Decisions, Decisions: How to Tell the Good Old Days Are Back

The summer of 2021 sure promises, at this point, to be an improvement over last summer.  

I mean, that good buddy Denny is on another one of his extended road trips.  Liz and I are planning on hitting the road as well.

But, even more important, I now am faced with having to make decisions as to what I'm going to do.

For example, in a few minutes I will be heading out the door for one of two history things.  Either a presentation by the McHenry Area Historical Society at Veterans Park in McHenry or the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group meeting in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Last night I had the choice of going to the Spring Grove Annual Fish Fry to raise money for our Fish Hatchery Park (with a band) or see a band at the McHenry VFW.

Thursday night the choice was between going to Antioch for their weekly It's Thursday concert or go to the Lake House on Pistakee to sit out by that lake and watch a band.

Tough decisions, but somebody's got to make them.

Oft times I am asked why we don't go on many vacations away from home during the summer.  But, why go anywhere else when you have so much to do right here?

Partyin' In the Local Area These Days.  --RoadDog

Going to Union, Illinois-- Part 2: A Nursery and a Lot of History

This, as I said before, is my second longest trip from home since March 2020 because of you-know-what.   The only farther trip was to the Indy 500 over Memorial Day weekend a short time ago.

Once on Illinois Highway 176 and headed west to Union, I stopped at Kolze's nursery and found two hostas that I liked and bought the,.  Hostas have become my go to plant as they require very little effort to grow.  They just do their thing.

Drove around Union, Illinois, a thriving community of 576 according tom the 2020 census, but it has been there since the 1850s and is named for the United States.  It is an old village with a small downtown.  The McHenry County Civil War Round Table got its start there before meetings were moved to the more centrally located Woodstock.

In addition, the McHenry County Historical Society Museum is there and located in what used to be a school.  Also, the Illinois Railway Museum is there as is  Donley's Wild West Town amusement Park and the site of the oldest and largest antique Phonograph Show in the world.  So, as you can see, there sure is a lot of history in Union.

--RoadUnion

Lincoln Highway, Aug. 2020: Wilkinsburg's Lincoln Statue-- Part 3

News about the Lincoln Highway.

A new concrete platform for Mr. Lincoln is already in place as a result of a restoration project along Route 30 (U.S. Highway 30).  But Morris said a new dark granite pedestal, which is coming from India, is needed which will add another $15,000 to the project.

Society President  Anne Elise Morris said:  "The old one was not usable.  It didn't pass the  structural engineer's test, and you're certainly not going to have a beautiful new statue and a new viewing area to set it in -- and then have the part that holds them together in poor shape."

President Morris and the others, however, could not have anticipated this new wave of statue destruction that hit this year with the "woke" community.  She said:  "I believe that most people are not perfect and every decision has a back story to it.  Looking back  150 years ago, although Lincoln was not a perfect man,  he certainly did get the ball rolling  to free  three-and-a-half-million African-American slaves.  And he did what he had to do to save the Union.  If anybody deserved to have a statue honoring them, it's Abraham Lincoln."

Agreed.  --RoadDog

Along the Lincoln Highway, March 2020: Crestline, Ohio, Wants On Lincoln Highway

MARCH 12, 2020

From the Crestline Source "A centennial celebration of Lincoln Highway program set for March 26."

Wonder if they had it?  Kind of doubt it with the you-know-what.

The first of a quarterly Living History series will be presented at the Crestline, Ohio,  Historical Society and Museum on March 26 at 7 pm.

The inaugural program is titles "The Lincoln Highway: A Centennial Celebration of Crestline's Stretch of Main Street America" will be presented by Bill Fisher.

After missing out on the Lincoln Highway's first route through Crawford County, Crestline rolled out the welcome mat in 1920.  Come and learn how Crestline  adapted to the coast-to-coast excitement and travelers.

The Crestline Historical Society and Museum is located  at 400 Scott Street, Crestline.  This is a free event and refreshments will be provided.

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I don't know about you, but I sure miss my history meetings.

--RoadDog

About Last Weekend: Steak 'N Shake and Bands

Just hanging around town as it were.

APRIL 7, FRIDAY--  Went to Crystal Lake and had breakfast at Steak 'N Shake in McHenry. Did some shopping and went to the Legion in Fox Lake.

APRIL 8, SATURDAY--  Breakfast buffet at St. John the Baptist in Johnsburg and presentation on Charles Lindbergh at the McHenry Area Historical Society meeting at the McHenry Savings Bank.  Shopping afterwards and yardwork and sure enjoyed the 70 degrees temperature.

Went to Sunnyside and saw several sports games on TV and watched the Central Stone Rollers band for a set.

APRIL 9, SUNDAY--  Did my usual radio shows and then yardwork, Steak 'N Shake for lunch and Jim Sieg's jam session at Sunnyside.

