#Homestead Iowa

[uniqueartisanconnoisseur]

The Die Heimat Country Inn

What is better than a stay at the Die Heimet Country Inn and attending the grand opening of the amazing Homestead Folk Art Museum? The grand opening was on April 7th, at the museum, where visitors learned about the cultural heritage of the Amana Colonies. The Die Heimat Country Inn, and the Folk Art Museum are located next door to each other right on the main street in the town of Homestead…

[arlana-likes-to-write]

Lightning Bug - Chapter 27

Masterlist

Warnings: nightmare, mention of death and cannon typical violence, grief, lots of grief, Wanda needs a hug and she gets one lol

Note: there is a point in the story where the reader speaks Sokovian, those words are italicized

Word count: 4.8k

“Cooper!” You shirked as the eldest Barton wrapped his arms around you. It was the perfect setup for Nate to tag you and declare you were it. Cooper was quick to let you go and run off. You huffed, wiped the sweat off your forehead, and chased after him. Being back at the Barton homestead was refreshing. You were worried about being there without the buffer of Kate or Yelena, but when you hugged Laura and Clint, you fell into an easy routine. You were quick to jump into a game with the three Barton kids. Nate decided on a game of tag, which you’ve never played, and watched the other kids. Their laughter and smiles made you jealous. Now, it was your laughter that echoed on the Barton’s land while you chased after Cooper. He was fast, but you were faster, especially with the training Maria put you through. You tagged him with ease. The momentum caused you to tag him a little hard, and he fell to the ground. Cooper flipped onto his back. “Oops,” you said. “Sorry.” His chest was heaving, and he used his forearm to block out the sun.

“I forgot,” he took a deep breath and let it out. “I forgot Dad said you were training with Maria and Yelena. This game is unfair.” You giggled and held out your hand to help him, but he refused and stood up alone. There were pieces of grass in his hair.

“Blame it on Nate then,” you smiled. “This was his ideal.” He shook his hair to remove the grass and put his arm over your shoulders.

“You are different than the last time you were here,” you kicked a rock on the ground and nodded. You were different, but it was good. Sometimes, you liked to sit and compare who you were when Natasha found you to who you are now. You felt stronger, more confident in your ability, and happier to be alive. You were in a dark mindset when you first lived on the streets. The crushing guilt of what happened to your parents lay heavy on your chest. The scars left by your father made you feel ugly. You were desperate to feel anything but pain. “It’s a good different,” Cooper continued. “It seems like I’m seeing the real you.”

“Yeah,” you said. “I feel free.”

“Good. Now,” he smiled. “Want to help me tag Nat?”

“Oh, 100%”

*

Natasha loved Iowa. Every time she visited the Barton Homestead, she found another reason to love this place. This beautiful place she was lucky to call a second home. This time, it was Y/n’s laughter. The sound seemed to travel for miles and miles. It was unguarded, light, and beautiful. She sipped on some lemonade Laura made and sat on the porch. It’s the perfect spot to watch the Barton kids and her own. Her kid. The blue-eyed, terrified teen she met at Annie’s was her and Wanda’s. Finally, it would be a few more weeks as the courts proceed with the paperwork. The lawyers Tony hired said the process would be smooth sailing, especially with the lack of documentation her biological parents failed to submit. They did advise that a court appearance may be necessary, but she wasn’t worried about that. Natasha didn’t need a judge to declare Y/n as her daughter. She was without the legal bullshit.

“It’s like a complete 180 with her,” Clint said. “I know you said she’s opened up more, but I almost had a heart attack when she hugged me,” Natasha chuckled.

“You are so dramatic,” Laura said. She and Wanda were sitting in the rocking chairs on the porch. “She gives perfect hugs. I was surprised by that.” Natasha glanced over her shoulder to see Wanda smile.

“She does, and she puts her whole body into it,” there were moments that took Natasha by surprise—these moments made her heart flutter and her stomach drop as she fell more in love with Wanda. Watching her care so intensely for the young girl repeatedly made her fall in love with her.

“Cooper!” The sound of Y/n’s shirk brought her back to the game of tag. The eldest Barton wrapped his arms around her so Nate could easily tag her.

“I think that’s my cue to start dinner,” Laura said.

“I’ll help you,” Wanda followed her into the house. Natasha leaned back on her hands and watched Y/n chase down Cooper until Clint gently slapped her leg.

“The way you look at Wanda makes me sick. Like your eyes turn into hearts,” Natasha rolled her eyes. “I didn’t know that was possible.”

“Shut up,” she mumbled, feeling her cheeks flush. “Now you know how Maria and I felt all those years watching you pin over Laura,” she flicked the man’s forehead. “Now that was disgusting.”

“You’re an asshole,” the Black Widow shrugged. Clint glanced at the house to make sure no one was around. “When are you going to ask her to marry you?” The question, though simple, caused the Black Widow to freeze as if someone injected ice through her veins. “I mean, come on, Nat, you guys have a kid together, and I know you’ve been looking at properties away from the city. What’s stopping you?” Again, it was a simple question, but it scared her. They had years together and faced more dangers than an average couple would face. Maybe it was fear that she would say no. Rationally, Natasha knew that was ridiculous, but she held back.

“I don’t know,” she ran her hand through her head. She was on the fence about dying it again. “What if she says no?” Her voice was so soft and sounded so small that she barely recognized it. It sounded stupid to say aloud, and she expected Clint to laugh, but he didn’t. Instead, he placed a hand on her shoulder; there was a look of understanding in his eyes.

“Then I’ll slap her,” he deadpanned. “Witchy powers or not, you were my friend first,” the mental image of Clint trying to fight Wanda pulled a laugh out of the Black Widow. “I know this won’t ease your anxiety overnight, but she won’t say. Hell, whoever is patient enough to put up with your stubborn ass deserves the biggest diamond,” Natasha punched him on the shoulder.

When the Sokovian first joined the team, Natasha only interacted with her during training. She was still shaken up by what she was forced to relive. A part of her wanted never to trust Wanda again. She was too dangerous and unpredictable, and her powers were out of control. One night, Natasha made her way to the roof of the compound; she needed fresh air to clear her mind from the nightmare. It seemed that nightmares weren’t only affecting her. Wanda was up there, wrapped in a blanket, and her feet dangled off the roof’s edge. Natasha could have left, never walked over to her, and started a conversation, but she sat beside her. They talked about nothing and everything until the sun came up.

Still, she kept her feelings for her to herself, never crossing that line from friends to something more. Everything came unrevealing until Ross went to the compound and threatened Wanda’s safety. The fear of losing Wanda pushed her to tell her everything. It was messy; she stumbled over her words, and Wanda kissed her to force her to stop talking.

“Hi,” Y/n’s sudden appearance broke her out of her thoughts. The girl’s face was bright red from running around, beads of sweat dripped down her forehead, but the smile on her face was the best part.

“Hi, sweetheart. Are you having fun?” She nodded her head.

“I am,” she said. “I was wondering if you knew when dinner would be ready or if I could grab a snack. I’m a little hungry,” she scratched her head awkwardly. Natasha smiled. It was a nice change of pace, especially when she knew how avoidant the teen was asking for help, even food.

“Laura and Wanda are in the kitchen right now, but I bet if you go in there and ask, they’ll give you something small,” the young girl said, bouncing on her feet and hugging Natasha. No matter how many hugs Natasha received from the teen, they’ll always be special. Wanda was right. She hugged with her whole body. It ended when Natasha felt a hand on her back, and the girl jumped out of her arms.

“Tag,” she spun around to see Cooper running off. “You’re it, Nat!” The Black Widow turned back to face Y/n, who was backing away with a smile.

“Your senses could use some work, all Mighty Black Widow,” she teased. It took a moment for Natasha’s brain to catch up and piece together what happened. She was set up, and Y/n was the bait. She was never tagged in all her years of playing tag with the Bartons. Some may say it was ridiculous, but she had a reputation to protect.

“Get back here, you traitor!” Natasha jumped up and raced after the teen. Maria was doing a great job at training her. She was fast, but Natasha was the Black Widow she wouldn’t lose to a kid. One final sprint, she trapped the girl in a hug. “That was smart,” Natasha admitted. “Using a hug to distract me, whose idea was that?” She began to tickle her sides.

“M-mine!” The teen laughed. “Nat, stop! Stop!” Natasha almost refused, loving the sound of her laughter, but she did. Y/n fell to the ground, rolling onto her back. “You are fast.”

“I got a few years on you, kid,” she held out her hand, and Y/n took it to stand up. “Keep training, and you’ll be faster than me.” She smiled and leaned against Natasha.

“I like it here,” she said.

“Yeah?” The teen nodded. “Would you like a house like the Barton’s one day?” Natasha watched her look around the land.

“Maybe one day. I like living in the tower. Everyone is there, you know?” Natasha nodded. She understood that. Her sister and the rest of the team that became her family were there. It would be hard not to see them all the time.

*

You woke up with a start. It felt like you were falling, and you woke up before you hit the ground. You were having a sleepover with Lila, sleeping on an air mattress on her floor. Slowly, you sat up and tried not to wake her as you stood up and left her room. You were thirsty, but your legs and arms shook as you walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. But the downstairs wasn’t empty; Natasha was sitting at the counter with a laptop and a glass of whiskey. She took her eyes off the screen when she heard you. “Hey, dorogoy, are you okay?” Were you shaking that much that she could notice?

“Uh yeah,” you cleared your throat. “I had a weird dream and came down for some water.”

“Here sit. I’ll grab you some,” you nodded and sat in the empty seat next to hers. It was hard not to glance at what she was looking at on her computer. Rings. Engagement rings. Your eyes widened quickly, and you looked forward. Natasha placed a glass of water and a chocolate chip cookie before you. “Do you want to talk about your dream?” You downed the glass of water and waited for Natasha to refill it.

“I don’t remember it,” you whispered, picking at the cookie. “I just felt like I was falling and woke up before hitting the ground.” You glanced at Natasha; her green eyes, full of kindness and understanding, were staring at you. “Do you have nightmares?” She nodded, gently taking your hand in hers. You liked the feeling of them, rough and covered in callouses.

“I do,” she admitted. “They aren’t as frequent, but every now and again, one will sneak up on me.”

“How do you get them to stop?” You questioned, your voice cracked at the end of the sentence.

“Time,” Natasha answered. “It’s a cliche line, but as time passes, we are able to cope with the things we did in our past - the people we’ve hurt and those who’ve hurt us,” Time. It was always time. Even Yelena said the same thing to you. But you were tired of your past hurting you. You wanted it to stop. Sighing, you sat back in the chair and glanced at the computer again.

“Are you going to ask Wanda to marry you?” The sudden change in conversation caused Natasha’s eyes to widen. “I mean, unless you have another girlfriend, I don’t know about,” a smile tugged at her lips. “I’m guessing the rings you are looking at are for her.” The Black Widow slowly nodded. A warm feeling filled your body and pushed away the dark thoughts of your nightmare. “Oh my god!” you slammed your hands down on the countertop and cringed slightly at the noise. “When are you going to ask her? Holy shit! This is so exciting!” You were vibrating in your seat. Natasha laughed.

