Tag: history

Foto Friday #12

Grammy Writes9 Comments

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D. G. Yuengling & Sons, established in 1829 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, is America’s oldest operating brewery. Whether you’re a beer drinker or not, a free tour of this historic family business is fascinating. The picture above shows the stained-glass ceiling which was installed in the kettle room to reduce the reflection off the brew kettles; and adorning the walls, murals depict workers from the past. Go for the history and stay for the beer, or go for the beer and stay for the history – either way, it’s great fun!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Silence

Grammy Writes13 Comments

IMG_2209 (2)There is silence today at Harper’s Ferry in West Virginia, but that wasn’t always the case. During the Civil War, Harper’s Ferry was a key supply base for Union troops and an important transportation corridor.

In 1862, Major General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and his Confederate troops surrounded and captured a much larger Union garrison near this once tranquil little town. The Confederates methodically positioned cannons along the three separate ridges that overlook Harper’s Ferry, where Union Colonel Dixon Miles had neglected to post men or artillery. Bombarded without means to escape or retaliate, Union officers unanimously agreed to surrender here on the morning of September 15.

Jackson captured over 12,700 Union troops at Harper’s Ferry – the largest surrender of United States soldiers during the Civil War. The Confederates also seized 13,000 arms and 47 pieces of artillery.

It may be silent now along the paths that wind through Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park, but if you stand on the ridge where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers meet, you just might hear the cannons roar.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Silence

Weekly Photo Challenge: Security

Grammy Writes15 Comments

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This floodwall in Paducah, Kentucky offers security to the historic downtown area when the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers overflow their banks. Over three city blocks of the wall are painted in murals capturing the important moments in Paducah’s history. In addition to downtown Paducah, the floodwall protects and minimizes the flood risk for over 11,000 surrounding acres and more than 20,000 people. Security, indeed!

Weekly photo challenge: Security