Elliott Cresson Medal
The Elliott Cresson Medal, also known as the Elliott Cresson Gold Medal, was the highest award given by the Franklin Institute. The award was established by Elliott Cresson, life member of the Franklin Institute, with $1,000 granted in 1848. The endowed award was to be "for some discovery in the Arts and Sciences, or for the invention or improvement of some useful machine, or for some new process or combination of materials in manufactures, or for ingenuity skill or perfection in workmanship." The medal was first awarded in 1875, 21 years after Cresson's death.
The Franklin Institute continued awarding the medal on an occasional basis until 1998 when they reorganized their endowed awards under one umbrella, The Benjamin Franklin Awards.
List of recipients.
A total of 268 Elliott Cresson Medals were given out during the award's lifetime.
References.
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Franklin Institute
Science museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Franklin Institute is a science museum and a center of science education and research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is named after the American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. Founded in 1824, the Franklin Institute is one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States. Its chief astronomer is Derrick Pitts.
History.
19th century.
On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughan Merrick and William H. Keating founded the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts. The opening was chronicled by "The Literary Chronicle for the Year 1824":
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />With a view further to develop the resources of the union, increase the national independence, call forth the ingenuity and industry of the people, and thereby increase the comforts of the community at large.
Begun in 1825, the institute was an important force in the professionalization of American science and technology through the nineteenth century, beginning with early investigations into steam engines and water power. In addition to conducting scientific inquiry, it fostered research and education by running schools, publishing the influential "Journal of The Franklin Institute", sponsoring exhibitions, and recognizing scientific advancement and invention with medals and awards.
20th century.
In the late 20th century, the institute's research roles gave way to educating the general public through its museum. The Bartol Research Foundation of the Franklin Institute, founded in 1924 to conduct research in the physical sciences, now is part of the University of Delaware and named Bartol Research Institute. The Franklin Institute Laboratories for Research and Development operated from the Second World War into the 1980s.
Many scientists have demonstrated groundbreaking new technology at the Franklin Institute. From September 2 to October 11, 1884, it hosted the International Electrical Exhibition of 1884, the first great electrical exposition in the United States. The world's first public demonstration of an all-electronic television system was later given by Philo Taylor Farnsworth on August 25, 1934.
The first female member, Elizabeth Skinner, was elected to membership in 1833. The Franklin Institute was integrated in 1870, when Philadelphia teacher and activist Octavius Catto was admitted as a member.
The institute's original building at 15 South 7th Street, later the home of the (now-defunct) Atwater Kent Museum, eventually proved too small for the institute's research, educational programs, and library. The Institute moved into its current home on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, near the intersection with 20th Street, in 1934. The new facility was intended from the start to educate visitors through hand-on interactions with exhibits: "Visitors to this museum would be encouraged to touch, handle, and operate the exhibits in order to learn how things work." Funds to build the new Institute and Franklin Memorial came from the Poor Richard Club, the City Board of Trust, the Benjamin Franklin Memorial, Inc., and the Franklin Institute. John T. Windrim's original design was a completely square building surrounding the Benjamin Franklin Statue, which had yet to be built. Despite the effects of the Great Depression, the Benjamin Franklin Memorial, Inc. raised $5 million between December 1929 and June 1930. Only two of the four wings envisioned by Windrim were built; these face the Parkway and share design elements with other cultural and civic structures around Logan Circle.
On March 31, 1940, press agent William Castellini issued a press release stating that the world would end the next day. The story was picked up by KYW, which reported, "Your worst fears that the world will end are confirmed by astronomers of Franklin Institute, Philadelphia. Scientists predict that the world will end at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time tomorrow. This is no April Fool joke. Confirmation can be obtained from Wagner Schlesinger, director of the Fels Planetarium of this city." This caused a panic in the city which only subsided when the Franklin Institute assured people it had made no such prediction. Castellini was dismissed shortly thereafter.
21st century.
On December 21, 2017, during a party hosted by the museum, a partygoer with his companions slipped into a closed-off exhibit of ten Terracotta Army warriors on loan from China. After his companions left, the partygoer broke off and stole a thumb from one of the warriors. Law enforcement agents later recovered the stolen thumb. The vandalized cavalryman is valued at US$4.5 million, and is considered a "priceless part of China's cultural heritage". The vandalism stoked outrage in Chinese media, such as Xinhua. The Franklin Institute blamed its external security contractor, and stated it had reviewed its security measures and procedures to prevent such situations from recurring. The defendant was charged both with theft, and with concealment of an item of cultural heritage.
The defense argued that the defendant was being "overcharged" under statutes applicable to professional art thieves. An April 2019 trial ended in a hung jury with seven of the 12 jurors in favor of acquittal. A February 2020 retrial was postponed due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, the institute housed the work of Dyymond Whipper-Young as she broke the Guinness world record for the "world's largest drawing by an individual".
Capital campaign.
In 2006, the Franklin Institute began fundraising activities for the Inspire Science! capital campaign, a $64.7 million campaign intended to fund the construction of a building addition, new exhibits, and upgrades and renovations to the existing Institute building and exhibits.
In 2011, the Franklin Institute received a $10 million gift from Athena and Nicholas Karabots towards the Inspire Science! capital campaign. This gift is the largest gift in the institute's history, and put the Franklin Institute within $6 million of the $64.7 million capital campaign goal. The Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion will house not only a $10 million multiroom exhibit on neuroscience, but also a conference center, classroom space, and additional room for traveling exhibitions.
The Science Center.
The most recognizable part of the Franklin Institute's Science Center is the Franklin Institute Science Museum. In the spirit of inquiry and discovery embodied by Benjamin Franklin, the mission of the Franklin Institute Science Museum serves to inspire an understanding of and passion for science and technology learning. Among other exhibits, the Science Museum holds the largest collection of artifacts from the Wright brothers' workshop.
Other attractions.
The Science Center includes many pertinent attractions that are not museum exhibits. The Budd BB-1 "Pioneer" flying boat, in front of the museum, was the world's first stainless steel airplane, built by Philadelphia-based Edward F. Budd Manufacturing Corporation, and has been on display since 1935.
A mock-up which would eventually become the Lunar Module in the Apollo space program, first shown on display in the 1966–67 World's Fair, held in the New York Hall of Science, is also located on the grounds. (See .)
Theaters.
In 1933, Samuel Simeon Fels contributed funds to build The Fels Planetarium, only the second built in the United States after Chicago's Adler Planetarium. Fully reconstructed in 2002, the Planetarium's new design includes replacement of the original 40,000-pound stainless steel dome, originally built in 1933. The new premium dome is lighter and is in diameter. It is the first of its kind in the United States. The planetarium is also outfitted for visitors who are hearing impaired.
