By this Author: greatgrandmaR

On 5 May 2004, after we recovered a bit from our last harrowing trip up the ICW, Stressful Spring we took a trip up to Ellicott City to get our accumulated mail from our oldest daughter who had been taking care of that for us. We also got to watch our grandson at a Coach Pitch Little League game.

Grandson at coach pitch batting lefty

and on May 14th, we went up to the Mercedes diesel mechanic to have my car repaired. We visited my mother and drove through Baltimore.

Statue in downtown Baltimore

Baltimore has lots of monuments. One nickname is the Monumental City. This photo is of the statue of John Mifflin Hood, early president of the Western Maryland Railway. Mr. Hood played an important role in shaping the Western Maryland Railroad (it became a "Railway" after 1911) into a strategic "bridge line" that linked the Port of Baltimore with western points. During his stewardship, Western Maryland passenger trains also used the Pennsylvania Railroad line from the west, stopping at Pennsylvania Station, to reach the Western Maryland's Hillen Station in downtown. The statue is unusual because few statues were ever commissioned to honor men of the railroad industry. Some people think it should be at Pennsylvania station instead of here.

Sunday May 16, 2004 Flying out

We decided to fly to Frisco, Texas to visit our youngest daughter.

Note: This Frisco is not short for San Francisco. Frisco was originally a retail and shipping point for farmers, and had a number of cotton gins and grain elevators. It still has some near the downtown area and the first time my daughter and SIL drove towards town, they did not believe that the area near the railroad tracks (which was the first place they came to) was an appropriate place to live because it looked so seedy and industrial.

Frisco Main Street

Frisco was originally named Emerson, after Francis Emerson, who owned the farm where the townsite was located. Emerson, who was a banker, had promised to place a national bank in the town if it was named after him, but the bank was never established. Because the name Emerson resembled that of Emberson in Lamar County the name was changed in 1902 when the post office was established . So the town was named Frisco City after the St. Louis, San Francisco and Texas Railway Company, known as the Frisco system. Later the name was shortened to Frisco. Let that be a lesson to all you bankers. If you promise a bank, be sure you follow through.

There were several trips a day from BWI to DFW and since we didn't have any hotel reservations to deal with, we could do the trip quite reasonably by flying on non-rev on passes from our Miami airline pilot daughter. These passes cost her $50 for First Class tickets (we reimbursed her). She listed us (you have to be listed to fly even non-rev) on the 6:24 am flight.

We drove up to spend the night of 15 May with our oldest daughter that lives in Ellicott City, and she waked us up at O-Dark 30 in the morning and took us to the airport and dropped us off so that we were there more than a hour before the flight. We did get aboard and took off on a rainy overcast day.

taking off

Coming in to DFW airport at 8:24 am

Water towers sprout from the landscape

Dallas neighborhoods

Water tower coming to land at DFW

Road coming in to airport 8:29 am

We had a nice breakfast on the flight, and landed at 8:39 am local time.

Coming in on the taxiway 8:39

Terminal building 8:41 am

Landing Bridge 8:41 am

Our Texas daughter picked us up at the airport.

Our first item of business was to tour her house. They moved last year and this is our first visit. She has been watching a LOT of Trading Spaces and Changing Rooms - they've got paint effects

Sponged paint effects in the family room

Paint effects in the dining room

her daughters room is covered with butterflies,

Butterflies in our granddaughter's room

and she's got a baseball diamond painted on her son's bedroom wall.

Ballfield mural in TX grandson's room

When our son-in-law and the kids got home from Sunday School, we had lunch

and then went to our grandson's T-ball game. (T-ball is the level before Coach Pitch as this grandson is a couple of years younger than our oldest daughter's son.) Our son-in-law was coaching first base and then he switched to third base and our daughter took over at first

daughter coaching first base

son in law at third

Grandson and son-in-law at third

The T-ball game was in a large recreational park.

Warren center lake with children playing catch

Warren is a 110 acre parkland with a lake which was originally used to water cattle in the late 60s. The lake is 8 acres and 16 foot deep and is stocked with large mouth black bass, channel catfish and sunfish. Fishing is catch and release. There is no swimming. There is a paved trail around the lake where people ride bikes or skateboard or jog.

Monday May 17, 2004

The next day, we started our normal routine for the week. After breakfast, our daughter walked her son to school along with their boxer, with her daughter in a stroller. Bob usually walked with them.

Walking to school

Then we set out to tour Frisco. First we drove to PetSmart where we got dog food and she drove us out to the first location where the TV show Dallas was filmed (before the place burned down and they moved to filming at South Fork).

The first five shows of the TV series "Dallas" back in April 1978 used aerial footage of the "Southfork ranch"

which was an actual ranch building on the Brinkman Ranch in Frisco, Texas. Then the house they used burned down. The owner hastily started to rebuild it.

Semi finished section

But the producers of the show needed to have the some footage of the ranch house before he could finish it. Or they didn't think it could be finished in time so the location was changed to "Southfork" in Parker TX. The owner of the Brinkman ranch just stopped rebuilding at that point and has left it half finished. My daughter saw it and thought it was some kind of open air pavillion.

Half rebuilt ranch house - Frisco

There is an inset in the picture so you can see that you can look right through the house. You can drive by the ranch which is still a working ranch,

gate

part of the ranch

and you can see the house from the road. The "Southfork" ranch in Parker TX IS open to the public - however this one is not.

Our daughter said that there were a lot of scupltures in Frisco including one of some longhorns. So we drove around and saw some of them

Origins-Early ranching

Cowboy

Shawnee Trail sign

Shawnee Trail

including this one of a stampede. I don't think the cowboys and steers are as well done as the ones in Dallas, nor do I think the horses are as good as the ones at Los Colinas.

Longshot of the stampede

Stampeding longhorns sculpture in

Modern road behind sculpture

Frisco stampede sculpture

Steers breaking through the wall

Bas relief steers with daughter and granddaughter

Bas relief showing the lightening stampeding the steers

granddaughter

Cattle Drive is located in Central Park and is a tribute to the late 19th century cattle drive and life on The Shawnee Trail, which was the first north-south cattle trail in Texas that came through this area. Gaylord Properties, the developer of Frisco Bridges, intentionally designed the 7.3-acre park in the shape of a longhorn.

She also drove us over to Plano to see where her husband works.

Son-in-law's office

grounds of his workplace

They rent some of the land out for a horse farm so that they can have an agriculture use permit.

Plano water tower

Star Center

In the afternoon, Bob and our daughter walked back to school to pick up our grandson and I stayed home with our granddaughter. Then we went to another T-ball game.

walking in to T-ball

In this game, most confusingly, the other team also had red shirts, but they have white pants instead of tan. Our SIL was coaching again.

Our granddaughter slept completely through this game (I guess we wore her out at the Stampede). Afterwards our grandson wanted to eat at Wendy's so that's where we had dinner.

Bob and the cat

Tuesday, May 18, 2004

Our daughter doesn't like the style of her fireplace which she feels is too modern.

