Virginia 400: First Arrivals

Many people regard Jamestown, Virginia as the birthplace of the nation because it is the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America. But with a deeper look, one sees that its importance stems from much more than that and that it can be better described as the place where our country’s initial courtship took place. It’s here that our nation’s most important “first encounters” occurred and roles and a hierarchy would be established that would have a lasting effect. On May 14, 1607, three ships, Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, bearing 104 all male settlers, came ashore on land they called “James Cittie.”(www.virginia.org).

The Jamestown area was home to approximately 14,000 Powhatan Indians led by Wahunsenacawh or Chief Powhatan — and the contact between them and the early settlers was initially hostile. The Powhatan people resided in a series of villages where men hunted and fished. The women tended to other tasks.

The colony managed to survive disease, famine, attack, and rebellion to spread eastward and in 1619, their perseverance would alter the nation’s destiny. The first representative legislative assembly in North America was held from July 30-August 4th in the Jamestown Church. The assembly was comprised of men representing the 11 major settlements. (@commemorate2019).

There were women in the settlement from 1607, but their numbers were small and death rates high. In 1619, the first recruitment of women took place. These unmarried women with special skills were specifically selected. More than 100 women arrived the following year, making this a benchmark in women’s history.

The English warship —  the White Lion — sailed along the James River and landed at Point Comfort in August 1619. There, “20 and odd Negroes” were exchanged for food. Captured in West Africa, they were to be transported aboard the Portuguese slave ship São João Bautista to Mexico, but were taken aboard two English ships when the vessel was captured. This exchange established the roots of the African slave trade in the colonies and facilitated its direction and entrenchment in the legal,  economic and social systems for the ensuing 400 years.

These events came together in Virginia in 1619 and set a course for the country that continues to resonate today. The nation’s early history played out in the Historic Triangle and the state has done a remarkable job of researching, preserving, interpreting the locations and being inclusive of all ethnicities.

“American Evolution” is a program designed to explore the 400-years of history and culture with an emphasis on democracy, diversity, and opportunity. The state will commemorate the events that took place in Jamestown 400 years ago. More than 20 events and nine legacy projects have been planned for 2019. The events, beginning in 2018, provide a singular opportunity to interact with history from 1619 through the Civil War. Visitors can opt to tour chronologically, thematically or geographically. (www.americanevolution2019.com).

The natural place to begin is at the National Park Service, Colonial National Historical Park (COLO) and Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation (JRF). NPS-COLO is the only known publicly accessible site that is authenticated as having been occupied by the first Africans in the English colonies. This active dig site of the entire settlement was first excavated in 1934 under the guidance of the segregated Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Out of this activity came the first African-American archaeologists. (@historicjamestowne).

A civil rights grant has allowed the JRF to embark on the Angela Project, which isan effort to bring to life and substantiate through artifacts the life of Angela, a slave who arrived from Angola aboard the Treasurer. We know that Angela was part of the household of Captain William Pierce, whose home is currently being excavated down to the 1619 level. The kitchen where she worked has been largely excavated and allows visitors to revisit Angela in a space she inhabited. Actual artifacts are exhibited. Although we do not know Angela’s age or fate,  we know she walked these streets. (#AmericanEvolution).

Jamestown Settlement is an interpretive campus that consists of both indoor and outdoor interpretive exhibits that orient visitors to the story of the nation from the perspective of defining events within the Historic Triangle. Visits begin in the museum with “1607: A Nation Takes Root.” This docudrama weaves the story of the interaction of the three cultures that met here over the first two decades. The story of Angela was filmed at the actual locations and sets were built using traditional techniques by Angolans in Africa. (www.historyisfun).

Jamestown Settlement Exhibition Galleries are comprised of 30,000-sq.-ft. of exhibition space displaying more than 500 artifacts, interactive stations, films and life-sized dioramas arrayed along the Great Hall that extends the entire length of the building. Galleries are basically chronological, open with an overview of Virginia and then introduce the Powhatans, the Africans and the English. The final interior exhibit is “The Legacy of Jamestown”. Of special note is the story of Njinga, the Angolan queen who fought against slavery.

Visitors continue to three exterior exhibits, recreations of a 17th-century Powhatan Indian Village, the Jamestown Fort and the three English ships that arrived in Jamestown in 1607. Each area has costumed interpreters who provide information and present demonstrations in which guests can participate.

