November 2010

The Fostoria Glass Company began operations in Fostoria, Ohio, on December 15, 1887. This site was chosen because natural gas at a recently opened field in the area had been offered at a very low cost to attract new industries. However, the field was so short-lived that in 1891, Fostoria moved to Moundsville, West Virginia, where there was an abundance of gas and coal, and other needed materials were close by.

During its first ten years, Fostoria made pressed ware, but early in the century Fostoria realized the importance of developing fine quality blown stemware.

In 1924 the company was one of the first to start a program of national advertising, and the first to produce complete dinner services in crystal. Besides their regular line of blown, etched and pressed patterns they did custom work such as providing glass with government seals for officials in Washington. All the presidents from Eisenhower through Reagan ordered glassware from them. At one time Fostoria was the largest maker of handmade glassware in the United States, employing nearly 1000 people.

Mary McLeod Bethune, political activist for racial and gender equality, established the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) at her Washington home, now open for tours and research.

Mary McLeod Bethune achieved her greatest national and international recognition at the Washington, DC townhouse at 1318 Vermont Avenue, NW, that is now this Historic Site. It was the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and was her last home in Washington, DC. From here, Bethune and the Council spearheaded strategies and developed programs that advanced the interests of African American women and the Black community.

The Center’s many exhibits look at Florida’s past, from Indian prehistory, through pioneer times and the turbulent Seminole Wars that rocked the state in the first half of the 19th century, to a restored 1927 courtroom. Close by is the OrlandoFireMuseum, featuring a number of antique fire engines.

This park commemorates the site of Florida's largest Civil War battle, which took place February 20, 1864. More than 10,000 cavalry, infantry, and artillery troops fought a five-hour battle in a pine forest near Olustee. Three U.S. Colored Troops took part in the battle, including the now famous 54th Massachusetts. The battle ended with 2,807 casualties and the retreat of Union troops to Jacksonville until the war's end just 14 months later. In 1912, when many living Civil War veterans still attended reunions, the battlefield became the state's first historic site. Olustee Battlefield has a visitor center with historical information and artifacts. A reenactment is held every February and a Civil War Expo takes place in late summer. Scenes for Civil War movies, including the 1989 movie Glory, have been filmed during the reenactments. Visitors can enjoy a meal at the picnic area or take a walk along a mile-long trail that has interpretive signs describing the events of the battle.

Federal or Confederate troops occupied this hill and its surrounding area beginning at least as early as August 1861, and were on the ground for at least part of every year of the war. Federal forces time and again tried to use this strategic point as a choke hold against raids on the B&O to the north, and as a "jumping-off" point for their own raids further south. The reasoning is clear and is twofold: First, the intersection of the road network at Petersburg and Moorefield and second, the support of the civilian population and Homeguard units in the ridges to the west and north provided a sharp counterpoint to the hostility of the civilians in Petersburg and Moorefield and areas east and south.

The oldest wooden schoolhouse in the United States dates back to the early 18th century. Located near the Old City Gates in the area that was known as the "Minorcan Quarter," the house was originally a homestead belonging to Juan Genoply. The building is constructed of red cedar and cypress. Everything was made by hand, even the nails. Wooden pegs keep the timbers in place. The house appears on the tax rolls for the year 1716, but more than likely it existed years before then. Government moved slowly in colonial days and communication between the Spanish Crown and the little garrison town took a long time before taxes were assessed.

Seven buildings and a historic garden crowd the Complex, which includes the ManucyMuseum and the Museum of Florida's Military, devoted to local history. The Gonzalez-Alvarez House, built in the early 1700s, is the oldest standing Spanish colonial residence in the state.

The museum's main exhibits include a dozen dioramas of pivotal times in the life of the sixteenth president of the United States. In addition to the main exhibits, the second level of the museum features a variety of exhibits, including rare newspaper clippings, campaign posters, and Lincoln memorabilia. A Lincoln art gallery on the second floor is filled with paintings, drawings, and other artworks related to the Lincoln era.

The museum's collection of railroad artifacts and memorabilia are all housed in a replica of the original New Haven Depot. The exhibits on display include a dining car, handcar, track inspection car, steam locomotive whistles and a ticket office. Kentucky Railway Museum, a private non-profit organization, continues to tell the story of the people who built the railroad through interpretation and operation of the historic equipment.