Back in early Spring Mike was itching to get out in his new toy. But being a man he can’t just to out tooling around to see where the road goes, he needs a goal, a destination.
Which is where I come in. I’d been wanting to get out and get some photos of historic homes in Kenosha that are on the National Register of Historic Places. So I provided a list of destinations, Mike put the top down and got behind the wheel. I hopped in the passenger side with my trusty Nikon DSLR and we were off. So enjoy a quick historic photo tour of a few of the places in Kenosha on the National Register.
That is exactly what Mike did when he got to take a trip to Rome during one of his few days off. He made over one hundred pictures. I suspect partly because he knows I love photos and I love history. He got to capture those to share with me. Also I’m sure for himself too! So this is a picture post of Mike’s Roman Day. You can click on any image to be taken to my Flickr account where you can browse more of his photos from that day. Sit back, scroll on and enjoy.
A few weekends ago, just before or after the garden tour, Mike and I went to the Land & Air Show at the Kenosha Airport. It’s a car and plane show. Yes, Kenosha has a small airport. We even took along Mike’s Mistress and she had her top down. He enjoyed looking at engines and mechanical things. I loved getting pictures of shapes, colors and textures. So we both were very happy. Which I guess is why we’re a good couple for over 25 years, we can find something in the other’s interest that intrigues us.
Oh if you look at how brown the grass is you get an idea of what the drought is doing to us here in Wisconsin. We’ve gotten some rain since then but not nearly enough.
Any way, here’s a picture post of the day – Enjoy.
A few weeks ago Mike and I took the Secret Gardens tour of Kenosha. Mike enjoyed gardening ideas. I enjoyed the photo opportunities. Despite the drought the gardens were lovely. I’m sure the owners put in a lot of hard work and watering expense to make them ready for the event. Sit back and enjoy this colorful photo post.
Kenosha has some interesting sights that make it Kenosha to me. So many towns are beginning to look one like another – big box stores, national supermarkets, restaurant chains, and fast food places. I like to try to find what makes a place, THAT place. For me one of the things about Kenosha that stood out are the unique buildings. I’ve toyed with the idea of going out to make pictures of various unique buildings in Kenosha to share with friends on-line. Yesterday was my first day.
It was sunny and I was longing to do some photography. I decided to take Rappy down to the beach and make some pictures. She wasn’t so sure of the plan at first.
Is this a trick? Are we going to the vet?
We used to have a small SUV. She liked riding in the back of that but now we have a grandpa sedan (I don’t like sedans). She doesn’t like riding on a seat with a big ledge that falls to the floor. She liked the big platform in the back of the SUV where she could lounge & look out. Here once we start moving she lays down and can’t see out but is terrified to sit up. Any way she’s suspecting a vet visit… even gives me that questioning stare as I go around to get in.
Are you SURE we aren’t going to the vet?
We tool off down the road with no particular place in mind except to pick up my prescription through the drive thru (damn sedan spoils that fun as she hunkers down hugging the back of the seat). Once that’s done I head off down 75th toward the lake.
What lake? Why Lake Michigan of course. We lived just a few miles off of the lake. I wind up at the Southport Public Beach House. Now I know very little about this building but I’ve always liked the looks of it. It seems perched on the edge of decay just a hair past shabby chic yet it has magnificent bones. I have walked around it many times fantasizing about what it looked like in its glory days.
Hey, you didn’t lie! This isn’t the vet’s office!
Rappy was pleasantly surprised we weren’t at the vet’s office. She hopped out and we enjoyed a very brief walk in the park next to the beach house. It has a stunning view of the lake. The walk was brief because she’d already had a walk that day and I wanted to do one around the beach house. She’s not a spring chicken as you see (she’s an old greyhound) and can’t do walks like she used to do. Still she loved it and I took a few nice shots of the park and lake. Enjoy!
Then we took off for my photo expedition around the Southport Public Beach House.
