Hays Travelogue

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Jordan

January 14th, 2012 by Tamra
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Dear Family and Friends,

Petra

Al Khazneh (The Treasury) at Petra

As you know, Mike and I went to Jordan with some friends during the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Last summer, when we began to plan the trip, friends from the Middle East told us, “Oh, Jordan. There’s only Petra. Two days is enough.” Then they began to reminisce and soon had more than a week of suggestions for us. And sure enough, we did fill up the week, and there were places we didn’t get to and places in which we could have spent more time.

It’s true that Jordan is a small country, about the size of New Jersey, and you can easily drive the length of it in a day. A day, that is, if you don’t get lost, and we were continually lost, especially in Amman. Fortunately, the Jordanian people are kind and friendly and very willing to give directions. If someone didn’t speak English, he would find someone who did. Unfortunately, directions often consisted of cryptic things like, “Street. Street. Up. Down. Street.”

One day, after trying to go south to Madaba to visit the Church of the Mosaics, we thought we had followed the directions, but when the sun came out, we discovered that we were headed north towards Syria. We turned around, asked directions again, followed them, but soon discovered we were headed east toward Iraq. Finally, we hired a taxi to lead us to the highway we needed. This was such a successful technique that we used it again and again. Below are some more of the highlights. The full set of photos, including those from the Church of the Mosaics, is here.

At the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea - We did float in Dead Sea water, but at the Mövenpick Spa not at the seashore. The salt content of the sea is 30%; at the spa it was only 24%, and we bobbed around like corks.

Jerash

The Oval Forum is one of the main sights in the Roman city of Jerash. We also liked the theater with its amazing acoustics and the hippodrome in which there were reenactments by costumed gladiators, legionnairs, and charioteers.

Qasr Amra

Qasr Amra, an 8th century bathhouse and hunting lodge, is famous for the frescoes that cover the interior walls.

Umm Qais

The view of the Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee from Umm Qais. This is near the place where Jesus performed the Miracle of the Swine.

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is famous for its fantastic rock formations, petroglyphs, and T.E. Lawrence. A desert safari in Wadi Rum includes lots of stops at tea tents.

Castles

Ajlun Castle, built to deter the Crusaders, is only one of the many castles we visited.

I hope you are off to a happy and healthy New Year!

xox

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Wildersville, Tennessee

December 15th, 2011 by Tamra
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Dear Family,

Here is the last family history installment for the year. We are traveling to Jordan between Christmas and New Year, but as always, we’ll be thinking about you. I hope to talk to all of you before we go. Have a Happy Holiday!

“What is now Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, and later part of the Southwest Territory. Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796. Tennessee was the last state to leave the Union and join the Confederacy at the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War in 1861, and the first state to be readmitted to the Union at the end of the war. Tennessee furnished more soldiers for the Confederate Army than any other state, and more soldiers for the Union Army than any other Southern state.” – Wikipedia

 My maternal grandmother’s grandparents lived in Wildersville, Tennessee during the American Civil War, a war altered their lives and fortunes and shaped my grandmother’s destiny. These are her grandparents and their circumstances in 1860, the year before the war began.

Hiram Britt, 1803 – 1871

Hiram Britt was a successful farmer and businessman. In 1860, he was the father of eight children and grandfather of at least ten. His real estate was valued at $3500 and his personal estate, which included 15 slaves, at $13000. He was a trustee and founding member of the Parkers Cross Roads Male and Female Academy.

Martha Adams Britt, 1832 – 1881

In 1860, Martha Adams Britt, Hiram’s second wife, was a 28 year old mother and step-mother living in Pleasant Exchange. Her mother, Sarah, lived nearby on land that was valued at $1000, the same as her personal estate, meaning that Sarah owned no slaves. Martha and Hiram’s son, Milton, my great-grandfather, was 1 year old.

Richard Olive, 1850 – 1941

In 1860, Richard Olive was 10 years old. His mother had died 5 years before, and his father, Howell, had remarried. His father’s real estate was valued at $1800 and his personal estate, which included 4 slaves, at $6500.

Jane Williams Olive, c. 1852 – 1905

Although there is no record of  Jane Williams in 1860, she was most likely living in Tennessee by then, because her younger sister was born there in 1860.

