Head Out On The Highway, Looking For Adventure

Head Out On the Highway, Looking For Adventure

Somewhere on Route 99, where the large granite stone honoring the six Littleton boys is located, Mr. and Mrs. Wombie and I came across one of those historical markers you usually drive by and wonder what the fuss was. Today, and forever more, we stopped.

In Memory of Chief Taimah (Tama) of the Fox Tribe, Thunder Clan

An Indian gentleman and a true friend of the early white settlers, Chief Tama proved his devotion to the white men by traveling to Praire du Chein, Wis. when a plot had been made by Redmen to raid the place and kill the agent. By revealing the plot of his tribe he saved the agent. Tama, Iowa, in Tama County and the Tama Indian tribe all bear his name. His grave is 20 rods east from here.

Dedicated to the Pioneer Spirit of Martha Haight Stapleton by the Betsy Ross Chapter of Daughters of the American Colonists 1954.

I can see why the settlers liked this guy, but what did his tribe or other Indians leaders think of his informant status.?

We ran across some kind of old dam system building and I saw this window with this old phone in it.

Along Route 99, and this would be a great riding road next summer, we came across this sign along the road. We always take these types of detours.

What we discovered was a deep-rutted dirt path with overgrown trees and bushes. About an eighth of a mile up this rough path was a cemetery that seemed to still be used. No pictures of the place, it was unremarkable.

What was remarkable was how they could ever get a hearse up this road. And calling it a road would be charitable. Pretty neat detour but don't try it with anything except a truck or Jeep - you won't make it.

Down the road was a town called Wapello, and after our journey so far, we needed a cold one. There are 2 bars in town and we picked the Sandbar and it was a good choice. Nice, friendly place.

Nice roadtrip.

Comments

Flashback Friday

Class, Or Lack Thereof The Dwight Vice gravestone in Oquawka, Illinois. I bring this old chestnut out every so often just to remind me that class is classless. Dwight Vice was killed in his home near Oquawka in 2001. It was one of those things that can generate crime: two guys thought Dwight had a lot of money stashed at home because of his pot-selling sideline to supplement his fishing job. Not really one of those big drug deals gone-bad things. Marijuana was, according to the trial, about the only stuff Dwight sold. But these two guys barge into the house and killed Dwight and attempted to kill his 11 year old kid, Darryl, before they took off with what money they could find. His son, now 23, was stabbed in the back and left for dead. He survived and is wheelchair bound and has undergone several surgeries to repair his wounds. He will be paralyzed for life. None of this is pleasant. Reading the f...

The Mary Davis Home - Part 2

None of these pictures were taken by me, they came right from the MDH website. I am posting these so that friends who have never seen inside where I worked can gain access. After 27 years I have many stories, tales and acquaintances. But, I wouldn't know how to express them appropriately in a few paragraphs. I enjoyed 98% of my stay there and hope I made a difference in the lives of a fraction of the kids who entered. The original MDH at this site was just the front part. The large red-roofed area in back was added on in the 90's. This is the Jerry Carlton library. It was unofficially named after one of the counselors who truly loved the place. He passed away around 2002, I think. Mr. Farber looks like he is explaining a few things to a client. The classroom. Activity area with the gym behind the windows. Another shot of the classroom. It was a little different area to teach since we had 2 classes and 2 teachers i...

Flashback Friday - Cold Case - Part One

53 years ago today, Gordon "Peel" Duncan walked into the dark post office in Seaton Illinois and was brutally assaulted by an individual or individuals. He died two days later. The murder was never solved. Gordon Duncan was one of the publishers of the Seaton Independent, a weekly newspaper in town that started in the late 1800's and stopped publishing in the 60's. We boys were just young children when this took place, but we have been fascinated by it ever since. The imagination of kids, I suppose or maybe the fact that it was unsolved. Regardless, this was a big deal in our little lives. For our parents it tended to shatter the idea that Seaton, our town, was safe. That it could fend off the forces of evil in the world, that in our little universe we would be impervious to harm was gone forever. For us kids I don't suppose we were old enough to know real fear. Fear for us was not getting our list ...

Existing In BFE

Search This Blog