Opening Day at Greenfield Village 2023: A Weekend Not to be Forgot!

If you say  "Opening Day"  around these parts of  southeastern lower Michigan,  most everyone thinks of the Detroit Tigers home opener...of the baseball season.  But there are a great many of us who think a bit differently;  thousands of us think of Greenfield Village when we hear  "Opening Day."

And that's what today's posting is all about - - - 

..................................................

Closed since the last evening of the wonderful Holiday Nights program on December 28th,  2022,  Greenfield Village finally reopened its gates on Friday,  April 14,  and it was like a  "Welcome Home"  celebration for so many of us.  

And a celebration it was!

A gift from the print shop~

Those of us who are Members of The Henry Ford,  which includes Greenfield Village,  pay one flat annual rate and can then visit as often as we want for the year,  except when the Village closes from  (roughly)  January through mid-April,  and by that time we are itching to return.  Now,  one might think we'd be bored visiting so often,  but we are not...not at all.  

And for a variety of reasons:

~seeing our presenter friends.  And they are our friends...neighbors,  even,  in a way.

~ it is also a place to walk and clear one's head...to get away from modern anything,  even for a short while  (kind of like the way the Bloom County comic strip at the bottom of this post shows - with my own modification).

~ many,  many photo opportunities.  That goes without question.

~but mostly,  for me,  just to be in the midst of  all that history - - - - - - I can't fully explain,  but with 300 acres of land hosting nearly 100 historic structures dating from the early 1600s through the turn of the 20th century,  it just feeds my passion for the past until my cup runneth over.

And it's here where we can see - witness - the seasons as they change...not just the seasonal change of our equinoxes and solstices,  but of the daily life changes that accompany the seasonal changes.  I do especially enjoy seeing the way history is presented throughout the year as it would have been in times past.

For instance:

spring - plowing,  harrowing,  planting,  and cleaning

summer - haying,  4th of July celebrations,  summer harvest,  and period baseball

autumn - fall harvest and food preservation,  wool spinning & dyeing,  beer brewing,  and winter preparations

There is also Motor Muster,  Old Car Festival,  4th of July,  Hallowe'en,  Christmas,  and other events throughout the year.

Greetings!

The only season the average visitor is not able to enjoy in Greenfield Village is winter  (and if you click the link,  you'll see snowy photos taken inside the Village).  We used to be able to have winter visits many years ago,  but they now shut down for the first three and a half months of the year,  and so those of us who love  "seasonal history"  in this part of the country either have to travel a ways to experience wintertime past or just read about old time winter activities.  Unless you are a living historian and can plan period winter activities  (as a few of us do - click HERE,  HERE,  and HERE).  As for Greenfield Village,  from what I understand,  these winter months are used for cleaning and repairs in preparation for the rest of the year.

Anyhow,  due to the fact that they are closed for so long,  Opening Day in mid-April is cause for celebration for us history buffs.  Yeah,  let the media clamor over the Detroit Tigers'  opening day  (where they tend to lose more than win);  million dollar sports stars ain't got nothing on our country's past!

So it was on this Friday,  April 14th,  here in 2023 - a members-only Opening Day - where so many of us enjoyed God's blessings of a beautiful summer-like 81 degree spring day,  with the sun shining down,  allowing for warm rays to reign upon us - perfect weather for our excursion. 

Of course I had my ever-present camera with me and took plenty of photographs of  this exciting first day.

AND...I also dressed for it - - - - 

I hope you enjoy what I have here:

In this photo taken by Aaron Knapp as he sat in one of the train cars you see myself
and friend Norm hoofing it over to the Daggett House.  The gray structure in the background is the Giddings House,  built around the same time as Daggett's 
(mid-18th century).

Posing in front of  my favorite house.
It was so good to be able to visit again.

The three of us 18th century visitors visiting with a few Daggett presenters.

Emily spun on the walking wheel.
It's been a few years since I've seen her in Daggett clothing - - 
I didn't even recognize her!

Preacher Gerring - Norm  (18th century minister living historian) - joined me on this day,  and we spent most of our time over where the 18th century houses were at.

