Amasa Leland was born in Watervliet New York back in 1824 to Josiah and Elizabeth. After attending the local common school, he was tutored for a short time before attending Clinton Liberal Institute in Clinton, New York. He was admitted to the bar where he entered the law office of Wheaton, Doolittle and Hadley in 1848.He moved several times before finally ending up in Sacramento in 1856 where he engaged in mercantile on a large scale. In 1861, he was elected president of the Central Pacific Railroad when the first locomotive was named in his honor. It is on display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. That same year he was elected governor of California serving one term. In 1868, he started the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company (now Pacific Life) serving as its fi... 08/17/2018

Donn Conner was born in Rye, New York back in 1926.  In 1939, for some reason he was separated from his family during a storm near the summit of Maine’s Mount Katahdin.  His disappearance set off a massive manhunt for the twelve-year-old.He survived for 9 days without food, or proper clothing.  He came upon a stream and followed it until he saw a telephone line.  Following that line, he came out of the woods near Stacyville, Maine near a hunting camp thirty-five miles from the place he had gone missing.  Sixteen pounds lighter, covered in insect bites and having lost most of his clothing due to the weight loss he was finally rescued.  He credited his survival as his experience as a Boy Scout in helping him to survive.  He later wrote a book about his experience.  Donn Conner Fendler’s b... 08/03/2017

Philip Stuart was born in Hendon, London back in 1906 to Edward and Edith.  From all accounts, he was a talented chess player winning the first British Boy’s Championship in 1923.  He attended Cheltenham College winning a scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge.Between the years of 1929 to 1938 he was a city stockbroker, from 1938 he worked for the Times as a chess correspondent until 1945.  He was so good at the game it placed him as an International Master.  He represented England in the international Chess Olympiads from 1937 to 1939.  From 1945, he joined the Treasury working there until his retirement in 1966.  He died in 1995 in London at 88.  What you may not know about Sir Philip Stuart Miner-Barry is that he also worked at Bletchley Park during WWII, heading up Hut 6 which wa... 06/06/2017

James Francis was born in Cleveland, Ohio back in 1920.  After high school, he attended Oberlin College for two years.  He received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy completing it in only three years he graduated in 1942.Assigned to attend the Naval Submarine School in New London after graduation he was assigned to the USS Jack serving aboard for three years.  Sinking over 100,000 tons of enemy ships also damaging another 18,000 tons.  He was awarded the silver Star and two Bronze Star Medals.  He was assigned to serve as executive officer of the USS Haddo.  If you haven’t figured it out by now I’m writing about James Frances CalvertAfter the war, he was assigned as an instructor at the Submarine School.  in 1952, he went back to sea later being assigned to the USS Trigg... 05/01/2017

Fredrick William was born in Stroud, England back in 1897. Sorry I do not have any information about his parents or schooling. I do however, have thee rest of the story so let’s get to it.During WWI, he joined the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry (volunteer) later transferring to the Royal Flying Corps. He was shot down in 1917 and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner. After the war, he received a law degree however, there is no ambition for an office job so he again joined the Royal Air Force. We’ll get into his assignments shortly.   When WWII started, he was ordered to report directly to Sir Hugh Sinclair. For those history buffs like me I’m writing about Fredrick William Winterbotham who was a British Royal Air Force officer who supervised a group of people now know to us a... 04/18/2017

Casper ten Boom was born in Amsterdam Netherlands back in 1859.  His father owned a watch shop, so when he turned eighteen he started his own jewelry store in Amsterdam.  In 1884 he met and married Cornelia.  He was a devout Christian.  Starting in 1919 his family took in the first of many foster children which they would shelter over the years.  During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands they started sheltering Jewish people who were trying to escape the Nazis at their home.  In 1942 a woman asked them for help.  She told him her husband had been arrested by the Nazis and her son went into hiding.  His reply was “In this household, God’s people are always welcome.”  In 1944 the Gestapo raided his house and arrest him, his daughters and his son Willem, taking a total of 30 people out... 03/15/2017

William Fitzwilliam was born in Manchester, England back in 1774 the illegitimate son of a British naval officer. At 13 he embarked on an adventure which will place him in the history books.His first job was that of a midshipman aboard the HMS Culloden a journey that led him to a lifelong service in the Royal Navy. Historians describe him as self-willed and boisterous. Commissioned as a lieutenant in 1797 he served on ships at home and in the East Indies. He also served under Nelson on the failed attack on Boulogne. Between 1797 and 1808 he had many duties including fighting the Dutch however, he was captured and held prisoner for two years. He was released in 1810 and promoted to captain. I’ writing about William Fitzwilliam Owen. He is noted in the history books for his exploration of... 03/06/2017

