 1870, and later the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Clayton formed the Eureka Improvement Company to seek investors and to acquire land, hoping to take advantage of the "boom time" of the period. Many of the other investors included officials with the Frisco Railroad.
The construction of the hotel, and development in the area, was so important at that time thanks to the national attention that had come to Eureka Springs (and other locations in Arkansas) for the “healing waters” that were bubbling from the earth nearby. During the late 1800’s, people traveled from all over the country to take in the waters and to hopefully ease and cure their particular ailments. In addition, spring water could also be bottled and shipped out, further enhancing the small town’s reputation.
The officials from the railroad were involved in the development plans because of the excursion train trips that had become so popular in the 1880’s. The Frisco Railroad had built a spur from Seligman, Missouri to Eureka Springs to accommodate the tourists who wanted to visit the area. It was in their best interest to also develop a fine hotel for them to stay in. As the Crescent neared completion, liveried footmen would meet guests at the railroad depot and transport them by coach to the portico the new hotel.
The hotel itself combined a number of architectural styles to create a unique (and sometimes foreboding) setting. It is equipped with numerous towers, overhanging balconies and granite walls that are more than 18 inches thick. Numerous renovations have altered the five-story interior, but the lobby is still fitted with a massive stone fireplace that dominates the room. At one time, more than 500 people could be seated in the dining room. Electric lights were included in the original construction, as were bathrooms and modern plumbing fixtures. The lawn outside was decorated with gazebos, winding boardwalks and flower gardens and guests were offered tennis courts, croquet and other outdoor recreations.
The Crescent became almost immediately popular and attracted people from all over the south. It flourished for several years and from 1902 to 1907, it was taken over by the Frisco Railroad, which leased the property as a summer hotel. Not long after, people began to realize that while the local hot springs were certainly wonderful, they held no curative powers. The springs soon lost the interest of the wealthier class, who had many other pursuits in that "gilded age" and business for the town dropped off. The loss of revenue convinced the railroad to quickly abandon their attempt at running a hotel.
The next 60 years were not good ones for the Crescent. It was open year-round, but it was starting to slip into a more run-down and decrepit condition. Various attempts were made to keep the place up and running, but as time passed, Eureka Springs lost its past prominence and the hotel became a forgotten curiosity. But it did not stand empty, as history goes on to testify.
In 1908, the hotel was opened as the Crescent College and Conservatory for Young Women and served as an exclusive academy for wealthy ladies. During the summer it still catered to the tourist crowd, but the money it made was not enough to keep the aging monolith in business. The costs of running, heating and repairing the place were so overwhelming that they were not ever offset by the staggering tuition charged to the students. The school closed in 1924 and then reopened briefly from 1930 to 1934 as a junior college.
By the 1920's, the automobile was transforming Arkansas into a vacation state. One estimate even claimed that nearly a half million people drove to the Ozarks for vacations in 1929, a staggering number for the time. Because of this, there were a number of businesses that leased the Crescent as a summer resort after the school closed down.
However, in 1937, Norman Baker leased the hotel for another purpose altogether. These were the darkest days of the hotel and according to most, the time when the haunting really began at the Crescent Hotel. The deeds committed during this era have unquestionably had a lasting impact on the building... and perhaps on the spirits who still linger here.
When Baker took over the hotel, he had plans to turn the place into a hospital and "health resort". Baker was an Iowa-born charlatan who had made his fortune by inventing the Calliaphone, an organ played with air pressure and not steam. He had made millions of dollars by 1934 but he was never content with this. He considered himself something of a medical expert, although he had no training. He claimed to have discovered a number of "cures" for various ailments but he was sure that organized medicine was conspiring to keep these "miracle medicines" from the market. He was also sure that these same "enemies" were trying to kill him.
Baker started a hospital in Muscatine, Iowa but ran afoul of the law over his "cure" for cancer. He was convicted of practicing medicine without a license in 1936 and all of his medicines were condemned by the American Medical Association. Nevertheless, he purchased the Crescent Hotel and remodeled it, tragically tearing out the distinctive wooden handrails and balconies and painting the wonderful woodwork in garish shades of red, orange, black and yellow. He decorated his own penthouse in shades of purple. He also added a few other touches to his private rooms, hanging machine guns on the walls and installing secret escape passages that would save him should his AMA "enemies" attack.
Baker moved his cancer patients from Iowa to Arkansas and he advertised the health resort by saying that no X-rays or operations were performed to save his patients lives. The "cures" mostly consisted of drinking the natural spring water of the area and various home remedies... or so the "official stories" say. According to most reports, no one was actually killed by Baker’s medical claims, but local legend tells a different story.
The legends say that when remodeling has been done at the hotel over the years, dozens of human skeletons have been discovered secreted within the walls. It has also been said that somewhere within the place are jars of preserved body parts that were hidden so as to not scare off prospective buyers. They still have not been found to this day.
These same stories also claim that Baker was no harmless quack, but a dangerous and terrible man who experimented on both the dead and the living. One of his "miracle cures" for brain tumors was to allegedly peel open the patient’s scalp and then pour a mixture of spring water and ground watermelon seeds directly onto the brain. Dozens of the patients died and Baker was said to have hidden the bodies for weeks until they could be burned in the incinerator in the middle of night. As his publicity claimed that he could cure cancer in a matter of weeks, he had to keep the press from finding out that many of his patients died every month. It has been said that he would put the extreme and advanced cases into an "asylum", where they would die in extreme pain. That way, no one would know that they actually died of cancer.
These are the legends that have been told, although most sources will say that these events never actually took place. They will say that they are nothing more than tall tales that have been attached to the Crescent over the years. And perhaps they are right....
Regardless, federal authorities caught up with Baker and he was charged with using the mail to defraud the public about his false medical claims. He was convicted in 1940 and sentenced to four years in Leavenworth. The hospital closed and Baker vanished into history. But would those who died at his "health resort" disappear so easily?
The brooding old hotel stayed closed until 1946, when new investors took it over and began trying to restore the place. The hard years still showed and the hotel was described as being "seedily elegant". Since then however, it has started to regain it's lost glory and it remains an odd and historical piece of Ozark history. It also remains haunted.
Staff members receive frequent reports from overnight guests of strange goings-on in their rooms and in the hallways. Room 424 has had several visitations but the most famous haunted spot is the previously mentioned Room 218. Several guests and employees have encountered strange sounds and sensations in that room. Doors have slammed shut and some people claim to have been shaken awake at night. One man, a salesman, was asleep in Room 218 one night when his shoulder was violently shaken back and forth. He awakened just long enough to hear footsteps hurry across the floor. He saw no one in the room.
Who this particular ghost may be is unknown, although some believe it is the spirit of the man who was killed during the hotel’s construction. His body was said to have fallen just about where the room is currently located. Other than that, there doesn’t seem to be any particular macabre history about this room. A story of the hotel has it that the wife of one of the hotel’s past owners stayed in the room. At one point in the middle of the night, she ran screaming from the room, claiming that she had seen blood spattered all over the walls. Several staff members ran up to take a look but found no blood and nothing else out of the ordinary. Could the spectral blood have been connected to the fallen construction worker? Or perhaps an operating room from Dr. Baker’s days of depravity?
Another ghost of the hotel is that of a distinguished-looking man with a mustache and beard and who dresses in old-fashioned, formal clothing. He seems to favor the lobby of the hotel and a bar that is decorated in the style of the Victorian era. People who claim they have talked to the man say that he never responds, he only sits quietly and then vanishes. In an interview, a staff member recounted one odd experience with the silent ghost: "During the summer, we had two auditors work for us because we’re so busy. One of these men left the front desk to get a drink of water in the bar, after it was closed. He told me that he saw some guy sitting on a barstool, staring straight ahead. He didn’t say anything and he didn’t move. Our guy left to get his partner, who was still at the front desk. They came back and spoke to the man. They thought he was drunk".
When the man again did not respond, the two auditors decided to leave him alone and go back to work. As they looked back over their shoulders on the way out of the bar though, they saw that the barstool was now empty. The man was nowhere in the room.
"One of them started searching for the man," the staff member added. "He looked around the lobby, which is about 25 to 30 yards across, everywhere in that area. The auditor who was looking around went over to the steps (a staircase ascends from the lobby). The fellow from the bar was on the second-floor landing, looking down at him. He went up but as he got to the second floor, he felt something push him back down again. That’s when he got the manager and told him what had happened."
It’s possible that the era of Baker’s hospital may have left the greatest ghostly impression on the place. In July 1987, a guest claimed that she saw a nurse pushing a gurney down the hallway in the middle of the night. The nurse reached the wall and then vanished. It was later learned that a number of other people had witnessed the same vision and had seen it reenacted in just the same way.
An apparition that is believed to be Baker himself has been spotted around the old recreation room, near the foot of the stairs going to the first floor. Those who have seen him say that he looks lost, first going one way and then another. Could Baker be "trapped’ in the hotel, perhaps paying for misdeeds that were committed many years ago?
Some time back, an antique switchboard from the days of the hospital was finally removed because of all of the problems it caused. A staff member explained: "In the summer we would get phone calls on the switchboard from the basement recreation room. There was no one on the other end because the room was unused and locked. We could check it out and find that the phone had been taken off the hook. There was only one way in or out of the place and the key was kept at the front desk."
This same staff member checked out the recreation room one night after receiving another of the strange calls. He found the phone on the hook, but he still maintains that he felt another presence in the room with him. "I just wanted to get out," he added.
He locked the door and went back upstairs, but within five minutes the switchboard buzzer went off again, indicating that a call was coming from the same room that he had just left. This time, he decided not to go and check it out!
To go along with all of the stories, accounts and experiences, the hotel even has a legendary ghost photo from Room 202. No one knows who took it or why, but the photo contains a misty figure slouching in the closet of the room. The room was empty except for the photographer at the time.
So what makes the Crescent Hotel such a haunted place? Are memories from the past somehow stored here, replaying themselves over and over again on a regular basis to the fear and delight of the living? Or are the deeds of the past simply revisiting the present, reminding us that history is never really forgotten?