Norm and I spent our time there sharing historical information with each other,  as well as listening  (and sharing)  with a few of the interpreters who work there as well.  And we were stopped along the street quite often from folks wanting to take our picture - between Norm and I,  along with our soldier friend,  Knute,  we must be in dozens and dozens of visitor photographs.  We are always very accommodating while there in our own period clothing.  While inside the historic houses we stay in the background and let the presenters do the job they have been trained to do and are getting paid for.  I can tell you this,  never have I personally had so many pictures taken of me as I did this day.  It was easily comparable to when we used to do our Civil War reenactment there a few years back.  But the guests loved having us there - - - - without really trying,  we added quite a bit to their historical experience.

The ever-talented Roy was fixing the hoops on a beer barrel.

I look like I am waiting for him to repair my  barrel!
Perhaps I stepped in a time zone and he is...~~~
Yes,  I am wearing a bit of a higher-class clothing than I normally wear.

Another  "must stop"  for me is the Plympton House,  especially with
Patriots Day - April 19 - less than a week away.
In this photo,  perhaps I am Thomas Plympton asking the local preacher to bless
our Sudbury,  Massachusetts militia as they prepare to match to Concord to help
stave off the Redcoats on this Revolutionary Day!
(click HERE to learn more about this house's Revolutionary War connection)

Preacher Gerring sure gets around - he is leaving the home of
shipping merchant,  John Giddings.

And inside the 18th century urban Giddings house:

Here we have the family everyday parlor,  also known as the sitting room,  which was far more comfortable,  more welcoming,  and more frequently used.  This room was
usually the second best room of the house,  and its furnishings were less formal.

And here is a portion of the hall/best room/drawing room/the Sunday parlor - -
take your pick at what to call it,  for during colonial times,  it went by all
three titles,  though  "drawing room"  seemed to be the term used in the
wealthier homes.  And the Giddings house was a wealthier man's house.

We had a well-deserved meal at the Eagle Tavern

The three of us were quite popular on this day!  We could scarcely
move a few yards without being stopped to pose for a photograph! 
Of course,  we were very happy to accommodate. 
Between the three of us there was quite a bit of history to tell!

Something interesting happened over the winter months:

I've mentioned before that the historians at Greenfield Village are always researching the history of structures and items they have as part of their collection.  Well,  the proof is in the pudding,  right?

Well,  check out the windmill in the photo below:

This windmill sits in the Ford yard,  and has done so
for all the years I've been going there, 
which is a mighty long time.

Now read the words imprinted on the newest placard inside Greenfield Village:

Pretty cool,  eh?
It was after doing a deeper research that the information was found.
If you are a researcher then you know finding some of this information can be
 like finding a needle in the haystack.
The important thing is that its history is now being recognized.
And that's what it's all about!

So this day was a wonderful day all around.  I did not get nearly as many photos outside of our little 18th century world than I would have liked,  but that's mostly due to the fact that when I am in my period clothing I try not to pull out my camera with people around  (yes,  I mostly use an actual object that's made for a specific job lol).  So,  for this opening day we mostly concentrated on ourselves and the time we had being a part of the past.

But...I did go back for a scant Village visit the next day - the "official"  opening day for the general public.

I went back to the Village the next day,  on April 15,  and took a few more pictures.  I didn't take as many as I would have liked to,  for we came very late in the afternoon,  but I did get some goodies:

I had to visit Firestone Farm!
It's been since last November - this is one of the structures not open for Holiday Nights.

And for the first time since before covid, 
they're cooking again - - just like at Daggett!
Good to see you Kelly!

We had quite a warm spell mid-April.  Our normal high temps this time of year is
about 56 degrees,  but we were in the summer-like 80s all weekend long!
Therefore,  'twas a good day to open up the formal parlor to allow for some fresh air.

Spring is in the air!

Mackenzie is taking care of a knitting project
in the sitting room.

The Firestone Farm Field is nearly ready for planting.

This circa 1850-51 carding mill - built by John Gunsolly - was originally located near Plymouth,  Michigan on the Middle Rouge River,  and illustrates the changeover from hand-operated  (carding paddles)  to labor-saving mechanical equipment brought about by the industrial revolution,  which resulted in the mass production and mass supply of goods.

And here is where this mill once stood over a hundred years ago:

I am imaging the carding mill and perhaps another  (saw mill?)  along the river in the distance  (going from left to center).  And,  wait,  there are horses and carts as well.  Use your imagination - they're there!

This is the house the Wright Brothers were living in with their father and sister  (their mother had already passed)  during the time they devised and flew the first real aeroplane.

Now we see the Ford Farm,  in which Henry Ford was born in 1863.

