Charles DeForest was born in Manhattan, New York back in 1823.  He worked for Edward Anthony in 1843, where he learned the art of daguerreotype form Jeremiah Gurney, an employee of Anthony.He sailed to Ciudad Bolivar, Columbia where he enjoyed success until returning sometime in the 1850’s.  in 1853, he moved to Paris where he became the first photographer to create life-sized portraits using the daguerreotype.  In the 1860’s he had a studio on Broadway where he was noted for creating photographs the size of a visiting card.  He retired in 1889 and died 5 years later in Woodbridge, Township, New Jersey.What you may not know about Charles DeForest Fredricks is on several occasions he personally photographed John Wilkes Booth, yes that John.  If you came across one of the originals you co... 09/17/2017

David Henry was born in Huntsville, Texas in 1939. Sorry but again I do not have any information about his parents but what I can tell you of course is the rest of the story.He started out in radio while attending Tyler Junior College in 1960. He was the first full-time reporter for KNUZ in Houston in 1963. In 1966, he was hired by KTRK, by 1967 he was promoted to co-anchor where he made his final broadcast on May 2, 2017.What you may not know about David Henry Ward is that according to the Guinness Book of World Records he holds the title of being the longest newscaster being at the same station for more than 50 years. He always began his newscast with the phrase, “Good evening, friends”.To my knowledge he is still alive and doing well. Until tomorrow keep a smile on your face and grea... 09/07/2017

Guion Stewart was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania back in 1942. Graduating from Overbrook High School in 1960 he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1964.He continued his education with a Master of Science from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology a Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering, and a Master of Business Administration just to name a few.He began pilot training at Williams Air Force Base earning his wings in 1966. Assigned to combat duty in Vietnam he flew some 144 combat missions, 65 of which were over North Vietnam.What you may not know about Guion Stewart Bluford, Jr. is that he was the first African-American in space board the Challenger on mission STS-8. He retired from the Air Force in 1993... 09/03/2017

George Franklin was born in Oswego, New York back in 1847 to Tudor and Phillis. He graduated from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 1870. He was a founding member and later the president of the Harvard Odonatological Society and a member of the Harvard Dental Alumni Association. He was elected president of that association in 1881.He died in 1910, at his Chester, New Hampshire home of liver disease. Nothing much to write about, right? Well now for the rest of the story. George Franklin Grant was the first African-American professor at Harvard. He was also an inventor of something near and dear to me.Now you may be asking yourself what did Mr. Grant invent? Well, I’m so glad you did, for in 1899 he invented something that is still in use today. That invention was the wooden golf “... 08/24/2017

Thomas Francis was born in New York City, New York back in 1925 to Michael and Nora. He earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State. After graduation, he worked as a high school teacher and counselor in Culver City and later as an administrator for the Orange County schools.Fast forward to the 1960’s he worked in Liberia for the Peace Corps, then as superintendent of the international school in Liberia and Venezuela. Returning to the United States he worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He died in 2016 in Greensboro, North Carolina, from heart failure, he was 90.What you may not know about Thomas Francis “Tommy” Kelly is that in 1938 he stared in David O. Selznick’s fil “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, care to take a guess who stared as Tom Sawyer?   Until tomorrow pass on a smile the... 08/22/2017

John William was born in Los Angeles County, California back in 1909. Dropping out of school in the seventh grade he enlisted in the Navy shortly before his seventeenth birthday. He graduated in 1927 assigned to the Naval Air Station North Island.Serving among several sips he was promoted to chief petty officer in 1935 after just nine years of active duty. You found him stationed at the Naval Air Station, Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu in 1941.He was at home when the attack began, driving to the hangers while the attack was still going on he mounted a 50-caliber machine gun to movable tripod platform firing at the attacking forces.He continued firing for the next two hours, in total he received 21 distinct wounds. Despite his wounds he returned to the hangers helping the other sailor... 08/06/2017

Katherine Haskell was born in Dayton, Ohio back in 1874 to Milton and Susan.  Graduating from Oberlin College in 1898, she took a position at Steele High School as a teacher.  Her two brothers were adventures, leaving Ohio to go on their separate ways.She kept in constant contact with them, telling them what was going on in their home town.  In 1908, one of her brothers was involved in an accident.  As a result of that accident he broke a leg and several ribs.  Katherine immediately left her teaching career to lend assistance to her brother never to return to her teaching career.  Fast forward to 1926 when she married Henry, that caused her brother to stop seeing or speaking to her.  He did not attend the wedding.  In 1928, she contracted pneumonia, her brother found out and still refus... 07/23/2017

