Thursday, December 13, 2018
Henry M. Cist Old Letters
I was at the Cincinnati Public Library and I found new articles in their data base.
Friday, November 2, 2018
The Importance of Covered Bridges.
There is a very informative article about covered bridges in the October edition, Early American Life, by Jeanmarie Andrews. Ms. Andrews gives a good description about placing yourself back in time when one would experience a covered bridge. She uses our senses by sharing with the reader about closing your eyes and imagining the faint sweetness of hay, or the pungent aroma of snorting horses pulling a wagon of material goods, or the smell of homemade baked goods, or transporting individuals at night during the Underground Railroad movement to further an individual's experience of life and times during covered bridge usage.
I am adding my own imagination on the life and time of the early Cist family members. I have looked at the Cist family album with my mentor again. There was a brotherhood, a family story. Why is there an African- American gentleman sitting in one of eight LaBoiteaux chairs playing a banjo and singing. This person was family. It is very plausible that there were times that Lewis J. Cist would wait for a family member under a covered bridge. Cist could have gone fishing in the river stream and left salted fish there for a future arriving family member to eat. If there were no fish to be caught that does not mean that there was not family love. It meant that the individual had to make his own way to feed himself before the next meeting under a covered bridge. It did not mean that Lewis J. Cist did not care for the arriving person. It just meant that the arriving person had to fish for themselves. Wagons that used covered bridges particularly in Ohio and Pennsylvania were used to hide individuals, both run away slaves, indentured servants, and persons who just did not want to be seen. There could have been white, black, male, or female.
According to Mr. Bill Caswell, founder of the project and president of the National Society of the Preservation of Covered Bridges, mentions that there are six states that have covered bridges with a concentration being in Pennsylvania, 212; Ohio,150; Vermont, 101; Indiana 92; New Hampshire, 57; and Oregon, 48. Caswell noted that 670 are historic, defined as those built for economic necessity.
Covered bridges were not new to the United States of America during the 19th century. According to the article, the Chinese used different construction techniques for pedestrians usages as far back as the 1500's. Additionally, the Europeans used covered bridge concepts during the Middle Ages.
As early as 1787, the first issue of the Columbian Magazine, an unknown builder offered details for a bridge, but it was not materialized. Remember Charles Cist during the 1780's in Philadelphia? He new these plans. I am still researching that Cist was involved in the early stages of the National Road project when he was in Philadelphia for the hot air ballon ride.
Timothy Palmer , a housewright from Massachusetts, patterned a design known as the Palmer truss. A contemporary of Palmer's, also helped to expand covered bridge technology. Burr had the Burr truss design and earned contracts to build covered bridges in Pennsylvania and New York state. These names are names that are connected with the continuation of moving westward.
There was a generation that concentrated on clearing trees for roads and bridges. Some of the Cist children and other children from the family album spent many years cutting lumber for these covered bridges. It was a community effort. I am remembering the hard work that these individuals must have went through to help the next generation build a better transportation system.
This photo was taken at the Springfield Ohio Historical Society. This is an example of the type of Conestoga wagon that was used on roads and covered bridges for transportation.
November 2, 2018
Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
I am adding my own imagination on the life and time of the early Cist family members. I have looked at the Cist family album with my mentor again. There was a brotherhood, a family story. Why is there an African- American gentleman sitting in one of eight LaBoiteaux chairs playing a banjo and singing. This person was family. It is very plausible that there were times that Lewis J. Cist would wait for a family member under a covered bridge. Cist could have gone fishing in the river stream and left salted fish there for a future arriving family member to eat. If there were no fish to be caught that does not mean that there was not family love. It meant that the individual had to make his own way to feed himself before the next meeting under a covered bridge. It did not mean that Lewis J. Cist did not care for the arriving person. It just meant that the arriving person had to fish for themselves. Wagons that used covered bridges particularly in Ohio and Pennsylvania were used to hide individuals, both run away slaves, indentured servants, and persons who just did not want to be seen. There could have been white, black, male, or female.
