Irving College

The impending closure of Sweet Briar College is an example of the impermanence of human institutions and arrangements. Single-sex higher education in the United States appears to be on its last legs. The utility of an all-female college is open to debate; however, no doubt, many of these institutions left lasting effects on individuals and communities. They provided opportunities for women at a time when higher education was dominated by males.

Surviving building of Irving College

Irving College, in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was one such institution. Opened in 1856, it was the first institution in the state to grant degrees in arts and sciences. With an average student population of about 100 students, the financial viability of the school must have always been tenuous. Irving finally closed in 1929 from the effects of the stock market crash and competition from co-ed institutions. Yet the impact on students and communities in Central Pennsylvania was tremendous. Its alumni gathered for reunions for the next sixty years; however, today there are very few who remain (if any). Only the trees and surviving buildings bear witness to the knowledge generated and passed on at this small college. Its records and photographs are stored at the Joseph T. Simpson Library in downtown Mechanicsburg.

Where Journeys Begin (and/or End)

For any traveler familiar with the United States, the iconic Route 66 instinctively draws us to exploration. The legendary “Mother Road,” which runs from Chicago to Santa Monica, winds its way through eight states and beckons us west. Its legendary status has inspired song, television and more important travelers. Its 2448 miles contains some of the most famous Americana sites that grace postcards and magazine articles.

Historical marker on
East Adams Street 

Although officially decommissioned in 1985, people and legend keep the memory of the road alive. On East Adams Street in Chicago, not far from Michigan Avenue, there is a marker that denotes the place where Route 66 began on its journey westward. With the better part of a day to kill in the city, I took a trip for which the route was not designed: I decided to walk the first part, or last depending on geographic persuasion (I note that several guides have a west-to-east orientation). I had limited expectations but decided that it might be the start of a new adventure and a goal.

As I turned the corner from Michigan Avenue onto East Adams Street. I saw a three-generation Asian family posing for photographs at the sign. The grandparents were taking turns holding the granddaughter while posing on an otherwise nondescript downtown street. The mother had a selfie stick, but I am not exactly sure what she was trying to accomplish with it. I waited for them to finish their various poses before snapping a photo myself and beginning my trip west.

Wearing my 1914 replica Cubs hat, which I calculate to be about 17 years old, and my hiking boots, I knew my journey would not be arduous. Yet I was trying to beat the threat of impending rain showers. I had gone no more than a block when a guy wearing a Cubs sweatshirt, talking on his cell phone and walking toward me pointed directly at me. He interrupted his conversation, and said emphatically, “Go Cubs!” It took me a moment to process what was going on, but chuckled afterwards when I thought to myself if this guy did that to every Cubs fan in downtown Chicago he would never finish his conversation.

Within the first quarter of a mile or so, there are a several classic Chicago business. At the corner of State Street the Palmer House Hotel and the Berghoff Restaurant hearken to an earlier time. The Berghoff is a classic German restaurant that rose to prominence during the Chicago Exposition of 1893. The bar/restaurant opened in 1898 and sandwiches were given away when patrons bought a mug of beer. The owner was advertising his brothers’ Dortmund-style beer which made in Indiana. Of course during Prohibition Berghoff was not allowed to sell its beer, but focused instead sold near-beer and root beer, which is still available today. After prohibition was repealed, the restaurant resumed the serving of beer and had liquor permit number 1 for the city of Chicago. These days the food and ambiance are the primary draws rather than the beer. Nevertheless, the place oozes nostalgia and history.

There are many people, more so than in years past, asking for spare change these days. A symptom of Chicago’s economic plight. As with many cities in the eastern half of the United States, the melted snow has revealed a great deal of trash and debris that has yet to be cleaned.

St Patrick Church with the statue "Grainne" in the foreground

Chicago is obviously a much newer than many cities on the east coast. The Great Fire of 1871 brings that point home more readily. Very few buildings survived the fire. One building that did survive is St. Patrick’s Church at 700 West Adams, at the corner of South DesPlaines. Built between 1852 and 1856, the church is closely associated with the Irish community in Chicago. Across DesPlaines, in Heritage Green Park, there is a statue of “Grainne” a gift from Chicago’s sister city Galway, Ireland.

As you near Ogden there are several small parks, where pick-up games of softball are still played on Sunday morning. Row houses, both new and old, occupy tree-lined blocks as you walk west out of the downtown section of Chicago. Epiphany Church, a congregation that appears to have fallen on hard times, is at the corner of Ashland and Adams. At Ogden Avenue within sight of the United Center (home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks), Route 66 took a left to head southwest out of the city and toward Springfield and points west. I, instead, made my way over the West Jackson Boulevard, which is one-way, heading east to return to the city. Turning back to the city, the Sears Tower, arguably the tallest building in the United States, becomes much more noticeable than when you are standing next to it.

I walked by the Bays English Muffin faculty and, even though it was closed on Sunday morning, there was a residual, pleasant smell of yeast in the air.

Neon sign at Athenian Candle Co. 

It is hard to observe classic Americana this near to Chicago; however, as you near downtown more odd and interesting places begin to pop up. One such place, at the corner of Halstead, is the Athenian Candle Company in Greek Town. The business opened in 1922 and served the liturgical needs of the Orthodox community throughout the United States. What makes the business noticeable to the traveler is the great signage and neon light that hangs on the corner.