Living room fireplace

So after the walk to school, we set out to go to an architectural salvage yard in Dallas.

Daughter and granddaughter walking through the yard

birdhouse from scraps

lamps

so we went to see what was available.

Mantle

Mantles

After that, we drove around downtown Dallas

Reunion Tower

Dallas Morning News backed by the Belo building

The Dallas Morning News developed from the Galveston News which was founded in 1842 by Samuel Bangs. Alfred H. Belo acquired control of the Galveston paper and wanted to expand to Dallas. When efforts to purchase the old Dallas Herald failed, Belo sent George Bannerman Dealey to launch a new paper, the Dallas Morning News which began publishing October 1, 1885. Linked across 315 miles by telegraph, and sharing a network of correspondents across the state, the Dallas Morning News and the Galveston News were the first two newspapers in the country to publish simultaneous editions. The News is also currently the only major daily in Dallas. Its closest and longest-lived rival, The Dallas Times Herald, went out of business in the early 1990s. This building faces Ferris Plaza on its south side. Above the front doors, engraved in large letters, is an admonition from longtime News Vice-President and General Manager George B. Dealey, which reads:

Build the news upon the rock of truth and righteousness. Conduct it always upon the lines of fairness and integrity. Acknowledge the right of the people to get from the newspaper both sides of every important question.

Dallas Morning News building

Flying horse from Pioneer Plaza

When you see the red horse, you know you are in Dallas. I tried to get a photo of the red Pegasus sign with a horse in the Pioneer Plaza group but the angles are wrong to get a sculpture horse's head together with the pegasus sign. A cowboy and horse was the best I could do

Cowboy and Pegasus

The "Pegasus" building was designed by Sir Alfred Bossom as the headquarters of the Magnolia Petroleum Company, predecessor to Mobil Oil (which is now part of Exxon). It was the tallest building west of the Mississippi. But by the time I visited in 1997, the building was dwarfed by the surrounding buildings, and the sign stopped rotating, and had been turned off. In 1997, the building was converted into a 330 room luxury hotel catering to the business traveler. The restored elevator lobby features a decorated gold leaf on a plaster ceiling and elevator doors that feature the Pegasus logo. As a part of the Dallas Millennium Celebration, the Flying Red Horse neon sign was rebuilt and relit at midnight to bring in 2000. The original sign has been put on display in a shed at the Dallas Farmer's Market.

We went over to Pioneer Plaza and looked at those longhorns which I saw for the first time in 1997 when I was at a convention in Dallas. Pioneer Plaza is the world's largest bronze sculpture of its kind and it depicts a cattle drive of 3 cowboys and 50 steers. Each piece was created by artist Robert Summers of Glen Rose, TX. This 4.2-acre plaza in front of City Hall and the Convention Center at Young and Griffin Streets was originally the site of the Shawnee Cattle Trail, begun in 1854. Fort Worth is really the 'cow town' in this area - Dallas OTOH is major center for oil and gas. Therefore, some felt that this sculpture was inappropriate to be in Dallas. But when in 1991, local businessman and philanthropist, Trammell Crow decided that this was the site for this park he apparently overruled all opposition.

From the parking lot

There is a small parking lot at this park (which is free).

Pioneer Plaza

Daughter and granddaughter - against the tide

Touching the bronzes is discouraged (and if it is hot, you will only try it once) and sitting on them is not allowed.

Pioneer Plaza Longhorns

Looking back toward city

Pioneer Cemetery with my granddaughter

Bob looking at the sculptures

Steers from above

Reunion Tower from street level

We went up Reunion Tower for lunch and met the Mayor Laura Miller of Dallas on the way down. I do not even remember seeing Reunion Tower on my first visit to Dallas. This is especially astonishing because it is considered a signature building for Dallas and is 560 feet tall observation tower which is the 15th tallest building in Dallas. I also think it is amazing that it was constructed as a part of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. I've never heard of a tower associated with a hotel before. Another fact that was a bit surprising to me is that the Reunion tower is named for its location in the Reunion area, which was a settlement of French immigrants in the 19th Century.

The tower is constructed of poured in place concrete. Surrounding this top is a geodesic dome formed with aluminum struts. At the intersection of the aluminum members are 260 lights that are kept turned on most of the evening hours. However, at certain times during the evening, the lights flash to different patterns for a special light show.

The three levels at the top of the tower house different functions. The lowest level is the observation deck, known as The Lookout. Visitors can see the territory surrounding Dallas from indoor and outdoor areas. The outdoor area offers a 360 degree walk that is covered by the upper levels. Great views of the Dallas Skyline can be seen, as well as the skyline of Fort Worth, Las Colinas, and other groupings of buildings throughout the city. A nominal fee is charged to visitors. The fee is quite a bit less than other towers I've visited. On the second level is Antares, which is a full service restaurant operated by the Hyatt Regency Dallas. Antares offers lunch, dinner, and a Sunday brunch in an elegant and contemporary atmosphere. The Dome, a cocktail lounge, is located on Reunion's highest level.

Arena from the car

We didn't park at the hotel, where the parking is $10 for 3 hours. Instead we parked at the Reunion lot for $3.00.

Parking lot

Parking Ticket

It is possible that this lot is not available if the Reunion arena is in use, and the lot is a bit rough and is semi-paved, but that's significantly cheaper. We walked a little bit over the pedestrian bridge to get to the Tower, and we might have walked less at the hotel. But not enough to make me want to pay an additional $7.00. It wasn't as if we had to walk up the tower.

walking from the parking

Signs

View going up the elevator

Old Red from Reunion Tower

In 1890, the construction of a courthouse (the 6th in Dallas and the 5th at this location) was begun at Main and Houston Streets. It was designed by M. A. Orlopp in the Romanesque style (I guess that is why it has turets) and originally had a clock tower. It was constructed of iron, brick and red sandstone so that it would be fireproof. It was finished about 1893. In 1919, the clock tower, which rivaled Big Ben, was removed because it was feared that the winds had made it unstable. By 1938, there were some people who thought the building had become obsolete and it should be torn down. It is now one of the oldest buildings in downtown Dallas-very different from most of the modern architecture, and is being restored as a historic landmark. The ambitious goal is to have at least one courtroom as it was originally and to put the clock tower and grand staircase back in place. Old Red is currently (2004)serving as a visitor's center (as the courthouse has been moved to a more modern building) and is to house the Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture.

Court buildings from Reunion Tower

The building in the center of the picture (red brick with white trim is apparently the Dallas Criminal Court building. It was built in 1913 and served as the county jail for a period of time. Apparently Bonnie and Clyde were held here until their escape. They were later ambushed and killed in Louisiana and returned to Dallas where around 30,000 people came to view Clyde’s body and 40,000 to view Bonnie. Behind and on the right side are records buildings. The Texas School Book Depository (Sixth Floor Museum) is just on the edge of the photo on the left. Founder's Plaza and Kennedy Memorial Plazas are completely hidden from this perspective. I was mistaking the brick building on the other side of the street for the TSBD, but is the DalTex building. Some conspiracy theories have the JFK assassin on the roof of this building.

