Canada’s Capital Canal

I attended a conference in Ottawa, Canada recently and was completely enamored with this capital city which consistently ranks very high on quality of life polls. Its history as a city goes back only to 1826 when a village called Bytown rose on the southern bank of the Ottawa River, at the mouth of the Rideau River. The settlement was named for Colonel John By who came to the area to oversee the construction of the Rideau Canal, an engineering marvel completed in 1832 to connect Montreal with Kingston.

In 1855 Bytown became “Ottawa,” an Algonquin Indian word meaning “to trade” and several years later Queen Victoria was asked to choose a capital city for the province of Canada. She selected Ottawa. Historians give various reasons for this decision, including the city’s location mid-way between Toronto and Quebec City, its abundance of transportation routes, and its defensible location. Its position across the river from French-speaking Quebec province makes it an ideal spot for the capital of this bi-lingual country.

The Parliament buildings sits high on a bluff overlooking the Ottawa River and are an impressive example of  Gothic revival architecture.

Yet, grand as Parliament hill is, the historic site that most interested me is the Rideau Canal (French for “curtain”).  Stretching through the heart of the city, it is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a triumph of engineering. While the original purpose of the canal was to protect military movement in Canada’s interior and provide a secure supply route, the canal’s commercial value was quickly realized. It became the commercial lifeline for the port of Montreal and the highway for thousands of immigrants moving to Upper Canada. The canal travels through 126 miles (202 kilometers) of lakes, and other natural waterways, and about 12 miles (19 km) of the route is manmade. Most of the 47 masonry locks on the canal are hand-operated.

The oldest stone building in Ottawa is the former Commissariat building for the Rideau Canal built in 1827. It sits just down the hill from Parliament and next to a magnificent flight of eight locks providing a lift of 79 feet (24 m). Today it houses the Bytown Museum.

My memories of the canal go back twenty years to a winter trip over the holidays when the temperature was about -4 degrees F (-20 C). It was just after Christmas and one of the world’s largest skating rinks was open for business. Each winter about 4.8 miles of the canal running through the center of Ottawa are cleared and become a skater’s paradise. People skate to work and buy hot drinks and beaver tails (pastries) from stands set up on the ice. I grew up skating on ponds in Pennsylvania and the opportunity to skate on this wonder of almost five miles was incredible. Someday I will return in winter to skate on the Rideau Canal and to eat a beaver tail.

For more history about the canal: http://www.rideau-info.com/canal/history/hist-canal.html

Per Bob’s comment below, here’s one of the most profound signs I’ve seen… talking about two museums in Ottawa, but much deeper.

A gem of southern California history

Last month I taught a workshop at a fascinating history place that most people have never heard of. Thirty minutes or so east of downtown Los Angeles sits a historic gem surrounded by industrial parks. The six-acre Homestead Museum site explores the history of the Los Angeles area from 1830 to 1930 through the lives of several families who molded the land despite the ups and downs of shifting financial currents.  Their story offers insight into the transformation of Los Angeles.

Workman House

In 1841 the William Workman family migrated on the Old Spanish Trail from Taos, New Mexico to then-Mexican California, and were among the first permanent eastern settlers to this part of California.  They acquired  and developed a 48,000 acre cattle ranch, Rancho La Puente. They traded hides to eastern markets and added farming to their growing agricultural empire. Workman had started growing grapes in the 1840s and he continued to add to his vineyards, along with acres of wheat and even an experiment growing cotton. The family built a simple three-room adobe which by the 1870s they had transformed into a modern American house. The house is preserved today.

In 1848 their landed switched from Mexican to United States territory. They soon started selling beef to the flood of men who rushed to the state to strike it rich in the gold fields. Daughter Antonia Margarita married F.P.F. Temple in 1845, supposedly the first wedding in Los Angeles history where both parties had an “Anglo” surname. The Workmans and their new son-in-law  began to invest in other business opportunities, from real estate to railroads. They also opened a bank. Unfortunately it failed in the economic panic of 1875, and the result was   financial ruin and the loss of their beloved ranch.

