Shown here is the actual petition for membership of Brother James Buchanan, written in his own hand, dated 1816! It reads: “To the Worshipful Master, Wardens, and Brethren of Lodge No. 43 Ancient York Masons, The petition of the subscriber respectfully showeth that having long entertained a favourable opinion of your ancient institutions, he is…
Category: History
The Life of Mary McDonald
Mary McDonald was born on November 14, 1770 in Frogtown (near Norristown). When Mary was 4 years old, her mother died. She was then sent to live with the family of Rees Howell as a bound servant. Howell had a farm situated on the road between Gulph Mills and Valley Forge. In mid December, 1777,…
Gothic Hall
While The Masonic Temple in Philadelphia is gorgeous, there were several other grand Masonic edifices in the city prior to its construction. Once such building was the 1855 Masonic Hall, which was consumed by fire. Remnants of that building can still be found in today’s Temple. For instance, the seats in Gothic Hall were actually…
Sea Story Saturday: Admiral Halsey
Admiral William Halsey, who once said “I never trust a fighting man who doesn’t smoke or drink,” was not a supporter of the Navy’s ban on alcohol on ships. During WWII, he requisitioned 100 gallons of bourbon so that flight surgeons could issue shots to his pilots. h/t – US Naval Institute
The Steagles
71 years ago today, with World War II underway and 640 NFL players serving leaving a number of teams with depleted rosters, the NFL approved The Pittsburgh Steelers – Philadelphia Eagles merger.While the league’s official record book refers to the team as the “Phil-Pitt Eagles-Steelers Combine,” the unofficial nickname that would stick was “The “Steagles.”
The face of George Washington
This was the face of the living, strong George Washington in 1785. A French sculptor was commissioned to make a full size statue of him for the state capitol in Richmond, VA. He wanted to get the face right, so he made this. He put goose quills in George’s nostrils so he could breathe, and…
On This Day: BMW’s logo
On this day 10th day of December, 1917 – BMW’s Trademark, a circular blue and white BMW, called a “roundel”, was submitted for registration at the Imperial Patent Office in Germany.
Admiral Howe was quite the cheeky fellow
On this day in 1776, George Washington refuses to accept a letter from British Admiral Richard Howe. The admiral and his brother, General William Howe, were attempting to contact Washington without recognizing the legitimacy of his military title. Of course, what they really meant is that they did not accept the legitimacy of the American…
D-Day: God Bless the Greatest Generation
76 years ago today..They didn’t ask for safe spaces.They didn’t ask for therapy dogs.They didn’t cry about how it wasn’t fair. They didn’t give two shits about political correctness. They ran towards danger.They smiled in the face of hardship.They fought. For you.For me. A bunch of them didn’t come home.A bunch of them never saw…