More About our Bok Tower Gardens Trip

As I said, this was Nathan's first trip to see Bok Tower. It was really overcast and looking like rain, so there wasn't a big crowd there. Which made it a nice day to visit.



As soon as you enter the front of the visitor center, you can see that this is going to be a pretty place.







Clearly this was a personal goal of Mr. Bok, as is shown in the quote over the entrance.



I think he definitely achieved it with this place.



The main attraction is still the tower, with the beautiful carillon music coming from it each day.

Wordless Wednesday :: Up, Up, and Away!

The Great Forest Park Balloon Race
St. Louis, Missouri September 1994Copyright © 1994/.. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Chinooks, aerial images, Brian Massey & Mizuki Takahashi

The U.S. Army has been spending time with the Mt. Rainier climbing rangers over the past few weeks. On May 22nd, we flew to the mountain and performed hoist and other training missions near Echo Rock, Camp Muir and Camp Schurman. While participating, I was able to shoot some aerial images of the climbing routes. Check out the updated route conditions for new information and photos. Chinook cockpit image taken by David Gottlieb.

The New York Times gave their opinion of Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior, and they liked him! The budget outlook for the NPS also sounds good. Of course, time will tell, but it was refreshing to see some positive press.

On a very, very sad and all-too-familiar note, two friends of this blog died climbing on Mt. McKinley last week. Mizuki Takahashi and Brian Massey (both frequented Rainier) fell while traversing high on Denali near the Messner Couloir. The exact details of what caused the accident are unknown; what we do know is that both climbers were well loved in the Pacific Northwest. Mizuki had even contributed reports to our blog last year. I knew her through the solo climbing registration program. Mizuki loved to solo climb the mountain in the winter.

It's been a very rough six months for female alpinists from the Seattle area: Christine Boskoff (owner of Mountain Madness PI), Lara Kellogg (former climbing ranger), and now Mizuki. The loss of these three unique, independent, and amazing women is an emotional setback to many climbers in the region. Our thoughts are with their friends and family. Here is an image that Mizuki contributed to the blog last year.

Ridden to Distraction

[image via Amsterdamized]

I have noticed that I feel a greater need to concentrate on the road when riding for transportation than other cyclists I know. This is not a criticism of others, but an admission of my own cognitive deficit: Whilein many ways I am a multi-tasker, this trait has bypassed anything that involvessensorimotor coordination, and sadly I am one of those people who has a difficult time chewing gum and walking at the same time. I am also a scary-horrible driver, never quite sure when it's safe to merge or at what angle to approach a parking spot.

When it comes to cycling for transportation, I am actually remarkably calm and collected - provided that I pay attention to the task at hand. For that reason I am uncomfortable chatting while navigating traffic, and no doubt appear rude to those who innocently attempt to socialise with me during their commutes. Sometimes another cyclist will pull up and start talking to me when I am on my way somewhere, and all I can think is "Oh my God, you're blocking me in and I need to make a left turn!" - not feeling very friendly at all. Needless to say, talking on the phone or texting is out of the question for me, and I am always stunned to see cyclists who are proficient at this - texting away as they execute complex traffic maneuvers in the most relaxed manner imaginable. Listening to music is something I can do on quiet country roads, but not in busy urban traffic. Drinking coffee on the bike? Forget it. I can sometimes rummage in my front basket for my sunglasses and put them on without stopping, but that is probably the height of my achievements.

Though I believe it is "dangerous" to perform sensory demanding tasks while riding a bike, I am aware that my views on this are influenced by my own inability to do these things safely.So, out of curiosity, what is your distraction threshold when you're cycling in traffic? And if you're also a driver, does it differ from being behind the wheel of a car?

Unique visitor at Grand Portage State Park

We had a unique visitor today at the state park where I work. It was a rather chilly and blustery day, but that did not seem to deter this intrepid little woodpecker. He spent most of the afternoon pecking at the trunk of a fallen Spruce tree. He also apparently was not bothered by my presence, as I was only about 10 feet away from him when I made this picture. My first thought was that it was a Black-backed Woodpecker, but I have since been corrected and am told that it is an American Three-toed Woodpecker. Whatever he is, he sure was a pretty little bird and was a lot of fun to watch!

Migizi!

During last night's boating venture out into Pigeon Bay, we saw a Bald Eagle flying around as we neared the mouth of the river. As we approached he landed in a tree on the right side of the river. At first we couldn't see him but as we got closer he soon came into view. I got quite excited when he came into view and I saw him perched on this cool bent-over Birch branch! Lots of times when Eagles are perched in trees they either blend into the background or have lots of other branches blocking the view. This one was right in the open, with some darker shadows behind. I thought it made for a great shot.

