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7月31日 Last Day of our VacationToday is the Last Day of our Vacation...
Today is the last day of our vacation; we have been back home for more than a day now and we are still unpacking. Tonight I will start the process of unpacking the three cases of books we brought back. Almost all of these books are on 'Old West' history and quite a few of them are on the Plains Indian Wars. Now the emphasis of this blog will change back to supporting my 'Deadwood' gaming project.
I'll be putting up book reports of a sort as I go through the materials. I will also start translating the materials into quantifible numbers that can be used under at least three different game systems. Judging by the hits I'm seeing on the blog there are quite a few of you who have been waiting to see just this sort of thing. Don't worry, I've started my reading and the material is coming.
Tomorrow Laurie and I will be back to work but on Friday we will start another three-day weekend for me to start posting things. We are already planning another trip to Deadwood again in the next couple of months. We are also thinking of attending one of the historical symposiums at Fort Robinson possibly next year. Laurie also wants me to see Fort Abraham Lincoln next year.
As soon as we finish one trip we start planning for another... 7月29日 Sioux Falls Flying JSioux Falls Flying J
This is the last stop we will make before we head into home. We still have about a four hour drive ahead of us; we will make it home probably a little after midnight. It has become almost a tradition for Laurie and I to end these long trips with a short visit to Stockman's Truckstop. We never stay long there, usually just long enough to drink a cup of coffee and say a few hellos. Then we head home and unload. I'll bet we are in bed by 2:00am.
Even though this trip is coming to an end I am already working out plans for next years big trip. We fully intend to spend even more time in Deadwood next year if finances and circumstances allow. We will also try to make it to Fort Robinson in Nebraska next year. We have been told by just so many people how this is one of the sites to visit if you are interested in the Frontier Army and the Plains Indian Wars.
We will be busy with all the swag we are bringing back from this trip. We had to get some cardboard boxes from our hotel last night in order to pack the overflow from our gathering on the trip! This okay, we will be taking care of this for awhile to come. Laurie has already suggested that we will need a new file cabinet for some of this stuff!
All in all, it was a very good trip.
1880 Town1880 Town
Laurie and I have passed by this place probably twenty times coming and going from Deadwood. We always talked about stopping there sometime but never got around to it. We both figured it was just another tourist trap along I-90. This time we did stop and actually had a lot of fun. It was sort of our last destination on the 'Big Trip of 2007'.
The story seems that this place was once built for a movie that was never shot. Rather than tear it all down a local fellow bought the whole thing and kept adding to it. He moved a lot of vintage buildings from around South Dakota to the location and set up a few little museums of different items from local history.
I have to wonder about the historical accuracy of some of the items but it really has some wonderful examples of the type of buildings used on the frontier. It also had a couple of small buildings that served as living quarters for ranch kids attending high school. According to the information provided there the kids would come into town on Monday and stay in these little cabins until Friday while they attended classes. Then each Friday they would go back to their ranches for the weekend. It sounds like self-reliance started early on the frontier.
I even have a few pictures of Laurie making friends with a movie star living on the site. One of the horses used in 'Dances with Wolves' is there. The horse has to be pushing thirty years old but still seemed lively enough. Laurie always manages to make friends anywhere she goes.
7月28日 Thoughts on the JourneyThoughts on the Journey
Tomorrow Laurie and I start the journey home. We will make a couple stops on the way but this leg of the trip really marks the end of our 2007 vacation. I'm never happy with the end of these trips. I imagine most people don't enjoy the end of their vacations but for me it can be a particularly uncomfortable transition. Our trips take on an almost sacred aspect at times and the end of the journey always comes with a feeling of spiritual loss.
When we were at the Little Bighorn Association conference in North Platte the last keynote speaker was a fellow named Paul Hedren. He is a former Park Service employee and historical writer; his talk was on the 'sacred sites of the Great Sioux War of 1876'. He spoke of the powerful spiritual connections some people find in various locations from that particular war. Laurie and I have been fortunate in that we have been able to visit some of these places. It is true, some of these places hold an almost mystic energy to them.
