Concert Memories: John and Mary, Pittsburgh, PA

I recently saw an add.  For $50, you could BUY A RAFFLE TICKET to win two tickets and a hotel stay for one night to see one of the biggest arena concert acts going right now.

To each their own....  but seeing something like this really makes me appreciate all of the concert experiences I had back when I was going to a lot of shows.

Let me tell you what I got in the early 2000s for $50.

In a small, classy bar (Club Cafe) in Pittsburgh PA, it was winter I THINK 2002.  Room capacity 150.  The "Winter Solstice Acoustic Cabaret" was held.

We went because of John & Mary.  If you don't know John & Mary, look them up.  This is one of my all time favorite musical duos.  Folk rock at its best.  They're most known for being members of 10,000 Maniacs, but they have released a few incredible albums on their own.

I've mentioned it here before, but 10,000 Maniacs is one of my all time favorite bands, and John and Mary's first couple of albums are still frequently played in my house.  

Anyway, it was $7 a ticket.  I remember buying 2 CDs at the show and having the artists sign them.  I had a nice long chat with each of the performers that night.  The show started at 10 and I think ended at 2.  Oh, and we bought cake and coffee at the Club Cafe.

I don't remember the exact details, but I remember thinking that we had an incredible evening of seeing live music and poetry and we did it all for under $50.  We saw 2 musicians that I greatly admire.  We discovered the great folk rock of Mark Dignam (another musician I still love and listen to often).  We got two CDs directly from the artists, autographed.  We had cake and coffee.  ALL for less than $50.

Oh, AND the staff let me take one of the show promo posters home.  The other acts that night were great too, and worth seeing in their own right.

I am amazed these days at the ticket prices for concerts...  and those artists aren't going to stick around and talk to their fans, or sign CDs after the show.

Flight 93 Memorial Shanksville Pennsylvania July 2017

 Here is a rough video I made back in 2017 of my visit to the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanskville Pennsylvania!

"The Jennie Wade Story" by Cindy L. Small

I have been on a bit of a Gettysburg kick lately.  I rewatched my video touring the battlefield from several years ago.  I went back and reread some of my Gettysburg books.  There is so much information on the battle! 

It hit me though, I had never read a book on the only civilian killed in the battle, Jennie Wade. 

Well, I found a nice older copy of Cindy L. Small's "The Jennie Wade Story".  The book is still in print and it is a great quick read about Jennie.  If you are planning a first visit to town, this would be a great intro to the legendary young lady, who was just baking bread for the soldiers.

The book gives the details known about Jennie, but there is a great appendix section in the back getting into some of the other odd details of Jennie and Gettysburg.  I was fascinated to read about other civilian injuries and deaths caused LATER relating to the battle.  There is a discussion about where the fatal bullet came from.

This was just a nice little book that was fun to read.

Rob Wingert Gettysburg Tour August 2015

 Back in 2015, I blogged about one of our visits to Gettysburg, and our GREAT Battlefield Tour with Licensed Battlefield Tour Guide Rob Wingert.  When you make it to Gettysburg, touring with an OFFICIAL (there are imitators) tour guide is the only way to go.  These guys are rock stars.

We had a great tour, CUSTOM PLANNED to my requests (they do that sort of thing) and Rob was just a lot of fun.  

I kept up with Rob briefly after our tour.  After a bit though, he stopped returning my emails.  That was OK though, I didn't take it personally.  I know people get busy.  I would learn later though that, sadly, Rob had passed away.

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to spend a few hours with him.  I would love to hear from anyone else who knew Rob.  Anyway, enjoy this battlefield video.

"Gettysburg's Coster Avenue: The Brickyard Fight and the Mural" by Mark H. Dunkelman

I recently rewatched my video of a battlefield tour we took in Gettysburg from several years ago.  As I watched it, I remembered how exciting and fascinating the town was.  

It is great, and there are so many places, people and art associated with the town and the battle.