“I haven’t even picked out a ring yet.”

“Can I help?” You asked slowly. Natasha smiled but nodded her head. It was how you found yourself next to Natasha on the couch, scrolling through various ring websites. None stood out to you. You hadn’t known Wanda for long, but a few things came to mind when you thought about her. She wasn’t one to wear a lot of jewelry so that she might prefer something on the smaller side. You knew she cared deeply about her family and the team. Wanda was kind, caring, and compassionate. Maybe she would like something that represents all those things.

“Wait,” you said suddenly. “Go back up.” Natasha scrolled up, and you pointed to a diamond ring. It was a three-stone diamond engagement ring. The description said that the two smaller pear-shaped diamonds framed the center gem. The center diamond was shaped like a square, but the website called it a Princess Diamond. You weren’t sure why it was called that, but you weren’t a professional. “I like that one.”

“Yeah? Why is that?” Natasha questioned. Your head rested on her shoulder, and you shrugged. You weren’t sure why you were drawn to it.

“I don’t know,” you said. “But there are three diamonds and three of us, so I think that’s why I like it.”

*

Now it was your turn to be up at night with Natasha’s laptop and the missing people’s name folder. It was another long day with the Bartons, playing Just Dance with Lila and a session of archer practice with Clint. However, your mind had yet to stop thinking about these people. So you brought the notebook you got from Lucia’s and wanted to write down everything you could find on them then…well, you weren’t sure. That part of the plan was still to be determined. There wasn’t much on them. No one cared to keep a record of who these people were after they became homeless.

But you found an article from 2012 published a few months after the Battle of New York. The article mentioned Ava Davis and Noah Rodriquez - childhood best friends turned business partners. They opened a fitness center that created personalized plans tailored to each individual’s needs. However, when Loki invaded the city, they lost everything. The fitness center was destroyed in the fight, and Ava’s girlfriend (recently turned fiance) was killed. They fell off the map until Lucia reported them missing.

You chewed on the end of your pen as you stared at the article and the summary you wrote. It was sad; your heart hurt for them. The city was in shambles after the battle; businesses were destroyed, and countless lives were lost. You remembered your father talking about it, saying the Avengers were working with the Devil. Sighing, you took a sip of the tea you made. It was no longer warm. “What are you doing up?” You yelped at the sudden voice. “Oops, sorry,” Clint laughed and poured himself a cup of coffee from the cold pot.

“You,” you placed a hand over your heart. “You gave me a heart attack.” You were taking a few deep breaths to calm the organ beating against your ribs.

“It’s my house. I didn’t expect to see you up!” He defended. That was fair, but you shrugged and returned to typing on the computer. “So what are you doing at this hour? You need sleep.” You were leaving tomorrow, which made you sad. But telling Clint wouldn’t hurt, right? Maybe.

“Someone I used to know before I moved into the tower told me a few people have missing people who have lived on the streets,” you clarified. “She’s reported it to the police, but they don’t care about people like me,” you saw a flash of anger pass through Clint’s eyes. “So I thought I’d use Avenger resources to find them.”

“Does the team know about this case you are working on?” You nodded.

“Tony got me the list of names from NYPD, and I told Pepper.”

“Any luck?” He moved around the counter and sat down next to you.

“Nothing on current whereabouts. It’s not like we can get our hands on cellphones, so tracking them through cellphone towers is out of the question,” you bite the end of your pen. “I thought about using facial recognition through Overwatch when I get back,” you looked at Clint, and he was looking at you. You couldn’t place the emotion on his face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You are just really good at this,” he said. “I’m just surprised.” You shrugged.

“I read a lot,” you mumbled. “I like a good crime novel.” Clint smiled. “So, do you have any ideas?” He pulled the file before him and flipped through the few pages.

“Well, if you can’t find them now, find the connection in their pass. If you believe these people are being taken, the answer is there. Find the connection between the individuals, which may lead you to who took them,” Clint explained.

“Find the connection,” you repeated. “Thank you! I’ll see what I can find.”

“Be careful,” he said, finishing his drink. “Don’t search for these people by yourself if it comes to that,” you nodded. “I’m serious,” he stood up and cleaned the mug he used. “What you are doing is honorable, but it can turn dangerous, and the last thing I need is an angry Black Widow and Scarlet Witch to come knocking on my door because you got hurt from my advice.” You laughed.

“I promise,” you said. “If I get a lead, I’ll hand it to the professionals.” He ruffled your hair.

“Smart kid. Get some sleep. From what I’ve heard, you have a bus for a couple of days,” you frowned. Natasha and Wanda refused to tell you the rest of the plans for the trip. “Night kiddo.”

“Night, Clint, and thank you again,” he gave you a salute and walked in the direction of his room. Find the connection. Find the connection. You began searching for other news articles, employment records, and rental leases. Every name you researched sent you down a rabbit hole that you followed. They were all different, all coming from different walks of life. One person spent some time in Lagos. Another was a teacher from California. But the one thing they had in common was the Avengers destroyed their livelihood. They lost businesses, family members, and loved ones in battles that the Avengers fought in. What was going on?

*

Saying goodbye to the Bartons was more complicated the second time than the first. A part of you was reluctant to leave, but you left with Cooper and Lila’s phone number in the new phone you got as a birthday present and a promise to text them all the time. So you loaded back onto the small jet and waved goodbye to them through the window. When you were at a safe altitude, you unbuckled your seat belt and walked over to the cockpit, standing between Natasha and Wanda. “So,” you dragged out the word. “Where are we going?” Natasha chuckled and shook her head.

“We are going to St. Petersburg to visit my parents. They’ve been very excited to meet you,” your eyebrows shot up to your hairline. No one was excited to meet you. You saw Natasha glance at Wanda, who was oddly quiet. She seemed lost in her head, a million miles away. Natasha placed a hand on her thigh. “They are eccentric,” she continued. “Just letting you know.” You hummed, but your attention was on the witch.

“Hey, Wands,” your voice pulled her out of her head. “Can you do my hair? Lila gave me some beads to put in it.”

“Yeah,” she forced a smile. “Of course I can.” You moved to the side so she could walk past you.

“Thank you,” Natasha whispered. You nodded and squeezed her shoulder. Wanda was sitting down with a hairbrush already, and you grabbed the beads from your bag. You sat between her legs and felt the brush move through your hair. It was soothing.

“Where are we going before St. Petersburg?” You questioned softly. Her hands stuttered slightly. “I know we are going somewhere that has you upset unless her parents are that bad.” Wanda chuckled.

“They are great,” you turned to face her when her voice cracked. Her eyes were glossy with tears. “I’m sorry,” she wiped her tears away. “You asked me to do something, and here I am crying.” You placed a hand on top of hers.

“It can wait,” you smiled. “Do you want to talk about what’s wrong?” You sat down next to her with your legs crossed. She faced forward, running her fingers across the bristles of the brush.

“I asked Nat if we could stop at what’s left of Sokovia. Once it was cleared of the rubble, the neighboring countries took the land. Completely erased it from the map,” her accent was thicker the more she spoke. “But a memorial was built in memory of the victims.”

“Like your brother?” You watched her body shake, but she quickly nodded her head. She placed the brush down and gripped the bench you both sat on. You saw the signs of her powers looking for an outlet. She told you that her powers were connected to her emotions. Her body was tense. The red glow of her magic danced on her fingers. Without hesitation, you grabbed her hand and hid away everything you didn’t want her to see. Her magic died down, and she turned to face you. A few tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Can you tell me about them? Your parents, your brother, your home before the battle.”

“Why do you want to know?” You shrugged, opening up her palm and tracing the lines.

“Because it’s important to you, and I want to know about your life,” you said. “I want to know how I can help you.” Wanda smiled, squeezing your hand.

“Sokovia was,” she took a deep breath to steady her nerves. “Messy.” You weren’t expecting her to use that word. “It was messy to the outside world, but those living there found it beautiful. There was a lot of political turmoil, which resulted in the United States trying to fix it. I would fall asleep to the sound of bombs.”

“And you found that beautiful?” You thought living on the streets was hard enough. Wanda smiled, laughing slightly.

“Maybe that wasn’t beautiful, but we weren’t involved in the political nonsense as regular citizens. We had to rely on each other. I met some of the kindest people during those times. My parents tried very hard to provide for us to ensure we had food and a roof over our heads. We would watch sitcoms every night, and the laugh track would black out the war,” Wanda chuckled. “It sounds crazy when I say it out loud. You must think I’m insane,” you would never. “But I had to find the beautiful moments during the darkness.” You understood that. You found yourself doing the same thing: listening to your mother sing Caleb a song, finding a good book, and when your parents left you alone.

“I did the same,” you smiled. “Tell me more about your parents.” You could listen to Wanda talk about her home country for hours and hours. With every story she told, her eyes would light up, and her smile was so big. You hoped her smile would never fade away.

*

When the jet landed, Natasha and you allowed Wanda to visit the memorial without the two of you hovering. However, the Black Widow was passing back and forth - 5 steps one way, then turned around and walked back the other way. You sat on the ground, knees bent to rest your forearms on them. The memorial depicted an average Sokovian family - a mother, father, daughter, and son. Flowers and the Sokovian flag surrounded the family. “Who built it?” You asked. Natasha stopped her pacing and hummed in question. “Who built the memorial? It’s not like it appeared out of nowhere.” She faced the monument with her arms crossed. Wanda fell to her knees, and you knew Natasha was fighting the instinct to rush over to be with her.

“It kind of did,” she sat down next to you. “Stark has a relief foundation that helps with the messes we make, and they were on the scene before we made it back to the States,” Natasha sighed. “Stark says he didn’t do it, but you know Tony likes to take credit for everything,” you smiled, but the redhead sighed again. “Sokovia was a mess on and off the battlefield.”

“What happened?” You questioned. Natasha was quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

“There was a lot of talk about dismantling the Avengers,” she started. “Many people thought we were dangerous, especially with what happened in New York, DC, and Lagos. Ross was trying to pass the Accords,” the Accords? You weren’t sure what that was. You looked at her, confused. “It was a document that would allow the UN to be in control of us and have all enhanced individuals would have to be registered and monitored,” she explained. Enhanced? So, people like you, Wanda, and America.

“Why didn’t it get passed?”

“We refused to sign it,” Natasha bent one of her knees and leaned back. “I think it was the first time I saw the team stand together,” she admitted. “With us banding together, the Accords made no traction. We were left to make our own choices, but we try to limit the damage we cause and help those affected.” You nodded and focused back on Wanda. You could feel her energy. There was an uptick in her heart rate. Her breathing was becoming uneven. She was grieving, alone. Natasha told you the Accords weren’t signed because the Avengers came together. You weren’t going to let her face this alone.

