10 posts tagged “rensselaer”
I got my butt moving today and did something. I went out and found a geocache. I hunted two. The micro outsmarted me. I found the ammo box and got Paddy the Bear TB moving. I walked a little around north of downtown, taking pictures of the library, power plant and Hal Gray Park, which has a gazebo built in memorial to the original school house that stood on those grounds. I would've known this sooner had I thought to move the trash barrel to discover the dedication tablet before today!
Tomorrow I'll be able to get my boys back and get moving back down to Florida, starting in the afternoon. It's a long road but I'm looking forward to it! Time to go home!
Siiiiick. Yesterday was just full of sick and sleep.
I did venture out in the evening and I can tell you, without any doubt, that there is nothing Scenic At Night in Rensselaer. I am happy that I get to wear my red suede parka and my white suede boots.
On Day 4, I've had my caramel latte and I'm fixing to gather myself up to go photograph something. My fever will not have me attending the Lafayette event but I can still move around town and get some shots.
I am really looking forward to starting back home on Sunday!
I did not geocache today. I started, but my first stop was a "pile of sticks" micro and I lost interest in 30°F weather after two minutes at ground zero. So, let's save it for a day when my heart's in it. From that point, I crossed the Iroquois River into Weston Cemetery to seek out the two remaining zinc headstones for waymarking. I found them easily. Both are marked with Detroit Bronze Co. Detroit Mich. text in the rear righthand corner of the monument. The morning light was gorgeous in the cemetery!
Then I took a nap! This cold is still kicking my butt. I've stayed inside for the rest of the day, venturing out to get dinner. I'd like to be healthy for the drive home so if I don't get as much done during these days, it'll be fine as long as I'm good as new on Sunday.
I'm writing Rensselaer Day 1 post this morning instead of last night because I went to bed early last night. I didn't do much yesterday. I'm still resting off this cold. I'm doing it with the help of all the OTC feel goods featured above, including some orajel to help with the tooth pain caused by the sinus pressure.
I had to go out in search of a CF card reader and when I did, I photographed the new historical marker downtown and took the shots I needed for the crap haunted story about the cemetery across from my hotel. The claim is that the statue moves. It obviously doesn't and there's a spotlight on it all night so you can see it doesn't move ever. What's more disturbing is that Shadowlands has this thing described as a statue of a saint when it's a statue of Jesus. Shadowlands never updates the website to remove places that aren't haunted and the stories are just bogus. I can't begin to tell you how many places have inaccurate or outdated information about their history and use. The statue was vandalised. The right hand was broken off and stolen. This just proves that the living are more dangerous than the dead.
Most people are celebrating Thanksgiving today so, if you are, Happy Thanksgiving. My family celebrated last Sunday so today is just an odd day where barely anything is open. I think I'll go geocaching.
We arrived in Rensselaer at 4pm. I've got a room not too unlike the one that I had before, so I'll just repost that picture (Just imagine it smaller):
Things look pretty much the same in the area. I went to the CVS in town and got some medicine so hopefully I'll be able to go around a bit while I'm here. It was quite a task getting here with this cold beating on me. Michael's got a nastier bug that includes a fever... but there's just no way that he can't show up for this visitation. It's a shame. I can't wait to get these kids back home.
Daily Costs: Fuel $26, Hotel $51, Food $9. Total: $86
Total Trip Leg Cost: $216
Rensselaer Days 1 - 5 Hotel Cost: $255
I met Assistant Chief Kenneth "Kenny" Haun, Jr. at the station. By his lonesome, he pulled out Engine (Pumper) 1 and Aerial 1 for me to photograph. It was another gorgeous clear, but cold, day. I also photographed the interior of the station with the multitude of photographs, memoriabilia, trophies, artwork and honours adorning the walls.