The opposite side of the Ford Farm - we see a farmer in the field. 
Perhaps Henry himself?

On this very same weekend - on general public  Saturday,  in fact - my wife and I were honored to be invited to a wedding of our long-time reenacting friend,  Emily.

Emily used to reenact the Civil War with us a decade  (and more)  ago.  She portrayed what we call an  "ice angel" - a position not actually from the Civil War era,  but pretty important for reenactors,  for during and after battles she would venture out onto the battlefield with her bucket of water to keep the  "dead"  and  "wounded"  hydrated,  just in case they lost their canteen water.

Well,  now,  our Emily has just gotten married.

You may be wondering why I'm incorporating Emily & Josh's wedding into today's post.  Why,  because they were married at Greenfield Village!

I'm not going to post all the pictures I took - just a few of the ceremony and more of the reception - more history-based photos that I hope you'll like:

The grounds of the big event - across the Village Green.

That's the Martha-Mary Chapel in the center,  where the wedding took place, 

and the 1831 Eagle Tavern on the left,  where the reception was. 

This non-denominational chapel design was based on a Universalist church in Bradford,  Massachusetts.  Built inside Greenfield Village the year it opened - 1929 - the bricks,  doors,  and door knobs came from the building in which Henry Ford and Clara Bryant were married in 1888 - the Bryant family home in old Greenfield Township.

The name  "Martha-Mary"  came from the first names of his mother and mother-in-law.

My own sort of  'artsy'  kind of photo incorporating
both the tavern sign and the chapel.

I did not get a wide-angle shot inside the chapel,  so we'll jump to after the ceremony had ended:

The honored guests of the bride and groom await outside in the perfect spring weather for the newlyweds to come out to ring the bell.  I decided to fall back a bit to get this unique picture that I don't believe anyone else got!

Both Emily and Josh yanked hard on the rope to ring the bell. 
Joseph Warren Revere cast the circa 1834 bell they were ringing.  Revere was the son of the famous silversmith Paul Revere,  who had an extensive knowledge of metallurgy and opened his own foundry in 1792.  This bell hung in the belfry of the Universalist Church in Hingham,  Massachusetts from 1834 to 1927,  before being installed at the Martha-Mary Chapel in Greenfield Village.

Here's the bell cast by the son of Paul Revere
that now hangs in the steeple of the Martha-Mary Chapel!
The inscription reads:  REVERE BOSTON

Paul Revere has been a hero of mine since I was a young elementary school lad,  so to see these two young ones pull the rope and then to hear this bell sent shivers.  It was indescribable to me.

Okay folks!
Off to the reception,  which is only a few steps from the chapel:

The 1831 Eagle Tavern.
Click HERE to learn more about this stage-coach stop.

I've often heard of weddings being held in the chapel and the party afterward here in the tavern,  but I never dreamed I would one day be able to attend such a ceremony.

And,  thanks to the two young people below,  I now have!

May God bless the two of you!

The Eagle Tavern is always candle lit for guests,  including wedding guests.
That is the core of its charm.

The 1st bride and groom dance~
Almost haunting in a beautiful way.

And then...

1831 meets 2023~
I had to laugh a bit when the DJ began to do his thing to get people dancing:  he played a variety of music...everything from Glenn Miller and The Beatles up to contemporary artists,  of which I have no idea who they were,  and then to add to that the flashing,  swirling club lights,  well,  the spirits within the walls of this old stagecoach stop must've been a-reelin'!  But we really had a whole lot of fun 
(in a sort of ethereal way lol)!   

I asked the newlyweds if they would pose for me -
I'm so proud that they did - this is my favorite picture that I took.
They are posing in front of the hearth,  which is part of what was once
the original kitchen.  At one time the tavern food was cooked here.

The bar keeps were on hand to serve any and all who desired a drink.
At one point I ordered a sarsaparilla and a young lady who ordered a mixed drink of some sort made a comment to me:  "ooooo....exotic!"  which told me she didn't know what sarsaparilla was.  She laughed when I explained it's the root - the original version - of root beer!

The night got later - time for us to leave.  But as I walked outside the tavern door,  the lit glow of the Martha-Mary Chapel caught my eye:

So beautiful - the picture does not do it justice!

And then I turned and saw the night time beauty of the tavern.

So I sort of captured both.

Then it was time to leave.