When you walk across the Little Bighorn Battlefield there are moments when you feel something of the emotional energy of that grim day of slaughter. You can have the same experience in places like Spotsylvania or Manassas. It is as though the dying energy of so many men bleeds into the ground itself. I think this is even more real to the students of the battle who have read the words of the survivors. Being on the ground they wrote about suddenly builds their written words into tangible physical realities. If you put yourself on the sharp ridges near Last Stand Hill the wind seems to blow with a screaming sound; it is as though the terror and desperation of that moment still rides the air itself.
Now Laurie and I are in Deadwood. Tonight will be our last night here for awhile and I always regret leaving. Sometimes Laurie comments on how comfortable she is in this town. So am I. It is easy to see the town for its glitter from the casinos and bars; a regular little Vegas of the Black Hills! It does acknowledge the historical legends in its making. You practically can not walk ten feet without seeing the name of Wild Bill Hickock or Calamity Jane. The thing is sometimes there is a little more to it all than the rampant commercial exploitation of their lives. Laurie and I have taken walks in this town when you can almost hear the past rise up to meet you. The people might be long dead but something of their lives still goes on. This place is not like a battlefield but people suffered and sacrificed here as well. Laurie and I have our own passion for this history and are happy to remember it as we visit this town.
I sometime worry about what we, as a society, chose to remember about the past. Now don't worry that this keeps me from sleeping at nights. There are times when I think it should keep other people from sleeping at nights. The frontier era, the time of the frontier army and the Black Hills settlements, is an incredible piece of history. You don't have to study it long before you can see the best and worst in people. There are lessons to be learned about courage, invention and morale fiber. There are also lessons about cowardice, greed and cruelty. There is nothing to learn if you choose to simply forget it.
Maybe this is what Laurie and I are really all about? Our lives are not really defined by what we do for a living. My efforts in front of a computer in downtown Minneapolis are often forgotten within hours of my doing them! Maybe our lives are more defined by other things we leave behind. If I do something to perpetuate the memory of the past maybe I make a more tangible contribution to the future than anything I currently do for a paycheck. Laurie and I are genuine in our passion for this history! We appreciate the lessons of the past and now wish to spread the knowledge.
Here in this little town in the middle of the Black Hills maybe we can complete our own destiny?
No wonder I hate to leave... Third Day in DeadwoodThird Day in Deadwood
Today we are starting are third full day in Deadwood, this will be our last full day in Deadwood for awhile. Tomorrow we start the trek home. We are not going to just drive flat-out into the Twin Cities. We plan to make a couple stops along the way.
Yesterday we did manage to look around the town a bit and even take in the 'Days of 76' parade. We haven't actually gone to the rodeo itself. Laurie and I both decided we would take it easy these last few days. As much as we have enjoyed the trip all the driving does take a toll on a person. Sometime today I need to talk to the hotel about if they have any cardboard boxes available that we can use to pack the last of the swag for the homebound trip.
We have gotten into the habit of going to Bully's Bar each night for their nightly viewing of an episode of 'Deadwood'. Laurie and I are not big drinkers by any stretch of the imagination but this is the one place we unwind a bit with a little alcohol. Well, today I don't have a lot of firm plans. We need to pick up a few things from the visitor's center and have a buffalo dinner (just about every restaurant in Deadwood serves buffalo) and relax a bit more. 7月27日 It is Amazing what you can see at WalldrugIt is amazing what you can see at Walldrug
It seems like every visit to Walldrug brings some new wonder to light for Laurie and I. Since it isn't that far to Sturgis from Wall this contraption shouldn't have been that big a wonder but it does deserve a place here. Second Day in DeadwoodSecond Day in Deadwood
Today Laurie and I start our second day in Deadwood. Yesterday we didn't do all that much; we went to Wall Drug and bought some stuff to take back to our friends. Last night we spent the evening at Bully's again watching 'Deadwood' and the general flow of life around the town. The big Deadwood news last night was they actually had a mugging in the town! It seems the criminal was caught within minutes of this illegal actions but it was a rare event for this place.