Well, I started thinking about the wonderful, though very faded outdoor painting that we saw, the "Coster Avenue Mural".

This great piece of art was big and impressive.  It was right in the area of the battle.  It was also on wood, and exposed to the elements.

I googled around, wondering what had happened to it, and if there was ever any restoration done to it.

Luckily, I found that the mural's creator, Mark H. Dunkelman wrote a book about the battle and the mural!

AND, autographed copies are available through Gettysburg Publishing!  You know I ordered one!

This is a great book.....  It is a quick read, but it is a lot of fun.  AND, since it is by the artist.....  it is kind of a great souvenir for anyone who has seen the mural and marveled at it.

I really enjoyed reading about the inspiration and creation of the mural early on.  There have been restoration efforts.

After I was able to see it in its very faded state, it REALLY got a makeover.  I don't want to give anything away, but the painting is truly transformed into something new, while still being the mural.

 

Moennonite and Amish People of Lancaster County, Pa.

This undated but vibrant postcard notes on the front that it shows, "Mennonite and Amish People of Lancaster County, Pa."

Gettysburg 2017

 Here is a video I put together and put on youtube from our visit to Gettysburg PA back in 2017!!!!

"The Fairfield Haunting" by Richard Estep

I mentioned not too long ago that I got to meet and talk to author Richard Estep at the Scarefest in Lexington.

I noticed him and his books at Scarefest.  I did a quick search, and his work did look interesting.  I have become a bit reluctant to buy some ghost related books lately though, because there are some really bad ones out there.  Just from googling around though, it looked like Estep put more into his books than most.

AND, I was fascinated that he had written a book on the Fairfield Inn, which is just outside of Gettysburg.  There was action there during the Civil War......  but the town and the Inn are often overlooked as most Civil War tourists spend their time at Gettysburg.  So, in some ways, this is an obscure Civil War topic that is directly related to the most famous battle.

Also, I have to admit, Fairfield was not on my radar.  I read a lot about the Civil War, and this one was new to me....  so I definitely wanted to pick this book up!

Anyway, I just finished reading his book, "The Fairfield Haunting" and I really enjoyed it.... on several different levels.

First off, Estep is a thoughtful writer.  Sure, he is writing about ghost hunting (a somewhat less than legit hobby in the minds of many people) but he is keeping a skeptical perspective.  He is OK with debunking and he doesn't get too excited about evidence before trying to debunk.  He is trying to keep things pretty scientific.

Still, the book has a nice creepy feel.  Richard and some friends are spending time in an Inn that was used as a Confederate hospital during the Civil War.  They are doing investigations late at night too, so there is that.  In some ways, the book reads a bit like a scary movie.

BUT, the book deals a lot with history.  Estep gives a nice but brief description of the Battle of Gettysburg.  For most, this is a bit of a rehash....  but a quick mention is needed in a book like this.  The author does a good job of covering it though, in an easy to visualize sort of way.  Also, he covers some of the other basics of Gettysburg (Jennie Wade, the orphanage, the Farnsworth House, etc.).

After reading "The Fairfield Haunting" I thought this might be a nice book for a young adult or teen reader.  It would be something nice to give a young person before a first trip to Gettysburg....  especially if that young person is interested in the paranormal.

In fact, I wish I had this one to read before my first trip to Gettysburg several years ago.

So, I really liked "The Fairfield Haunting because it introduced me to the Fairfield Inn (I MUST make it there next time I am in the area) and the Battle of Fairfield.  It was an enjoyable read because I felt like I was with Richard investigating the Inn and the Gettysburg Battlefields.  Plus, I appreciated Richard's easy to understand descriptions of the Battle.  I personally love the politics and personalities of the Civil War, but I often feel like reading about the battles gets muddy.  I didn't feel that way with Richard's books.  I understood the battles.