No,  I did not wear my colonial clothing on that Saturday,  though Emily suggested that I do.  My wife and I chose not to - the wedding  'twas not the proper time to do so.

But it was one heck of a weekend,  wouldn't you say?

It's always a good feeling knowing that Greenfield Village - my place of solace - is,  once again,  open to the public:

This was the cover of my Friends of Greenfield Village page over Opening Weekend.
It did not get very many  "likes"  but that's okay.  This one I put up for me.

And I got to attend a wedding there to boot.

The rumors in the mill have stated that Friday's Members Only Opening Day had record-breaking attendance,  where around 3,500 visitors showed up.  I can tell you it was pretty doggone crowded!  

The picture-perfect weather could not have been any better,  that's for sure.

Yes,  it was a fine weekend indeed!

~~~

And then on Monday,  the date of this posting,  in fact,  this hit the news:

Henry Ford Museum To Preserve Civil Rights House

The Henry Ford,  a 250-acre cultural destination and National Historic Landmark in Dearborn,  Michigan acquired and will preserve the Selma,  Alabama home of Dr.  and Mrs.  Sullivan Jackson.  The historic home,  known as the Jackson House,  served as a safe haven where Dr.  Martin Luther King, Jr.  and others worked,  collaborated,  strategized and planned the Selma-to-Montgomery marches of 1965. 

Soon this 1912 house will be moved from its Selma,  Alabama location to its
new home inside Greenfield Village in Dearborn,  Michigan!

Of course,  you know I'll keep you updated on its move.  They said it will take about three years to take it apart piece by piece,  have it shipped north,  then put back together.  Many of the home's original artifacts dating to when Dr.  King was there will be a part of the presentation.

I wonder where they plan to put it inside the Village?

Until next time,  see you in time!
Happy Spring!

~   ~   ~

The Amazing Month of April in American History

~So much history in such a short month!~

Lately I've taken notice of how much history occurred in the month of April.  I don't believe there is another month that has had as many major  American historical occurrences.  Now,  I'm not speaking of births or deaths of well-known people,  but of events that most history books will,  at the very least,  mention.

Why the happy spring month of April?

Here...check it out  (this may seem somewhat out of order for I have it written by date then by year,  rather than by year then by date).

We'll begin with:

April 2,  1513 - Spanish explorer Ponce De Leon sighted Florida and claimed it for the Spanish Crown.

Ponce De Leon

He named it La Florida in recognition of the verdant landscape,  and because it was the Easter season,  which the Spaniards called Pascua Florida  (Festival of Flowers).

The precise location of their landing on the Florida coast has been disputed for many years.  Some historians believe it occurred at or near St.  Augustine,  but others prefer a more southerly landing at a small harbor now called Ponce de León Inlet.  Some believe that he came ashore even farther south near the present location of Melbourne Beach,  a hypothesis first proposed by an amateur historian  (I absolutely hate  that term!)  who attempted to reconstruct the track of the voyage sailing in his 33-foot Bermuda-rigged sailboat.

According to a popular legend,  Ponce de León  "discovered"  Florida while searching for the Fountain of Youth.  Though stories of vitality-restoring waters were known on both sides of the Atlantic long before Ponce de León,  the story of his searching for them was not attached to him until after his death.

For what it’s worth,  Ponce died at age 47 after being wounded by an arrow in a fight with an Indian tribe in Florida.

Information on this ancient American story came directly from HERE,  HERE,  and HERE.

~April 3 - 1860 - The Pony Express began it's run,  going from St. Joseph,  Missouri to Sacramento,  California

Are you a young,  skinny,  wiry fellow?
Then I have the job for you!

The Pony Express was in operation for only 18 months,  between April 1860 and October 1861.  Nevertheless,  the Pony Express has become synonymous with the Old West.  In the era before easy mass communication,  the Pony Express was the thread that tied East to West.  Thousands of people moved west on the Oregon and California Trails starting in the 1840s,  followed by the 1847 Mormon exodus to Utah,  and the 1849 Gold Rush.  The growing West needed fast mail communication beyond the Rocky Mountains.  The relay system utilized along the Pony Express National Historic Trail crossing eight states was the most direct and practical means of east-west communications in 1860.  The undertaking assembled 80 riders,  184 stations,  and 400 horses.  From Missouri to California the Pony Express riders could deliver a letter faster than ever before.  With the Pony Express,  mail could make 1,966 miles in 10 days!