You stood up and walked over to her, ignoring the way Natasha called after you. You tiptoed, not wanting to scare her. “You can join me,” she invited you. Nodding, you knelt next to her. “It’s so quiet,” Wanda looked around. “Sokovia was never this quiet.” She ran her hand across the ground. “I can’t believe it’s gone.”

“It’s not gone,” you whispered. “Just because the place is gone, Sokovia is still alive. It’s alive because of you and everyone else who survived that day,” you placed your hand on the monument. “Now it lives through me because you are keeping its memory and culture alive.” She placed her hand on top of yours. “Can you sign that lullaby your mom used to sing? I’d love to learn it.”

“It’s in Sokovian,” you smiled.

“I’d love to have another language under my belt.” Wanda laughed and used the back of her hand to clear the tears from her face. She taught you the song. Some words felt heavy on your tongue, but you managed to muddle your way through it. As you learned it, you heard Natasha’s footsteps behind you. She kissed the top of Wanda’s head, and the witch leaned her weight against her. You smiled, closed your eyes, and began to hum the tune Wanda shared with you.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” you sang. “Now you are here. More perfect than I imagined,” the Sokovian words were hard to pronounce, and your voice shook. “Our house is now a home. No matter where you go. Sunlight shines on you,” you open your eyes. “Sunlight shines on you.”

_

taglist: @aestruvx, @toouncreativeforausername, @modedddd, @julilamoment, @mythixmagic, @yourmamacom, @vicmc624, @cherlenovix, @liliesandrosies, @whitewidowsbite, @clintsbigtoe,   @blackbirdv98 @arualdcg@yoyo-w​  @natbelovasblog, @johnnyhulu, @blackwidow-3, @theenglishswiftie, @faith-olsen

[cowgremlin11]

*grabs you by the throat (/j)* give me as many Wild West facts physically possible, and also if you know any good websites/videos on The Wild West possibly pretty please blinks eyes 🥺🥺👉👈

this is gonna be a doozy welcome to my autism.

my area of expertise relates to southeastern wyoming btw kisses. this is going to be very long. starts out rambly and then i busted out my actual notes that ive been compiling. if you have specific areas you wanna know about feel free to ask i love using my major for this stuff :D

before the cut im gonna include my fav websites i reference (i dont do much video research sorry, im the bitch with a bookshelf full of heavily annotated books and a fat google doc file)

for fashion: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?geolocation=North+and+Central+America&era=A.D.+1800-1900&material=Costume&showOnly=withImage

for navajo info (you can look at my comic if you wanna know why i focused on this tribe specifically): https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/

for dialogue/slang: https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~poindexterfamily/genealogy/OldWestSlang.html

OK TIME TO RELEASE THE AUTISM

so there were reservations right. wanna know the events leading up to the battle of little bighorn? basically in the 1850s the sioux tribe, crow tribe, and northern arapaho tribe (roughly speaking, these are the tribes most mentioned from this time) were all forced to live in the same range of territory spanning northern wyoming, around the little bighorn river. there was the fort laramie treaty which ensured that the tribes in this area would be provided help for 30 years and that nonnative settlement wouldnt be allowed. well they found gold in the black hills about 20 years later and that went out the window. miners rushed the area for gold and forced the natives to move again. tensions rose, the treaty was ignored by all parties and only mentioned when convenient, and then the battle of little bighorn happened

TRAINS!!!!! TRAINSTRAINSTRAINS. fun fact train robberies were actually very common in the 1800s! jesse james (yes that one) committed the first one in iowa in 1873.

bank robberies were very rare! cus when you think about it, yeah ofc thats gonna be hard. its in the middle of town, its one entrance, and theres safes you gotta either crack in 10 seconds or blow with dynamite, risking the cash inside.

most other crimes include larceny, burglary, home robberies, horse robberies, stage coach robberies, cons, etc.

buffalo :( they were hunted for many reasons. 30 million to less than 100 in the span of about 30 years. they were hunted to piss off the native tribes, since buffalo were sacred to many and when the government had them killed theyd take the skin, the tongue, and leave the carcass to rot before retrieving the bones to ship back to the east for production of stuff like glue. but also, they would be hunted due to the way the buffalo impacted the railroad industry. theyd damage the rails, and in lines going through mountains theyd actually huddle up on the track because its instinctively the safest place to be. this would cause days long backups

last names had some cool stuff happening! after the civil war when slaves were freed, a great deal chose their own names. some chose names after national heros, some would take their parents name, and some would take the name of their old masters as a very intentional way to make sure they could never wipe their hands clean of the cruelty they committed to the enslaved. so yeah thats metal as hell. on a related note, “Historians estimate that 20–25% of cowboys in the American West were African American. They worked as ropers, trail cooks, wranglers, and bronco busters. African Americans learned the cowboy way of life from Mexican or Spanish cowboys, Native American cattle handlers, or their former slave masters. African Americans also contributed to the West as miners, homesteaders, town builders, and entrepreneurs.”

BRIEF ART HISTORY TIME. AKA MY FUCKING MAJOR.

In 1886, American art was influenced by French Impressionism, and American artists began to experiment with the style

Impressionism reflected a modern reality that could be troubling

Impressionist artists expertly depicted the alienation that this new Paris proffered. An unfortunate symptom of such modernity was the loss of an intimate, knowable community; now citizens were strangers in an anonymous crowd.

During the mid-1880s, as French Impressionism lost its radical edge, American collectors began to value the style, and more American artists began to experiment with it after absorbing academic fundamentals.

and now, for some stuff im pasting over from my fat google doc

Country Witchcraft, Wisdom, and Lore

“you can sleep with a skeleton key under your pillow to increase your chances of flight during sleep. you can wrap a horseshoe in white cloth and place it under your pillow to speak with the devil’s wife during your sleep. you can leave a glass of water out and ask your ancestors for visions during your sleep.” (Oberon, 15)

“folkloric witches don't use circles the way most wiccan folks do. circles do pop up in folklore but not too often. circles appear almost always when something is being conjured.” (oberon, 16)

“it was a brass screw in a gun that prevents a witch from placing a curse on the gun” (oberon, 18.)

“piss in a mason jar, throw in broken glass, mirrors, barbed wire, sulfer, and bullets. bury it somewhere on your property. if a spirit or spell comes looking for you they will mistake the urine for you and get caught in the bottle.” (oberon, 19)

fashion

the Victorian tradition of wearing mementos in honor of deceased loved ones. Many of these items included ashes placed into rings or necklaces made out of human hair. However, over time mourning jewelry evolved and became more of a fashion statement, even though most jewelry wearers lived on and continued to struggle with their grief.

the items weren’t just mementos to wear around one’s neck, but were something that you carried with you 24/7, no matter how much you may have hated it.

https://gemgeneve.com/the-necklace-from-antiquity-to-the-present/

Precursor of the Bulgari ones by far, one of the most typical examples is the serpent necklace paved with turquoise. In the 19th century, turquoise stands for “forget me not”, and the colour of the Forget Me Not flower is, precisely, turquoise. Therefore, the stone itself means “don’t forget me”. With the snake biting its tail being the symbol of eternity, this necklace is actually a love jewel. The message of these serpents is not at all about evil, but it is a love message: “Don’t forget me. Love me forever”. As the symbolism of forms and stones is deeper, wearers in the 19th century are much more aware of this particular message.

The necklace remains at the base of the neck, but what changes are the motifs and the materials. In the 1860s and 70s there comes to be a craze for archaeological revival jewellery and women go to wear ancient-looking jewellery. Archaeological revival necklaces were copies of genuine ancient pieces. Jewellers like Castellani try to reproduce not only the design but also the materials, and the techniques. Sometimes, these necklaces are close replicas. Some other times they are pastiches: they look like antique in style but are an invention of the late 19th century jewellers, as no such necklace would ever have been created in ancient times.

Materials become unusual: from little shells to tiger claws, for example: this was a consequence of improved travel, of tourism, and people going travelling and acquiring souvenir jewellery in exotic locations and bringing them back to Europe.

Dances/musicians

https://www.learn2dance4fun.com/dance-classes/country-dance-lessons/western-waltz-dance-lessons/

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/babel-a-o

“In the Houston city directory of 1881 he went by the name Alexander O. Babel and continued to be the musical attraction at the Solo Saloon. The Galveston Daily News later commented in 1885: “Whether he played by note or not, he tossed from the keys of the grand piano that stood on a stage at the side of the large hall every variety and shade of music from the most delicate to the most sonorous tones.” Babel also gave concerts in other towns and church festivals in Texas.”

From playing piano in texas to mining in new mexico. Played in chicago, then new york, 

Lots of papers making him into a myth. Writer from texas saw this and disproved it. 

“Despite the disparaging remarks from some Texas periodicals, Babel created a sensation across the United States to the delight of audiences in Milwaukee, St. Louis, Atchison, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Chicago, New York, and Bangor. He was hailed as a piano master who played more than 1,200 songs and even performed at times with a cloth over the keys. The “Texas Wonder” played at dime museums, concert halls, theaters, and other venues and sometimes gave hourly recitals.”

“By 1887 advertisements included mention of his musical partner, Mattie Babel, dubbed the “cowgirl cornetist.” Most accounts called her Babel’s wife (though at least one newspaper referred to her as his sister). Given that no one named Mattie appeared among the Babel household in early censuses, Mattie Babel was probably A. O. Babel’s wife and possibly the same Emma Rumpel mentioned as the spouse of O. A. Babel in Houston.”

Babel and his wife Mattie continued to give performances well into the 1890s and toured Canada and Europe.

research i did for a specific character whos gonna show up in chapter 4:

Freed people established all-Black towns, such as Bookertee, Clearview, Lima, and Pleasant Valley. These towns provided a market for African-American farmers and a sense of community.

The discovery of gold in 1867 at South Pass drew many immigrants to western Wyoming.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery_in_Oklahoma#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20slavery%20in,state%2C%20with%20prominent%20racial%20issues. 

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203496756/slavery-cherokee-nation-patrick-neal-minges 

the Indian Removal Act was the reason for the movement of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole to Oklahoma (not yet called that. With these nations moving to the west, they brought with them black people, including slaves. This was the beginning of slavery in the land of Oklahoma. 

When the Cherokees were relocating it was estimated that 10-15% of the nation were African Americans. This nation in particular brought not slaves, but freed blacks. This was one of the main reasons that they were forced out of their previous land. The nation had become a safe space for slaves to run away to and slave owners wanted to diminish that possibility for slaves in the south.

By 1866, the Cherokee Nation, once so proud, had been reduced to ruins

With the forced removal of the five nations into the land of Oklahoma throughout the course of time, slavery began and progressed in the Indian territory. Specifically, in the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, slavery and the ownership of black people became common.

https://www.lib.utk.edu/cherokee/EvolutionCherokeePersonalNames.pdf

research i did for the chinese characters

1848: The California gold rush brought more Asians to the United States, especially Chinese people from the Guangdong region

The discovery of gold in 1867 at South Pass drew many immigrants to western Wyoming.

