Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: ROX on July 22, 2008, 12:03:05 PM

Title: History Near You
Post by: ROX on July 22, 2008, 12:03:05 PM
On another thread a guy posted about old USAF/RAF airfields in the UK that were now in ruins, a kind of "local" history that if it's not documented now, it might just be forgotten.

The AETN (Arkansas Educational TV Network) had a GREAT idea to interview as many WWII veterans in the state who would volunteer and tell their story.  My father-in-law volunteered, and his 1:20 interview is eye opening as well as moving.  I wish that kind of technology existed 170+ years ago.  I can only imagine hearing my GGGGrandfather tell how it was to fight in the Civil War--in his own words--in his own voice.

I've already given a copy of the DVD to my daughter with my wishes that as technology evolves to make sure that interview gets passed down and passed down.  Can you even fathom what it would be like for my GGGGrandson to see is GGGGGrandfather's interview about his experiences in WWII?  :O  :O

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since most of us seem to have an interst in history (read that all kinds of history, not just WWII). 

As we are a world wide forums community, this should be very interesting.

Pick one:

1) A historical event, battle, settlement, exploration that happened in your local area

or

2) One of your ancestors who participated in a historic event, battle, settlement, or exploration

or

3) Ditch the local aspect and tell us why a location somewhere else is historically importaint to you, your family, or your country.

or

4) If you could leave a historic "time capsule" for your future ancestors, what would you put in it?  (Besides a family tree, that's a given)




If you have pictures, feel free to use them.

Once it gets started, I'll include mine.

Please follow forum rules, and have fun! 

We all just might learn something!

Thank you all in advance!






ROX
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Furball on July 22, 2008, 12:09:19 PM
We are lucky enough to be spoilt by history around where i live.  Not many people can say that where they live was destroyed by the infamous Queen Boudica.

By the middle of the 1st century AD, Verulamium – the modern-day St Albans, Hertfordshire – had achieved the Roman status of municipium, the only British city to attain such an honour, which accorded native magistrates and their families the right to Roman citizenship. With such an open indication of its pro-Roman stance, it is hardly surprising that Verulamium was chosen as Boudica's next – and last – target.

However, the presence of Romans themselves was apparently very limited at Verulamium. No fort has ever been found here, which suggests that the population was considered quite tame by the conquerors.

The people of Verulamium had not always been so docile. As members of the powerful Catuvellauni tribe, they had dominated most of south-east England, including their main rivals, the Trinovantes, and had led the ultimately unsuccessful resistance to Claudius's invasion in AD 43. The choice of Verulamium as a target for the Boudican rebels may have derived from the Trinovantes' desire for revenge.

Before she had even left Londinium, the residents of Verulamium received the news that they were to be Boudica's next victims. As a result, by the time the Iceni queen and her followers – who may have numbered 200,000 by now – arrived, the residents had mostly evacuated and taken everything they owned with them. Nevertheless the rebels burned Verulamium and killed all those who remained.

Boudica and her 'army' then began to march north-west, in the direction that the Roman governor Suetonius Paulinus was bound to be travelling down Watling Street with his troops. Why didn't the rebels return to East Anglia with their booty and the memories of their victories? It is likely that, full of their successes, they believed they could eliminate the Romans entirely from Britain with just one more battle. Some 80 miles from Verulamium, they would find out if they could.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What you can see

Verulamium Museum and Roman Town
www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/verulamium_museum.htm

Verulamium Museum is on the site of one the major cities of Roman Britain, now an attractive park. Inside there are recreated Roman rooms, hands-on 'discovery areas', an introductory video, touch-screen databases and some of the finest Roman mosaics and wall plasters outside the Mediterranean. Every second weekend in the month, re-enactors demonstrate the tactics and equipment of the Roman army.

Except for pieces of burnt pottery, there is little, if any, evidence of the Boudican attack on Verulamium. What can be seen is the rebuilding that occurred afterwards, including walls up to 3.7 metres (12 feet) high and the only Roman theatre in Britain.

Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Motherland on July 22, 2008, 12:11:14 PM
I'm 20-30 minutes away from Gettysburg, which was the site of the bloodiest battle in the American Civil War. Been over the battlefield several times.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Saurdaukar on July 22, 2008, 12:17:47 PM
Just about neck deep in it, here.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Banshee7 on July 22, 2008, 12:17:59 PM
During WW2, there was a B17 training base located right here in my hometown of Halls, TN.  This was the hotspot back in the 40s where the majority of our population lived.  This base was known as Dyersburg Army Airfield (now Arnold Field).  After the war the base was basically rundown.  Lucky enough for us we still have a hangar and a few smaller buildings.  We also have the building where Nordyne bombsights were stored.  This base is very dear to me, and is what got me interested in aviation when i was a small child.  We always held AirShows (Which we no longer due since the start of the war in Iraq).  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans'_Museum_(Halls,_Tennessee) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans'_Museum_(Halls,_Tennessee))


And to the south of me about 15 minutes away..is Alex Haley's house


EDIT....cant find my pix....will upload later

Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: avionix on July 22, 2008, 12:25:35 PM
Work at the Lakeland, FL airport which used to be a B-26 training base during WWII.  If anyone know of any B-26 drivers that may have trained here, please let me know.  I am trying to find some pics and records of it as an Army Air Corps base, other than what is in the local Historical Society.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: macleod01 on July 22, 2008, 12:57:35 PM
I live about 2 hours away from Culloden Battlefield, which was the site of Bonnie Prince Charlies final battle (1746), resulting in no less than 1200 deaths inside of 45 minutes. It was the final battle ever to be fought on British soil. Also rumour has it that there is a battery of AA guns hidden on the hill behind me, used to protect our local naval base in case of bombing, and forget about after WW2. They have yet to be found, and considering the hill is about 10 miles square, It could well be true. Never know
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Vudak on July 22, 2008, 12:58:20 PM
Farmington, Connecticut, a generally small and unknown town, was once called "Grand Central Station of the Underground Rail Road."

There are a number of old hiding spots still in existence, and at least until the police got the new K9, they still worked like a charm :aok They probably still would...  I can't imagine they didn't have dogs back then.  Some of the hiding spots are really cool.  Most are simple nooks and crannies, but a few are quite elaborate.

Also of interest, for those of you who have seen the movie or are familiar with the whole "Amistad" story, Farmington housed a number of the Africans while people raised the money to send them back home.  One of the guys ("Foone," I believe), drowned in the Farmington River and is buried in the same cemetary as my friend.

Nowadays, we're most famous for being the place some of the world's more memorable jerks have called home.  Ben Sisti, Mike Tyson, and 50-Cent.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: coola4me on July 22, 2008, 02:02:17 PM
Starting with the civil war.
There is many places in Mississippi that is rich with civil war history but the one battle that stands out was the Siege Of Vicksburg.

45 min from Jackson Mississippi

Siege at Vicksburg Mississippi

http://www.civilwarhome.com/battleofvicksburg.htm
http://www.nps.gov/vick/
U.S.S. Cairo (pronounced Care-o), a Union ironclad commanded by Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr., was named for Cairo, Illinois, and commissioned on January 16, 1862. On December 12, 1862, in the Yazoo River north of Vicksburg, Cairo struck two underwater torpedoes (today called mines) sinking in less than 12 minutes with no loss of life. Preserved by mud and silt, Cairo sat on the bottom of the Yazoo River for 102 years. It was raised in 1964, and later restored. The ironclad is now on display within Vicksburg National Military Park. 

WWII

10 min from Jackson Mississippi

Clinton Mississippi

German Prisoner of war camp
http://www.kilroywashere.org/004-Pages/JAN-Area/04-D-Jackson-POW.html


Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Obie303 on July 22, 2008, 02:17:01 PM
Grizzly Adams is buried 2 miles away from where I live.  30 minutes away from from Boston.  Plenty of history there.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: SlapShot on July 22, 2008, 02:27:44 PM
Nearest city is Waterbury, CT ...