Skip ahead to 1914 and a grandson of Mr. Workman discovers oil on his father’s property leading to new wealth and allowing the Temples to buy back a portion of the family’s homestead.

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As their wealth increased, they commissioned well-known Los Angeles architects to build La Casa Nueva, a Spanish Colonial Revival mansion. Construction took place between 1922-1927, and the family eagerly awaited its completion.  Sadly, the matriarch, Laura, suddenly died before the house was finished. Walter Temple continued work in walnut farming and land development, helping found the town of Temple City. But, by 1932 family history had repeated itself he had lost everything due to risky financial investments.

The house went into a period of temporary owners, including use as a boy’s military academy and a sanitarium. The City of Industry eventually saw its value as a history site and purchased the property and restored the two homes, opening the site as a museum in 1981.

Today the property, featuring the two restored homes, offers a glimpse into one family’s love for the land and into a slice of California history. A tour of the homes reveals beautiful architectural detail and craftsmanship, along with stories of generations of a family who worked hard to improve their lives and to enjoy their successes and rise above their financial failures.

Watch an introductory video about the property

The Will Rogers house

On a visit to Los Angeles recently I was once again drawn to Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades.  I had been there  years before and was fascinated with the way the house exuded the personality of its owner.

One of my favorite caricatures of Will Rogers in the National Portrait Gallery collection. Will Rogers 1879-1935
Miguel Covarrubias (1904-1957)
Ink and wash on paper for The John Riddell Murder Case, 1930
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Will Rogers, one of America’s best-loved humorists, and arguably one of the most famous men of his time, was a man of irony and his house and family ranch illustrate this.  He transformed this land, purchased in 1922 to escape his Beverly Hills life, into a beloved home. Born in Oklahoma of part Cherokee heritage, he started out as a cowboy and championship roper, and eventually ended up on vaudeville stages across the country. His outspoken candor and gentle wit, combined with practical advice and honesty won him fans around the world and ultimately made him a multimedia star. He became a Broadway and film star, radio commentator, and newspaper columnist.

He eventually settled in Hollywood but longed for a retreat where he could pursue his passions for horses and aviation. He was friends with all of the celebrities of the day, including Walt Disney, Clark Gable and Charles Lindbergh, but he connected with the common man. His house is a simple ranch house, with several additions. It features art from some top Western artists including paintings by Charles Russell and Ed Borein and elaborate hand-crafted saddles . His library features an amazing collection of signed first editions from many famous authors of his time, but supposedly he hated to read books.

On a tour of the house I saw a modern kitchen, a simple breakfast room,  and a dining room table where a look underneath revealed many wads of gum placed there by his children. Also, the patio where the family entertained friends well-known throughout America. His office where he hosted his friends who his wife did not approve of and the outside stairs he built so these friends could come and go without passage through the house. As the house was a refuge for the Rogers family, it was also a refuge for friends when needed. Will hosted his friends Charles and Anne Lindbergh during their baby’s kidnapping investigation.

In 2006 the property re-opened after a 3-year closure and $5 million restoration. Rogers’ love of horses and riding is evident in the renovated hay barn, stables, riding arenas, and riding trails throughout the property. Riding lessons were underway during my visit.

I’ve visited many historic homes, and some stand out in my mind. This home summons the character of a man who lived life to the fullest and sadly, died too young in a plane crash in 1935. His widow donated the family’s ranch to the state in 1944. The peaceful place includes the last remaining polo field in Los Angeles, a city that boasted 25 polo fields in the 1930s. Visitors can watch polo matches, ride horseback or hike to Inspiration Point for sweeping views of the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

 ”If you want to be successful, it’s just this simple. Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing.” – Will Rogers

Memories of TV Korea

On a recent trip to Los Angeles it was a sunny spring day and I wanted to hike. I ended up at a place at once familiar and remote. I recognized the shape of the mountains instantly. I was in Korea, on a Hollywood lot. You guessed it. I was on the site, formerly the 20th Century Fox ranch, where exterior scenes for the popular television show M*A*S*H were filmed during the show’s eleven-year run from 1972-1983. The opening scene showing doctors scurrying to meet the helicopters bringing the wounded is ingrained in the memories of M*A*S*H fans around the world, as is the show’s final shot of a helicopter lifting Hawkeye Pierce above camp,  ”goodbye” spelled in white rocks below, a message from his best friend B.J. Hunnicutt. This final episode made television history as the most-watched TV show of all time – 125 million viewers.