The Tuttleman IMAX Theater is an IMAX dome theater that is 180° encompassing and tilted at 30 degrees. The seating places the audience up in the dome which is over across and 4.5 stories tall. In addition, the theater has 20,000 watts of amplifier power and over 50 speakers. The theater was closed in 2020 due to COVID-19, and did not reopen with the rest of the museum. In November 2023, the Franklin Institute confirmed that the theater would remain closed permanently, citing that it was financially unviable and had outdated equipment, and that the museum would be investing in other new exhibits instead.
Early in 2008, extensive renovation of the museum's auditorium was completed. Previously a lecture hall, the space was renamed Franklin Theater, and features 3-D and hi-def Blu-ray digital projection capabilities. The Franklin Theater shows educational films during daytime hours while also including mass release feature-length films.
Traveling exhibits.
In the past, the Science Center has hosted many traveling exhibits including "Storms", "Titanic", "Grossology", "Body Worlds", "Darwin", and "Robots". In the summer of 2007, the Franklin Institute hosted "Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of The Pharaohs," in the Mandell Center of the Franklin Institute Science Museum. The exhibit began its United States Tour in Los Angeles, and went to Fort Lauderdale, and Chicago, before coming to Philadelphia for its final American appearance. When the exhibit left Philadelphia on September 30, 2007, it traveled to London.
This exhibit was nearly twice the size of the original Tutankhamun exhibit of the 1970s, and contained 50 objects directly from Tut's tomb, as well as nearly 70 object from the tombs of his ancestors in The Valley of the Kings. The show also featured a CAT Scan that revealed what the Boy King may have looked like.
The Franklin Institute is a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
The Franklin Institute is also a member of the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative with the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History; the Museum of Science, Boston; COSI Columbus, formerly known as the "Center of Science and Industry" in Columbus, Ohio; OMSI in Portland, Oregon; the Science Museum of Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minnesota; and the California Science Center, formerly the California Museum of Science & Industry, in Los Angeles.
Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.
The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial features a high marble statue, sculpted by James Earle Fraser. Originally opened in 1938, the Memorial was designed by architect John T. Windrim and modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. The Hall is in length, width, and height. The domed ceiling is self-supporting and weighs 1600 tons. The floors, walls, columns, pilasters, and cornices are made of marbles imported from Portugal, Italy, and France.
The United States Congress designated the Hall and statue as the official Benjamin Franklin National Memorial on October 25, 1972 (Pub. L. ). The Memorial was dedicated by Vice President Nelson Rockefeller in 1976.
On December 30, 2005, Congress authorized the institute to receive up to $10 million in matching grants for the rehabilitation of the memorial and for the development of related exhibits.
In the fall of 2008, the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial was re-opened after a summer-long restoration that included multimedia enhancements. Philadelphia's most famous citizen is featured in "Benjamin Franklin Forever", an hourly 3.5-minute multimedia presentation utilizing the entire rotunda.
Also noteworthy is the Franklin Institute's Frankliniana Collection, some of which is on rotating display in the Pendulum Staircase. Highlights include Franklin's 1777 Nini Medallion, the scale model of the bust from the statue in the Memorial, the figurehead of Franklin's bust from the frigate , his ceremonial sword used in the court of King Louis XVI, and the odometer that Franklin used to measure the postal routes in Philadelphia. Additionally, the institute's "Electricity" exhibition highlights one of Franklin's lightning rods, his electricity tube, a Franklin Electrostatic Generator, the 1751 publication of Franklin's "Experiments and Observations on Electricity", and Thornton Oakley's two 1940 historical murals of Franklin and the "Kite and Key" experiment.
"The Journal of The Franklin Institute".
In 1826, "The Journal of The Franklin Institute" was established to publish US Patent information and to document scientific and technological achievements throughout the nation. It is the second oldest continuously published scientific journal in the country, and is now primarily devoted to engineering and applied mathematics.
Awards.
Since 1824, the Franklin Institute has maintained the longest continuously awarded science and technology awards program in the United States, and one of the oldest in the world. The first issue of the "Journal of The Franklin Institute", dated January 1826, makes the first written reference to these awards. Before 1998 several medals were awarded by the Franklin Institute, such as (year indicates when the award was first presented): the Elliott Cresson Medal (1875), the Edward Longstreth Medal (1890), the Howard N. Potts Medal (1911), the Franklin Medal (1915), the George R. Henderson Medal (1924), the Louis E. Levy Medal (1924), the John Price Wetherill Medal (1926), The Frank P. Brown Medal (first awarded in 1941), Stuart Ballantine Medal (1947), and the Albert A. Michelson Medal (1968). Past winners include Henry Ford, Frank Lloyd Wright, Marie Curie, and Thomas Edison.
In 1998 all of the endowed medals were reorganized as the Benjamin Franklin Medals. Multiple medals are given every year, for different fields of science and engineering. The fields awarded today are "Chemistry", "Computer and Cognitive Science", "Earth and Environmental Science", "Electrical Engineering", "Life Science", "Mechanical Engineering" and "Physics". In the past also the fields "Earth Science", "Engineering" and "Materials Science" were rewarded.
Additionally since 1990, the Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science (Bower Science Award) and the Bower Award for Business Leadership have been awarded annually. They are funded by a $7.5 million bequest in 1988 from Henry Bower, a chemical manufacturer in Philadelphia. The Bower Science Award contains $250,000 of cash, one of the largest amounts for a science award in the US.
The institute's Committee on Science and the Arts determines the winners of these awards. Recipients and related information can be found in the laureates database.
Informal science learning research.
The Franklin Institute also undertakes research in informal science education. Areas of special strength are educational technology, school partnerships, and youth leadership. In addition, the center has built a substantial portfolio of unique online resources of the history of science, including online exhibits on Ben Franklin and the Heart, as well as resources on the Wright Aeronautical Engineering Collection.
The Franklin Institute is a member of the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net).
Programs.
Science Leadership Academy.
Opening in September 2006, The "Science Leadership Academy" is a partnership between the Franklin Institute and the School District of Philadelphia.
Teacher professional development.
The Franklin Institute offers summer institutes and school year mini-courses for K-8 teachers, in collaboration with the School District of Philadelphia and Curriculum & Instruction Office.
Partnerships for Achieving Careers in Technology and Science.
"Partnerships for Achieving Careers in Technology and Science", or PACTS, is a year-round program of science enrichment, career development, and leadership opportunities for diverse middle- and high-school students in the Philadelphia Region. PACTS students use hands-on science workshops, field based research, field trips, and laboratory experiments to learn how science affects their everyday lives.
Girls at the Center.
"Girls at the Center" is a partnership between the Franklin Institute and the Girl Scouts of the USA provided girls and their families a chance to learn about science together. Over 100 sites participated in the program, with over 70 of the sites still active today. Girls at the Center provided activities for the girls to do with their families at home, as well as projects to be completed on site, all culminating in a year-end party.
