November 2010

This schoolhouse was built in 1880 and was the first public school for African American children in the county. The building was used as a school until the early 1950s. In 1995, the county purchased the building and it has now been restored. The musem now chronicles African American history in Howard County through changing exhibits and seminars and offers a genealogical resource center.

The exhibits and artifacts in the museum cover a wide range of naval history both within the United States and around the world. Historic vessels used in the Vietnam War and WWII allow visitors to peer into the intricacies of naval warfare during the 20th century. Personal photos and effects from SEAL teams add a human dimension to the exploration of the mechanics and vehicles of warfare on the high seas.

Begun in 1859 by lumber baron Gideon Hixon, this Italianate house features beautiful woodwork and lavish interior decoration. His wife, Ellen, decorated the Hixon House in the Aesthetic fashion, and it has been preserved much as it was after its last remodeling and redecoration around 1900. The Hixon House has approximately 90% of its original furnishings, making it unusual among historic houses. It is a National Historic Landmark.

Deliberately setting aside the controversies of the war, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the men and women who served when their Nation called upon them. The designer, Maya Lin, felt that “the politics had eclipsed the veterans, their service and their lives.” She kept the design elegantly simple to “allow everyone to respond and remember.” The memorial contains three sections: the Three Soldiers Statue, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall.

The Laurel Historical Society and its museum look at a broad range of local history, from Laurel's mill town roots and railroad connections to its African American community to the history of the town's Main Street. Current exhibits also include one which uses advertisements to tell the town's history as well as a collection of ledgers from the turn of the century.

David Mark Berger was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He attended Tulane University from 1962 to 1966 where he was a weightlifter and honor student and true to these dual interests, while at Tulane, he won the NCAA weightlifting title and earned a bachelor's degree in psychology. In the early 1970s David emigrated to Israel, where he met and become engaged to an Israeli student. Continuing his weightlifting competitions, he won a silver medal at the 1971 Asian Games, and made the 1972 Israeli Olympic team. In late August of that year, Berger flew to Munich with his teammates. On September 2, 1972, David competed, but was eliminated in an early round. He was killed during a hostage taking of Israeli athletes at the Olympic games in Munich.

David had no expectations of winning a medal but joined the Israeli weightlifting team to realize his dream - a dream which ended tragically. The Memorial is dedicated to his memory and the memory of the ten other athletes.

Comprised of four structures, a 7,200-square-foot museum of Rockland history and three restored farm structures, the 1832 Blauvelt House, barn, and carriage house, the society facilitates exhibits on Haitian and Irish immigrant heritage, tours, and craft and cooking demonstrations that recreate 19th-century Anglo-Dutch colonial life.

Mormon Station is the site of Nevada's first permanent nonnative settlement. A replica of the original trading post built in 1851 houses a small museum with relics of pioneer days. Picnic and group facilities are available. Mormon Station is located in the small town of Genoa, 12 miles south of Carson City via U.S. 395 and State Route 206.

Annual programs and activities include: July 4th, "Pops in the Park" with the Sierra Philharmonic Orchestra; September, The Candy Dance Arts & Crafts Festival is always the last full weekend in Septermber (September 27-28, 2008); The Sierra Mormon Pioneers(June 21, 2008) provides a one-day living history re-enactment.

Eckely was one of hundreds of small company mining towns, or "patches," built in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania during the 19th century. The mining firm of Sharpe, Weiss, and Company bought the land in 1854, constructing a town there to support the needs of their workers, when in reality it allowed them to dominate their lives in every way. The village grew to 1,000 inhabitants at one point, made up of an ethnic mosaic of Welsh, German, Irish, and other immigrants. When strip mining began to take over underground mining, the village declined and today it serves as a preserved look at the way of life of 19th century anthracite miners.

Preserved and protected for future generations, Cumberland Island National Seashore includes designated wilderness areas, undeveloped beaches, historic sites, cultural ruins, critical habitat and nesting areas, as well as numerous plant and animal communities. Interpretive and educational programs are available and you may hear compelling stories of the many people who have shaped and been shaped by Cumberland Island.

Revolutionary War Hero General Nathanial Greene purchased land on Cumberland Island in 1783. Following his death, his widow Catherine Greene, constructed a four-story tabby home that she named Dungeness. Thomas Carnegie and his wife Lucy began building another Dungeness on the original foundation in 1884. The Carnegie’s Dungeness burned in 1959 and today only the ruins remain on the site.

Plum Orchard is an 1898 Georgian Revival mansion building by Lucy Carnegie for her son, George and his wife, Margaret Thaw. This mansion was donated to the National Park Foundation by the Carnegie family in 1971. The contribution of Plum Orchard helped achieve congressional approval for establishing Cumberland Island National Seashore.