November 2010

Situated on a site once used as a camping ground by wagon trains, Fort Dodge was a supply depot and base of operations against warring Plains Indians. The fort was established in 1865. The first buildings were sod and adobe, and some troops lived in dugouts. Disease was common during the first year in the isolated fort. The first shipments of lumber arrived in 1866 and officers' quarters and a temporary hospital were built. At the height of its operation, the fort boasted four companies of infantry.

The 7th U.S. Cavalry was at Fort Dodge when George Armstrong Custer returned to his regiment after a court martial suspension. The fort was abandoned in 1882. Eight years later Fort Dodge was deeded to the state for use as a soldier’s home, and it still serves today as the Kansas Soldiers Home. Several buildings are open to visitors and tours. The quiet, tree-lined walks and dignified buildings are a far cry from the desolate sod homes and dugouts that made up the original fort in 1865. Limited archeological testing was conducted at the site in 1996 by archeologists from the Kansas State Historical Society.

The Douglas Monument Association was organized in 1861 to build a suitable memorial at the gravesite. In 1864 the Association adopted the design of Illinois sculptor Leonard W. Volk. Construction of the 96-foot-tall granite structure was begun in 1866 and completed in 1881 Three circular bases are topped by a 20-foot diameter octagonal mausoleum. Inside, a Vermont marble sarcophagus holds Douglas’ remains, surmounted by a marble bust of the Senator. At the four main corners of the mausoleum, pedestals hold large bronze allegorical figures portraying “Illinois,” “History,” “Justice,” and “Eloquence.” Above the main base of the column are four bronze bas reliefs representing stages in “the advance of American civilization.” Atop the 46-foot column is a nine-foot bronze statue of Douglas gazing over Lake Michigan. The grounds surrounding the Tomb are landscaped with numerous trees and flower beds.

For 218 years, the Presidio served as an army post for three nations. World and local events, from military campaigns to the rise of aviation, from World Fairs to earthquakes, left their mark. Come enjoy the history and beauty of the Presidio. Explore centuries of architecture. Reflect in a national cemetery. Walk through an historic airfield, forests, or to beaches, and admire spectacular vistas.

The Berkshire Athenaeum is the public library for the city of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Incorporated in 1872, it is a non-profit organization which, like many New England libraries, started as a private organization. Operating solely as a library for thirty years, the Athenaeum assumed the responsibility for the newly created Berkshire Museum, located a block away on South Street, in 1903.

For several years the Athenaeum was both a public library and museum until the latter organization spun off to form its own distinct operation in 1932. The current library is located in the center of Pittsfield, two doors away from the original Athenaeum building it replaced in 1975. The Athenaeum is governed by a fifteen member Board of Library Trustees.

Peirce Mill became famous as the only 19th century gristmill operating full time in the NPS system. The site operated off and on until April 1993 when it was determined that the wooden waterwheel and attached mechanical components were too deteriorated to run safely. As a result, Peirce Mill ceased operating. Currently the Friends of Peirce Mill are working with Rock Creek Park to raise the needed funds and supply volunteer help to preserve the mill. Until then, Peirce Barn remains open to the public as a museum and ranger contact station.

The site, with sweeping views of the Hudson River and the state historic site of Olana, remained in the Powers family for more than one hundred years. The home and 7 acres of surrounding land are open for visitor enjoyment.

The visitor center contains exhibits (text in English and Spanish), a bookstore and a 10-minute introductory film available in English and Spanish. There is a 1.25 mile self-guided trail through Pecos pueblo and mission ruins. Guided tours are available to groups with advance reservations. Reservations for school groups and tour groups should be made two weeks before the visit. The Summer program includes weekend cultural demonstrations while the winter program includes tours of the nearby Arrowhead Ruin on Fridays at 1:30pm, Glorieta Pass Battlefield on Saturdays at 1:30pm, and the Forked Lightning Ranch House on Sundays at 1:30pm. Reservations are required for the weekend tours. There is a picnic area near mission ruins and one at the visitor center.

Pea Ridge is the site of one of the most important battles of the American Civil War. Not only does it offer an outstanding 28 minute film about the battle but Pea Ridge is one of the most intact Civil War battlefields in existence. Inside the Visitor Center you will find a theater, bookstore and small museum. Outside you will find a 7 mile - 10 stop tour road, 9 mile horse trail and 7 mile hiking trail. For those that enjoy nature, there are plenty of opportunities to see wildlife, beautiful forest and a chance to get a way from the pressures of the modern world.

On July 19, 1814, a pro-British band of Sauk Indians led by Black Hawk attacked a force of United States regulars and rangers under Lieutenant John Campbell. The Americans were defeated, with the loss of sixteen American lives.

Campbell’s Island State Memorial consists of a North Carolina granite monument dedicated in 1908, in a mini-park overlooking the river. A bronze plaque on the monument base, attributed to sculptor A. L. Van der Berghen, commemorates the battle. The plaque foreground depicts two soldiers with rifles and a woman comforting a wounded soldier. In the background are several soldiers and a boat, with Native American warriors emerging from trees across the river. The other three sides of the base carry Wisconsin red granite tablets describing the memorial’s history.

A low concrete wall surrounds the monument, with an inner walk. A “peace garden” contains four concrete benches, arranged in a “Sacred Circle” design and decorated with mosaic tiles in Sauk and Mesquakie artistic motifs. Designed by area artist Kunhild Blacklock and dedicated in 1998, the garden was funded by a grant through the River Action Committee of the Quad Cities.

The Susan B. Anthony House keeps her vision alive and relevant by preserving and sharing Anthony’s National Historic Landmark home; collecting artifacts and research materials directly related to her life and work; and making these resources available to the public through tours, publications, the internet, and interpretive programs. The Susan B. Anthony House was the home of the legendary American civil rights leader during the most politically active period of her life and the site of her famous arrest for voting in 1872.