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Elliott Cresson
American philanthropist (1796–1854)
Elliott Cresson (March 2, 1796 – February 20, 1854) was an American philanthropist who gave money to a number of causes after a brief career in the mercantile business. He established the Elliott Cresson Medal of the Franklin Institute in 1848, and helped found and manage the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, today's Moore College of Art and Design. Cresson was a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and a strong supporter of the Philadelphia branch of the American Colonization Society, a group fighting slavery that relocated former slaves and free African Americans to colonies in Liberia. Cresson was called "the most belligerent Friend the Society ever had."
Early career.
Cresson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 2, 1796, the first child of John Elliott Cresson and Mary Warder Cresson. The infant Cresson represented the seventh generation of Cressons born in the United States. John Elliott Cresson died in 1814, and Elliott Cresson continued to reside, unmarried, at 730 Sansom Street with his widowed mother until his death.
In 1818, Cresson's uncle Caleb Cresson, Jr. gave him control of the very prosperous mercantile business he had built up. In 1824, Cresson left the business to pursue philanthropic goals.
Liberia.
Cresson was interested in the idea of moving freed slaves and African-American citizens to Africa, an idea shared for a few years in the late 1820s by Boston abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. Cresson felt that ex-slaves, surrounded as they were by white people of greater means, found it too difficult to lift themselves up. His belief was that new circumstances among a primarily black culture would effect a beneficial change in character for the former slaves. Cresson joined the Philadelphia organization known as the Young Men's Colonization Society, a branch of the American Colonization Society, and soon became its strongest, most active member. Beginning in 1830, Cresson saw in the national organization's finances a lack of accountability and rising debts, and he warned them against such fiscal folly.
In 1832–1833, Cresson traveled to England to promote the cause. He joined in an effort by the Philadelphia and the New York City auxiliaries to act more independently. The Philadelphia group founded Port Cresson (today Buchanan, Liberia) with the intent that the newly established black settlers would control the Saint John River and thereby stop the flow of some 1200 slaves per month. Cresson traveled to Liberia in early 1833 to help establish the colony, sent on his way by a poem from Lydia Sigourney which finished with:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />Sad Afric's hand hath bound thee,
    Among her jewels rare;—
Her talisman is round thee,
    Her tearful, grateful prayer.
Go forth—God's peace possessing!
    To all mankind a friend;—
Full be thy cup of blessing,
    Where'er thy wanderings tend!
By 1833, Garrison was decrying the efforts of the American Colonization Society, saying it was just a perpetuation of slavery. Cresson worked to stop the damage caused by Garrison's reversal, and wrote Garrison directly on two occasions. In spite of his efforts, Cresson was partly blamed for the withdrawal of some Southern state auxiliaries from the national organization.
The Port Cresson colony was attacked in 1835 by Bassa tribesmen who were incited by Spanish slave traders. All the buildings were destroyed, 20 of 126 colonists were killed, and the rest escaped to the nearby colony of Edina. A month later, a new colony was established at Bassa Cove.
By the efforts of Cresson and his New York counterpart, the American Colonization Society went through a reorganization, with fiscal responsibility first on the list of changes. Cresson traveled the South in the late 1830s to promote colonization of Liberia, and wrote in 1840 that the whole region, particularly Kentucky, seemed ready to send its slaves to Liberia. Emancipation of slaves was seen to be wholly contingent upon their removal from the United States. Slaveholders expected compensation for losing workers.
Franklin Institute.
In late 1824, Cresson was nominated and elected to the Franklin Institute, becoming a life member. In 1846, he announced his intention to create a Medal fund. In 1848, Cresson gave $1,000 to establish the Elliott Cresson Medal, a gold medal awarded "for some discovery in the Arts and Sciences, or for the invention or improvement of some useful machine, or for some new process or combination of materials in manufactures, or for ingenuity skill or perfection in workmanship." The medal was first awarded in 1875, to six firms or persons.
Silver medals were proposed by Cresson in 1850, to be awarded in 1851 to the largest producers in the Pennsylvania colonies of Liberia of coffee, sugar, palm oil, and cotton. The Franklin Institute adopted the award, but no such medals were ever given out.
Women's college.
In 1850, Sarah Worthington King Peter wrote to the Franklin Institute about her drawing class of some 20 young women becoming a "co-operative, but separate branch" of the Institute. The Franklin Institute established and supervised the Philadelphia School of Design for Women from 1850 to 1853. A group of 17 men were designated the incorporators of the school in 1853. Cresson was among these 17 directors and was elected president at the first meeting. Cresson's enthusiastic work on behalf of the school was cut short by his death. The school flourished and was renamed Moore College of Art and Design in 1989.
Other interests.
Cresson wrote to James Madison in 1829 to ask a favor. The ex-president, 79 years old and the last of the Founding Fathers, wrote back to comply with the request for a "sample of my handwriting" and to supply Cresson an autograph each of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Cresson subscribed to the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, a special library collection. He bought stock in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Cresson bequeathed to the city of Philadelphia a trust fund designated for planting and renewing shade trees, "excluding such foreign trash as the Lombardy Poplar, Ailanthus, paper Mulberry & similar Exotics."
Legacy.
Cresson died at age 58 in Philadelphia on February 20, 1854, of gangrene. He was buried at The Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia. The town Cresson, Pennsylvania was named in his honor.
Cresson gave artist Thomas Sully $500 in his will; Sully had painted two portraits of Cresson, one in 1824 and another in 1849. Sully painted a copy of the 1849 portrait one year after Cresson's death. Another beneficiary in Cresson's will was William Bacon Stevens, the rector of St. Andrew's Church in Philadelphia, and the former state historian of Georgia. Others in the will included three sons of Cresson's sister Sara and the Athenaeum of Philadelphia.
The Franklin Institute continued awarding the Elliott Cresson Medal, also known as the Elliott Cresson Gold Medal, for distinguished work in science until 1998 when they reorganized their endowed awards under one umbrella, The Benjamin Franklin Medals. A total of 268 people or groups were given the award during its lifetime.
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Samuel M. Vauclain
Samuel Matthews Vauclain (May 18, 1856 – February 4, 1940) was an American engineer, inventor of the Vauclain compound locomotive, and president of the Baldwin Locomotive Works. He was awarded the John Scott Award and the Elliott Cresson Medal by The Franklin Institute in 1891. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for arming the United States Army during World War I. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1899.
Railroads.
