Back to the mountains

Well our trip to the Land of Lincoln is now on its final leg. God willing and if the crick don’t rise, we should be back at CSU-P this afternoon. As I reflect over the last 10 days I must admit that I had misgivings about signing up for this trip and even thought about backing out at the last minute. I knew that I would enjoy the trip but I felt that there were other things I could have done with this time. I have very much missed my family and I look forward to seeing them very soon.

 Now at the end of the trip it has turned out to be a much  better experiance  than I thought it could be. Being able to spend this time in these cities was truly an eye-opening experiance. I have always enjoyed visiting historical sights but for the most part my visits have usually consisted of the usual “tourist trail” visits with little planning and background to prepare oneself for the deeper issues surrounding the importance of the site. Spending the time reading about Lincoln and Haymarket gave life to these places as we walked in the footsteps of men both big and small. This trip has also given me an insight into the history of an incredible city. Chicago is much more than the city where the White Soxs and Bears play its a city that should make any American proud. Less than two hundred years ago this site was a swamp on the shores ofa vast lake. Today it has been transformed into a metropolis that could rival any city in the world for its importance to its state, region or nation. This journey was not easy, not on the people who did it nor is it easy on the people who create Chicago’s ongoing history but in many ways it was meant to be. Why wouldn’t someone create a city on this spot, its the perfect place in so many way.

I am not a city person. The life my wife and I have created for our son in our little mountain town is exactly the life we wanted for him and ourselves but if my son decides that city life is the way for him I hope he picks Chicago.

Dead Reds

Today is our last day of our trip. I am very much happy to be going home. I enjoyed this trip and I appreciate that I was able to be here. Our day was a whirlwind of visits to multiple sights throughout the west side of Chicago. Our guide was an esteemed retired college professor who did a fine job in detailing his version of the history of the many sites that we toured. Our first stop was HayMarket Square. Its  notoriety comes not so much from the bombing that occurred here but from the after effects of that event. Innocent men were tried, convicted and hung for a crime that was perpetrated by persons unknown. What was most interesting about the trial was the influence that the business leaders had over the outcome of the trail itself. These men died because these men wanted them dead. Not so much for their actions but because they were a threat to the wealth that these men accumulated from their interests. According to our guide this is an event that is commemorated  through out the world as an immense miscarriage of justice But here in our country it draws little attention.

   Our next stop was the court where the infamous trial and exucutions were carried out. The building today serves as an office for a variety of business’ and has been restored to its former grandeur. Behind it is the alley where the gallows used for the execution were located. Like so much history sites like these are hidden in plain sight.

Next we visited the graves of the “Martyrs of HayMarket”. They are interred in a fine old cemetary located in Fair Oaks just to the west of Chicago. Arrayed around them are series of graves that contain the remains of their supporters, spouses and people of like minds when it comes to extreme left wing  politics. There was even a section that was exclusively for Communist. I looked for the section of fascist graves but they were nowhere to be found. So much for inclusively in this boneyard.

http://www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/haymarket.htm

 

Our lunch was a good experience. A bit heavy but it was different and I enjoyed the opportunity to gain an insight into Lithuanian culture.

After lunch we  then went onto Pullman. A “model” community created in the late 19th century by a man whose vision was to create a town where the people would work and live together in one town and factory. Living by a set of rules that would ensure efficiency and harmony amongst the managers and workers.  All in the name of George Pullman.

On Wisconsin.

The dreaded trip to the north country is now here. After awakening at 5am for a three hour bus trip we arrived at the hallowed halls of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Actually our first stop was at the Wisconsin State Capitol and the nearby Wisconsin State Historical Society Museum. It was entertaining and informative, my assumption was that Wisconsin was the Badger State because of the prevalence of those animals in the state or that it played a role in the culture of Native American ’s who were the first citizens of the area. But no it was a reference to the first white Americans tendency to burrow underground for shelter. What did take away from the visit were the exhibits relating to the archaeological methods used to excavate the various sites around the state. I will definitely use this source for my lesson plan on Land Use Over Time.

 My next visit was to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. I liked this presentation, it was small in comparison to its across the plaza sister but the exhibits were colorful and full of action and information on the contributions made by the Badger State in the various wars ours nation has been involved. However I was surprised that this state’s role in the Civil War was not given more due. This state fielded the “Iron Brigade” a unit that was renowned by both the North and the South as unit that did not waver or retreat. There was an exhibit to these soldiers but it seemed cramped in its space.

Lunch was great, we ate at the Great Dane Pub. Great food and wonderful watermelon beer the only problem was that I spent the rest of the day in a haze. I don’t drink alot. But the beer I drank was big and great tasting so I drank it all, I need a nap.