City Hall and Convention center area

Plaza in front of Belo Building from Reunion Tower

Dealey Plaza and School Book blg from Reunion

Reunion Arena from Reunion Tower

We parked next to Reunion Arena to go to Reunion Tower. I was somewhat taken aback to see that cameras are not allowed inside.

Looking into the distance (camera reflected)

Two views of my granddaughter

My maverick steak sandwich

American Airlines Arena from Reunion Tower

The exterior of American Airlines Center is made of brick, limestone and granite and inside it is 840,000 square feet.

Restaurant

View and reflections

One of the important aspects of Dallas is it's architecture. There are several websites which tell about the date built, architects and details of the buildings in downtown Dallas, I think the building in the center with the triangular top is one of I.M. Pei's Dallas buildings Fountain Place. I can't be absolutely sure of the identification of the other buildings, but in the general area with Fountain Place one might be able to see the Fairmont Hotel, the Dallas Museum of Art, Lincoln Plaza, and/or the Trammel Crow Center.

Downtown Dallas

From the elevator going down

Heliocopter landing on roof nr Reunion Tower park

Then it was time to go back to Frisco and get our grandson from school.

It was finally warm enough to go swimming at

the pool across the street from our daughter's house.

swimming pool

This time we ate dinner at

Dickey's

Barbecue Pit.

menu

eating dinner

Frisco water tank

Old Frisco Water tower

Wednesday, May 19, 2004

On Wednesday after the walk to school, we drove to Ft. Worth

Farm to Market road signs

Edited panorama of the street from the car

Exchange Street

and parked in the free lot,

Armour sign at the end of Exchange Street

Bob, daughter and gdaughter from parking lot

Sign advertising Cowboy Cooking

and passed Stockyard Station (with railroad tracks through the center).

Ticket booth and water tank

Railroad water tank

Engine turning

Longhorns

Longhorns prior to cattle drive

and then went to the visitor's center,

Bob and daughter and granddaughter -Visitor's Center

Billboard painted on the side of a building

Star on Walk of Fame

Chisholm Trail marker

We did a little bit of shopping in the Stockyard Station

Grapevine /TarantelaTrain

Engine coming into the station

Newer engine in the station

Train pulling into the station

Train carriage

Bob, our daughter and granddaughter on a bench

After that we watched the cattle drive. I went across the street and took pictures of them from over there.

Looking down Exchange Street - Fort Worth

Longhorns on Exchange Street

Drover on horseback

Cattle drive passes by in Ft. Worth

We had lunch at Riskey's Steak House

Bob and daughter and granddaughter by Riskey's Steak House

Finchers from Risckey's

Hotel from across the street

Riskey's poster

Interior

Granddaughter with crayons

Chicken Fingers and fries

Special $5.95 - beef patty, cantalope and potatoes

Our granddaughter would pose on the horse merry-go-round, but wouldn't ride it.

BBQ and stagecoach ride

posing with the horse

Three kinds of transportation in front of Rita's

Man paying for parking

Then we headed back to pick up our grandson from school. That night we had dinner at La Hacienda

They have games to play in the waiting room, and our granddaughter played with a bead game.

Wagon wheel chandelier

Then afterwards, our grandson got on the horse in the coin operated horse and carriage and our granddaughter consented to ride in the carriage.

grandson and granddaughter

Thursday May 20, 2004

On Thursday, we went to local hardware stores and lumber yards to see what kinds of mantle pieces our SIL could get to redo the mantle piece in his family room.

Guest room at our daughter's house

Other than that we rested

Bob relaxing

and played games, and our grandchildren went to the pool again.

Friday, May 21, 2004

As usual, while Bob and our daughter walked our grandson to school, I did email. After breakfast, we headed back downtown to Dallas to Old City Park which was closed on the day I took the city tour on my previous visit in 1997. Originally the City Park was set up in 1876 for the centennial. Now Old City Park has 38 structures built between 1840-1910 which have been brought in and set up on this site.

After we parked, we walked around the Park

Depot

Main Street store with advertisement

Store on old Main Street

Doctor's Office 1890

Law Office on Main Street

Bank on Main Street

Popcorn Wagon at Elm and Main Streets

1847 Miller Log Cabin

This square notched log structure, which is now in Old City Park in Dallas was built in South Oak Clibb by William Brown miller and his slaves. It is typical of the houses built for temporary shelter on the frontier in Texas. It is constructed of oak and cedar, and has local limestone for the chimney.

The buildings served as a home for the Millers for about 15 years nad then had a second life as one of the earliest schools in Dallas County. It is furnished primarily with Texas-made items.as it would have appeared when the early pioneers set up housekeeping.

granddaughter at Old City Park kiln

Kiln

Our daughter and granddaughter went in the 'tipi'

Cellar House 1875

Barn 1891

Gate

Necessary House

Approaching Miller Playhouse 1908

The playhouse was built from logs cut on William Brown Miller's land on the banks of the Trinity River. He built this crude log structure in 1908 for his granddaughter Evelyn. The ceiling was raised in 1920 because Evelyn had grown too tall for the original height of the building. The pictures had to be taken through glass because it would be too easy for people to reach in and touch or worse take the objects inside

Inside Miller Playhouse

There were a lot of school children there on field trips, which was an advantage in one way, in that houses such as Millermore were open in the morning. for the school groups when they are usually closed at that time of day.

Porch Millermore House

Parlor in Millermore House

View from Millermore

Room in Millermore

We saw gardens and a pottery shed (the costumed potter gave our granddaughter a small souvenir),

Potter at Old City Park

stables with horse, a blacksmith (and farrier), and giant mules,

Giant Jacks with Bob, and daughter

Windmill at Old City Park

Victorian houses,

Victorian home

George House, 1900

sheep shearing,

Sheep shearing

and house with a garden and chickens.

Chickens

First Person Interpreter Sign

First person interpreter

Scarecrow and pavillion

Then we looked around for a place to have lunch. The school children have brought their sandwiches and have a picnic but we have not. There's no food for sale in Old City Park. We first looked in the International Market.

Two views of the International market

We eventually found a place called City Park Deli which used to be a Blimpie, and we ate there.

Menu Board

Pseudo Blimpie

When I was here in Dallas before, a bus tour took us to a coupe of blocks of Victorian houses. I have always been fascinated by Victorian architecture, so I wanted to come back. We went to Old City Park, because that was where I thought it was, but it was not. It was really the Wilson and the Beilharz Blocks.

