The Homestead Act (09-16-13)

What is the Homestead Act, and why are we learning about it? We are learning about it because we happen to be in the area in Nebraska where it started and a National Monument was placed here so that no one would forget the historical significance that the Homestead Act had on our history as a nation. As to what it was, it was enacted by Abraham Lincoln in 1862, and the general purpose of it was to encourage people to move out west and settle in new areas of the country.  To do that, the Homestead Act allowed anyone over the age of 21 to apply to receive 160 acres of land for free, but that acreage had to be in certain areas of the country.

Of course, there were rules. You had to live on the land for 5 years, build a home on it, and use the land to cultivate crops.  Millions of people took advantage of this program until it was abolished in the 1980s.  The first successful homesteader had his plot at the location of this museum.  His descendants donated the land for the museum.  The last homesteader got his 160 acres up in Alaska in 1986. 

The idea of “taming” the wild west was not a new one in 1862.  As early as the late 1700s our government was trying to find ways of creating settlements out west. Telling “Americans” to go forth and build communities in unpopulated areas pretty much ignored the fact that actually, those lands were not uninhabited.  They had been inhabited by native Americans for thousands of years by that point.   No one asked the Indians what they thought of the idea of thousands of people settling on lands that they already occupied, and as has happened innumerable times over the course of the history of our planet, the Native Americans were shoved aside to make way for new, more powerful people.

Over 270 million acres of land were given away by the Federal government, in 30 states.  Along the wall at the entrance to the museum there were metal representations of all the states that were involved, with a square cut out of it to indicate how much land was given away in that particular state. This picture shows that Iowa had very little land given away, but Minnesota had a lot.

Once the land had been occupied and cultivated for 5 years, the settler could apply for the official patent (deed) for the land.  He or she had to bring two witnesses to the Land Office that would verify the the fact that they had fulfilled  the obligations required of them.

a restored 1800s homestead cabin

The Ingalls Family of “Little House On The Prairie” fame tried, (in Kansas) and ultimately succeeded (in South Dakota),  in receiving their 160 acres of land from the government.

More Washington DC (05-06-13)

Monument Day: The day we walked 5 miles to see all the monuments.  Ok, not all of them.  We didn’t walk the extra mile to see the Jefferson Memorial, but maybe we’ll get a chance before we leave.

We walked down Pennsylvania Avenue and dutifully took our pictures of the White House. 

We couldn’t get too close to the front yard- we could get closer in the backyard, for some reason.

I zoomed in really close and took a picture of the sniper on top of the White House.









We spent hours walking up and down the National Mall.  Don’t think stores- think Memorials and Monuments.  On the way there we passed through a really cool sculpture garden:

stainless steel tree

old fashioned typewriter eraser

 

The World War II Memorial is really well done.  I have an App on my phone that has a map of the Mall, and short blurbs about each of the monuments/memorials.  The amount of thought that went into the design of this one  is amazing.

  Every part of the monument has meaning, it seems. For instance, the 56 columns (stalae) represent the states, territories, and the District of Columbia, arranged according to when they joined the Union.

Each star on the Freedom wall represents 100 people who died in the war.

The Mall is a very busy place.  While we were there, an outdoor yoga class was taking place, as well as a celebration of Cinco de Mayo. I am not sure I’d be interested in a yoga class where the instructor is using a microphone with massive speakers, but then, I don’t do yoga.

   

The Lincoln Memorial is as massive as ever, really huge and somehow awe inspiring, with his immortal words carved into the nearby granite for all to read.

The view from beneath the columns of the Lincoln Memorial was pretty impressive as well.  It doesn’t show as well in the picture but behind the Washington Memorial is the Capitol Building.  The Washington Memorial is closed due to damage from an earth quake two years ago.  There is scaffolding surrounding the exterior.

  These larger-than-life stainless steel servicemen represent the Korean War veterans, trudging through the windy and cold terrain. 

My dad was in the service during the Korean War, although he was lucky enough to be stationed in Boston, his home town.












Most people are familiar with the Vietnam Wall, inscribed with the names of the 58,000+ service members who died in the Vietnam War.  Young schoolchildren wrote and left notes written to individual people on the wall, thanking them.

In addition to the “major” memorials, there are lots of lesser known ones.  We stopped by the Memorial to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Every day, on the way in to town, we pass right by the U.S. Navy Memorial. We finally stopped today to wander through part of it, but we need to stop and take a better look.  It started to rain while we were there.

The Siege of Vicksburg (11-28-12)

41% of the continental United States drains through the mighty Mississippi River. It has long been a major conduit for trade goods and raw materials, and continues to be one today.  During the Civil War of the 1860s, it was also used by the Confederate army to move munitions and troop supplies.  Abraham Lincoln knew that he needed to split the confederate army apart by gaining control of the Mississippi River.  By the end of 1862 he had gained control of most of the major towns along the river- except for Vicksburg, Mississippi, a very difficult town to conquer.

