Over the years I’ve collected any Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) items I came across. The photo with this article is the masthead from a weekly Okemo Outlook newspaper. These are simple mimeograph pages with amateur hand-drawn ads, for Ludlow and … Continued
I have an early ledger of interest. It begins in 1796, and ends in 1852. The cover is covered with dark blue wallpaper, with a white scroll pattern and black polka dots. Wallpaper at this time was an expensive wall … Continued
Sometimes, my deadline to send in my weekly article sneaks up on me. Suddenly I can think of nothing to write about. So here you are. Fishing April is here. It won’t be long before Danny and I go … Continued
I live in a different world than most people. I remember in high school the teacher asked us seniors what we wanted to do when we left school. You can imagine many of the answers: college, marriage, riding a motorcycle … Continued
Linda Downing and I used to do a lot of hiking and snowshoeing up behind my place. Linda had a black lab, Mick. I had Hillary, a beagle-shepherd mix. The dogs got along well, Hillary the dominant. Over the years, … Continued
Many readers will be familiar with the 1869 Beers County Atlases. The original atlases are scarce today, and have a greenish tan cover. In the originals, all towns are printed in color. See photo with this article. In 1969, they … Continued
The photo with this article is a keyring good luck piece. Many will remember these. They were an inexpensive giveaway for businesses in the 1950s and 60s. Today it’s refrigerator magnets. They are made of aluminum, and made in the … Continued
I love stories of the old days. In the troubled world I find myself living in, these stories provide an escape. It is always a letdown to read the last page of a book you really enjoyed. Turning each page … Continued
From the Marjorie Boynton Cross estate is another letter. It amazes me how many people from the Bondville-Londonderry area went west in the 1870s and 80s. You are reading a very personal letter. “Eldora, Colorado Aug 4, 1878 “Dear Alice … Continued
Last week I wrote about a Bank of True Love valentine from Marjorie Boynton Cross. Below are the sod house and Bondville blizzard letters I mentioned. Sod House “Sargent, Custer County, Neb. May 3, 1885 “You wonder how a … Continued