Ohio From My Window

We are really loving the landscape here. The flowers are in full bloom and the fields are full of life.

Wildlife Along the Alaska Highway

In spite of eagerly obeying a multitude of signs imploring me to “Watch for Wildlife on the Highway” I saw very few wild things along the 1400+ miles of the Alaska Highway. But the lack of wildlife may have been due to my driving habits – starting the day on the road between 7 and 8 am and quitting by 6 pm. Apparently (very) early morning and late evening hours are best for seeing the critters.

A large billboard tells me what the signs mean...

Smaller signs, like this one, dotted the sides of the highway.

The guide book that I've used for the drive to and in Alaska is called “The Milepost” and it provides a mile-by-mile breakdown of what to expect along the various highways - from towns and attractions to highway conditions – and it has been a huge help. It too provided some dire warnings about what wildlife to expect and where it would be.

What little wildlife I did see was on August 3rd (my second day on the Alaska Highway) between Summit Lake and Watson Lake (milepost 373-613). Oh, and that bit about not stopping on the highway? Forget it – everyone was doing it whenever an animal was sighted. Besides, the shoulders were nonexistent in many places and those animals certainly never appeared where there were turnouts!

Stone Sheep at 8:20 am near Summit Lake, exactly where The Milepost said they would be! But there was only one, all alone. It was right along the highway just a few feet from the van.

It posed for me for several minutes and was still standing there as I drove away.

Bear at 10:35 am. On the off-chance that I'd see any wildlife I had gotten my other camera out (it has 15x zoom but takes lower resolution images). Otherwise this fella would have been a small dot in the photo! Berries were its idea of a good meal.

These two bears (taken at 12:58 pm) were some distance away when I saw them and stopped. I was able to get just one photo before they scurried off into the forest.

A small herd of Buffalo at 1:20 pm. Another small herd was several miles further on. It is possible that these are “domesticated” buffalo since several of them appear to be wearing a collar of some kind. Or perhaps it is a tracking device?

That's all folks! That's it. That's all there was!
(Well that's all that I saw...)

Note: This post was written at 11:30 pm Friday night using the available daylight only. There was still an orange tint to the western sky. Even later in the night the sky does not get dark. I haven't seen the stars in the night sky since leaving Montana. Temperature was about 55 degrees with a light breeze. And, this is being posted from the public library in the little town of North Pole, Alaska which is about 15 miles south of Fairbanks.

Spring at Pancake Bay

This is one of my favorite shots from Memorial weekend. Taken on Sunday evening, there were some really nice clouds at sunset that night. After the sun went down we could hear thunder rumbling in the distance and as darkness fell over the lake a nice little lightning show was visible out on the horizon. After the two previous evenings which were very dismal shooting conditions (rain and gray, cloudy skies), Sunday evening more than made up for it with some of the most spectacular spring sunset clouds I've ever seen. The island on the left is called Pancake Island, and the one in the distance is called Blueberry Island. My buddy Roger refers to them as "The Breakfast Islands" (think blueberry pancakes!).

Sunrise in the Frozen Forest

This photo was made at Tettegouche State Park in Northeast Minnesota on the shores of Lake Superior. Parts of the shoreline at Tettegouche are a wonderland of ice right now. Thanks to high winds and waves that hit the shoreline just over a week ago, the trees at Tettegouche are covered in ice. Some of the cliffs at the park angle back as they drop down towards the lake, so when the waves come in just right they literally EXPLODE back out from the cliff and if the wind is strong enough it will catch the spray and fling it up over the cliff and into the trees. This only happens once in a great while, maybe only once or twice every 10 years (or so I'm told). I've shared this ice experience with a few different friends of mine, and no matter how long you've lived along the shores of Lake Superior, this incredible ice makes you stare in amazement. Truly one of the most magnificent things I've ever seen in my life on the lake. This image was made with my Canon EF 24-105mm lens, shutter speed 1/60, aperture f16, ISO 100.

Below: Here is another photo of the same ice formation, taken later in the day after the sun had risen high into the sky.

A Gift From a Stranger :: Dressler Family Photograph

A few days ago I received a pleasant surprise, delivered to my email inbox. Normally, I don't open email messages with attachments from someone I don't know but the subject of the email enticed me and I thought it would be okay. The subject? "Four Generation Picture of John Jr., John Gilbert, Joseph and Arthur Dressler."