Today, a few rusted military vehicles are all that is left of the set. A few interpretive markers include photos of the set in action and some tape outlines where the tents stood.

Set in the rugged landscape of Malibu Creek State Park north of Malibu, the site is rich in film production history.   The first film shot in the park was a silent black and white film in 1919 called “Daddy Long Legs” starring Mary Pickford. Other films shot here include three Tarzan movies with Johnnie Weissmuller and westerns such as “Blockade” with Henry Fonda. Fans of “Planet of the Apes” will recognize the scenery as will fans of the Fess Parker
“Daniel Boone” series. More recently the movie “Pleasantville” (1998) with its entire 1950s town was filmed on a parking lot within the park.

Years before Hollywood studios found it, the lands were inhabited for centuries by the Chumash Indians and many of the park’s trails were originally footpaths used by the Indians. By the 1860s a few homesteads occupied the rolling hills. A century later during his years as governor,  Ronald Reagan and wife Nancy spent weekends at their horse ranch “Yearling Row” now in the park boundary –they later sold it to the CA park system.

But as I hiked the several miles to the M*A*S*H site, a realized what a true fan of the show I am … I felt goosebumps as a helicopter flew over. I looked skyward, half expecting to see an army helicopter coming in for a landing.

Check out this fun website about the M*A*S*H site restoration: http://www.malibucreekstatepark.org/MASH.html

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The allure of covered bridges

I have taken covered bridges for granted my entire life. I grew up riding my bike on a 5-mile loop through two covered bridges. In the summer I’d put the canoe into the river at one bridge and float down to the take-out at the second bridge. It was normal to drive somewhere and go through a covered bridge on the way. This was Pennsylvania after all, the state that still has approximately two hundred of the wooden structures. And, the Pennsylvania county with the most, where I grew up, is Lancaster County, with 29. (The national winner with 31, according to Wikipedia, is Parke County in Indiana).

Utilitarian though they are, there is something about covered bridges (maybe like lighthouses) that offers a connection to the past. Covered bridges recall another era, especially when you see an Amish horse and buggy driving through one.

The ravages of flooding, usually caused by tropical storms and hurricanes, take their toll on covered bridges. One of my childhood bridges, the Pinetown Bushong’s Mill covered bridge, was built in 1867 by an active bridge builder named Elias McMellen (who was also a captain in the Union Army).  No doubt it survived many floods until Hurricane Agnes caused major damage to it in 1972. It might have been replaced with a “modern” bridge had not the local residents raised their voices in protest and the Amish community helped restore it. Then the rising river caused by Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 knocked the bridge off its foundation, bowing its timbers, making it unsafe for use. Though it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, I feared this was not enough to save it a second time due to the escalating costs of repair.

I eagerly awaited the decision about the bridge’s fate. My father kept me apprised of any news. Finally the newspaper reported the bridge would be restored and raised about 2 feet higher to spare it from future flood waters.  On a recent trip I surveyed the work in progress, fascinated by the placement of the cranes and the complex engineering involved.

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I’m so proud that Pennsylvania places such value in preserving its covered bridge heritage. I can still jump on a bicycle and take a ride through covered bridges or canoe the Conestoga River (in the valley where the wagons were produced) and relish a heritage that has still managed to transcend time.

Thank you Lancaster County and Pennsylvania for preserving the bridges! Soon the Pinetown Bridge will be restored to its former glory.

Hunsecker’s Mill Bridge, Lancaster County, PA

True story: My father was almost run over by a buggy as he walked through this covered bridge. He had to jump up on a wooden beam curb to escape a crazed horse. Only in Lancaster County!

Check out another post about Lancaster, PA

The Garden District in New Orleans

I love to explore historic neighborhoods and to me, the historic core of any city is usually most fascinating. While in New Orleans recently I took a walking tour of the French Quarter, the oldest part of that city.  However, an afternoon stroll of the restored homes of the Garden District, a 10-minute drive from the Quarter, proved just as captivating.