The original fire station was located in the two-story section of the City Hall. The upper level was an apartment for a volunteer firefighter. Whoever resided in that apartment would be responsible for calling the other volunteers to a fire and hooking up the horses to the fire carriage, getting it ready to go. Kenny's uncle was that firefighter. Now, by Kenny's day, the horses were no longer in use but the apparatus was still kept in front of the building along Van Rensselaer, across from the Jasper County Courthouse. The fire station didn't move until 1976, when the new building along Cullen was constructed, but it's still in the Courthouse square vicinity. Since firefighting with the Rensselaer Volunteer Fire Department is literally in his blood, the Assistant Chief had a lot of information to share.
Kenny brought me to the warehouse by the water tower, where the antique apparatus, as well as numerous other items that they've squirrelled away, are kept. I photographed the carriage, their first gasoline-powered engine, and many other antique items.
After appreciating the old, he took me to see the new: the Mitchell Training Facility. It's mentioned on the Fire Department's page of the City of Rensselaer website. The Assistant Chief had a major role in the design and construction of the live fire training facility and all the volunteers are constantly brainstorming to create simulations of different fire and rescue situations. The department does not provide Emergency Medical Service, but it does provide rescue when needed. Currently under construction is a training tower that ought to be ready to burn in a few more weeks.
The property for the Mitchell Training Facility was donated by a Chicago firefighter's widow and hometown resident of Rensselaer. She had six lots and sold them to the department for $1 under the condition that the property only be used for fire department-related activity. It was this generous gift that allowed the department to build their training facility, which they had been fundraising hard for. The training facility is named after this good-hearted widow and her departed husband.
I really could not have asked for a better tour guide than Kenny Haun.
Later in the day, I stopped into City Hall for a photo op of the Mayor and also to pick up Kenny's business card. Since the Mayor of Rensselaer is the most open and friendly public official I have met - and this includes the previous leader of the category, Florida's Lee County Commissioner Bob Janes - getting his portrait was no problem... once we got him to stand still. He has more energy than my eight year-old! Kenny, who is also the City's Building Commissioner, invited me to a meeting at the fire house this evening. He said that it would be a good opportunity to take more photographs, especially of the men in gear.
He was right on all counts except for the light. Dusk was harsh tonight because of the approaching rain. The cloud cover brought darkness before it should have so my light was compromised. I still got good shots of the crew in front of Aerial 1. I got done in record time. I did have more ideas but they will have to wait for another time... hopefully with better light (and a warmer season!). I knew I was welcome to stay for the meeting but I thought it was better to grab some dinner and talk to Michael and Eddie back at the hotel.
I returned to the hotel, ate dinner, tended to my photos and spoke to my boys. Tomorrow they should be brought back to my parents' house and then brought here to Rensselaer. Weather permitting, I will take them down to see the Lourdes Grotto at St. Joseph's College and then we're on our way back to Florida.
I do have a telephone appointment with someone from the Historical Society in the morning. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to go to the hospital or just call her room. I think I'm going to call her room to ask my questions. I'm really not comfortable bothering someone when they're laid up in the hospital, even though I know hospitals can be so boring that an interview isn't an intrusion. Still, I'm not a reporter. I'm a photographer and curious person.
Here are some of the shots from today, more is available on my Flickr:
Today was gorgeous weather! I went back down to St. Joseph's College and took a proper shoot of the Chapel and grounds. The Welcome Center/Admissions Office gave me advice and a map, and the Dean's Office was very helpful and friendly. I also captured images of the old Drexel Hall, now it's been renovated and repurposed for the Rensselaer Adult Learning Center. I suppose there goes all the claims that it's haunted and priests become "furious" if you mention the chapel within the hall.
On the way back, I stopped at the Jasper County Airport and got a few shots of the field.