The email was from Marla Duncan who is a great granddaughter of Anna Ellen Dressler. Anna was a sister to John Gilbert Dressler, who was the first husband of Ida Joslin. She had found my blog post on Ida Joslin Dressler Lewis and the letters Ida had written to her sister, Malissa Joslin Brubaker Bower, (May 1, 1899, November 1934, December 1934, January 1935, Fall of 1936). So, Marla isn't related to me in any way (at least, not that we know of). Even though the people in the picture aren't my ancestors (half of them are related though), I'm still excited to be able to add it to my family history documents.

Marla didn't have any information on Joseph, other than what was written on the back of the photograph. She was thrilled with the information I had posted and thought I'd enjoy having the photograph. Oh, yeah! She said, "I feel like a kid in a candy store!!" Marla has graciously given me permission to post the picture and include her name in this post. It is nice to be able to publicly acknowledge her. Thank you, Marla.

That is why I write about my family history and post it here and elsewhere on the Internet. Not just the ancestors, but about the siblings as well. If you don't put it "out there" no one is going to find it! And I firmly believe that descendants of siblings of our ancestors hold many of the clues we are missing in the search for our family history.

Four generations of Dressler men. Clockwise starting with the young man standing in the back: Joseph, John, Arthur, and John Dressler.

Written on the reverse:
Joseph Dressler son of John Dressler born at Dorrance Ks.
John Dressler son of of John & Sarah Dressler.
John Dressler - Mothers father, born in Pennsylvania, Dec. 3rd 1818. 92 I believe on this date of picture.
Arthur Dressler son of Joe & Belva Dressler, born in Dorrance Ks. Now of Mountainair, New Mexico.(In lower right corner): Gertrudes Picture

=+==+=

Joseph Gilbert Dressler, the young man standing in the center of the picture, is my 1st cousin 3 times removed. His mother, Ida Joslin, and my 2nd great grandmother, Malissa Joslin, were sisters and they were two of the 15 children of Lysander and Lydia (Robison) Joslin.

The only clue I had regarding the whereabouts of Joseph Dressler was in Ida's obituary which stated that a son, Joseph, lived in New Mexico. The letters written by Ida provided some clues as well. When the census indexes became available online it was a relatively simple task to locate him. In September .., a query to the webmaster of the Torrance County, New Mexico website put me in contact with a grandson of Joseph Dressler. I sent him the information I had found but never heard back from him. And then, as often happens, life got in the way of research, and I never followed up.

From my .. conversations with the grandson of Joe I learned:

Joe and Belva had two sons and a daughter: Chester, Arthur and Lola. Chester and his wife Pearl had one son, Eugene (Gene). Arthur had two daughters and Lola married Irvin Taylor and had two sons.

Joe Dressler's real mother left him and his Dad when Joe was about three years old and he never had any contact with her again until after his Dad died. The grandchildren do not know the name of either Joe's father or mother. After Joe's father died the mother came to see Joe and he thought maybe she even came to New Mexico at least once, maybe twice. When she died Joe went to Kansas and took care of the arrangements. Joe was the only child she ever had, but he never had much contact with her. Joe just never talked about his family. Belva talked about hers a lot and her maiden name was Roe. She was Republican and Joe was a very strong Democrat. Joe was the probate judge for Torrance County for several years.

A portion of a letter from Ida to Malissa in the fall of 1936:

...I guess it made you sadder to bid your boy goodbye forever. I don't know as I will ever see Joe again although he always says he will come when he can get away from his farm. I wrote him it would be too late if he kept putting it off but I know its hard to get away from the farm. He is not well. Neither is his wife. Just working themselves to death - children all worried. Still they don't seem to know how to let up. They always say - "just one more year" - but they keep right on. The youngest boy, with his family, lives on Joes farm. He built a house for him. The other one not far away but Lolo is the one Be--- wants near her but she is a long way off. Only comes every year but she seems happy with her husband and two boys. Guess she won't have any more. I hope not. The youngest is 3 ½ - the other one 6 - going to Kindergarten. Lolo gives them a good start as she taught school several terms before she married Ervin.

=+==+=

Joseph Gilbert Dressler was born February 24, 1885 in Kansas (in Dorrance, according to the photograph) and was the son of John Gilbert and Ida Blanch (Joslin) Dressler.

Joe is listed in the household of John G. Dressler in the 1880 census (Plymouth Township, Russell County, Kansas page 72): Joseph G. Dressler, son, 15 years old, born Feb. 1885 in Kansas. His father was born in Pennsylvania and his mother was born in Indiana.

