Words Fail Me

Motown

Posted on March 12, 2018 by d4vid

I found Detroit visually fascinating.

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My great-great-great-grandfather was named David Young. Family history records that he was born in Pennsylvania and moved the family to Iowa, but nowhere was it recorded when he died or where he was buried. I was able to track his grave down to a tiny speck of a town called Andrew in Jackson County, Iowa.The tombstone was far too new to be original. Some faithful Youngs must have replaced it at some point.Here, finally, I had the date of David Young’s death. 1836. Which means he died just three years after moving the family from western Pennsylvania. Still not sure how he died.

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Research II

Posted on March 8, 2018 by d4vid

The Maquoketa Library, like Anamosa, had a room dedicated to local history with an extensive collection of books and microfilm of the local newspapers all the way back to their founding. Unfortunately, the Youngs had already moved westward to Jones County and they had only stayed and farmed in Jones County briefly around the time that Iowa was first becoming a state.

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Regulars

Posted on March 8, 2018 by d4vid

I stopped for lunch on Main St. in Maquoketa, the county seat of Jackson County, Iowa.The food was almost cartoonishly “Main St. American”. The place was packed with locals. One older woman said to another sitting at a booth, “Fancy seeing you here!” They laughed like it was the funniest thing anyone had said since the dawn of time.

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Arkham

Posted on March 8, 2018 by d4vid

In the 1870s, the sprawling Anamosa State Penitentiary was built on the outskirts of town, looking for all intents and purposes like Arkham Asylum.

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Gothic

Posted on March 8, 2018 by d4vid

“American Gothic” is one of the most icon paintings in all of American art. It was painted by Grant Wood who grew up in Anamosa.

The Youngs were farmers right here, probably looking a lot like this.

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Research

Posted on March 8, 2018 by d4vid

Anamos, the county seat of Jones County, Iowa, had a wonderful new library with an extensive genealogical collection. A very helpful librarian showed me that all the local newspapers had been digitized back to their founding and were available online. “Oh,” I said. “Guess I didn’t need to drive here from L.A.” He laughed. Hard.

On my way out, I noticed this flyer on the bulletin board which made me think even more of the little town and it’s library.

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Phobia

Posted on March 8, 2018 by d4vid

A muddy, snowy side road (just to the side of this lovely building) led to the small, squat building of the Scotch Grove historical society. My Prius inched along toward it, over a hill, until my path was blocked by a farmer’s extremely territorial dog. He would not let me proceed or even turn around.

I was confronted by two of my gravest fears: dogs and getting stuck in the snow.

Frozen briefly with indecision, I eventually inched backwards over the hill. The dog did not pursue me.

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Junction

Posted on March 8, 2018 by d4vid

Center Junction in rural Iowa. My great-great-grandfather James Young and my great-great-grandmother Amanda Printz are buried here. But, again, my Prius wasn’t up to the challenge of the roads.

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Impassable

Posted on March 8, 2018 by d4vid

The Youngs were Ulster Scots (people of Scottish descent who lived in Northern Ireland.) The moved to the New World before the American Revolution and then, slowly over the years, made their way westward. One one of the stops along the way was Jones County, Iowa.

I wasn’t able to explore as much as I would have liked because the roads—all mud and snow—were impassable to my poor little Prius.I couldn’t help but hear Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” playing in my head as I looked out at what, as far as I was concerned, might has well have been Russian steppes.My great-great-great-grandmother Eliza Davidson is buried in the Scotch Grove Cemetery alongside her brother-in-law, Thomas Young, who was a Civil War veteran who eventually committed suicide in 1894.

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Redemption

Posted on March 7, 2018 by d4vid

Driving through the Great Plains, I am constantly thinking about Red Dead Redemption. I have my old impulse to stop abruptly and gather herbs & flowers.

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Ike

Posted on March 7, 2018 by d4vid

Visited the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas.

The grounds include his childhood home which is so tiny it looks like a backyard play house.

The collection of weapons reminded me of the Museum of Public Security in Shanghai.

How have I not heard some of these terms?

A German map of their guess as to the Allied invasion.Apparently, captured German rabbit fur jackets were often worn by Allied troops because they were so warm.

I found the Cold War section of the museum profoundly depressing in light of the current political environment.This custom podium seemed particularly fascinating.I don’t think I’ve ever seen Queen Elizabeth smile like that. She seems utterly charmed.Good advice from Ike:Like George W. Bush, Eisenhower expressed himself through painting later in life.Finally, there is a small chapel for reflection where Eisenhower is buried.