After we finished walking around the hotel we headed back to the coach after we stopped at Subway and picked up a sandwich. Well that's about it for today so until next time, hopefully on the road, we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Nothing But Football 9/24-26/2010

2010-09-27T18:21:00.002-04:00

Well it's the weekend again and you know what Saturday and Sunday mean.....football, football and more football. We didn't do anything Friday except hang around and watch TV and read as the weather really wasn't all that great anyway as it was rainy and turned a lot cooler and more comfortable. Saturday was a lot nicer and much much less warm and humid so I just hung around and watched college football. After all the Hogs were playing Alabama who was NO 1 in the country and I had Hog Fever (the fever isn't very dangerous though) unless you take Arkansas football so serious that you go out and commit hari-kari when they lose and lose they did to AL. Sunday was pro football day and I watched the sad NY Giants loose again to Tennessee 29-10 and look like a bunch of jerks doing it. Sunday evening I watched the Yankees-Red Sox game, at least until the Red Sox tied the game and went ahead in the 9th inning and I got so disgusted I went to bed. Well that's about it from here as we are just waiting for our part and we are off again, hopefully. Well until next time we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

A Few Caches & Light at the End of the Tunnel 9/20-23/2010

2010-09-24T18:11:00.004-04:00

Well not an awful lot going on here except sitting around twiddling our thumbs waiting for the part for the RV. We did have some good news as the part is supposed to be shipped on Monday and they should have it here Wednesday or Thursday and it will only take them about 30 minutes to install it so we should be on our way by Friday or Saturday at the latest. Of course you know the old saying, the best laid plans of mice and men so we'll wait and see. We did do a few caches on Tuesday so the whole week wasn't a total loss. We did caches in downtown Harrison at the Thrift Store behind their sign and in a small park in a tree. Then we drove into the country to do caches in the woods near Crooked Creek, on the top of Gaither Mountain at an overlook (see pictures....sorry they aren't clearer but it was very humid and warm the day we were out there) and then way out in the country over dirt roads to a very very old cemetery. In fact it was so old we couldn't even find any evidence of any grave sites, but there was evidence of some old stone that could have been used for markers. We did see a fairly large turtle there though. That's about all the news that's fit to print and like I say we have been just hanging around watching TV and doing some reading. Yes, even I started another Harry Potter book. How do you like Muffy in her new socks? She has been chewing on her paws something awful so we got the socks for her and have just started giving her some Benadryl to see if we can cut the itching down. Well until next time we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Football Saturday & Football Sunday 9/18-19/2010

2010-09-20T20:21:00.002-04:00

Well Saturday and Sunday are upon us again and you know what that means this time of year. FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Saturday is college football day so at 11:00 am the TV was on and I watched the Arkansas-Georgia game and then the Florida-Tennessee game while Mom went and did a few errands. Sunday of course was pro football day so again at 11:00 am the TV was on for the pre game shows and then I watch the Minnesota-Miami game, then the New England-Jets game and of course later that night I watched the Giants get their butts handed to them in their hands by Peyton and the Colts. SAD SAD SAD game for the Giants. Mom did our grocery shopping while I watched the games and then watched some TV in the bedroom. Well that's about it for Saturday and Sunday so until next time we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

A Trip to Berryville & Eureka Springs, AR 9/17/2010

2010-09-18T20:14:00.004-04:00

This morning we headed first to Berryville and then on up to Eureka Springs to do some caching and sightseeing. Our first cache was in Berryville at the hospital under a gazebo where they have lunch, next was a cache behind the Berryville Visitor's Center, then a cache in the woods behind the Visitor's Center in the campgrounds, then it was a cache in the Berryville Pioneer Memorial Park Cemetery. There was a ton of history in the park as you can see by the pictures. There was the Carroll Progress Newspaper Printing Museum, the Pauly Jail c1874, a memorial and headstones to the pioneers of Berryville who were buried in unmarked graves in this cemetery 1840-1899. Buried here are an unknown number of Negro slaves, 13 Union soldiers, several people whose names were unknown and one man buried here who had been scalped by Indians. There also was an old log cabin with period furniture in it. Next was a cache in the Berryville Cemetery, then 2 caches in Saunders Heights park one in the woods and the other under some rocks where we had a lovely view of the whole city.

Then we were off toward Eureka Springs and a cache at the local airport, next was a cache at the Bluebird Motel, then a cache at the base of a stop sign on a highway pull off, next was a cache behind a storage facility and the next cache was at a local discount store near Rock the Big Monkey. Our last 2 caches were in the Eureka Springs Cemetery the first in a tree and the second near a group of grave sites like we have never seen before. Take a look at the pictures and look at how these grave sites were decorated with almost everything under the sun that you could imagine. The only thing we have ever seen that matches this is some of the voodoo graves we saw in New Orleans. VERY VERY STRANGE!!!!

Those were our last 2 caches as we plan to make 2 trips to Eureka Springs as there is so much to see asnd so many caches we couldn't do them all in one day and besides it's something to do. We stopped and had lunch and headed back to the coach for the day. Well until next time we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

A Few Caches in Harrison 9/15-16/2010

2010-09-17T20:25:00.005-04:00

Wednesday we went and did a few caches in Harrison and ran a few errands. Our first cache was one we looked for twice before we found it and it was at the Burlson Youth Center in a tree. Next cache was at the Grubb Spring School in back of the school in the woods. This schoolhouse is on the National Register of Historic Places and if you look at the pictures you will see the 2 -hole outhouse in back of the school.

Our last cache was at another place on the National Register of Historic Places, Haggard-Ford Swinging Bridge. The Haggard Ford Swinging Bridge is being nominated with state significance as an amendment to the "Historic Bridges of Arkansas" multiple property nomination under Criterion A for its association with the World War II era of bridge building and with the Works Progress Administration. Under Criterion C, the Haggard Ford Swinging Bridge is significant for its engineering as one the few remaining historic suspension bridges in Arkansas.
Haggard Ford is named for Mrs. Nancy Haggard, a widow with three children who lived near the creek crossing at the turn of the century. In the late 1930's it was decided to construct a bridge at the ford due to the gravelly nature of Bear Creek, which routinely ensnared automobiles as they crossed stream. The Works Progress Administration paid local laborers a dollar a day to construct the bridge, which was started in 1938 or 1939 and completed in 1941.
On May 7, 1961 a big flood washed much of Harrison away and rendered the Haggard Ford Swinging Bridge incapable of supporting vehicular traffic. It was replaced by an adjacent low-water concrete slab and county maintenance was discontinued.
By 1977, the bridge had deteriorated to the extent that many citizens believed it to be a hazard to the numerous children who patronized the Bear Creek swimming hole underneath the bridge. After several requests for its removal, Boone County Judge Clifford Tomlinson ordered the county road crews to dismantle the bridge. Fortunately, Leon and Gertrude Karasinski circulated a petition signed by 500 residents to save and restore the bridge for foot traffic only. A Bridge Restoration Committee was formed and a "plank sale" rally held on July 30, 1977. Supporters purchased $10 planks on which their name was inscribed. Volunteer labor rebuilt the decking, which was replaced at a cost of $3,281.58. Although 340 planks were needed to replace the deck, over 400 boards were sold, so the hand rail was reconstructed with the additional planks. The grand opening was held on September 3, 1977 with State Representative Hugh Ashley as the speaker.
The Haggard Ford Swinging Bridge is being nominated with state significance as an amendment to the "Historic Bridges of Arkansas" multiple property nomination under Criterion A and C. Under Criterion A, the bridge is categorized within the World War II era of bridge building and is significant for its association with the Works Progress Administration relief efforts in Boone County. Under Criterion C, the Haggard Ford Swinging Bridge is significant for its engineering design. Few suspension bridges have survived in Arkansas, and of those extant and documented, only two are older than the Haggard Ford Bridge (the Beaver Bridge in Carroll County, NR 9/6/90, and the Sylamore Creek Bridge in Stone County).
You can see in the pictures the names of some of the people who bought boards on the bridge.

Thusday we did absolutely nothing at all except walk, read and watch TV. Well that's about all for today so until next time we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Not Much on Monday and a Couple of Benchmarks on Tuesday 9/13-14/2010

2010-09-15T18:30:00.007-04:00

Monday we didn't do much of anything at all as it was another day of rest, which there have been to many of recently. Tuesday we did take a drive into Harrison to do a couple of benchmark caches and look around to see if there was much we missed so far. The benchmark caches were at a small cemetery in the city which we believed was named Peeler Cemetery which had head stones dating back to 1876 from what we could make out. The other benchmark cache was at the Old Federal Building in downtown Harrison. The building was completed in 1903 and first used as the Post office from 1906-1965. The second floor was used as the U. S. Court and is now used for county and state funded offices.

Then we drove around the downtown area and did see a few of the upper class homes in Harrison and also an old church that had been remodeled and is now used as apartment. Also we saw the Cornerstone Mennonite Church.

We also saw a lovely old house The Queen Anne House Bed & Breakfast. The Queen Anne House is an elegantly restored two story Victorian Home nestled in the beautiful Ozark Mountains, only blocks from the historic town square of Harrison Arkansas. Conveniently located near the Buffalo National River, Branson Missouri, and Eureka Springs Arkansas. Whatever brings you to the house, whether a special event, an overnight stay, you are certain to enjoy a romantic experience including; gingerbread trim, stained glass windows, Infinity spa hot tub, claw foot tubs and showers, beautiful gardens, a large wrap around front porch with rockers, an enclosed glass solarium, a beautifully ornate fireplace, and period antiques. There is 56 inch high definition T.V. with movie library in the parlor, high speed internet in the lobby, WI-FI hot spot with wireless internet throughout the property, and free local calls.
The Queen Anne House has a rich history. The home is located in the Frick addition of Harrison which was laid out in 1850 by Henry W. Frick, a street in town still bares his name. The actual house was constructed by William Mark Duncan in 1893. Mr. Duncan was the son of a Pennsylvania congressmen. He was an accomplished businessman, owning banks and an electric company. He founded the bank of Harrison. He became most famous as a builder. He built this house, a prime example of the the Queen Anne style, and he also built the Basin Park hotel in Eureka Springs. It was sold to it's first residents, John and Ella McMurray for $1,000.
The Queen Anne has had many owners. According to handwritten notes found in the house here are a few highlights: In September of 1905 the Queen Anne was sold to the Reverend D. Shuck for $600. The Reverend maintained the house as the parsonage for the Christian Church of Harrison, and he wrote his Sunday sermons upstairs where the light from above shone down upon him, giving him peace and inspiration. This area of the house is now referred to as the Turret Room. In 1919 the house was sold to J.P and Gertrude Callicott. J.P, the town Marshall, was a quite man who sat by a wood stove for many hours at a time and smoked his pipe in what is now referred to as the lobby. The home was gifted to Mrs. Ragland and her daughter Walsa Castleberry in January of 1943. They were both school teachers and gave piano lesson in the parlor. In 1986 the home was sold to Sheridan and Cynthia Garrison. Sheridan, a shipping tycoon, started the freightways company which later became Fedex. Fedex is still a major employer in Harrison to this day. His wife Cynthia performed a major restoration of the home. In 1991 the home was sold to Don and Kathleen Young. The Youngs added a glass solarium off the back porch, in addition they purchased the lot behind the home and built a carriage house. The Youngs where the first people to run the house as a Bed and Breakfast.
In October of 2005 the Queen Anne House under it historic name the "Duncan House" was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Then we drove back to the coach for the rest of the day. Well that's all the news that fit to print so until next time we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Football Saturday & Football Sunday 9/11-12/2010

2010-09-13T21:23:00.005-04:00

Well not much going on this weekend except watching college football on Saturday and pro football on Sunday. We actually got the New York Giants against the Carolina Panthers game on Sunday so that made my otherwise quiet boring weekend. The Giants also came back in the second half and won the first game of the year so that even made the weekend better than expected. Mom went shopping on Saturday to kill some time and washed clothes on Sunday and of course she is doing a lot of reading. Well as I've said before these blogs are going to be kind of short and sweet until we get out of this tiny little burg here in the South. The pictures for today were taken in the historic section of Harrison. So until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Raining Cats & Dogs and Not Much 9/9-10/2010

2010-09-11T20:20:00.009-04:00

Boy did it ever rain on Thursday. It started Wednesday afternoon and rained all through the night non stop and didn't quit until sometime Thursday afternoon. We totaled 5" of rain in all so we didn't get a chance to do much at all. The pictures of the little stream that runs by the front of the coach were taken during the worst of the rain and that creek is usually dry all the time. Friday we hung around for a little while then went out and did 2 benchmark caches, looked for a cache we couldn't find the other day and checked out where they were going to have the hot air balloons tonight. Then we headed back to the coach for the rest of the afternoon. We left to go see the hot air balloons later in the evening as Mom wanted to cross another thing off her bucket list. They were giving tethered balloon rides during the evening for $5.00. We got there and unfortunately they decided the balloons couldn't go up at all as they said the wind, which was hardly blowing, was to strong. Well needless to say Mom was very disappointed but we stayed around for a little while to watch them blow all the balloons up and light them up. Then it was back to the coach for the evening. Well that's about all for today so until next time we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Day of Doing Nothing, a Few Caches & Stranded in Harrison 9/7 & 8/2010

2010-09-09T18:10:00.004-04:00

Well Tuesday we did absolutely nothing at all as it rained most of the day on and off so we just stayed in and watched TV and read. Yesterday we had to take the coach next door to the repair shop so he could pull the slide out room ram out and look at it. We did this then headed out to do a few caches while he worked on it. First 2 caches were along Crooked Creek one in a fence post and the other by a bridge near the creek.