Beilharz Block sign

The Historical Sign for the Wilson Block says:

"Swiss native Jacob Nussbaumer, a colonist in the Pioneer La Reunion settlement of the Dallas area, purchased this land prior to the Civil War. In 1898, his wife Dorothea and children sold it to her niece Henrietta Frichot Wilson (1864-1953), the daughter of La Reunion settlers. Henrietta and her husband Frederick P. Wilson (1863-1923) built their residence at this site in 1899 and later constructed six additional homes as rental property. Together the houses were the center of a residential area known as the Wilson block of Swiss Avenue. The neighborhood was the home of many early Dallas leaders, including Charles D. Hill, who became one of the area's prominent architects, and Dr. Theodore L E,. Arnold, an early Dallas ophthamologist whos son Charles pioneered in microphotography. The various architectural styles represented in the historic Wilson Block reflect Victorian and Queen Anne influences. The homes feature similarities in composition, including frame construction, clapboard siding, decorative shingle patterns, gabled roofs and intricate ornamentation. Today the Wilson Block serves as a reminder of Dallas' rich heritage and early development."

The homes here, restored on the outside, are leased to local non-profit organizations for offices.

Victorians of Beilharz and Wilson Blocks

Detail from one of the houses

House in the Swiss Avenue section

Beilharz Block house 1997

Same house in 2004

1997 photo from the bus

2004 photo of the same house

We had dinner at the Texas Land and Cattle Restaurant.

Sunset

Texas Land and Cattle at sunset

Inside decor

Painting in the restaurant

Daughter and granddaughter

Saturday, May 22, 2004

We packed and then our daughter drove us back to DRW where we took the 1300 flight home. We got on the plane OK (we have to wait until all the passengers who paid for tickets get on board) This was the flight that was the most open (vacant seats), although it filled up during the week.

Taxiway taking off 2:37 pm

DFW from the air

Flying from DFW

We had a nice lunch on the plane (first class is nice). After we landed and got our luggage, we got a van back to our daughter's house in Ellicott City, picked up our car, and drove home. We had dinner at Pizza Hut on the way.

Bob going to Pizza Hut

When I attended Oberlin College (1955-1959), I lived for 3 years in the Grey Gables co-op. In 1969, when we were living in Philadelphia, I came out for our tenth reunion. I found out that Grey Gables had been torn down and there was nothing there but a grass lot. This made me very sad. (When I came back this year (2004) it was the Grey Gables parking lot)

Then on the left 1958 and Now in 2004

I did most of the reunion activities, but I didn't really meet any of my good friends there, and so it wasn't much fun and I didn't really want to go back. And the time (Memorial Day weekend) hasn't been convenient what with children's graduations etc.

But my junior year roommate has been trying to get me to come for a reunion for several years. She was in the class of 1958, and we have 'cluster' reunions. This would be our last cluster together for some time (58-59-60) because in 2005 my cluster would be 59-60-61 and who knew if we would last until the 50th. So I gave in and convinced my husband to drive out there.

I tried to do it cheaply, so I only registered for a dorm room and for the picnic on Saturday night

Registration $25.00 each
Dorm Room $36.00 for two
Reunion Picnic $36.00 for two
and we were leaving Sunday morning to try to get partway home without having to fight too much Memorial Day traffic.

Thursday May 27, 2004 - Start of Oberlin Trip

In order to avoid the rush traffic on Friday, we started off on Thursday May 27th and took two nights to do the 530 mile trip.After we fueled up the car (diesel at $1.78/gal), we drove up through Croom to US 301, and from there to I-97. We took route 100 over to I-95, and then took I-70 west.

We stopped for lunch at McDonalds in New Market after 100 miles. Lunch for two was $6.54. We left McDonalds at 12:11 and at 1318 after another 65 miles, we stopped at the Sideling Hill Visitor's Center just west of Hancock. The Visitor's Center is free

I-68 climbing up to Sideling Hill

When they constructed I-68, they cut through some of the hills. Sideling Hill is one of those places and it shows all the rock layers along the cut.

Rock layers exposed

From picnic and parking area

Directional sign for visitor's center

You can get to the Visitor's Center from the east bound side of the road by parking and walking across the pedestrian bridge.

Walkway from the east side to the west side

I-68 from the Visitor's Center

Mountains from the Visitor's Center

Here we went to the bathroom, picked up brochures, and looked at the exhibits about the geology and geography of the area,

Mountain Vista - mountains that we see from the center are labeled

Rock core with animal fossil time line

Board showing how you would have gotten over this mountain in the past - Vehicle, Road, and available construction equipment

Rock layer model

Walkway up to the mountain

Looking down at the viewing area

and left at 1343.

Bob walking back to our car

After we left the Visitor's Center we went on through Cumberland

From the bridge to the river

and entered West Virginia a little before 1500 (3 pm)

Warning signs (5% grade) on I-68 in WV

Cheat Lake

and headed toward Morgantown to spend the night.

We got off at exit 7 of I-68 (we could see the Bob Evan's restaurant in the shopping center from the road) and got fuel in the car at BFS foods (9.35 gals of diesel at $1.86/gal).

OBFS building

Mall clock

We checked into the Super 8 about 1530 (3:30 pm)

Super 8 sign

after a total trip of 275 miles. Total room cost $68.75 including tax.

Bob lying on the bed

We were both too tired to actually go sightseeing like I had intended to do and the weather was sort of overcast. So we walked across the road (a feat in itself - walking was not a mode of transportation that the planners of this place had envisioned) to Outback Steakhouse for dinner ($42.15) instead of going downtown and walking along the river.

Bob walking to Outback

Map and toy inside Outback

Ruby Tuesday across from the motel

May 28, 2004 - Friday- Stop in East Liverpool

I realized that I had no maps for West Virginia or Ohio, and no really current information on Pennsylvania, but I thought that by the time I found it, the AAA would be closed on Thursday evening. So Friday morning, after our free breakfast at the hotel, we checked out at 0842 and got back on the interstate. We found the Morgantown AAA office at 0900, but it was closed until 1000, and we didn't want to wait. We picked up I-70, and, after an abortive attempt to contact the AAA office in Washington PA (I was using an old fashioned cell phone and calling numbers in the AAA book),

Morgantown from the highway

The road dips and curves

Looking up the hillside

tunnel

Exit 0

One way

rain

we crossed the Ohio River

Bridge over the Ohio

and by 1034 were driving up the river on Ohio State Route 7. I called (no GPS or computer mapping in those days) and got directions to the AAA office East Liverpool Ohio on my cellphone,

Approach to East Liverpool

and once there got travel guides to PA/NJ; Mid Atlantic (MD, VA, DE, DC), and OH/ IL,/IN, and maps to PA, OH, and WV.

History of East Liverpool: In 1795. Thomas Fawcett bought land along the Ohio River from Isaac Craig and planned a town which he named St. Clair, after Authur St. Clair, Govenor of the Northwest Territory at the time. The town residents of St. Clair changed the name to Fawcettstown. In 1816, the name was changed again to Liverpool by nostalgic English potters. In 1834 when the town was incorporated, the town was renamed East Liverpool to avoid confusion with the Liverpool in Medina County Ohio. Because the area was surrounded by deposits of clay and coal, the city prospered and became well-known for its ceramics. At one time, "America's Crockery City" made half of the nations pottery. The the industry has declined since 1930. East Liverpool was the location for the capture and killing in 1934 of Pretty Boy Floyd, a 30's gangster.

After we picked up our maps and guidebooks, we left the car in the AAA parking lot (one of the few places in town where parking was free) and strolled around town a bit

Bob walking ahead of me to look for lunch

Carnegie Library

Oberlin Ohio where I went to school has or had a Carnegie Library. It isn't the only one. There are111 libraries which were given to Ohioans by the steel king and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie during the years 1898 to 1918.

This is the Carnegie Public Library in East Liverpool. I did not know what it was, although I thought it looked important. Beaver70 very kindly emailed me, "The building that you wondered about is (or was) the Carnegie Public Library. Spent many hours there growing up."

When I knew the name of it, I could find out about it. Their website says:

"The East Liverpool Carnegie Library at 219 E. 4th Street, East Liverpool, Ohio was erected on the Bradshaw Farm property, 199 E. 4th Street, East Liverpool...In 1899 two local businessmen contacted Andrew Carnegie concerning the possibility of a donation to the City of East Liverpool, in order to build a public library. Andrew Carnegie, by now a wealthy businessman and philanthropist, had spent much of his youth in East Liverpool with relatives. Construction of the building began in 1899 after a visit from Carnegie to the city. Designed by A. W. Scott of East Liverpool and constructed by Harvey McHenry the exterior of the building was complete in 1900. The Library was officially opened and dedicated on May 8, 1902."

Lou Holtz/ Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame

This place was totally unexpected - I had never heard about it before. We didn't go in because we were in quest of lunch. I have found no reference to it in any travel literature but they do have a website. It says: "Founded Feb. 13, 1998

"The Lou Holtz/Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame was established to showcase individuals and communities throughout the region stretching from Western Beaver County in Pennsylvania to Wheeling, W.Va., for their outstanding contributions in commerce, medicine, politics, sports, entertainment and community enrichment."

looking for a restaurant that the AAA people had recommended. We didn't find it, so we had lunch at Shining Reflections Tea Room for $13.13 (double what we paid yesterday at McDonalds but still not expensive).

Menu

Tearoom

I was not absolutely sure (until I looked up the information on the internet) but I suspected that this restaurant was a training site for mentally/physically handicapped persons. Their website says "Training in Tea Room includes waitressing, baking skills, cash register skills, serving customers, food service and prep., janitorial, hostess, and daily operations of a business."
They are only open for breakfast and lunch. M-F 08:00 AM to 03:00 PM
I had a Hawaiian Chicken salad plate and Bob had a hamburger.

Hawaiian chicken salad plate

Sign in the Restroom

Town square decorated for Memorial Day

Heliocopter flies over the town

American's Hometown Banner on light posts

"America's Hometown"

The banners on the light standards proclaim that this is "America's Hometown". But there are many places that claim this honor (Charles City, Iowa; Cordell, Oklahoma; Muncie, Indiana; and Hannibel, Missouri among others)- East Liverpool is not the only one.

Except for the banners, the only reference I find to the title is on the web page of the Ohio Valley College of Technology which says

"Welcome to one of America's best technology schools located in America's "home town", East Liverpool Ohio.

Then we visited the Ceramics museum which is a 'Must See' in East Liverpool. It cost us $6.50 each and was quite interesting. The Ceramics museum is across the street from the AAA office. The Ceramics museum is housed in the old city post office..

Local cab in front of the Ceramics Museum

Our tour began with a viewing of a 35-minute film presentation on the history of East Liverpool and the pottery industry. The film explained the differences in the manufacture of pottery from primitive yellow ware on through the more automated and refined products to the point when they were producing Lotus Ware..

After that we walked around the museum for about an hour and looked at photographs, pottery examples that the film had explained to us

Pottery with iris

Commemorative plates

Belleck pottery - with a lacy texture

Mugs

Map of pottery factory layout

and the life-size dioramas depicting the jigger shop, kiln and decorating shops.

Jigger Shop Diorama

Kiln area diorama - transporting box on the head

Decorating Area Diorama

Recreation of a sales office with samples

]

Cardboard cutout of a pottery worker

Ceramic Museum ceiling

The museum webpage says that ceramic manufacturing was more important in East Liverpool during the late-nineteenth century than is steel production in Pittsburgh or automobile manufacturing in Detroit today.

Street from Ceramics Museum

After we left East Liverpool, we drove on up towards Youngstown where we got on the Ohio Turnpike (I-80) at 1412 (2:12 pm) which is a toll road. We went west for $2.85 worth to Elyria

Sign at Ohio Turnpike rest stop

When my Dad and Mom drove us out west in 1948, we stopped in Elyria to visit some friends of theirs. Later, when I was a student at Oberlin, Elyria was a sign that I was near to my home away from home. When we could get a ride, a friend and I would occasionally go to Elyria to church because neither of us found a church home in Oberlin.

Elyria was founded in 1816 at the location of two Black River waterfalls on an old Indian trail. Mr. Herman Ely build a sawmill here. It's now the county seat of Lorain Co., maybe because Mr. Ely donated land for the courthouse. That courthouse is now listed on the National Historic Register. Also in Elyria is the Hickories Museum, the restored home of industrialist and pioneer automaker Arthur Garford. His mansion is the headquarters for the Lorain County Historical Society.

We arrived at the Super 8 Motel and checked in at 1534 after a day's trip of 246 miles.

Sign

Entrance

This Super 8 was supposed to have a heated pool, and it was a bit more expensive than last night's motel in Morgantown as it was $75.54 with tax. I checked the pool temperature, but I do not think it was heated.

Pool

The motel itself was better built than the Super 8 in Morgantown, but it wasn't a purpose built Super 8.

The hotel was in a depressed looking area, right off I-80, and the girl on the desk did not seem to know how to give directions when I called, but we found it anyway.

We went out to find a place to eat dinner, and apparently turned the wrong way and had an unenlightening tour of the industrial and residential part of Elyria for 9 miles before we found our way back to the shopping center/eating area. We ate dinner at Fazoli's for $11.61.

Bob walking in

Part of the menu board

Bob getting drinks

Counter and additional menu

Bob's sphagetti and meatballs

Saturday, May 29, 2004

At 0930 Saturday, after a free breakfast, we checked out. We also found out that we could have also gotten directions for the various restaurants last night, but did not because the girl at the desk was uncommunicative and unhelpful. After we got fuel (9.6 gals at $1.71/gal) we set off for Oberlin.

Elyria water tower

We drove in past Presti's . We used to have to cycle or walk out here to get a drink in my time, and there were stories of guys that got disoriented and ended up riding around and around the running track until they sobered up enough to figure out where they were. I understand the there is drinking on campus now, in addition to the fact that they allow students to have cars.

We drove by Tappen Square and noted that there were traffic lights on the corners.

Corner May 2004 with traffic light

I called the reunion folks on the cell phone to ask directions and where to park, and was told that we could park anywhere that there were not "No Parking" signs including in back of Stevenson in the faculty parking lot. So that's what we did, and for the rest of Saturday we walked everywhere.