The most iconic place along Jackson is Lou Mitchell’s, a restaurant and coffee shop that has been open since 1923. Located near Union Station, I got to the restaurant just as the Sunday brunch rush was starting. I got there just in time, after I was seated a substantial line formed to wait for tables. Because it was so busy, and I was by myself, I was seated at a communal counter with seven other people. It was a frenetic pace in the restaurant; I nursed a cup of coffee, advertised as the finest in town, while I waited to order. Waiting afforded me an opportunity to watch and observe. I was curious about several boxes lining the front window until I realized that they contained oranges for fresh-squeezed juice. I watched several orders of fresh doughnut holes go by. My server, who seemed befuddled by the rush, took my order and I had a leisurely lunch despite about chaos.

Lou Mitchell's on West Jackson

After lunch, I completed the walk ending, once again, at Michigan Avenue. My trip consisted of a total of 2.3 miles each way. I was a little disappointed that I did not even cover 0.1% of the entirety of Route 66. Nevertheless, as I walked along the streets of Chicago I thought about walking other portions of the fabled highway. The pleasures of trips considered.  

Old South Church

Old South Church is one of the famous building in the Copley Square area of Boston. The current structure dates from 1875; however, the congregation was formed in 1669. I made a visit to the church on the Saturday following Easter. It was one of the first nice days of spring after a tremendously difficult winter. The church was still decorated with Easter flowers and the sunlight shone brightly through the beautiful stained-glass windows.

The church is an example of the true meaning of sanctuary: some quiet time for myself; a respite for an unfortunate woman taking a nap in a pew. The quietness of such a large space is inspiring. While inside it is difficult to imagine that just a few feet away crowds of people hurrying and bustling through their busy lives on a Saturday afternoon. It was hard to remain absolutely silent, however, as the wooden floor creaked and groaned under the stress on my shoes as I walk around the church.

Among the parishioners of the church was Samuel Adams (1722-1803), a familiar name in Boston. The memorial to him reads: “To give his history at full length would be to give a history of the American Revolution.” The church was also near the finish line of the Boston Marathon and the church witnessed the tragic bombing that unfolded just two years before.

Rush-Bagot

Like every great capital city, Washington DC is a place of a number of monuments, statues and commemorations. Tourists flock to some of the most famous, often walking by interesting small and obscure monuments. One of my favorites is this small monument that denotes where the Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817, at the former site of the British Mission on L Street, was negotiated and signed. The treaty provided for the disarmament of the Great Lakes and paved the way for better relations between Great Britain (the colonial holder of Canada) and the United States in the aftermath of the War of 1812. Today, the treaty is still in effect between the United States and Canada and is seen as one of the great achievements of arms control.

Pan American Union Building

OAS Headquarters

One of my favorite buildings in Washington is prominent, but little recognized by most who visit the city. Sitting on the corner of 17th and Constitution, the Pan American Union Building is the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS). The organization is an intergovernmental organization whose 35 member states across the Western Hemisphere work together on peace, security, human rights and democracy. While it does not have the prominence of other organizations such as the United Nations, the OAS has a fascinating history and the building has been the site of several important meetings, including the first International Labour Conference in 1919. It is a history that goes largely unknown to many North Americans. As evidence, James Reston wrote in 1967: “The American People will do anything for Latin America except read about it.” 

The photograph of the dedication of the building

Built between 1908 and 1910, there are great photographs of the cornerstone being laid by 1908 and the dedication of the building in 1910.  There is a great photograph of President William Howard Taft and Andrew Carnegie, one of the benefactors of the building, planting a peace tree at the building’s inauguration. The tree still stands in the atrium of the building, beneath a huge skylight. The fascinating thing about the photograph is that the viewer’s eyes are drawn to the foreground where the towering Taft, resting on a spade, Carnegie, with his hands crossed in front of him, and the other dignitaries gaze into the camera; however, easily overlooked, and barely noticeable, are the four women, in big hats, on the stairs in the background.

The Peace Tree in the Atrium

The interior of the building is beautiful with marble and wood dominating the décor. In various places around the building historical markers denote the importance of the structure to the political and diplomatic history of the Americas. The Hall of Flags and Heroes contains the flags of all the member countries and statues of important historical and political figures from many. Adjacent is the hall of the Americas, where the most important meetings take place beneath Tiffany chandeliers and massive white columns. I have been attending meetings in the Hall of the Americas for over thirty years and it has never ceased to amaze and inspire me.  It is one of the best human-created spaces that I have visited.

As grand as the building, the small monuments around the building are just as fascinating. On the Northside of the building, a small statue honors Amerigo Vespucci. Slightly obscured by pine trees, a statue given by the government of Brazil depicts the prophet Daniel. 

More photographs from the OAS here.

  

The Prophet Daniel statue

Baseball 2015

It is the start of the baseball season – and hope springs eternal. There are many questions that loom for the baseball fan and traveler this year:

·         Since it is the year of the goat, will the Cubs finally break the seventy-year drought and return to the World Series? Even more intriguing is that some pundits believe that the Cubs will win the World Series in the first time in 107 years. There are signs, but it remains difficult to fathom.

·         Will this be the penultimate year professional baseball will be played at Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown, Maryland? Although there have been promising signs before, there appears to be some movement to retain the team for the future.

·         Will we soon be able to see baseball in Cuba? The prospect that the United States and Cuba will restore diplomatic relations has generated several stories when professional baseball was last played in Cuba. 

·         Wither the Pawtucket Red Sox? 

·         Will professional baseball return to Montreal?

Another season to explore, travel, have fun, and learned.