The Union Pacific Railroad's construction in the late 1860s brought settlers to Wyoming. The railroad created towns like Cheyenne, Laramie, and Rock Springs, and attracted cowboys and cattle drives.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 Many Americans on the West Coast attributed declining wages and economic ills to the Chinese workers who were only 0.002% of the population, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act to placate worker demands and assuage concerns about maintaining white "racial purity." Repealed on December 17, 1943 

https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/565882.shtml 

During the 1850s, the first revolt of the Taiping Rebellion by the Hakka people took place in Guangdong. Because of direct contact with the West, Guangdong was the center of anti-Manchu and anti-imperialist activity. 

https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/asian-american-timeline 

https://www.history.com/topics/asian-history/taiping-rebellion 

In 1856, a second Opium War broke out with the west, continuing until 1861.

https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/chinese-exclusion-act-1882

stuff for solveig

“The huge population growth between 1800 and 1900 led to overcrowding within the social structure of the day and was one contributing factor to the wave of emigrants leaving Norway for North-America.” 

“During the next centuries, much of the farmland was sold off to the previous leaseholders and became private property for the many. Owning your own land has been – and still is – an important part of the Norwegian identity.”

https://evergreenpost.eu/the-old-norwegian-farm-its-land-and-surroundings/ 

AND THATS ALL I CAN POSSIBLY THINK OF THAT I HAVE ACCESS TOO RIGHT NOW.... IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR WANNA KNOW ABT SPECIFIC STUFF TELL ME AND I CAN EASILY ANSWER THEM AND PROVIDE A GOOD DEAL OF INFO

[coimbrabertone]

Hear Me Out...It's Not Logano's Fault

I'm going to preface this by saying I'm not a Joey Logano fan at all. I think the Shell/Pennzoil scheme is decent, but the two different shades of yellow are annoying, I wish Pennzoil would let them put the logo across the rear fender, and in my opinion, it looks worse with the next gen rims than most schemes.

As for Joey himself, well...I kinda find myself agreeing with the whole "two-faced" comments. He's this smiling, kinda awkward suburban dad type guy out of the car, but then in the car he's super hotheaded and aggressive. It doesn't line up. That doesn't inherently mean it's an act, just that racing brings out a different side of him.

All that being said...I don't really think he's to blame for the 2024 NASCAR championship.

So, for context: yesterday was the final round of the NASCAR playoffs. Sixteen drivers make the playoffs based on regular season performances: this year, fourteen won their way in, and another two (Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr.) got in on points.

Three rounds of three races followed, whittling down the field from sixteen to twelve to eight and finally four.

This year, the final four were:

Tyler Reddick, driving the #45 for 23XI Racing - Tyler won the regular season championship, won at Talladega and Michigan in the regular season, and won Homestead in the Round of 8 to make the championship four at Phoenix.

William Byron, driving the #24 for Hendrick Motorsports - William won the Daytona 500, Circuit of the Americas, and the spring Martinsville race. In the Round of 8, he squeaked by into the finale thanks to the help of Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon, whilst Christopher Bell was penalized for a wall ride. You can read more on that in last week's blogpost.

Ryan Blaney, driving the #12 for Team Penske - Ryan was the 2023 champion, and this year, he won at Iowa and Pocono to make the playoffs, and then won Martinsville in the Round of 8 to make the championship four.

Joey Logano, driving the #22 for Team Penske - Joey had the most circuitous route to the playoffs. He won at Nashville off the back of five overtimes and Hail Mary fuel save, won the first playoff race at Atlanta to advance to the Round of 12, got eliminated in that round at the Charlotte Roval by Alex Bowman, and then got reinstated in the playoffs when Alex Bowman was disqualified. Joey then, back in the Round of 8, won the first race of the round at Las Vegas to lock himself in the championship four.

So, one win in the regular season, a plate race, advancing through someone else's disqualification, and then even at Las Vegas - Joey's most legitimate won of the season so far - Bell was clearly the fastest car that day, but Logano got out ahead through strategy and managed to hold him off for the win.

Naturally, people started taking notice of this.

Already, they started saying that if Logano won - who was 15th in points at this point - would be an undeserving champion.

Some went so far as to claim it would be the final nail in the coffin for the playoff system.

So of course...Penske shows up to Phoenix and dominates. Joey Logano gets out into first, holds off Ryan Blaney, and Penske finishes 1-2 in the championship.

Joey Logano wins the 2024 championship with an average finish of 17.11 and based on a full season points format like the Winston Cup was, he'd still only be eleventh, despite the three wins late in the year.

Some have deemed it the worst championship performance of all time.

However...

What did you want Joey Logano to do? Not win the championship?

I don't like the guy, but like...he's a racing driver, of course he's going to do whatever he can to win the championship. He hasn't been particularly good or consistent through the season, but this format has kept him in play, so of course he's going to try and win his way to Phoenix and take a third championship.

Joey Logano doesn't care if you think his titles are illegitimate. He still gets his name up there with the likes of Petty, Earnhardt Gordon, and all the other multi-time NASCAR champions.

If a driver can win, they're gonna try to win.

The problem is the playoff format. Logano was fifteenth in points with one win but because the playoffs start with 16 teams, he was allowed to fight for the championship. Then, the win and advance format let him lock himself in right away with Atlanta. The Round of 12 was weak for him, but Bowman got disqualified and Logano was next in line in the points, so of course he was going to advance.

He went from out of the playoffs to back within a chance of winning the title overnight. So...he wins at Las Vegas, locks himself into the championship four, and gets to use Homestead and Martinsville to prepare for Phoenix.

And that preparation shows, because Blaney and Logano were far and away the fastest cars in Phoenix.

Logano got ahead with a pass early in the final stint, Blaney was faster and tried to pass him back almost immediately, but Logano was able to hold him off. Aero blocking, forcing Blaney to use the useless upper lane in the corners, and focusing on maximizing his exit onto the brief straightaways.

In short, Logano and Team Penske have figured out how to min-max the NASCAR playoffs.

Logano effectively won the championship with the fewest wins possible.

Once in the regular season, twice to move on in the playoff rounds, and then at Phoenix to win the championship.

I suppose that technically speaking, the fewest number of wins would be one. Win in the regular season to get into the playoffs regardless of whether or not you're consistent, manage to advance each round by points, and then have a non-playoff car win at Phoenix so you can win the championship without having to win in the championship race.

So perhaps Logano's season isn't the bare minimum the format requires, but it's pretty damn close.

Which again, not the driver's fault. They're going to try and win the championship for as long as they can. Logano had a shitty season, but the playoffs kept him in it all the way, and he was able to do enough to win it.

The fact that's enough to win it is the format's fault.

Let's go back to 2003 for a moment. NASCAR says that the playoff format was in the works for a few years before the 2003 season, but 2003 was widely seen as the reason why the chase format was ultimately adopted.

Matt Kenseth in the Roush #17 won in the third round of the season at Las Vegas and then consistent results kept him in the lead.

Meanwhile, Ryan Newman in the Penske #12 won at Texas, Dover, Chicagoland, Pocono, Michigan, Richmond, Dover again, and Kansas.

People didn't like the fact that a driver winning one race won the title while another driver took eight wins.

Two problems with that.

One: It's not like Ryan Newman was like second or anything, he was sixth. He didn't lose the championship because wins weren't worth enough in the Winston Cup points format, he lost the championship because he was checkers or wreckers all year long. Ryan took his first win of the season at Texas, but after that, he was 39th at Talladega, 38th in Martinsville, 42nd at Fontana, and 39th in Richmond. One win, followed by four races where he barely scored any points at all. That is why he lost.

Two: This year, Kyle Larson was the winningest driver, winning at Las Vegas, Kansas, Sonoma, Indianapolis, Bristol, and the Charlotte Roval. So if the format is supposed to favor winning, it didn't exactly do that, given that the championship four consistent of four guys who each had three wins, with Logano taking a fourth at Phoenix to win the whole thing.

So, this format doesn't favor winning the most, nor does it favor consistency. Instead, it favors winning at specific times.

Technically speaking, someone could win all twenty-six regular season races and then lose the championship off the back of a poor playoff run. Would that ever actually happen? No, it's not realistic, but it does show the flaws of this format.

And if you want more realistic proof that the regular season doesn't matter in this format, then just look back to 2015. Kyle Busch broke his leg, missed eleven races, and then used the playoff system to win the championship.

This is what NASCAR is now.

Logano in 2024 is just the latest example of that.

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Well...I suppose you can hate the player too, just understand that the game is the real problem here.

[1264doghouse]

A railway motorman receives lunch from his wife, Granger Homesteads, Iowa, April 1940 in a photograph by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration, Library of Congress.

[myhauntedsalem]

9 Terrifying American Murder Houses

From Amityville Horror to Jeffrey Dahmer’s one-bedroom, these murder houses are home to some truly brutal murders.

9. THE AMITYVILLE HORROR HOUSE 112 OCEAN AVE, AMITYVILLE, NY

When the deal is too good, start asking questions. In 1975, George and Kathy Lutz bought this sprawling Dutch Colonial on the south shore of Long Island at a bargain rate. The reason for the discounted price tag? Just 13 months earlier, previous resident Ronald “Butch” DeFeo slaughtered his parents and four younger siblings while they slept in their beds. It didn’t take long for the weirdness to begin. Demonic voices, oozing walls, cloven hoof prints in the snow. The Lutz family lasted just two months before fleeing 112 Ocean Avenue in the night.

8. THE HEX MURDER HOUSE REHMEYERS HOLLOW RD, SHREWSBURY, PA

In 1928, John Blymire was convinced a reclusive neighbor named Nelson Rehmeyer had put a hex upon him. Believing the only way to break the curse was to track down Rehmeyer’s spell book and set it ablaze, Blymire rallied two buddies for a late-night visit. While the gang never found the book, they did find Rehmeyer whom they murdered and mutilated before setting his body on fire. In 2007, an effort was made to open the Hex House to the public, but the plan was eventually scrapped.

7. MOORE FAMILY AXE MURDER HOUSE 508 E 2ND ST, VILLISCA, IA

On a cool summer night in 1912 someone broke into this peaceful Iowa homestead and bludgeoned all six family members plus two houseguests with an axe. The horrific scene was discovered the following morning by a concerned neighbor. Numerous suspects were named in the case including a traveling minister and State Senator Frank F. Jones. Nevertheless, the murder remains unsolved.

6. KREISCHER MANSION 4500 ARTHUR KILL RD, STATEN ISLAND, NY

German entrepreneur Balthasar Kreischer built this sprawling mansion in 1885 as a symbol of his success in the brick making business. The good times were short-lived. By 1894, his company had crumbled and his youngest son had shot himself in the head. The decaying mansion sat empty for years until its groundskeeper used the property for a mob hit in 2005. Joseph Young strangled and stabbed his target before finally drowning the man in a garden pool. Young then hacked up the body and burned it in the mansion’s incinerator.