I get the feeling that we are both just a bit exhausted from the trip. This is not to say we haven't thoroughly enjoyed the trip. We have just covered a lot of miles, a lot of sites, met a lot of people and are hauling more swag than we have EVER hauled before! It is going to take months to go through some of this stuff. Laurie and I tend to buy books on our trips and I estimate we have picked up about 120 on this trip. We also prefer hardcover and most of them are. Some are literally collector's items, we even have several that have been signed by the authors! The only problem with all this is hauling them in and out of the hotels. The weight of this many books in a couple of boxes is really pretty heavy.
Today I'm not sure what the agenda is. We did think about one final sidetrip to Fort Abraham Lincoln in North Dakota but I can't find easy hotel accomadations at short notice there. Besides, I am already planning this as a stop on our next trip! I think we might visit the old Catholic graveyard here in Deadwood today and then take in the parade this afternoon. After that I'll give Laurie a chance to gamble a bit and maybe we will head for Bully's again... 7月26日 Qwest Commercial and the Fat GuyQwest Commercial and the Fat Guy
This morning was something of a shock for me. I was just getting ready to go out and meet the day in Deadwood when Laurie called out to me to come see the television. There it was. The commercial I helped make for Qwest. I actually shot this for Qwest on July 2nd, less than four weeks ago, and there it was now!
I am the fat guy with the television camera on his shoulder. Now I am only in the commercial for about 2 seconds and you don't get a clear view of my face. I am just the fat guy with the television camera on his shoulder running in the midst of the charging football players. When we shot this it was an all day affair; I got there at 8:00am and didn't leave until almost 6:00pm. It was also one of the most exhausting thing I've ever done. I was definitely the most out-of-shape guy there that day and here I was charging around with a lot of football players, cheerleaders and professional actors.
I have to admit I came away with a different perspective on television commercials. This thing seemed like they were making a feature length movie. It was a frigging 30 second commercial! Well, I will have to watch it more closely when it comes up on the television again. Deadwood...Deadwood...
Laurie and I made it into Deadwood at about 5:00pm this afternoon. We really don't have a lot of plans for our stay here. The fact of the matter is we both just like being in this town. The 'Days of 76' rodeo is underway and the cowboys are drifting into the town. Tonight we went to Bully's Bar at the Bullock and watched two episodes of 'Deadwood' along with three cowboys, two tourists and one happy inebriate. It was a good way to start our visit... 7月25日 Little Bighorn National Battlefield ParkLittle Bighorn National Battlefield Park
Laurie and I made it to the Little Bighorn National Battlefield Park today. We did this after a brief visit to the Custer Museum at Garry Owen. I have heard so much controversy about this place that I thought it might be a good idea to visit there once myself to see what it was all about. Quite frankly, I'm not sure what all the hoop-la is about even yet but I am sure some person will eventually let me know.
This is only my second visit to the battlefield and with as many questions as it answered it opened up even more. My major interest was in seeing what the lines of sight were from Weir Point. It became obvious to me, even taking into account the slight changes in topography over the years, that anybody standing there had a commanding view of all the critical locations in the battle. Now this doesn't take into account the smoke of the blackpowder weapons or possibly being scared shitless at the time. What it does do is open up even more questions for me. What could Weir have possibly seen? Could Custer have possibly seen Weir in the midst of the battle? Could some of Custer's actions have been in response to a possible sighting of Weir? This all just leaves even more for me to ponder and investigate.
Laurie and I also managed to spend even more money on books and widgets. This might be the most expensive vacation we have ever taken but, man, are we bringing home some excellent swag! 7月24日 Fort Phil Kearney, The Wagonbox Fight...Fort Phil Kearny, The Wagonbox Fight, The Fetterman Massacre, The Conner Battle, The Jim Gratchell Museum...