Kenosha’s Southport Public Beach House
It looks a little worse for wear from the last time I circled it. I have to admit though circling it with a camera gives one a more observant eye looking for decent shots. Since I knew I was going to do a post with some of the photos I thought I should do a bit of research about the building. The first thing I learned was you can rent it for functions. Next it is on the National Registry of Historic Places. I’ll summarize a few points for you. It was built 1936-1940 just like the plaque says. It was built as part of the WPA program. The architect was Christian Borggren. It was built from material scavenged from condemned buildings and the post office that was torn town. It has a ballroom inside in addition to the usual beach house showers and snack bar. I’m not sure when it was shuddered off like now. The roof has a large tarp on it. I’m not sure what damage it conceals and what that has done to the interior of the place. There is very little malicious damage such as graffiti and broken windows. This might be because there is video surveillance of the exterior. I’m not sure whose watching the paint peel there but there are signs and camera up around the structure. Most of the images show the need for a good sweeping and paint. Excluding the needed roof repair. Now I’ll stop blabbling and give you some of the pictures. There are more on my Flickr page. You can get there by clicking on any image then moving about my photostream.
Again if you were intrigued and want to see more head over to my Flickr account. There are some detail shots and views of the beach too. In the end Rappy and I had a good time our first day out doing photos of interesting buildings in Kenosha.
That was fun!
As always I’d love to hear from you. If you like give me a like or stars or share with others or do all three! It helps keep me going and doing these sorts of things.
Today was a warmer day. I made a few more pictures of our garden. I’m always thrilled after a Wisconsin winter (even a mild one) to see color and greenery again. Here are a few shots of what’s growing in our gardens.
A new crop of Cat Mint (or is it Nip?) is on the way.
Soon the cats won’t have to get their high from the old dry stuff they’ll have tender fresh new twigs to maul.
Lemon Custard Tulips
Our lemon custard tulips are always the first to bloom. This year was no different. But my favorite is pictured next: the blue hyacinth. I’ve always loved their blooms more than the tulips.
Beautiful in Blue
Just because it’s my favorite you get another one.
A close up makes it better
I like them so much I even enjoy the grape hyacinths but they migrate because squirrels like to dig them up. Ours are starting to spill out into our yard and our neighbor is enjoying a few. That’s okay since the squirrels brought us some red tulips from somewhere to go in our daffys on the side our house in exchange. Here’s both flowers.
Now see aren’t they pretty.
I love the center of the red tulips.
Look at the pollen no wonder my allergies are going.
That’s the garden tour for now. After I made these pictures Rappy and I went down to the lake. There I made pictures while the sun was shining. More photos from that tomorrow.
Rappy enjoys the tulips
That’s it for tonight. Take care, sleep well. Remember to give me a like if you liked the post and rate it with stars! Also don’t miss tomorrow’s lake pictures and the Southport Public Beach House here in Kenosha Wisconsin by following or you can sign up for e-mail notices right there in the upper right corner.
As always I’d love to hear from you feel free to leave a comment. It’ll so up when I get it and I check regularly. Until tomorrow!
So why did genealogy become my hobby? I hate people who wear their ancestors as a badge. I’m not a dog that need a documented breeding bloodline. Does it matter who my 4th great grandpappy was? I want to be taken for my merit not the merit or misdeeds of people I didn’t know and couldn’t influence due to linear aspects of time. Yet, genealogy is one of my favorite hobbies. Why?
Thomas Fain Bright ( the chair front row on left) is my great grandfather on left. His wife next to him Molly I remember her funeral. Her father is James Madison McCravey at the end on the right (my great great grandfather) fought in the Civil War as a Confederate. Leslie Bright the boy in the back row in about the middle of the photo is my grandfather.
I’ve always loved history. I’ve liked tales of the past as long as I can remember. I don’t know why but it’s always made me feel better to think humans have experienced the same feelings I have for thousands of years. I loved historical romances when I was a young girl. In high school I had a teacher, Liz Morrell, who challenged me to look at real history through real people’s eyes. I loved it even more. If you want a good mystery – read history there’s plenty of them. Want a good scare – read history there’s plenty of them. Want the feel good story of the year – read history there’s plenty of them. Want steamy romance – read history there’s plenty of them. I think you get my point. I found all I wanted in real true tales. History isn’t just dates and military movement to me but people living life!
Genealogy was a way to get the everyday person’s view of history, their world at that time. Depression job loss – my grandfather’s time with Singer Sewing Machine Company I posted about. How it is to come of age – my other grandfather’s clothes progression to long breeches. Horrors of Andersonville, Sultana, explosion and what happened to the families that endure such painful loss – I’ve found them in my family tree.