In the 1910 census, Joseph G. Dressler was found in Dorrance City, Plymouth Township, Russell County, Kansas (page 80B/3B). He is 25 years old and has been married for 6 years. His wife, Belvie L., is 25 years old, has 2 children (both living). Residing with them are their 4 year old son Arthur and daughter Lola, who is 3 years old. Also in their household was his 36 year old brother-in-law William Roe and his 21 year old cousin (female) Ollie Mackle.

In 1920, Joe and family were found in Precinct 17, Jaramillo, Torrance County, New Mexico (page 268/1A). Joseph G. Dressler, owns his home, is 35 years old and married. Also in the household were his wife Belva L., 35; son Arthur G., 14 6/12; daughter Lola L., 12; and son Chester E., 10 7/12.

They were still living in Torrance County in 1930 (Ewing Precinct 17, page 84) but by now the children were out on their own. Joe was 45 years old, he was first married at age 19. He was born in Kansas, his father was born in Pennsylvania, and his mother was born in Indiana. His occupation was listed as a general farm laborer. Listed with him was his wife Belva R., age 45.

Joseph and Belva are buried in Mountainair Cemetery, Torrance County, New Mexico. According to the tombstone picture, Joseph was born February 24, 1885 and died December 15, 1961. Belva was born March 21, 1885 and died January 9, 1967.

=+==+=

Arthur has not been found in the 1930 census. There is a record on the SSDI that shows an Arthur Dressler whose social security card was issued in New Mexico. He was born July 26, 1905 [probably Dorrance, Russell County, Kansas] and died in March 1976. His last residence was listed as Thousand Oaks, Ventura County, California. A search of the California Death Index, 1940-1997 on ancestry shows that Arthur G Dressler was born July 26, 1905 in Kansas and died March 20, 1976 in Los Angeles.

The California Marriage Index, 1960-1985 on ancestry has an entry for Arthur G Dressler, age 56, born about 1905. Married on November 11, 1961 in Los Angeles to Viola M, age 47, born about 1914. Her surname is given as Clark on one page and Hucke on another.

=+==+=

Lola Dressler and Irvin Taylor were found in the 1930 census in Township 5, Inyo County, California (page 288): He rents their home for $12.50, they own a Radio. He is 28 years old and was married at age 28. He was born in Texas and works as a laborer at a Clay Mill. His wife, Lola E., is 23 years old, was married at age 22, and was born in Kansas. No occupation is given.

The family listed just before Lola and Irvin was that of 26 year old Cyrus O. Taylor who was born in Texas. Presumably a brother of Irvin.

A search of the California Death Index, 1940-1997 on ancestry resulted in a match for Lola Elnore Taylor, born January 20, 1907 in Kansas. She died March 1, 1983 in Los Angeles. Her mother's maiden name was Roe and her father's surname was Dressler.

In the letter, mentioned above, from the fall of 1936 we find that Lola has two boys: the youngest is 3 ½ and the other one was 6 years old.

A check on WorldConnect found Lola Dressler born January 20, 1907 in Kansas and died March 1, 1983 in Los Angeles, California. She married Samuel Irvin Taylor. He was born May 4, 1901 in Edwards County, Texas and died April 18, 1975 in Kern County, California. His parents were Arris Samuel Taylor and Laura Clazona Roberts. No sources were given.

=+==+=

Chester Dressler was located in the 1930 census in Ewing Precinct 17, Torrance County, New Mexico (page 84). He was 20 years old, was married at age 19, born in Kansas, and was a general farm laborer. His wife, Pearl, was 20 years old and born in Oklahoma.

The SSDI shows that Chester was born June 6, 1910 and died in April 1983. His last residence and last benefit was listed as Mountainair, Torrance County, New Mexico. His social security card was issued in New Mexico. Chester lived on the family farm and it was his son with whom I made a brief contact back in ...

=+==+=

Data Mining :: Who is Who? And how do they fit?

This is going to be a long post... it has taken far more time to compile than anticipated and I wasn't sure how to present the information. Hopefully it will be somewhat clearer than mud and will be of help to someone besides myself! If you are doing research on these Rupert families, please contact me – kinexxions@gmail.com



These past three weeks I have consumed “quite a few” hours searching for tidbits regarding Rupert families in Columbiana County, Ohio - in online family trees, FamilySearch, Ancestry dot com, Footnote, and other sites as well as spending three full days at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne.



A considerable amount of time has also been spent in evaluating what had been found at the Family History Library in addition to the new stuff. A lot of “information” has been gathered with more than a few “Huh?” moments, especially with the family trees but also in “official records,” which has resulted in a bit of confusion which in turn has caused some degree of frustration because the records that are needed are not immediately available. More information = more questions that need answered.