Our last cache was located in Fick Cemetery in Harrison. Fick Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Harrison, AR. There are no marked graves, and no known records as to who is buried there. Captain Henry W. Fick is the founding father of Harrison. The cemetery is located on what was then his land. It is believed that Fick cemetery was originally a burial site for black slaves and later used as the cemetery for the black community. After the race riots in 1905 – 1910, in an effort to erase all traces of the black community, the headstones were removed and destroyed. No one knows where the graves actually are now, but they do know that they exist.
Fick Cemetery is a stark reminder of Harrison’s past, a part that present residents are not very proud of. Residents are trying hard to remove the stigmatism that plagues Harrison still today.

After the last cache we headed back to the campgrounds to pick up the coach only to find that Brian had already taken it over and parked it minus the side out ram. He showed me the ram and it was broken beyond repair. He had pieces that fell out of it where he didn't even know where they would go if he knew what they were. So now it was call the insurance company and find a new ram. First the ram as we found out it is a 10 day turn around time to make a new one. They have no rams in stock and don't make them till they are ordered. That's 10 days excluding weekends so we are talking 14 days before we can get a new one. Just wonderful stranded here in Harrison for at least 2 more weeks. They will overnight it once it's made so that is good and it will only take a day to put it in. The insurance company instead of okaying it has to send a tecnichan out to look at the problem before they will OK it and that will take a day or 2, who knows. So here we sit for at least 2 weeks with not much to do as we have done most of the caches that are here and there isn't much to see here that we haven't already seen. The joys of RVing. In addition to that it started raing again about 3 pm as what is left of the tropical storm Hermine is on it's way here. Well until tomorrow when we will let you know more, we hope, we miss and love you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

A Few Caches in Harrison Today 9/6/2010

2010-09-07T20:02:00.003-04:00

Today was our day to do a few more caches so we drove into Harrison about 10:30 to our first cache located in the local hospital parking lot. Our next cache was at the Boone County Courthouse in the town square.

The Harrison Courthouse Square Historic District is known by residents simply as "the Square". The Harrison Courthouse Square Historic District includes the 1911 Boone County Courthouse, two pharmacies, several clothing stores and restaurants, and a Marine Corps museum. The District also has a bank and the Lyric Theater. The District is the site of several annual festivals, including Crawdad Days and the Fall Festival. Several war memorials stand on the Courthouse lawn. The Square is known as the site of the shooting of famous outlaw Henry Starr. That a look at the historic marker next to the fron door of the courthouse and then the No Smoking sign right under it. You will see that the first courthouse was a wooden structure and was burned down under suspicious circumstances.....no wonder they have a no smoking sign.

Henry Starr (1874–1921) was an American outlaw: specifically, a horse thief and train robber. He was also convicted of murder once, of U.S. Deputy Marshal Floyd Wilson on December 13, 1892. Henry Starr claimed in court to not have known he was a U.S. Marshal and only to know that a man had opened fire on him without provocation. Distantly related to Belle Starr, he was the last in a long line of Starr family criminals. Twice sentenced by Judge Isaac Parker to hang for murder, he managed to escape the noose due to technicalities and went on to form a gang that terrorized and robbed throughout northwest Arkansas around the turn of the century. He was imprisoned in 1915, wrote his memoirs and even portrayed himself in a silent movie, 'A Debtor to the Law' in 1919. He was killed by W.J. Meyers with a .38 caliber Winchester rifle (1873 model) while attempting to rob a bank in Harrison, Arkansas, in 1921.

The original Lyric Theater was located on the west side of the Harrison Square. It was purchased in 1919 by D.E. and Lulu Garvin Fitton, who operated it as a theater for silent movies. As talking movies became more prevalent, Fitton realized the Lyric could not accommodate this new invention.
J.W. Bass, a builder from Detroit, built the Lyric Theater that is standing today and created a state-of-the-art theater for “talkies”, which he leased to the Fittons. Broadway by Universal Pictures, the first talking picture shown in Harrison, opened on November 7, 1929.
The building continued to operate as a theater until 1977, when it was closed to make way for a new theater in the Ozark Mall. After sitting empty for over ten years, the building was put up for sale in 1988. At one point, the Harrison Daily Times considered purchasing the Lyric and razing it to create more parking. When she found out, Glenna Ragan, owner of Holt Memorial Chapel, purchased the theater to save it from the wrecking ball, and used it occasionally to host events.
In 1996, Ozark Arts Council president Jim Gresham began exploring ways that the Lyric could be used for the performing arts, and on April 9, 1999, after an extensive fundraising effort, the OAC was able to purchase the Lyric Theater for $150,000.
At the time of purchase, the roof leaked, there was no air conditioning, the heat was from a 1929 steam boiler, holes dotted the walls, the wiring was insufficient, and the stage was too small for performances.
The first performance, by Albert & Gage from Austin, Texas, took place on April 24, 1999, on an inadequate stage with temporary lighting and a sound system borrowed from Gus Smith of Guitar Smith’s music store. The first play, The Foreigner, was held May 21-23, 1999 and the actors had no dressing rooms, no bathrooms and no wing space. Costume changes were made in corners or stairwells, and the actors took bathroom breaks by running out the back door, across the alley and into a bathroom at the Harrison Daily Times building. A makeshift curtain was made from a camouflage parachute from a surplus store.
A number of local businesses and individuals donated money, time and materials toward the restoration, which included installing four ten-ton heating/cooling units on the roof; building a new stage, dressing rooms, bathrooms, and a sound and light booth; rewiring the entire theater; installing a new ceiling in the lobby; renovating the balcony, which had been condemned; building light towers and grids; installing a new sound system; and dimantling the old boiler, which required the removal of 16 tons of metal. The murals on the walls were water streaked and full of holes as well as badly faded, so local artists patched the holes and restored the murals to their original glory.
In 2000, Ken Bailey, former Executive Director, and Jim Gresham, the original OAC President of the Board, were awarded the Governor’s Award for Arts Community Development for their work on the Ozark Arts Council and the Lyric. In 2001, the Ozark Arts Council was awarded both the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Main Street Harrison awards for Community Commitment. In 2002, the Lyric Theater won the state wide Main Street Arkansas award as the Best Building Rehabilitation Over $500,000.
In late January 2006, an addition was built on the back of the theater, which includes space for building sets; storage for sets, props, costumes and tools; as well as a mezzanine space for meetings.
In December 2007, the stage was expanded, a new sound system installed, and a new sound booth built.

Our next cache was in Crooked Creek Park which is a nationally recognized “Blue Ribbon” smallmouth bass fishery which flows through Harrison. Next was a cache outside the Boone County Historical and Railroad Society Building which is also the building where the old Harrison High School was located c1912. Our last cache was in Capps AR, just outside of Harrison, at a old schoolhouse located next to the Capps Cemetery. After we finished our last cache it was back to the coach for the rest of the afternoon and I watched TV while Mom read.

Well that's about all for today from Harrison so until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Cleaning and Just Chilling Out 9/5/2010

2010-09-06T18:49:00.002-04:00

Well today was one of the days I mentioned yesterday where we just hung around the coach doing a few things that needed doing. I washed windows, wiped down the front of the coach, and did a few other odd jobs. mom worked on doing some of the cleaning on the inside. Then I just hung around and watched TV the rest of the afternoon and Mom went to Wal Mart and walked around. Well that's about it for today so until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Caching in Harrison 9/4/2010

2010-09-05T20:08:00.004-04:00

This weeks blogs aren't going to be to awfully interesting as we wait to have our coach fixed. There are only 22 or so caches around here so what we have decided to do is do 6 or 7 every other day and the other days just hang around and do some work on the RV. This morning was cache morning and our first cache was at the Arkansas rest area a few hundred feet down the road from the campgrounds. Next was aas a cache at Wal Mart, then one at The Neighbor's Mill Bakery & Cafe, the bakery we stopped at yesterday and got some delicious home made strawberry-pecan bread. Next we did a cache at a senior center where they have shown the seniors all about geocaching. Next was a small cache on a guardrail. Then we did our last cache of the day in the woods at Garrison Stadium Home of the Harrison Goblins High School football team, what a layout too.

F.S. Garrison Stadium opened in September 2009 it was built to replace Goblin Stadium which stood on the banks of Crooked Creek behind the Jr. High. It is a dream come true for many. The Golden Goblin Booster Club, through lots of fundraising and private donations, were able to build a sport facility at no cost to the taxpayer.
The stadium features a synthetic playing surface, a 32-by-31-foot video / scoreboard and seating for 2,900. The video display board is the largest of any Arkansas high school. The Cash Center to the south of the stadium includes an indoor workout, a 3,000-square foot weight room, men’s and women’s dressing rooms, meeting and training rooms and offices for coaches.

Then we drove downtown and took some pictures in the historic district and had hoped to go to the farmer's market but there were only 2 vendors there. Then it was back to the coach for the rest of the day. Well that's about all for today so until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

On to Harrison, AR 9/3/2010

2010-09-04T20:10:00.003-04:00

Well we had a long long drive of 30 miles down RT 65 to our next stop in Harrison, AR so we were up really early and getting packed up. Yeah right. No big hurry this morning as we had a leisurely breakfast and dawdled around before we starting packing up to get on the road. We left about 10:30 after we had a short conversation with the owner as we had to tell him what a GREAT campground he had. Everything was perfect here or as near as you could get it. Then we were off and the start of the trip contained a little oops. We followed our GPS and turned right when we should have turned left and I'm not sure why it had us routed the way it did but we ended up going up, down and around hairpin turns and ending up on some dead end roads down by a lake. Well luckily I was able to find a wide intersection that I could maneuver the coach back and forth and get turned around without taking the car off. Then we were off the right way to our destination. We got there about 11:45, checked in, set up and as luck has it there is a RV service shop located next to the campgrounds and they give priority service to people staying here. So we discussed it and decided to see if we could get the slide out repaired. I drove over to the shop and they really were closed until Tuesday because of the holiday but as luck had it one of the fellas that works there was hanging around doing some work on his own truck so he came over and looked at the problem and said they could take care of it first thing Tuesday. So I called and got the authorization I needed and gave him the OK to start Tuesday. We are going to have to stay a few more days than we had planned but that's OK as we had no reservations after our stay here. And besides there is a hot air balloon festival here that starts next Friday so we are staying until at least Saturday. It will be nice to get it fixed so we don't have to push it in and out by hand. After we got that taken care of we had lunch and headed down into Harrison to take a look around. It had a nice small historic district with a lot of older buildings and a lovely town square. We did stop at an old mill that was now a bakery and cafe and has a great selection of home made baked goods. Then it was back to the coach for the day. We are staying at Parker's RV Park about 5 miles outside of Harrison. It's small campground but very very nice. The bathrooms are large and very clean, sites are large with grass all around them, lots of cable TV stations and the owner is very friendly and helpful and of course the plus of the repair shop next door. Well that's about all for today so until tomorrow we miss and love you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Harrison is a city in Boone County, Arkansas, United States. It is the county seat. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 13,108. Boone County was organized in 1869, during reconstruction after the civil war. Harrison was platted and made the county seat. It is named after L. LaRue Harrison, a Union officer who surveyed and platted the town.
Indians were the first inhabitants of the area, the first probably being the "Bluff Dweller", who lived in caves in the bluffs along the rivers. In later times, the Osage, a branch of the Sioux, was the main tribe in the Ozarks and one of their larger villages is thought to have been to the east of the present site of Harrison. The Shawnees, Quapaws, and Caddo Indians were also familiar to the area.
The Cherokee arrived around 1816 and could not get along with the Osage. This hostility erupted into a full scale Indian war in the Ozark Mountains. By the 1830s both tribes were removed to Oklahoma. Some historians contend that the first white man to visit the area were some forty followers of Hernando Desota and that they camped at an Indian village on the White River at the mouth of Bear Creek. It is more probable that the first white men were French hunters or trappers who followed the course of the White River.
Harrison is home to the general office of FedEx Freight and the second Wal-Mart store ever opened. The courthouse, opened in 1909, serves as the heart of the downtown district.
Harrison serves as the National Park Service's Buffalo National River headquarters. The park was established in the 1970s, and was the nation’s first National River. The river flows for 135 miles and there are over 60 different species of fish in it.
Crooked Creek, a nationally recognized[citation needed] “Blue Ribbon” smallmouth bass fishery flows through Harrison.
Hemmed-in-Hollow, at 209 feet the tallest waterfall between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians, is near Harrison. On the same bluff line is Diamond Falls, at 148 feet the second tallest in the state.
The historic Lyric Theatre is now used for plays, community events, old movies and other gatherings. It was originally opened as a movie theater in 1929.
Harrison hosts the annual Arkansas Hot Air Balloon races each September, Crawdad Day's Music Festival each May, a Harvest Homecoming festival each October, and Christmas celebration in December.
The Harrison Police Department has had two officers killed in the line of duty, both by gunfire and both within a year of one another. The first was officer Ed Williams, killed on a disturbance call on May 25, 1934. The second was Chief of Police Burr Robertson, killed while arresting a murder suspect at the railroad station on March 27, 1935.
Gracie Pfost, first woman elected to Congress from Idaho, was born in Harrison.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has recognized the Harrison Courthouse Square Historic District. It contains a large number of the city's original commercial and governmental structures, including the still-used courthouse in the center of the square, the recently refurbished Lyric theater, and the beautiful 1929 Hotel Seville, which underwent a complete restoration in 2008.
Harrison was the home of All-American Offensive Lineman Brandon Burlsworth. He played for the Arkansas Razorbacks in the late 1990s. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the 3rd round of the 1999 NFL Draft, but was killed in a car accident just 11 days later.
In 2008 F.S. Garrison Stadium was opened after almost six years of fund-raising by Kim Rosson and the Goblin Booster Club. It is currently the largest privately-funded athletic facility in Arkansas.[citation needed] Over $7 million was raised for it.

