by bethwestcott | May 7, 2022 | History, Just for fun, Special Events, trains
In 2008, Amtrak created National Train Day to promote riding a train. Although not an official holiday, Amtrak declared it for the Saturday closest to May 10. That’s May 7 this year (2022). Trains have played an important role in American history, and they are...
by bethwestcott | Oct 20, 2020 | History, learning and life
HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR CHOCOLATE? Mmmm. Hot chocolate on a cold day! Whipped cream on top? Or marshmallows? At one time known as “the drink of the gods,” today hot chocolate is considered a comfort drink and is a favorite around the world. The characters in...
by bethwestcott | Nov 21, 2019 | Family, History, Inspiration
FAMILY AND IMMIGRANTS Today is my mother’s 105th birthday. Born in 1914, she is the child of immigrant parents. Her mother came to the United States with her family from a mountain village in northern Italy. Her father, a native of Cornwall, England,...
by bethwestcott | May 30, 2019 | History, Holiday, Inspiration
Unless I have a personal reason to remember a person or an event, it’s easy to forget. People and events from the past are often crowded out in my mind by life now. With each generation, details of history are dropped from history books to be replaced by more...
by bethwestcott | Feb 21, 2019 | History
FARMER WASHINGTON Early in the morning, Farmer Washington mounted his horse and cantered off to inspect his farms. “Agriculture has ever been amongst the most favorite amusements of my life,” he wrote. We know him as a soldier and a political leader. Without George...
by bethwestcott | Feb 19, 2019 | History
One day in April, 1837, a tall, sad-looking man, dressed in a too-short, shabby suit, rode into Springfield, Illinois. Springfield was a new town on the frontier and the newly-selected state capital of Illinois. When the snow melted in the spring or after a rainstorm,...
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