Vauclain served an apprenticeship in the machine shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad. When he was 24, he was sent to inspect locomotives at the Baldwin Locomotive Works. In those days, machining was a manual job with the machining done by hammers, files and chisels with the men's own hands. Vauclain's hands were left in a permanent clutching position from endless hours of chipping and filing metal. He became general foreman of Baldwin's 17th Street Shops in 1883, and quickly moved up through the company, as plant superintendent in 1886, then general superintendent. He joined the board of directors in 1896, became vice-president in 1911, senior vice-president in 1917, president from 1919 to 1929, and chairman of the board from then until his death. He was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal by The Franklin Institute in 1891. At the same time, the Franklin Institute selected Vauclain for the John Scott Award funded by the City of Philadelphia.
During World War I, Vauclain helped organize the Munitions Standards Board. He then served as chairman of the special advisory subcommittee on plants and munitions for the War Industries Board. In 1919, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the War Department.
He helped professor Thomas Garrigue Masaryk legions especially in Russia in 1918.
Personal life.
Samuel Vauclain was born in Port Richmond, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Andrew Constant Vauclain and Mary Ann Campbell Vauclain. In 1879, he married Annie Kearney; they had six children.
Vauclain was a Republican, and served as a delegate from Pennsylvania's 7th District to the 1920 Republican National Convention, which nominated Warren G. Harding for president.
In 1923, he and several Baldwin officials took a trip around the Middle West in which he gave eight speeches in eight different cities.
Vauclain died following a heart attack, in Broadlawn, his home at Rosemont, Pennsylvania.
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John Fritz
American engineer (1821–1913)
John F. Fritz (August 21, 1822 – February 13, 1913) was an American pioneer of iron and steel technology who has been referred to as the "Father of the U.S. Steel Industry". To celebrate his 80th birthday the John Fritz Medal was established in 1902, with Fritz himself being the first recipient.
Early life and education.
Fritz was born August 21, 1822, in Londonderry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, the eldest of seven children of George Fritz and Mary Meharg. He was of German and Scotch-Irish descent.
Career.
At the age of 16, Fritz was awarded an apprentiship as a blacksmith. He progressed to become a mechanic, working for the Norristown Iron Company. In 1854, he moved to the Cambria Iron Company, where he designed the first three-high rolling mill, a notable achievement. In 1860 he became General Superintendent and Chief Engineer of the Bethlehem Iron Works in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. While there he was responsible for installing a Bessemer Converter and various developments in the company, staying until 1892, when he was 70.
Fritz was president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, president of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, honorary vice president for life of the Iron and Steel Institute of London, member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, honorary member of the American Iron and Steel Institute, and recipient of the Bessemer Gold Medal, the Elliott Cresson Gold Medal, and the John Fritz Gold Medal of the United Engineering Societies. He was awarded honorary degrees from Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and the Stevens Institute of Technology.
Death.
Fritz died at his home in Bethlehem on February 13, 1913, at age 90
About John Fritz
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James Gayley
American steel metallurgist
James Gayley (October 11, 1855 – February 25, 1920) was an American chemist and steel metallurgist who served as managing director of the Carnegie Steel Company, and as the first vice president of U.S. Steel from 1901 to 1908. He is credited with many inventions which greatly improved the fields of steel and iron making. For his contributions in the field of metallurgy, he was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal in 1909, and the Perkin Medal in 1913.
Early life.
Gayley was born on October 11, 1855, in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, to Samuel and Agnes Gayley; Samuel was a Presbyterian minister who emigrated to the United States from Ireland at around 1840. Gayley spent much of his youth in West Nottingham, Maryland, where he attended West Nottingham Academy. He entered Lafayette College at age 16, where he graduated with a degree in mining engineering in 1876.
Career.
Gayley spent much of his early career working at various iron and steel companies throughout the northern United States. He began his career working for the Crane Iron Company as a chemist, a position he held for three years with an annual salary of $500. After leaving he spent two and a half years as a superintendent at the Missouri Furnace Company. Gayley left this job to assume a management position at the E&G Brooke Iron Company in Birdsboro, where he worked for another three years.
In 1885, Gayley began working for Andrew Carnegie at the Edgar Thomson Steel Works in Braddock, where he incorporated fuel saving strategies and introduced new appliances to the mills which significantly altered the steel making process. One such invention incorporated charging bins which would mix, rather than heap, the various materials used in steel processing, allowing the ingredients to burn more evenly while using less fuel. Another was a compound condensing blowing engine to force more air into blast furnaces, enhancing combustion. Additionally, he installed the first mechanical ore loader and the vessels necessary for their use. These changes were described by the American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME) as "bringing American blast-furnace practice up to a plane never before attained." For leading these improvements, Gayley was given the post of General Superintendent to the entire Edger Thomson plant, and by 1897 became the managing director of the Carnegie Steel Company.
One of the most important of Gayley's inventions was his device which prevented water vapor in the air from entering the furnace - a process he called the "dry-air blast". The dry air blast sought to prevent excess water vapor in the air from entering the furnace where pig iron was being produced. Humid air contains a certain amount of vapor which is detrimental to the quality of the pig iron produced; this is a particular problem in iron-producing centers in regions with high humidity. Gayley was the first to mount a condenser within the blast engine of a furnace which removed the moisture from the air. Using the dry-air blast, production yields increased by as much as 20%. After its inception, this process was described as one of the "greatest achievements in modern metallurgical chemistry" by members of the Perkin Medal committee.
Gayley was closely connected with Carnegie for much of his professional life, and was part of Carnegie's board of managers during the final years of Carnegie Steel. Due to his prolific involvement and as recognition of his services, Gayley was appointed as the company's first vice president when Carnegie Steel merged to form the United States Steel Corporation in 1901. At his new position, he oversaw the shipping and transportation of ore, in upwards of 30,000,000 tons annually. Gayley served in this capacity until his resignation in 1908 due to illness.
Memberships.
Gayley became a member of the AIME in 1880. Between 1896 and 1905, he acquired the positions of manager, vice president and president successively. He then assumed the role as president of the Board of Directors from 1905 to 1911. Gayley stayed on the board as a director until 1913.
Gayley was a member of both the American and the British Iron and Steel Institute, and the Lafayette College Board of Trustees from 1892 until his death in 1920.
Bibliography.
Gayley made many contributions to the technical literature of metallurgy and other sciences, which were published three times per year in "transactions" by the American Institute of Mining Engineers.
Legacy.
For his inventions and techniques developed in iron and steel, Gayley was recognized by his peers as one of the "most highly qualified technical experts in the steel industry." He was described by the "New York Times" as the "pig iron king" for holding the "world's record for making the most iron with the least coke." Additionally, metallurgist Hermann Alexander Brassert described him as the "father of modern American blast-furnace practice".
Gayley was awarded with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1906, and from Lehigh University in 1912. In 1909, he was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal by the Franklin Institute in engineering for his invention of the dry-air blast. Four years later, in 1913, he received the Perkin Medal from the Society of Chemical Industry (American Section).