    The city, like the rest of the country, endured hard times during the Great Depression, as industries imploded and thousands were thrown out of work. But all that changed when America began to gear up for World War II, and local factories retooled for war production.

    “Waterbury at that time, during the war — you could almost compare it to a miniature Times Square,” Tom Ciarlo said. “It was never quiet because there were so many factories and each factory had three shifts so they’re going around the clock. You didn’t have cars because there were no gasoline stamps, so you had to take buses. So we had busses running up and down from the center of town to different streets all over the city going constantly. And there was always a humming in the city. There was always something going on, the restaurants downtown were always booming. So were the bars. Theaters were always full. There was always something going on.”

    The Mattatuck Manufacturing Company switched from making upholstery nails to cartridge clips for the Springfield rifle, and soon was turning out three million clips a week. The American Brass Company made more than two billion pounds of brass rods, sheets and tubes during the war. The Chase Brass and Copper Company made more than 50 million cartridge cases and mortar shells, more than a billion small caliber bullets and, eventually, components used in the atomic bomb. Scovill Manufacturing produced so many different military items, the Waterbury Republican reported, that “there wasn’t an American or British fighting man … who wasn’t dependent on [the company] for some part of the food, clothing, shelter and equipment that sustained [him] through the … struggle.”

    “Waterbury was the brass center of the world and we had every factory going full blast,” DeVico said. “Especially because it was the war. The war was going on. So we had factories. Everywhere you looked there were factories. And everybody — when they got out of school — went into the factories.”

    Because of its concentration of war industries, Waterbury was believed to be a strategic bombing target for the German Luftwaffe. Waterbury Clock — which would later be known as Timex — built a new plant in 1942 to accommodate the military’s demands for mechanical time fuses and other aircraft and artillery equipment. The new factory was nestled among the Middlebury hills and could be flooded and covered with water in the event of an invasion. Its roof was painted with a tromp l’oeil mural of trees, water and grass to deceive enemy bombers. In the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Waterbury hurriedly appointed air wardens to coordinate a local response to an air raid. The local barbers’ association volunteered to equip the city’s barbershops as first aid stations.

    More than 12,000 men and 500 women from Waterbury served in the armed forces during the war; the mayor saw them all off at the railroad station. Each man received a prayer book and a carton of cigarettes, courtesy of the Shriners; 282 of those who served lost their lives. The civilian men and women of Waterbury contributed to the war effort in hundreds of ways, large and small. War bonds were sold from “Liberty House,” set up in the middle of the town green on the site where similar bonds had been sold to help defeat Germany during the First World War, and local residents bought $270 million worth. They also collected 68,500 pounds of rubber; 5,097,421 pounds of scrap metal; 8,255,640 pounds of paper; and 150 tons of waste fat.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: 007Rusty on July 22, 2008, 02:31:17 PM
      I did not know he was a real guy..  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_%22Grizzly%22_Adams                       

Grizzly Adams is buried 2 miles away from where I live.  30 minutes away from from Boston.  Plenty of history there.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: cjdarts on July 22, 2008, 02:43:11 PM
I work at Dekalb Peachtree Airport (KPDK) in Atlanta. It was originally Camp Gordon, and Army Training base during WWI. It was later Naval Air Station Atlanta from 1942 until the end of the war.

http://www.pdkairport.org/history.asp

Also, on the airport is Epps Aviation. Epps was founded by Pat Epps who was one of those involved with salvaging a P-38 from glacial ice in Greenland now know as Glacier Girl.

http://p38assn.org/glacier-girl.htm

Finally Toccoa, GA is just to the north east of me, which was the home of the 101st Airborne during WWII.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: CAP1 on July 22, 2008, 03:47:29 PM
well, here in south jersey, we have Bader Field, which along with being the vewry first airfield to be designated as an airport(at least in the us), it was also the home of the very first Civil Air Patrol Squadron,. back then they were called the coastal patrol, and did in fact sink two german u-boats off the coast of atlantic city.


 we have lackehurst naval air station, which i think is famous for the hinderburg accident.

there's others which i'll have to look up.......
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: saantana on July 22, 2008, 04:16:43 PM
I'm in Warszawa (Warsaw).