In trying to sort out the Rupert families in Columbiana County, it certainly helps that the two “biggest players” (Adam and John) both left wills that named their children, though perhaps not all of them and, of course, some of the names are the same! However, John did not give us the married names of his daughters, just their first names, which certainly complicates matters. I do appreciate the fact that he listed his children but why oh why couldn't he have given us their married names?



For now, my goal was to attempt to determine how many Rupert families there were in Columbiana County and who belongs to whom. At this time it is a “best guess” and more research is needed to confirm or deny any assumptions. I have not, by any stretch of the imagination reviewed all of the family trees online that are out there for these people nor have I done an exhaustive search (though this has been a bit exhausting!) for all records.



FamilySearch has been putting the Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 online. They are only 17% complete and include just 11 counties for the years 1816 through 1838, but one of those counties happens to be Columbiana! The neat thing about the years 1816-1820 is that they listed the original owner as well as the current proprietor.



In addition, the microfilm of the Ohio Land Records (Roll 136) for the Register of Certificates 1800-1812 for Steubenville Land Records was viewed at the Allen County Public Library. The records for the “original owners” (Adam, John and William Rupert) were transcribed.



The Tax Lists, along with Census Records and Land Patent Records have identified men with the Rupert surname who either owned land in Columbiana County, Ohio or resided there. For the early years (prior to 1828) the township names were not included on the tax list. I've used the land description (Range and Township) to determine the actual township. An example, from the 1816 tax list for Columbiana County, Ohio is shown below.





1816 Property Tax List, Columbiana County, Ohio



Portion of the Ohio Townships map (pdf) found at the Ohio DNR website.

For reference purposes: Hanover Township is left of Center (where the “OLU” is in Columbiana). Unity Township is in the upper right corner. Columbiana County originally encompassed the southern tier of townships in Mahoning County as well as the eastern tier of townships in Stark and portions of Carroll and Jefferson Townships.



Below is a compilation of the Ohio Tax Lists available at Family Search for the years 1816-1836 and the early federal census records (1820-1840) for Columbiana County for the surname Rupert, or variations (Rooperd, Rupart, Ruper, Ruperd, Rupert, Ruppard, Ruppart, Ruppert, and Ruport) To save space, I've omitted the surname from the Property Tax abstracts. The Tax Lists for Personal Property have not been included but I found no additional names for the years covered.



I'm not sure what, if any, conclusions can be drawn with this information. Examination of the actual Deed Records could provide additional information. I'm hoping that someone with more information will see this and contact me! kinexxions@gmail.com



=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= John =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

• John Rubert, resident of Columbiana County, Ohio was issued Patent Certificate 1145 on December 1, 1804 for 159.4 acres in R4 T15 S26 through the Steubenville Land Office. Final Certificate 1347 was issued to him on November 25, 1808.

• John – Tax List - Hanover Twp (R4 T15 S26) – original owner - 161.3 acres - 1816, 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820 (80 acres), 1821, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825, 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835, 1836

• John Rupert - 1820 - Hanover Twp p5, one male over 45 and one female over 45.

• John Ropert - 1830 - Hanover Twp p19, one male 80-89, one female 20-29, one female 70-79 [This is the father of my ancestor Eva Rupert Yarian. The 1830 census puts John's date of birth between 1741 and 1750. The female age 20-29 is most likely a caretaker or housekeeper.]

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Richard, son of John =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

• Richard Rupert - 1820 - Hanover Twp p5, one male under 10, one male 16-25, one female 16-25 [He is most likely Andrew Richard who sold land in 1824 along with his wife Mary and John Ruppard and wife Barbara and the Richard mentioned in John's will. He may be the Andrew Rupert listed in the 1830 census Sandy Twp, Stark County, Ohio p1.]

• Richard - Tax List - Hanover Twp (R4 T15 S26) - original owner: John Rooperd – 80 acres - 1820, 1821, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Adam =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

• Adam Rupert, resident of Columbiana County, Ohio was issued Patent Certificate 1350 on April 26, 1805 for 313.2 acres in R7 T19 S11 through the Steubenville Land Office. Final Certificate 1445 was issued to him on April 12, 1809.

• Adam - Tax List - Unity Twp (R1 T8 S17) – original owner - 324 acres – 1816, 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, 1821, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825, 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829 [apparently sold land to Adam Jr and Jacob]

• Adam - Tax List - Canton Twp (R8 T10 S25) - original owner: John Nichols - 160 acres – 1819, 1820 [Canton Twp is now part of Stark County. Do not know if this is the same Adam Rupert]

• Adam - Tax List - Unity Twp (R1 T8 S5) – 50 acres - 1824

• Adam Rupert – 1820 - Unity Twp p5, one male under 10, two males 16-25, one male 45 and over, one female 10-15, one female 16-25, two females 45 and over.