5. LIZZIE BORDEN HOUSE 230 2ND ST, FALL RIVER, MA

On August 4, 1892 Andrew Borden was thrashed with a hatchet while he dozed on the couch of his parlor. Andrew’s second wife Abby met an equally grisly end in the upstairs bedroom. While everyone in Fall River suspected daughter Lizzie of the crime, the local judge remained unconvinced. She was tried and acquitted of the murder one year later. Oddly, the home is now a successful bed & breakfast.

4. MANSON FAMILY MURDER HOUSE 10050 CIELO DRIVE, LOS ANGELES, CA

In 1969, members of the Manson Family shocked the nation when they broke into this L.A. estate and slaughtered Sharon Tate along with four other victims. The murderers wrote pig in blood across the front door. Numerous residents have since called 10050 Cielo Drive home including musician Trent Reznor, who recorded THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL there. In 1994, the original structure was razed and replaced with a new mansion, currently occupied by the creator of FULL HOUSE.

3. JEFFREY DAHMER’S APARTMENT 924 NORTH 25TH ST, APT 213, MILWAUKEE, WI

Cannibal killer Jeffrey Dahmer lured numerous victims to his nondescript one-bedroom, where he drugged and dismembered them in a brutal campaign of murder. Severed limbs were packed in the freezer for future consumption; torsos were dumped in a vat of acid. Police finally arrested Dahmer in 1991 after one of his prisoners managed to escape. The entire apartment building was torn down shortly thereafter.

2. JOHN WAYNE GACY’S HOUSE 8213 SUMMERDALE AVE, CHICAGO, IL

It’s always good to know your neighbors especially if you suspect them of murder. John Wayne Gacy buried dozens of bodies in the basement and backyard of his suburban home while neighbors casually went about their day. When Gacy’s wife complained of a putrid smell, Gacy blamed it on dead mice. By the time police nabbed the infamous killer clown and excavated his 8213 Summerdale Ave property, they uncovered 29 bodies.

1. GARDETTE-LAPRETE HOUSE 1240 BURGUNDY ST, NEW ORLEANS, LA

In the late 1830s, plantation owner Jean LePrete leased his French Quarter Greek Revival to a mysterious man from Turkey. The renter, known only as The Sultan had more than a few roommates. He arrived with a massive entourage of eunuchs and concubines. The house quickly became known for its lavish parties, with music and revelry carrying on into the night. One morning, a passerby noticed 1240 Burgundy was eerily quiet. Then he spotted blood seeping out of the door. When authorities entered, they found everyone inside had been murdered and dismembered. As for The Sultan? He was buried alive in the courtyard. To this day, the case remains unsolved.

[dwellordream]

“Some homesteading wives reluctantly went along with their more enthusiastic husbands, dreading the hardships and uncertainty that lay ahead. In 1853, before heading west from Kansas to Oregon, Elizabeth Goltra mournfully wrote in her diary, ‘I am leaving my home, my early friends and associates never to see them again, exchanging the disinterested solicitude of fond friends for the cold and unsympathetic friendship of strangers.’ She continued, ‘Shall we reach the ‘El Dorado’ of our hopes or shall one of our number be left and our graves be in the dreary wilderness?’

…On the trail, women spent some of their most pleasurable moments in each other’s company--around a campfire at night, knitting and talking over the day’s events, cooking, or washing together. Catherine Haun, who crossed the Plains in 1849, recalled, ‘During the day, we womenfolk visited from wagon to wagon or congenial friends spent an hour walking, ever westward, and talking over our home life back in ‘the states’... voicing our hopes for the future and even whispering a little friendly gossip of emigrant life.’

Finally, after the long days on the trail, after endless hours of wondering what their new homes would look like, travelers arrived at their destinations--only to discover more hardship ahead. Even the hardiest woman was brought down by the sight of her new home--a crude log cabin without doors or windows; a shack with tar paper walls, canvas ceiling, and a dirt floor; or a dirty brown soddie--a dwelling made out of hard-packed soil--which often housed insects and snakes in its four walls. Many settlers had no home at all until the family built one. Mary Rabb spent her first weeks in Texas ‘spinning under a tree,’ with only ‘a quilt and a sheat for a tent.’

…While men cleared the fields for farming, or panned for gold and silver, women did the work of homemaking. They cooked and cleaned, baked bread and pies, sewed their families’ clothing, preserved foodstuffs for the winter, made soap and candles, and raised chickens and vegetables. Because of the spartan conditions under which they worked, they took special pride in a well-made pair of trousers or a good meal.

Women also shared the hard, physical labor with their husbands. They helped construct homes, drove plows, sawed and hauled timber, and stood guard at night for fires or predators. As one Oklahoma woman recalled, ‘In those days the wife had to help do everything.’ Still, women were primarily responsible for the essential work of homemaking. They even turned some domestic tasks into opportunities to relax and socialize. Quilting parties, for example, were a favorite pastime in which women visited together while working on a quilt.

…Some whites--even those who opposed slavery--did not want to compete against blacks for land and work, and they supported efforts to restrict blacks from migrating or purchasing land. In Iowa, free blacks were required to show a certificate of freedom before being allowed to settle, and most western states and territories in the 1850s and 1860s prohibited black inhabitants from testifying against whites in court or from riding stagecoaches and streetcars. Black and white settlers alike shared the hardships of homesteading, but rarely did these shared difficulties blossom into mutual support or friendship.

Throughout the frontier, from the lush green valleys of Oregon to the flat, arid lands of the desert Southwest, both black and white women settlers used their talents and resources to help their families and communities. A higher percentage of free black women worked outside of their homes because of economic necessity. Most black women worked as domestics, while others became washerwomen, cooks, dressmakers, and nursemaids. Like black domestics and laundresses back home, they toiled long hours for meager wages and endured their employers’ demanding treatment.

…Most settlers did not understand or respect the Native Americans’ way of life, a life dependent upon the bounty of the earth. While Native American men hunted game, women collected seeds and roots and harvested crops. Native Americans looked to the sky and the soil for spiritual sustenance as well. The natural world embodied their deities, and their religious traditions and folkways expressed a gentle, respectful love of the earth and all things natural--a reverence that homesteaders who wanted to exploit the land for commercial gain did not share.

By the 1840s and 1850s, homesteaders crossing overland began to encounter large numbers of Native Americans. In Iowa and Kansas, homesteaders came upon Pawnees and Winnebagos. The Sioux predominated in the Great Plains and Minnesota, while the Cheyenne tribes made their homes in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and Kansas. Apache tribes inhabited the dry, arid desert lands of Texas, and both Apaches and Pueblo tribes lived in New Mexico. Farther west, the Nez Pierces populated the Blue Mountains of Oregon.

…Native Americans and settlers engaged in bloody conflicts, and innocent people on both sides were massacred. As white settlers advanced, claiming Indian tribal lands as their own and breaking the terms of the treaties they had signed, Native Americans tried to defend their land. In the 1850s, Pacific Northwestern tribes rose up to defend their homes, and in Minnesota the Sioux fought mightily against oncoming settlers. Cheyenne and Apache tribes in Colorado raided settlements to drive homesteaders away. In Apache tribes, some women joined their men on the battleground, while others served as messengers and emissaries between Apache warriors and U.S. military officers.

Native American women shared their brethren’s contempt for the way that white settlers plundered the land and mocked their centuries-old traditions. And just as white women feared assault by Native American men, Indian women had far greater reason to fear white men, who freely raped them or forced them into marriages. Armed conflict, disease, famine, and forced resettlement gradually destroyed the communal, agrarian way of life that Native Americans had known for centuries. The Promised Land of opportunity to which homesteaders flocked--the land that Native Americans had cultivated and venerated for so long--became a trail of tears watered by the bloodshed and anguish of native peoples drive from their homeland.

…In 1840, 84,000 immigrants entered the United States. Ten years later, in 1850, 369,000 immigrants came to America. Between 1840 and 1860, approximately 4.2 million newcomers journeyed to the United States. About 40 percent of them were Irish refugees escaping a devastating famine in Ireland. For years, potatoes had been the staple food of the Irish. But in 1845, a terrible blight wiped out Ireland's potato crop. Millions of people went hungry or lost their chief occupation--potato farming. Between 1847 and 1854, the worst years of the famine, more than 1.25 million people fled Ireland to the United States, hoping to find work. Many of the Irish immigrants were single young women forced to support themselves. Immigrants from Germany, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Wales, and England also came to the United States.

Most immigrants came over simply to make more money. Many, such as the Irish, remained in this country, but other immigrants stayed long enough to earn a substantial amount of money and then returned to their homelands. Most immigrants settled in towns and cities, especially New York and Boston. But some journeyed to the West to start a farm or small business. Colonies of German immigrants headed for Texas in the 1840s, while Swedes and Norwegians settled in large numbers in Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. Except for the Irish, who for the most part avoided rural life and settled in industrial towns and cities in the North and Midwest, immigrants from other ethnic backgrounds fanned across the American landscape, as far west as California and Oregon. Wherever they settled, in cities or out on the frontier, they sought out family, friends, and other newcomers from back home. They wanted to live among their own.”

- Harriet Sigerman, “‘The ‘El Dorado’ of Our Hopes’: Journeys to New Places.” in An Unfinished Battle: American Women, 1848-1865

[popculturelib]

Haunted States of America: Iowa

Ghosts of the Amana Colonies (1988) by Lori Erickson

The Amana Colonies are a group of villages in central Iowa settled by German Radical Pietists in the mid-1850s. They emphasized an isolated communal society and self-sufficiency, with minimal contact to broader Iowan culture until the Great Depression. At this point, financial and social changes forced the members to become more involved in the outside world. Today, the villages are on the National Register of Historic Places and have a strong tourist industry.

Ghosts of the Amana Colonies asks us to consider stories from the villages with chapter titles like "The Hope Chest," "The German Grandmother," "Tina and Marie," "The Kitchen Boss," and "The Ghost Corner," among others.

We don't have many other books about the Amana Colonies save for the book A Collection of Traditional Amana Recipes (1948 and 1976) by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Homestead Welfare Club, but you can find several other books about ghosts in Iowa:

Ghosts of Des Moines County, Iowa (1986) by Bruce Carlson

Ghosts of Polk County, Iowa (1988) by Tom Welch

Ghostly Tales of Northeast Iowa: Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, and Winneshiek Counties (1988) by Ruth D. Hein and Vicky L. Hinsenbrock

The Browne Popular Culture Library (BPCL), founded in 1969, is the most comprehensive archive of its kind in the United States.  Our focus and mission is to acquire and preserve research materials on American Popular Culture (post 1876) for curricular and research use. Visit our website at https://www.bgsu.edu/library/pcl.html.

[uniqueartisanconnoisseur]

The Bily Clock Museum, a Timely Adventure!