September 1st, 1939; Poland invaded. Warsaw captured four weeks later.
November 16, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto established (100,000 jews died until 1942, after which another 254,000 sent to tremblinka concentration camp and murdered there).
January 18th, 1943: Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
August 1st, 1944: Warsaw Uprising (18,000 soldiers killed, 25,000 wounded, 200,000 civilians dead, 85% of major european capital city destroyed).

Grandfather from mothers side was in Berlin when it was captured.
Grandfather from fathers side was in the AK (Armia Krajowa) and was active during the Warsaw Uprising. He's still alive today but doesn't like to talk about the war.

The closest 'place' or example with history here in Warsaw that comes to my head is the old city center, where the warsaw uprising started. This city is dotted with ww2 battle grounds, there are monuments in many places that you visit.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Banshee7 on July 22, 2008, 05:19:03 PM
And on the civil War side, Fort Pillow is not to far from me either....and Shiloh is a few hours drive
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: ROX on July 22, 2008, 05:38:12 PM
WOW!  Some awesome stories so far!

No way I can top any of those, but here are some local minor nuggets:


Hot Springs, AR & vicinity:

First Tourist:  1542, Spanish Explorer Hernando DeSoto & Expedition, liked it so much he stayed 6 months

First Western Style Shoot out in the street West of the Mississippi:  1866 on Central Avenue in front of a saloon, aledgedly over an
                                                                                            arguement over Civil War loyalties

Most Famous Tourist:  Alphonse Capone, would come down for the winter from Chicago for the hot baths and local horse track & casinos,
                               would rent out an entire floor at the Arlington Hotel on Central Avenue for his enteroge

Second Most Famous Gangster:  Owen "Owney" "The Gopher" Madden, Founder of New York's Cotton Club and was "Don" of the New York
                                            Gopher Gang until 1935 when he "retired" to Hot Springs


Civil War:  Skirmish at Kentucky Community (Hwy 5)
               Battle of Hurricane Creek, (Present Day Bryant)
               Battle of Jenkin's Ferry




Keep 'em coming history fans...this is AWESOME!





ROX


              





Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: gpwurzel on July 22, 2008, 05:52:53 PM
Portsmouth Area, UK:-


We have - Royal Naval Historical Dockyard which includes the Mary Rose
HMS Warrior - worlds first ironclad warship
HMS Victory - Nelsons flagship during the Battle of Trafalgar

Palmerstons Follies -built during the Napoleonic wars to stop Portsmouth being invaded - includes 3 forts in the Solent, and multiple hill top forts above Portsmouth.

Lee on Solent - HMS Daedalus - site of Search and Rescue untis in the 2nd world war

Theres also the D-Day Museum, which houses the D-Day Tapestry - basically a lot of panes of tapestry detailing the 2nd world war from beginning to end - took 20 people 5 years to finish

Also have some other cool stuff - that said, once you've seen em once, not a lot else to do

Wurzel
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: ROX on July 22, 2008, 06:16:48 PM
Someday I want to go there wurzel!  It's been a dream ever since seeing "Mutiny On The Bounty" (in black & white) as a kid on Saturday Afternoon movies.

Hang 'em from the yard arm!

And you live RIGHT THERE ya lucky weasel!!!   :aok



 :salute   :salute   :salute


ROX



Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: gpwurzel on July 22, 2008, 06:30:21 PM
Anytime Rox - if ya can get across, you've got a tour guide mate...I'm also good at getting people drunk, and having fun now and then.... :D


<S>

Wurzel
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Masherbrum on July 22, 2008, 06:34:14 PM
I'm in Warszawa (Warsaw).