Civil War 1861 – 1865

When Tennessee voted to secede from the Union in 1861, the vote in Henderson County was pro-Union, but anti-Union sentiment was very strong. The county was split and provided forces to both sides. Many Britts, although owning slaves, are found in rosters for the Union but not the Confederacy. Adamses are also found in Union rosters, but Martha Adams’s uncle Patrick Boyd Adams recruited for the Confederacy elsewhere in the state. Olives cannot be found on either side.

At the end of 1862, the Battle of Parker’s Cross Roads was fought on and around farms belonging to, among others, Hiram Britt and his oldest son, Caldwell Britt. Caldwell’s son, William Rayburn, wrote an account of the battle in which he remembers holding lanterns for the surgeon who was operating on the wounded men lying in the hall of their home.

(The Confederate leader in this battle, General Nathan Bedford Forrest, helped organize the first Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1866 and would go on to become Grand Wizard of the Empire in 1867.)

Hiram’s brother, John B. Britt, a merchant from Huntingdon in neighboring Carroll County, and three of his sons joined the Seventh Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, a Union force. This unit was captured by Confederate forces in 1864 and marched to Alabama. John and his son, James, died in Mobile before they reached Andersonville Prison.

Meanwhile, Howell Olive seems to have not been involved in the war. In 1865, when land owners were assessed a Federal Land Tax, Hiram Britt held 506 acres; Sarah Adams, 200 acres; and Howell Olive, 181 ½ acres. That year, Howell Olive sold this land for $2000 in gold which he then used to buy 1144 acres from another farmer. Some bandits, having heard about the gold but not about the land deal, broke into his home, demanded the gold, shot things up, threatened to kill his baby daughter, and tortured Howell who finally convinced them that he no longer had the gold.

1870
In 1870, Hiram and Martha Britt, along with their children – Milton, Dora, Docia, and Adina – were living on their farm near Lexington, TN. Martha’s mother, Sarah Adams, was living with them. Hiram’s real estate was assessed at $2000 and his personal estate at $1000. Hiram would be dead within a year and his last child, Ida, would be born soon after his death.

Richard Olive, age 20, was working on the family farm along with his brothers Thomas and Miles. Howell Olive’s land was now worth $4100 and his personal estate $1175. Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, Howell gave tracts of the land to his sons. Richard received 500 acres.

Jane Williams, about age 17, appeared for the first time in the census records. She and her family were living in a house neighboring the Olive family. A black man named Adam Pritchard was the head of the household which included Peggy Williams, a mulatto, and her six children who are also listed as mulatto. Adam Pritchard, Jane, and her sister Ann were all farm workers. They owned nothing of value.

1880
In 1880, Richard Olive was living in the same household with Jane Williams and their three children, Susey, Mary, and James. They were not married, because interracial marriage was against Tennessee law. Both Richard and Jane were illiterate. Peggy Williams lived next door. Eventually, Richard and Jane migrated to Illinois where they were able to marry. In the 1900 Illinois census, the whole family was listed as white.

Following Hiram’s death in 1871, Martha Adams Britt and her children moved to Carroll County where her son, Milton, would marry Josephine Barnhill. After Josephine died in 1891, Milton moved north to Morgan County, Illinois where his friend Richard Olive had a farm. Milton Britt and Richard’s daughter, Susan Ann Olive, were married on March 17, 1896, and Marie Suzanne Britt–our Grandma Ree–was born January 7, 1897.

For more reading:

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Ottoman Waterworks and Settlements in the Belgrade Forest

November 23rd, 2011 by Tamra
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Dear Family and Friends,

Belgrade Forest

Gencer Emiroğlu, our guide

Last Sunday, we joined another FARIT (Friends of the American Research Institute in Turkey) day trip, this one to the Belgrade Forest north of Istanbul to see more parts of the waterworks that supplied Constantinople with fresh water for centuries. In addition to the history of the forest, our guide, Gencer Emiroğlu, was also knowledgeable about the forest ecosystem, particularly mushrooms. He explained that our goal was to hike to three dams, or bent, then to an abandoned village and church, finding as many mushrooms as possible along the way, and finally lunch in the afternoon at a forest restaurant. We began, as all good hikes must, with breakfast and tea. Our first stop was at the Tarihi Bilice Börekçisi in Bahçeköy where we had our choice of pastry with meat and dried currants or pastry with cheese and hot tea. Bahçeköy is also home to Istanbul University’s School of Forestry.

