A Record of a Lifetime of Wanderlust
Boyertown, Pennsylvania The Colebrookdale Train Station in Boyertown is set up to entertain visitors and passengers waiting to take the excursion railroad. One of the items set up was an outside chess set. Henry and Simon gravitated towards the board and wanted to play, so I said “Sure,” and watched to see what they would…
Elverson, Pennsylvania Iron was the key metal used to drive the Industrial Revolution, and Pennsylvania was home to a large naturally occurring deposit. At the site of the Hopewell Furnace, Mark Bird began by casting iron stoves for homes, then switched to munitions production for the Revolutionary War, and later returned to the iron needed…
Valley Forge National Historical Site, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania For American History or Military History Buffs, a trip to Valley Forge National Historical Site is a must-see location. The park is a great day trip from Philadelphia. Since we were staying in King of Prussia, it was a straightforward destination paired with a couple of…
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania Right in the middle of the Valley Forge National Historic Site is the Washington Memorial Chapel, an Episcopal Church dedicated to the memory of the soldiers who formed the backbone of the Continental Army. The chapel defines itself as being “built by the American people, for the American people, as a…
Valley Forge National Historic Site, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania In the late 1700s, the most professional army in the world was from Prussia. As a nation, Prussia prioritized competence over nobility, emphasizing logistics and training within its army. A product of that army was Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. Born in Magdeburg to a military family,…
Valley Forge National Historic Site, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania The Isaac Potts House was built in 1773, but it was most famously used by George Washington from 1777 to 1778 as his headquarters for the Continental Army. George rented this house, which he used, along with his aides-de-camp, his servants, and his slaves. The house…
Valley Forge National Historic Park, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania Chester County native Anthony Wayne’s name is found throughout the United States, including on three forts, ten cities or towns, and counties in 15 different states, including the county where I currently reside in North Carolina. Seeing his statue at Valley Forge inspired me to learn…
Valley Forge National Historical Site, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania In October 1910, Congress appropriated money to build what is now known as the National Memorial Arch. The arch was built to honor the Continental Army and its Commander, General George Washington. The arch models the Arch of Titus, which the Romans built to commemorate their victory…
Valley Forge National Historical Park, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania In the winter of 1777-1778, George Washington, the commanding general of the Continental Army, knew that he needed to turn his ragtag band of volunteers into a fighting force if he was going to have any chance of winning true independence from the British. Washington settled…
Grand Rapids, Michigan On the back side of the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum are the graves of Gerald “Jerry” and Elizabeth “Betty” Ford. These two figures in American politics just happened to be comfortable in being themselves. Neither Jerry nor Betty Ford thought that they would be President and First Lady, but they carried on…