Last Day in Branson Caching & a Great Lunch 9/2/2010

2010-09-03T19:48:00.003-04:00

Today was our last day in Branson so Mom and I headed into the cities historic district to finish the caches here and have lunch together. We only had 6 caches left to do here and they were all in the downtown area. There really wasn't anything interesting or historic about any of the caches as the ones we found were 2 at Branson Landing a shopping mall, one at a lock company, one at a florist shop in a hollow tree stump and 2 in small parks in the downtown area. After finishing the caches we drove around the historic downtown area and parked the car and started walking up and down the streets. There really wasn't any interesting shops as they had taken all the old buildings and made them all into "junk" stores. The shops were flea markets, thrift stores, souvenir shops, tee shirt shops, antique shops and warehouse outlets. The one interesting store was Dick's Oldtime 5c & 10c Store. They had everything under the sun with wall to wall and floor to ceiling nostalgia. Over 50,000 different items, plus autographed baseball memorabilia, WWII aviation art prints and White River Arrowhead collection on exhibit. Then it was off to lunch at the Bleu Olive Mediterranean Grille & Bar in the Branson historic district. We had a great lunch as the food was wonderful. We had calamari for an appetizer and then Mom had a Greek salad and I had a gyro and everything was very tasty. It was a very fancy restaurant with linen tablecloths and napkins with paintings and sculptures all over. It was kind of out of place for a city like Branson but we were pleasantly surprised with the great food and besides Mom loved it over Sonic or McDonalds. Then it off back to the coach for the afternoon and evening as I had a fantasy football draft for our Town of Camillus league. We had a tornado warning out for the area later in the evening and had a very loud bright thunderstorm about 8:30. Well that's about all from here for today so until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Caching in Branson Again 9/1/2010

2010-09-02T20:46:00.003-04:00

WOW September 1st already. It doesn't seem possible we have been on the road for 6 months now. A trip we will never forget and lots of lovely places visited. Well this morning it was simply pouring rain so we had planned to go caching but decided against it as we got closer to our cache locations. We had to do some shopping at Wal Mart so we headed there to do what we had to. By the time we were done it had stopped raining and we decided to do our caches we had. Nothing to exciting today with caches outside a Best Buy store on a fence, in a guardrail on a country road, at a Boys and Girls Club, on a dead end road under some rocks, at a Branson Welcome Center and at a Branson Community Center. Nothing to earth shattering today so after we were done Mom stopped at a couple of craft stores and we were headed back to the coach for the day. Well until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Caching , Sightseeing & Shake, Rattle & Roll 8/30-31/2010

2010-09-01T20:01:00.004-04:00

Well here we are and no we didn't disappear. We went to a show last night so that's why there was no post last night. During the last 2 days we have been doing some caches and a little sightseeing. As I said in the last post there isn't an awful lot to see here except touristy stuff so history is going to be limited. We did some caches on Monday on a scenic overlook, a medieval themed motel, in the woods near an entrance to a water park, at a memorial to a city worker, in the woods at a small city park high on a hill and a disc golf course.

One cache we did was at the former Old Branson School now a park. We are here on this 17 day of September to dedicate this area, formerly the Old Branson School property, as a park to be known as the Old Branson School Park.
We are meeting on the 200th Anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States of America. Had it not been for the signing of this instrument we probably would not be here today. However a land of Liberty and Freedom can slip away like a delicate flower. Only by constant vigilance will we hold it.
This is also a joy day for members of the Table Rock Extension Homemakers club, a day to celebrate its Forty Seventh Birthday. It was in 1929 that the club was organized. Mr. J. P. Penner was our mentor. But do not forget, the club has had its ups and downs during these years.
It had been a dream of the members to have a community building. They soon began pinning their hopes on the Old Branson School Building. They knew there was a movement toward consolidation with the Branson No. 3 which when it came would leave the property available for civic purposes.
The days for the one-room school building was nearing its end, and here was a big chance for the Club. With the first bussing of school children the little old school house would not be needed.
The memory of the marvelous teachers who down through the years can never be forgotten. It always amazed me how one teacher could marshall eight grades of children and in the course of a year have them advance into the next grade. I attended school in a log cabin school in Northern Idaho. The evidence of the courage and endurance of these teachers is the group of their pupils represented here today, former pupils of the Old Branson school.
Now was to come a change at Branson and this is when the Table Rock club received its great opportunity. There was the prospect of getting a community building. But the president of the club informed us that she owned the building. What a shock. However after a time we learned much about the exchange of private property.
The school deed to the acre of land had never been recorded. Grandpa John Boswell, as we called him, explained to me that it was almost two much effort to make the trip to Forsyth. Even on horseback it was a trying trip. With hardly a road and with boulders preventing a wagon passage, recording of the deed was just neglected. Then came a time for more change. A group of three men, Mr. V. C. Todd, Mr. York, and Mr. Fulbright were townsite committee to set up a home-site district. In dividing the land into lots of three acres or more it was discovered about the lack of recording the schools deed and Mr. Todd owning the land received a Quick-Claim deed. So Mrs. Hull came into ownership of the school property which she said was for sale.
We pounced upon the offer, but where was to be found the funds for the purchase. Mr. Mart Compton, the same man who helped to build the building in the first place, came forward, and loaned us the money. In seven years by dint of labor and saving we had it paid. The mortgage was burned as a Community fun night and dinner party and the Club had a building.
After a course of time, they wanted to rename the Club to the West-side Club. That did not last for more than a year as that name had no meaning. The club settled on returning to the original name of Table Rock. However it was through the Missouri University Extension work that the club was urged to become an extension club. They retained the name Table Rock, as the table was symbolism of the furniture of the Homemaker and the thought the Rock was the foundation of the home. So it became the Table Rock Extension Club. Later was added the word Homemaker. Now there comes another change for it is to be instead of a club an Association, one which has been a continuous organization for 47 years.
Too, another change was in effect. For the club members soon learned that the University Extension Service could not own property. Fortunately we had a member who took the situation in hand and proceeded to have the club incorporated then it could hold property. Three trustees were appointed and the club took on new form.
But more gloom was in store for the club. A storm blew down a near by tree which landed in the middle of the building, caving in the roof at its center.
After consultation with Mr. George Stancil, the club members decided that the best course instead of trying to rebuild or remodel the building which was already leaning, was to transfer the property to the City of Branson, a gift for a city park.
Mrs. Margaret Harrison, president of the Incorporation, found it her duty to take care of the transfer as voted unanimously by the members. The transfer was made by her proposal which gave the property to the city for a park. The City acknowledged the gift and notified the three trustees of their acceptance, enclosing a sketch for the future park and the preservation of the name of the school.
The old school bell was a casualty of the War. It had been taken down and sold for scrap but was yet intact when found at Kirbyville. The Club was able to rescue the bell, but now no building but the Park was also the answer in preserving the Old Branson School Bell.
Now we are here to celebrate this event with the Dedication of the Old Branson School Park. May this day be long remembered and the remembrance of the perseverance of a Civic Minded group of women who wanted to preserve the memory of the Old Branson School with this program on this Bicentennial day of September 17, 1976.

Veteran's Memorial Museum was another great place we had a virtual cache. The vision of a rural Nebraska man, Fred Hoppe, has created what the Veterans Task Force calls one of the "greatest tributes ever completed to honor our country's veterans!"
Fred Hoppe was inspired by the stories and sacrifices he heard about from his father (Fred Sr.) and the men that fought alongside his father during some of World War II's bloodiest battles. Fred Hoppe Sr., is honored with a mural and a special exhibit in the museum depicting his heroic rescue of a wounded fellow soldier. .
Along with designing, funding, and building the Veterans Memorial Museum in Branson, Missouri, Fred Hoppe also collected and then wrote the scripts for over 2000 rare military artifacts he donated for use to the museum. After spending four years trying to raise money for a memorial to honor the veterans of the 20th Century and with over 36 foundations turning him down, Fred says, "It became apparent that I would have to take things into my own hands. The experts kept telling me that it would take six years to complete a project of this magnitude, however with our veterans dying at a rate of over one thousand per day, I was driven to finish this project quickly."
Fred worked 18-hour days, seven days a week, living up to his pledge to complete the project in just 10 months. The museum officially opened on November 11, 2000.
Designing and participating in the construction of the building, Hoppe even cut up 70 tons of logs in a homemade sawmill in his backyard to provide siding and lumber for the museum's 18,000 square feet building. "Along with saving money, this allowed me to personally make sure that every aspect of the building reflected the quality our veterans deserve," said Hoppe.
After researching and interviewing veterans for over 25 years, Hoppe personally wrote the scripts for each of the displays. Arranging with combat artist James Dietz, Mike Hagel, and others to create dozens of combat murals, Hoppe has painstakingly detailed the history of our nations valiant fight for our liberties during the 20th Century.
The hallmark of the Veterans Memorial Museum is a stunning 70-foot long bronze sculpture consisting of 50 life-size soldiers running up a beach. A combat soldier from each of the 50 states was used as models for the life-size figures. Fred Hoppe Sr. is also the model for the lead soldier in the world's largest war memorial bronze sculpture.
Hoppe, an internationally known sculptor, created this amazing memorial bronze while building the museum; collecting the exhibits; arranging financing, management and marketing of the museum; and supervising every other detail of this incredible vision. Hoppe said, "Our Veterans deserve the very best tribute we can give them and the ideal location for this museum was in Branson, Missouri where veterans are honored every day and patriotism is still celebrated."
The exhibits in the museum cover WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and all other recent conflicts during the 20th Century. The center great hall of the museum contains the 50-statue sculpture and the wall surrounding it list over 400,000 names of the men and women killed in action during WWII. Throughout the museum the walls of each great hall contain the names of those killed in action during Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and other conflicts of the 20th Century.
Hoppe states, "Along with the Veterans Memorial Museum being an artistic memorial to our veterans, we want to evoke from our visitors an emotional response to the far reaching implications of war and the undeniable courage of those who stood strong in the face of the enemy. Above all, this memorial is a gesture of thanks to all who died to defend these freedoms we enjoy today."
The 2 bronze statues outside were amazing as they were so lifelike and realistic as you can see by the pictures.