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The Garden District’s history is based on segregation, the nouveau rich Americans who settled it received the cold shoulder from New Orleans’ Creole society and were excluded from the old Creole neighborhoods of New Orleans. The historically French aristocrats there wanted little to do with the Protestant and less cultured Americans. Thus the Americans ended up settling a 14-square block area that was originally its own city called Lafayette. It finally joined with New Orleans in 1852.

The oldest home in the area was built in 1838 and the decades that followed were characterized by unbridled architectural innovation. While many of the homes exhibit the Greek Revival style, they also feature Italianate, Moorish, Asian and Caribbean influences – wrought iron, pastel colors, and white columns. Plus elaborate and intimate gardens tucked behind iron gates.

Politicians and famous writers (Anne Rice) and actors (John Goodman, Sandra Bullock) have all lived in the District but perhaps the most historic house is the Payne Home on First Street. Here on December 6, 1889 former President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis died while visiting the owner.  Certainly other luminaries in America’s past spent time in the neighborhood including Edgar Degas, Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt.

I visited the Garden District on a sunny warm day in January, and saw giant Meyer lemons ready for picking and a few flowers in bloom. Sadly I did not experience what must be a feast for the senses in the springtime when the gardens burst with color and  the fragrances of jasmine, sweet olive and gardenia permeate the air.

On one end of the neighborhood stands Lafayette Cemetery Number 1, opened in 1833 and typical of the New Orleans cemeteries, or cities of the dead, that feature row after row of above-ground crypts. Originally filled with victims of yellow fever, the cemetery is the resting place for generations of residents from the neighborhood.

The best way to reach the Garden District is by the St. Charles Avenue streetcar, the oldest operating street railway system in the country dating back to the 1830s. The current green cars were built in the 1920s. A friend and I decided to ride most of the 13-miles route which travels past two well-known universities, Tulane and Loyola.

And, a great stop for pecan pie on the streetcar line is the Camellia Grill. Read about it in this blog post.

Washington Square in Philly

I would venture a guess that most people outside of Philadelphia have never heard of Washington Square, a 6.4 acre park sitting diagonal on the city grid from Independence Hall, birthplace of the United States.  This vast grassy park is surrounded by towering apartment buildings, nineteenth-century townhouses, and historic office buildings such as the 1910 Curtis building, a historic center of publishing in America (Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, Jack and Jill). I’ve always been fascinated with the history of this urban oasis.

The Square is one of the five squares laid out in 1682 by the city’s founder William Penn. Originally called Southeast Square (one source says Quakers did not name parks for people), the name was changed to honor America’s first president George Washington in 1825.  In the 1950′s it finally got a statue of the man, part of a monument to the soldiers and sailors of the American Revolution. A bronze cast of sculpture Houdon’s George Washington stands as the focal point. Beneath the statue is the Tomb of the Unknown soldier of the Revolutionary War with an eternal flame burning in front. 

The Square served many purposes over the years beginning as a potter’s field, where the bodies of the poor and strangers were buried. In the early years it was also recognized as decent pasture land and cows and other animals grazed  in the shadow of Pennsylvania colony’s state house. By 1776 in the early years of the  American Revolution, dead soldiers from the patriot armies were buried in mass graves in the square. John Adams wrote a sad letter to his wife Abigail on April 13, 1777. “I have spent an hour, this morning, in the congregation of the dead. I took a walk into the Potters Field, a burying ground…and I never in my whole life was affected with so much melancholy.” The British occupation of the city later that year led to horrific conditions in the Walnut Street jail which sat along the edge of the square. As prisoners died, more graves filled the square. By this point it seems it was a cemetery without the official designation.

The year 1793 brought two very different events.  The year started with the first human flight in the Americas. With President Washington in attendance along with future presidents Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, French aeronaut Jean Pierre Blanchard ascended in his hot-air balloon from the Walnut Street Jail yard, floated over Washington Square and landed across the Delaware River in New Jersey.  Later that year one of the most severe yellow fever epidemics in American history hit the city and again the square became a burying ground. At this point one would conclude that the place was saturated with corpses.

