May 2020 archive

May 29

Nimrod Headington Journal, 1852, part 16

Today’s blog post is the sixteenth in a series, the transcription of Nimrod Headington’s 1852 journal, Trip to California.

In his journal Nimrod Headington details his 1852 voyage from New York to San Francisco and his search for gold in California.

May 26

Tombstone Tuesday- Memorial Day 2020

Yesterday, Memorial Day, we visited two local cemeteries, Zion Lutheran, Chattanooga, and Zion Lutheran, Schumm. The graves of those who served in the military had new flags in their flagstaffs, placed there by the local Legion or VFW, in remembrance of Memorial Day.

May 22

Memorial Day 2020

This coming Monday we celebrate Memorial Day. This federal holiday was originally called Decoration Day and began as a way to remember and honor both Union and Confederate soldiers who were killed in battle during the Civil War. After WWI Memorial Day was extended to honor Americans who died in all wars. Today most Americans use this holiday as a time to decorate grave sites, whether the deceased served in the military or not.

May 19

Tombstone Tuesday-Mary (Buchner) Schumm

This is the tombstone of Mary (Buchner) Schumm, located in row 11 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

MARY Wife of
Frederick Schumm
1861-1930
SCHUMM

May 15

Nimrod Headington Journal, 1852, part 15

Today’s blog post is the fifteenth in a series, the transcription of Nimrod Headington’s 1852 journal, Trip to California.

In his journal Nimrod Headington details his voyage from New York to San Francisco, where he would stake his claim and pan for gold. [1] [2]

Nimrod, with several others from Knox County, Ohio, set sail from New York on 16 February 1852, traveling on the clipper ship Racehound. After 5 months at sea, rounding Cape Horn during the night of 4 May, and docking at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Valparaiso, Chile, along the way, they finally reached their destination, San Francisco, on 18 July 1852.