The movers will be with us tomorrow, and I hope that, within the next week, I’ll be back to regular posting and Markeroni activity. For over a week now, our old place has been without phone or Internet (which were transferred to the new place) and we’ve been “commuting” to there, so nothing has really been routine. Hopefully, tomorrow night when we start sleeping here, routines will begin to return in our new setting.

Thanks for bearing with me, and until next time, happy snarfing!

Location: In park at Park Ave & Bull St, Savannah, GA 31401

Visited: August 13, 2009, 8:20am

Transcriptions of markers:

East face:

In grateful remembrance of
Stephen N. Harris
who served his country well
as a soldier and citizen
Private, Co. B 2nd Ga. Infantry
1898
Cdr. Worth Bagley Camp No. 10 Dept. Ga. U.S.W.V.
1932
Commander Dept. of Ga. U.S.W.V
1900       1931
Adj. Gen. United Spanish War Veterans
1928       1929
Chief of Staff, Council Of Adm. Ga. U.S.W.V.
1937       1938
His character and leadership inspired his
comrades and fellow citizens.

North face: [Spanish War Veterans’ insignia]

West face:

A tribute to that
Soldier · Comrade · Citizen
William L. Grayson
1870       1941
1st. Lieut. Co. “M” 1st Regt. Ga. Vols.
Spanish American War
Commander Department of Georgia U.S.W.V.
1925 — 1927
National Commander in Chief U.S.W.V.
1928 — 1929
His distinguished service has endeared him
to all veterans of all wars
1946

South face (front):

To those
Georgians who
volunteered and
served their
country in the
Spanish American
War

My impressions: This marker was high on my “want to visit” list for our trip to Savannah, because I found out about this through finding a Spanish-American War memorial in Portsmouth, VA and the linkage made by an editor of The Historical Marker Database to other markers that feature The Hiker, by sculptor Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson.

It is kind of amazing to see something familiar and apparently unique (until one learns the fuller story) in two different settings, nearly 500 miles apart. And that isn’t diminished too much by the fact that I knew I would see it and had planned the visit in Savannah.

I remember, early on in my days at Markeroni seeing somebody refer to “their marker,” a marker near their home with which they felt a strong affinity. At the time, before I’d started being intentional about snarfing (and before I’d logged any markers on the site), I didn’t really understand it. It clicked in for my last month, as I was in Portsmouth, VA for about the third time to find markers. That day I was “on a mission” to complete visiting a series of markers (for the city’s Path of History), but my walking route took me past several markers that I’d previously snarfed…and there was a familiarity that made it almost as though I was passing an old friend, because I had visited these markers, taken their photos, transcribed them, and written about them. So, standing in a park in Savannah, the first time I’d ever done more than drive through the state of Georgia, I felt at home…even though, I still know woefully little about the Spanish-American War.

Markeroni status: Not yet logged (and it appears I also did not log the similar monument in Portsmouth, VA yet).

Credit: Thanks to hmdb.org and their page on this monument for their transcriptions of this marker.

Location: 1900 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401

Visited: August 13, 2009, 6:05pm

Transcription of marker:

The Georgia Infirmary
First African-American Hospital in the United States

Chartered by the Georgia General Assembly in 1832, the Infirmary was established “for the relief and protection of afflicted and aged Africans” under the provisions of the last will and testament of Savannah merchant and minister Thomas F. Williams (1774–1816). Originally located south of the city, it was moved here in 1838. Its fourteen acres included several single-story buildings and small farm tracts for vegetable gardens. In 1904, the Infirmary became one of the earliest training schools for African-American nurses. In 1975, it became Georgia’s first day center for stroke rehabilitation.