Tuesday we did caches at an old forest ranger tower which was a virtual cache, along a walking path at Table Rock State Park, 3 caches in small parks around Branson and the last one in a fence post in a small neighborhood. As you can see there hasn't been an awful lot that has been interesting or historical as far as caches go.

Some interesting things we have seen are: Table Rock Dam, Lake and State Park. Table Rock Lake, spanning more than 43 thousand acres and 800 miles of shoreline, has become a perennial favorite vacation spot for campers, pleasure boaters, fishermen and lovers of water sports of all kinds. Located in the beautiful Ozark Mountain Country of southwestern Missouri, Table Rock Lake is situated near one of the nation’s most popular entertainment and leisure destinations, Branson, Missouri.
Fishing: Acclaimed as one of the top bass fishing lakes in North America, Table Rock boasts an abundance of bass, crappie, white bass, catfish, and bluegill. An aggressive fish management program, resulting in an impressive resurgence of largemouth, Kentucky and smallmouth bass of exceptional size, has allowed the lake to become an exciting stop for hobbyists and professionals alike. Nature enthusiasts and hunters enjoy using the public lands surrounding Table Rock Lake which includes portions of the Mark Twain National Forest.
History: Table Rock was created in August of 1958, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Table Rock Dam across the White River. Construction had begun in October of 1954 and by June of 1959 hydro-electric power was being distributed to the Ozarks. The area had already established itself as a prime fishing and recreation area as far back as the 1930s, but needed protection from devastating floods on the White River. Beneath the dam, the Missouri Department of Conservation operates a fish hatchery, which is used to stock trout in Lake Taneycomo.
Activities: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages the lake and Table Rock Dam. Thirteen Corps of Engineers operated campgrounds, located adjacent to Table Rock Lake, provide swimming areas, boat launch sites, campgrounds and family picnic areas. Full service marinas and over 100 privately owned resorts supply convenient services and a wide variety of water related activities for visitors. Boat cruises ranging from small pleasure craft and amphibious vehicles to a full-sized Showboat are also available.

Hollister MO: The population was 3,867 at the 2000 census. The area was first settled as a result of the establishment of US Land Office in Springfield in 1835. The town expanded from a crossroads at a 120-acre tract along the western bank of Turkey Creek that was the 1867 land-claim of Malinda Fortner. The town was named Hollister by Reuben Kirkham who opened a general store and applied to the Post Office for permission, which was granted in 1904. The town was named after the birthplace of Kirkham's daughter, Hollister, California. Most of the buildings in downtown Hollister are constructed in the Tudorbethan or mock Tudor style. Since the early 1970s most of the original businesses in historic downtown Hollister have gradually gone out of business. Recent construction on nearby Highway 65 and the continued success and growth of nearby Branson, Missouri have created a resurgence in downtown Hollister, many of the old storefronts are being revitalized and reopened as new businesses. We drove through the historic section of the town and the businesses that were there were mostly newer places like Dino's 24 Karrot Cake Co. They have the best carrot cake we have ever had and also have several different kinds of awesome cakes such as chocolate, Italian creme, red velvet, strawberry and white elegance.

Chateau-on-the-Lake: As you approach this Castle in the Ozarks, you know you've arrived at a resort destination unlike any other... the most magnificent of all Branson hotels. From the moment you step into our spectacular 10-story Atrium lobby, you sense a level of luxury and professional service that makes Chateau on the Lake such a unique experience.
No matter where you go at Chateau on the Lake - from our front desk to your beautiful guest room or suite, our award-winning Chateau Grille to our new Spa Chateau - you will enjoy the personalized attention of our professional, friendly staff, people who are dedicated to providing a level of service unrivaled by many Branson hotels.
Chateau on the Lake's stunning, 14,000 sq. ft., full-service spa is a palace of pure indulgence, where signature treatments blend rich elements of the Ozarks with exotic European therapies.
Culminating years of planning, design and development, Spa Chateau - is a free-standing facility and connected by walkway to the Chateau on the Lake - surrounds guests with old-world luxuries and modern delights.
The lobby features a dazzling 30 ft.-high Swarovski crystal chandelier, which sets the tone for the spa's awe-inspiring decor. Highlights of the spa itself include:

* Luxurious treatment rooms (10) featuring hydraulic-operated massage tables complemented by plush heated padding and dressed with Comphy® skirting, sheets and comforters for maximum relaxation
* A soothing Infinity Tub that's filled from the ceiling
* A decadent outdoor Roman Bath beneath a waterfall overlooking Table Rock Lake
* A lake-view Movement Therapy studio for Yoga
* A unique Barber Spa, featuring products from Truefitt & Hill - London's "Court Hair Cutter" since 1805 - that offers haircuts, shaves with hot towels, manicures and more.

Tuesday night we went to eat at Danna's BBQ and Burger Shop. Nothing fancy but great food. Mom had a French Dip sandwich with fries and I had a Fat Burger which was a 6oz. patty with a fried egg, bacon, grilled onions and cheese with onion rings and it was great. Then we went to the music show Shake, Rattle & Roll a show with nothing but 50's music. It was a great show and lasted about 2 hours. The 4 lead male singers in the show were part of the 12 Irish Tenors which we saw in Myrtle Beach last December and they were terrific. Then it was back to the coach for the night. So until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Live Music Capital of the World Here We Come 8/29/2010

2010-08-30T20:18:00.005-04:00

We were up early this morning as we wanted to get an early start as we had a 165 mile drive, we had to fuel up and there was a truck wash down the road from the campgrounds and we wanted to wash the roof of the coach as they had catwalks on each side of the bays. We had breakfast, packed up and were off by 8:30. We got to the wash and surprisingly enough the roof of the coach really didn't need washing. What it needed was a good hand scrubbing with our spot and stain remover so we decided to wait till we get to MB. We got gas in the coach and hit the road for Branson, MO. It was a smooth trip with no problems although we did have to stop and get our small GPS out as the Tom Tom couldn't find the exact address. We did come through the main street that runs through Branson and boy oh boy it's a Myrtle Beach times 10. There is every attraction you can ever imagine here. Wax museums, golf, water parks, wineries, scenic railroad, zip lines, theme parks, go carts, zoo, malls, auto museums, cruises, haunted houses and all kinds of museums. Of course there is also the reason Branson got its nickname as they have over 55 theaters that have live music shows. We are staying about 6 miles south of Branson at the Branson Stagecoach RV Park and we got there about 12:30. It's a first class park and only $20.00 a night. The sites are large pull thrus with concrete pads, full hook ups, great wi-fi, over 75 cable channels and super big clean bathrooms. We set up and had lunch and I found the Yankees-White Sox baseball game and watched that till it was over. Then we took a ride down to see Table Rock Dam and State Park. It is a lovely park with a marina, lots of picnic areas, camping at several spots and the dam is awesome. After we were done looking around we drove back to the coach for the day. Well until tomorrow when we visit Branson we will say good night and we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

The pictures on todays post are from Saturday's visit to downtown Nevada, MO.

Caching in Nevada, MO 8/28/2010

2010-08-29T20:36:00.011-04:00

Today was our last chance to do the rest of the caches here in Nevada as we are heading out tomorrow morning. Off we went with Muffy and Raggs to the first cache at Walton Lake Park on a trail under a bench. Next were 2 caches in a small park both at opposite ends of the park in the woods. Next was a cache under an underpass that you drive through that had sidewalks on each side of the bridge.

Our next cache was in front of the Bushwacker Jail and Museum. For 100 years, spanning the Civil War and the postwar outlaw era, the Vernon County Jail consisted of a single stone building. The structure was designed for incarceration and not rehabilitation. A single light bulb lit the cellblock, and the building was heated with one central pot-bellied stove. The sparse conditions earned the jail the title of “cell of medieval malevolence.” Prisoners offered to serve a double sentence if they could be transferred to the state penitentiary. The last prisoners left the building in December 1960. Today, visitors can walk along the cellblock and the attached Sheriff’s home, which served as the residence for the jailer and his family. During the Civil War the town of Nevada, Missouri became known as "the Bushwhacker's Capital". The town was burned by Federal troops in 1863. A "Bushwacker is in the Civil War- a confederate guerrilla. The Jail is said to be haunted also according to this story. Bushwhacker Jail allegedly has its own ghost as well, according to Terry Ramsey. Mr. William Wright killed his wife in plain sight. "He took an ax and hacked her to pieces in the middle of the street, east of Deepwood Cemetery." said Patrick Brophy. Wright was then taken to the old jail, where he proceeded to spend his remaining time on earth in a cell, spitting his tobacco into a spittoon. Years and decades later inmates complained of a pinging noise, that some say was the distinct sound of man spitting into a spittoon. Brophy believes that the legend was invented. But there are those who believe Wright relieves his torment, over and over again, night after night at the Bushwhacker Jail.

Next cache was at the Vernon County Courthouse. Vernon County, Missouri was organized on February 27, 1855 and is named for Miles Vernon, a three-time Missouri Senator from Laclede County. In the same year commissioners bought 50 acres for $250 as the site of the county seat. The county seat was first called Fairview; later the name became Nevada City. Now known as just Nevada, it is geographically located in the center of the county.
The first courthouse was completed in 1857. The upper story was used for county offices and the lower floor held the courtroom and was also available for religious services of all denominations. This building was located one block west of the public square. Appropriations of $900 were made for construction of the building which measured 28 feet by 18 feet with the first story nine feet high, the second story seven feet. This building was burned with the rest of the town by Federal troops on May 26, 1863. For lack of a suitable building in Nevada, the first post-war sessions of the County Court were held at Little Osage.
The second courthouse was built in the center of the Nevada City square in 1868. The final costs totaled approximately $25,000. The 50-by-60-foot brick building had a 15-foot tower that rose from a 10-foot base. The building faced south. In time it deteriorated and was sold and razed in 1906.
The present Vernon County Courthouse was completed in 1908. The three-story, Carthage limestone, Romanesque Revival style building measures 80 by 100 feet and rises to 126 feet at the top of the dome. It was the first courthouse built in Missouri after the Civil War and for a time, viewed as the finest in this part of the state.
The original call for bids stated: “…that the said building be of a size to meet the wants and needs of Vernon County for fifty years. The size must not be so large as to sacrifice quality to size, that it should be proportionate to the perspective of the square, that said building complete shall not exceed the cost of $75,000.” During construction, rapidly rising costs caused alterations to be made to the original plans. An example of materials substitution was the change made to the main staircase from marble and iron to quarter-sawed oak. In actuality the final costs for the courthouse amounted to almost $80,000.
Our Courthouse was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places on June 27, 1997.
A life-size bronze statue, erected by the State of Missouri, was dedicated on the Courthouse lawn in Nevada in 1935 to the memory of William Joel Stone, a Vernon Countian who served Missouri as a Congressman, Governor, and United States Senator. From 1872 to 1874 he also served as Prosecuting Attorney for Vernon County.