• Adam Rookart Sr - 1830 – Unity Twp p17, one male 70-79, one male 80-89, one female 10-14, two females 70-79. One person in the household is blind. [Am assuming this is Adam Rupert Sr. as he is otherwise not enumerated in the census for Unity Township. On the same page as Adam Jr. and Jacob Rookart. Indexed as Adam Rookard Junior.]

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Jacob, son of Adam =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

• Jacob - Tax List - Unity Twp (R1 T8 S17) - 160 acres – 1830, 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835, 1836 [Apparently purchased or received half of the property that was owned by his father.]

• Jacob Rupert – 1820 - Unity Twp p5, one male under 10, one male 26-44, one female under 10, one female 16-25. [He is listed on the line immediately after Adam. Jacob was not named in the will of Adam Rupert but it was mentioned in several online trees that he was given a share of the remaining undistributed assets of Adam's estate.]

• Jacob Rookart – 1830 - Unity Twp p17, three males under 5, one male 5-9, one male 30-39, one female under 5, one female 5-9, one female 30-39. [Am assuming this is Jacob Rupert. He is enumerated on the same page as Adam Rookart Jr and Sr.]

• Rebecca Rupert - 1840 – Unity Twp p19, two males 5-9, one male 10-14, two males 15-19, one male 20-29, one female 10-14, one female 15-19, one female 40-49. [Rebecca is the widow of Jacob]

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Adam Junior, son of Adam =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

• Adam Jr - Tax List - Unity Twp (R1 T8 S17) – 160 acres – 1830, 1832, 1833, 1835, 1836 [Apparently purchased or received half of the property that was owned by his father.]

• Adam Jr - Tax List - Unity Twp (R1 T8 S11) – 160 acres – 1834

• Adam Rookart Jr - 1830 – Unity Twp p17, one male under 5, one male 20-29, one male 30-39, two females under 5, one female 5-9, one female 20-29. [Assuming this is Adam Rupert Jr. as he is otherwise not enumerated in the census for Unity Township. Listed on the line just below Adam Sr. Indexed as Adam Rookard Junior]

• Adam Rupert – 1840 – Unity Twp p19, two males under 5, one male 5-9, one male 10-14, one male 20-29, one male 30-39, two females under 5, three females 10-14, one female 30-39, one female 80-89. [This is Adam Jr as the elder Adam passed away on April 22 1840.]

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= ? ? ? ? ? ? =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=



Then there are these fellows, none of which are mentioned in the will of John or Adam Rupert. Are they related or are they “strays” that don't belong to either John or Adam?



=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= ? ? William Rupert ? ? =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=



The actual census pages were viewed and William is not listed in the 1820 or 1830 census for Green or Beaver Township.

• William Rupert, resident of Frederick County, Maryland was issued Patent Certificate 627 on October 20, 1803 through the Steubenville Land Office. Final Certificate 1104 was issued to him on February 16, 1804.

• William - Tax List - Green Twp (R3 T16 S1) – original owner - 690 acres - 1816, 1817 (delinquent), 1819, 1820, 1821, 1822 (non resident), 1823 (non resident), 1824 (non resident), 1825 (non resident) - entry shows S11, 1827 (no first name listed), 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835 (delinquent for 1833 & 34), 1836

• William Rupert, resident of Frederick County, Maryland was issued Patent Certificate 628 on October 20, 1803 for 628 acres in R3 T16 S8 through the Steubenville Land Office. Final Certificate 1103 was issued to him on February 16, 1804.

• William - Tax List - Green Twp (R3 T16 S8) – original owner - 640 acres – 1816, 1817 (delinquent), 1819, 1820, 1821, 1822 (non resident), 1823 (non resident), 1824 (non resident), 1825 (non resident), 1827 (no first name listed), 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835, 1836 (delinquent for 1835)

• William Rupert, resident of Adams County, Pennsylvania was issued Patent Certificate 2516 on October 23, 1806 for 159.82 acres in R2 T13 S18 through the Steubenville Land Office. Final Certificate 1754 was issued to him on November 18, 1809. [May not be the same man who purchased land in Green Twp. There was another Rupert family in Beaver Township. See below.]