2001.16     Erected by The Georgia Historical Society and The Georgia Infirmary, Inc.     25–9

My impressions: I am back from our trip to Georgia and I wanted to start with this marker, because it’s the closest one to the church where we spent most of our time in Savannah. I also like the fact that the site is still in use for purposes related to the ones that were happening more than 175 years ago. It also shows an evolution of a site, not focusing exclusively on any one era. I also have to say that I really like the transparency evident at the bottom of the marker. From what I’ve read, several states require a financial contribution to erect a marker. The fact that the infirmary is listed along with the historical society makes that clear in this case. Though I don’t know what the process is get the society in Georgia to put up a historical marker, I definitely worry that (a) the financial contribution may be more important than criteria related to history in determining where markers are placed, and (b) given that, in most areas of life, “he who pays the piper calls the tune,” I would wonder about whether the infirmary had undue input into the marker’s text. (Again, I have NO knowledge of the procedures involved, so I do not intend to cast aspersions by this post, but to raise the issue that with money comes influence and the reader is appropriately warned in this case.)

The week ahead: Tomorrow, I hope to continue this week of posts about our trip to Savannah with a statue that I’ve seen called The Georgia Volunteer, which has a link to a statue I’ve previously posted about here in Virginia. Wednesday, I’ll write about a marker for a fellow church musician and composer. Thursday and Friday, some posts about some other statues, and a special bonus weekend post will look at markers related to Gordon House in Savannah.

One word of apology, there is a chance that this week’s posts won’t be quite as timely as I’d hope, because we are in the midst of moving into a new place and for the next week, the old place (where we’ll continue to be sleeping) no longer has Internet access.

My wife and I are headed out of town first thing tomorrow morning for my wife to take her vows as a novice in the Anglican Order of Preachers at their chapter gathering in Savannah, GA. I hope to have some free time that, if the weather’s good, may lead to my first posts about markers outside of Virginia on this blog.

I’ve also decided (after spending some time yesterday catching up on my logging at Markeroni) that this blog needs to change a little bit. From the beginning, I’ve blogged about every marker I’ve logged on that site, and the backlog is now more than a month and growing much faster than I can write about it. So when I return, I’m planning to be a little choosier with posting, at least on a trial basis. That also means I would have a bit more freedom to choose markers (since, to date, I’ve been posting them simply in the order I saw them) or to take a break from a certain series of markers if I would like to write about something new. I also hope to move to a schedule of mostly a single post per day and not so many days with two or three posts, so that I can find time to research and write more in depth about some markers.

The first manifestation of these changes will probably be a report on my trip back here, and if I get some marker-hunting time in, I expect I’ll make next week’s posts focus on the markers from this week’s trip.

Thanks for reading! I hope you’ll find a historical marker near you to read this week, and I’ll be back here with new content starting Monday, August 17th!

Location: Colonial NHP, Jamestown, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:55pm

Transcription of marker: John Harvey served as a member of a royal commission investigating conditions in Virginia in 1624. As a reward, he received land at the east end of New Towne. There he probably built a residence and a wharf.

A temperamental sea captain, Harvey was twice charged with beating others–a servant for demanding his freedom and Richard Stephens, a councilman and frequent Harvey opponent.

When newly knighted Sir John Harvey returned as the new governor of Virginia in 1630, he acquired additional property, the former Governor Sir George Yeardley’s lot across Pitch and Tar Swamp and this prime New Towne lot. Here he built a fine house that often doubled as the statehouse during the 1630s.

Although the crown replaced Harvey as governor in 1639, his house continued in use as a statehouse through the 1640s and 1650s. When Sir William Berkeley arrived in 1642, it again doubled as a town residence for the governor. After Bacon’s rebels sacked and burned Jamestown in 1676, the house was rebuilt for a final time.

My impressions: I don’t know what is more surprising to me: a private home being used as a statehouse or the fact that it continued that way after the owner was no longer governor. I guess, thinking about it a little more, it is less surprising than it initially seems, because the governor was an appointed position at the time. I wonder if Governor Harvey returned to England after he was replaced. If so, he wouldn’t have needed it any longer, at least for a while. (I mean, he did leave in the 1920s and return to serve as governor.