Plate from Miss Pardoe's The Beauties of the Bosphorus

Nearby, we got a good look at the Bahçeköy Aqueduct which carried water from the reservoirs in the Belgrade Forest to a distribution center, or taksim, in Constantinople. From here, the water was distributed to fountains in Galata and Beyoğlu. Today, Taksim Square is a busy distribution point for transportation in Istanbul.

The three dams we saw were relatively new, built in the 17- and 1800s. Today, they are classified and protected as historic monuments, and as such, no longer in use. Even if they were in use, they would not be able to meet Istanbul’s thirst for more than one day.

Topuzlu Dam in the Belgrade Forest

Topuzlu Dam in the Belgrade Forest

I wonder how many dam pictures you want. I’ll put them into a Flickr set, and if you are interested, you can click through to see them all.

Mushrooms and mushroom hunters in the Belgrade Forest

Tülin examines the mushrooms.

While hiking from dam to dam, we saw plenty of mushrooms, maybe 20 different species including mushrooms that live on dead oak, mushrooms that live on dead chestnut, mushroom that live on dead beech trees, mushrooms that live in moss, and mushrooms that live in dung. We met a two villagers who were hunting mushrooms and they showed us what they had found. More photos here.

Belgrade Forest

Ruins of St. George's Church in Belgrade Village

On our way to the ruins of Belgrade Village, we stopped by a massive stump and here Gencer told us some of the history of the forest, stories about the janissaries and about other people who lived and vacationed here. Among them was Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the wife of the British ambassador to Turkey. Lady Montagu was a letter writer who corresponded with many notables of her day including Alexander Pope. Here is an excerpt we read from a letter describing the Belgrade Forest.

TO MR POPE.

Belgrade Village, June 17. O. S.

The heats of Constantinople have driven me to this place, which perfectly answers the description of the Elysian fields. I am in the middle of a wood, consisting chiefly of fruit-trees, watered by a vast number of fountains, famous for the excellency of their water, and divided into many shady walks, upon short grass, that seems to me artificial, but, I am assured, is the pure work of nature—within view of the Black sea, from whence we perpetually enjoy the refreshment of cool breezes, that make us insensible of the heat of the summer. The village is only inhabited by the richest amongst the Christians, who meet every night at a fountain, forty paces from my house, to sing and dance. The beauty and dress of the women exactly resemble the ideas of the ancient nymphs, as they are given us by the representations of the poets and painters.

(more here if you are interested)

For more information on the Belgrade Forest, waterworks, and mushrooms, see these sources.

Belgrade Forest

Forest denizen on her cell phone

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you are. Mike and I will be thinking about all of you, and I imagine we will call many of you.

xox

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The Long Walls of Thrace

October 26th, 2011 by Tamra
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Dear Family and Friends,

Cabanas at the Black Sea

Cabanas at the Black Sea

Last weekend, Mike and I went on a trip with FARIT (Friends of the American Research Institute in Turkey) to see the remains of the Long Walls of Thrace, or the Anastasian Wall. This 5th century fortification stretched from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea and was intended to protect Constantinople from invaders from the west. Very little of the wall remains and what does remain is greatly reduced in height, hidden in blackberry brambles, and overgrown with vegetation. We climbed various hills in search of the wall, but mainly we got a terrific view of the Black Sea and some lovely beaches.

Büyükgerme - The Big Stretch

Büyükgerme - The Big Stretch

After lunch, our goal was Büyükgerme, or the Big Stretch, a portion of the 5th century aqueduct that delivered water to Constantinople. On the way, we passed by several charcoal-making operations. Charcoal has a special place in our family history. My great grandfather, Ellsworth B.A. Zwoyer, held early patents for charcoal briquettes and the machinery to produce them. In fact, a Google patent search using keywords ‘Zwoyer’ and ‘fuel’ turns up dozens of patents for various parts of the process. As we drove through the smoky woods, we became curious about the beautiful conical mounds we saw and asked to stop at one of operations where men were building a charcoal mound.