• William - Tax List - Beaver Twp (R2 T13 S18) – original owner - 160 acres – 1816, 1817 (delinquent), 1818, 1819, 1820, 1821, 1822 (non resident), 1823 (non resident), 1824 (non resident)

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= ? ? Christian Rupert ? ? =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

• Christian Rupert – 1820 - Centreville p2, one male 26-44, one female 16-25. A marriage is recorded for Christian Rupert and Mary Steller in Columbiana County ( v2 p12) on September 1, 1818. [The town of Carrollton was originally called Centreville. The name was changed when Carroll County was organized in 1833.]

• Christian - Tax List – Washington Twp (R5 T14 S23) – 3 acres – 1826, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1832 [This land is now part of Carroll County.]

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= ? ? George Ropert ? ? =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

• Geo Ropert – 1830 - Hanover Twp p19, one male under 5, one male 20-29, one female under 5, one female 20-29. [George is in Hanover Township, same as John.]

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= ? ? Beaver Township Ruperts ? ? =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=



And then, there is another Rupert family residing in Columbiana County - in Beaver Township. In 1846, Beaver Township became a part of newly formed Mahoning County. On pages 790-791 of the “20th Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio and Representative Citizens” edited and compiled by Gen. Thos. W. Sanderson, 1907 there is a biography of Jacob W. Rupert born August 13, 1840, in Beaver township, Mahoning County, Ohio. He is a son of Benjamin and Catherine (Wonsetler) Ruppert. Benjamin “was born in Beaver township and was a son of Jacob Ruppert, who came from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and settled first just north of North Lima, removing from there to a farm of 200 acres, northeast of Canfield, on which he lived for the rest of his life.” This Jacob does not appear to be part of the John or Adam Rupert families, but, who knows? I do have some additional information on this Mahoning County Clan but haven't had time to fully review it yet.

• Jacob Ruperd - 1820 – Beaver Twp p2, five males under 10, one male 26-44, one female 26-44

• Jacob - Tax List- Beaver Twp (R2 T13 S22) - original owner: Christian Klinker - 163 acres – 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, 1821, 1822, 1823, 1825, 1826

• Jacob - Tax List - Beaver Twp (R2 T13 S14) – 10.25 acres – 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832

• Jacob Rupert – 1830 - Beaver Twp p9, one male under 5, one male 5-9, one male 10-14, one male 20-29, one male 40-49, one female under 5, one female 30-39.

• Jacob - Tax List - Beaver Twp (R2 T13 S11) - 10 acres - 1831, 1832

• Jacob - Tax List - Beaver Twp (R2 T13 S8) - 72 acres – 1833, 1834, 1835, 1836

• Jacob - Tax List - Beaver Twp (R2 T13 S7) - 59 acres – 1836

• Samuel - Tax List - Beaver Twp (R2 T13 S18) – 160 acres – 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1831

• Jacob Rupert - 1840 – Beaver Twp p7, one male 10-14, three males 15-19, two males 20-29, one male 40-49, one female 10-14, one female 40-49.

• Benjamin Rupert - 1840 – Beaver Twp p3, one male under 5, one male 20-29, one female 15-19.

• Eli Rupart – 1840 - Beaver Twp p17, one male under 5, one male 20-29, one female under 5, one female 15-19.

• William Rupert – 1840 - Beaver Twp p17, one male 20-29 [born 1811-1820], one female under 5, one female 20-29.

The Seasons are changing, and so are the routes...

This past week has brought intense thunderstorms, new snowfall, and crisp fall air to Mt. Rainier. With these changes in the weather, we are also seeing changes on some of the routes. See the Disappointment Cleaver page for information on the latest developements there. The upcoming week looks like it holds beautiful weather, so come on up to Mount Rainier National Park and enjoy the stunning scenery, the wildflowers, and the melted out hiking trails before fall truly takes hold!

Mackinac Bridge

The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Envisioned since the 1880s, the bridge was completed in 1957 only after many decades of struggles to begin construction. Designed by engineer David B. Steinman, the bridge (familiarly known as "Big Mac" and "Mighty Mac") connects the city of St. Ignace on the north end with the village of Mackinaw City on the south. It is the third longest in total suspension in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western hemisphere. The Mackinac Bridge carries Interstate 75 across the straits.

Friday Night Live Festival

Each third Friday of the month, Wauchula has an event that they call Friday Night Live. We have always been impressed at all that this town does to build and keep business downtown and this event is one of those things that drives people to Main Street.



Each month has a different theme and you can walk Main Street and visit booths, eat great food and hear live music. We went with my work and worked in a booth we set up for the event, but that still gave us a chance to enjoy the night.

Alpinism?

If you aren't aware of the fact, the blog format details very accurate data on use and visitors. So I see where the traffic comes from by country and URL both.