Stevenson Hall - new since my time

We checked in at Stevenson and got the magnetic keys which allowed us to get into the college building, and also got large name tags to hang around our necks which were color coded according to class. Ours were red.

Then we walked across the street to the reunion check-in and got our room assignment and key. One of the guys doing the check-in used to be at WOBC when I was there. We got a place-mat with the old buildings on it, and the new ones overprinted in red. Some of the buildings were still there but were repurposed

Severence Chemistry Lab

Severence Chem Lab was the scene of some of the low points of my college life. My organic chemistry grades were so bad that I did not know if I would graduate. It was also where the statue of Charles Martin Hall was originally housed.

Severance Chemical Laboratory was the gift of Mr. Louis H. Severance, of Cleveland. The construction was begun in 1899, and the corner stone was laid May 31, 1900. It was dedicated with appropriate exercises September 26,1901. The total cost, including the site, was $75,000. Mr. Severance also provided an endowment of $45,000 for the Chair of Chemistry, and a laboratory fund of $10,720 for the Department of Chemistry.

The Severance Chemical Laboratory is constructed of Ohio sandstone, and is located at the northwest corner of Lorain and Professor Streets. It consists of two wings at right angles to each other, each 72 feet long two stories in height, connected by a tower 27 feet wide and three stories in height. Severance now houses the offices, classrooms, and laboratories of the college's Psychology Department. Chemistry is in the new science building.

Warner Gymnasium

Ground was broken for Warner Gymnasium in August, 1900. It was named in honor of its donors, Dr. and Mrs. Lucien C. Warner, of New York, who provided $45,000 for the building together with an endowment fund of $5,000. They also funded Warner Hall (which was the main Conservatory building on the corner of College Street). An addition to the gymnasium, also provided by Dr. and Mrs. Warner, was completed in March 1912, costing $35,000. Warner Gymnasium was constructed of Ohio sandstone. Patton, Fisher and Miller, of Chicago, were the architects, and George Feick, of Sandusky, the builder.

[Warner Center now houses home to the College's theater and dance department. The second floor holds several practice and performance spaces, while faculty offices can be found on the first floor, along with the box office, with changing rooms and storage areas on the first floor and in the basement.]

And some buildings are just completely gone like

Wright Zoological Laboratory replaced by Bibbins Hall - part of the Conservatory

This was the building where all of the zoology classes were held. It was named in honor of Albert A. Wright who was Professor of Geology and Natural History for thirty-one years. Natural History was probably what they called Biology in those days. It was originally built as the Second Congregational Church between 1867 to 1870, and was used until the union of the First and Second Churches in 1920. The College purchased the building in 1927, removed the steeple, and remodeled the building as a temporary home for the department of Zoology. The choir loft had been converted to a classroom. We sat in tiers looking down on the professor. There was also another classroom. The five labs were in the basement and the library/reading room and offices were in the former pastor's study area. There was a large auditorium where the main part of the church was, and the floor around the edge and in the gallery was occupied by the Zoological Museum which had a lot of stuffed and preserved animals.

This building was not in use when the top picture was taken. It was already scheduled to be torn down.(August 1959). Currently the site is occupied by Bibbins Hall of the Conservatory complex. Now the Zoology department is called the Biology Department and is in the brand new Science building. Some of the old stuffed animals are in display cases there.

Finney Auditorium was still there

Peters Hall was also still there. Ground was broken for Peters Hall in the spring of 1885. It was dedicated January 26, 1887 which makes it one of the oldest buildings still in use on campus. The total cost was about $75,000. Peters Hall is constructed of stone, three stories in height, and was the main classroom building of the College of Arts and Sciences. Its most striking feature is its central hall and stairs, two stories in height. It contained also the Physics laboratories, special accommodations for work in Astronomy, and offices. My freshman advisor had his office in Peters. The Auditorium, formerly known as Bradley Auditorium, now accommodated portions of the laboratory equipment of the departments of Psychology and Physics. I had a psych experiment which required that I had access to Peters at all hours, so I had a building key when I was a senior.

Peters Hall was recently renovated (1997), and now holds state-of-the-art language labs, language department offices and, at the top of the building, an observatory and viewing deck. The Residential Life, Student Academic Support, and Student Academic Affairs offices are also located in Peters.

Peters Hall

The dorm room we were assigned was on the third floor which created a problem for me because I don't do stairs well and there are no elevators. But we went back to the car and shlepped our stuff up the steps.

We had brought a fan but it was cool and we didn't need it, but it wasn't so cool that we needed extra blankets. Our room had a phone jack, but no phone. Bob got a phone from the car so that we could use the phone line in the room, and I figured out how to use the internet on my computer from there too.

I found out where my college roommate was staying on the second floor of the same dorm we were in, but she was out.

Back of Dascomb 2004

So we walked over to Dascomb and had lunch in the cafeteria.

Dascomb Dining Room

Lunch was $13.13 for the two of us (exactly what it was yesterday). It was a flat rate for whatever you wanted to eat. I kept an eye out for my roommate there, but she had gone down to the Tank co-op and had lunch there.

Tank Hall in 2004

Then, since she had expressed a desire to take the tour of the new science builting, we started towards it.

On the way, we saw these folks setting up telescopes on the lawn, and stopped and looked at sunspots, and corona etc.

Astronomers setting up behind Peters 2004

Astonomy set-up for reunion week

It was clear when we were there - my roommate came by later and she said it was too cloudy to do anything when she was there.

We went over to the Carnegie building (formerly the Library)

Carnegie Library spring 1959 with forsythia 2004

because the Conservatory reunion lunch was there, but I did not see my friend there.

in front of Wilder 2004

Science building

Then we went into the new science building and I walked around the building on my own for a bit until it was time for the tour.

Charles Martin Hall's statue

Charles Martin Hall was born December 6, 1863 in Thompson, Ohio. He was son of Rev. Heman Bassett Hall (1823-1910, A.B. 1847, B.D. 1850, A.M. 1866) and Sophronia H. Brooks Hall (1827-1885, Class of 1850, Lit. Course). In 1873 the Hall family moved to Oberlin, Ohio, where Charles Martin Hall supplemented his education by one year in the Oberlin Academy including lessons in the Conservatory of Music. He enrolled in Oberlin College in 1880, and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1885. He was a member of the Oberlin College Board of Trustees from 1905 to his death in 1914. Hall was influenced by his college chemistry professor, Frank Fanning Jewett (1844-1926). Jewett is popularly credited with turning Hall's attention to aluminum through a classroom challenge. However, this story appears to contain more myth than fact.

After graduation Hall continued the work in his Oberlin woodshed laboratory with encouragement from his older sister Julia Brainerd Hall (1859-1926). On February 23, 1886, Hall successfully electrolyzed alumina in a mixture of cryolite and aluminum fluoride, producing several small globules of aluminum metal. On July 9, 1886, he filed a patent for "The Process of Reducing Aluminum by Electrolysis." Hall was a great benefactor of Oberlin, and he was honored by having a statue cast in aluminum which was on display in the chemistry building Severence Hall. Aluminum being very light, his statue was often stolen and placed in compromising situations (like in an outhouse on Peters steps). So the statue was glued to a large granite block and sits more permanently on the second floor of Oberlin's new science center, where students continue to decorate Hall with appropriate trappings on holidays.