Making a Charcoal Mound

Building a charcoal mound

The wood to build the mound is stacked on the circumference of the building area. Larger pieces of wood are stacked inside against a shaft that will become the flue. The wood is fitted together with great precision in order to make as tight a structure as possible. Smaller pieces make up the outside of the mound. You can see in this picture that they have a long way to go. The stick coming out the top of the mound marks the flue.

Our explainer

Our explainer

This man explained to us that, in addition to the flue, there are 2 vents built into the mound to help control air flow. Once the fire is lit, it will take 15 days to make the charcoal.

A finished mound

Isn't it beautiful?

After the mound is built, it is covered with a layer of hay and then a layer of ash. Coals are dropped into the flue, and the whole pile begins to smolder.

A fairly new charcoal mound

A new charcoal mound

 

Finished stacks of charcoal lie behind stacks of fresh wood

Finished stacks of charcoal lie behind stacks of fresh wood.

After thanking the colliers, we boarded the bus and continued on, but very shortly, our bus became mired in mud. While our trip organizer arranged for a rescue from the colliers, the rest of us traipsed with our guide through more mud, climbed up and down more hills, forded a small stream, and eventually arrived at the aqueduct.

So even though we didn’t get to see much of the Anastasian Wall, the trip turned out to be terrific. There are a few more photos, including the mired bus, here.

Hope you are all happy and well!

xox

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Summer in Mountainair

August 25th, 2011 by Tamra
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Dear Family and Friends,

We are in our last week of summer vacation. It took a long time, but our main projects – the new roof and the repairs to the water-damaged dining room – are finished. Mike made two new bookcases for the dining room, so we always have good literary company for dinner.

No water damage here!

Since the work was finished, we’ve had two good day trips. One trip was with Gorden and Biddie McMath, two members of our writing group, The Manzano Mountain Scribes. They have lived their entire lives in Torrance County, and they had many good stories to tell about their families settling here and about the transition from farm to ranch land. Gorden, one of the four surviving dry land bean farmers, showed us how to look for signs of the wind erosion that ended dry land farming here in the ’40s.

Old one room schoolhouse on East Mesa near Mountainair.

On that trip, Biddie told us about the Claunch Post Office south of here. It’s a combination post office/book exchange. Since we had just sorted and reshelved our books, we had a few to donate, so we headed down to Claunch to find out more. Our ultimate destination was the Owl Bar in San Antonio, and we were taking the long way around.

Gran Quivira is about halfway to Claunch, so we stopped. No one was there; it was as lonesome and windy as ever.

Gran Quivira

Claunch, the geographic center of New Mexico, is no longer a town but it is the center of a ranching community. There are a few houses, the skeleton of a WPA school, the Pinto Bean Elevator & Museum, and the Post Office. The Post Office is in an old store with a huge pot belly stove in the center. On each side wall are shelves full of books sorted alphabetically by author. In the storefront windows are bins of books waiting to be sorted. Anyone can take a book, and you don’t have to leave one in exchange. In one front corner are some chairs and a sofa. The postmistress invited us to look around. She said we had come at a good time, because the mail had just arrived and “everybody” was here. The few folks there were friendly, wanted to know where we were from, gave us advice about the back road to Bingham: Don’t take it; recent rains had made it a muddy mess. I can’t believe I didn’t take pictures!

From Claunch, we drove down to Carrizozo with one detour to the ghost town of White Oaks. White Oaks was once a prosperous mining town. People still live here, but there isn’t much in the way of business – a bar, a couple of museums.

The Gumm House

White Oaks School

The Bank Robbery

Mike wants to fix up this hotel.

 

 

 

 

The Owl Bar & Cafe - Did you know that the long bar is from Conrad Hilton's first hotel in San Antonio?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Carrizozo, we turned west through the lava flows at the Valley of Fires, past the Blanchard Rock Shop in Bingham, along the north side of the White Sands Missile Range, and 75 miles beautiful later, into San Antonio, the Owl Bar, and the most famous green chile burgers in New Mexico. From here we headed north through Socorro to US 60 and back home to Mountainair.

Hope to hear from you all soon!

xox

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