But the neighborhood gradually improved after 1815 and became a respectable  and even fashionable area to live.  A tree-planting program helped to beautify the space and varied events like cattle markets and camp meetings livened up the area.

The Square holds a place in my personal history too: I came out of a friend’s house and to my horror, my car, which had been parked along the Square, was gone… the first time my car was towed from a parking space unexpectedly (getting it back was a nightmare); and the closest I ever got to President Reagan, I was standing in Washington Square and saw his motorcade go by during the celebration of the Constitution’s bicentennial.

In the latter part of the 20th century the park had become unkempt and unattractive. Thankfully, the National Park Service took over care of it in 2005 and today it has been restored and is   part of Independence National Historical Park.

Related resources:

Walking tour of the Square

Blog post about Walnut Street Theatre

Blog post about Independence Hall

Blog post about the President’s House in Philadelphia

More info about Maxfield Parrish’s glass mural Dream Garden (mentioned in comments below)

America’s first theater

I recently attended a play at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, billed as the oldest theater in America (and as the oldest continuously occupied theater in the English-speaking world). I’m always dubious when I see the declaration that a place is “the oldest” in America. A little healthy skepticism is what historians are taught.  Yet a two hundred year history, beginning in 1809, is pretty impressive nonetheless. The lobby and stairs are plastered with the photos of illustrious stars from America’s past who have performed on the stage. A young Edwin Forrest, America’s first professional actor and a prominent Shakespearean actor of the nineteenth century, made his professional debut on the Walnut Street stage in 1820 at the age of 14 . The Who’s Who of American actors who have graced its stage is as comprehensive as you can imagine. All of the big names passed through the building.

Originally an equestrian circus, the building was converted to a legitimate theater in 1812. The first play was The Rivals and Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette attended opening night.  Edwin Booth, of the famous Booth family of actors, purchased the theater in 1863. His brother, John Wilkes, a noted actor in his own right, became the most infamous person in America when he assassinated President Lincoln two years later.

In the 1940s, the theater began to host pre-Broadway tryouts of plays that would go on to become classics: A Streetcar Named Desire, A Raisin in the Sun, and The Diary of Anne Frank, to name a few.

Other firsts, according to the theater website, were gaslights (1837), air conditioning, copyright law and curtain call. I’m a bit dubious again. Curtain call?

Sadly, over the years various renovations have stripped the interior of any historic charm. What is arguably one of the country’s most historic theaters doesn’t really look “historic.”  But this National Historic Landmark remains a vibrant theater and few, if any, theaters in the United States can rival its history. In 2008 it celebrated its 200th season of live entertainment.

Drawing of Walnut Street Theatre, 1830

Read a previous post about Ford’s Theater in Washington: http://historyplaces.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/the-president-is-shot/

Have you visited a memorable historic theater? Which one?

Historic Houses as Holiday Rentals

Guest post by Kenneth C. Turino, Manager of Community Engagement and Exhibitions, Historic New England

Using historic houses as holiday rentals is nothing new in Europe. The National Trust of Britain, the Landmark Trust of Britain, and English Heritage among others rent historic properties from cottages to portions of castles. Here in the United States the idea has been slow to develop, but this is changing. Last October, my partner and I rented a Lockkeeper’s House on the C & O canal near Washington, D.C., operated by the C&O Canal Trust (www.canaltrust.org/quarters/) in partnership with the National Park Service, the owner of the building and the park it is in. The house was restored to a 1950′s appearance, with period furniture that could actually be used. Each of the 6 rental houses is restored to reflect a different aspect of the canal’s history.  What a wonderful way to experience the history of the area and the C & O canal. In the house, we found information on the house and canal and guide books on the history of the canal. We used one book on our walk along the canal into Georgetown. We learned a tremendous amount about the history of the canal as we enjoyed the perfect fall weather, along with the many people who were jogging, walking or bicycling on the towpath. That evening we invite about 20 friends to the house for a party. They explored the house, sat on the porch overlooking the canal, and enjoyed the ambiance. The next morning we left our comments in the guest book and were delighted to read about other people’s experience who came here to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, weddings and simply the atmosphere: “Thank you C & O Trust for restoring these historic houses and sharing them with sojourners who long to enjoy the vision and reality of this place birthed by the founders of our nation.” Historic houses as holiday rentals are just another way that people can engage in history. It is something we in the field should seriously consider as an option, especially since historic sites are looking for new ways to engage audiences. Some additional rental examples are Rudyard Kippling’s house in Vermont, Naulakha, (www.landmarktrustusa.org/) where he wroteCaptain’s Courages and the Jungle Book. Or one where my family stayed, officers’ housing at Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA (www.parks.wa.gov/fortworden/accommodations/), a former military base with accommodations for family vacations, conferences, reunions and retreats. Visitors may choose from buildings including century-old officers’ housing, a castle and special one-room houses. Try historic house rentals, a different way to enjoy history.