I wonder what qualities there were that led the crown to decide that a “temperamental former sea captain” was suitable to govern the colony. Was his style a help or a hindrance? Or was he temperamental enough that the English were just as happy to see him on the other side of the ocean from them?

Location: Historic Jamestown, Colonial NHP, Jamestown, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:55pm

Transcription of marker: Although councilman Colonel Thomas Swann resided across the James River at his Swann Point plantation, he also leased a Jamestown tavern that provided accommodations to colonists who attended the assembly and courts, or had business in town.

Documents and excavation of a large brick foundation identify this structure as possible Col. Swann’s tavern. The elongated four-room ground floor was typical of such establishments. An abundance of bottle glass and a brass spigot from casks of beer or cider stored in the cellar, provide additional evidence of such use.

Because Col. Swann, nicknamed “ye greate toad,” advised the rebel Nathaniel Bacon, his Swann’s Point plantation remained undamaged during Bacon’s Rebellion. Charred timbers here, however, suggest that his tavern burned during the sack of Jamestown. Repaired by 1679, the tavern continued to operate along with the dozen others in the town.

My impressions: The first thing that started ringing bells from this marker for me is the name Nathaniel Bacon, because at about the time I was starting to snarf landmarks and log them on Markeroni (and later on this blog), my wife and I drove to a church retreat a couple of hours away. And on the way, we passed numerous historical markers. On the way home, I counted about a dozen. But because of distance, time, and the fact that we were driving another member of our congregation with us, we didn’t stop for any of them, but I definitely remember the odd-sounding title of Bacon’s Castle. So, while I expect I’ll learn more when we make our next trip that way and I’m able to read the marker, I also know what name to research should I want to learn more in the interim.

The other thing, related to that, is to think about the influence of being an insider. From the retelling on this marker, Swann was able to use his insider’s “pull” to keep his lands across the river safe from Bacon and his rebellion. But it also shows that the pull has limits, as the tavern here apparently burned. Some things seem to be with us forever, and insider influence seems to be one of them!

Location: Historic Jametowne, Colonial NHP, Jamestown, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:55pm

Transcription of marker: The remains of Jamestown now lie buried beneath the ground. Archeologists have unearthed some of the known town site, but the original foundations of structures would erode quickly if left exposed to wind, weather, and acid rain. The foundations have been reburied. The bricks you see here today are modern reproductions of the original foundations underneath.

My impressions: This is another case of good placement. The marker is as you are entering the park, so you learn this as you’re going in. In one sense, it’s disappointing not to be seeing the actual structures that were originally built there. But by explaining that upfront, I understood why that’s the case and was able to enjoy the site without the frustration that would have come if I’d found out later.

I also raise my eyebrow a bit at the specification of “acid rain.” I can understand that it would make rain more of a hazard than “plain old rain,” I found it a little distracting, especially when paired with wind and weather: natural phenomena. Because what I want to take away from this is a reminder that one has to be careful with irreplaceable historical artifacts. There’s the stereotypical image of somebody in an archives wearing gloves and gingerly handling old books and papers, but even the building materials here would disappear if re-exposed to nature’s whims. Although I guess “plain old rain” would be included under “weather,” making acid rain a different hazard…perhaps.

Location: Historic Jamestowne, Colonial NHP, Jamestown, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:45pm

Transcription of monument:

[north side]

Virginia Company
of London
Chartered April 10, 1606
Founded
Jamestown
and sustained
Virginia
1607 — 1624

[west side]

This monument
was erected by
the United States
A.D. 1907
to commemorate
the three hundredth
anniversary of
the settlement here

[south side, at same level as other engravings]

Jamestown
The first permanent
colony of the
English people
The birthplace of
Virginia
and of
the United States
– May 13 — 1607 -

[south side, on the base]

“Lastly and chiefly the way to prosper and achieve good success is to make yourselves all of one mind for the good of your country, and your own, and to serve and fear God, the giver of all goodness, for every plantation which our heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out.”