September 1st, 1939; Poland invaded. Warsaw captured four weeks later.
November 16, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto established (100,000 jews died until 1942, after which another 254,000 sent to tremblinka concentration camp and murdered there).
January 18th, 1943: Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
August 1st, 1944: Warsaw Uprising (18,000 soldiers killed, 25,000 wounded, 200,000 civilians dead, 85% of major european capital city destroyed).

Grandfather from mothers side was in Berlin when it was captured.
Grandfather from fathers side was in the AK (Armia Krajowa) and was active during the Warsaw Uprising. He's still alive today but doesn't like to talk about the war.

The closest 'place' or example with history here in Warsaw that comes to my head is the old city center, where the warsaw uprising started. This city is dotted with ww2 battle grounds, there are monuments in many places that you visit.

The next time you see your grandfather from your father's side, please pass along my offer of "Bóg Błogosławi (czcić) was".   

I'm going to make it a point to get to Poland one day.   Until then, Belvedere, Tyskie or Zywiec are proud drinks to share with my friends. 
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: saantana on July 22, 2008, 06:42:43 PM
The next time you see your grandfather from your father's side, please pass along my offer of "Bóg Błogosławi (czcić) was".   

I'm going to make it a point to get to Poland one day.   Until then, Belvedere, Tyskie or Zywiec are proud drinks to share with my friends. 

Thank you Karaya, I'll make sure I do that.
Speaking of Zywiec, I had two today  :lol
 :salute
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Ghosth on July 23, 2008, 06:38:15 AM
Fargo ND pretty light on the history side until you get clear back to early mid 1800's and the Red River Oxcarts, and the first steamer on the red.

However lots of good ol farmboys signed up from this area, and we have a lot of WWII vets still around.
Most of them come from Norwegian or German stock and tend to be a bit stoic about it all.

My own family has a long history of serving. Going back to the Revolutionary war.
The first Jamison in this country (of our family anyway) raised 8 children not far from New York on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Their oldest son William served as a private in Captain John Loudens Company. After the war he settled in Kentucky.

The latest Jamison to serve was my Nephew Joel Jamison. Who went to West Point on a Hockey Scholarship, served his 6 years with no major problems. He could have made the gulf war but he specialized in logistics, so he was stuck here in the states trying to make sure the boys over in the gulf had what they needed when they needed it.

Other notables include my uncle Dick who was blown of the California during Pearl Harbor but survived to serve out the war with no other close calls.  My Uncle Tom who was in the pacific as a hvy equipment operator. He was wounded at Tarawa and again at Saipan.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: evenhaim on July 23, 2008, 07:14:12 AM
Alot.  :)
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Stage1 on July 23, 2008, 07:23:00 AM
I live in Plattsburgh, NY and this what happened here.

On September 11, 1814, the Battle of Plattsburgh became the most decisive engagement of the War of 1812. Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost's failed invasion of the United States forced British ground troops back into Canada, and put an end to British plans to seize more American territory.

The fledgling United States navy defeated the world's strongest naval power, on Lake Champlain. As a result, remaining British hopes of creating a homeland in the northwest for its First Nations allies were abandoned.


With an American Embargo Act against the British having been established in 1807, tensions between the U.S. and Great Britain remained high. On June 30, 1814, Governor General of Canada George Prevost received orders to establish a strong presence on Lake Champlain. By possessing exclusive navigation rights on the Great Lakes as well as possession of already conquered American soil, the British would be able to extend their already superior land and sea power.


The primary targets of Plattsburgh and Sacket's Harbor were pinpointed by British prime minister Lord Liverpool. With General Wellington's troops enjoying a decisive victory over Napoleon, they began to shuttle their way into North America by the thousands with great confidence of destroying a patchwork-quilt American militia.


The Americans and British quickly began a shipbuilding race in the months leading up to the battle. Even though U.S. Commander Thomas Macdonough had close ties with the New York shipbuilder Noah Brown, America's chances against the world's best navy still looked like a long shot.