When my roommate didn't turn up, we went and sat in this seminar for awhile.

Seminar discussion in new science building

Front of the seminar room

I left just before she came from her tour of the new Environmental building.

After we left the discussion, I found out that my other good friend from Freshman Year was also at this reuinion, and I tried to find where she was staying and could not.

We went back to the dorm, and I left a post-it note on my roommate's door. She called me, and we met in the third floor lounge and talked quite a long time. Now that we can e-mail each other, we are in much more frequent contact - it used to be snail mail at Xmas .

She was staying for the whole weekend, but since she lives in Indiana, it's only a couple of hours drive for her.

We walked over to the picnic together with her and her husband.

Union Street

2004-field

2004 Walking to the picnic Sat

2004 Field House

She had not expected it to be so cool, and she had mostly packed warm weather clothes. I did have a sweater with me.

All classes were at the picnic, which was a kind of 'all you can eat' buffet. They gave us a wristband when we entered which showed that we had paid and were of age to get alcoholic beverages. There were no non-alcoholic or non-carbonated beverages except water. Seating was by cluster.

2004 inside the field house

2004 Saturday reunion 'picnic'

We had a nice time and the picnic and I also caught up with my other good friend. [I found that she was staying in a motel out of town because her husband was afraid to stay where there was no A/C.]

Afterwards, we went back to the dorm. My friend was going to a movie or a concert. I considered going to the class party, but I was tired, and, so Bob and I walked around the square and I took some more pictures.

Bob crossing the street

"Downtown" with tables at Gibson's

Gibson's

Historic Elm site and Carpenter Block

Street with stores

Sidewalk sign in town and bike rack

Storefront

Storefront

Bead Paradise window

Another storefront

2004 Apollo Theatre marque

Oberlin’s best loved historic commercial structure is the 1913 Apollo Theatre. It has housed Oberlin’s first 300-seat theatre and in 1928, the talkies were introduced to Oberlin here. The building was built by Mr. Hobbs, who operated the eastern storefront as the well-appointed Hobbs Restaurant and Bakery. An elegant evening out in Oberlin was dinner at the Hobbs followed by a play, or movie at the Apollo. In 1917 the building was sold to Ira West, who owned another silent movie theatre, The Rex, on South Main. In 1923 the Steele family, who still owns and operates the theatre today, purchased it.

The 1930s style remodel with black vitrolite, black and red brushed aluminum, and a tile walled ticket booth makes this one of Oberlin’s special buildings. If you want to go out of an evening and don't want to attend a play or concert at the college, then this is about it for night life. They used to show "The Wizard of Oz" every fall. From1949 to 1952 (when Hall Auditorium was built) performances of the Oberlin G&S group were held in the Oberlin High School Auditorium or in the Apollo Theatre, At present "Pagan Movie Night" meets at the Apollo for a movie on the first Tuesday of each month. [It doesn't matter what movie is playing]

Oberlin Inn

Hall Auditorium

Allen Art Museum

Former Theology Building

catering tents with Peters in background

Cox Administration Building

New Library

Talcott dorm

Wright Physics Lab

Clark Bandstand - Tappen Square

Tappen Square being readied for graduation

Sunday, May 30, 2004

Sunday morning early, we checked out of the dorm and gave back the magnetic keys. I accidentally left my sweater in the room, which I didn't discover until that night.

Bob then drove around

Art building from the street

Tappen Square Boulder

from a car driving by

and so I could take a picture of Tank Hall (from the car) where I lived as a Freshman,

Tank Dorm in 1959

Tank Hall ( formerly Tank Home) was built at 110 East College Street in 1896 as a home for children of missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. It was named in memory of Mrs. C.L.A. Tank of Green Bay Wisconsin, who gave $10,000 toward its construction. For ten years, 1922 to 1932, it was used as a hall of residence for women. After three years, it became a freshman women's dorm for forty-seven women. All the women were freshmen except for the junior counselors.

Now forty-two students live in Tank, and an additional forty take meals in the co-op.
This large old house is located on the east side of campus in a residential section of town. The dining room is paneled with wood, and the huge front porch (with swing) and spacious lawn are popular places to relax. Menus at Tank tend to be varied (which is probably a polite way of saying that sometimes it's not edible.) The students that live and board at Tank are part of the 582-member Oberlin Student Co-operative Association (OSCA) which is the largest co-op program of its kind in the country. In addition to Tank, it includes three other housing and dining co-ops (Harkness, Keep, and Old Barrows), and four board-only co-ops (Fairchild, Baldwin, Kosher Co-op, and Third World House). Students involved in a co-op typically work from four to six hours each week, preparing meals, washing dishes, and, in room-and-board co-ops, cleaning hallways and bathrooms.

Charles Martin Hall house

and I also got a photo of Charles Martin Hall's house which I didn't know what it was until I looked at the photo afterwards. We then drove down to Westervelt, and I got out and took some photos.

2004 Westervelt Building

We left town by way of Ohio route 58 toward Wellington. We took Ohio 58 south out of Oberlin to Pittsfield and then to Wellington. I didn't like the Ohio Turnpike and didn't want to go back that way. The road is flat, straight, rural and has no traffic this early on Sunday morning.

Dairy Farm north of town

I read information out of the AAA book as we drove through. Although Wellington is only a couple of miles south of Oberlin, without a car (and women were not allowed to own any motorized vehicle) it might as well have been on the moon, and I do not remember ever visiting.

Wellington Ohio was settled in 1818 by Ephraim Wilcox, Charles Sweet, William T. Welling, and John Clifford, among others. The township was organized three years later in 1821. The Wellington name honored William Welling, one of the original settlers, and also honored the "Iron Duke," the Duke of Wellington. The teams in Wellington are apparently named "The Dukes". The water tower has a picture of a 'Duke' on it

Wellington water tower

and some of the houses in town have a football with a local player's number on it. After Dr. D. Z. Johns was instrumental in getting the railroad run to Wellington (right through the center of town) in 1850, John Swift was elected the first mayor in 1855. Among the local businesses was one of the most powerful manufacturers of carriages in the world, the E.S. Tripp Carriage Works.

Coming into Wellington

Wellington was the "Cheese Capital of the World" from around 1868 until about 1910. because the railroad gave good transportation out of the area because the rich fields allowed large dairy farms.

Railroad line

In 1878 alone, 6,465,674 pounds of cheese were shipped out of Wellington along with 1,001,661 pounds of butter. One of the largest of the more than 40 cheese companies was Horr, Warner & Company.

street Scene

Wellington town hall built in 1885

According to the History of Wellington: "It is a little known fact that the railway mail catcher was invented in Wellington. L.F. Ward was contacted by the postal service about figuring out a way for trains to pick up and deliver mail without slowing down. He came up with the idea and built it. After finding that the device worked wonderfully, he patented the idea."