Read another post about the C&O Canal: Life on the Canal

(think about submitting a guest post! I’m happy to receive ideas and submissions)

Houmas House, a Louisiana plantation

Our tour guide warned us, “This will not be your traditional tour.” She had my attention. We were ready to walk into a stately plantation home on the banks of the Mississippi River about 45 minutes west of New Orleans. Of all of the historic plantations scattered along the river and open to tourists, my friends and I had chosen this one. According to the website, it seemed to have an interesting history and the guidebooks claimed it was in good condition. None of the plantations have major historical value in terms of famous Americans who lived in them or events that occurred at them.

So, we entered Houmas House, named for the nearby Houmas Indians. Our guide said we could touch and even sit on much of the furniture. Nothing was roped off. She didn’t talk about every painting or piece of furniture, which was a relief. But she also didn’t talk much about the family who built the house, life on the plantation, the challenges of slavery, the change over time… I expected a little more history. From the website I learned that the Greek Revival mansion begun by Revolutionary War general Wade Hampton was completed in 1828.  An earlier and less opulent house was built in the mid-1700s. The plantation became once the largest sugar producers in the country and during its most productive years, in the late 1800s, it produced 20 million pounds of sugar annually. But a devastating 1927 flood followed by the Great Depression sent the property into a spiral of ruin.  The grand alley of live oaks was diminished by the river’s changing course and the gardens and home fell into disrepair.

I wanted to hear about the complexities of slavery (though we did learn that Louisiana had more than a thousand slave owners of color), about the cash crop, sugar cane, and how it fit into the market system.

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Our guide sat down at a rare Steinway from Germany and sang a song from the Bette Davis movie “Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte,” which was filmed on the property. She talked about crazy Southerners and about the dog “wedding” staged at the house to garner publicity when a multi-million dollar renovation was completed. We looked at the dog’s wedding gown in a case in the Bette Davis room and I wondered about this untraditional tour.

The “Crown Jewel of Louisiana’s River Road,” (as identified on the site’s web page) the house is a beautiful example of Greek Revival architecture and has been preserved to look as it did in 1840. It’s also an example of an owner’s attempts to live in a historic property while earning enough revenue to maintain it. It is advertised as a popular wedding venue and the various amenities on the site clearly cater to multiple revenue-generating uses for the property. Future plans for the site include guest accommodations and an exhibit about riverboats. It must also compete for tourist dollars with the other grand homes along the river. Maybe it takes a dog wedding and constant references to a film shot there in 1963. It was an entertaining tour and our guide was enthusiastic, to say the least. But history value? At the end of the tour she made a pitch for the support of historic properties across the nation. Bravo, was all I could say (and shake my head at the untraditional tour).

Upon further reflection, while I can be repulsed by the commercial aspect of the site, I must admire the owner for seeking to preserve the property.  I would hope he would  want to educate the property’s visitors about the deep complexities of plantation life and of the ills of slavery. I’m sure some research would reveal fascinating stories that would touch on many themes in American history. But, what do these visitors want from their visit? I’m sure more than a few of them, brides included, just want a setting that helps them imagine the “romantic” days when the plantation mistress didn’t have a care. To foster this view without the other perspectives is a disservice to all who visit.