Boy, do my feet hurt
Laurie and I were just busy as all get out today! We started off early this morning with a visit to Fort Phil Kearny. There is nothing of the original fort located there. The Sioux were careful to burn it to the ground once the army evacuated in 1868. Still it was interesting to stand on the grounds and get an idea of the isolation the troopers must have felt there when they first arrived in 1866. The indians just hated this fort. It wasn't long before they had it under a literal siege. They were smart enough not to assault it but they harassed or attacked almost every group of soldiers that left the safety of the fort. Since the fort was dependent on wood from the surrounding area this turned into a real vulnerability.
Then we went to the site of the Wagonbox Fight. This was very interesting because of being there I could see something that isn't explained well in either the histories I've read.
There is a sharp drop off about sixty feet from one side of the alleged position of the improvised fortification. It would have been possible for the indians to mass a large number of warriors on foot in cover here. This is what they say Crazy Horse attempted. The problem for the indians was that the army was now using the trap-door rifles and their reloading time was considerably improved. The indians probably waited to hear the soldiers fire a volley and then they charged. They figured they would have time to close on the soldiers while the soldiers were loading there muzzle-loading weapons. This time that didn't happen; the soldiers were probably more than ready to pour fire into the advancing indians.
Now I do have to note this is the alleged site of the fight. There was information right there stating that when the historical park was set up initially they were not absolutely certain this was the correct place. They brought back indian survivors of the fight and they pointed out one location. Then they brought back some of the soldiers from the fight and they pointed out another location. The final judgement was based on the locations of shell casings found around the area.
Now Laurie and I went to the site of the Fetterman Massacre. There is not a lot to actually see at this location but the land itself more than tells the story. It would have been easy for the Sioux to hide some 2000 warriors behind a ridge and then tempt the cavalry and following infantry over it. By the time the troopers saw what was going on it was too late. Laurie also made the observation that as rugged as the land is the infantry were probably exhausted by the time they got there. Now these soldiers were largely equipped with the sort of muzzle-loading weapons the indians wished the soldiers had at the Wagonbox Fight.
Then we went hunting for the Conner Battlefield. This one is not as well marked as the other locations and took us awhile to find. When we did find it we saw that it isn't anything more than a monument in the middle of a campground. There has been no effort to preserve the site. We found a older guy attending the park and decided to ask him if there was any information locally available on the battle. The fact of the matter was that he was the information source! He had one slim little brochure that told the story of the battle in its most condensed form. This, on the whole, was a bit disappointing.
Then we found our way back to Buffalo and visited the Jim Gratchell Museum. This was a museum that more or less started out as one guy's hobby. He was fascinated by the history of Johnson County and just started collecting things on his own. He owned a drugstore and originally displayed his collection there. It eventually grew to such a proportion that his family donated it to Johnson County on the condition that they had to build a place to display it in. The city of Buffalo simply moved it into their old library and then built a new bigger library for the books.
This museum is amazing. You could spend hours wandering through it and, for me, it had the most information I've ever found in one place on the Johnson County War. It also confirmed for me that this little private war between two groups of cattle-growers was bigger and nastier than what fiction shows. The funny thing for Laurie and I is that we are staying in the very hotel where the local ranchers first heard that 'the invaders' were coming! By all accounts the call to rally to the defence of the county took place right in the same saloon we were in on Monday night.
Now by this time we were both thoroughly tired. The temperatures outside were near 100 degrees during most of this. It took a lot out of us. Well, tonight we will sleep well and tomorrow we head for the Little Bighorn Battlefield! LBHA Conference: Day TwoLBHA Conference: Day Two
Crown Prince Alexis and his Buffalo Hunt
Today Laurie and I accompanied most of the LBHA on a field trip to visit the site of a buffalo hunt for Russian Crown Prince Alexis in 1872. This interesting little piece of history was organised by none other than General Phillip Sheridan and hosted by George Armstrong Custer and Buffalo Bill Cody. It was actually an interesting example of international diplomacy before the advent of the political cynicism that would result in the wake of the First World War.