On June 16,  1860,  about ten weeks after the Pony Express began operations,  Congress authorized a bill to subsidize a transcontinental telegraph line to connect the Missouri River and the Pacific Coast.  While the telegraph lines were under construction,  the Pony Express operated as usual.  Letters and newspapers traveled the entire length of the line from St. Joseph,  Missouri to Sacramento,  California. The telegrams went only between the rapidly advancing wire ends.

It was on October 26,  1861 that San Francisco was in direct contact with New York City.  The Pony Express was officially terminated.  In November 1861,  the last Pony Express letters completed their journey.

By the way,  only a handful of riders—six,  according to the National Park Service—died in the line of duty during the entire history of the Pony Express.

(information for this came directly from THIS site)

April 4,  1968 - Martin Luther King Assassinated

Dr.  Martin Luther King

Civil Rights leader Rev.  Dr.  Martin Luther King was shot and killed by a sniper in Memphis,  Tennessee.  As head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,  he had championed non-violent resistance to end racial oppression and had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.  He is best remembered for his I Have a Dream  speech delivered at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington.  That march and King's other efforts helped the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  In 1986,  Congress established the third Monday in January as a national holiday in his honor.

Taken from THIS site.

~April 6 - 1917 - U.S. entered WWI

Scary times with uncertain futures.

War broke out in Europe in the summer of 1914,  with the Central Powers led by Germany and Austria-Hungary on one side,  and the Allied countries led by Britain,  France,  and Russia on the other.  At the start of the war,  President Woodrow Wilson declared that the United States would be neutral.  However,  that neutrality was tested and fiercely debated in the U.S.;  submarine warfare in the Atlantic kept tensions high,  and Germany’s sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania on May 7,  1915,  killed more than 120 U.S.  citizens and provoked outrage in the U.S.  In 1917,  Germany’s attacks on American ships and its attempts to meddle in U.S.-Mexican relations drew the U.S.  into the war on the side of the Allies.  The United States declared war on Germany on April 6,  1917.

Within a few months,  thousands of U.S.  men were being drafted into the military and sent to intensive training.  Women,  even many who had never worked outside the home before,  took jobs in factories producing supplies needed for the war effort,  as well as serving in ambulance corps and the American Red Cross at home and abroad.  Children were enlisted to sell war bonds and plant victory gardens in support of the war effort.

The United States sent more than a million troops to Europe,  where they encountered a war unlike any other—one waged in trenches and in the air,  and one marked by the rise of such military technologies as the tank,  the field telephone,  and poison gas.  At the same time,  the war shaped the culture of the U.S.   An Armistice agreement ended the fighting on November 11,  1918.

(information for this came directly from HERE)

~April 9 - 1865 - The Civil War ended

Grant and Lee - The War is Over!

The Union won the American Civil War.  The war effectively ended in April 1865 when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.  

Lee decided to surrender his army,  in part,  because he wanted to prevent unnecessary destruction to the South.

When it became clear to the Confederates that they were stretched too thinly to break through the Union lines,  Lee observed that  “there is nothing left me to do but to go and see Gen.  Grant,  and I would rather die a thousand deaths.”   Not all his subordinates agreed with him;  one such officer,  Brig.  Gen.  Edward Porter Alexander,  suggested that Lee disperse the army and tell the men to regroup with Johnston’s army or return to their states to continue fighting.  Lee rejected the idea,  explaining that  “if I took your advice,  the men would be without rations and under no control of officers.  They would be compelled to rob and steal in order to live.  They would become mere bands of marauders…. We would bring on a state of affairs it would take the country years to recover from.”

The terms of the surrender were recorded in a document handwritten by Grant's adjutant Ely S.  Parker,  a Native American of the Seneca tribe,  and completed around 4 p.m.,  April 9.  Lee,  upon discovering Parker to be a Seneca,  remarked,  "It is good to have one real American here."  Parker replied,  "Sir,  we are all Americans."  As Lee left the house and rode away,  Grant's men began cheering in celebration,  but Grant ordered an immediate stop.  "I at once sent word,  however,  to have it stopped",  he said.  "The Confederates were now our countrymen,  and we did not want to exult over their downfall,"  he said.

(this information came directly from THIS site)

~April 12 - 1861 - The Civil War began at Fort Sumter

The beginning of the Civil War

