June 8, 2009
Yesterday Mike and I took a tour of the Alexander Ramsey House in St. Paul. I didn’t get any pictures because the weather didn’t cooperate and photography is not allowed inside the house.
Here’s a link to the Minnesota Historical Society site so you can check it out: http://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/arh/
January 20, 2009
I’m not going to get all political… just posting a picture of the White House on Inauguration Day.
December 18, 2008
This was taken in 2001. This was the trip we took with Jim. This was at President Rutherford B. Hayes home, called Spiegel Grove. I’ve posted pictures of the house before, and I believe there’s a link about President Hayes along the right side under Stuff About History.
December 8, 2008
Originally uploaded by michelewithonel
This was taken three years ago. This is one of the homes that didn’t allow photos inside the house (either that or my camera died because I have no inside shots!).
Here is a link about President Truman:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ht33.html
Enjoy today’s history lesson!
December 5, 2008
I decided it was time to do some housecleaning. I took all the extraneous posts off this blog and added them to my new one. It’s called www.ramblingsandotherstuff.wordpress.com. There’s also a link to it under Other Stuff.
From now on, I will only post vacation photos and links to historical sites/information on this blog. That way you don’t have to “listen” to me rambling about other stuff.
December 3, 2008
This is the home of President Rutherford B. Hayes. Mike and I have been here a couple of times. The first time was with Jim, and Mike timed that visit to coincide with a Civil War encampment. The last time we went was two years ago. The question that kept getting asked was what was the burlap around the trees for. I don’t remember all the details, other than it was some way to trap a certain type of bug and keep it from destroying the trees. You can read more about President Hayes and Spiegel Grove here:
From the website: “As you enter the grounds of Spiegel Grove, a pair of large iron sentinels flanks the roadway. Closer examination reveals the ornate gates bear the Presidential seal at their center. These are in fact the original gates to the White House. They are one of five sets donated in 1928 by Congress for use at the entranceways to Spiegel Grove – site of the nation’s first presidential library.”
The last line in the above paragraph sums up the joke of that trip. Every presidential home we visited (and there were quite a few that trip) claimed to have had the first presidential library in some form.
December 1, 2008
This was taken back in 2001. We took Jim on a trip with us to see some Civil War Battlefields, presidential homes and Washington, D.C. I was begging to go to Harper’s Ferry because I’d been there in 1977 and remembered it as a really great place. Traveling with Mike is always very informative since he’s a walking Civil War Encyclopedia. However, I can recall very little of the discussion that day, so I will resort to the wonders of the internet and give you this link:
http://www.civilwarhome.com/johnbrown.htm
Enjoy today’s history lesson!
November 27, 2008
We were all taught in school that a feast took place between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans in 1621, which is supposedly the basis for our Thanksgiving holiday. But did you know it was actually President Abraham Lincoln that declared a national day of Thanksgiving during the Civil War? Here’s a link about it: http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/thanks.htm
This picture was taken last summer at the Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Illinois. We visited the museum about a month after it opened. That’s a wax recreation of the Lincoln Family, which I thought was a fitting tribute to both President Lincoln and the Thanksgiving holiday. Hope you enjoy the day (and another little history lesson from me!)
November 26, 2008
This is the kitchen from the Eisenhower Farm.
“Eisenhower National Historic Site is the home and farm of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Located adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield, the farm served the President as a weekend retreat and a meeting place for world leaders. With its peaceful setting and view of South Mountain, it was a much needed respite from Washington and a backdrop for efforts to reduce Cold War tensions.” Read more about this site at: http://www.nps.gov/eise/index.htm
We were here back in 2005. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and the house is really interesting. I’ve added a link about President Eisenhower under the Stuff About History heading on the right. Enjoy today’s history lesson!
November 24, 2008
Originally uploaded by michelewithonel
This was taken the year my Dad moved to Idaho. I went with him in April to help him get moved in, and then went back in August to visit and make sure he was settled in. On the way back I decided to get off the train in Stanley, North Dakota where Mike picked me up. Mike was there to help his Great Uncle Walt and his Uncle Neil paint Great Grandma Fanny’s farm house. I wasn’t much help with the painting but I did have my camera with me. Mike and I argued about who took this shot and I won. Although he doesn’t know that.
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