I do know the story; the United States had backed the Russians during the Crimean War. There was no love lost between England and the United States at this time. It was 42 years earlier when England had waged war against the United States and gave us a genuine threat to our national survival. Heck, it was because of this war that the White House is white. The British Army had managed to take control of Washington and burned the presidential home. The house was then painted white to cover the burn marks!
In 1862 the United States again faced a threat to its national survival. This time it was in the form of a southern rebellion. President Lincoln had decided to blockade the south's sea ports in an effort to strangle their supply of foreign weapons and munitions. The British and the French now saw this as a chance for payback for our support of the Russians in the Crimean War. The British and French also saw this as an excellent opportunity to make a lot of money, or at least get a lot of cotton, by trading arms with the Confederacy. They dispatched their navies to our coasts in a blatant attempt at intimidating the North into lifting its blockade of the South.
The Czar of Russia was not one to forget our support of his government during the Crimean War. He dispatched squadrons of his own navy to New York and San Francisco. This in itself was not such a great deal; England and France had two navies far more powerful than anything the Russians had. There are some people who believe a single warship in the British Navy could defeat the entire squadron the Russians had at New York. The thing that the Czar did which caught the attention of both the British and the French was the movement of the Russian Army into places threatening their colonies. The Russians always had an interest in Afghanistan and India and could put far more men into the region than Britain could. The French simply didn't want to confront the largest land army in Europe.
The British and French navies both sailed home without further incident. The Czar had returned the favor to the Americans. Now in 1872, after the American Civil War had ended with the survival of the United States, it was decided to host a Russian crown prince as a show of our gratitude and friendship. This was still no small act at this time. The Russian Royal family was suffering from its own internal threats in the form of anarchists and civil unrest. So we decided to take the prince on a buffalo hunt!
End note:
I found this entry in draft form still on my computer. When I find something like this that I haven't posted in a timely manner I usually delete it. This one just seemed to important to throw away. The Occidental Hotel in Buffalo WyomingThe Occidental Hotel in Buffalo Wyoming
Laurie and I made it into Buffalo Wyoming yesterday; our ultimate destination was the Occidental Hotel right in the middle of Buffalo's historic district. Now let me tell you, the has been a lot of hoopla made about the Occidental. True West magazine gave the hotel its 'Best of the West' award for 2007. The fact of the matter is the Occidental lives up to the hype.
The hotel is beautiful in that distinctly old west sort of way that some people just prefer. I don't know that pictures will do it justice but I'm going to give it a try probably later today. The bar is not a bar, call it a saloon as it should be. The room we have, the Cottenwood, is large and comfortable. The bed is a unique old west experience in actually being a rope bed. The bed is really very comfortable. We both slept on it quite nicely. Now how much this had to do with the previous libations at the saloon I can not say.
I was initially concerned that I might not have internet access while I was here. That would certainly have been right in line with the old west. The fact is the Occidental has a good wireless internet setup and right across the street there is also a coffeehouse with wireless. Both signal reach quite nicely into our room. The fact is I also found a Ethernet jack by the bed but haven't plugged into it to see if it works.
The decor of the hotel is amazing! It seems like every item has a story. Some parts of the hotel are like a museum of the old west and this place in hotel in particular. Gunfights have taken place in the saloon. This hotel had an important place in the infamous Johnson County Cattle War. People like Theodore Roosevelt, Calamity Jane and others have been here. The moment you walk in the front door you are surrounded by the history of the old west. Buffalo itself is within easy driving distance of many of the battle sites of the indian wars. This place is a dream come true for the old west history buff! 7月23日 Fort LaramieFort Laramie
Today Laurie and I made it to the Fort Laramie National Historical Site. Now this wasn't until we had taken a somewhat haphazard but scenic route through what are some very interesting Wyoming backroads. I could tell Laurie was enjoying the drive through the boondocks so everything was good.