The USS Saratoga was Brown's masterpiece. He launched the 120-foot marvel at the Vergennes shipyard in New York in the spring of 1814. Along with the completion of the Saratoga, the Americans had managed to build the 20-gun brig Eagle, which, amazingly, was completed in a record-breaking 17 days.

The British, however, were not far behind in their own ship-building process. They had managed to launch their newly constructed flagship, the 146-foot Confiance, at Isle aux Noix on the Richelieu River.



By the end of the summer of 1814, Prevost had assembled a strike force of close to 10,000 soldiers, near Montreal. Many of those soldiers were well-trained, battle-hardened regular troops inspired by Wellington's victory over Napoleon in Europe. On September 3, 1814, Prevost's army crossed the Canadian border into New York State.

At dawn on September 11, after having been encamped outside Plattsburgh for five days awaiting the navy, Great Britain's Major General Frederick Philipse Robinson was eager to proceed to the banks of the Saranac River.

While the British army moved down the western side of Lake Champlain, the American troops fell back to Plattsburgh and prepared to make a stand. At the same time, the ships of the British Navy under Captain George Downie moved slowly down the lake.

The U.S. forces at Plattsburgh were commanded by Brigadier General Alexander Macomb. Macomb's untrained volunteers were out-classed, outnumbered, extremely underpowered, and he knew it. If the Brits were to make their land offensive, Macomb had already made plans to blow up the town rather than let the enemy have it.

The Americans were badly outnumbered, but had the support of the U.S. fleet under Thomas Macdonough. Realizing that the British had bigger ships and longer range guns, Macdonough anchored his squadron in Plattsburgh Bay and waited for the British Navy to come to him.


Under tremendous pressure from George Prevost, who was waiting outside Plattsburgh with his army, the British fleet prematurely sailed into battle. For two hours the ships exchanged a series of brutal assaults. Fifteen minutes into the battle, the British commander, George Downie, was decapitated by a 20-pound cannonball.

Macdonough had a few tricks up his sleeve for the British. Remarkably, he was able to winch around his flagship around to deliver a fresh broadside against the British fleet. This stroke of genius made all difference; the British realized they were beaten, and they surrendered.

After the war, Prevost's poorly calculated conduct during the campaign was criticized by a naval court martial. He died before he could clear his name.


Just as Major General Robinson was about to order a free-for-all massacre on Macomb's weak army of mostly farmers, a message was delivered to him stating that the British fleet had been defeated, and giving a direct order from Prevost to make a general retreat.

In disbelief, Robinson's troops (outnumbering the U.S. three to one) turned back for the Canadian border. While the British retreated, a loud cheer of victory could be heard by Macomb's men as they waved their rifles above their heads in excitement.

For the United States, the victory against overwhelming odds at Plattsburgh provided an important boost to national morale, ultimately ending the War of 1812.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Stage1 on July 23, 2008, 07:41:04 AM
And on the other side of the lake(Vermont).

 St. Albans, Vermont, is the site of the northernmost land action in the Civil War,
the St. Albans Raid.
 On October 19, 1864, Confederate raiders, under the command of Lieutenant Bennett H. Young, robbed three banks, escaped to Canada, were captured, and put on trial. The Canadian courts decided they were acting under military orders and they could not be extradited back to the United States without Canada violating her neutrality.

Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: pipz on July 23, 2008, 07:52:22 AM
I didnt think there was any history to where I live until a buddy of mine loaned me a book about the revolutionary war.I live in the south of New Jersey rite across the river from Philadelphia PA.We have a long running street name Kings Highway.I think back in the day it was called "The Kings Highway".British troops marched down kings highway when they were trying to clear the area of American troops.We have an old fort called Fort Mercer not far from where I live.The Battle Of Red Bank was fought there.The Patriots used the back water inlets of the New Jersey side of the river to hide theyre small cannon armed boats.They would go out attack the Royal Navy on the Deleware river then go back into hiding.My buddy and his brother would go around looking for artifacts.They found all kinds of old coins and buttons.They even found a stacked set of cannon balls burried in the ground.They had been looking for a site where the Red Coats had a gun battery set up.I cant recall all the details but I was suprised to find out the British actualy marched through my town.The book had a map that showed Kings Highway and the route of the British march.