Virginia was born in Jamestown, North Carolina back in 1870 to John and Emily.  She graduated from Salem Academy in 1887 as valedictorian.  She went on to attend Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina earning her B.S. in 1892.She was awarded the first scholarship from Bryn Mar College, studying physics earning a A.B. in 1896.  In 1899 she taught in Baltimore for three years earning a second scholarship returning to Bryn Mar College completing her Ph.D. in 1906.  More on that later.  After completing her degree, she taught in New York City returning to North Carolina in 1911 teaching at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro for almost two decades.  She retired in 1928 and died in 1945. For you mat people I’m writing about Virginia Ragsdale and her dissertation to earn he... 02/28/2017

Stanhope was born in Calhoun, Georgia back in 1806 to Uwaite and Susanna. His father was a full-blooded Cherokee and his mother was the daughter of a white father and Cherokee mother.  He combined both names into a name which I’m sure you recognize but not now.He learned to read and write English at a local Moravian mission school.  he helped write articles for the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper it was the first one that published articles both in Cherokee and English.  He was among the treaty party leaders who signed the 1835 Treaty of New Echota.   They emigrated to Oklahoma in 1835, those who remained in Georgia were forcibly removed in 1838 and travelled “The Trail of Tears”.  Fearful of the Federal troops making Oklahoma a state he fought in the Civil War.  If you haven’t figured it ou... 12/16/2016

George Baldwin Selden was born in Clarkson, New York back in 1846 to Henry (sorry I don’t have his mother’s name) anyway, his father you may have heard of him Judge Henry R. Selden? He defended Susan B. Anthony. The family moved to Rochester, New York where he attended the University of Rochester however, he enlisted in the 6th Calvary Regiment, Union Army before graduation. His father after pulling some strings got him out of the outfit, he then enrolled in Yale. He joined the New York bar in 1871.In his spare time, he was tinkering with things where in his father’s basement he invented a typewriter and a hoop making machine. He represented George Eastman in patent matters. In 1876 he saw a display of the internal combustion engine at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.He set up... 11/14/2016

Helen Rose Lachman was born in Manhattan back in 1893 to Gustave and Bertha. Although she attended temple and went to a Jewish school she also celebrated Christmas. She graduated from the Ethical Culture School and Barnard College.She was the promotion director for Mademoiselle magazine in 1944. In 1950 she accepted a position with Street and Smith to revamp a fading fashion magazine called Charm. She re-configured it into the country’s first magazine for the working women. That magazine was merged with another on that is still in publication today, maybe you’ve heard of it Glamour. She then went to work for Good Housekeeping magazine until her retirement in 1963.Now let’s go back and talk about what she did while she worked for Mademoiselle. She was asked to revive a movie magazine how... 10/18/2016

Sadie Bonnell was born in1888 in England and educated at Bedales. At the outbreak of WWI she was 26 and joined the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry as an ambulance driver.   Although trained as an ambulance driver she War Office was skeptical so they rejected her.Undeterred she joined the Canadian Army Service Corps. She was based in a large camp near Arques, France. The German’s bombarded the area where she was stationed setting an ammunition dump on fire. She returned again and again succeeding in removing all the wounded. She also showed courage during the East End Air Raid. She also drove an ambulance in 1916 during the first air raids on London.She was also one of the first women to drive an open-topped sports car around Europe. For a pastime she spent time in trees on platforms she had ... 09/26/2016

Abner Kneeland was born in Gardner, Massachusetts back in 1774 to Timothy and Martha. I don’t have any information about his childhood, what school he attended and so on. Now let’s get to it. At 21 he attended a Baptist church and served as its lay preacher for a time. He converted to Universalism and was ordained as a minister. He served at various churches helping them organize hymnals while making his own translation of the New Testament. He also enjoyed debating in public with other theologians of the day. It wasn’t long before he became skeptical of the revealed religion causing him to turn to freethinker and pantheist, this caused him and the Universalist Church to part ways. He edited a magazine in Philadelphia from 1821-1823. In 1832 he founded “The Investigator” an organ of fre... 09/18/2016