According to Mr. Bill Caswell, founder of the project and president of the National Society of the Preservation of Covered Bridges, mentions that there are six states that have covered bridges with a concentration being in Pennsylvania, 212; Ohio,150; Vermont, 101; Indiana 92; New Hampshire, 57; and Oregon, 48. Caswell noted that 670 are historic, defined as those built for economic necessity.
Covered bridges were not new to the United States of America during the 19th century. According to the article, the Chinese used different construction techniques for pedestrians usages as far back as the 1500's. Additionally, the Europeans used covered bridge concepts during the Middle Ages.
As early as 1787, the first issue of the Columbian Magazine, an unknown builder offered details for a bridge, but it was not materialized. Remember Charles Cist during the 1780's in Philadelphia? He new these plans. I am still researching that Cist was involved in the early stages of the National Road project when he was in Philadelphia for the hot air ballon ride.
Timothy Palmer , a housewright from Massachusetts, patterned a design known as the Palmer truss. A contemporary of Palmer's, also helped to expand covered bridge technology. Burr had the Burr truss design and earned contracts to build covered bridges in Pennsylvania and New York state. These names are names that are connected with the continuation of moving westward.
There was a generation that concentrated on clearing trees for roads and bridges. Some of the Cist children and other children from the family album spent many years cutting lumber for these covered bridges. It was a community effort. I am remembering the hard work that these individuals must have went through to help the next generation build a better transportation system.
This photo was taken at the Springfield Ohio Historical Society. This is an example of the type of Conestoga wagon that was used on roads and covered bridges for transportation.
November 2, 2018Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
"Your grandpa is made of chocolate!" stammered my amazed friend at the age of four after
meeting my grandparents. I was five and didn't think much of it at the time because that was just
Andy being silly. Of course, my grandfather wasn't actually made of chocolate. His skin is just
darker than Andy's and mine.
My father is a pure, pale German and my mother is a sun-kissed Hungarian like my
grandmother. My grandfather (whose blood my mother and I don't share) is black. Since I grew
up surrounded with an array of skin colors next to me in all of my family pictures, when it came
to skin color I always thought "So what?" the difference did not phase me any more than
different shades of a suntan. As the years went by and my friends met my grandfather or uncle,
they were usually confused. And perhaps the most interesting part was that I was confused as
to why they were confused. This is my family. This is my mother, my uncle, father, grandfather
and here we are - a united family - what's the confusion?
I began to understand their confusion as time went on and society's thoughts on race became
apparent. One of the more memorable examples came in high school when a classmate saw
my family gathered together after a school event. He looked confused and asked me who the
men talking to my parents were. When I told him they were my grandfather and uncle, my friend
looked me up and down, looked back at my family to assess, and then back to me. With a nod
of confirmation and approval, he smiled and said, "I can see it," before walking away. He saw
my suntanned, Hungarian and German skin as something it wasn't just so his mind could justify
the label of "family" that encompassed all the colors of my family. I might not have my
grandfather's blood running through my veins or his same skin color, but he is my grandfather.
He was the one that taught me the magical combination of bananas and Ginger Snap cookies.
He was the one at my soccer games, choir concerts, and school plays.
Years went by, I got older, I continued to unintentionally confuse people with my family pictures,
and slowly a question started to circle within my mind. We are a united family now, but what
were my ancestors doing decades ago? When the lines of race and segregation were drawn in
the sand, where did each ancestor stand? I am certain that my grandfather is a descendant of
slaves, but I don’t know if my Caucasian ancestors owned slaves or dealt in the slave trade.
And if they did, what does that mean for me? To come from a bloodline with slave masters and
to be in a multiracial family would either be a twist of cruel irony or poetic justice.