Next was a cache on a caboose in a small park. Next was another cache in a park in a tree. Then we did 2 cemetery caches one at Moore Cemetery c1850 and the other at Deepwood Cemetery c1869 and that cemetery is reputed to be haunted. Many local Nevadans know of and have even seen for themselves this tale of the morbid. Deepwood Cemetery on Washington Street houses some of Nevada's oldest residents, some of its most esteemed and even less than savory. This tale precedes the days of the "flapper" and takes us back to the era of the "Gibson girl."
Cordelia Doras was only 17 when she lost her husband, F. Lon Doras, in 1897. F. Lon was only 26 when he died, and his young wife was not about to let him go so easily. Local legend says that, in the hope that he might return to her, his tomb was specifically designed to suit her needs.
She had a Bible made of stone placed on the top of this unique tomb. Cordelia had a button placed next to the Bible and underneath a glass pane, so she could view him forever. Day after day Cordelia watched over her husband through his mirror. When he began to decompose before her eyes, she went insane and the family had the tomb sealed up.
"One day when she went to move the Bible back and saw condensation she thought he was breathing and tried to free him," according to tales passed down, said Julie Righter, publisher of the Nevada Daily Mail. Righter is not the only resident who knows this tale, but it's still a fresh story, since in the late 1980s F. Lon's head was stolen from his tomb.
When F. Lon's head was stolen the Nevada Daily Mail published a photo on the front page in 1989. It was not returned to the body, but buried next to the tomb.

After we finished that last cache we stopped at Wal Mart for a few things and then it was back to the coach for the rest of the day. Well that is all from here for today so until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Here we Are in Nevada......Nevada, MO That Is 8/27/2010

2010-08-28T20:23:00.006-04:00

Well we were on the road again this morning headed to Nevada, MO. We packed up about 9:00 and were on the road by 9:30. The strap on our awning broke as I was retracting it and now we have no way to pull the awning out till we get it fixed. Another something to add to the list of things to have fixed. We had a trip of about 125 miles down I-29 through Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO. We survived the construction shut downs and morning traffic tie-ups and got to the campgrounds about noon. We are staying at Osage Prairie RV Park and small, 40 sites, very nice place for 2 nights. We checked in, set up and had lunch. The campgrounds has full hook ups, no TV though but it does have wi-fi when it works. The bathrooms are nice and very clean so that's a plus. After lunch, seeing as there is no TV we loaded some caches up and were off to find them and look around the downtown area. The caches we did really were all NRV caches with one right here at the campgrounds, one at a baseball field, one at a local park in the woods and 3 in cemeteries. One of the cemeteries we went to, Click Cemetery, had grave markers dating back to the 1830's.

After we were done caching we drove around Nevada to see what there was interesting and historical. Nevada is a city in Vernon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,607 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Vernon County. Nevada is the home of Cottey College, a junior college for women operated by the P.E.O. Sisterhood.
Before its incorporation in 1855, the small community was known as both Fair View and Hog-Eye. The latter name was considered crude, and the former had already been taken as a post office name. Therefore, town was named after Nevada City, California by circuit and county clerk DeWitt C. Hunter, who had tried his luck in the California Gold Rush of 1849. The first "a" rhymes with hay, making the pronunciation "Nuh-VAY-duh".
Vernon County suffered greatly during the American Civil War, and the entire town of Nevada was burned to the ground by a large group from nearby Cedar county on May 23, 1863. Men from Cedar county stormed the Nevada Court House, and were killed. Their bodies were left on the town square until they were taken to the undertaker. After the men didn't return home to Cedar county after a few days, a large group made it's way to Nevada. They told every household that they had 15 minutes to gather any items they wanted to save before their house would be set on fire.
For many years Nevada has been a home for the Moore's Opera House, built by Colonel Harry Moore and located on the corner of Cherry and Washington Streets.[4] It was built in May 1882 and burned after just 5 days. It was rebuilt in 10 months. It hosted plays, moving pictures and various traveling shows. The second Opera House building also burned down in April of 1907.
There were lots and lots of lovely old historic buildings which you will see in this and the next blog. We did drive around the campus of Cottey College c1884 interested in old buildings and lovely campus.

Cottey College, located in Nevada, Missouri is a private, two-year women's college. It was founded by Virginia Alice Cottey Stockard in 1884 and is currently owned and supported by the P.E.O. Sisterhood, a philanthropic women's organization.
Cottey College offers the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees. The type of degree a student receives is based upon the core curriculum and distribution requirements she completes. Students choose subjects of their interest and/or intended major. There is no obligation to declare a major while at Cottey; however, students usually complete prerequisites or requirements for their future field of study. Over 95% of graduates transfer to four-year institutions, including Smith College, Stephens College, Salem College, and Mount Holyoke College.
Cottey has a student to faculty ratio of 10:1, and the average class size is 13.It is not uncommon to have courses with fewer than 10 students. Faculty includes both men and women, with 94% holding the terminal academic degree in their field[citation needed]. The college's mission is stated in the college Catalog: "Cottey College will educate qualified women in the arts and sciences to prepare them for transfer to programs beyond the associate's degree by enhancing their intellectual ability, their store of knowledge, their personal skills, and thereby their capacity for contribution to society and their chosen fields."
The college has a nationally recognized leadership program known as LEO. The Center for Women's Leadership provides structured leadership training for current students and women from the area, as well as high school students.
Cottey is situated on 66 acres (270,000 m2) of land in Nevada, Missouri a rural town of about 9,000 people. The main campus is situated on 11 city blocks. Five blocks south of this is B.I.L. Hill, a 33-acre wooded area owned and used by Cottey for recreation, concerts, bonfires, picnics, suite nights, and other traditions.
The official colors of Cottey are yellow and white. Additionally, the senior class color is navy blue and the freshmen class color is "baby" blue. The senior class mascot was originally known as "Hermann the duck" and was adopted by the senior class in 1924. The current senior mascot is known as Hermitrude the duck, while the freshmen class chooses their own mascot every year (see Past Freshmen Mascots). The daisy was chosen by the first Cottey students to represent their school, and plays an important role in traditions like convocation and commencement.

Interesting thing about Cottey is that there has been tales of many paranormal activities going on in and around the college. Tales of ghostly happenings at Cottey have been told for decades. The most propagated story is of hearing a piano being played in Main Hall or Rosemary Hall at night, when no one else is there. The music is usually attributed to the ghost of Vera Neitzert, a high school student who attended Cottey in 1920. In May of that year she was cooking candy in a chafing dish in Main Hall when her nightclothes caught fire. She incurred serious burns all over her body and died a few days later in the American Sanitorium, which stood where the Blanche Skiff Ross Memorial Library is today. While she didn’t die on Cottey’s campus, her ghost is said to roam Main Hall and Rosemary Hall (before it was razed due to a failing foundation) and will wander all over the campus. Others believe that the piano is being played by Madame Blitz, head of Cottey’s music department at the turn of the 20th century. As well, in 1904, a Mme. Blitz drank carbolic acid and died in her home across the street from Cottey, and her spirit is still said to walk the campus.

The other story is that the Blanche Ross Skiff Library was built on top of an old Civil War Hospital and then in the 1880's a home was built for the Cottey Family. Students report books falling from the shelves, book carts rolling around, and music on the back stairs. An old man in a smoking jacket and cap has allegedly been seen on the balcony. Other haunts at this 1963 building include two little girls in Victorian dress who play on the stairs and a young woman in a long white gown who reads a book.

After we got done our ghost chasing we headed back to the coach for the day. Well that's about it from Nevada so until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Our Last Day in Platte City.....Cleaning 8/26/2010

2010-08-27T20:47:00.007-04:00

Well this is our last day here in Platte City and we are going to spend it cleaning seeing as the weather has been so so nice and cool. We have even been able to open the windows at night its been so cool. I started with the awning as it had gotten filthy from the stuff running off the top of the coach onto it from the rain and the A/C. Mom started with the black marks all around the coach. After I was done I did the whole front of the coach top to bottom and Mom did all the storage compartments inside. Then I did the rest of the windows on the outside and Mom went in and did the front windows inside. After we were done that we called it a day, had lunch and took a trip to the store.

I do have some things we saw left over from yesterday that I didn't have room for on the 2 blogs yesterday. All of these pictures and history are from our visit to Weston, MO.

The Hatchery Bed & Breakfast: In 1845, a gentleman named Benjamin Wood acquired a piece of land from the town of Weston and built a beautiful, two-story, federal style home. Through the years the home changed hands several times. One of its owners was David Holladay, brother of Ben Holladay the "stagecoach king". He occupied the house until the late 1800's and ran the McCormick Distillery while his brother Ben ventured farther West to pursue other enterprises.
In the 1930's the Wood's home was converted to a boarding house. Quite often, due to the inexpensive rent, newly-weds and young married couples occupied the apartments. As time passed, many of these young couples conceived and had their children while residing there. Consequently, the townspeople coined the phrase "The Hatchery" for the "hatching" of babies.
In the late 1980's, the building was purchased by Glen and Jolene Payne. They began renovations to restore the "Hatchery" to its original form. After several years of hard work and determination, their work and dream was completed. They opened the home to the public in the form of a bed and breakfast.
The structure boasts six completely operational fireplaces, two of which have the original mantel pieces. The walls are constructed to a thickness of three bricks and the original hardwood flooring, windows and trim remain today. The Hatchery sits 1\2 block off of Main Street in downtown Weston and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

523 Main St:523 Main originally housed the How Boot and Shoe store. Constructed in 1848, from handmade brick with metal standing seam roof, this was one of the few buildings that survived the fires of 1853.

St George Hotel: The St. George Hotel, built in 1845-6, was one of three hotels in Weston during its heyday. The St. George is the only hotel building remaining. It was a working man's hotel and consisted of 47 rooms on the top two floors. On the first floor were a saloon, sample rooms (rooms behind the saloon that traveling salesmen rented to show their wares) a lobby/tobacco shop, a restaurant, and two retail spaces. It was a full three story brick structure.
A fire in December, 1890, as reported in the Weston Chronicle, left the building in ruins. We now know that the two street side brick walls were left standing. With an added brick facade, those two walls are part of the current building which dates to 1891. The building is now ten feet shorter than the original building and has a mansard roof. Except for the time between the fire and the reconstruction, the hotel was run continuously until 1984 when a small fire occurred in one of the three apartments on the first floor.
The hotel has had several owners and has been called the Weston Hotel, The Exchange Hotel, the Ryan Hotel as well as the St. George Hotel (St. George is the patron saint of rest).