   

   In addition to the benefit of being on the river, Vicksburg has the advantage of resembling a natural fortress. It sits high on a bluff surrounded by deep trenches, making any enemy approach, whether by land or water, virtually impossible.
Abraham Lincoln sent General Ulysses S.Grant to take Vicksburg, telling him that “Vicksburg is the key.  The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.”
For months, Grant tried multiple approaches to capture Vicksburg and all were reasonably easily rebuffed.  He tried a full frontal assault, a multi-pronged assault, and even dug tunnels, loading them with explosives to blow up the confederates and clear the way for his men.  Nothing worked.  What DID work was patience.  Grant eventually surrounded the city and waited.  Within 6 weeks, the soldiers and the townspeople faced severe illness and starvation. On July 3, Grant met with General Pemberton, commander of the Confederate side, to discuss surrender terms. After much negotiation, Pemberton surrendered on July 4, when Grant met his terms of parole for the confederate soldiers in Vicksburg.
Upset with the timing of the agreement, for many years the citizens of Vicksburg did not celebrate the 4th of July.  The date of surrender was not a coincidence, however.  Pemberton chose that time frame because he felt he would secure better terms for his men on Independence Day.
The battles of Vicksburg and Gettysburg occured at almost the same time, and both had significant impact on the outcome of the Civil War.  

  We took an auto tour of the battlefield, with many stops along the way where we could dial a number on our cell phone and hear a short blurb about why that spot was significant.  I liked it when we  got to each spot where  an actual battle took place because I could visualize it. The blue plaques represent the position of Union soldiers and the red ones (at the top of the hill) represent the confederate army.

Its scary how close together they were.

One thing we noticed were all the trees there were in some areas. Where there were rolling grassy hills, it was easy to imagine the past, but in the areas with trees, we wondered if they had been there at that time or not.  It sure would have made things more challenging for everyone!

It turns out the trees were not there.  They were planted years later by the CCC to help with erosion problems. 

In recent years they have started the process of returning the land back to what it was.

Once we’d had our fill of the Civil War. we headed to the Lower Mississippi River Museum, which teaches about life in and around the Mississippi River. This is a brand new museum whose main attraction is “The Mississippi IV”, a retired Army Corp of Engineers work boat.

There will be a lot of interactive displays once the museum is finished, including a simulator, aboard the Mississippi IV.

I love the parking signs around town!

Happy Mother's Day!

     So far, it's been a pretty good one for me!  Paul cooked breakfast (as usual) and then we went for a 4 mile walk.  Afterwards, I spoke to my son on the phone for almost an hour.  Can't wait to get to Boston to see him! My daughter and her fiance came over for a late lunch.  David is leaving Muncie today.  He has finished school and after stopping at his parents in Wisconsin for a bit, will be headed to California for an internship in the film industry.

David and Jess

   Paul made it back from Texas with no car issues, after spending a week with his mom. The day he arrived home happened to be Cinco De Mayo, so of course we picked up the kids (in their Lincoln) and headed to the nearest Mexican restaurant for dinner.  The Lincoln he brought back with him is an early (very generous!) wedding present for the kids, from Paul's mother-her 2000 Lincoln LS.  The kids were tremendously excited about their wedding gift, and I admit, its nice peace of mind for me to know Jess has something reliable to drive!  So, thank you Gerry!  

     I'm not sure where the time went when Paul was gone, but it sure did fly by.   I did go for a bike ride the day I planned to, but it was a long short bike ride.  It wasn't that many miles but the first half  I had a tail wind and on the way back I had a head wind that was so strong and tough to battle that when I put my leg down to stop for a minute, it didn't hold my weight, I was that tired!  Ugh.    Since that day I've gone walking several times and I am hoping to go for another bike ride tomorrow, IF the weather cooperates, which it really hasn't been doing lately.  I must say, after being back in the Midwest for a while, the deserts of the west are growing on me. The constant sunshine, lack of humidity and milder temperatures are fond memories. A lot of my full timing friends are still in the western states, and I admit I am somewhat jealous and can't wait to get back there.  All in good time though.  I wouldn't give up spending time with the kids for anything.
    One of the ways I have kept busy for the last week was by finalizing the specifications for our new Mobile Suite 5th wheel.  Call us spoiled, but we have decided to go forward with the purchase of our "new" new trailer, for a lot of reasons, actually (that I am not going to get into here).  We ordered it last Tuesday and it should be built by mid-June or so.  We'll know the timing better next week.  We went back to the factory to look at interior colors and make those choices, and also to discuss some of the customizations we have ordered.  I can't even post pictures of existing units and say that's what we are getting because some of the changes we're making are changing the look of the interior.  We sort of took one floor plan and substituted in parts that we liked from other floor plans, and then put in some of our own ideas as well.
   Now that we've ordered the 5th wheel, we need to buy a new truck to pull it. Ours won't tow that much weight, so we are looking to get a 2011 F450.  We've gone round and round on this one- debating 350 vs. 450 and 2011 vs. 2012.  It's too late to order one and have it be a 2011, and Paul, after talking to his buddies at Ford, has decided he doesn't want a 2012. They are downsizing the brakes, apparently.  Plus, because of the Tsunami in Japan, you can't order one with a navigation system until further notice.
So, we have been searching dealer lots trying to find one that will fit our needs.  We finally found one in Pennsylvania, and we're hoping its still there when we head that way next week.