Summer Joke Time

 

JOKE: A Russian and a Czech bear scientists came to the Rocky Mountains to study bears; they chose the mating season, a bad time for bear encounters. They were warned about the dangers but headed off into the woods anyway. After four days with no word from them, the rangers followed their tracks. They found a female Grizzly bear; shot her and opened her up and sure enough, inside was the Russian guy. So, said one ranger to the other….. ARE YOU READY?  “The Czech must be in the male.”  L J

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This from a newspaper clipping of which I did not note the paper nor the date, sorry:  "Denver, Colo. March 6 --  "Here is a dead man," was the comment made by a parcel post clerk here as he held up to the view of his fellow clerks a package nine inches square and weighing seven pounds.

The package contained the ashes of Edward E. Knotts of California, who died here a few days ago following an attack of appendicitis. The package was addressed to the widow, Mrs. Ada Knotts, San Francisco. It cost 51cents and bore a ten-cent insurance stamp."

Just for fun, I did a bit of research to learn more about Edward and Ada Knotts but found nothing. If it's your family, do go for it!

Washtucna: A Tiny Town

Thanks to an article in The Spokesman Review last April, I learned about a tiny town in the southeastern corner of Adams county that has a great big heart. 

Folks are trying their best to save their piece of Washington history, the Bassett Hardware building, which is 125 years old, according to the folks at the Washtucna Heritage Museum and Community Center. Michelle Plumb, officer in that society, shared "I don't know how many things in this area are that old. It would just break our heart to lose this building."

Built in the town's center in 1901 by George W. Bassett, the building has survived through "boom and bust, storm and sunshine" and remains a fixture of the town's frontier past. "The upper part of the building was always some sort of community space," Plum said. Several fraternal organizations held their meetings there over the decades. In the 1910s and 1920s, plays and movies were shown there. 

Fear not, lovers of old historic buildings. This building has been placed on the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation's list of Most Endangered Places which hopefully will guarantee its future.

Why the spotlight today on an old building in a nobody-knows-where town? Because the people who built the place, used the place and loved the place are collectively all our ancestors. That's why. 

Website www.FindAGrave.com has this photo of GWB and information on his family. He was a pioneer for many. He and his wife Alice were parents of seven children. 

 

Swimsuits Of Yesteryear

 

This was an ad in The Spokesman Review from days long, long ago. If you cannot read it, here goes:

First Showing of Bathing Suits

Tomorrow we place on sale our new line of ladies' misses' and children's bathing suits. The line includes many new styles never shown before. Come in mohairs, brilliantines and the new jersey goods that is all the rage this season. Suits have the new collars and staple sailor collars and the new vestee effects. Come in tans, browns, red, black and blues, trimmed with braid. 

Prices for ladies' suits.... $6.60 to $2.75

Misses' and children's.......... $4.00 to $2.50

Children's One Piece Suits..... All sizes from 2 to 6, in blue, at.... $1.50

Bathing caps... $1.00 to 25cents

Bathing shoes.... 50 cents

Aren't you shaking your head and saying good grief?? Can you imagine "bathing"...... which really meant wading in perhaps to your waist, never jumping in....... wearing a woolen dress and SHOES? And of course black stockings, heaven forbid bare legs would be viewed. Did you catch that they're not called "swimming suits?" 

This is a photo of my great-grandmother, Viola Belle Evans Gurney, 1872-1962, and was labeled "her school outing." She's the fourth from left, dark hair with braid-bun. 

No wonder they didn't jump in and swim around! They'd surly have drowned in those heavy "bathing suits." 

George Washington's Personal Flag

 

Would you have guessed that General George Washington had his own personal flag? Well, he surely did.

His flag, known as the Commander-in-Chief Standard, marked his location on the battlefield and at his headquarters. The flag features 13 white, six-pointed stars representing the original colonies arranged on a faded blue silk background.

One of his original flags still survives. It measures roughly 27-inches by 35-inches; the six-pointed stars (unlike the five-pointed stars on our U.S. flag) mimics the English heraldic designs found on Washington's military epaulets. The blue background was chosen because it was the same color he used for the sash and ribbons that designated his rank. 