My friend Janna Seiz has been telling me about the beautiful clocks in Spillville, Iowa for years. This past weekend we finally made the trip to the Bily clock Museum. Janna was right, they are stunning. Such an amazing find in the middle of the small town with a population of just over 350! Besides the clocks, the building where they are located was once the summer home of famous Czech music…

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 6.18

Holidays

Academy Day (Scientology)

Autistic Pride Day

Cheapfake Awareness Day

Clark Kent Day

Clean Your Aquarium Day

Count Your $$ Day

Drone Safety Day

Festival of Invisible Pornography

Finest Hour Speech Day

Foundation Day (Benguet, Philippines)

Hand Cart Day (French Republic)

Historian's Day (Moldova)

Human Rights Day (Azerbaijan)

International Day for Countering Hate Speech (UN)

International Declaration of Human Rights Day

International Panic Day

Jack Herer Day

Justice Institution Employees Day (Turkmenistan)

Mela Khir Bhawani (Kashmir, India)

National Black America’s Day of Repentance

National Relationship Day

National Splurge Day

National Wanna Get Away Day

Neurodiversity Pride Day (Netherlands)

No Headline Day

Police Inspector’s Day (Ukraine)

Queen Mother’s Day (Cambodia)

Shefa Day (Vanuatu)

618 Day

Trouser Day

Veterinary Appreciation Day (a.k.a. Veterinarian Appreciation Day)

Waterloo Day (UK)

Wild Den Dancing Day

World Day Against Incarceration

Food & Drink Celebrations

Insalata Day (Italy)

International Picnic Day

International Sushi Day

National Cheesemaker’s Day

National Sparkling Water Day

Sustainable Gastronomy Day (UN)

Tabasco Day (Mali)

Nature Celebrations

Go Fishing Day

Horned Poppy Day (Chelidinium glaucum)

National Internet Cat Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Aldrodnia (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Bacolod City Charter Day (Philippines)

Constitution Day (Seychelles)

Egypt (Republic Proclaimed; 1953)

Egypt (a.k.a. Eid el-Galaa, evacuation of foreign troops, 1954)

Flinders (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

Jailavera (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Leprechia (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

Naga City Charter Day (Philippines)

Onontakeka (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Snagov (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

3rd Wednesday in June

Ageless Motion Day (Alberta, Canada) [3rd Wednesday]

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

National Healthcare Estates & Facilities Day (UK) [3rd Wednesday]

Wacky Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wandering Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wiener Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning June 18 (3rd Full Week of June)

Homestead Days (Beatrice, Nebraska) [thru 6.22]

Teapot Days (Tea, South Dakota) [thru 6.21]

Festivals On or Beginning June 18, 2025

Beijing International Book Fair (Beijing, China) [thru 6.22]

Camp Home Again (Woodstock, New York) [thru 6.19]

Copenhell Festival (Copenhagen, Denmark) [thru 6.21]

Hawaii Hotel & Restaurant Show (Honolulu, Hawaii) [thru 6.19]

Ice Cream Days (Le Mars, Iowa) [thru 6.21]

Miss Volunteer America Pageant (Jackson, Tennessee) [thru 6.21]

Monterey Wine Festival (Monterey, California) [thru 6.20]

Raindance Film Festival (London, United Kingdom) [thru 6.27]

Seoul International Book Fair (Seoul, South Korea) [thru 6.22]

Taste of London (London, United Kingdom) [thru 6.22]

Feast Days

Amandus, Bishop of Bordeaux (Christian; Saint)

Andim Day (Pastafarian)

Bernard Mizeki (Anglican and Episcopal Church)

Elisabeth of Schönau (Christian; Saint)

Elvis Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Ephraem (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Anna (Ancient Rome; Everyday Wicca)

Going Forth of Neith Along the River (Ancient Egypt’ Goddess of War and Hunting)

Gregory Barbarigo (Christian; Saint)

Gregory of Fragalata (Christian; Saint)

Into Raymi Festival begins (Inca Sun Worship Festival; until 24th)

Leontius, Hypatius and Theodulus (Christian; Saints)

Leroy (Muppetism)

Marina the Monk (Maronite Church, Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria)

Mark and Marcellian (Christian; Martyrs)

Media Ver XI (Pagan)

National Splurge Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Now Panic Day (Pastafarian)

Osanna Andreasi (Christian; Saint)

Theodoric the Great (Positivist; Saint)

Three Lasting Things of Cormac Mac Art: Grass, Copper and Yew (Celtic Book of Days)

Tiger-Get-By’s Birthday (Shamanism)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 5 (Ren-Wu), Day 23 (Wu-Wu)

Day Pillar: Earth Horse

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Establish Day (建 Jian) [Inauspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

John Bellany (Art)

Paul Eddington (Entertainment)

James Montgomery Flagg (Art)

Gail Godwin (Literature)

Auberon Herbert (Philosophy)

Dudley R. Herschbach (Science)

Pat Hutchins (Art)

Carol Kane (Entertainment)

Kay Kyser (Music)

George Malory (Sports)

E.G. Marshall (Entertainment)

Paul McCartney (Music)

Jeannette McDonald (Entertainment)

Erik Ortvad (Art)

Richard Powers (Literature)

Raymond Radiguet (Literature)

Isabella Rossellini (Entertainment)

Chris Van Allsburg (Art)

Joseph-Marie Vien (Art)

Mitsuteru Yokoyama (Art)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [36 of 57]

Premieres

The Adventures of Ellery Queen (Radio Series; 1939)

All for the Love of a Girl (Goldwyn-Bray Comic Cartoon; 1920)

Bobby Bumps: Submarine Chaser (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1917)

The Bully (Ub Iwerks Flip the Frog MGM Cartoon; 1932)

The Case of the Cold Storage Yegg (Inspector Willoughby Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1963)

Casey Bats Again (Disney Cartoon; 1954)

Dangerous When Wet (Film; 1953)

Dare To Be Stupid, by Weird Al Yankovic (Album; 1985)

Day & Night (Pixar Cartoon; 2010)

Der Freischütz (or The Marksman), by Carl Maria von Weber (Opera; 1821)

DodgeBall (Film: 2004)

Duke Dolittle's Jungle Fizzle (Powers Cartoon; 1917)

(Everything I Do) I Do It For You, by Bryan Adams (Song; 1991)

Eyes in Outer Space (Disney Cartoon; 1959)

Goodbye Cruel World, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1984)

Handy Man, from James Taylor (Song; 1977)

Headlines (Speaking of Animals Cartoon; 1948)

Horton Hatches the Egg (Blue Ribbon Hit Parade Cartoon; 1949)

The House with a Clock in Its Walls, by John Bellairs (Novel; 1973)

Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train (Documentary Film; 2004)

Ice Station Zebra, by Alistair MacLean (Novel; 1963)

An Ideal Husband (Film; 1999)

The Impractical Joker (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1937)

In His Own Write, by John Lennon & Adrienne Kennedy (Play; 1968)

Inside, Outside, by Herman Wouk (History Book; 1985)

Lady and the Lamp (Disney Cartoon; 1979)

The Last Action Hero (Film; 1993)

Le Marteau sans Maître, by Pierre Boulez (Chamber Cantata; 1955)

Luca (Animated Film; 2021)

Manhattan District (Atomic Bomb Organization; 1942)

The Martins and the Coys (Marquee Musical Disne Cartoon; 1956)

Morning, Noon and Nightclub (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1937)

Mother Hen's Holiday (Columbia Favorites; 1953)

My Cousin Rachel, by Daphne du Maurier (Novel; 1952)

New York Central (Railroad; 1905)

The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman (Novel; 2013)

Odelay, by Beck (Album; 1996)

Once Upon a Forest (Hanna-Barbera Animated Film; 1993)

Origin of Symmetry, by Muse (Album; 2001)

Polar Fright (Chilly Willy Cartoon; 1966)

Popeye Meets Hercules (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1948)

Slow But Sure (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1934)

The Sparks Brothers (Documentary Film; 2021)

Such is Life Among the Children of France (Travelaughs Cartoon; 1922)

Suppressed Duck (WB LT Cartoon; 1965)

Tarzan (Animated Disney Film; 1999)

Toy Story 3 (Animated Pixar Film; 2010)

The Underground World (Superman Fleischer Cartoon; 1943) [#16]

The Wild Bunch (Film; 1969)

Wouldn’t It Be Nice, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1966)

Young Nick Carter, Detectiff (Sullivan Cartoon Comedy Cartoon; 1917)

Today’s Name Days

Elisabeth, Ilsa, Marina (Austria)

Asen, Chavdar (Bulgaria)

Elizabeta, Marcel, Ozana, Paul (Croatia)

Milan (Czech Republic)

Leontius (Denmark)

Auli, Aurelia, Auri, Reeli, Reelika, Reili (Estonia)

Tapio (Finland)

Léonce (France)

Elisabeth, Ilsa, Isabella, Marina (Germany)

Erasmos, Leontios (Greece)

Arnold, Levente (Hungary)

Gregorio, Marina, Marinella, Marinetta (Italy)

Alberts, Madis (Latvia)

Arnulfas, Ginbutas, Marina, Vaiva (Lithuania)

Bjarne, Bjørn (Norway)

Efrem, Elżbieta, Gerwazy, Leonia, Marek, Marina, Paula (Poland)

Ipatie, Leontie, Teodul (România)

Vratislav (Slovakia)

Marcelino, Marcos (Spain)

Bjarne, Björn (Sweden)

Leo, Leon (Ukraine)

Effie, Efrain, Eph, Ephraim, Marina, Marnie, Nevaeh (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Dudley Day

National Gail Day

National Jesse Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 169 of 2025; 196 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 3 of Week 25 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Ren-Wu), Day 23 (Wu-Wu)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 11 Baunah 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Fig (June 14-23) [Day 5 of 10]

Hebrew: 22 Sivan 5785

Islamic: 21 Dhu al-Hijjah 1446

Julian: 5 June 2025

Meteorological Summer [Day 17]

Moon: 50%: 3rd QUarter

Positivist: 1 Charlemagne (7th Month) [Theodoric the Great]

Runic Half Month: Dag (Day) [Day 6 of 15] (thru 6.27)

Season: Spring (Day 90 of 92)

SUn Calendar: 19 Blue; Fryday [19 of 30]

Week: 3rd Full Week of June

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Gemini (Day 29 of 31)

Sidereal Zodiac: Gemini (Day 3 of 31)

Schmidt Zodiac: Cetus (Day 12 of 26)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Aries (Day 36 of 39)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Aries (Day 36 of 37)

Calendar Changes

Charlemagne (Feudal Civilization) [Month 7 of 13; Positivist]

[brookston]

Holidays 6.18

Holidays

Academy Day (Scientology)

Autistic Pride Day

Cheapfake Awareness Day

Clark Kent Day

Clean Your Aquarium Day

Count Your $$ Day

Drone Safety Day

Festival of Invisible Pornography

Finest Hour Speech Day

Foundation Day (Benguet, Philippines)

Hand Cart Day (French Republic)

Historian's Day (Moldova)

Human Rights Day (Azerbaijan)

International Day for Countering Hate Speech (UN)

International Declaration of Human Rights Day

International Panic Day

Jack Herer Day

Justice Institution Employees Day (Turkmenistan)

Mela Khir Bhawani (Kashmir, India)

National Black America’s Day of Repentance

National Relationship Day

National Splurge Day

National Wanna Get Away Day

Neurodiversity Pride Day (Netherlands)