After lunch we then went to the buidling housing the Wisconsin Historical Society located on the campus of the U of W.  While there we listened to two lectures that I enjoyed very much. The first presenter Dr. Pollock spoke on how the immigration process changed as the nations views on the subject changed. His primary documents illustrated this fact very well. A teacher could use those three relics as the center piece for their own lessons on immigration. The second speaker Professor Schultz gave a lively presentation on the Progressive Era and its effects. Again a great presentation that I enjoyed.

Our day in Madison ended on the shore of a beautiful lake surrouded by trees and with a sun filled sky. Madison and Wisconsin are great places.

No hamburgers today!

Today our journey took us to Jane Addam’s Hull House. Located on the University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC) the house stands as a memorial to the people who gave up their privliged lives to attempt their own version of social engineering. After a short lecture on Ms. Addams we were then escorted to an organic farm that was situated just a block from the site but still on the campus of UIC.

On the farm we were given a lecture that was more geared towards the modern vision of social engineering that is presently in vogue. Using land that was reclaimed from what was once the site of the small tenement homes that used to blanket Chicago’s west side the “Farmer in Residence” has done a admirable job bringing a bit of nature back into the heart of urban Chicago. According to the farmer the land presently being used as the farm still turns up artifacts such as broken pottery and medicine bottles that are testement to the people who had lived on this land for the last 150 years. I think that along with the site of the Chicago History Museum I will use the land around Hull House as the subject of my Land Use Over Time Geography lesson.

After the farm tour we returned to Hull House where we ate an organic lunch of mushroom soup, wheat rolls and a salad made from greens freshly harvested from the garden which we had just visited. All in all it was very good and much more filling than I had imagined. Hoever I think I will have a steak for dinner.

http://www.uic.edu/jaddams/hull/

After the completion of the Hull House excursion we  then sailed the Chicago River and viewed the various architectural elements of the buildings that lined the river. One thing that I have enjoyed about Chicago is that on one city you can view one hundred years of skyscraper design. Many of the photographs I have taken on this trip combine a building that was built decades in the past while right next to it is another that may have been built last year or ten years ago. Both buildings have their own elegance and reflect much about the spirit of both Chicago and the nation during their respective time periods.

Das Boot

Day four of our adventure began witha tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home in Oak Park, Illinois. This site was the home of Mr. Wright and his large family from 1889 to 1909 and is a early prototype of the Prairie Style of homes that would be a motif of his career and reputation. We started off with a tour of the home and studio. The house was well maintained and the quality of the craftsmanship was obvious to any eye. However I felt no warmth from the house nor did it seem to have the  presence that I find appealing in older homes. That may be in account that it has not been a home for a family for close to a century. After the home tour we then embarked upon a walking tour of the neighborhood that surrounded the studio site. It was quite obvious what  homes were designed by Wright even before the guide identified them. They stood out like a automatic rifle at a Civil War reenactment. In a neighborhood of Victorian designs and details the Wright homes seemed more Fahrenheit 451 than Kings Row. Wright was definitely ahead of his time and his influence really did not come into play until the middle of the 20th century. Overall I have not found the designs of Mr. Wright to be appealing but without a  doubt he did make his mark in Oak Park, IL.

http://www.gowright.org/homestudio/homestudio.html

  After Oak Park we then made our way to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Home of the German U-boat U-505. The first item on our agenda was a virtual reality tour of the 1893 Chicago’s World Fair. Although it was a work in progress the details and features of the simulation were impressive. I look forward to viewing the finished product. Also presented was a history of the building in which the museum is housed. Over the course of its 100 plus years this site contained the the art exhibits for the 1893 World’s Fair, a homeless shelter, a dump, then another World’s Fair in 1933 then finally permanent site for the Science and Industry Museum.  Another idea for my land use over time lesson plan. The highlight of the tour was the U-505 exhibit. This was very well done, the presentations prior to entry into the space containing the relic relate the history of the capture of the sub while at the same time build up the anticipation. As you turn into the relic room the visual size of the sub within the space is surprising. My first response ” its huge”. It was here that I obtained the one souvenir of the trip that I will prize above all. In 1959 my parents had their ataken in front of the U505 when it was an outdoor exhibit. I now have a similar picture for my collection. When I return to Chicago with my family I will again take another image of my wife and I to serve as the twin of my parents photograph.

http://www.msichicago.org/

Documents and Land Use.