Gayley donated a building, Gayley Laboratory of Chemistry and Metallurgy, to his alma mater Lafayette College on April 5, 1902. His father gave the dedication prayer at the ceremony. Known commonly as Gayley Hall, it was razed in 1960 to make room for a new campus library building.
Personal life.
In 1884 Gayley married Julia Thurston, a descendant of Myles Standish. They had three children together, Mary Thurston, and Agnes Malcolm, and Florence. The couple divorced in 1908.
Gayley was an active Presbyterian his entire life. He died in 1920 in New York City following complications from heart trouble.
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Joseph Zentmayer
German-American maker of optical instruments
Joseph Zentmayer (March 27, 1826 — March 28, 1888) was a German-American maker of microscopes and other optical instruments.
After graduating from the gymnasium in Mannheim, he was apprenticed to a local optician. After completing his apprenticeship, he associated himself with optical establishments in Karlsruhe, Frankfort, Munich, and Hamburg. Because of his pro-democracy support of the 1848 Revolution, he immigrated to


Holley, New York
Holley is a village in the town of Murray in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 1,811 at the 2010 census. According to the 2020 census, the population decreased to 1,754. It is part of the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History.
The village of Holley was incorporated in 1850. Originally named Saltport, the name was changed to honor Myron Holley, a commissioner of the Erie Canal.
In 2002, A major chemical spill known as the Diaz pipeline incident occurred at the Diaz chemical production plant after a pipeline from a reactor vessel bursted, contaminating 31,000 tons of concrete and scrap metal as well as multiple houses, temporarily rendering Holley a ghost town.
The village of Holley hosted an annual "Hazzard County Squirrel Slam," from 2006 until the last event in 2016, a squirrel hunt that raises funds for the village's fire department. The event went off without incident for six consecutive years until the 2013 edition drew the sudden ire of a coalition of wildlife rehabilitators, animal rights activists and gun control advocates. Approximately 30 people stood outside of the Holley Fire Department to protest the event. Protests also occurred in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Several lawsuits to stop the event took place, none of which were successful. Due to the controversy, the "Squirrel Slam" hasn't taken place since 2016.
Geography.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.
Holley is located on the Erie Canal.
The village is located at the junction of east-west highway New York State Route 31 (West Albion Street and State Street) and north-south highway New York State Route 237 (North and South Main Street).
It is located approximately 21 miles from Rochester NY.
Economy.
Holley's main economy is farming based, due to the lack of trade in the area, as well as the growing townships nearby, such as Brockport and Albion. The town has small shops and businesses, including a dance studio, Kyokushin Karate dojo, a pizzeria, a diner and gas station.
Education.
There are two public schools in Holley: Holley Elementary School and Holley Junior/Senior High School. These two schools are located in close proximity to each other in the northeastern portion of the village.
Residents of the Holley School district currently pay the highest rate of school taxes in the county. The older high school, located in the center of town, was closed in 1976 due to a growing population that needed a larger facility and one closer to athletic fields. This building is now considered a historical landmark.
Demographics.
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As of the census of 2000, there were 1,802 people, 788 households, and 464 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 846 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.95% White, 1.22% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.72% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.61% of the population.
There were 788 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $36,367, and the median income for a family was $49,200. Males had a median income of $31,019 versus $23,077 for females. The per capita income for the village was $17,388. About 7.6% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.
References.
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William W. Blair
American RLDS Church leader (1828–1896)
William Wallace Blair (October 11, 1828 – April 18, 1896) was an apostle and a member of the First Presidency of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church).
Blair was born in Holley, New York. In 1839, his family moved to LaSalle County, Illinois. In 1851, Blair encountered missionaries from the Latter Day Saint movement. On October 8, 1851, Blair was baptized by William Smith, the younger brother of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.
In 1852, Blair became somewhat disenchanted with William Smith and some of his associates when he "learned that some of the leading elders were walking in unrighteousness". Blair investigated and temporarily aligned himself with Charles B. Thompson's Baneemyites, but ultimately decided that it "was not the work of God."
In 1855, Blair aligned himself with John E. Page and Hazen Aldrich, who were claiming to have reorganized the true Church of Christ. However, in late 1856, Blair aligned himself with Latter Day Saints, including William Marks, Jason W. Briggs, and Zenas H. Gurley, who were teaching that a "reorganization" of Joseph Smith's church needed to be effected under Smith's son Joseph Smith III. On April 7, 1857, Blair was re-baptized into this "reorganization" by Gurley. The following day, he was ordained as a high priest and on October 7, 1858, at a church conference in Zarahemla, Wisconsin, Blair was ordained an apostle of the reorganization and he became a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles.
On October 8, 1860, shortly after the RLDS Church was formally organized, Blair was assigned as a missionary to Nauvoo, Illinois, Far West, Missouri, and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Blair was a successful missionary and baptized many individuals into the RLDS Church.
On April 10, 1873, Blair was chosen by prophet–president Joseph Smith III to be his first counselor in the First Presidency. He served in this capacity until his sudden death while traveling home to Lamoni, Iowa from a church conference in Kirtland, Ohio.
Blair was married to Elizabeth J. Doty and was the father of seven children.
Notes.
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College Hill, St. Louis
College Hill is a neighborhood of the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The name College Hill was given to this area because it was the location of the Saint Louis University College Farm. This area, bounded generally by Warne Ave., O'Fallon Park, I-70, Grand Boulevard, and W. Florissant Ave., was acquired by the University for garden and recreation purposes in 1836. It was subdivided in the early 1870s.
The Bissell Mansion, the Old Water Tower at 20th Street and East Grand Avenue, and the Red Water Tower at Bissell Street and Blair Avenue are mainstays in this old Northside neighborhood and are testimony of a rich historical heritage. The housing of this neighborhood dates back between 1880 and 1920. Townhouses and four family flats predominate the neighborhood, with a mixture of single-family brick dwellings. The houses have large yards and are ideal for landscaping. The homes located near the crest of the hillside bluff enjoy a view of the river and its valleys. Nearly half of the housing dwellings are owner-occupied. Historically the area's commercial center has been concentrated along East Grand around the Old Water Tower with a strip along W. Florissant Avenue.
History.
College Hill Farm.
Much of what is presently identified as College Hill grew out of a 300-acre farmstead purchased by Saint Louis University in 1836. At that time, the university was engaged in transferring the location of its seminary from Florissant to the City of St. Louis. Although the university constructed a building for such purposes on Washington Avenue by the early 1830s, residential development in and around the area prompted trustees to search for a more suitable location, which would provide ample space for growth. What soon became known as College Hill Farm (in relation to the university’s ownership) was partially developed when plans were laid out in 1836. During the initial phases of construction, the project’s contractor died, and plans were placed on hold. Though Saint Louis University intended to continue the College Hill campus project, this was abandoned when in 1843, plans turned toward developing a central downtown campus. A second attempt by the university to use the College Hill property arose in 1858, when at least one building was constructed to support a theological school. The effort was abandoned two years later when the theology program transferred to Boston. In 1867, the university purchased what became its current campus, a parcel measuring 400 feet on Grand Avenue by 360 feet on Lindell Avenue for a cost of $52,600. The acquisition was funded through the subdivision and sale of the university’s College Hill property.