No Headline Day

Police Inspector’s Day (Ukraine)

Queen Mother’s Day (Cambodia)

Shefa Day (Vanuatu)

618 Day

Trouser Day

Veterinary Appreciation Day (a.k.a. Veterinarian Appreciation Day)

Waterloo Day (UK)

Wild Den Dancing Day

World Day Against Incarceration

Food & Drink Celebrations

Insalata Day (Italy)

International Picnic Day

International Sushi Day

National Cheesemaker’s Day

National Sparkling Water Day

Sustainable Gastronomy Day (UN)

Tabasco Day (Mali)

Nature Celebrations

Go Fishing Day

Horned Poppy Day (Chelidinium glaucum)

National Internet Cat Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Aldrodnia (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Bacolod City Charter Day (Philippines)

Constitution Day (Seychelles)

Egypt (Republic Proclaimed; 1953)

Egypt (a.k.a. Eid el-Galaa, evacuation of foreign troops, 1954)

Flinders (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

Jailavera (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Leprechia (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

Naga City Charter Day (Philippines)

Onontakeka (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Snagov (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

3rd Wednesday in June

Ageless Motion Day (Alberta, Canada) [3rd Wednesday]

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

National Healthcare Estates & Facilities Day (UK) [3rd Wednesday]

Wacky Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wandering Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wiener Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning June 18 (3rd Full Week of June)

Homestead Days (Beatrice, Nebraska) [thru 6.22]

Teapot Days (Tea, South Dakota) [thru 6.21]

Festivals On or Beginning June 18, 2025

Beijing International Book Fair (Beijing, China) [thru 6.22]

Camp Home Again (Woodstock, New York) [thru 6.19]

Copenhell Festival (Copenhagen, Denmark) [thru 6.21]

Hawaii Hotel & Restaurant Show (Honolulu, Hawaii) [thru 6.19]

Ice Cream Days (Le Mars, Iowa) [thru 6.21]

Miss Volunteer America Pageant (Jackson, Tennessee) [thru 6.21]

Monterey Wine Festival (Monterey, California) [thru 6.20]

Raindance Film Festival (London, United Kingdom) [thru 6.27]

Seoul International Book Fair (Seoul, South Korea) [thru 6.22]

Taste of London (London, United Kingdom) [thru 6.22]

Feast Days

Amandus, Bishop of Bordeaux (Christian; Saint)

Andim Day (Pastafarian)

Bernard Mizeki (Anglican and Episcopal Church)

Elisabeth of Schönau (Christian; Saint)

Elvis Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Ephraem (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Anna (Ancient Rome; Everyday Wicca)

Going Forth of Neith Along the River (Ancient Egypt’ Goddess of War and Hunting)

Gregory Barbarigo (Christian; Saint)

Gregory of Fragalata (Christian; Saint)

Into Raymi Festival begins (Inca Sun Worship Festival; until 24th)

Leontius, Hypatius and Theodulus (Christian; Saints)

Leroy (Muppetism)

Marina the Monk (Maronite Church, Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria)

Mark and Marcellian (Christian; Martyrs)

Media Ver XI (Pagan)

National Splurge Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Now Panic Day (Pastafarian)

Osanna Andreasi (Christian; Saint)

Theodoric the Great (Positivist; Saint)

Three Lasting Things of Cormac Mac Art: Grass, Copper and Yew (Celtic Book of Days)

Tiger-Get-By’s Birthday (Shamanism)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 5 (Ren-Wu), Day 23 (Wu-Wu)

Day Pillar: Earth Horse

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Establish Day (建 Jian) [Inauspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

John Bellany (Art)

Paul Eddington (Entertainment)

James Montgomery Flagg (Art)

Gail Godwin (Literature)

Auberon Herbert (Philosophy)

Dudley R. Herschbach (Science)

Pat Hutchins (Art)

Carol Kane (Entertainment)

Kay Kyser (Music)

George Malory (Sports)

E.G. Marshall (Entertainment)

Paul McCartney (Music)

Jeannette McDonald (Entertainment)

Erik Ortvad (Art)

Richard Powers (Literature)

Raymond Radiguet (Literature)

Isabella Rossellini (Entertainment)

Chris Van Allsburg (Art)

Joseph-Marie Vien (Art)

Mitsuteru Yokoyama (Art)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [36 of 57]

Premieres

The Adventures of Ellery Queen (Radio Series; 1939)

All for the Love of a Girl (Goldwyn-Bray Comic Cartoon; 1920)

Bobby Bumps: Submarine Chaser (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1917)

The Bully (Ub Iwerks Flip the Frog MGM Cartoon; 1932)

The Case of the Cold Storage Yegg (Inspector Willoughby Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1963)

Casey Bats Again (Disney Cartoon; 1954)

Dangerous When Wet (Film; 1953)

Dare To Be Stupid, by Weird Al Yankovic (Album; 1985)

Day & Night (Pixar Cartoon; 2010)

Der Freischütz (or The Marksman), by Carl Maria von Weber (Opera; 1821)

DodgeBall (Film: 2004)

Duke Dolittle's Jungle Fizzle (Powers Cartoon; 1917)

(Everything I Do) I Do It For You, by Bryan Adams (Song; 1991)

Eyes in Outer Space (Disney Cartoon; 1959)

Goodbye Cruel World, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1984)

Handy Man, from James Taylor (Song; 1977)

Headlines (Speaking of Animals Cartoon; 1948)

Horton Hatches the Egg (Blue Ribbon Hit Parade Cartoon; 1949)

The House with a Clock in Its Walls, by John Bellairs (Novel; 1973)

Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train (Documentary Film; 2004)

Ice Station Zebra, by Alistair MacLean (Novel; 1963)

An Ideal Husband (Film; 1999)

The Impractical Joker (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1937)

In His Own Write, by John Lennon & Adrienne Kennedy (Play; 1968)

Inside, Outside, by Herman Wouk (History Book; 1985)

Lady and the Lamp (Disney Cartoon; 1979)

The Last Action Hero (Film; 1993)

Le Marteau sans Maître, by Pierre Boulez (Chamber Cantata; 1955)

Luca (Animated Film; 2021)

Manhattan District (Atomic Bomb Organization; 1942)

The Martins and the Coys (Marquee Musical Disne Cartoon; 1956)

Morning, Noon and Nightclub (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1937)

Mother Hen's Holiday (Columbia Favorites; 1953)

My Cousin Rachel, by Daphne du Maurier (Novel; 1952)

New York Central (Railroad; 1905)

The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman (Novel; 2013)

Odelay, by Beck (Album; 1996)

Once Upon a Forest (Hanna-Barbera Animated Film; 1993)

Origin of Symmetry, by Muse (Album; 2001)

Polar Fright (Chilly Willy Cartoon; 1966)

Popeye Meets Hercules (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1948)

Slow But Sure (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1934)

The Sparks Brothers (Documentary Film; 2021)

Such is Life Among the Children of France (Travelaughs Cartoon; 1922)

Suppressed Duck (WB LT Cartoon; 1965)

Tarzan (Animated Disney Film; 1999)

Toy Story 3 (Animated Pixar Film; 2010)

The Underground World (Superman Fleischer Cartoon; 1943) [#16]

The Wild Bunch (Film; 1969)

Wouldn’t It Be Nice, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1966)

Young Nick Carter, Detectiff (Sullivan Cartoon Comedy Cartoon; 1917)

Today’s Name Days

Elisabeth, Ilsa, Marina (Austria)

Asen, Chavdar (Bulgaria)

Elizabeta, Marcel, Ozana, Paul (Croatia)

Milan (Czech Republic)

Leontius (Denmark)

Auli, Aurelia, Auri, Reeli, Reelika, Reili (Estonia)

Tapio (Finland)

Léonce (France)

Elisabeth, Ilsa, Isabella, Marina (Germany)

Erasmos, Leontios (Greece)

Arnold, Levente (Hungary)

Gregorio, Marina, Marinella, Marinetta (Italy)

Alberts, Madis (Latvia)

Arnulfas, Ginbutas, Marina, Vaiva (Lithuania)

Bjarne, Bjørn (Norway)

Efrem, Elżbieta, Gerwazy, Leonia, Marek, Marina, Paula (Poland)

Ipatie, Leontie, Teodul (România)

Vratislav (Slovakia)

Marcelino, Marcos (Spain)

Bjarne, Björn (Sweden)

Leo, Leon (Ukraine)

Effie, Efrain, Eph, Ephraim, Marina, Marnie, Nevaeh (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Dudley Day

National Gail Day

National Jesse Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 169 of 2025; 196 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 3 of Week 25 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Ren-Wu), Day 23 (Wu-Wu)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 11 Baunah 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Fig (June 14-23) [Day 5 of 10]

Hebrew: 22 Sivan 5785

Islamic: 21 Dhu al-Hijjah 1446

Julian: 5 June 2025

Meteorological Summer [Day 17]

Moon: 50%: 3rd QUarter

Positivist: 1 Charlemagne (7th Month) [Theodoric the Great]

Runic Half Month: Dag (Day) [Day 6 of 15] (thru 6.27)

Season: Spring (Day 90 of 92)

SUn Calendar: 19 Blue; Fryday [19 of 30]

Week: 3rd Full Week of June

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Gemini (Day 29 of 31)

Sidereal Zodiac: Gemini (Day 3 of 31)

Schmidt Zodiac: Cetus (Day 12 of 26)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Aries (Day 36 of 39)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Aries (Day 36 of 37)

Calendar Changes

Charlemagne (Feudal Civilization) [Month 7 of 13; Positivist]

[northiowatoday]

OBIT: Lola Burt

August 19, 1938 – May 13, 2025 Lola Mae Burt, the daughter of George and Marjorie (Strohman) Helmich, was born on August 19, 1938, in Estherville, Iowa. She died on May 13, 2025, at Homestead of Estherville at the age of 86 years. Lola received her education in the Armstrong and Estherville Schools and finished her education with a college class in accounting after having her children. She…

[oldhousesunder50kandbeyond]

$47,000 Three-bedroom, one-bath affordable Iowa home is a cutie with a front porch, detached garage, wide baseboards, built-in bookshelf, clean space and city water and sewer. Realtor Comments   Three bedroom, one bath, main floor laundry, 1 stall detached garage. 3bed 1bath 1,284sqft 8,712sqft lot Circa 1888 More Iowa Properties 915 N Oak St, Iowa Falls, IA 50126  $47,000 If interested in a property, please contact the realtor whose link is provided in the post below, or contact an agent of your own choosing. Independent verification of details and status is recommended.  Contact Realtor: Penny Price Brokered by Homestead Realty Google Map Niche Pros 1. Affordable Cost of LivingIowa Falls boasts a cost of living approximately 25.9% lower than the U.S. average, with housing costs about 53% below the national average. The median home value is around $124,759, making homeownership more accessible. 2. Strong Sense of CommunityResidents describe Iowa Falls as a welcoming town with friendly neighbors and a strong community spirit. The city hosts various local events and festivals that foster a sense of belonging. 3. Access to Natural BeautyKnown as "The Scenic City," Iowa Falls offers picturesque views, parks, and outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking and fishing along the Iowa River. 4. Short Commute TimesThe average commute time in Iowa Falls is approximately 10 minutes, allowing residents to enjoy more free time and less traffic-related stress. ❌ Cons 1. Higher Crime RatesWhile Iowa Falls has a lower violent crime rate (8.5) compared to the national average (22.7), its property crime rate is slightly higher at 35.1, just below the national average of 35.4. 2. Limited Healthcare AccessIowa has experienced a reduction in healthcare facilities, with over 250 closures in the past 15 years, impacting access to medical services, especially in rural areas like Iowa Falls. 3. Economic ChallengesThe local economy faces challenges, including limited job opportunities and a declining population, which may affect long-term economic growth. 4. Harsh WintersResidents experience cold winters with an average annual snowfall of 28 inches, which may not appeal to everyone. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Read the full article

[inboundremblog]

What is Special About Lake Okoboji: Unique Destination

What is Special About Lake Okoboji: A Geological Marvel Born from Glaciers

What is special about Lake Okoboji? Lake Okoboji, located in northwest Iowa, is more than a vacation spot because it has valuable natural resources and regional cultural characteristics that have earned the area worldwide recognition. 