Plenty   to Do Around Here.  --RoadDog

Why Go Elsewhere? 4th of July 2016-- Part 3: Watching the Fireworks From Our Driveway

SUNDAY, JULY 3:  Of course, in the morning I went back to July 3, 1976, right in that Bicentennial Year, with Bob Stroud on his Rock and Roll Roots Show on WDRV from 7 to 10 a.m..  I am listing the songs he played on my Down Da Road Blog.

I then went to the Fox Lake Historical Society's Ice Cream Social at the museum.  Great pie ala mode.

Later, we went to Captain's Quarters on Fox Lake and saw the excellent band Hooked on Sonics.  Last stop was at Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg.

Came home and enjoyed a bonfire on the Strand and the many fireworks neighbors were shooting off.

MONDAY, JULY 4:  This be the big day.  I went to the Spring Grove parade and they actually had floats that amounted to more than someone slapping some streamers and a sign on a truck or flatbed.  The Richmond-Burton High School Marching Band was also in it.  Spring grove being in the heart of agricultural area, there are always a lot of old tractors.

I enjoyed the festival for awhile., came home and sat out on the deck before we went to Sunnyside Tavern.  That Macy's Fireworks display in New York was really something as we watched on TV.

Came home and sat out by the end of the driveway and watched the Spring grove Fireworks.  At least three of our neighbors had expensive fireworks displays as well.

So We Got Our bang On for the 4th.  --RoadDog

Talking About Those Old One and Two Room Schools

The McHenry County Historical Society and author Robert W. Frenz are proud to announce the publication of Historic Country Schools of McHenry County, Illinois.

McHenry County, Illinois, located northwest of Chicago has been growing at a huge rate the last ten years as Chicago continues its march out to the country. Farms are fast disappearing and the population is exploding. The rural character of the county is fast disappearing.

Author Robert W. Frenz has put together a book to tell the tale of the some 140 one and two room school houses that existed here a hundred years ago. Quite a few of these schools still remain standing, some as homes and others as offices. "These buildings are a direct and visible link to an earlier and simpler time in our county's history."

You can order a copy from the McHenry County Historical Society for $34.95.

http://www.mchsonline.org/

Looks Like a Great Trip Down Memory Lane. --RoadDog

More on the Steamship General Anthony Wayne

June 21st I wrote about the finding of the wreck of the 156 foot long steamship General Anthony Wayne under How Deep Can We Go. Yesterday's Chicago Tribune had an article with more info on it. Since I'm very interested in sunken ships, I'll go into more detail.

The ship, which sank April 27, 1850 in Lake Erie, about eight miles north of Vermillion, OH, was rumored to be carrying millions of dollars worth of GOLD!!! Forty million to be exact. As such, it was one of the most sought-after ones in the lake. Tom Kowalczk, who found it, said that isn't true, there is none. Plus, the Great Lakes Historical Society in Vermillion also does not believe there is any truth to the tale.

The wreckage, however, might provide some insight into the old side-wheel technology as well as why exactly the ship sank. Personal effects will give a good cultural history.

It was carrying domestic wine, cattle, and 93 passengers and crew and had left Sanduskey, Ohio, on its way to Cleveland and then Buffalo. It is known that the high-pressure boiler exploded and that preceded the sinking. Within a five year period, four more high-pressure boiler ships had fires or explosions. Shipbuilders liked these boilers because they were small and cheap to make. (Some things just don't change.)

The Federal government created the Steamship Inspection Service because of this. In 1915, the SIS became part of the newly formed US Coast Guard. The Historical Society (which has a great museum in Vermillion) will do a survey of it for the state of Ohio this summer. Once completed, the exact location will be revealed to the public so divers can see it for themselves.

Artifacts have been brought up and will be displayed in the museum.

Kowalczk discovered the ship last September after a lot of research and long-hours of looking. He won't make any money off it and won't even recover the thousands of out-of--pocket expenses he's incurred. "That's not why I go out there. It's just that anticipation of finding that shipwreck that keeps you going-- until you start after the next one." Way to go, Tom. My feelings exactly. I imagine this is how Ballard felt while looking for the Titanic and Bismarck.

The article also had a picture of the ship and a list of 5 other ships "missing" on the Great Lakes. Included were the Griffon which was lost in 1679 on Lake Huron or Lake Michigan. It was built for French explorer LaSalle. Also, there was the Lodner Phillips submarine which was lost in Lake Erie in 1853, one of the earliest working submarines. Now these two would be VERY interesting to find.

Chicago Tribune June 22nd- "No treasure, but the 1850 ship is historical gold" by Sean Hamill.

Congratulations to Tom Kowalczk for a Great Job. --RoadDog