Lowell.
Prior to its associations with Saint Louis University, for which College Hill was named, a portion of the neighborhood was the Town of Lowell, platted in 1849 by E.C. Hutchinson, Josephine Hall, Edward F. Pittman, Robert Hall, and Wm. Garnett. Lowell consisted of a 40-block area between the Mississippi River and Bellefontaine Road, from Grand Avenue to Adelaide, formerly O’Fallon Avenue. The university’s holdings (College Hill Farm) adjoined Lowell at the west, extending south from O’Fallon Park between the Bellefontaine Road and Penrose, formerly Belle Street, and E. Prairie, formerly Bryan, and Adelaide, formerly O’Fallon Avenue.
In 1876, the City of St. Louis expanded its boundaries, incorporating Lowell, by which time the university farmstead had been subdivided and sold for development. By the early 1880s, all but a single parcel bounded by Bellefontaine Road (east), E. Linton Avenue (north), Blair Street (west; formerly Henry Street) and DeSoto Avenue (south) had been subdivided into small lots. The larger undivided parcel remained under the ownership of Saint Louis University and supported a single building (likely constructed for the theological school).
The street grid for Lowell follows the Mississippi River, and is at a slightly different angle than the grid in Hyde Park. The Lowell grid extends into the O'Fallon Park and Walnut Part East neighborhoods, but eventually intersects with the St. Charles Rock Road grid. Streets on the Lowell grid include College Avenue and Obear Street.
Architecture.
O'Fallon Park.
The largest land owner in the area was Colonel John O'Fallon, whose holdings of over embraced the present O'Fallon Park. This was the site of the mansion. It was said that during excavations for its foundations during the 1850s that Indian and mound builder's artifacts were discovered. The house was quite large and contained more than fifty rooms in its four stories. Colonel O'Fallon was born in Kentucky in 1791 and came to St. Louis as a young man to work as an Indian agent under his uncle, General William Clark.
After making a fortune in the Indian trade, O'Fallon purchased the large tract on Bellfontaine Road. He chose the highest point on the property for the location of his mansion which he named "Athlone" after his father's Irish birthplace. Keeping the present park sit as his estate, O'Fallon sold off the remainder at a large profit. He augmented his fortune in railroading and banking and later donated one million dollars to local schools and colleges. Following Colonel O'Fallon's death in 1865, the estate was sold to the city for a park in 1875 for $260,000. The mansion was partially burned in the same year and was razed in 1893.
O'Fallon Park became popular as a driving park and picnic grounds in the late decades of the nineteenth century. During the 1890s the lake was constructed and an observatory for sight seeing was erected. An island was placed in the lake in 1904 and retaining walls were erected around it to hold its earthen banks. Boating was introduced on the lake following the erection of the boat house in 1908. Electric lighting came to the park in 1914 and some plaster statuary was placed there after the World's Fair. The statues have long since disappeared.
The park originally covered and was expanded in 1917 when the Catholic Archdiocese donated an adjacent area of eight and a half acres. This was a former cemetery which became a bird sanctuary after its acquisition by the City. The park's area was reduced by five and a half acres in 1954 when the State Highway Department acquired the right of way for the Mark Twain Expressway.
Bissell Point Water Works.
The vicinity of East Grand Avenue is tied to the development of the City Water Works system. The need for a new waterworks became apparent in 1863, when the City's existing facility had become incapable of furnishing a plentiful water supply. In that year the state passed an act for the new waterworks, creating a Board of Commissioners to administer it and authorizing insurance of $3,000,000 in bonds for construction.
In 1865, the Board appointed James P. Kirkwood as Chief Engineer. Mr. Kirkwood devised a plan to locate a low service pumping station, settling basins, filter beds at Chain of Rocks, with a high service station at Baden and reservoirs at Compton Hill and near Wellston. This plan was rejected in 1866 in favor of a plant at Bissell Point, with basins but no filtering works. The site at Bissell Point was originally a portion of the Lewis and Bissell estate. In 1867, Kirkwood was succeeded as engineer by Thomas J. Whitman, who supervised construction of the Bissell Point plant (Whitman was a brother of the poet Walt Whitman).
Upon completion in 1869 the Bissell Point high service pumping station consisted of handsome, one and two story buildings of brick with cut stone trim. On a pediment above the main entrance were two sculptured figures symbolizing the "Union of the Waters" of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The plan included an engine room and boiler house with an ornamental smokestack high. Large settling basins were located on the site.
Water Towers.
Two standpipe water towers which were connected to the Bissell Point plant are on the National Register of Historic Places. The Grand Avenue Water Tower, built in 1871, and the Bissell Tower, built in 1887.
The Bissell Point plant included a standpipe, which is the present Grand Avenue Water Tower at 20th Street and East Grand Avenue, and the reservoir at Compton Hill. Designed by George I. Barnett, the first architect to receive training abroad, the tower on East Grand was placed in service in 1871, and was considered to be the largest perfect Corinthian column in existence, reaching a height of . In the late 1920s lights were placed on top of the Corinthian tower to serve as aviation beacons. They were extinguished in World War II as a security precaution and were reactivated in 1949 to guide flyers to Lambert Field. The lights are presently not in use and the tower itself has not been used for its original purpose for many years.
Another water tower landmark in the area is the Red Water Tower or Bissell Tower. The high tower was built in 1887 at a cost of $79,789, and designed by architect William S. Eames, who was then the assistant city water commissioner. Sometimes called the "New Red" tower, it was erected as a stand pipe to augment the "Old Water Tower" on Grand, and help counter the water surge from the new high service pumps at Bissell Point. Named for its red brick construction, it was described in the 1980 RCGA commerce magazine, "Also visible from Interstate 70 is the minaret-like Bissell Water Tower, built in 1887 at the intersection of Bissell and Blair sts. in the center of a populous northside residential area. At the top of the square tower, brick is corbelled out to support a round observation deck with a pitched roof. An elaborate cornice and terra cotta balustrade (baked clay moulded into decorative patterns) expand on the decor of the tower." Standpipe water towers were made obsolete by new pumping technology within the next decades, and the Bissell Tower was taken out of service in 1913.
After Bissell Point plant was retired from service in 1960, its site was sold and subsequently became the location of the Metropolitan Sewer District's north sewage treatment plant, which began operations in 1970. A portion of the site is occupied by a city incinerator and garage.