Because Virginia’s capital was relocated from Jamestown to Williamsburg in 1699, your next stop should be Colonial Williamsburg, the world’s largest outdoor museum. This living history museum interprets the nation’s 18th-century life through the lens of  its inhabitants– notable and average, free and enslaved. There are more than 600 structures — 88 are authentic. There are also 40 sites and numerous tours and programs. During this era, 50 percent of Williamsburg’s residents were Black.  Their stories are interwoven throughout. Tickets, maps and guides are available at the Colonial Williamsburg Regional Visitor Center, and are an indispensible planning tool. (www.colonialwilliamsburg.com).

       

“Texas: It’s Like a Whole Other Country”

The Caddo Indians inhabited Texas for more than 11,000-years before Europeans arrived and it was their word, “tayshas”, meaning "friend", that the Spanish pronounced “tejas”. It would give rise to the name Texas.
Alonso Alvarez de Pineda, in 1519, was the first documented European explorer of the McAllen area but a formal settlement would not occur until more than 200-years later. The land was part of a porciones given in 1767 by Spain to Antonio Gutiérrez and Juan Antonio Villareal. José Gómez established the Santa Anita Ranch in 1797 and people migrated to the region. Gómez’s great-granddaughter, Salomé Ballí, eventually inherited the land and she wed the ranch manager, John McAllen, in 1861. The ranch became known as the McAllen Ranch and the existing city of McAllen is within that ranch’s 160,000-acres. www.southtexastourism.com

        Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca introduced horses and cattle into Texas in 1528. By the late 1600s vaqueros, a mixture of Spanish, Native American, African American and criollo descent, were the acknowledged ranching experts and the first “cowboys”. Most of the words we associate with cow herding are Spanish and African in origin. Vaqueros usually sold their services independently and they were often recruited from Mexico for their skills. They owned their own horse and ropes. Black cowboys were always an integral part of the southwestern ranch culture. Estimates put their numbers at up to 9,000, roughly 25% of cowboys. Many were fugitive slaves and later former enslaved men seeking a new life.
The ownership of the land between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande River was a contested border between Mexico and the US. The border eventually became the Rio Grande and the “Nueces Strip” became a line on the Underground Railroad. Freedom seeking slaves from Texas and Louisiana used it to escape to Mexico because Mexico’s mulatto president Vicente Guerrero abolished slavery in 1829.
In 1866 the Army Reorganization Act facilitated the organization of 2 cavalry and 4 infantry regiments of African Americans. The units were segregated and would become known as Buffalo Soldiers. They were dispatched across Texas to build forts, accompany wagon trains and stagecoaches, apprehend fugitives and subdue enemies.
The $45-million McAllen Performing Arts Center’s design reflects the environment. A bronze sculpture, “The Vaquero of Nuevo Santander”, stands on the exterior and pays homage to the Tejano cattlemen of the 1700s.

The heritage of the lower Rio Grande region, from prehistoric beasts to current culture, is recounted in the Museum of South Texas History. Tours begin in the Spanish Colonial Revival Grand Lobby with decorative tiles, ironwork and mesquite doors. The history is presented chronologically through dioramas, documents, artifacts and audio. www.mosthistory.org
Forty years ago the International Museum of Art & Science was founded. The museum combines bilingual hands-on science exhibits with a 4,5000 object folk-art and textile collection dating from the 1500s, the largest collection of Mexican folk art in the nation. www.mcallenart.com
McAllen Public Library is the largest single story library I the country. The building is a redesigned Wal-Mart filled with state-of-the-art technology and community-related services. Self-guided tours are offered. www.mcallenlibrary.net

         McAllen is a significant destination for birders from around the world. They flock here to witness the great migration. Nearly 500 bird species have been recorded here, many unique to the region. The city is part of the Texas Tropical Trail Region that encompasses nine locations along 120-miles of river road. More than 75% of the nation’s bird species can be seen there. www.texastropicaltrail.com
          The World Birding Center is part of the Quinta Mazatlan Historic House complex that features the 1935 adobe home, nature trail, 15-acres of bird habitat, sculptures and conference center. The historic home was built using 10,000 adobe bricks and government certified Televera Tile. Tours of the house and walks along the trails are spectacular. www.quintamazatlan.com
          McAllen has a unique vibe that is a distinct mixture of the ethnicities that impacted on its history and one of its most potent exemplifiers is its cuisine. Visitors can opt for traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes at a variety of restaurants. Authentic Mexican food is believed to have its roots in Mayan culture. Tex-Mex is regional and is a blending of both Spanish and Native American cuisine.  

