Wednesday 31 March 2010
Muddy Tracks At Abbe Creek
Wednesday 24 March 2010
Tama, Iowa's Lincoln Highway Bridge: Then and Now
Above is a photo believed to be from 1915. Looking east over the bridge is the mud filled highway featuring a horse drawn wagon. The bottom photo was taken 95 years later on March 21, 2010 looking in the same direction. Note how much construction is located along the highway.
In 2010 the Highway 30 (Lincoln Highway) Tama by-pass project is under construction to the left of these photos. The new speedway skirts around this area and will greatly reduce the traffic near the bridge. Once completed travellers on the new Highway 30 will not readily see the bridge or the King Tower Cafe without making a special side journey. The restaurant opened in 1937 as a one-stop filling station, garage, wrecker service, café, and featured 18 cabins. It is located along the original Lincoln Highway just about a half mile east from this bridge (on the left.)Join the 3rd Annual Iowa Lincoln Highway Motor Tour across Iowa from August 26-29, 2010 with a stop in Tama. For more information contact Jeff LaFollette at 563-349-3047 or email at jefflaf@peoplepc.com. Know that.
Saturday 20 March 2010
Passing of Fess Parker: Both "King of the Wild Frontier" and "What a Dream-Come-er-True-er Was He"
Fess Parker passed away on Thursday, March 18th. The actor was best known for playing Disney's version of American frontiersman, Davy Crockett during the mid-1950s. Later, Parker played another bigger-than-life frontiersman, Daniel Boone on the NBC television network from 1964 to 1970.
Parker became an instant icon in the early days of television and was associated with the mega-merchandising of anything coonskin, long rifle and musically related to the Crockett series. Today that first wave of mass marketing via the young TV generation defines the emergence of the modern consumer market. Crockett was gold.
While 42N's exposure to Fess Parker initially came through watching the Daniel Boone TV show, reruns of the Crockett series on Sunday night's Wonderful World of Disney introduced the popular actor to the next generation of impressionable skulls of mush.
For the Boone series, the standout episode for 42N was the first season's The Choosing (air date 10-29-1964) where Daniel accidentally cuts his leg with an axe in the wilderness while travelling with his daughter Jemima (played by Veronica Cartwright.) She patches him up and guides him through hostile territory, gets kidnapped and finally find their way back home.
42N's video tribute to Fess Parker is shown below - in full 78 rpm glory. This recording features Fess singing the theme song known as the Ballad of Davy Crockett.
Fess Parker will forever be the King of the Wild Frontier. What a dream-come-er-true-er was he. Know that.
Sunday 14 March 2010
Bald Eagle Sightings Along Upper Mississippi River
Melting ice along 42N's Mississippi River areas means one thing this time of year - the gathering of the American Bald Eagles. Nestled in a quiet cove just south of East Dubuque, Illinois is a spot where these birds assemble for more than just resting.
At this particular location eight Bald Eagles and hundreds of sea gulls watch over a rapidly melting area of ice. Upon sighting their targets the eagles unleash themselves from the branches and soar overhead, catching the warm winds of nearly 60 degrees today.
Sunday 7 March 2010
Oil Can What?
Thursday 4 March 2010
Frytown, Iowa: A Study of Contrast
While in Frytown for an auction (photo above from the horse hitch area of the auction house) an Amish farmer showed me how their clothes are pressed by irons made around 1900. The auction featured many local farm tools including the old non-electric irons. In return I showed him and two of his friends how my Blackberry works. They heard of the device but had not seen one demonstrated. The younger guy seemed the most interested and asked several questions including whether it had news of the earthquake in Chile that occurred that morning. His older friend offered a sceptical eye. Know that.