On April 12,  1861,  forces from the Confederate States of America attacked the United States military garrison at Fort Sumter,  South Carolina.  Less than two days later,  the fort surrendered.  No one was killed.   The attack on Fort Sumter marked the official beginning of the American Civil War—a war that lasted four years,  cost the lives of more than 620,000 Americans,  and freed 3.9 million enslaved people from bondage.  

It began when President Abraham Lincoln announced plans to resupply the fort,  and Confederate General P. G. T.  Beauregard bombarded Fort Sumter on April 12,  1861.  Ultimately,  it was Confederate President Jefferson Davis who decided to open fire on the fort before the resupply vessels could arrive.  He did so mainly because he feared looking weak more than he feared civil war.

~April 14 - 1865 - President Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theater 

Booth shoots Lincoln.

On the evening of April 14,  1865,  while attending a special performance of the comedy,  "Our American Cousin,"  President Abraham Lincoln was shot.  Accompanying him at Ford's Theatre that night were his wife,  Mary Todd Lincoln,  a twenty-eight year-old officer named Major Henry R.  Rathbone,  and Rathbone's fiancée,  Clara Harris.  After the play was in progress,  a figure with a drawn derringer pistol stepped into the presidential box,  aimed,  and fired.  The president slumped forward.

The assassin,  John Wilkes Booth,  dropped the pistol and waved a dagger.  Rathbone lunged at him,  and though slashed in the arm,  forced the killer to the railing.  Booth leapt from the balcony and caught the spur of his left boot on a flag draped over the rail,  and broke a bone in his leg on landing.  Though injured,  he rushed out the back door,  and disappeared into the night on horseback.

(information came directly from THIS page)

~April 15,  1861 - Civil War begins in earnest

Men willing to go fight for the United States

On April 15,  1861,  just three days after the attack on Fort Sumter,  President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling forth the state militias,  to the sum of 75,000 troops,  in order to suppress the rebellion.

At this point four more states joined the Confederacy. 

Even with all the state militias,  Lincoln needed still more soldiers.  States began organizing volunteer regiments to supplement the regular army.  They were different from the militia.  They were organized by private citizens in each state.  Regiments elected their own officers,  outfitted the men  (although volunteers had to supply their own horses and personal items),  and then the request went to the governor for approval.  If approved by the governor,  the new regiment was offered up to the federal government for  "mustering in,"  or officially joining the federal army 

(I found bits and pieces on THIS page)

~April 15 - 1865 - President Lincoln died 7:22 a.m.

He now belongs to the ages.

At the time,  many people felt a theatre was not a proper place for a president to die.  The White House was only six blocks away—but a bumpy carriage ride on Washington’s unpaved streets might kill Lincoln immediately.

Soldiers carried Lincoln down the stairs of the theatre and out onto Tenth Street.

Standing on the Petersen boarding house stoop across the street,  Henry Safford had heard the commotion.  He knew that Willie Clark,  a fellow boarder,  was out for the night—and his room was vacant.  He yelled to the soldiers,  “Bring him in here!” 

In the front parlor,  First Lady Mary Lincoln awaited word of her husband,  occasionally venturing in to visit him.  In the back parlor,  Secretary of War Edwin Stanton interrogated witnesses and directed the investigation.

Outside,  thousands of people crowded onto Tenth Street and kept vigil through the night. 

President Abraham Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m.  on April 15,  1865.  Mary Lincoln was not in the room with him.  Soldiers quickly removed his body to the White House for an autopsy and to prepare for a funeral.

At 11:00 a.m.,  Vice President Andrew Johnson took the oath of office as the 17th president. 

(This information came directly from THIS site)

~April 15 - 1912 - The Titanic sank after striking an iceburg in the Atlantic,  killing over 1500 passengers.  The survivors were brought to New York

The sinking of the Titanic.

The RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner,  operated by the White Star Line,  which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15,  1912,  after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton,  England,  to New York City,  United States.

The ship struck an iceberg near midnight on April 14, 1912 and sank into the Atlantic Ocean a little more than two hours later,  at 2:20 a.m. 

It is generally believed that of the ship’s approximately 2,200 passengers and crew members,  some 1,500 people perished when the ship sank.  According to the U.S.  committee investigating the sinking,  1,517 lives were lost,  and its British counterpart determined that 1,503 died.  The crew suffered the most casualties,  with about 700 fatalities.  Third class also suffered greatly,  as only 174 of its approximately 710 passengers survived.