          Delia’s Tamales are considered the best in Texas. Delia began approximately 30-years ago selling her fresh tamales door to door. In 1999 she opened the first of three restaurants. Her tamales can now be ordered online. www.deliastamales.com
          Costas Messa is renowned for serving authentic Mexican cuisine.  www.costamessargv.com
Bodega Tavern & Kitchen showcases regional Texas cuisine. The paella here is excellent. www.bodegamcallen.com
        Cambria Hotel & Suites McAllen Convention Center is centrally located and within walking distance of many attractions. It features regional art and all the amenities necessary to make your stay memorable. www.cambriamcallen.com
     

 
        The past is alive in McAllen and the cultural blend and diversity is unique and evident all around you.

George Washington "Among His Troops"

        Philadelphia’s Museum of the American Revolution unveiled a new exhibit on January 13th. The exhibit, “Among His Troops: Washington’s War Tent in a Newly Discovered Watercolor ”, will be on view until February 19, 2018. The Civil War was the first American war to be widely photographed and prior to that war strategists and newspapers depended upon drawings and paintings. This painting is the only known depiction of this politically impactful encampment and provides a snapshot of this event.
The most renowned artifact in the museum’s collection is General Washington’s Headquarters, his original sleeping and office tent. Washington’s first tent wore out and was replaced in 1778 by a second tent. 

         Both marquee tents were purchased from Plunket Fleeson, an upholsterer whose business was located at 4th & Chestnut in Philadelphia. The exact size of the oval tent remains a mystery. Washington’s tent can be seen on the second floor, as well as an 11-minute movie introduction. 
          Credit is given to Selena Gray for saving the tent, handed down to Robert E. Lee’s wife, great-granddaughter of Martha Washington, from destruction during the Civil War. Gray, Mary Lee’s personal slave, was left as caretaker of the Lee Mansion when the family left in May of 1861. Gray gained her freedom the following year.

The newly opened exhibition is designed around the 7-ft. panoramic painting of the Continental Army’s encampment at Verplanck’s Point in 1782. Pierre L’Enfant, a French-American military engineer and designer of Washington, DC, painted it. 

         Washington’s tent can be clearly seen in the foreground. Additional artifacts in the 2,500 square-foot gallery include a portrait of the general by John Trumbull and pieces of Washington’s headquarters tent that are rarely placed on display.
A menu of special programs was created to enhance understanding of the exhibition specifically and the American Revolution in general. Scheduled Twenty-minute gallery talks are included with admission and during MLK Day weekend the stories of African American service in the Revolution will be interpreted. Information is available on the website. www.amrevmuseum.org 

So You Think You're Cold, Morristown and the Donner Party!

                  This has been a cold, miserable winter in the contiguous US and it is still early January. The temperature in December reached recorded lows in 30 cities but Embarrass, Minnesota gets the prize with -45 degrees. Philadelphia’s most frigid January temperature, -7, was reached in 1982 and 1984 according to statistics beginning in 1881 and although the daily temperature is significant this winter has also produced prolonged bone-chilling cold. People tend to say that this has been difficult to survive but historically people have, with far less resources and no technological entertainment, managed to get through until spring. These stories prove there is a “morning after” if you just hold on.

                  The Hard Winter of 1779-80 has come to be recognized by some as the harshest winter of colonial times. In 1779 General George Washington marched his troops to his chosen winter campsite, Jockey Hollow, three miles southwest of Morristown, New Jersey where they would stay from December to June. Approximately 10,000 men, including several Pennsylvania regiments commanded by General Arthur St. Clair, constructed 1,200 log huts. The cutting down of the 2,000-acres of forest was necessary for encampment construction but deforested the area. All high level officers were housed in area homes. General St. Clair lived in the 1750 Wick Home. The home is situated in Morristown National Park and is open year round on a schedule. www.morristourism.org

Also in the park are the recreated huts of the Pennsylvania Line soldiers. Having learned from the winter spent in Valley Forge encampments were standardized. Huts were to be 16.5-ft. high, 14-ft. wide and 15 to 16-ft. wide. Each held twelve soldiers and was constructed with a fireplace, one door and bunks. Four officers shared a larger hut with two fireplaces.