Document Based Questions or DBQ’sare a lesson plan idea that use primary sources and historical text along with questions to engage students in a process that kindles their critical thinking  and argumentative skills. Being that I teach at an on-line school I was somewhat skeptical of using this program in my class. As the presentation continued I came to the realization that I could have use for the mini-q’s. Within our on-line curriculum we have built what we call off-line projects. These are for the most part lesson plans that are not computer or web-based but ore more or less versions of thetraditional book report or map making project. In lieu of these projects or in some cases augmenting the present lesson I could insert these q’s. Since students will still need the assistance of a teacher to explanthe process these lesson could be started and reinforced during the weekly meetings that are a required aspect of our program.Now all I need to do is convince my director to spend the $800 on this program.

Once again land use came to my mind during my day. My walking tour focused on the Old Town section of Chicago. Old Town obtained its designation because of its resembalance to the cities of the Old Country cities where many of its original citizens immigrated. Once here they worked to create homes that would reflect the cultural heritage of their far off home-lands. By 1871 this area was a thriving residental and commercial area that revolved around the lives of the predominately German population. However the fire of October 8, 1871 changed all that. The center point of the fire was the tour of St. Michael’s Church. Centered in Old Town this magnificent building still bears the scorch marks of the fire which destroyed the church leaving only the facade as a reminder of its existence. Almost as soon as the embers had cooled the people of this burgh set about to not only rebuild their homes but also their beloved church. Even today this church appears to be the focal point of many people in the area. This weekend a party/festival is scheduled for a three day run. Taking what I could from the flyers plastered in the area this event is an annual events is seems to be very large in scope.

http://www.st-mikes.org/

Another observation I made was that his was no longer a working class area like it was during the 19th and early to mid 2oth centuries. Gentrification has come into Old Town. This started in the years after WWII when young artist moved in to take advantage of the cheap living. Over time the area became one of the “in” places to live. Today the idealic streets are just about as close to what many people want their neighborhoods to be like, if they could afford it.

As we moved through the neighborhood there were many renovation projects under way. In spite of the economy there is still money to be had to buy and improve house in Old Town. On the issue of land use over time. Our guide, a soft spoken elderly gentleman pointed out a block that today contains a fairly bland apartment complex probably built in the 1950’s. The guide informed us that during WWII that corner area had contained a fairly large Victory Garden. Prior to that it had contained a large junk yard complete with old cars and piles of furniture and tires. He even had the photographs to prove his claim. Prior to that the area had contained a stable that had been built after the fire. Before the fire this site contained homes.

I think I am going to further focus my lesson plan on how land use changes over time and how events and progress change this use as the needs of a community change and evolve.

All of Chicago’s history in a nutshell.

Located just to the north of the downtown area called the Loop the Chicago history museum is a new building located on the site of what was once the ‘Chicago Cemetary’. The claim is that the caskets were moved to make way for a park  and then later the museum. Kinda of makes you wonder about studying sites such as this. The question could be: How do events and progress change the way land is used in urban areas like Chicago?

  At the museum we were given a presentation by Dr. Sarah Marcus an expert on Chicago History. I enjoyed the lecture, it was informative, interesting and broad. One aspect of the lecture I would have like the Ms. Marcus to address  further would be the dynamics of the creation of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. It helped to create Chicago into a economic juggernaut but what were the negative aspects of this waterway?

The museum exhibits were also informative. The most striking presentation dealt with the sinking of the SS Eastland a ship used for excursions on Lake Michigan. On July 25, 1915 while being loaded with passengers for a day excursion the topheavy craft turned over spilling hundreds of people into the Chicago River, near one thousand lives were lost. An image of a stunned firefighter carrying the body of a drowned infant tells you all that you need to know about that day.

My feet hurt……….

Today I walked all over Chicago, we started off from our dorms on State Street on a mission to scale the Sears Tower………by elevator. Upon arrival we discovered that our arrival at 9am was abit too early for the 10am opening. Not wanting to waste time we then made our way to the shores of the lake and onto the Navy Pier. A tourist trap for sure. Still having two hours until our appointment at the Art Institute we returned by foot to the tower where we came to the conclusion that out tower trip should be at dusk so that we could experiance the day and evening views.

  I enjoyed our excursion to the Chicago Art Institute. For the most part Iam not a art lover however on those occassions that I do find myself in a museum or gallery I enjoy myself. Except when I come across 20th century Modern Art. Jackson Pollock was not only a drunk but he was also a fake.

http://www.artic.edu/aic/

 

I now have an idea for my lesson plan. In a poster store across from the Art Institute I found a book that details with maps the creation and expansion of the city of Chicago. My lesson plan will be a Geography lesson on the growth of a great American city from swamp and prarie into the giant it is today.

I hope my feet feel better tomorrow.

Visiting Lincoln’s office, gravesite; I think.