Pipz
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: ROX on July 23, 2008, 10:42:24 AM
As a side to Stage1's:

A private archeologist has discovered the wreck of HMS Ontario not far from where Stage1 lives.  He has posted pictures on the internet and the thing looks pretty much intact!  The guy won't give the location because he fears people might loot the site. 

Can you imagine a fully restored British war sloop meant to wage war on the Great Lakes--eventually on display someday!  :aok   :aok

Me & the missus went to the "Titanic" display in Las Vegas.  Being able to actually touch the ship's horn...priceless  :aok  :aok


(wurzel:  I'll take you up on that historic Portsmouth sight seeing tour, then match you pint for pint until we both stumble off the wharf! :lol  )

(http://www.entertainmentworlds.com/tunafish.gif)




ROX
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: uptown on July 23, 2008, 01:04:37 PM
I was born and raised in Yorktown Virginia. The revolutionary war ended there. 15 minutes for Williamsburg and Jamestown. Jamestown was the first permament settlement in the colonies. I lived for a while in Wicomico Va., just across the York River from Yorktown, and that is where Pocahawnas saved Capt.John Smiths head from the chopping block. The old man that owned the property used to let us local kids look for arrowheads over there. Wasn't much at that spot except for a real old chimney.
Back behind our house there was (still is), a graveyard where about a dozen revolutionary and civil war veterns are laid to rest.
As a requirement to make eagle scout in the boy scouts, I wanted to restore it and put it in the national registery of historic places, but the family that owns it wants it left alone. It's sad that the place has to go to pot like that, but I can understand why they wouldn't want folks trampling around their desendants resting place.

As a young man I used to sit in front of General Cornwalles' cave and drink beer, watching the girls on the beach.  :D Cornwalles was the British general and was captured in that cave. One of his flag ships is at the bottom of York River right across from there. They just found it about 20 years ago.

I could go on and on, that area is so full of history and I've always felt so lucky to have grown up there. I have a family now and am living in Iowa and they talk about the Mormon Trail that went through here. I just laugh and say "that's nice".  :lol
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: uptown on July 23, 2008, 01:34:28 PM
and a big  :salute to Saantanas grandpa. That man went through things that no man should have to endure.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: SlapShot on July 23, 2008, 04:02:47 PM
Alot.  :)

Ya think ?  :O

Not enough server space for you.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: evenhaim on July 23, 2008, 04:07:32 PM
Ya think ?  :O

Not enough server space for you.
:D
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: uptown on July 23, 2008, 04:19:00 PM
man i reckon! history out da ying yang  :lol
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: BlkKnit on July 23, 2008, 08:17:05 PM
Hey ROX, ya forgot to mention Caddo Gap.  Thats where DeSoto got whipped by the Caddo and turned back to Lousiana where he later died.  Its southwest (west from Glenwood) of Hot Springs and has a pretty big historical marker, if you've not seen it.   :)
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Dragon on July 23, 2008, 09:04:16 PM
Cleveland, Ohio.  River caught on fire.  Nothing else matters.
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: Masherbrum on July 23, 2008, 09:16:34 PM
Cleveland, Ohio.  River caught on fire.  Nothing else matters.


To heck with Paul Newman or Alan Freed. 
Title: Re: History Near You
Post by: ROX on July 23, 2008, 09:45:53 PM
Hey ROX, ya forgot to mention Caddo Gap.  Thats where DeSoto got whipped by the Caddo and turned back to Lousiana where he later died.  Its southwest (west from Glenwood) of Hot Springs and has a pretty big historical marker, if you've not seen it.   :)


Yessir....the greatest native American tribe warriors DeSoto said he had ever encountered.  ANd he had been all over northern and northwestern South America before his last expedition.

Uptown...you are a lucky man.  All that history around!




ROX