Category Archives: History

Sarah Hale: “Godmother of Thanksgiving”

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Don Merritt

To the modern person it may seem odd that Thanksgiving as an American holiday hasn’t always been there… After all, didn’t the Pilgrims start it back at the very beginning? Didn’t George Washington proclaim it? The short answer is “yes” … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged 19th Century, attitude, culture, encouragement, famous women, fun history, history, inspiration, Thanksgiving | 1 Comment

Remembering John F. Kennedy

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Don Merritt

Today John F. Kennedy would be 95 years of age; hard to imagine… Of course I’d rather be writing about how he was planning to celebrate today that having to remember him… Mr. Kennedy inspired a Nation with his unusual … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Random thoughts | Tagged 1960's, Christian, culture, history, John F. Kennedy, nostalgia, perspective, photos, politics, random, thoughts | Leave a comment

President’s Day

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Don Merritt

…or should that be Presidents’ Day? Well, whichever one it is, today’s the day. It is of course a holiday and many of us are off work; yippie! When I was a kid in school, we didn’t have President’s Day. … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged attitude, Christian, Christianity, culture, encouragement, history, hope, inspiration, perspective, Religion and Spirituality, thoughts | 1 Comment

Happy Birthday Ronald Reagan!

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Don Merritt

Well you guessed it, today is Mr. Reagan’s birthday… I hardly know where to start with this one; I realize that Reagan remains a controversial figure today, but this isn’t a political blog as a rule, so I’ll let others … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged Christian, history, inspiration, life, news, nostalgia, perspective, Prayer, random, Ronald Reagan, thoughts | 4 Comments

William McKinley and the American Century

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Don Merritt

William McKinley was President of the United States when we emerged onto the world stage and became a power. It’s funny how he has been remembered; some people see him as one of the all-time great presidents because he ended … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged 19th Century, culture, fun history, history, nostalgia, perspective, politics, thoughts, William McKinley | 3 Comments

Does the Constitution really evolve?

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Don Merritt

Last week, after the announcement that the US Supreme Court had allowed a lower court ruling that declared prayer in public (government) meetings unconstitutional because too many of these were “Christian” I proposed the thesis that the ‘living breathing” Constitution … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged attitude, Christian, culture, history, law, perspective, politics, thoughts, US Constitution, what's happening | Leave a comment

A Sumptuous Mansion

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Don Merritt

This post originally appeared on my “other” blog, Pages from the Past here at Word Press. Located in Galena, Illinois the Jones Mansion (Belvedere Mansion) has not only had an interesting history, it is a marvel to behold. Built by Joseph Russell Jones in … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged 19th Century, art, fun history, history, Italianate architecture, photo essay, photos, random, Victorian houses | 1 Comment

Quote of the Week

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Don Merritt

Quote of the Week “The State is the great fiction by which everyone seeks to live at the expense of everyone else.” Frederic Bastiat

Posted in History, Quote of the Week | Tagged 19th Century, attitude, culture, history, perspective, random, thoughts | Leave a comment

George Washington: We Miss You

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Don Merritt

George Washington is without doubt the most important man in the establishment of America. He has often been called by historians “the indispensable man’. This remains true even in spite of a more modern round of revisionism that seeks to relegate … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged attitude, Christian, fun history, history, hope, inspiration, perspective, random, thoughts | 1 Comment

Reflections 70 years after Pearl Harbor

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Don Merritt

Even though I was not alive on December 7, 1941, I have a memory of December 7… only it was 1991. I can well remember that it was a cold and snowy Saturday, the 50th anniversary of the “Day of … Continue reading →