Benjamin H. Marshall: Architect and Bon Vivant

Description

From the Chicago Amplified website:

"Benjamin H. Marshall's designs included vast country estates, palatial residential buildings, sumptuous hotels, and innovative high-rise structures. His circle included anyone with intelligence, style, and wit.

Benjamin Marshall Society docent and lecturer Steven Monz paints a portrait of the architect and highlights several of his projects in Chicago, including residential buildings along East Lake Shore Drive, and the Drake and Blackstone Hotels."

New York State Civilian Conservation Corps Museum

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Photo, Sawing ice off of Gilbert Lake to be stored in the Ice House...
Annotation

In the aftermath of the Great Depression, the federal government developed many programs designed to ease unemployment and put people back to work. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was one of these federal programs and this site was created as an introduction to the significant role the Corps played in the development of New York State's Gilbert Lake State Park. From 1933 to 1941, CCC Company 212, SP-11, lived and worked at Gilbert Lake. Those unfamiliar with the park should read the 1,300-word essay about Gilbert Lake and its accompanying 1,400-word essay, History of the CCC at Gilbert Lake, about the contribution of the CCC to the park.

The center of this otherwise simple exhibit is the more than 150 photographs. They include pictures of young men swimming in the lake, enjoying sack races, and building the camp. Visitors will also find recent photographs of the camp, including a 1999 restoration project of one of the park's cabin. The site is rounded out by three donated letters from people with memories about the CCC at Gilbert Lake and those interested will find the 40-item bibliography useful.

Route 66 State Park [MO]

Description

Located along the original Route 66 corridor, the nearly 419-acre park is a boon to park visitors who want to enjoy nature and see interesting historical displays showcasing Route 66. Bridgehead Inn, a 1935 roadhouse, serves as Route 66 State Park's visitor center. It houses Route 66 memorabilia and interprets the environmental success story of the former resort community of Times Beach, which once thrived on the location of the park.

The park offers exhibits.

Ha Ha Tonka State Park [MO]

Description

Fifteen miles of trail traverse this park, leading visitors to spectacular scenery, natural wonders, and the famous castle ruins. Looming over all is the ruin of the turn-of-the-century stone castle built by a wealthy businessman, Robert M. Snyder. The empty shell of this great mansion overlooks Ha Ha Tonka Spring and Lake of the Ozarks from atop a 250-foot bluff.

The park offers exhibits, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site [MO]

Description

One of America's highest ranked military officers, Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, spent most of his childhood years in the small town of Laclede. Pershing was born Sept. 13, 1860, and moved into the Gothic nine-room house in Laclede with his family at age six. He taught at Prairie Mound School, and in 1886, graduated from the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, thus beginning his military career. Between 1886 and his military retirement in 1924, Pershing fought his way up through the military ranks. In 1917, Pershing was sent to France as Commander-in-Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I and two years later was named General of the Armies of the United States by a special act of Congress. Today, visitors can tour Gen. Pershing's boyhood home. A statue of "Black Jack" stands next to the home surrounded by granite tablets naming war veterans. Inside Prairie Mound School, an exhibit gallery allows visitors to walk through the many doorways Gen. Pershing passed through during his childhood life, military career, and numerous accomplishments.

The site offers a short film, exhibits, and tours.

Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor [OH]

Description

The Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor provides a dramatic overview of the impact of the iron and steel industry on Youngstown and other Mahoning Valley communities. The building, designed by renowned architect Michael Graves in 1986, houses the museum's permanent exhibit, "By the Sweat of Their Brow: Forging the Steel Valley," which explores labor, immigration, and urban history, using videos, artifacts, photographs, and reconstructed scenes. Objects on display range from workers' tools and clothing to "last heats," the last batches of steel produced at each of the mills before they closed. Hundreds of photographs, some more than 30 feet long, are used throughout the museum. Videos examine topics such as housing, recreation, and urban history. Life-size scenes—including a mill's locker room, part of a company-built house, and a blooming mill, where steel ingots were shaped for further processing—help visitors understand steelmaking and the lives of steelworkers.

The center offers exhibits, tours, research library access, and educational programs.

Larz Anderson Auto Museum [MA]

Description

The Larz Anderson Auto Museum seeks to increase interest in collector cars and foster community among those interested in antique vehicles. The museum collection includes at least 14 vehicles from before 1930, including an 1899 Winton. Interpretation focuses on the ways in which automobile technology has altered U.S. culture.

The museum offers exhibits, lawn events, guided tours, customizable guided group tours, lesson plans, a play zone, and educational programs for students.

Ohio Statehouse Education and Visitors Center

Description

The Statehouse Education and Visitors Center interprets the state capitol's history and significance for the public, and guides school groups in their study of government, citizenship, and Ohio history. The Statehouse complex represents one of America's finest examples of Greek Revival civic architecture, and is one of the oldest working statehouses in the United States. Visitors can see where and how the vital business of state government is conducted, view architectural and artistic treasures, and learn more about Ohio through guided tours, educational displays, and interactive touch-screen kiosks.

A second site, specifically for the Statehouse, can be found here.

The center offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and educational and recreational events.

National Road / Zane Grey Museum [OH]

Description

This modern museum has three major exhibit areas. First is the National Road, early America's busiest land artery to the West. The National Road stretched from Cumberland, MD, to Vandalia, IL. Begun in 1806, the "Main Street of America" was the only significant land link between east coast and western frontier in the early 19th century. A 136-foot diorama of the National Road plus many objects illustrates this theme. Second is Zane Grey, the "Father of the Adult Western." The Zanesville author wrote more than 80 books. His study is recreated plus many manuscripts and other memorabilia are displayed. Finally, a central portion of the museum is devoted to Ohio art pottery.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, and educational programs.

Rachel Carson Homestead [PA]

Description

The Rachel Carson Homestead preserves the farmhouse in which Rachel Carson (1907-1964), famed author and environmentalist, was born. Carson is best known for her 1962 book, Silent Spring which cautions against use of chemical pesticides without further research into the ways in which chemicals may alter the environment and/or human health. The site also includes a nature trail and organic garden.

The homestead offers one-hour guided tours of the house and grounds, a 1/4-mile trail with interpretive signage, a garden, summer camps, hands-on educational programs which correspond to state educational standards, and Scout programs. Reservations are required for tours of the house and for all groups of 15 or more. The website offers lesson plans and a suggested reading list.