We did eventually find Fort Laramie and spent the better part of the afternoon wandering through its buildings and grounds. The only thing that disappointed me was that when we found their ordnance display, again, they did not have a Gatling Gun. They had a Gatling Gun carriage, very similar to the one at Fort Leavenworth, but not the gun itself. They did have a Hotchkiss 1.65 inch Mountain Gun and the usual 12 pound Mountain Howitzers. The fact is they had one of the 12 pound guns with its sighting apparatus mounted. This is usually pretty rare at most museum and I found worthy of many pictures.
The near 100 degree heat was definitely taking something out of both Laurie and me. Still we managed to talk with several of the Park Service people and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The funny thing was we didn't buy that much at the visitors center this time; just about everything they had that we could possibly want we had already purchased at either Fort Larned or the conference. Still we managed to get a lot of pictures of a very historic fort. I have to admit that sometimes when I walk across grounds like these I can begin to imagine what it was like to serve on the frontier. Laramie and the Wyoming Territorial PrisonLaramie and the Wyoming Territorial Prison
Laurie and I made it to Laramie Wyoming yesterday. The drive in along I-80 was rather scenic once we got beyond Cheyenne. I work with a person who has there office in Cheyenne and will have to let them know we visited her fine community for about 15 minutes yesterday as we passed through at a high rate of speed!
We decided to visit the Wyoming Territorial Prison before we went to check in at our hotel. Now I will have to say that the prison is a great job of restoration and has a wonderful self-guided tour. It definitely gives an idea of prison life at this particular place. It did leave Laurie and I with a lot more questions and the visitor center people really couldn't help us. We were under the impression from the materials provided by the State of Wyoming that this prison was their site for executions. When we asked where the 'Death House' was the visitor center people said this prison never had one. They also stated the only two deaths to occur at the prison were both of natural causes. Well, one of these deaths was actually from leprosy which brings on an even more interesting story about how the prison handled an inmate with leprosy.
We will have to do a little more historical research about this. It would have been possible for them to house a death row inmate in the general population of the prison but this commonly isn't the practice. Back when the preferred method of execution was hanging they could have even erected a temporary gallows on the prison grounds. This was actually very common. We understood that Wyoming had created a rather unique gallows for their prison and then later changed over to the gas chamber. Now a prison gas chamber is a unique structure and definitely built to be there forever.
We were particularly interested in the execution of a particularly gruesome murderer by the name of Andrew Pixley. This fellow was the very definition of evil. I won't go into his particular form of murder but will just say that the State of Wyoming had no problem sentencing him to death. Legend has it that he still haunts the site of his execution. Well, we couldn't find any site for any executions at this prison. Now it is our understanding that the State of Wyoming eventually moved their prison to the city of Rawlins. Maybe this all actually took place there but we had the impression it took place at the Territorial Prison.
This will just be one more thing we have to research... Highway WondersHighway Wonders
As Laurie and I travel on the interstate highways it is just about inevitable that we have to stop at a wayside rest every so often. Sometimes these don't amount to much more than some park benches and a restrooms along side the road. Sometime they hold veritable wonders! We ran into one of these along I-80 as we headed from North Platte to Laramie Wyoming. They had this huge modern sculpture there; it had to be as tall as a three story building! The wayside rest also had some nifty sign warning about rattlesnakes and some historical information about this location being one of the trails to Deadwood.
Sometimes its amazing what you can find along the road... 7月21日 Technology and GeekdomTechnology and Geekdom
I am a geek. I admit it openly and make no apologies. At the age of 48 I still do a lot of geeky things. Over the years I have come to generally not worry about people's perception of me. It is useless to worry about such things and sometimes I even take a little pride in the fact that I can do a few more magic tricks on a computer than your average person.