Today June 6, 1944 on the beaches of France, Oops sorry wrong historical event. Today June 6, 2009 we visited the Old Capitol Building, the law offices and the grave site of Abraham Lincoln.  Or at least that is what the historians and archeologist tell us.

  The Old Capitol building is an impressive but squat building that sits in the middle of Lincoln Square in the middle of Springfield. While there the docents do a very good job of relaying to us the history of this 150 plus year old structure. The only problem is that most of the building other than the shell is new or at least it was new when John Kennedy was president. It seems that over the decades this buidlingwas owned by a variety of owners for a variety of reasons. So other than a few paintings left over from the era nothing in the building is original, Abe did not walk on these planks. But Blagovich may have.

http://www.illinoishistory.gov/hs/old_capitol.htm

  Immediately to the south of the Old Capitol Building are the law offices of Abraham Lincoln, he seemed to have more than one office while in Springfield but this is the only site that still survives. Presently the owners of the building places Lincoln’s office on the third floor of the building (probably right) and his offices in the north end of the building (probably wrong) but a planned renovation will return the building to its 1850’s granduer in the near future.

http://www.illinoishistory.gov/hs/lincoln_herndon.htm

 

  But a short walk from the offices of Lincoln is the restored Lincoln home and neighborhood. Very impressive, I wish I could live here. Lincoln really did walk these floors, sleep in this bedroom and use the wooden port a potty sitting in the Lincoln anteroom. Then he made the Irish maid carry it outside!

http://www.nps.gov/liho

  A short jaunt from downtown Springfield is the gravesite of our 16th president. A massive monument to the egos of the men who followed him. The story is that a  group of thieves from Chicago (probably Democrats) attempted to steal the president’s body in hopes of obtaining a ransom. They failed. However in an attempt to thwart any future atttempts a series of events over several decades finally led to this monument which would look right at home outside of Buckingham Palace.  Rumor has it is that Lincoln is buried behind the monument stone underneeth 10 feet of concrete, steel and a kitchen sink.

http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/sites/tomb.htm

  After paying our respects to the president we then made our way to Lincoln’s New Salem, nice cabins. I hope I don’t get West Nile.

http://www.lincolnsnewsalem.com/

Young Mr. Lincoln

Day two of our trip dawned for me on the 7th floor of the mighty Springfield Hilton building in beautiful downtown Springfield, IL. Well parts of it are beautiful. As planned our day started at the Abraham Lincoln Presidental Library, a short walk from our hotel.  Upon arrival we walked into a expansive building complex that sprawled over two blocks right next to the equally impressive but much older Union Station. Upon entry we made our way to a large classroom used by the education department of the library for the training of teachers and the educating of children.

   In the classroom we were presented with a seminar on the life of Lincoln by a professional historian who used a variety of teaching methods that were both entertaining and enlightening. Using these methods the presenter introduced us to Young Mr. Lincoln, a man of humble origins and deep ambition. As we learned of Lincoln’s views on life it occurred to me that I knew this man. Lincoln believed that anyone who was willing to work hard and take advantage of their strengths could and would succeed. This is a philosophy that my father expressed and lived all his life. Like Lincoln my father was a self-made man who rose from humble origins to prominence.

   After the first presentation we adjourned for lunch in a resturant  located not 5o feet from the door to the building that housed Lincoln’s law practice. Lunch was good, the company was better. Except for Matt who spent most of lunch browsing through the next door bookstore. I wish I had time to read for pleasure.

   The after lunch presentation was short but not sweet. He did give us some pointers on the highlights of the museum portion of the library.

    As I entered the entryway of the museum exhibits my first thought was “I’m in Disney World”. A susbstanial amount of time, energy and money was spent on this exhibit. I was impressed and look forward to bringing my son to this town and library. In the morning presentation I learned that Lincoln’s family had come to Kentucky in 1782 the same year that my wife and son’s ancestor’s also had entered the Blue Grass State from Virginia. The first exhibit was a mock up of the cabin in which the young Abraham grew up as a boy. Sitting on the fence in front of the cabin was a mannequin of Lincoln as a boy of 10. He very much reminded me of my own son. Like Lincoln of that age my son is gangly always with a book and full of questions. Other exhibits present the life of the Lincoln family as they lived in the White House during the strife of the Civil War. Mary Todd Lincoln has always interested my wife. Like Mrs. Lincoln my wife is a native of Lexington, Kentucky. Unlike Mary though my wife is bit more stable and doesn’t spend too much money on clothes other than her UGG collection. Overall I  was impressed with the museum it was fun and I was glad to see that my family had some things in common with the Lincoln’s of Springfield, IL.