Photographing History

Made another trip to Saint Mary of the Woods, this time with my niece.  She needed to take some photos for her 4-H project. On this visit, we wandered the cemetery, the Shell Chapel, the bronze statues,... we even wandered the Church of the Immaculate Conception. That was a sight all it's own. The cornerstones of the church were laid in 1886.  It was set out in an Italian Renaissance style with paintings on the ceilings, stained glass windows, and marble columns. Ascension of Our Lord The paintings were done by Thaddeus von Zukotynski from Poland (and graduate of the Academy of Arts in Munich).  Located on the ceiling at the intersection of the nave and transept is a painting of the Ascension of Our Lord.  A fresco in the semi-dome above the sanctuary portrays the Immaculate Conception and the four evangelists.  Two other paintings located on the north and south of the transept area are of the Return from Calvary and the Flight into Egypt. Immac...

1926 Ford ©mmh 2017 Every year on the first weekend in October, the town of Newport, Indiana is filled to the hilt with antique cars and their followers for the 2nd greatest Indiana Spectacle in Racing: The Newport Antique Auto Hill climb. A timed event,  cars go from a standing start up a steep hill to a finish line 1800 feet away. 2nd only to the Indianapolis 500, the Hill Climb averages close to 250000 people in attendance every year. The inaugural event was on October 6, 1968, making the one in 2017, it's 49th year. Every year, there is a raffle that gives away an antique car that has been restored.  in 2017, the car went to a lady who didn't know how to drive a standard transmission, but at an age close to 80, she was determined someone was going to teach her.  (it was actually pretty cute watching her) Cars are split into classes: CARS Class A-1   Steamers (All years) Class A-2   1 and 2 cylinder cars through 1915 ...

Not that I figure anyone really follows this blog... I just felt the need to say this... I am working on a few posts.  Just have to find the time, energy and the information I need to finish them.  Photos have been taken, some have been edited... I just need to get off my rump and do the rest. 

It all began with an invitation from the Bishop Simon Brute from the Diocese of Vincennes in early 1840 to the Sisters of Providence of Ruille-Sur-Loir France to open a school. Sister St. Theodore Guerin accompanied by five other sisters: Sister St. Vincent Ferrer (Victoire) Gagé, Sister Basilide (Josephine) Sénéschal, Sister Olympiade (Therese) Boyer, Sister Mary Xavier (Francis Louise) Lerée and Sister Mary Liguori (Louise Frances) Tiercin were the ones chosen to come.   After a rough journey across the Atlantic Ocean and the eastern United States, the sisters arrived in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana in October 1840.   On October 22, 1840, The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods was formed.  Since that date, over 5200 women have entered the Sisters of Providence.  Educators from the beginning, the Sisters began to build an all girls school called "The Academy" in 1840. The first student arrived on July 4, 1841. Over time, th...

#A-7063 has a name.  She has a twin sister.  She has 2 older sisters.  She has parents.  She is not just a number.  But to the German Government during World War II, she was Auschwitz prisoner #A-7063. Map of the area Eva Mozes Kor was born in 1934 in Romania.  She was the youngest of 4 girls born to Alexander and Jaffa Mozes.  Her older sisters were Edit, Aliz and her twin sister was named Miriam. They grew up as the only Jewish residents in their town.  By the time the twins were 6 in 1940, their area of Romania had been taken over by the Hungarian-Nazi regime.   In 1944, the family was sent to the Simleu Silvaniel ghetto.   all their luggage in one.   Their stay there only lasted a few weeks, before they were transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The gates to Auschwitz As twins, Eva and Miriam were selected to be part of Josef Mengele's experiments. They day they entered Auschwitz was the ...

October 9th 2016 was the annual (or what some hope will become annual) reunion at Jungle Park Speedway in Parke County.  We managed to miss a great portion of it, but still got to see some pieces of history that only few will actually remember. The Speedway has changed a great deal since we were there in June.  You can actually walk the track (which we did) and drive it (which we did as well.  I have video of that). The 'jungle' of native trees and weeds has been cut down to reveal the old out buildings, and more pieces of the old track. You can now see why turn 3 & 4 were so dangerous all those years ago. Standing on the track in that small stretch between those last two corners of the track, I could picture cars speeding into turn 3, sliding into the short straightaway before turn 4, and not slowing enough to make the turn and ramping the high bank and landing on SR 41 just before the bridge that goes over Sugar Creek. Walking among the old cars was a un...

Almost 3 years ago, my boss approached me and said "hey, do you want to be on the Bicentennial Committee?" I said ok, and the commitment began. Bicentennial Committee... Indiana became a state in December 1816.  Centennial was in 1916, Clay County, along with a few others, did not participate in the state celebration.  2016.  Bicentennial.  The state decided to do a 92 counties in 37 day Torch Relay.  We needed to participate. Clay County bowed out of participating in 1916.  So the planning began. Monthly Meetings.  Paperwork from the state.  Nominations for Torch Bearers.   A celebration. Long story short. We made it.  We worked our butts off, without a lot of cooperation from some in the area.  We made it.  We had 19 out of 20 Torchbearers, we had a celebration at the Courthouse... but most of all we had an experience we'll never forget. The Torchbearers 1st Row - Hayden Slater, Jacob Baskins, Hank Slater, Hann...

I've been rather lapsed in writing here.  Work things, being sick & the holidays have taken it's tole on my computer time. That said, I have a list of blog posts that I started and never managed to finish.  I'm hoping that things calm down enough and my back & shoulder stops throbbing enough for me to be productive and finish the posts. I'm also looking for more ideas for posts & trips this summer.  If anyone knows of something that might be of interest and that I can research a bit before the trip to it, let me know.  Would prefer day trips if at all possible. Thanks.