"A History of the Amish" by Steven M. Nolt

As you know, we have covered a lot of ground visiting places associated with the Amish.  We really love a lot of these areas- especially the ones in Ohio.  Mesopotamia and Sugar Creek are two of my all time favorite places to visit any chance I can!  AND, I have always thought highly of the Amish.  They take a lot of pride in what they do and who they are, while still having a certain humbleness to them.

So I wanted to find a good, easy to understand book about the Amish people, and how they came about.  I flipped through "A History of the Amish" by Steven M. Nolt and felt that this would be the one to pick up.  It is a well written 300 plus pages with a cover price of $9.95!  You get a lot for your money with this one too!

It IS a 300 page history on the Amish, so keep that in mind.  Its not exactly perfect casual reading for the weekend, but if you know a little about the Amish, and want to learn more of their history, this is the perfect book.  Also, for a book on a group's history, this is far from a dull, dry read.  Nolt's writing style has a very nice, easy to follow flow to it.

He covers the very start of the movement several centuries ago, explaining how it grew out of and away from the main religion of the time.  He covers the various splits that have occurred.  He talks about how some splinter groups have reconnected with other groups as time passes.  The author discusses how some groups have moved into certain areas and have become heavily associated with those geographic spots.

Nolt also gives interesting details about many of the concepts that I think most of us associate with the Amish.  He covers the age of baptism, shunning, clothes, being non-violent, use of machinery and modern technology, military drafts, etc.  If you have ever been curious about why certain groups of Amish are very serious about these things (while others may not be as concerned) Steven M. Nolt explains it.

He also gets into the perception of the Amish in popular culture.  Movies and news headlines have affected how the group is viewed by outsiders.  Books have romanticized their life style.  He does a great job of explained how the whole Amish tourism started and continues.

I really enjoyed reading Steven M. Nolt's complete, and easy to read book about the Amish, and I do give it my highest possible recommendation.

Taps and Free Battlefield Guide Tour

I mentioned earlier that the very friendly people at the Shriver House suggested that we go by the cemetery at 6pm for a free one hour Licensed Battlefield Guide tour... so we did!

I did not catch the name of the great guide we had, but he was very informative.  He talked about the battle, and about how the National Cemetery was set up.  He told us that a photo was discovered of Abe in the Cemetery.  The photo was discovered 40 or so years ago, and using angles and all that, they were able to determine that Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg address NOT where the monument is now, but probably about 140 feet away.... and he would have actually been standing in the Evergreen Cemetery.

The guide hung out after his tour and answered questions.  I mentioned before that on our visit to town in 2015 we hired a guide for a tour, so a FREE one with a guide is kind of a big deal!  It was very generous of him to donate his time to this.  I did see someone in the group offer a tip, which this guide declined.

Right after our tour, a fellow came out and played Taps at 7pm.  This was part of the park's, "100 Night of Taps" series.  A different bugler plays Taps each night at 7 for 100 nights.

The gentleman who played Taps the night we were there was from Arkansas.  He was presented with a special challenge coin after playing.

AND trust me....  hearing Taps in the Gettysburg National Cemetery was moving.  If you didn't have goose bumps, hair standing up, and a tear in your eye at this special moment....  well, there is something wrong with ya.

"This is holy ground: A history of the Gettysburg Battlefield" by Barbara L. Platt

"This is holy ground:  A history of the Gettysburg Battlefield" by Barabara L. Platt was a very interesting book to read while on our trip to Gettysburg!  This is one of the rarer books about the town that DOES NOT really involve the actual battle.

I had been looking for a book more about the development of the National Park, and the preservation of the area for some time, and I just happened upon this nice little read at a Half Price Books!

Anyway, the book gets into the details of the Battlefield right after the famous conflict.  A lot happens early on with the very quick establishment of the Gettysburg National Cemetery.  Associations pop up concerning preserving the area. There is some forward thought about the significance of the properties.

Platt covers a lot of very local issues concerning the land.  Of course, there are parties that really want to keep everything pristine, and VERY 1863ish.  There are others, mainly local business owners, who aren't as excited about keeping things that way.  Many people express concerns on both sides, including a favorite of this blogger, William Frassanito!