The father Pleasant M Rogers is my 2nd great grandfather. Next to him is his wife Margaret Clark. He’s holding Minnie Christine. She’s holding Josie M. Sitting on the ground is William Victor. Standing behind is Ida Alberta my great grandmother. Photo taken about 1891
Honestly it doesn’t HAVE to be my family tree. I’ve helped friends intrigued by stories I’ve found in my tree find some stories in theirs. The child left to be raised by an aunt & uncle grew up thinking they were the parents but noo, life changed when all was flipped. What happened to the lost child of someone? Find their life and tell it – who knew he’d wind up out west panning for gold then have a hand in the railroad dying a rich man?
For me it’s looking into the faces of the pictures I discovered and seeing a person. A person who had feelings like me, who lived events I’ve only read about, and who is now gone but not forgotten. Maybe shelved for years and rediscovered but not forgotten. Now when I eat a Cracker Barrel I wonder who those faces are in those old pictures, what genealogist out there is trying desperately to find a face to put with the story?
My grandmother, Winnie Bradford, is the girl behind the one hold the flowers standing between her parents Joe Berry Bradford & Pansy Brown Bradford.
Another thing I’ve learned is we’re all connected. If not literally in the 14 generations I’ve gotten so far then through experiences. To me all of it is ours, our story as humans. How we made it through good times and difficult times. It’s inspiration.
It’s all about citation and documentation. I LOVE to document things and fit them together. It’s the old auditor in me. Want to be put in my family tree program? You gotta have documentation otherwise you wind up in my notes to investigate or in my family lore files. My tree is one that’s well reinforced with documentation – marriage certificates, death certificates, birth certificates, censuses, wills, land deeds, dairies, letters, photos, newspaper articles, and on and on. All to be deliciously filed and scanned and attached to the facts they document. See my penchant for neat files in previous posts.
In the middle back row the woman in the dark dress is my great grandmother Ollie Belle Hicks Rolen. In front of her are her parents my 2nd great grandparents Margaret Jane Denton and David Crockett (aka Crockett) Hicks.
This is a job that’s never finished. Every answered question seems to raise ten more questions to answer. I’ll never run out of things to do in my hobby. Every year more are born and more die. You want to fall into my realm of investigation you have to die. I do paper research, grave yard research, book research… I leave the living to my mother. I’m happier in the stacks with that musty smell thinking “AHHH THERE you are! I’ve been looking for you!” Than I am over tea trying to get people to lay their lives open warts and all.
John Bright and Mary Jane Browder Bright my 2nd great grandparents
Genealogy has given me a topic to discuss with my parents. My mother and I share the same hobby so we can build on what the other finds. My father is a treasure trove of family lore, stories I’ve heard all my life but never wrote down. Now I’m hearing them again and encouraging him to write them down. Oh the lovely hours in stacks that will lead to investigating! It gives us something to share, to talk about, to do together beyond comparing medical visits.
My 2nd great grandfather. He was a sheriff in the mountains of East Tennessee. His son became a revenuer. Looks the part of a lawman doesn’t he?
Finally it gives me something to pass on to my son. Here is who we are. This is how we fit into those stuffy history books. It makes the past live for him because he can say he has a connection to it. I hope it keeps me remembered by my 4th great grandchild. She cared, she cared enough to send these stories down to me so I too would share something with her – our connection to life future and past.
For me it combined my love of history, my love of stories, my love of office supplies (files!), my love of order and documentation, my always needing something to do, and gave me another connection with my parents. I can’t think of a better hobby.
As always I’d love to hear from you. You can comment here (it’ll show up when I get it). You can catch me on twitter as @marylouiseeklund or on Google+ as +Mary Louise Eklund. I don’t go to Facebook any more though there’s an old profile still there. BUT you can email me at marylouiseeklund at either yahoo.com or gmail.com.
Which is where I come in. I’d been wanting to get out and get some photos of historic homes in Kenosha that are on the National Register of Historic Places. So I provided a list of destinations, Mike put the top down and got behind the wheel. I hopped in the passenger side with my trusty Nikon DSLR and we were off. So enjoy a quick historic photo tour of a few of the places in Kenosha on the National Register.
Mary Louise Eklund 