512-516 Main St.: In 1844, Wilson G. Nobel, or "Boss" Nobel as many referred to him, established and operated one of Weston's first businesses; "W. G. Nobel Saddlery". "Boss" Nobel was one of Weston's earliest pioneers being registered in the Annuls of Platte County as early as 1838. The early Weston Chronicle quoted John Doniphan as saying ÒNobel saw Weston when its site was covered with forest trees and hazel brush; he helped bury the first man who died with his boots on. He saw the great flood of 1844, he witnessed the flood of '58 that washed away bridges and kept business men away from their homes until the next day. He fashioned a bridle for the great Kickapoo Chief Medora, that had a looking glass fitted to the forehead of the horse."
For 34 years, "Boss" Nobel owned and operated the saddle shop until he sold it to Julian Baker on April 8,1878. Julian Baker owned and operated the saddle shop for ten years in this location then he moved across the street staying in business for a total of 52 years.
In the late 1800's, at least two of the buildings caught on fire. The buildings were rebuilt out of the remaining structure. Part of the first building that was two stories is now one story. Thus the appearance of the buildings changed significantly. From 1911 to 1920 the Brill Furniture Company occupied the building alongside Brill's Mortuary. Later, in 1927, the Furniture Company was sold and the Mortuary then resided in two of the three buildings.
J.H. Brill and his wife owned Brill's Mortuary, they both secured embalmer's licenses and were both members of the State and National Funeral Directors' Association. Mrs. Brill was one of the first few lady embalmers in the state of Missouri. The first unit of the mortuary was bought in 1920. Later a garage and office building were added. The garage was located in the back of the building. The office was located upstairs along with a second floor suite of five rooms and a bath, the reception room was also located upstairs serving as a chapel upon request.
In 1942, the Brills rented the Funeral home to Walter and Billy Vaughn, who operated Vaughn's Funeral home. They later bought the building in 1946. The Vaughns' lived on the second floor of the funeral home in a spacious two-bedroom apartment, which was formerly used as an office and reception room. In July of 1962, the Vaughn's added the third building, buying it From Dr. L. C. Calvert who owned and operated a medical office for many years.
The Vaughn's owned and operated the funeral home in this location until they built a new funeral home located on 45 Highway. Anne Bollin purchased two of the three buildings in 1993 to expand her growing business, Missouri Bluffs Boutique, which now occupies all three buildings

Kaufman Building: The Kaufmann building, located at 518-520 Main Street, began its life as a grocery and provision store in 1854. At that time the two story structure was brick with a cast iron facade on the first floor.
A. G. Bell operated a restaurant on the first floor in 1886 and Mrs. M. Bell had an ice cream parlor there in 1896. H. H. Hedges married Mary Bell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. Bell, specializing in baked goods and providing catering services at the location around 1909. In 1919, the building housed the Gould Battery Company, which was owned by George Parrish who is best known as the 'father of electricity' for Weston and most of Platte County. Even though Parrish was an expert electrician, due to overwork and days without sleep, he was electrocuted while repairing a line to a building on Market Street.
In the 1940s, the first floor was used as a dentist office and in the 1950s and 1960s both floors were apartments owned by B. J. Bless, Jr. In 1973, the second floor was converted to a modern apartment. In recent years, the apartment area was used for storage and left to deteriorate as water poured through a decaying roof. From the 1970s through the 1990s, the '518 Main' portion housed a variety of antique dealers and retailers.
The Kaufmann Building was purchased in 1996 by Cathy A. and Phelps D. Murdock, Jr. The exterior was repaired, improved and painted in authentic historic colors. The first floor portion, known as 518 Main, and the entire second floor, known as 518-520 Main, were substantially repaired, redecorated and integrated into a single retail establishment to accommodate Currant Cottage, a home furnishings and antique store, operated by the Murdocks.
The Kaufmann Building has been home to Renditions Polish Pottery Shop since 2009. After a complete renovation, the first floor has returned to its original high ceilings, wood floors, and exposed brick walls. During the renovation the upstairs was also completely gutted and converted into two loft-style apartments.

420 Main St: n 1866, B.F. Freeland opened the first of a long line of grocery stores at the building at 420 Main Street, which continued until 1996, when McCormick Distilling Company took over the space for their Country Store. Between 1886 and 1996, seven different grocery markets operated in the space. The only interruption to the grocery store legacy was in 1886 when A.H. O'Dowd, who served as Weston's postmaster for four years, opened his Furniture & Undertaking business. This combination may seem bizarre now, but was actually fairly commonplace during this period.
A period newspaper article describes the stock of Mr. O'Dowd's store as "...thoroughly up-to-date in every particular, including an immense and carefully selected line of furniture; in suites or single pieces; wall paper, picture and room molding, window shades, rugs, oil cloth, matting and kindred supplies, in connection with which repairing and upholstering is done". The article goes on to describe Mr. O'Dowd's qualifications as an undertaker, relating that he was a "...practical funeral director and embalmer, a graduate in the science from the Oriental School of Embalming under Prof. F.A. Sullivan of Boston, and a licentiate under the State Board. He is a member of the State Funeral Directors Association, and in connection with this department of his business, he handles a fine stock of goods, including all grades and styles of caskets, cases, robes, suits and slippers, also being prepared to furnish a hearse".

The Benner House Bed & Breakfast: The Benner House Bed & Breakfast was built in 1898 by Mr. George Shawhan, owner of the Shawhan Distillery, known today as McCormick Distillery. Listed on the National Register of Historic places, this lovely Victorian home is a fine example of steamboat Gothic architecture.
In the 1900's the home was purchased by Mr. Charles Benner, a gentlemen farmer, who preferred to live in the "cityÓ. The home remained in the Benner family until 1986 when it was purchased by Ken and Karen West and converted into a bed and breakfast. The present owners, John and Julie Pasley, have continued the traditions of the early 1900's. The home is beautifully decorated with antiques and turn of the century pieces.
Upon entering the home, one immediately steps back in time. The double wrap around porches, gingerbread detail and large windows over looking the verandas enhance the spaciousness of this lovely old home. Original hand carved oak and beveled glass grace the front doorway along with brass lightning fixtures leading the way up the hand carved oak staircase. All the rooms have ten-foot ceilings, six foot windows, oak woodwork and pine floors.

Weston United Methodist Church: The Civil War brought construction of the Weston United Methodist to a halt. The church found itself divided on the slavery issue and during the war the church stood empty and unfinished. With peace restored the building was completed and in 1868, nine years after construction had begun, the Church was dedicated with a grand celebration.

Well that's about all from here for today so until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Buffalo Soldier's Monument & U.S. Disciplinary Barracks 8/25/2010

2010-08-26T21:03:00.004-04:00

Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The nickname was given to the "Negro Cavalry" by the Native American tribes they fought; the term eventually became synonymous with all of the African-American regiments formed in 1866:
* 9th Cavalry Regiment
* 10th Cavalry Regiment
* 24th Infantry Regiment
* 25th Infantry Regiment
Although several African-American regiments were raised during the Civil War to fight alongside the Union Army (including the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and the many United States Colored Troops Regiments), the "Buffalo Soldiers" were established by Congress as the first peacetime all-black regiments in the regular U.S. Army.On September 6, 2005, Mark Matthews, who was the oldest living Buffalo Soldier, died at the age of 111. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sources disagree on how the nickname "Buffalo Soldiers" began. According to the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, the name originated with the Cheyenne warriors in the winter of 1867, the actual Cheyenne translation being "Wild Buffalo." However, writer Walter Hill documented the account of Colonel Benjamin Grierson, who founded the 10th Cavalry regiment, recalling an 1871 campaign against the Comanche tribe. Hill attributed the origin of the name to the Comanche due to Grierson's assertions. Some sources assert that the nickname was given out of respect for the fierce fighting ability of the 10th cavalry. Other sources assert that Native Americans called the black cavalry troops "buffalo soldiers" because of their dark curly hair, which resembled a buffalo's coat. Still other sources point to a combination of both legends. The term Buffalo Soldiers became a generic term for all African-American soldiers. It is now used for U.S. Army units that trace their direct lineage back to the 9th and 10th Cavalry, units whose service earned them an honored place in U.S. history.
During the American Civil War, the U.S. government formed regiments known as the United States Colored Troops, composed of black soldiers. After the war, Congress reorganized the Army and authorized the formation of two regiments of black cavalry with the designations 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry, and four regiments of black infantry, designated the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st Infantry Regiments (Colored). The 38th and 41st were reorganized as the 25th Infantry Regiment, with headquarters in Jackson Barracks in New Orleans, Louisiana, in November 1869. The 39th and 40th were reorganized as the 24th Infantry Regiment, with headquarters at Fort Clark, Texas, in April 1869. All of these units were composed of black enlisted men commanded by both white and black officers. These included the first commander of the 10th Cavalry Benjamin Grierson, the first commander of the 9th Cavalry Edward Hatch, Medal of Honor recipient Louis H. Carpenter, the unforgettable Nicholas M. Nolan and the first black graduate of West Point Henry O. Flipper.
From 1866 to the early 1890s, these regiments served at a variety of posts in the Southwestern United States (Apache Wars) and Great Plains regions. They participated in most of the military campaigns in these areas and earned a distinguished record. Thirteen enlisted men and six officers from these four regiments earned the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars. In addition to the military campaigns, the "Buffalo Soldiers" served a variety of roles along the frontier from building roads to escorting the U.S. mail. On 17 April 1875, regimental headquarters for the 9th and 10th Cavalries were transferred to Fort Concho, Texas. Companies actually arrived at Fort Concho in May 1873. At various times from 1873 through 1885, Fort Concho housed 9th Cavalry companies A–F, K, and M, 10th Cavalry companies A, D–G, I, L, and M, 24th Infantry companies D–G, and K, and 25th Infantry companies G and K. Buffalo Soldier in the 9th Cavalry, 1890
A lesser known action was the 9th Cavalry's participation in the fabled Johnson County War, an 1892 land war in Johnson County, Wyoming between small farmers and large, wealthy ranchers. It culminated in a lengthy shootout between local farmers, a band of hired killers, and a sheriff's posse. The 6th Cavalry was ordered in by President Benjamin Harrison to quell the violence and capture the band of hired killers. Soon afterward, however, the 9th Cavalry was specifically called on to replace the 6th. The 6th Cavalry was swaying under the local political and social pressures and was unable to keep the peace in the tense environment.
The Buffalo Soldiers responded within about two weeks from Nebraska, and moved the men to the rail town of Suggs, Wyoming, creating "Camp Bettens" despite a racist and hostile local population. One soldier was killed and two wounded in gun battles with locals. Nevertheless, the 9th Cavalry remained in Wyoming for nearly a year to quell tensions in the area.
After the Indian Wars ended in the 1890s, the regiments continued to serve and participated in the 1898 Spanish-American War (including the Battle of San Juan Hill) in Cuba, where five more Medals of Honor were earned.
The regiments took part in the Philippine-American War from 1899 to 1903 and the 1916 Mexican Expedition.
In 1918 the 10th Cavalry fought at the Battle of Ambos Nogales, where they assisted in forcing the surrender of the federal Mexican and German forces.
Buffalo soldiers fought in the last engagement of the Indian Wars; the small Battle of Bear Valley in southern Arizona which occurred in 1918 between U.S. cavalry and Yaqui natives.
Another little-known contribution of the Buffalo Soldiers involved eight troops of the 9th Cavalry Regiment and one company of the 24th Infantry Regiment who served in California's Sierra Nevada as some of the first national park rangers. In 1899, Buffalo Soldiers from Company H, 24th Infantry Regiment briefly served in Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park and General Grant (Kings Canyon) National Parks.
U.S. Army regiments had been serving in these national parks since 1891, but until 1899 the soldiers serving were white. Beginning in 1899, and continuing in 1903 and 1904, African-American regiments served during the summer months in the second and third oldest national parks in the United States (Sequoia and Yosemite). Because these soldiers served before the National Park Service was created (1916), they were "park rangers" before the term was coined.
A lasting legacy of the soldiers as park rangers is the Ranger Hat (popularly known as the Smokey Bear Hat.) Although not officially adopted by the Army until 1911, the distinctive hat crease, called a Montana Peak, (or pinch,) can be seen worn by several of the "Buffalo Soldiers" in park photographs dating back to 1899. Soldiers serving in the Spanish American war began to recrease the Stetson hat with a Montana "pinch" to better shed water from the torrential tropical rains. Many retained that distinctive "pinch" upon their return to the U.S. The park photographs in all likelihood show Buffalo Soldiers who were veterans from that 1898 war.
One particular Buffalo Soldier stands out in history: Captain Charles Young who served with Troop "I", 9th Cavalry Regiment in Sequoia National Park during the summer of 1903. Charles Young was the third African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy. At the time of his death, he was the highest ranking African American in the U.S. military. He made history in Sequoia National Park in 1903 by becoming Acting Military Superintendent of Sequoia and General Grant National Parks. Charles Young was also the first African American superintendent of a national park. During Young's tenure in the park, he named a Giant Sequoia for Booker T. Washington. Recently, another Giant Sequoia in Giant Forest was named in Captain Young's honor. Some of Young's descendants were in attendance at the ceremony.
In 1903, 9th Cavalrymen in Sequoia built the first trail to the top of Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States. They also built the first wagon road into Sequoia's Giant Forest, the most famous grove of Giant Sequoia trees in Sequoia National Park.
In 1904, 9th Cavalrymen in Yosemite built an arboretum on the South Fork of the Merced River in the southern section of Yosemite National Park. This arboretum had pathways and benches, and some plants were identified in both English and Latin. Yosemite's arboretum is considered to be the first museum in the National Park System. The NPS cites a 1904 report, where Yosemite superintentent (Lt. Col.) John Bigelow, Jr. declared the arboretum "To provide a great museum of nature for the general public free of cost ..." Unfortunately, the forces of developers, miners and greed cut the boundaries of Yosemite in 1905 and the arboretum was nearly destroyed.
In the Sierra Nevada, the Buffalo Soldiers regularly endured long days in the saddle, slim rations, racism, and separation from family and friends. As military stewards, the African American cavalry and infantry regiments protected the national parks from illegal grazing, poaching, timber thieves, and forest fires. Yosemite Park Ranger Shelton Johnson researched and interpreted the history in an attempt to recover and celebrate the contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers of the Sierra Nevada.
In total, 23 "Buffalo Soldiers" received the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars.
On March 23, 1907, the United States Military Academy Detachment of Cavalry was changed to a "colored" unit. This had been a long time coming. It had been proposed in 1897 at the "Cavalry and Light Artillery School" at Fort Riley, Kansas that West Point Cadets learn their riding skills from the black non-commissioned officers who were considered the best. The one hundred man detachment from the 9th Cavalry served to teach future officers at West Point riding instruction, mounted drill and tactics until 1947.
The "Buffalo Soldiers" were often confronted with racial prejudice from other members of the U.S. Army. Civilians in the areas where the soldiers were stationed occasionally reacted to them with violence. Buffalo Soldiers were attacked during racial disturbances in:

* Rio Grande City, Texas in 1899
* Brownsville, Texas in 1906
* Houston, Texas in 1917

General of the Armies John J. Pershing is a controversial figure regarding the Buffalo Soldiers. He served with the 10th Cavalry from October 1895 to May 1897. He served again with them for less than six months in Cuba. Because he saw the "Buffalo Soldiers" as good soldiers, he was looked down upon and called "Nigger Jack" by white cadets and officers at West Point. It was only later during the Spanish-American War that the press changed that insulting term to "Black Jack." During World War I Pershing bowed to political and progressive racial policies of President of the United States Woodrow Wilson, Secretary of War Newton D. Baker and the southern Democratic Party with its "separate but equal" philosophy. For the first time in American history, Pershing allowed American soldiers (African-Americans) to be under the command of a foreign power.
The Buffalo Soldiers did not participate with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) during World War I, but experienced non-commissioned officers were provided to other segregated black units for combat service—such as the 317th Engineer Battalion. The Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division (United States) and the 93rd Infantry Division (United States) were the first Black Americans to fight in France. The four regiments of 93rd fought under French command for the duration of the war.
In August 1918, the 10th Cavalry fought a border skirmish with the 35th Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Ambos Nogales in which German military advisors fought along with Mexican soldiers. This was the only battle during World War I where Germans engaged and died in combat against United States soldiers in North America.
The 35th Infantry Regiment was stationed at Nogales, Arizona on August 27, 1918, when at about 4:10 PM, a gun battle erupted unintentionally when a Mexican civilian attempted to pass through the border, back to Mexico, without being interrogated at the U.S. Customs house. After the initial shooting, reinforcements from both sides rushed to the border. For the Americans, the reinforcements were the 10th Cavalry, off duty 35th Regimental soldiers and milita. Hostilities quickly escalated and several soldiers were killed and others wounded on both sides. A cease fire was arranged later after the US forces took the heights south of Nogales.
Early in the 20th century, the Buffalo Soldiers found themselves being used more as laborers and service troops rather than as active combat units. During World War II the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments were disbanded, and the soldiers were moved into service-oriented units, along with the entire 2nd Cavalry Division. One of the infantry regiments, the 24th Infantry Regiment, served in combat in the Pacific theater. Another was the 92nd Infantry Division, AKA the "Buffalo Division", which served in combat during the Italian Campaign in the Mediterranean theater. Another was the 93rd Infantry Division—including the 25th Infantry Regiment—which served in the Pacific theater.
Despite some official resistance and administrative barriers, black airmen were trained and played a part in the air war in Europe, gaining a reputation for skill and bravery (see Tuskegee Airmen). In early 1945, after the Battle of the Bulge, American forces in Europe experienced a shortage of combat troops. The embargo on using black soldiers in combat units was relaxed. The American Military History says:

Faced with a shortage of infantry replacements during the enemy's counteroffensive, General Eisenhower offered Negro soldiers in service units an opportunity to volunteer for duty with the infantry. More than 4,500 responded, many taking reductions in grade in order to meet specified requirements. The 6th Army Group formed these men into provisional companies, while the 12th Army Group employed them as an additional platoon in existing rifle companies. The excellent record established by these volunteers, particularly those serving as platoons, presaged major postwar changes in the traditional approach to employing Negro troops.

The 24th Infantry Regiment saw combat during the Korean War and was the last segregated regiment to engage in combat. The 24th was deactivated in 1951, and its soldiers were integrated into other units in Korea. On December 12, 1951, the last Buffalo Soldier units, the 27th Cavalry and the 28th (Horse) Cavalry, were disbanded. The 28th Cavalry was inactivated at Assi-Okba, Algeria in April 1944 in North Africa, and marked the end of the regiment.
There are monuments to the Buffalo Soldiers in Kansas at Fort Leavenworth and Junction City. Then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell, who initiated the project to get a statue to honor the Buffalo Soldiers when he was posted as a brigadier general to Fort Leavenworth, was guest speaker for the unveiling of the Fort Leavenworth monument in July 1992.
In the last decade, the employment of the Buffalo Soldiers by the United States Army in the Indian Wars has led many historians to call for the "critical reappraisal" of the "Negro regiments." In this viewpoint, shared by most historians, the Buffalo Soldiers were used as mere shock troops or accessories to the forcefully-expansionist goals of the U.S. government at the expense of the Native Americans and other minorities.

The United States Disciplinary Barracks (or USDB, popularly known as Leavenworth, the DB, or the Castle) is a military prison located on Fort Leavenworth, a United States Army post in Kansas.
It is one of two major federal prisons built on Fort Leavenworth property. The civilian United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth is four miles south. A third prison the Midwest Joint Regional Confinement Center is scheduled to open nearby on the fort in 2010.
It reports to the United States Army Corrections Command. Its commandant usually holds the rank of Colonel.
The USDB is the U.S. military's only maximum-security facility and houses male service members convicted at court-martial for violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Only enlisted prisoners with sentences over five years, commissioned officers, and prisoners convicted of offenses related to national security are confined to the USDB. Enlisted prisoners with sentences under five years are housed in smaller facilities, such as the Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Knox, Kentucky or the Marine Corps Brig at Quantico, Virginia.
Guards for the prison are Army "corrections specialists" trained at the U.S. Army Military Police school located at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, as well as Marine and Air Force corrections personnel.
Originally known as the United States Military Prison, the USDB was established by Act of Congress in 1874. Prisoners were used for the majority of construction, which began in 1875 and was completed in 1921. The facility was able to house up to 1,500 prisoners. From 1895 until 1903, prisoners from the USDB were used to construct the nearby United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth until around 400 federal prisoners were moved there to complete the work.
Although work on the two prisons continued at about the same time and they share the same design of a central dome topped building the two prisons reflect dramatically different prison concepts.
The original USDB followed the Pennsylvania plan modeling on a layout of the Eastern State Penitentiary where cell blocks radiated out from a central structure. Individual cells were relatively isolated. In contrast, the civilian prison is modeled on the Auburn Correctional Facility in New York reflected a newer concept where prisoners were housed in a large rectangular building where there was a certain amount of communal living.
The original USDB was Fort Leavenworth's biggest and tallest building sitting on top of a hill at the corner of McPherson Avenue and Scott Avenue overlooking the Missouri River. The largest buildings of the original barracks ("The Castle") were torn down in 2004. The old domed building was nicknamed "Little Top" in contrast to the domed federal prison two miles north which was nicknamed the "Big Top.". The walls and 10 of the buildings in the original location remain—including Pope Hall—have been converted or are in the process of being converted to other uses at the Fort. The prison's original commandant's house still remains.
The original prison was 12 acres. Its walls were 14 to 41 feet high.[citation needed]
Gail Dillon of the Airman magazine said in 2002 that "A visitor would immediately notice the medieval ambience of this institution - the well-worn native stone and brick walls constructed by long-forgotten inmates when "hard labor" meant exactly that have witnessed thousands of inmates' prayers, curses and pleas over the past 128 years" and that entering the facility was "like stepping back in time or suddenly being part of a kitschy movie set about a prison bust."
new state-of-the-art, 515-bed, USDB became operational in September 2002, replacing the old stone wall and brick castle.
The new barracks opened at a cost of $67.8 million and is about a mile north of the original barracks. It is on 51 acres on the site of the former USDB Farm Colony and is enclosed by two separate 14-foot high fences. There are three housing units each of which can accommodate up to 142. The units described as "pods" are two-tiered triangular shaped domiciles.[7] The cells in the new facility have solid doors and a window. There are no bars. The new facility is said to be much quieter than the old one and is preferred by inmates. Each cell has a window. Colonel Colleen McGuire, the first female commandant of the USDB, said in 2002 that the new facility is "much more efficient in design and layout -- much brighter and lighter."
The new prison reflects current prison design of smaller low-rise separate buildings where prisoners can be more easily isolated from the general population.[10] The USDB has continuously been accredited from the American Correctional Association (ACA) since 1988.
In 2009, the Barracks along with the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility in Michigan are being considered for relocation of 220 prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Kansas officials including both U.S. Senators have objected to the transfer with Pat Roberts saying the transfer would require the that 2,000 privately-owned acres around the fort would need to be acquired by the use of eminent domain to establish a stand-off zone because the prison is on the perimeter of the fort.
Deceased prisoners who are not claimed by their family members are buried near the original USDB. There were 300 graves dating from between approximately 1894 and 1957, 56 of which are unmarked and 14 more that belong to German prisoners of war executed for the murder of fellow POWs. The German soldiers were executed over a two day period in 1945.
The USDB houses the U.S. military's death row inmates. Since 1945, there have been 21 executions at the USDB, including fourteen German prisoners of war executed in 1945 for murder. The last execution by the U.S. Military was the hanging of Army Pfc. John A. Bennett, on April 13, 1961, for the rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old Austrian girl. Bennett's execution took place four years after it was approved by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. All executions at the USDB thus far have been by hanging, but lethal injection has been specified as the military's current mode of execution. As of November 12, 2008, there are four prisoners on death row at the USDB, the most recent addition being Andrew P. Witt, the only Air Force member currently on the USDB death row.
The execution of Army private Ronald A. Gray, who has been on military death row since 1988, was approved by President George W. Bush on July 28, 2008. Gray was convicted of the rape, two murders and an attempted murder of three women, two of them Army soldiers and the third a civilian taxi driver whose body was found on the post at Fort Bragg. On November 26, 2008, a federal judge granted Gray a stay of execution to allow time for further appeals.
# William Calley - In connection with My Lai Massacre
# John T. Neufeld was a World War I era Mennonite conscientious objector sentenced to 15 years hard labor in the Disciplinary Barracks. Neufeld was paroled to do dairy work and released after serving five months of his sentence.
# Jonathan Wells, who later wrote Icons of Evolution which criticized the teaching of evolution in American schools, served 18 months for refusing military service during the Vietnam war.

We did not see the new barracks but it was interesting to see the old ones.