From the First Mate's Photo Album... Mesker Zoo

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[Day 5 Lion's Head Location Clue/Hint: By now, most have figured out that the building with the lion's head is somewhere inside of Mesker Park Zoo... I am pleased that so many were able to get that close to solving the mystery concerning this lion's head. It is not the Kley building where Donna resides (she being the oldest hippo in captivity... she will be 60 this year!). The Knecht Building was torn down about 1989... it held the "big cats" and was the original building for this lion's head. We need to discover which building has the lion's head, now. We also need to know where in or on the building it is. The location is somewhat obscure. I just accidently found it. Check the previous daily clues. See TSGS Cruiser Blog ~http://tsgsblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/guess-where-this-lions-head-is-located.html]

Evansville's Mesker Park Zoo...

This is the old fish pond (no longer in existence).

In the center of the wall you can see another lion's head that water flowed from its mouth. This fish pond was so nice. It was a favorite part of visiting the zoo when I was a kid. I took a picture of the lion's head when I was about 15-17 years old... I have it somewhere!

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An AFROTC buddy of mine from Evansville College (now University of Evansville), Tyrone Bragg figured out that this mystery lion's head was originally on the Knecht Building (named for Karl Knecht, newspaper editorial cartoonist, who was instrumental for getting a zoo started in Evansville). Ty, you are the closest as of this morning!

"Good Time & Learning for All at Workshop"

Ron Darrah presented his workshop on "Obscure Genealogical Sources" inside Willard Library while several organizations & book vendors were under tents outside in the library's park.



Photo above taken by Lyn Martin right at the end of the four programs conducted by Ron Darrah far left. Going from Ron to the right is Bob Johnson (longtime TSGS member), Vannetta McDowell (Willard Staff Member, past TSGS Board Member), Graham Denby Morey (TSGS Member) and John G. West (TSGS President). I learned from this program that the 1930 US Federal Census includes two questions to help identify veterans... this I was not aware of. We all learned a lot more that may be available through school records. Graham & I attended Evansville College (U of E) together and are both members of the Ohio Valley Chapter of the Indiana Society Sons of the American Revolution (INSSAR). Ron is a member of INSSAR, as well.

This photo was taken by Don Pierce, just before I packed up the TSGS books to go back in the library's TSGS closet. This was the first time for me to set-up and man the TSGS table... I can honestly say that I now appreciate the work so many others have done in the past events working the TSGS table! Thanks to all of them! We did sell two books and got two membership renewals. The Posey County Historical Society (PCHS) members can be seen in the background taking down their information booth. Many working it were also active TSGS members. As a fund raiser for their cemetery preservation project, they were selling chocolate suckers (bars on a stick) that were in the shape of tombstones. They used Halloween candy molds to make them... really neat!

Several other vendors were present: Pat Gooldy of Ye Olde Genealogie Shoppe (one of the Evansville area all-time favorites) came all the way from Indianapolis and Brenda Joyce Jerome (TSGS Secretary) had a table of her publications with two or three other vendors there as well. Brenda watched the TSGS table while I was inside learning new things in the workshop.

It was a chilly, breezy, overcast day and we had a few light mists of rain... mixed with some sunny periods, too. Nice day for vendors outdoors (as long as you had a light jacket or sweater)!

Lyn Martin, Peggy Newton, Vannetta McDowell and several other Willard staff members did a great job of organizing and keeping this workshop going for Willard's first free all-day genealogical workshop. Congratulations and a big thank-you for a successful event. After 50 years of researching... I still learned a lot from this one day. Thanks to Ron Darrah for a very well conducted workshop. Many of us know him through the Indiana Society of SAR and others through his involvement in the Indiana Genealogical Society (IGS).

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

This is a follow-up of yesterday's blog with two plaques... one is a little mystery, that we can use some help! - JGW

In yesterday's blog, we had photos of the U of E beautiful grounds & gardens. On the Lincoln Avenue side of the campus, you can see the Administration Building and a nice stone sign "University of Evansville." The sign is actually the back side of a large bench like platform for visiting or small events like a musical performance or a political rally that occured there in the late 1960's with Eugene McCarthy.


The plaque below was installed on the bench during the University's 150 years of preparing leaders for tomorrow. The "Sesquicentennial Oval" was made possible through an estate gift from Dallas Bower-Suhrheinrich, long-time UE Trustee.

Below that plaque is a somewhat older plaque (in photo below). The qulaity of this photo is not very good and I apologize for it, but I did want to include it today. It is a little mystery as to who this man is and why this structure was dedicated to his memory, in addition to when was it dedicated. The small plaque simply states: "Dedicated to the Memory of Michael E. Thorp."

I checked the newspaper clippings and obituaries in the Browning Databases and I checked the online databases for both city cemeteries. I also went to the U of E's website hoping to find something there. I found nothing. Maybe one of you bloggers out there can find out who Mr. Thorp is and why this centerpiece in the gardens at UE was dedicated to his memory and when it was dedicated.

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

From the FIRST MATE's PHOTO ALBUM...

University of Evansville...

gardens & grounds

Yesterday, while driving along Lincoln Avenue east toward Weinbach Avenue, I glanced over at U of E where I attended part of my college years over forty years ago. The grounds were so pretty in front of the Administration Building that I was compelled to come back later with my camera to take a few photos. It was a beautiful day and the garden & grounds made it even better. I guess that the gardens have been enhanced over the last few years or I just simply did not notice before. I came to the, then, Evansville College in 1965 after graduating from Boonville High School. What an exciting time in my life! I was the first in my immediate family to go to college; however, my mother's first cousin, Betty Wood, attended Evansville College graduating with honors in 1950. I think it was 1967 when they changed the status of the college to a university, while I was a student there - that was very exciting, too. We were required to take Air Force ROTC for two years and assembled on a regular basis in the more spacious plaza in front of the Admin. Bldg. - it was not the garden it is today. Right behind or actually the other side of the stone sign is a small platform or stage that was used for various events. I remember attending an event there when Eugene McCarthy spoke from this platform to the U of E students in is bid for the U.S. Presidency.

Another view of Admin. Bldg. with the flag poles and circular garden. The grandeur of the building coupled with the trees, flags, flowers & grassy plaza makes for a very pleasant scene.

I do not know when the University added the cobble stoned walkways, but it really enhances the whole garden & grounds. There are a lot of changes at U of E over just the last few years... several new buildings and expansions of existing buildings. I ended up graduating after four years in the U.S. Air Force from Indiana State University - Evansville (ISUE) [they changed their name, too - University of Southern Indiana]. USI has a great campus with beautiful grounds, as well; however, there is something extra special about U of E that will remain in my heart forever!

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest