Mensa
Mensa, The world's largest High-IQ society is primarily a social group for people that enjoy games, puzzles, wide ranging discussions, and
others that get their jokes. But if you're looking for the stuffy
intelligentsia, look elsewhere - we like to have fun! Our entire
family is active in the Dayton chapter, with activities and friends all
across the country.
I was once webmaster for
Region 4, at the same time Beth
was webspinner for
Region 3. After our marriage, we joked that the
merger represented too much media control in one family - so we both
retired! We keep up with both regions and my home town, since
there are many activities in driving range from
Dayton
and my home town of
St. Louis.
I love the history of technology, and what better exemplifies
America's technological growth than the
Model T Ford?
Like the PC of today, it transformed culture and daily life around the
world. My own car, a 1923 Model T runabout, is, alas, still in
many pieces, but here is how it (and I) looked when I acquired it in
1980, and how it will look when finished (any year now). Actually,
I hope to finish it in time for the celebration of the 100th
anniversary of the Model T in the summer of 2008. Major celebrations are planned
about an hour west of here in Centerville, Indiana (home to the
Model T Ford Club of America
and the soon to be opened MTFCA Model T Ford Museum).
Dayton is also home of the Southwest Ohio Model T club, which holds tours
and provides opportunities for T owners to get together and exchange
information and ideas. Follow the links to the
Southwest Ohio Model T
Club website and pictures from the Spring
2007 tour.
BTW, I was delighted to discover that
America's Packard Museum,
the country's first museum dedicated to the Packard Automobile, is right here in downtown Dayton. Not only can you
see dozens of the most beautiful automobiles ever built, but they rent the entire museum out for special events - we held our
wedding reception in the middle of the museum!
Progress at last! I finally started work on the restoration in
mid-July. Here's the start, and the completed chassis ready for engine
in early October. There are more pictures
here.
Starting in July 2007
Chassis ready for engine, October 2007
Genealogy
Genealogy is about learning the story of who you are and how you came to be, a story that is completely unique to you
and your immediate siblings. There are amazing records out there, with more being found (and placed on line) every day.
When the great and small events of history were unfolding, your ancestors were there - and many of them left their mark.
WardsOnline.net contains our families' genealogical
database, pictures (including tintypes), family reunions, links to genealogy resources, and a searchable database so you can see
if you are related to me! (Don't laugh; I've been contacted by my daughter's 10th cousin as a result
of this site, and many more connections that converge with a 2nd or 3rd great grandparent.)
That is one of the fun things about genealogy. I've met a lot of people, mostly total strangers, who were happy to open up
and tell me a great deal of family history, share photographs, and show me family grave sites. And, it's not like I'm from
some Boston blueblood family or anything - I started out knowing only my own grandparents on each side, all farmers with no
obvious fame. My daughter can now count 18 veterans of the Revolution, the Civil War, the War of 1812, the Blackhawk War and
the Winnebago war as ancestors, and is eligible for membership in the Welcome society and the DAR. We've documented German,
English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, French and Native American ancestors. Every one was here prior to the Civil War, and the
majority we've documented were here prior to the Revolution.
And the stories! One ancestor, Isaac
Fuller, was was kidnapped by Tecumseh's tribe, held for two years,
and killed Tecumseh's half-sister during his escape. His brother, Asa Fuller, was the only man ever hung for murder in
Dearborn County, Indiana in a bizarre case that went to the Indiana Supreme court - we even found a folk song about it,
"Fuller and Warren", that was collected by the Smithsonian, with many variants running around the web.
Camp McKim, where my g'g'grandfather Amos Jackson was stationed with the Michigan 6th infantry
prior to taking part in the fall of Baton Rouge and New Orleans during the Civil War.
One was the first schoolteacher in Crawford County, Illinois, and her husband became one of
the wealthiest men in the county (my branch must have been cut out of the will...) Another worked in the Pennsylvania oil
fields after the first strike by Drake in the 1860's. One was Lloyd Cassel Douglas, a well known writer at the turn of the
last century. Yet another had 21 children, by two wives - the second of which was his great niece (this just after the
Civil War).
A few good Genealogy reference sites are the
LDS FamilySearch site,
Genealogy.com, and
RootsWeb.
Also, I have a PowerPoint presentation that I've delivered to a few groups on
Genealogy for Beginners.
Music
Sure, I like classic rock, sixties folk revival, and lots of other stuff, but a peculiar interest of mine is
Filk
- that odd blend of folk music, science fiction fandom, and parody that grew from the SF convention circuit into its own
genre. Filk.com is a great starting place for links to Filk resources.
Also be sure to check out Tom Smith, one of my favorite
Filk and Comedy artists who regularly releases new individual songs on the web.