If you would like to see the original of General George Washington's flag, you will have to visit the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. Here is what it now looks like, faded with time:

Thanks to the Flag Museum in Spokane and Google for the information and images.

In Honor of July 4th

 

Did you realize that each fold of the United States flag, when taken down at retreat of used at a military funeral, has a specific meaning. The flag is folded from the stripes end to the stars to acknowledge the thirteen original colonies that have now become fifty states represented by stars.

* First fold:  the symbol of life

* Second fold: the belief in eternal life

* Third fold: honors the veteran who gave his/her life

* Fourth fold: American citizens trust in God

* Fifth fold: is a tribute to our country

* Sixth fold: represents where our hearts lie (holding our hands over our hearts)

* Seventh fold: is a tribute to the Armed Forces, protecting our country

* Eighth fold: is for mothers of those "entered into the valley of the shadow of death"

* Ninth fold: is a tribute to womanhood

* Tenth fold: is a tribute to fathers

* Eleventh fold: is a tribute to Jewish citizens

* Twelfth fold: is a tribute to Christians

When the flag is completely folded with only the stars showing, it represents our National Motto, "In God We Trust." 

How many of us, good American citizens, know this? I did not.

Trivia Time!

 

* We here in the Pacific Northwest do love our often-immense Douglas Fir trees. Did you know that this tree was named for David Douglas, born in Scone, Scotland, in 1799? This famous botanist arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River in April 1825 and during the next two years he traveled up the Columbia, Snake and Okanogan rivers, some 4000 miles. Why? He was noting, comparing, gathering and preparing specimens for shipments back to London. In July 1834 he was on the island of Hawaii, planning to walk the 100 miles to Hilo. He met his death on July 12th by falling into a rock-walled pit, built to trap wild bulls. Unfortunately there was also in the pit an angry bull. There is a small monument on the spot but today it is rather inaccessible.

* Did your ancestors come from Alsace-Lorraine? Where is this, Germany or France? Alsace-Lorraine is a region in the northeastern part of France, located on the border with Germany. The small area covers only about 12,000 square miles of territory. Switzerland lies to the south and Luxembourg to the north. For hundreds of years, the inhabitants of this territory have been part German and part French. The area has seen wars of conquest many times beginning about 300A.D. Both France and Germany sparred over ownership of the area but after World War II the region became part of France.

* Ever been to a podunk  town? A common implication of Podunk is that it's a place so dreary and remote that it's not even worth situating on a map. One of the most famous people to refer to Podunk was Mark Twain, who in 1869 wrote that a certain fact was known even "in Podunk, wherever that may be." Would you guess that there was a town originally known as Podunk in Washington? Yepper, tiz so. On the Lewis River, sixteen miles north of Vancouver is the bitsy town of LaCenter. John Pollock claimed a homestead there in 1865 and folks have lived there ever since. Early on, the only access to the town was via the river for there were no roads. Do you know anybody from Podunk? (There are also towns by that name in Connecticut, Michigan, Vermont, Massachusetts, Nebraska and New York. Now you're ready for Jeopardy!)

Future Proofing Your Genealogy Research

 

Thomas MacEntee is a wonderful genealogy resource and has been for several years now. On his website, genealogybargains.com he offers many of his resources for free.  

For instance, here's the link to the above 26-page book:  https://genealogybargains.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/EBOOK-After-Youre-Gone.pdf

I urge you to download this resource and read it and heed it! To help ensure you do (smile), I'll only list the highlights of the book:

* Know the perils of inaction: lost genealogy. I could chill your bones with stories of things I've seen of boxes of family heirlooms tossed into the weeds by the side of the road (YES!) and in thrift stores:

* Create an inventory of your research so you know what you have that merits saving.

* Create a list of websites where you posted your tree, or anything about your family, online.

* Realize that you cannot plan just to leave your stuff to your kids, your local genealogy society or library (even the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City). They do not want your unorganized boxes of stuff and will not accept such. 

Thomas also includes in his book a list of "Best Practices for Genealogy Future Proofing." 

I might add my two cents worth to this: I've long preached the importance of "Leaving A Legacy & Not A Mess." YOU gathered all the stuff; it's totally up to YOU to leave it in an organized, worthwhile fashion.