Ford Mansion Slaves and Servants Room

Aides' Sleeping Quarters 

                  Washington resided in the Ford Mansion along with his aides-de-camp, including Alexander Hamilton. His 150 Life Guards, his personal body guards, lived nearby. Martha always spent the winters with George and she arrived at the Ford Mansion on December 1, 1779 and left on June 23, 1780. While living there Washington complained that his 18 slaves were not adequately housed. Their lodgings were cramped and so cold that they were always ill. He had rooms built in the mansion and a log cabin on the exterior to help solve the problem. Tours of the Ford Mansion and adjacent Headquarter Museum bring the mansion inhabitants to life as well as the experiences of the winter of 1779-80.

                  Jockey Hollow Visitor Center interprets the story of the average soldier through an orientation video and exhibits. The most compelling exhibit is a recreated cabin that looks as if its occupants just left. www.nps.gov/morr/index

                  The American Revolution took place over seven winters and of those the winter of 1779-80 in Morris County was the harshest.  Washington had selected the area for his winter encampment because it was strategically located, could be defended and offered Washington views of the British movements. The weather was uncooperative from the beginning and negated all the region’s advantages. The roads were impassable and dispatches had to be walked through the snow making message transmittal problematic.

                  Winter arrived early and after several snowfalls in November December arrived with a snowstorm. On January 1^st a blizzard began that would last four days. It is believed that there were more than 25 snowfalls and frigid temperatures and this was one of only two documented times when all the fresh and saltwater bays, harbors and rivers north of North Carolina were totally frozen. The army endured inflation, starvation and lack of clothing and 100 men died.

                  On March 18, 1780 Washington wrote to the Marquis de Lafayette,” The oldest people now living in the Country do not remember so hard a winter as the one we are now emerging from.”

The Reeds- Public Domain

In April of 1846 a group of 89 emigrants left Illinois for California via Fort Bridger, Wyoming. The 20 wagons were lead by George Donner and would come to be known as the Donner Party. They were the final major wagon train to head to California in 1846. They departed Independence, Missouri on May 12^th, nearly one month later than the optimum time for the journey.

A shady guide, Lansford Hastings, induced them to take a different trail. Hastings was to meet them at the fort but was not there when they arrived. He was leading another group but he left word for them to follow and he would mark the trail for them. Hastings never met up with them and sent word that they should take another route.

After wasting nearly 20 days they  began to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains late in the season. A massive snowstorm blocked their passage through the mountain pass on October 28^th. They would spend the next 5 months penned down by ice and snow. They were approximately 100-miles from California and the group built ramshackle housing and slowly began to starve.

On December 16^th the 15 strongest pioneers donned homemade snowshoes and hiked for help. The hikers were too weak to walk out, food became a necessity and cannibalism became a viable option. Before they were forced to draw lots a few of them died naturally and it is believed the others suddenly had enough food to regain their strength. Two Native Americans traveling with the party fled, afraid they might be murdered. The hikers later caught up with them and murdered and consumed them. Seven of the hikers made it to California and arranged for a rescue.

Original Newspaper- Public Domain

Meanwhile, back at the camp, the families were starving and a few died of malnutrition. Some of the settlers cannibalized the corpses of their fellow travelers. Some refused to eat and died instead. Rescuers arrived in February and March of 1847. Only 45 of the travelers finally arrived.

MSBTravels.com

Donner Memorial State Park and Emigrant Trail Museum is located in Truckee, California. A 22-ft. monument located on the exterior of the museum indicates the height of the snow during the ordeal. www.townoftruckee.com

Yes our winter has been a struggle but remember, it could always be worse.

Cowboys and Aliens in New Mexico

Few outlaws are as iconic as Billy the Kid, and even fewer are so enveloped in mystery and myth. It is believed that William Henry McCarty was born in New York City in 1859 and at some point moved with his family to Indiana and then Kansas. After his mother was diagnosed with tuberculosis,  they moved to a drier climate –Denver — and then Santa Fe. His mother died in 1874 and Billy began a rootless life. Contrary to popular belief, people liked him. He loved to sing, dance, target shoot, gamble and read. He was approximately 5’9”, was very slim and killed his first man for bullying him. (www.newmexico.org).

He joined a group of criminals called The Boys, but broke with them in 1877 to work for John Tunstall, who was feuding with the Dolan Outfit. After Tunstall was killed in 1878, McCarty joined “The Regulators,” who were deputized to arrest the murderers. In November 1880,  he was arrested and accused of murder by his former friend, Pat Garrett. Sentenced to hang on May 13, 1881, he escaped from jail, was tracked by Garrett and killed on July 14, 1881. (http://www.historynet.com/billy-the-kid).