The problem in the internet world, especially blogdom and web-land is that so many problems have nothing to do with the technical. Sometimes personalities clash and it translate into some real problems online. Some people look to the geek, or the hacker, for a solution. The real solution in all reality is often a little diplomacy. I don't envy people with the seemingly divine skill of negotiation. Machines are so much simpler. Code is so much simpler. Human beings are a far greater puzzle.
For a guy who has such a morbid interest in conflict I loathe it. I just hope I can always be the peacemaker... LBHA ConferenceLBHA Conference
Here it is, the third and final day of the conference. It is difficult to keep up with everything that is going on here on the blog. Yesterday Laurie and I went on a field trip to the camp site of the 1872 Crown Prince Alexis Buffalo Hunt. We were just part of three bus loads of LBHA members who went to this unbelievably remote site. They were actually taking these three big Greyhound type coachs down dirt roads and through farm fields!
Today we have been attending the lectures. We have been at three so far and I made videos of two of them. I almost had to do the one; they were talking about Tom Custer and I know he is of real interest to Laurie. I never cease to be amazed at the level of research these people do. When I was a History Major at the University of Minnesota some 30 years ago they often lectured us on the 'scientific approach' to history. This was simply not to resort to conjecture and state only what you could support and document. It is this same approach that I see here time and time again.
Now there is always room for speculation around the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Since so much about the battle is unknown I imagine this is just about inevitable. The thing is a lot of the theories being put out are also backed by a near forensic level of evidence. I do not regret this part of our trip in any way. The fact is I am more enthralled with the topic with each new fact I learn and every new person I meet. It is not often you get to meet this many professional historians and chat on topics of mutual interest. 7月19日 Buffalo Bill Cody RanchBuffalo Bill Cody Ranch
Today Laurie and I went on an excursion to the Buffalo Bill Cody Ranch in North Platte. There were about 50 or 60 other LBHA people along for the trip. Cody is probably one of the most famous individuals of old west history and possibly also has the greatest mythology built up around him. Being the showman he was this could probably only delight him.
The State of Nebraska has turned him home into a historical park dedicated to his memory. The house and barn are now huge museums to his life and the wild west show he created. It was actually a lot of fun and I learned a bit about the man. LBHA Conference: Day OneLBHA Conference: Day One
Today is the first official day of the conference; we have already spent over $300 easily on books here. Now Laurie and I have a different idea of souvenirs than most people, we buy books. Sure, we buy some of the typical gee-gaws most people pick up but these just don't seem as good as the right book.
Now you have to remember we both share a passion for history. The fact is that our first date was to look over a cavalry saber she bought at an auction. Our honeymoon trip was spent at the LBHA Conference in Louisville Kentucky. One of the principle reasons we plan to retire in the Blackhills, outside of the fact it will be easier on our pensions, is our passion for the history of the region.
So when we buy souvenirs we usually buy books. This conference is a amazing opportunity to not only pick up some rare historical books but to often meet the authors who wrote them! We picked up several items from Dr. Jeff Broome last night and he was even so kind as to sign them! This is not uncommon here. I also want to say that the amount of scholarly research represented here would put to shame many University history departments.
This brings to mind another issue that often bothers me. The 'politically correct' interpretation of history as opposed to the reality of what actually happened. This is particularly true around the events and people of the westward expansion. It is very popular now to portray the men and and women of the expansion as brutes subjugating the land and the native Americans. It just seems beyond reason for them to see everybody involved in human terms. This also means not putting people on a pedestal. Sure, I am at a gathering of about 200 people who think George Armstrong Custer was not the Great White Devil. I don't think they are painting him as a villain like so many prefer to do. They also have documentation to support this as well as to show that his indian adversaries were not guilt free in their own right. There is always at least two sides to any conflict and in our 'politically correct' environment this tends to be totally forgotten. History surrenders to propaganda and ignorance.
Okay, sorry for the preaching but it is my blog... |
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