Other Wellington claims to fame include being the home of Myron T. Herrick and Archibald M. Willard

If Wellington has a 'must-see', this is it. It's about the only thing to see in Wellington as far as I can determine. Wellington is very proud of the fact that it was the home of Archibald M Willard between 1855 and 1875. Archibald M. Willard spent much of his life painting in Ohio and after the death of his father. he painted the famous "Spirit of '76" in 1875

Spirit of '76

This museum has a copy of the painting along with many paintings by Willard, and Revolutionary and Civil War artifacts. There is another copy in the town library. We did not stop, but I took a photo of the museum as we drove by.

Museum from the car

The museum has no website as far as I can determine. The museum is free. After we left Wellington, we drove south on Ohio 58 and then turned east going around Lodi. At 1009 after 47 miles, we picked up I-76 near Westfield Center and went south around Akron.

We stopped for lunch at McDonalds ($8.35) at 1130 just before the end of the Ohio turnpike (124 miles) and paid $2.75 toll (individual toll stations of $1, $1 and 75 cents which we were not prepared for) before finally exiting the toll roads in Pennsylvania at 1350. Leaving Ohio and proceeding east, I accessed the MS roads program and could not find any place to stay south of Fort Necessity. I DID want to stop at Ft. Necessity since we had gone there on our honeymoon 45 years earlier. I wanted to go as far as possible towards home, but it looked like Uniontown was the only place to stay in the area, even though that left the majority of the trip for the next day. I also knew that the Motel 8 was full for that night.

From here we went to Uniontown to spend the night.

When my son and DIL were living in Pittsburgh, we would drive up from Baltimore to see them. Most of the time, people went up Route 70 and took the Pennsylvania Turnpike. But we usually went on up I-68 and turned off to go north to Uniontown on US Route 40 (the National Road). We went around Uniontown on the bypass, and came into Pittsburgh from the south. But, I always thought Uniontown looked like it might be an interesting place, so this time we stopped here for the night.

House outside Uniontown advertising tattoos

We got to Uniontown and registered at the Hampton Inn

(the Super 8 across the road was full) by 1416 after 231 miles. The Hampton Inn is on the west side of town right on Route 40.

The Hampton Inn was a bit more expensive than the Super 8. We had a double queen, non-smoking with AARP discount for $89.10 plus tax, but I like it better. This hotel has an indoor pool which is open from 6 am to 10 pm. and was right down the corridor from our room. There were free local calls to the surrounding area so I could access the internet from my room and the staff are nice and helpful. The beds were comfortable and there was no noise problem. The Hampton Inn also gives you more than the absolute minimum of towels and their in-room info had local restaurant numbers and menus. Within .6 mile you can dine at Bob Evens, Ponderosa, or Red Lobster. There is also a Marathon gas station across the way.,

We rested a bit, and I did email. Then we drove out to Searight Toll House on the National Road

National road through rain spotted windshield

Mileage marker

Mileage marker and National Road sign

A 90-mile stretch of the Historic National Road in Pennsylvania has been designated as the National Road State Heritage Corridor. The National Road was the first federally funded road in the United States. A portion of the road is currently known as Route 40. There are four historic eras:

• Early Trails & Military Roads (pre-1800) Nemacolin's Trail and Mingo's Path. Some of this road was originally built by Washington prior to the French and Indian War.
• Construction of the National Road (1806-1835). In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson signed the Act to construct this highway, with strong urging of Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury and the "father" of the National Road. Gallatin was a Swiss imigrant who served thirteen years as Secretary of the Treasury during the Jefferson and Madison administrations. In that time he reduced the national debt, purchased the Louisiana Territory and funded the Lewis & Clark exploration in addition to getting the National Road funded. His home is a museum near Uniontown.
• Toll Road Era (1836-1900)
• - Automobile Era (1900s on)

In Pennsylvania, the corridor passes through the historic districts of Uniontown, Brownsville and Washington. Other small communities (formerly pike towns) include Addison, Beallsville, Centerville, Claysville, Hopwood, Scenery Hill and West Alexandria. The annual National Road Festival is held every year on the third weekend in May. A wagon train comes into town, which sounds really interesting.

National Road with sign

Coming toward tollhouse from the east

Tollhouse next to the road

Searights Tollhouse was built in 1835 and was restored in 1966 which is was listed on the National Registry. It is an octagonal builting in the Greek Revival Style which is 5 miles west of Uniontown on US Rte. 40 (the National Road in Menallen Township, Fayette County
Foundation Material: Stone
Roof Material: Shingle
Exterior Wall Materials: Brick
Stories: 2
The sign on it said it was a museum, but no hours were posted. It was certainly closed when we went.

Plaque on tollhouse

Top of the toll list

Bottom of the toll list

Sign with toll house behind it

Tollhouse

and then had an early dinner at Coal Barons restaurant.

Heliopad

We saw this restaurant as we drove into Uniontown on Route 40. It is about 2 miles from the Hampton Inn. Valet parking is available. There was also an old heliopad behind the parking lot. The sign has CoalBaron as all one word.

This is a nice restaurant with table cloths and real glasses. The decorations included lights outlining the mine head machinery which is behind Bob.

The menu has a coal miner on it.

Menu

The entrees included soup, salad, a vegetable, and a starch, in addition to the entree. A dessert was also included in the price.
For the soup, I had

Clam chowder

I had the orange roughy stuffed with crabmeat, and

Twice baked potato for $18.95

The meal for the two of us (drinking iced tea was which was $41.82 plus an $8.00 tip.

Then we went into town to get fuel

Coming into town on Route 40

(only Sweet Peas/Marathon had diesel and it was $1.83/gal for 8 gals)

Storefront with local people

and drove around in historic downtown Uniontown

Fayette Bank Building

The historic district is the original area of the town (which was roughly Main St., between Court St. and Mill St.). Uniontown was founded July 4, 1776 (so Independence Day is a double birthday here - the country and the town). Uniontown became the county seat of the new county of Fayette in 1783. The original historic district was expanded in the 90s to an area between 9 E Peter St. 18 N Beeson St.

Walking tour brochures are available by contacting the Uniontown Downtown Business Authority. Historic buildings, churches, and houses date back to two eras of great prosperity, National Road days, 1818-1853; and the Coal and Coke Boom, 1880-1950. There are 234 buildings identified as being within the district, but not all of them are historic.

Old West School at dusk

Closeup of Old West school

Cemetery from the car

Great Bethel Baptist Church

St. Peter's Episcopal Church

Trinity United Presbyterian from the back

World War I monument

Uniontown is the birthplace and boyhood home of General George C. Marshall, Army chief of staff in World War II, Secretary of State and Defense, and Nobel Prize winner. It is now the VFW Home. A memorial in his honor has been built on the triangular plot across the Street from the VFW Home, across from the World War I "doughboy" monument. Both sites were decorated with flags because it was Memorial Day.

Monument