The two north side water towers, as well as 1898's Compton Hill Tower, have been declared to be local and national landmarks and represent nearly half of all such surviving structures in the nation. Admirers of the north side towers have successfully resisted action to raze them and some funds are reported to be available for their restoration. In 1997 the Gateway Foundation had lighting added to the towers to light them at night. The effect has been stunning. The towers are now visible at night from the interstates and from many vantage points in their respective neighborhoods.
Schools.
The public schools which serve the area are Bryan Hill School at 2128 Gano Avenue, which was erected in 1912, and Lowell School at 1409 Linton Avenue, built in 1926 (now home to KIPP St. Louis Triumph Academy Charter School).
In September 2001, 1 of the 3 St. Louis Academies opened in College Hill at East Linton Avenue and 21st Street; this was the site of the former Perpetual Help Catholic School.
Transportation.
The College Hill area is currently served by four Bi-State bus lines. They are the Sarah Line, West Florissant Line, Grand Avenue Line, Vandeventer Line, and Broadway Line. The Sarah and Vandeventer Lines serve the western part of the City, including access to both St. Louis and Washington Universities. The West Florissant line provides transportation to North St. Louis County and Downtown St. Louis. The Broadway bus also provides transportation to parts of North County, Downtown, and South City. Once Downtown, passengers can transfer to the St. Louis Metro for access to the Airport, Clayton, and the East Side (Illinois). The Grand Avenue Line will provide transportation to points along Grand Avenue, including Grand Center, St. Louis University, and access to Grand Avenue stop of Metro.
Quick and easy access to Interstate 70, College Hill's northern border, is also available at the Adelaide Avenue, West Florissant, Broadway, and East Grand entrances and exits. Within minutes you can access the Downtown, the airport, and Interstates 55, 44 and 170. This quick access makes arriving at urban and outlying suburban destination convenient.
Demographics.
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In 2020, College Hill's racial makeup was 92.2% Black, 4.3% White, 0.5% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 1.6% two or more races, and 0.2% some other races. 0.6% of College Hill's population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.
Crime.
In 2015, "The Guardian" declared College Hill the most dangerous neighborhood in St. Louis.
References.
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Rancho Salsipuedes
Land grant in California
Rancho Salsipuedes was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Cruz County, California. Two leagues () were granted in 1834 by Governor José Figueroa to Francisco de Haro. Eight leagues were granted in 1840 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Manuel Casarin. The name means "go out if you can" in Spanish. Salsipuedes encompasses the mountainous area west of Gilroy, straddling the Santa Clara County - Santa Cruz County line (only about are in Santa Clara County).
History.
Two leagues were granted to Francisco de Haro (1792–1849) the first Alcalde (Mayor) of Yerba Buena in 1834. The rancho was regranted in 1840 to Manual Jimeno Casarin who served as secretary of state under Governor Alvarado and Governor Micheltorena, was a senior member of the Assembly, and occasionally acting governor. Casarin was married to María de las Angustias, the daughter of José de la Guerra y Noriega. Casarin, who lived in Monterey, also owned Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy in Ventura County and Rancho Jimeno in Yolo County. Casarin died in 1853 during a visit to Mexico.
James Bryant Hill leased from Jimeno in 1851. In 1852 William Francis White, with E. Kelley, E. Casserly, J. R. McGlynn, W. W. Stowe, William Davidson and James Blair purchased the rancho, subject to the lease of Hill. James Bryant Hill later bought Rancho Nacional.
With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Salsipuedes was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1853, and the grant was patented to John P. Davison, Stephen W. Tibbets, Joseph B. Crockett, Edward D. Baker, and heirs of James Blair (Mary J. Blair, widow, and Violet Blair, Jessup Blair and Lucy Blair, children) in 1861.
Subsequently the land was divided and W. F. White became owner of . W. F. White was the only resident land owner on the Salsipuedes, but was not successful in his farming operations, and retired to San Francisco.
References.
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W. Robert Blair
American politician
William Robert Blair II (October 22, 1930 – January 18, 2014) was an American politician, lawyer, and businessman.
Early life.
William Robert Blair II was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, on October 22, 1930. He was graduated from West Virginia University in 1954, with A.B. and LL.B. degrees. He then served in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps for two years at Chanute Air Force Base. He moved to Park Forest, Illinois in 1957. He became active in local Will County politics as a member of the Will County Public Building Commission and a precinct committeeman the Will County Republican Central Committee. During his early legal career, he served as house counsel for Swift & Company and as a partner of Wood & Blair, while also serving as President of Fairfax Realty Company.
Illinois House of Representatives.
The 1960 reapportionment process was stalled by partisan gridlock. Subsequently, the Illinois Supreme Court ordered an at large election for all 177 members of the Illinois House in 1964. Voters were given ballots three feet long. Blair was one of fifty-nine Republicans elected to 177 seats. Blair was a and served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1965 to 1975.
After a 1965 Illinois Supreme Court Case to resolve the redistricting issue, Blair's home was drawn into the 41st district which consisted of Wheatland, DuPage, Plainfield, Lockport, Homer, Troy, Joliet, New Lenox, Frankfort, Manhattan, Green Garden, Monee, Crete, Wilton, Peotone, Will, Washington, townships in Will County. Blair was elected as one of the district's three representatives alongside William G. Barr and John J. Houlihan.
He served as speaker during the 77th and 78th Illinois General Assemblies. He was not reelected in the 1974 general election. After his time in the legislature, he served as a public member of the Illinois Transportation Study Commission.
Post-legislative career.
In 1978, he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Illinois Comptroller. Blair ran against John W. Castle, director of the Department of Local Government Affairs for Governor James R. Thompson. Thompson, who had convinced Castle to run for Comptroller instead of Treasurer, endorsed Castle leading Blair to criticize Castle for an inability to do the job independently. With more than 52% of the vote, Castle defeated Blair in the Republican primary. In 1982, he ran for the Republican nomination for Illinois Treasurer. He lost the primary to Peoria businessman John Dailey.
Blair died January 18, 2014.
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Varina, Virginia
Varina ( ) is a former unincorporated community and current magisterial district in the easternmost portion of Henrico County, Virginia, United States.
History.
Varina Plantation.
The first occurrence of the name Varina was in 1632 which was ten years after the death of John Rolfe.
A persistent but incorrect legend linking Varina Plantation with John Rolfe and Pocahontas arose in the mid-19th century.
20.6. 1632 p 107 [CP p15] WILLIAM DAWKES, Planter, 250 acs. in the upper part neare the neck of land commonly called Verinas, butting E. upon 2 Mi. Cr., W. towards land of Thomas Packer, (or Parker), S upon a Swamp adi. to the maine river. Due in right of his father Henry Dawkes & his uncle William Leigh for their per. adv. & by bill of adv. dated 14 July 1608 & granted to him by order of Ct. the 7 Oct. last past. His first devdt., to be doubled.