Photo courtesy of Ally Swinton, his Nomic with a C/T hammer, solo on the North Face of the Midi

The majority of the use is from the US and Canada followed closely by the UK and then virtually every alpine country in the world follows.



The US numbers would seem to be a given. I post enough on Canadian and the UK climbing web sites that it isn't a surprise there. The rest of the traffic is.



I hope those that already know this will pardon me restating the obvious for us in NA.



Last year a couple of friends asked me how to better learn "alpinism". What ever that means to you. For many here in the NW that might mean climbing Ptarmiganm ridge as the ultimate goal or the North face on Mt Temple in the Rockies. For others the Cassin on Denali. Big jump between the three.



And any one of them worthy goals.



When I look back at 40 years of alpine climbing the one place that defines the sport and generally the climbers I admire it is Chamonix. Climbs like the MacIntyre-Colton on the Grand Jorasses definealpinism to me.



There are a couple dozen climbers I suspect in Chamonix-Courmayeur area (or who climb there on a regular basis) that we have never heard of, that have done more hard alpine climbing thananyonefrom the US, past or present.



Bold statement, I know.



But then, do you know the guy who not only broke Ueli Steck's speed record on the Ginat this winter and carried skis up and over while doing it? Yes. alpine climbing is all about conditions. And the Ginat had steps up it earlier in the in the winter. But still...anyone know this guy or his time?



Chamonix is a big and complexarea, has an amazing amount of climbing, (more than any one person will ever do in a life time) and super easy access (but not as easy as it first appears). Generally you will be climbing above 11,000 feet if you want to climb on the bigger faces. And best of all the rock is stellar in comparison to Canadian limestone and the weather stunning in clarity if rather harsh (Alaska harsh) in the storm cycles when they do arrive. Nothing like it for terrainin North America outside Alaska.





Bottom line here? If you want to learn what thestate of alpine climbing is in the world today...or get better at your own alpine climbing in the shortest amount of time involved, you simply must climb (and you mustski) in Chamonix.



Lots of places to rock climb in the world. Yosemite one of the best. Just as many of us have learned a lot in Yosemite it isn't the end all to rock climbing. Close may :) It might well be the one destination you must make it to if you rock climb. Chamonix is the one place you must visit if you alpine climb.



Take a look at Colin Haley's blog during March and April over the last few years to put the climbing access and skiing into perspective.



http://colinhaley.blogspot.com//04/back-in-chamonix.html



I have a few months worth of writing and opinions to catch up on. Most of thatis based on this year's Cham experience. Some of it a surprise even to me.

Van Sweringen Photography: Yehuda approves!

How cool! I went to read the Yehuda Moon comic strip last night, and something on the website looked very familiar.



It took a while for it to hit me, but those are my photos used as examples of the Van Sweringen Flickr group. Thanks, Yehuda! So nice of you to pick my photos. From left to right, they are: Somervillain's Raleigh DL1, the Co-Habitant's Raleigh DL-1, and the Co-Habitant's Pashley.



The Co-Habitant's "track bike". I guess the Pashley does look very much Van Sweringen-ish, especially with those bags attached.



If you have no idea what I am talking about here, then clearly you are not yet addicted to the microcosm of Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery. Do yourself a favour and pay them a visit; best comic strip ever!

Mt. Olympus, Blue Glacier

We made the long drive up to the northwest corner of the state to climb Mt. Olympus. It is located deep in the Hoh Rain Forest. The climb involves a round trip hike of 45 miles with an elevation gain of 8,000'.



There were huge, moss covered Douglas Fir, Cedar, Spruce and Hemlock trees everywhere.



Elk Lake at the 15 mile mark.





This cable ladder was put in place to help climbers cross an avalanche chute just before the camp at Glacier Meadows.





The Blue Glacier as seen from the lateral moraine. The true summit is the farthest peak in the middle of the picture. Snow Dome is on the right.





Doug and Dave on the summit in our rain gear. It rained for about an hour when we first started up the glacier. We had traveled and hiked way to far to turn around because of rain! The sun even came out later that morning.



The view from the summit looking down on Snow Dome and the Blue Glacier.






The lower part of the glacier is a square mile of hard ice. It is covered with hundreds of small icy streams. They usually disappear into a hole or crevasse on the glacier.



It would have been easy to spend an entire day there exploring that part of the mountain. We had to walk on the high spots to stay dry.




We made our way back down the moraine to Glacier Meadows where the biting flies convinced us to start the hike out to the car. The next day, we stopped at the beach for a while and then started the long drive home. It was nice to accomplish another climb that had been on our "to do" list for a while.