I have not managed to trace my German ancestry very far back, but I do know that both sets of
my great grandparents on my fathers’ side came to American from Germany. Sometime after
that, my grandparents managed to find one another and have three, very German children. I
don’t know much about my Hungarian background except that it is from my grandmother on my
mother’s side. I also know that at least one of my ancestors came as an immigrant to New York
and I can still see his name on Ellis Island’s records. I can’t imagine what that journey must
have been like or what that first look at the early United States could have inspired. What had
my ancestors escaped? What freedom did Lady Liberty promise to them? Did she keep her
promise? When my ancestor’s on my grandfather’s side came to American, they also arrived on a ship.
But their journey was far worse than whatever my German or Hungarian ancestors encountered.
They were not excited or hopeful. Their lives were changed, and not for the better
after that long voyage.
I’ve lived my life as a modern, Caucasian woman with freedom in so many ways. I’ve had the
freedom to vote, freedom to get an education, freedom to choose the careers I wanted, freedom
to live where I wanted and how I wanted to. I’ve had both outsiders and friends presume the
hardships, or lack thereof, myself and my ancestors have had based on my skin. But my skin
color does not reflect that of all of my ancestors. It doesn’t suggest the hardships of so many of
my ancestors. It does not show the lack of freedom many of my ancestors had centuries or even
just decades ago. My skin does not hint at the prejudice some of my living family members still
deal with regularly.
Since there are still many questions surrounding many of my ancestors, I hope to learn more
over the coming year as I connect more with family patriachrs and matriarchs in an effort to
create as complete a family tree as possible.
On Mon, Sep 30, 2019 at 6:30 PM Andrew Allen <pewabic34@gmail.com> wrote:
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Monday, August 27, 2018
Lewis J. Cist- Conestoga wagons
Lewis Jacob Cist worked as a bank teller both in Cincinnati and in St. Louis, Mo. He also had experience in the insurance industry. Cist lived in an era of a continued expansion westward. Lewis Cist along with other families continued a correlation family relationship of moving westward.
The American Spirit, July/ August 2018 edition.The Conestoga wagon played a major role in moving freight. Curator Roger B. White wrote that the wagon was "the undisputed king of the road in a procession of freight wagons that formed a cord from Philadelphia, PA and Baltimore, Md., to ports on the Ohio River" such as Pittsburgh, Pa., and Wheeling, W. Va.
According to American Spirit, July/ August 2018 edition, Conestoga wagons originated in southeastern Pennsylvania according to Shumway. The name came from the Conestoga River Valley around Lancaster, Pa., where English and Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants used the wagon-building skills they'd brought with them to develop a vehicle suitable for America's primitive roads. Page 42-3.
No one can be credited with inventing the Conestoga wagon, Shumway noted. Instead, it evolved from Old World wagon designs. There were minor differences, but the general design and equipage were remarkably similar. Most were built of tough , heavy, well-seasoned white oak, hickory and other hardwoods.
The body, also called the bed or the box, rested on the wheel assembly, or running gear, at tow points in the stern and one in the front, where it was secured with a kingpin that allowed the box to rock back and forth on rough surfaces. The running gear did not have shocks-absorbing springs, so this built-in flexibility helped reduce wear and tear, and it also minimized jolts to the precious cargo. Shumway described the setup as "a basket on wheels." Page 43.
Lewis J. Cist participated in the movement of goods and assisted new settlers moving out west. He was part of team. Just as Mr. Shumway mentioned that no one can be credited with inventing the Conestoga wagon, but it played a major role in a continued effort of the American scene.
I mention Cist because I am recognizing the even though Cist is not credited with the movement of moving out west he was involved. There were thousands of settlers who moved westward. This is an additional example of how an individual played a part in a larger picture of working in a team atmosphere.
I can imagine Lewis Cist on a journey consisting of multiple wagons navigating primitive trails, battling hardships, such as, surviving rattlesnake encounters, Indian confrontations, food shortages, and other pioneer experiences.
Can you see yourself being a contributor towards a "team player" of a larger story? It could be in the tech world, non-profit organizations, in mental health care, or other situations that you care about.
This photo was taken at the Springfield Ohio Historical Society on 11/27/2018.
Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
August 28, 2018/ edited 11/27/2018
The American Spirit, July/ August 2018 edition.The Conestoga wagon played a major role in moving freight. Curator Roger B. White wrote that the wagon was "the undisputed king of the road in a procession of freight wagons that formed a cord from Philadelphia, PA and Baltimore, Md., to ports on the Ohio River" such as Pittsburgh, Pa., and Wheeling, W. Va.
According to American Spirit, July/ August 2018 edition, Conestoga wagons originated in southeastern Pennsylvania according to Shumway. The name came from the Conestoga River Valley around Lancaster, Pa., where English and Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants used the wagon-building skills they'd brought with them to develop a vehicle suitable for America's primitive roads. Page 42-3.
No one can be credited with inventing the Conestoga wagon, Shumway noted. Instead, it evolved from Old World wagon designs. There were minor differences, but the general design and equipage were remarkably similar. Most were built of tough , heavy, well-seasoned white oak, hickory and other hardwoods.
The body, also called the bed or the box, rested on the wheel assembly, or running gear, at tow points in the stern and one in the front, where it was secured with a kingpin that allowed the box to rock back and forth on rough surfaces. The running gear did not have shocks-absorbing springs, so this built-in flexibility helped reduce wear and tear, and it also minimized jolts to the precious cargo. Shumway described the setup as "a basket on wheels." Page 43.
Lewis J. Cist participated in the movement of goods and assisted new settlers moving out west. He was part of team. Just as Mr. Shumway mentioned that no one can be credited with inventing the Conestoga wagon, but it played a major role in a continued effort of the American scene.
I mention Cist because I am recognizing the even though Cist is not credited with the movement of moving out west he was involved. There were thousands of settlers who moved westward. This is an additional example of how an individual played a part in a larger picture of working in a team atmosphere.
I can imagine Lewis Cist on a journey consisting of multiple wagons navigating primitive trails, battling hardships, such as, surviving rattlesnake encounters, Indian confrontations, food shortages, and other pioneer experiences.
Can you see yourself being a contributor towards a "team player" of a larger story? It could be in the tech world, non-profit organizations, in mental health care, or other situations that you care about.
This photo was taken at the Springfield Ohio Historical Society on 11/27/2018.
Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
August 28, 2018/ edited 11/27/2018
Saturday, July 7, 2018
July 4th, Washington, D.C. concert in the park.
My trip to Washington, D.C. to visit my cousin, Edwin, was very spontaneous! I loved it. The morning of July 2, not much was going on in Troy, Ohio, so I went to a second hand store to look for fishing gear. The store owner asked me if I had any plans for the holiday. I mentioned, "I do not know where I will be."That was a truthful answer. By 2:00pm, my cousin Edwin called and asked me to Virginia to experience the free concert on the Capital Building grounds. It is a big deal. Tens of thousands of people attend the concert each year. I picked the 7:00 o'clockish flight to Washington, D.C. Edwin picked me up at the airport.
There are many meanings on how to interpret American history and meanings of what the July 4th holiday means to USA citizens. I used my visit with Edwin's family as a liberty and freedom walk to experience of an individualized freedom, liberty, and justice. I took the definition of the Spirit of Independence as this: I have a college education. I have the freedom to build my own life, be self- sufficient, and be myself. As a general observation, most families have good and bad issues in family life. I left Washington, D.C. with Edwin's 3 day salad recipe. We went shopping at Trader Joe's while I got the other ingredients when I retuned to Troy. This was an individualized expression of freedom. That is good. Not everything has to be on a grand scale of national importance when dealing with the fourth of July holiday. I enjoyed my time with my cousin!
Tupperware container 64 .oz
1st layer: carrots, mini ones, peppers, green, yellow, and red peppers.
2nd layer broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, baby spinach
3rd layer sliced almonds and/ or raisins, olive oil
4th layer steel cut oats
5th layer fresh fruit (in season?) blueberries, mangos, sliced apples, etc.
Place in different corners, Turmeric powder, Basil pesto, capers, pine nuts.
Splash pomegranate vingar on top
Spread Greek honey yogurt on top
Place lid on top. Good for the 3 day rule.