Wanting to know if there were any zinc headstones in the local cemeteries without having to walk them for hours on end, I stopped by Rensselaer Monument, just down the road from my hotel. If anyone should know what I'm talking about, it will be the people who work in the industry. Rensselaer Monument has been owned and operated by the Woolley family since 1976. They were an incredible family who operated a very friendly and professional shop. Ross Woolley cited knowing of a zinc headstone in a nearby town. His son thought that there might be one in Weston Cemetery, which is near downtown, so I headed off to Weston Cemetery right away. Sure enough, I found it.
What worried me was that the groundskeeper didn't know what a zinc headstone was and outright said, "I wouldn't know one if I saw one." How can you properly clean one if you don't know what you've got? Well, that aside, it's a beautiful cemetery. Both the new and old sections are well-kept. The old section has platts that are erratically scattered, which is typical, but the shade provided by the towering fir trees made a beautiful landscape on the hill. The zinc headstone is marking the grave of two people: a Julia M. King and her infant son, Charles F. King.
I returned to my room after that to start organising photos and make phone calls. I have an appointment with Assistant Chief Kenny Haun of the Rensselaer Volunteer Fire Department at 9:30 tomorrow morning to photograph the vehicles. It shouldn't take too long.
Here are more images from Day 4:
This statue of Christ at the Garden of Gethsamen is inside a cave at the Lourdes Grotto on the St. Joseph's College Campus in Rensselaer, Indiana. It was cold today but bearable until the wind kicked up. My stay was brief thanks to my very low tolerance of cold, but St. Joseph's College is an incredible place to walk around. The Lourdes Grotto depicts one of the eighteen moments in France when St. Bernadette saw the Blessed Virgin Mary and compliments the moment with a stone archway, waterfalls and koi ponds, with an altar in the center. The grotto was built over 100 years ago by a semarian of the college. If you walk beyond the Lourdes Grotto, you begin the outdoor display of the Stations of the Cross, which are constructed on a circular path so Station 12 brings you to Station 1. There are many benches and little seating areas, everything with a dedication plate on it to remind visitors of a loved one, former student, or friend of the college. One of the stones used as a dedication stated my life motto:
Past the college was a small cemetery called Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery, hosting a humble 100, if that, devoted Catholics. The grounds took a sudden steep decline, at the top of which was a sign:
I have to tell you, it would be a righteous sledding hill. I'd have to imagine that those resting would appreciate that fact. At the bottom of the decline was a small area platted for additional graves which have not been occupied, yet. In the center is an etched memorial stone for St. Katherine Drexel.
The firefighters weren't "home" so I took photographs of the outside and hope the weather cooperates tomorrow so I can return to take some vehicle and firefighter shots if someone is at the firehouse then. The old Rensselaer Carnegie Library, now the Carnegie Center, was a great experience. The main floor had an exhibition from the Senior Portfolio of St. Joseph's College. The work was spectacular and they allowed photography of the pieces. I have been careful to note the artists of the works that I've photographed when posting to flickr. The lower level was the offices of the Jasper Foundation, which is a charitable organisation that helps philanthropists donate to local programs that support the community. I spoke with Executive Director Linda Reiners, who was very friendly and informative about the history of the building.
I got some of the perspective shots of farms that my mother wanted, but I'm not sure she'll be pleased with them. I'll take more before the week is done but I hope she understands that I've done the best I can with the farms in the area.
My hotel decided to stain the coat rack and bathroom door in my room. It was a project for all the rooms, and I was assured that the smell would be minimal and I would not have to take my clothes from the room. The smell was horrible, even before they returned the door. I expect a refund for this day. She said I didn't have to take out my clothes or leave. I had left for part of the day and it was still a nauseating experience dealing with these fumes. In fact, the room still smells and I've had the window open and the bathroom fan running for hours. I can't sleep with the window open in freezing weather on the first floor of a hotel in a strange town.