John R Womersley was born in Morley, West Yorkshire back in 1907 to George and Ruth.  His early education was at Morley Grammar School from 1917 to 1925.  He attended the University of Cambridge and the Imperial College of Science and Technology where in 1929 he received his BSc with first-class honors in mathematics.In 1930, you could find him working as a junior research officer at the Shirley Institute, Manchester.  In 1937, he joined the armaments research department at Woolwich where he worked on ballistics and ammunition proofing. In 1944, he was appointed the first superintendent of the Mathematics Division of the National Physical Laboratory, which led to the first national computing center in the UK.  In 1950, he joined the British Tabulating Machine Company a forerunner of the... 07/21/2017

Adolphus Frederick Alexander was born in 1821.  History does not give his place of birth however, after some research I believe it was in Britain.  Nothing is really written about him that I could find until 1838, so let’s start there.He joined the military in 1838 but resigned in 1841. In 1842, he enrolled at the University of Durham to study Theology.   He received his Bachelor of Arts in 1846.  In 1847, he was ordained and appointed Rector of St. Mary’s Church, Swillington, where he would remain for the next twenty-five years.  He died in 1887 after contracting septicemia from an untreated foot injury.Now we can get to the rest of the story.  Adolphus Frederick Alexander Woodford in his spare time became a Freemason, rising to become Grand Chaplain in 1863.  He was editor of the Free... 07/17/2017

Oscar Zeta was born in El Paso, Texas back in 1935to Manuel and Juanita. The family moved to California being raised in the San Joaquin area. When he finished high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force. After being discharged he worked his way through Modesto Junior College and on to San Francisco State University.After graduation, he attended night classes at San Francisco Law School. He was admitted to the bar in 1966. He worked as an activist attorney defending Chicano groups. In 1970, he ran for sheriff of Los Angeles County and lost by a landslide. In 1974, he took a trip to Mazatlan, Mexico. His son Marco believes he was the last person to talk to his father. Marco stated he told him he was “about to board a boat full of white snow.” His body has never been found. It is assumed he ... 06/29/2017

Bartolomeu Dias born circa 1451.   He was a Knight of the royal court, superintendent of the royal warehouses and a sailing-master of the man-of-war.  He set sail in 1487 in hopes of finding a trade route to India.  While on his voyage he encountered a violent storm rounding the Cape of Good Hope.  Returning inn 1488.  Two years later he headed another voyage.  This time another storm caused his and the other four ships to be lost.What you may not know about Bartolomeu is that he is the discoverer of the Cape of Storms later to be called the Cape of Good Hope.  A shipwreck discovered in 2008 was first thought to be that of Dias’s ship.  However, recovered coins found there came from a later time.  To my knowledge and research his ships have never been found.  Until tomorrow keep that sm... 06/13/2017

Gabriel Cramer was born in Geneva, republic of Geneva back in 1704 to Jean and Anne. Not that he was smart but at 18 he received his doctorate and at 20 he was co-chair of mathematics at the University of Geneva.Publishing his best-known work in his forties on algebraic curves (1750). His formula is simply written as n(n + 3)/2 points in a general position, (whatever that means) led to his fame and history books.His formula is known as Cramer’s paradox, concerning the number of intersection of two curves compared to the number of points that determine a curve. He published his works in 1750, giving a general formula for the solution for any unknown in a linear equation system having a unique solution, in terms of determinants implied by the system.He died in 1752, just two years after p... 06/01/2017

Lloyd Groff was born in Hadley Township, Michigan back in 1881. He studied engineering at the Michigan Agricultural College now (Michigan State University) in East Lansing.After graduation, he worked for the Baldwin Locomotive Works followed by electrical companies in Philadelphia, Spokane and Detroit. He was also a small-time inventor (more on that shortly). He married Hazel in 1904. BTW you may know his granddaughter Linda Ronstadt? Her mother was Ruth Mary which was of course Lloyd’s daughter. Now for the rest of the story.He is responsible for nearly 700 patents, he claimed that he could walk into any store and find one of his inventions. Let me tell you about a few of them however I may as well tell you now I’m writing bout Lloyd Groff Copeman. Name doesn’t ring a bell? That’s okay... 05/31/2017