Blanche Kelso was born in Farmville, Virginia back in 1841 to Pettis and Polly. He was well educated teaching school and attending Oberlin college in Ohio. He worked as a steamboat porter and opened a school in Hannibal, Missouri.In 1868 he moved to Bolivar, Mississippi where he bought a plantation. He owned several thousand acres becoming wealthy. He was appointed to the Tallahatchie County as a tax assessor and winning the election for sheriff in Bolivar County.In 1874 he was elected by the state legislature to the Senate as a Republican. In 1879 he presided over the U.S. Senate. In 1881 he was appointed by President Garfield to be the Register of the Treasury.Not at all unusual of a story for someone born in the United States is it, except there is a catch as you all know there would... 09/10/2016

Micajah Autry was born in1783 in Sampson County, North Carolina to Theophilus and Elizabeth.  In 1812 he volunteered for military service against the British in the War of 1812.  He later joined the United States Army at Charleston, South Carolina until the Treaty of Ghent was signed in 1815.  After the war due to his bad health he quit farming and became a teacher.  In 1823 he moved to Haysboro in Davidson County, Tennessee where he studied law.  In 1828 Micajah was admitted to the bar in Nashville.  Between 1831-1835 he practiced law in Jackson, Tennessee.  During a business trip to New York City and Philadelphia he heard of the many opportunities in Texas.  So what did he do, well he packed his bags kissed his wife goodbye and left for Texas.  He was in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1836 whe... 08/08/2016

What a wonderful vacation.It has been 9 years since my bride and I have been on a real vacation. We arrived in San Francisco on July 25th. We stayed there two days taking a trip on one of those open top busses around the city and visiting Alcatraz Island. However, the most exciting part of the journey was meeting Paul Henderson yesterday. I thought we would have small talk and be gone within an hour. To hours later with much more to talk about we said our goodbyes.My bride and I went to Mt. Rainier, it was a trip I would take again the sights, smells and majesty of the mountain was something to behold. After leaving we drove towards Hwy 101 for our trip back towards San Francisco for our trip back home Tuesday. We stopped in a little seaside town called South Bend, Washington.We were ti... 07/29/2016

Samuel Alderson was born in Cleveland, Ohio back in 1914. His family moved to southern California when he was a toddler. He graduated from high school at the age of 15. He studied at Reed College and UC Berkeley. His education was frequently interrupted when he helped out the family in the sheet-metal business. He completed his formal education at the UC Berkeley.During World War II he helped develop an optical coating to improve the vision of submarine periscopes and worked on depth charge and missile guidance technology. After the war in 1952 he started his own company and therein lies the rest of the story. In 1966 the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act was passed. Samuel produced the V.I.P. dummy designed to mimic an average male’s acceleration and with properties so the ... 07/25/2016

Ada Emily was born in Wanstead, England back in 1872 to Henry and Louisa. She attended school in Woodford before the family moved to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in 1883. After arriving she continued her education at the Sydney Girls High School.   After graduation she went on to the University of Sydney graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1895.After a failed business attempt, she went back to school and in where she graduated with another degree. She tried to get a job in her new profession but was denied to do so by then Australian Law. So what did she do you may ask. Well I’m glad you did because she with the help of others started a campaign to change the law, and by golly she did. Now the second question you may ask is what law was she able to change. Well readers yo... 07/05/2016

Jean-AntoineThanks for stopping by and taking time out of your day to read my post.  My intent is to put a smile on your face.  Hopefully you’ll go away with some information you may have forgotten about or did not know.  Now sit back and enjoy.Jean was born in Versailles back in 1741.  I can’t find anything on his childhood but let’s not let that get in our way.  He attended the Academie royale de peinture et de schlpture (no I didn’t misspell it).  In 1761 he won the Prix de Rome (whatever that is).  In 1778 he joined the masonic lodge where he met Benjamin Franklin and John Paul Jones.  In 1785 he was asked by Benjamin Franklin to cross the pond and do some work for George Washington.  I can go over all the awards he received but let’s cut to the point as always….  Can you tell me wh... 05/14/2016

And all that jazz.The other day I read a post about a jazz festival that was coming up.  While I could never understand peoples love for the music some people don’t like the music I do.  That got me to thinking just because I don’t like a certain kind of music there are people who don’t like my taste in other things such as colors, food, toys (golf clubs and guns), places to live and of course homes.  Different strokes for different folks.  Remember what you consider distasteful to others is a treasure.  Listen, learn what do they like and what their taste is in homes.  Focus on their wants and go forward to find them their new home.   04/14/2016