County seat and town.
The Native American massacre (Powhatan attack of 1622) resulted in the downfall of the Henricus settlement. The Varina settlement built up around much of Varina Plantation. Varina covered an area of 18 by 25 miles, but it later became known as Henrico. After that, Varina generally referred to the plantation. Varina became the county seat of Henrico when it was formed as one of the eight original shires of Virginia in 1634.
In 1666, the first courthouse was built at Varina for Henrico County. Varina was established as an unincorporated community in 1680.
By 1640, a church for Henrico Parish and other buildings were built either on the Varina plantation or in the settlement of Varina, but their location is unknown. By 1640, Varina was the site of the Henrico Parish glebe. From 1685 to 1694, Rev. James Blair was the minister at Varina Parish. He was made College of William & Mary's first rector in 1694 and was one of the founders of the school. After Blair, William Stith lived at the glebe at Varina.
In 1741, the Henrico Parish church was relocated to the present location of St. John's Episcopal Church in the Church Hill section of Richmond. Varina remained the county seat of Henrico County until 1752, when the seat was relocated to the growing city of Richmond, located at the head of navigation on the north side of the James River.
Varina historic districts.
Varina historic districts include Cedar Hill and Armour House, Curles Neck, Dabbs House, Dorey Barn, Gravel Hill, and Osborne School House.
In November 1635, a land patent was attained by Captain Thomas Harris for 750 acres, of that 100 acres were awarded for being an early settler during the "time of Sir Thomas Dale". Harris represented Curles Neck at the House of Burgesses. His house was among the oldest in Virginia between 1635 and 1654, the ruins of which have been part of an archaeological study. The ruins were found near the existing house built in the early 18th century. It had tunnels to the James River to escape attacks by Native Americans. First called Longfield, it is now commonly known at Curles Neck Plantation, the residence of Nathaniel Bacon, who led Bacon's Rebellion during the Colonial period and also was known for his campaigns against Native Americans. Bacon lived at the plantation from 1674 until his death in 1676. The property was confiscated by the British after Bacon was found guilty of treason. In 1698, the Randolph family of Virginia and held the property for longer than other owners. The Georgian style plantation is believed to have been destroyed during the Civil War.
Dabbs House was a residence of the Antebellum South which is located near the Eastern Government Center of Henrico and was the eastern headquarters of the Henrico's Division of Police. Chief Justice John Marshall owned the Chickahominy Farm near Meadowview Park as a country residence in the early 19th century.
The owner of Cedar Hill, James D. Vaughan, was a member of the 10th Regiment of the Virginia Cavalry during the Civil War and had served in the Virginia militia. The Greek Revival style farmhouse, built in the 19th century, still survives but has been part of a project to restore the building and it was moved from its original location.
Civil War.
During the Civil War, Clover Forest Plantation was Robert E. Lee's headquarters for a period. The Seven Days Battle (1862) began in the Varina area and Lee was able to watch the battle from a bluff on what is now Meadowview Park. Cedar Hill was used as a camp during the Seven Days Battle, including by Confederate units of Dershaws Division.
During the Civil War (1861–1865), it was one of the two major Southern places for prisoner exchange. Union General Benjamin Butler took over the plantation for his official headquarters and the house and cabin housed his staff. Robert E. Lee, a Confederate soldier, established his Richmond-area headquarters at the Dabbs House.
Economy change.
After the emergence of Richmond as a major community and port in the mid-18th century, and as land transportation became better, the location of Varina, which was not on any major roadway, became more isolated, gradually slipping into primarily farming use.
Archaeology.
Prehistoric Native American occupation has been identified in Meadowview Park by archaeologists.
References.
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Blairsville, Indiana
Blairsville is an unincorporated area in Robinson Township, Posey County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.
 the U.S. Census Bureau had established a census-designated place for this settlement.
History.
Blairsville was laid out in 1837 by Stephen Blair, and named for him. A post office was established at Blairsville in 1838, and remained in operation until 1902. With the construction of the railroad in 1880, business activity shifted to nearby Wadesville, and the town declined.
Blairsville contains the historic Blairsville Cemetery. A number of the interments are Civil War veterans.
The town of Blairsville is located on Big creek in Robinson township. It was named in honor of Stephen Blair who, in company with Ebenezer Phillips, laid out the town on the Fourth of July, 1837. It soon grew into prominence as a half way place on the Evansville and New Harmony stage road, besides it was fairly well located for the convenience of settlers in all directions from the town as a trading point.
Political speakings were held here quite often in the old days of the Whig and the Democrat. A joint discussion was held here during the campaign of 1842 between Robert Dale Owen, the Democratic candidate for Congress, and John W. Payne, the Whig candidate. Among the first residents of Blairsville were Stephen Blair, after whom the town was named, Ebenezer Phillips, who surveyed the town, Charles Kimball, a Robert Owen and later a Dr. Mitchell, Henry Theuerkauf and Henry Weber, shoemakers. Henry Newman was one of the first blacksmiths. Charles Kimball ran a horse feed mill. Dr. Owen refers to the areas surrounding Blairsville as "the mecca of geologists" due to the preservation of fossilized palm trees and Lepidodendron. John B. Gardner and John Becker were among the early successful merchants and business men. The extension of the Evansville & Terre Haute railroad through Wadesville in 1880 was a severe blow to Blairsville from which the town never recovered. For several years the population has been composed largely, if not entirely, of Germans. The importance of the town in 1842 may be judged by the fact that the following petitioned the "honorable board" for tavern licenses (which meant to sell whiskey also): J. H. Owens, Daniel Cox, William Watson, David R. Downen, M. Duty, Robert Stevens, William Dodge, Nelson Doty, Daniel Elkins, Benjamin Garris, Soren Sorenson, M. Watson, H. W. Young, William F. Phillips and Richard Ramsey.
Demographics.
The United States Census Bureau delineated Blairsville as a census designated place in the 2022 American Community Survey.'
Education.
Robinson Township is in Metropolitan School District of North Posey County.
South Terrace Elementary School is in Blairsville. The district was scheduled to begin building this school in fall 1957. 10 classrooms were planned to be built.
North Posey High School is the district's comprehensive high school.
References.
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Good Spring Baptist Church and Cemetery
Historic church in Kentucky, United States
Good Spring Baptist Church and Cemetery is a historic church and cemetery mainly for the descendants within and outside of what now is called Mammoth Cave National Park and is formally located in Edmonson County, Kentucky.
History.
The Church at Good Spring was organized in the year 1842 on the third Saturday in February by Elders Jesse Moon, R.T. Gardner and William Skaggs with the following members: Brown Blair, Mary Blair, Isaac Blair, Lucy Blair, David Blair, Betsy Blair, J.L. Smith, Sarah Smith, Rachel