(Info came mostly from HERE)

~April 18 - 1775 - Late night ride of Paul Revere and William Dawes  (and,  after midnight,  Samuel Prescott)  occurred.

"The Regulars are coming out!" 
Not  "The British are coming!"

On the night of April 18th,  1775,  Patriot Revere made the most famous ride of his life,  to Lexington,  Massachusetts to warn patriot leaders,  Samuel Adams and John Hancock,  that the Regular Army  (aka  "The British")  were on the march and it was thought they planned to arrest the two men,  who were in hiding in Reverend Clark's house.

Both Revere and his compatriot,  William Dawes,  reached Lexington separately and were able to warn Hancock and Adams to flee.  The two riders,  together with Samuel Prescott,  then started for Concord,  but they were soon stopped by a British patrol,  and only Prescott got through. 

(Most of this info came from HERE) 

~April 19 - 1775 - The Revolutionary War began in earnest with the Battle of Lexington & Concord

"The Rebels kept an incessant irregular fire..."

The Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19,  1775,  where the famous  'shot heard 'round the world'  took place,  marked the start of the American War of Independence  (1775-83).  Politically disastrous for the British,  it persuaded many Americans to take up arms against the mother country.

In this first battle of the American Revolution,  Massachusetts colonists/militia/Minutemen defied British authority,  outnumbered and outfought the Redcoats,  and embarked on a lengthy war to earn their independence.

As many as 3,500 militiamen kept a constant musketry blazing along about 18 miles of the road back to Lexington as the Redcoats retreated.  Roughly 250 Redcoats were killed,  compared to about 90 patriots killed and wounded.

(Much of the info came from THIS and other sources)

~April 27 - 1865 - Steamboat Sultana exploded,  killing nearly 2000 passengers,  most being recently freed Union prisoners of war

The deadliest maritime disaster in U.S.  history

In the early hours of April 27th,  1865,  mere days after the end of the Civil War,  the steamboat Sultana burst into flames along the Mississippi River.  

The Sultana was contracted by the U.S.  Government to carry former Union prisoners of war from Confederate prisons,  such as Andersonville and Cahaba,  back into Northern territory.  In order to fulfill the lucrative contract,  J. Cass Mason,  the Sultana’s captain,  opted to patch the leaky boiler on the boat rather than complete more extensive and time-consuming repairs.  Although it was designed to only hold  376 persons,  more than 2,000 Union troops were crowded onto the steamboat - more than five times its legal carrying capacity.  

The Sultana steamed north up the Mississippi,  but the severe overcrowding and faster river current caused by the spring thaw put increased pressure on its newly patched boilers.  Shortly after leaving Memphis,  Tennessee on April 27th,  the overstrained boilers exploded,  blowing apart the center of the boat and starting an uncontrollable fire.  Many of those who were not killed immediately perished as they tried to swim to shore.  Of the initial survivors,  200 later died from burns sustained during the incident.  Researchers indicate that 1,195 of the 2,200 passengers and crew died,  making the Sultana incident the deadliest maritime disaster in U.S.  history.

(Information came directly from THIS site)

~April 30 - 1789 - George Washington became our 1st President

Swearing in scene from HBO's John Adams

On April 30,  1789,  George Washington,  standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York,  took his oath of office as the first President of the United States.  “As the first of every thing,  in our situation will serve to establish a Precedent,”  he wrote James Madison,  “it is devoutly wished on my part,  that these precedents may be fixed on true principles.”

To his disappointment,  two parties were developing by the end of his first term.  Wearied of politics,  feeling old,  he retired at the end of his second term.  In his Farewell Address,  he urged his countrymen to forswear excessive party spirit and geographical distinctions.  In foreign affairs,  he warned against long-term alliances.

(This info came directly from HERE)

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Now,  you know I realize there were a number of other historical occurrences in April,  but I kept the list to a selected well-known few.

I mean,  I suppose I could include that I saw Led Zeppelin on April 30,  1977 at the Pontiac Silverdome - me along with 78,000 other fans,  making it the largest paying audience for a single artist for that time.  

I could also mention that April is not a kind month to my family:

my grandmother died April 2,  1973

my brother died April 6,  2014

my father died April 12,  1982

Yeah...a bit rough...but there is all kinds of other information in this post,  of which I hope you found interesting - - - 

Until next time,  see you in time.

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