Lake Okoboji exists within the Iowa Great Lakes territory and features West Okoboji and East Okoboji as its two distinct lake bodies drowning the Midwest. 

The area presents an exceptional combination of geological marvels and historical traditions, ongoing recreational activities, and supportive community preservation. Lake Okoboji's most noteworthy characteristics deserve our exploration.

What is special about Lake Okoboji? The glacial formation of Lake Okoboji resulted from the glacier movement that occurred 14,000 years ago during the Ice Age. 

During the Wisconsin glacial period, the glaciers revealed basins within northwest Iowa through their gradual melting process. Time took these depressed areas filled with water to create what today's people recognize as the Iowa Great Lakes chain of interconnected bodies.

West Okoboji Lake distinguishes itself by being one of a kind among the entire chain of lakes in the area. Iowa possesses this planet's deepest natural lake adjacent to the towns, and this lake extends its depth to reach 136 feet. 

West Okoboji Lake stands out due to its clear water and blue hue, which resemble natural Colorado alpine lakes and Norwegian fjords. 

Local stories have maintained for many years that West Okoboji is a "blue water lake" among the three in the world, yet this belief remains false. Although it stands out by its clear and blue characteristics, the lake cannot be scientifically classified as one of the world's blue water lakes.

A Deep-Rooted and Sometimes Tragic History

When Lake Okoboji was still a tribal reservation, the leading Native American population there was the Dakota Sioux. The Native tribes depended on Lake Okoboji for hunting opportunities and water-based resources and used the area as their temporary settlement site. During the mid-1800s, European settlers came, and these changes led to immediate clashes.

The Spirit Lake Massacre proved to be the most devastating pioneer incident in Iowa during 1857. More than 30 settlers lost their lives when Sioux warriors launched their assaults against homesteads near the lakes, while kidnappings of several women and children occurred during these attacks. 

The notorious incident cemented the development of that area and its Native American-relations.

The region increased its popularity rate after enduring its traumatic background. The resort community experienced exponential growth following railroad transportation, which arrived in the late 19th century. 

The Burlington Cedar Rapids Northern Railway launched an 1882 service transporting thousands of vacationers from Des Moines, Minneapolis, and Chicago.

The Orleans Hotel joined the Orleans Hotel among other grand hotel establishments while the Queen and Okoboji provided luxurious cruise services across the lake network.

A Midwest Summer Playground

The community of Lake Okoboji ranks as one of the top summer vacation destinations where people find ample activities on water and dry land. The deep and clean waters of West Okoboji Lake welcome people to boating activities, sailing, jet skiing, and parasailing. 

Fishing enthusiasts visit Lake Okoboji each year because the lake consistently delivers substantial catches of walleye, northern pike, perch, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and crappie.

Lake Okoboji preserves the title of the largest tiger muskie and northern pike ever captured in Iowa because of its state records. 

People in the community participate in ice fishing during winter months after their lakes freeze while displaying equal spirit for even the coldest days.

Discover immaculate public beaches, waterfront parks, and lovely countryside trails throughout the land. 

Gull Point State Park and Pikes Point State Park provide suitable camping, hiking, and natural observation environments. Gull Point stands out for its rustic cabins and 1930s lodge, which the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed. Paths circling the lakes give visitors thrilling elevation vistas while they discover perfect locations for relaxing meals alongside native animals.

Visitors coming to Lake Okoboji should experience the amusement facilities of Arnolds Park Amusement Park. Since its founding in the late 1800s, Arnolds Park has become one of the oldest amusement parks in America that continues its operations. 

Visitors from countless families continue to visit the classic amusement park attractions annually at Arnolds Park Amusement Park, which includes its wooden roller coaster and Ferris wheel above the lake, as well as vintage arcade games.

Customers can enjoy various entertainment events at Arnolds Park, including concerts, fireworks shows, and community festivals. Visitors can also visit the Iowa Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Museum beside the park, admiring exhibits on local legends and national acts alongside their musical artifacts and memorabilia.

Throughout each summer, the Okoboji Summer Theatre uses its lakeside space to present high-quality Broadway-level productions for cultural enrichment in Iowa. As an institute based at Stephens College in Missouri, this theater ensemble continuously attracts actors and directors from various states in the U.S.

A Year-Round Destination

The summer popularity of Lake Okoboji does not obscure the active winter season. The University Of Okoboji Winter Games, scheduled in January, each year presents an exciting range of activities on frozen lakes, including snowmobile races combined with broomball tournaments, polar plunges, and ice sculpture contests. 

Many individuals face winter temperatures to join the winter celebrations, demonstrating that Lake Okoboji welcomes visitors throughout seasonal changes.

The autumn and spring seasons create an incredible display of colorful leaves alongside low visitor numbers, providing an excellent chance to find complete relaxation. The region maintains its local activities yearly because farm-to-table restaurants, boutique shops, and wineries operate continuously despite lower temperatures.

Why Lake Okoboji Is So Special

Lake Okoboji is a beloved tradition that Iowans and all Midwesterners cherish because it delivers destiny, life culture, and point of team spirit. 

The lake town's shining waters, ancient glacier origins, and strong community ties establish it among America's most outstanding lake locations. Lake Okoboji's memories stay vibrant throughout summer water skiing, autumn star-watching by docks, and winter fishing and resting near the fireplace while enjoying wine.

The place's combination of environmental wonders, diverse activities, cultural treasures, and local community attachment produces a wonderful, never-ending charm. Every lucky individual who experiences Lake Okoboji finds it a remarkable destination because of all the precious moments shared by the lake's shores. For expert guidance, check out

What is special about Lake Okoboji is its blue waters and its lively community, offering unique glacial origins and fun year-round attractions.

[rabbitcruiser]

National Nebraska Day

National Nebraska Day is observed every year on April 5. This holiday was created to celebrate Nebraska’s history, culture, and people. It also commemorates the day Nebraska became part of the U.S. as the 37th State. Nebraska is bordered to the north by South Dakota, to the east by Iowa, to the south by Kansas, to the southeast by Missouri, to the southwest by Colorado, and the west by Wyoming.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL NEBRASKA DAY

The name ‘Nebraska’ is derived from the old ‘Otoe’ words ‘Ni Brasge’ or the Omaha words ‘Ni Bthaska.’ Meaning ‘flat water,’ it makes reference to the Platte River that flows through the state. Previously known as the Nebraska Territory, Nebraska became admitted to the Union as the 37th state on March 1, 1867. Before the era of European colonization, the area now known as Nebraska was inhabited by several indigenous people, such as the ‘Omaha,’ ‘Missouria,’ ‘Ponca,’ ‘Pawnee,’ ‘Otoe,’ and various parts of the Sioux.

Between the 17th and 18th centuries, both France and Spain fought for controlling interest in the region. While Spain first established trade connections in the 1690s, France developed similar relationships with the native people along the Missouri River in 1703. In 1794, the first European settlement was established in Nebraska by the Spanish government, under the command of James Mackay.

Nebraska officially became a territory under the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which was signed into law on May 30, 1854, by the U.S. Congress. At the time, the Nebraska Territory included the following states — North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. The territorial capital was Omaha. During the 1860s, most of the Native American tribes were forced to leave their homes and settle on reservations to make way for American and European settlers, who were awarded ‘free land’ by the U.S. government. This was done in pursuance of the Homestead Act of 1862. With the influx of more people into the territory, the population became large enough to apply for statehood.

NATIONAL NEBRASKA DAY TIMELINE

1854

The Kansas-Nebraska Act is Signed

The Kansas-Nebraska Act is signed into law on May 30.

1862

The Homestead Act is Signed

The Homestead Act of 1862 is signed into law.

1860s

More Settlers Arrive in Nebraska

The Nebraska Territory is extensively settled under the Homestead Act.

1867

Nebraska Attains Statehood

Nebraska officially becomes a state of the union.

NATIONAL NEBRASKA DAY FAQS

Who is the governor of Nebraska?

The governor of Nebraska is Pete Ricketts.

What is the population of Nebraska?

Nebraska is populated by approximately 2 million people.

What is Nebraska famous for?

Nebraska is best known for farming and agriculture.

NATIONAL NEBRASKA DAY ACTIVITIES

Learn about Nebraska: There are lots of fun facts to learn about Nebraska. Start with our ‘facts’ session and you might be surprised at the things you learn.

Visit Nebraska: If you’re bold enough, why not schedule a visit to Nebraska? If you live within the U.S., take a road trip or fly to the state and have some fun exploring!

5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT NEBRASKA

It’s a triply-landlocked state: Nebraska is the only triply-landlocked state in the U.S, which means that one would have to drive through two states and a Canadian province before getting to the ocean.

It’s the home of Kool-Aid: In 1927, Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska.

Runza is exclusive to Nebraska: Runza is a fast-food chain that specializes in hot stuffed pastries that can rarely be found outside of Nebraska.

Arbor Day is owed to Nebraska: Arbor Day, which focuses on planting trees, was first celebrated in Nebraska on April 10, 1872.

It has the biggest indoor rainforest: Sitting on 1.5 acres of land, The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha is the biggest indoor rainforest in the U.S.

WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL NEBRASKA DAY

It's a lesson on Nebraska's history: This holiday affords us the opportunity of learning about our nation's history through the eye of one of the states. The more we learn, the better equipped we become to face the future head-on.

It honors the people of Nebraska: This holiday is a good day to honor and celebrate the people of Nebraska. Their unique culture and historical background are appreciated.

It promotes tourism: National Nebraska Day is a good opportunity to promote travel and tourism to the state of Nebraska. The natural beauty and attractions of the state can be harnessed to increase visits.

Source

[iowa-mentioned]

Homestead Iowa Meteorite, 1875