November 2010

The historic Shepherdstown Museum was founded in 1983 to make preserve artifacts that may otherwise have been lost forever. The first floor of the museum holds the dining and sitting chambers. An invitation to a dinner at the Entler in honor of Colonel John Francis Hamtramck in 1847 sets the tone. Exhibits on the second and third floors contain local artifacts such as Sheetz rifles, a Conrad Schindler (Mary Tyler Moore’s great-great-great grandfather) copper kettle, a 1905 mail wagon, American Indian tools, and Civil War artifacts and exhibits.

Luther Burbank was born in Lancaster, Massachusetts, on March 7, 1849. In California, his birthday is celebrated as Arbor Day and trees are planted in his memory. The famed horticulturist made his home in Santa Rosa for more than 50 years and it was here that he conducted plant-breeding experiments that brought him world renown.

Tour the entire village to get a glimpse of a craftsman at work in the Blacksmith shop and a closer look at a 1914 Case 40 horsepower Steam Tractor.

Stroll the site of John Brown's historic 1859 abolitionist raid, complete with museums and hiking trails.

A visit to this quaint, historic community, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, is like stepping into the past. Stroll the picturesque streets, visit exhibits and museums, or hike our trails and battlefields. There's a wide variety of experiences for visitors of all ages, so come and discover Harpers Ferry.

In 1799, the U.S. government started construction on the Harpers Ferry Armory, one of two national armories that produced small armies for the armed forces. The armory expanded to meet the needs of the government, and the B&O Railroad built a station to link Harpers Ferry to major American cities. By the time of Brown's raid, Harpers Ferry was flourishing, but the raid and the Civil War devastated the armory and the town. After the Civil War, Reverend Nathan Brackett established Storer College in Harpers Ferry to help educate freed slaves, and the College later served as the meeting place for the Niagara Movement, an early Civil Rights movement organized by W.E.B. DuBois.

Greenbrier Historical Society is dedicated to community enrichment through the education and preservation of the history and culture of the Greenbrier area. The Archives & Library of the Greenbrier Historical Society, located within the North House Museum, contain a rich variety of materials for both the genealogist and the student of Greenbrier County history. A wealth of materials is available to the researcher, including many rare records and documents that are unavailable
anywhere else.

The museum collects artifacts, documents and other items of historical importance and interest, which are accessible in person and on the Internet. Its purpose is to enable research and education in the history of the accomplishments of the United States of America in the construction, operation, maintenance and defense of the Panama Canal as a service to the World’s maritime and naval communities in the twentieth century. It also collects, documents, catalogs, preserves, stores, exhibits, interprets and enables research on a variety of items illustrative of the lives and work of the Panama Canal workforce and supporting communities. It is intended to be of particular interest to former residents of the Canal Zone and their descendants as well as students, scholars, genealogists, and others who have an interest in this unique achievement. The emphasis is on memorializing the contributions of individuals, families and organizations of the United States, as well as those of the French, West Indians, Panamanians and others who helped to create and operate the Panama Canal.

Construction of the mound took place in successive stages from about 250-150 B.C., as indicated by the multiple burials at different levels within the structures. A massive undertaking, the total effort required the movement of more than 60,000 tons of earth. In 1838, road engineers measured its height at 69 feet and its at the base as 295 feet. Originally a moat of about 40 feet in width and five feet in depth with one causeway encircled it.

Artifacts and exhibits interpreting the lifestyle of the Adena people are displayed in the Delf Norona Museum, adjacent to the 2,000 year old mound. The museum also features a gift shop and a gallery where fine art is exhibited throughout the year. Grave Creek Archaeology Complex also maintains a 150-seat theater with a small stage.

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." These are the words of our 32nd President, a man who embodied the meaning of the word courage. Despite being stricken with polio at age 39 and paralyzed from the waist down, he emerged as a true leader, guiding our country through some dark times: the Great Depression and World War II. The memorial honors this man, his story, and his era.

At seven and a half acres, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is the largest presidential memorial on the National Mall. Interestingly, it stands near the site of numerous temporary World War II dormitories that housed several women supporting wartime military and governmental services.

Located in the 1916 Old Courthouse, the Museum interprets southeastern Florida history in its two wings, the first addressing distinguished personalities in Palm Beach history such as the pioneers who first settled the area, and the second featuring an interactive computer that deals with the growth of the Palm Beach region since the arrival of the first settlers. A courtroom restored to its 1916 condition includes exhibits about government in the area. The Museum is in Boca Raton, to the north of Fort Lauderdale.

What may be the second most important historical momunent to the central coast is strangely barely known by the public. The Point San Luis Light Station, near Avila Beach, is on the National Registry of Historic Places. The Lighthouse is currently accessible through a docent led 3.5 mile round-trip hike on the Pecho Coast Trail.