Stay in the present moment. Thanks, Edwin!
Send me your ideas about freedom, liberty, and justice.
Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
08/23/2018
There are many meanings on how to interpret American history and meanings of what the July 4th holiday means to USA citizens. I used my visit with Edwin's family as a liberty and freedom walk to experience of an individualized freedom, liberty, and justice. I took the definition of the Spirit of Independence as this: I have a college education. I have the freedom to build my own life, be self- sufficient, and be myself. As a general observation, most families have good and bad issues in family life. I left Washington, D.C. with Edwin's 3 day salad recipe. We went shopping at Trader Joe's while I got the other ingredients when I retuned to Troy. This was an individualized expression of freedom. That is good. Not everything has to be on a grand scale of national importance when dealing with the fourth of July holiday. I enjoyed my time with my cousin!
Tupperware container 64 .oz
1st layer: carrots, mini ones, peppers, green, yellow, and red peppers.
2nd layer broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, baby spinach
3rd layer sliced almonds and/ or raisins, olive oil
4th layer steel cut oats
5th layer fresh fruit (in season?) blueberries, mangos, sliced apples, etc.
Place in different corners, Turmeric powder, Basil pesto, capers, pine nuts.
Splash pomegranate vingar on top
Spread Greek honey yogurt on top
Place lid on top. Good for the 3 day rule.
Stay in the present moment. Thanks, Edwin!
Send me your ideas about freedom, liberty, and justice.
Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
08/23/2018
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio
Happy Memorial Day to all veterans who fought for our freedoms!
The Cist family plot is very simple. The grave sites are just simple granite tombstones that gives names, dates, births and deaths. Family stories have been passed down about what the Cist family believed in, spirituality, socially, culturaly, and economy wise. My late dad would often say to me. "Andrew, we just placed another plum in the hat". Which means that you do not have to be responsible for filling up the whole fruit basket. A person does not have to do everything and be everything, just make a contribution and do the best you can- move on with life.
The gravesite of Civil War veteran, Henry M. Cist
This is the gravesite of Charles Edwards Cist who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The gravesite of Lewis J. Cist is not readable. He is the person who had the world famous autograph collection that was auctioned off in New York City by Bang & Company.
Spring Grove Cemetery has many other notable individuals who contributed to the fabric of our nation. I am using the Cist family as an example. Join the circle.
Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
05/27/2018
05/27/2018
Thursday, April 12, 2018
April 21 from 1:00- 5:00 pm- Charles Cist Blog Event
Hello Pewabic Writing blog readers. On April 21st, there will be a presentation at the Vandalia branch of the Dayton Public Library. It is located at 330 South Dixie Drive, Dayton, OH, 45377. Ask the front desk for the conference room from 1:00-5:00 pm. There will be new information about Charles Cist that has not been posted yet.
This presentation would be interesting for the following groups:
1. High school students who wish to write an extra credit report for their history class.
2. History teachers who want to share an original story that is a current event story.
3. General history learners.
4. Groups who wish to learn more about the English language in a blog format.
5. English teachers who wish to engage their students in learning the importance of the English language in the digital world.
There is seating for eight. Please RSVP to the email below.
Sincerely,
Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34@gmail.com
This presentation would be interesting for the following groups:
1. High school students who wish to write an extra credit report for their history class.
2. History teachers who want to share an original story that is a current event story.
3. General history learners.
4. Groups who wish to learn more about the English language in a blog format.
5. English teachers who wish to engage their students in learning the importance of the English language in the digital world.
There is seating for eight. Please RSVP to the email below.
Sincerely,
Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34@gmail.com
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Portrait of Jacob Cist
This is a portrait of Jacob Cist, a son of Charles Cist, the Philadelphia printer. Christian is on the left and Parky is on the right. Both gentleman are from the Jacob Cist side of the family. I had a wonderful time with them at the new American Revolutionary War Museum in Philadelphia.
Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
1/30/2018
pewabic34 at gmail.com
1/30/2018
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