The book mentions several attractions placed on the land, that eventually go away (or are demolished) including a scrap yard, and observation towers.

I did not know about some of the controversy surrounding a tower that came down in 2000, or the concerns relating to the earlier building housing the Cyclorama. 

Platt's book is an interesting study in the history and preservation of one of the most important battlefields on American soil.  All sorts of issues come up.

It did come out in the early 00s though....  So I would be interested in reading an updated version, as a decade or so has passed by........

Jennie Wade House- Gettysburg Pennsylvania

A great guide named Leon gave us a really nice tour of the Jennie Wade House.  I almost don't want to tell the story again (it's probably the most well known story associated with Gettysburg).  Anyway, Jennie was baking break for the Union soldiers coming through town at her sister's house.  She was shot and killed by a bullet that went through two doors before reaching her.  She is the only civilian that was killed during the three days of fighting at Gettysburg.

 

Her sister's home is now known as the Jennie Wade House, and it is a very famous place to visit while in Gettysburg.  They have tours, and a nice gift shop.

 

The exact area where she was baking is on the tour.....  You can literally look, and stand where it happened.

 

I was VERY moved to see the two bullet holes through the doors leading to the kitchen area.  You can see one bullet hole looking through the other one (see photo).

 

AND, there is something very sweet and humble about the fact that she was making bread to help the soldiers when all of this happened.

 

There is actually much more to the story (and the home).  There is a romance and lost letter.  There is a baby born in the house.  An Artillery shell penetrates the home....

 

Towards the end of our tour, we saw a display case containing a floorboard from the site where Jennie fell. 

 

This was a great house tour, and Jennie Wade's story is one of the more interesting (and tragic) ones relating to civilian life during the battle.

Gallery 30 in Gettysburg Pennsylvania

I wanted to give a very quick mention to Gallery 30 in Gettysburg.

My wife loves this place, and it was the place she really wanted to make it to again when we planned our latest trip to Gettysburg.  She loves Gallery 30.

They sell a lot of unique jewelry and local art items.  They are big into gourdes, paintings, and photos.  Everything they sell is appealing and quality.  All of their items are nice and nothing appears sloppily made or amateurish. 

My wife spent a lot of time here while I checked out some of the nearby relic shops, and book stores.  It is right off of the diamond in the main area of Gettysburg.

Civil War Tails at the Homestead Diorama Museum, Gettysburg, PA.

I heard about Civil War Tails through Roadside America, and not through my usual Civil War channels......

AND that is kind of the thing about Civil War Tails in Gettysburg.  MOST of the traditional attractions in Gettysburg don't make the list on a website like roadsideamerica.com.  Civil War Tails may.... or may not make the list of usual attractions relating to the battle in town.  It straddles a fine line.

So...  twin sisters Rebecca and Ruth Brown enjoy making Civil War dioramas.......  using CATS instead of humans.  They have done a lot of them.  I think I heard that they have done over 8,000 cat soldiers.  Think about that for a minute.

AND, they have set them up showing accurate scenes from the Civil War.  Well, accurate except for the fact that cats have replaced people.


Admission is a very affordable $6.50 to check out this new folk art must see.

We walked in and were pretty impressed with the set up.  Small signs have been made to explain each of the dioramas.

As I looked at the first layout, I observed Confederate and Union soldiers.  I asked the co-creator where were the orange tabbies while all of this was going on?  She politely laughed, but I get the feeling that they have heard every imaginable joke about cats and the Civil War.

We ended up spending a bit of time here, as the small figures in the 1860s scenes are very interesting.... and different.  Plus, having one of the artists present to show us around, and tell us about the process was a huge bonus.


Before leaving, we checked out some of the merchandise for sale here.  Small domed cat soldiers, hand made by the Brown sisters, are available for as low as $5 each!  For $10, you can get a Civil War Cat kissing his cat wife.  I mentioned that I felt these little works of art were a total bargain at that price.  I was told that the sisters want to keep the prices  reasonable so that the kids that come through can afford one.