The 84-mile Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway takes you through the parts of the region where The Kid rode. Many of the towns remain much as they were then and the landscapes are awesome. (www.billybyway.com).

La Cienega de San Vicente was a Hispanic village when silver was discovered in the 1870s. Anglos quickly moved in and renamed it Camp Gorman,then Silver City. The Palace Hotel in downtown Silver City is a historic gem. It has been featured in numerous publications, including National Geographic. (www.silvercitypalacehotel.com).

Billy’s mother Catherine and William Antrim wed in Santa Fe, but moved to Silver City in 1873. The following year, Catherine died and Antrim abandoned Billy and his brother. In 1875, Billy committed his first crime –stealing laundry —  was arrested, butescaped. Catherine is buried in Memory Lane Cemetery. (www.townofsilvercity.org).

The tiny town of Pinos Altos — or “Tall Pines” — is only a few miles away and was visited by both Billy and Geronimo. The 1860 Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House is an authentic 19th-century site. The restaurant and haunted Opera House are filled with antiques, artworks, and artifacts. Proprietor and Executive Chef Thomas Bock provides an extraordinary dining experience. (www.buckhornsaloonandoperahouse.com).

White Sands National Monument, a gypsum dune field located within 275-sq.miles of deserton the road to Roswell, is another city The Kid was known to visit. The town began to grow in 1871 when a gambler, Van Smith, named the town to honor his father, Roswell. It became important because it was near the Chisholm Trail and the fact that it sits on aquifers.
The Roswell Museum and Art Center is a gem that features paintings, prints and drawings and The Aston Collection of the American West and a replica of Robert Goddard’s workshop. The complex also includes the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium. (www.roswellnm.org).

On July 3, 1947, a farmer reported a debris field 300’ wide and ¾-mile long strewn across his field. The Air Force was summoned and declared it a weather balloon crash. Word quickly went around that the crash was really an extraterrestrial spacecraft piloted by three aliens.

In 1991, the International UFO Museum and Research Center was founded. The center contains materials and special collections to facilitate UFO research. The museum focuses on the 1947 incident with photographs, documents, dioramas and art. The gift shop is impressive. (www.roswellufomuseum.com).

Fort Stanton Historic Site is one of the most intact and best-preserved 19th-century forts in the country. The 240-acre fort was constructed in 1855. Lt. “Black Jack’ Pershing and the Buffalo Soldiers were garrisoned there. Buffalo Soldiers were among the forces sent to Lincoln County to maintain order during the Johnson County Wars in which Billy participated. (www.fortstanton.org).

Mesilla was the site of Billy’s trial in which he was sentenced to death. This historic city’s plaza is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Once the largest town between San Diego and San Antonio, it has hosted its share of luminaries. (www.mesillanm.gov).

La Posta Restaurant & Cantina is listed on the NRHP and features the largest menu of margaritas in the Southwest. The cuisine is traditional, made from recipes handed down through the years. (www.laposta-de-mesilla.com).

Lincoln Historic Site is the state’s most visited site. Lincoln is a town arrested in time. iIt is as if you were there on April 21, 1881 when Billy was jailed on the second level of the courthouse. He escaped on April28th, killing two guards in the process. (www.nmhistoricsites.org/lincoln).

Tours can be self-guided or ranger-led and include 17 sites. Highlights of the tour include the Old County Courthouse from which he escaped, the Tunstall Store, the Torreon, the Wortley Hotel and Anderson-Freeman Visitor Center. The Visitor Center offers an orientation an annex filled with outstanding 

The Wortley Hotel, once owned by Pat Garrett, is rebuilt and accommodates modern guests in antique splendor.  Breakfast is included. (www.wortleyhotel.com).Billy the Kid was killed in Fort Sumner on July 14, 1881. The Billy the Kid Museum houses an outstanding collection of memorabilia and artifacts related to his life. Highlights of the exhibits include The Kid’s rifle, a lock of his hair and 60,000 additional items. (www.billythekidmuseumfortsumner.com).

Billy, along with two friends, is buried in the Old Fort Sumner Cemetery. A cage surrounds it because  his tombstone has been stolen several times. (www.fortsumnerchamber.com).