Cyrus Peirce was born in Waltham, Massachusetts back in 1790 to Isaac and Hannah. He went to Framingham Academy and then at Harvard. While in his sophomore year he began teaching in nearby West Newton.He graduated from Harvard in 1810. Moving to Nantucket Island taking charge of a private school for two years before returning to Harvard. He completed divinity school in 1815, returning to Nantucket to resume his teaching career.He left Nantucket in 1818 to begin preaching in North Reading, remaining until 1827. He started a school in Lexington with just three students, by 1842 the number had grown to 42 however, ill health force him to resign. He was a delegate to the third International Peace Congress touring England before returning to West Newton. He died in 1860, buried in Prospect H... 05/15/2017

  Coming Soon!  Will be Listed May 16th, $166,000Labor of Love! Updated and move-in ready. Complete with renovated 4 Seasons room w/ new windows, flooring - heated and cooled, upscale skylight with solar motor and remot is just one of the crowd pleasing features. Newer ( installed in 2014) dual- fuel heat pump and hot water heater, Walk to Branchwood. Close to the fire station , Loch Lomond and Highlands Golf Course. Glasgow road always cleared first during inclement weather. Flat, lusciously landscaped lot with small storage building in back. 05/12/2017

Charles Weldon was born in Dickens County, Texas back in 1915 to Charles and Mattie, I assume he was a Jr, but I’m not sure. Anyway, onward we go. As a teenager, he broke horses for the United States government during WWII in Oklahoma.After the war, he opened two leather goods businesses in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Some of his clients included the Tulsa Police Department. In 1949, he moved back to Texas. In 1968, he relocated his leather goods shop to Texas and in 1970 he concentrated exclusively on saddlemaking. His saddles are highly prized and are difficult to find. Of course, I’m writing about Charles Weldon Cannon, he died in 1997 at 82 in Lubbock, Texas. Now, you may be asking what is so special about his saddles. Well I’m glad you did because he designed his saddles to fit the contour of... 04/29/2017

Hannibal Hamlin was born in Paris, Massachusetts back in 1809 to Cyrus and Anna. He attended district schools and Hebron Academy. He was admitted to the bar in 1833 where he set up his practice in Hampden, Maine.In 1835, he began his political career being elected to the Main House of Representatives. He helped facilitate negotiations during the Aroostook War making possible the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. In 1843, he was elected to the United States House of representatives for two terms. He was a Democrat at the start of his political career. A staunch opponent of slavery when the Democratic Party endorsed the repeal of the Missouri Compromise he withdrew from the Democratic Party and joined the newly organized Republican Party which caused a national sensation.He was nominated by the R... 04/13/2017

Val Allen was born in Ogden, Utah Territory back in 1895.  He graduated from Ogden High School and went on to Cornell University studying law and engineering.  He also worked at his grandfather’s shop (more on that later).  In 1918, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant with the United States Army, serving with the 79th Infantry Division.  He saw action at Verdun. After the war, he worked with his father taking over the business in 1926.  He was awarded 48 patents during his career.  In 1928, he was knighted by King Baudouin of Belgium.  This was the same honor bestowed to his father in 1914.He also served as director of the First Security Corporation of Utah and the Amalgamated Sugar Company.  A benefactor of the Dixie State University and Webster State University, donating fine a... 04/10/2017

Gayla Henderson was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma back in 1943. She graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Education degree and became a teacher. She left that profession and owned her own advertising firm for 15 years.She is married to Cliff and they have a daughter Sydney and three grandchildren. Now you may be asking yourself so what is the big deal about Jamie as there is nothing exciting about her life? Well now as usual I’m so glad you have that thought. For what I’m about to tell you of course is the rest of the story.Her family moved from Oklahoma City to Ponca City, Oklahoma when she was five years old in 1948. She sang a song which was a hit and I still like to hear it to this day. She recorded the song for Columbia Records when she was ten years old an... 03/23/2017

Daniel Frank was born in Fremont, Michigan back in 1898 to Frank and Pauline. Educated at St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin attending from 1913 to 1916. He served in WWI and at the end of the war he attended Babson College of business.He was hired at Fremont Canning Company where he became successful in such that by 1926 he became the assistant general manager. Daniel and his wife Dorothy had a baby girl named Sally who was ill and required special foods to survive. From there a new concept evolved.From that Daniel began at first with some research on his idea with his father. They distributed samples after consulting with nutritional experts, market research interviews and launched the product, and as they say the rest is history. So, I know most of you h... 02/01/2017