I really like what Rebecca and Ruth are doing here.  PLUS, their museum IS inside of the Homestead, which is part of the old Orphanage, linked to the Humiston photo.  I really appreciate the privilege of being able to walk into the old historic buildings linked to the battle (and the events right afterwards).  Getting to walk inside of this historic building is just an added bonus.

The Shirver's and Tillie Pierce- Civilians During the Battlle of Gettysburg

When we visited the Shriver House in Gettysburg, I picked up a couple of books that really go together...  though they were written nearly 130 years apart!

"At Gettysburg or What a Girl Saw and Heard of the Battle" by Tillie Pierce Alleman is available in the Shriver House gift shop as a 2015 reprint (the copyright date is 1889).  It is a very nice, smaller hardcover edition that feels very vintage.  The pages are smaller, and this one could be read in a short setting.  It would also be a very nice gift for a younger reader interested in Gettysburg (but one that can handle reading about the details of war).

Nancie W. Gudmestad (director of the Shriver House Museum AND author of the other book I will be mentioning) writes a short intro to this edition.  It helps set things up, while not taking away from the story Tillie covers.

AND Tillie tells a great tale.  It is a very valuable and rare first hand account of what a young resident of Gettysburg saw.  She has a ring side seat.

You should read her story yourself, but I personally enjoyed reading about her emotions as she observed, and tried to help the injured soldiers.  There are some extremely personal interactions as she contributes to the Union cause.  I especially liked reading about a soldier who her family helped coming back many years later to say hello.  This is a sweet book.

Oh, and for those who enjoy some mysteries/disputed facts about the battle, Tillie gives her first hand story about the death of a major player in the battle.  It differs from the generally accepted facts.

The other book I bought at the Shriver House is "The Shriver's Story:  Eyewitnesses to the Battle of Gettysburg" by the previously mentioned Nancie W. Gudmestad.  This is the more recently written book, and it mostly covers the Shriver family's story.  They lived next door to Tillie's family in 1863, and they invited Tillie to leave the main town area of Gettysburg with them, as it seemed the fighting was happening right in town.  Well, once they left town and went to a family farm (between Little Round Top and Big Round Top) they found that they had moved right into the heart of the fighting.

The family is literally running around the Battlefield at times.  They help the soldiers as much as they can.  AND their vacated house ends up hosting Confederate sharpshooters (and at least a couple end up getting killed in their attic).

These are both interesting books from a unique perspective.  They are especially fun to read after visiting the Shriver House in Gettysburg!

Shriver House- Gettysburg Pennsylvania

We walked in to the Shriver House to take a tour while on our trip.  We entered, and bought tickets, then explored the gift shop as we waited for our tour to begin.

While looking at books, the lady who would end up being our tour guide asked me about our plans for the evening.  I thought she was being polite, and just chatting.  Anyway, as we talked, she told me about the Licensed Battlefield Tour Guides program going on in town right now.

She told me that each evening at 6, a guide volunteered their time to do a free group tour at the Cemetery, which would end at the time that Taps would be played each evening at 7.  I was glad she told me (we ended up going- more on that later), and I thought it was sweet that she brought this up.  Obviously, at the Shriver House, they care about being good ambassadors for the community.

Our tour started not long after that.  It was less than $20 for the two of us to go through.  We both agreed that this was a great tour, and I would rank it among the "Must Dos" on any trip to Gettysburg.

Not to spoil the story, but the house was used by Confederates during the Battle.  Sharpshooters shot from the attic, and from witness accounts, at least a couple were shot and killed in the attic.


The house is set up the way it may have looked right after the battle.  The kitchen is a total mess.  Guns are near where the sharpshooters were.

Our amazing tour guide talked at length about living in 1863.  We had some young children on the tour with us, and it was fun seeing her tell them about chamber pots, and other inconveniences of the day.