Advice of London Council for Virginia to the colony — 1606

[east side]

Representative
government in
America
began in the
first House of
Burgesses
assembled here
July 30, 1619

My impressions: This is a very tall and impressive monument. There seems to me to be something very American about the obelisk: I don’t recall any off the top of my head that I saw in Canada, but this is the third significant one I’ve seen in the U.S. (The other two were in my pre-snarfing days: the Washington Monument in Washington, DC and the Masonic monument to Washington in Alexandria, VA.) I don’t know what that says that the United States adopted the obelisk so often as a symbol.

Coming, as it does, as you are entering Historic Jamestowne, the monument is a great introductory reminder to how much history the place holds. It also challenged a bit of my faulty memories of history. I had it in my head that Nova Scotia was the birthplace of representative government in the British Empire, but the Internet tells me I’m mistaken. Nova Scotia saw the start of representative government in Canada, but that came in 1758, well over a century later than the establishment of the House of Burgesses here. (In fact, Nova Scotia celebrated the 250th anniversary of its establishment there just last year.)

It also awes me to see a monument like this and know that it was made early in the 20th century and that it was erected without all of the technology we have today. And to think of the number of hours it would have taken for all that lettering…what patience and dedication and craftsmanship!

Location: Historic Jamestowne, Colonial NHP, Jamestown, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:40pm

Transcription of marker:

George Yeardly arrived in Jamestown in 1610, was appointed captain of the guard, and eventually lieutenant governor. Later knighted and appointed governor of Virginia in 1618, he issued the Great Charter in 1619, establishing the first representative government in Virginia.

In 1620, Yeardly acquired a seven-and-a-quarter acre lot extending east from this location. A 1625 muster roll listed the members of Yeardly’s large household: Yeardly; his wife Lady Temperance Yeardly; their three children; and 24 servants, including three African men and five African women (eight of the first nine Africans documented at Jamestown). The muster also lists 50 cattle, 40 swine, and 11 goats and kids on Yeardly’s lot. In addition to three dwellings, Yeardly owned three boats — a barque, four-ton shallop, and skiff.

At this location, archaeologists excavated the brick foundations of a structure that may have been Yeardly’s. Scattered building materials along Back River suggest that two additional dwellings, perhaps for servants, may have been located at the eastern end of his lot.

My impressions: After writing about the markers on the Colonial Parkway, it’s nice to get to a marker that has a bit of meat to it. And after being in Yorktown, where Americans fought to gain control of their country from the British, it’s a bit of a start to remember that, oh yes, the British were in charge here. I like that this marker both explains who Governor Yeardly was as well as gives a link to the place you are standing when you see it.

It is also staggering to see a family of five requiring two dozen servants. It was a different age, that’s for sure! And more than 100 animals…well, I guess I can see how they would keep many servants busy, since that seems like the type of work a governor would not want to sully his hands with.

Notes for future snarfers: This marker is on the path behind the visitor center, after you’ve paid your admission or shown your National Parks pass.

Location: Colonial National Historic Pkwy, Williamsburg, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:30pm

Transcription of  marker: This modern road crosses to Jamestown about on line with a natural isthmus which existed in Colonial times. The sandy strip that made Jamestown a “semi-island” was washed away in the 1700’s.

My impressions: At last, we’re drawing near to Jamestown. It is interesting to see what water does to land, especially so close to the coast. Having spent most of my life considerably inland from the ocean, I’m not quite used to the divisions between land and water being quite so changeable as they are around here (even if I’m largely talking about events of hundreds of years ago). I also have to think: Don’t you think the word isthmus is a funny-sounding word? It certainly doesn’t roll off my tongue easily!

I’m also looking forward to this blog’s posts arriving at Historic Jamestowne. It was an interesting place to walk around, though my stamina gave out before I ran out of markers! A return trip is in the cards for the future, I’m sure.