Here are more shots of St. Joseph's College, the Rensselaer Carnegie Library, and the firehouse:
I went to Mass Sunday morning, which I'm officially referring to as Day 1 of the Rensselaer Days, at St. Augustine off McKinley Avenue. I did not get to meet the priest, but many of the parishoners were very friendly and welcoming. The organisation of the Church itself is welcoming to visitors, with informative pamphlets posted inside at every entrance. I walked away with a magnet, a bookmark and a prayer card. The grounds seem humble for a parish that dates back to 1883. The Rosary (The Glorious Mysteries) was prayed by the priest and many parishoners in between the 7:30 and 10 o'clock Mass, led by a woman in the choir balcony. What struck me the most was that the confessionals had red and green lights on them; that must be so convenient!
Afterwards, I went on my waymarking spree of the World War I memorial in Memorial Park (Flat Iron), James Van Rensselaer's grave outside the First Presbyterian Church, the City Hall, the Jasper County Courthouse, General Milton's memorial, and all the particulars on all those grounds. I met Dr. Robert Berland, of the Couey trial. Couey kidnapped, raped and murdered Jessica Lunsford. I was not in a murder-case frame of mind so when he first mentioned Couey, I didn't know what he was talking about! That was embarassing.
On Day 2, today, I returned to the Rensselaer City Hall to take interior pictures. There wasn't a marker posted outside detailing when the original building was constructed so I assumed it would be inside. I photographed the markers that were available, none of them the original that I was looking for, and then asked the police department, who occupy the original City Hall building next door. They directed me towards the Mayor's Office. So, today, I met Mayor Herbert Arihood as I was wearing blue jeans and a sweatshirt. Understand that I wasn't expecting to meet anyone. I was just going to quickly take a few images of plaques on the interior of the building. I didn't even bring a business card with me. I explained waymarking and what contributions I was making to the website and he provided me with information that I could quote him on. Mayor Arihood is a member of the Historical Society and I feel comfortable calling his office or emailing him with any more questions that I may have during my stay.
Unfortunately, Rensselaer's rich history is more available for sale under copyright than it is offered freely on the internet. I cannot impress enough the importance of having historical information readily available through internet searches. Providing people with instant access to information is worth more than any royalties. As a moral position, I believe history belongs to everyone who wishes to know it; and while a historian is more than welcome to publish materials in a book for sale, the same information should be easily accessible for free on the internet.
Here are images from Day 1 & 2:
We left Cave City, KY at 8am and arrived in Rensselaer at 1pm. The time zone fluctuated between Central and Eastern so my times are all Eastern.
We had time to run back to Sayler Makeever Cemetery to get the micro geocache hidden there, run some audio and take photos. It was cold and the wind made it worse, but the road was solid and the ground was firm enough. The cemetery is amazing.
We got to McDonald's at the same time as my mother and she bought us lunch. She's also giving me $100 when she brings the boys back so I can make it home. I said I was short. I won't worry about getting home now but I look forward to losing some weight this week!
The hotel I'm staying at is a small, family-run operation that's clean and reasonably priced. I'm across from the big cemetery and a mile down the road from Rensselaer's historic district. I didn't feel like doing anything today after I'd done the Sayler Makeever Cemetery. I want to rest and I'll get to waymarking and photography tomorrow after Mass. I have until Friday.
My mother is taking Michael and Eddie to see Horton Hears a Who and she's spoiling them as usual. I told them not to take advantage of my parents since my kids tend to ask for the moon and, being proper grandparents, my parents will give it to them. Their father should pick them up tomorrow at noon and drop them back to my parents' house on Friday at noon. Here's hoping it's all uneventful.
My father-in-law is a piece of work. That's all I'll really say about that since his huffing and puffing doesn't change anything, but it's just irritating. I'm thankful that Tom is handling all that now.
The totals for this leg of the trip:
Yesterday's total of hotel, food and fuel: $187
Today's expenses: food - $8, fuel - $25; Total travel expenses for today: $33
Total northbound trip: $220
My six-day hotel stay cost $285 and food will average $25. I've already eaten today at 0 cost, thanks to my mother.
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