Abandoned Coastal Defenses of Alabama is a down-and-dirty guided tour through Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines, the retired guardians of Alabama’s Gulf Coast. For nearly two hundred years, these hauntingly beautiful Third System forts have stood stubbornly between the Yellowhammer State and a sometimes hostile world beyond.
Handwerk, Joel. Abandoned Virginia. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2021. 96 pages, notes, color photos. ISBN 9781634992954, 23.99.
Have you ever driven past a dilapidated old building, with broken windows and covered in ivy, and wondered what happened there? How long has that building been vacant and left to be consumed by nature? This book takes you on a photo tour of such buildings in Virginia, all forgotten and falling apart. There is an Art Deco city skyscraper, which formerly held a bank, complete with a bank vault. Another property contains a sprawling complex of a former Catholic high school. Additional locations include houses, schools, commercial warehouses, and even a former outdoor Renaissance Faire.
Sometimes there is available information about how these buildings became abandoned. In other cases, the story is a complete mystery. Regardless of the details, there is something intriguing about seeing a structure that has slowly decayed, a once pristine place being transformed into broken glass and crumbling ceiling tiles. The people are long gone, but you can still see what remains of something they have left behind, just waiting to be discovered with a camera.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs or sponsors providing products.
Has there ever been a more written about person that Abraham Lincoln? Ford’s Theatre houses a 34 foot book tower to the Great Emancipator, while estimating the number of titles published is more than 15,000. Moreover, every year more titles are released not even taking into account journal, magazine, and newspaper articles. Authors and publishers continue to find aspects of Lincoln’s life that have not been directly addressed, new interpretations are provided, and in some cases authors just rehash other secondary materials. The historiography is mind boggling.
Adding to the literature is John Schildt, a certified battlefield guide at Antietam National Battlefield, who has penned a new book discussing the travels made by Lincoln while he served as president. In total, Schildt covers nineteen wartime trips Lincoln made outside of Washington D.C. These trips became less frequent as the war dragged on; beginning with nine in 1862, five in 1863, four in 1864, and a single trip in 1865. (page 18) As would be expected these sojourns were made close to Washington D.C.; visiting Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York.
The author proposes that these trips were made for three specific reasons. The first was to confer with generals, second to plot military strategy, and a third reason was to visit troops in the field. (pages 16- 17). The president seemed genuinely concerned for the combatants whether they be Union or Confederate. An example being provided in a lengthy quote from the Donald C. Pfanz work Lincoln at City Point, where the president is seen moving through the tents of injured men, shaking hands, offering encouragement, sharing a tear, and telling them they had to live. When it came to Confederates, Lincoln was known to visit those who were confined to hospitals. Lincoln is shown to be a truly benevolent leader. (pages 141-145)
A continuing thread about family, in particular Mary Lincoln, runs throughout the work. Mary is often seen as difficult, jealous, and perhaps another reason for Lincoln to have tried to escape D.C. for these short periods. Tad is shown to be a boy, doing boy things, and having boyish reactions. During the 1865 trip to Virginia, the presidential entourage came across three pound bales of tobacco that some of the adults took for their own use. Tad joined in and grabbed some as well despite being too young to smoke. (pages 126-127)
Some of the visits are better known than others. The trip to Gettysburg is well documented and Lincoln’s “few appropriate remarks” is perhaps the most widely known speech of all time. Other tours are less well known and herein lies the value of the book. For those seeking a concise and easy to digest book outlining a unique aspect of Lincoln’s life this is recommended. The endnotes, more than 200 of them, are helpful for those looking for further documentation.
Thank you to Arcadia Publishing for providing a complimentary review copy of this book.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs or sponsors providing products.
Thank you to Arcadia Publishing for providing complimentary review copies of a couple of their newest releases. Reviews will be posted in the future. All reviews will be based upon my own readings and are not influenced by the publisher providing review copies.
Macon was a cornerstone of the Confederacy’s military-industrial complex. As a transportation hub, the city supplied weapons to the Confederacy, making it a target once the Union pushed into Georgia in 1864. In the course of the war’s last year, Macon faced three separate cavalry assaults. The battles were small in the grand scheme but salient for the combatants and townspeople. Once the war concluded, it was from Macon that cavalry struck out to capture the fugitive Jefferson Davis, allowing the city to witness one of the last chapters of the conflict. Author Niels Eichhorn brings together the first comprehensive analysis of the military engagements and battles in Middle Georgia.
On the afternoon of April 9, 1865, some sixteen thousand Union troops launched a bold, coordinated assault on the three-mile-long line of earthworks known as Fort Blakeley. The charge was one of the grand spectacles of the Civil War, the climax of a weeks-long campaign that resulted in the capture of Mobile—the last major Southern city to remain in Confederate hands. Historian Mike Bunn takes readers into the chaos of those desperate moments along the waters of the storied Mobile-Tensaw Delta. With a crisp narrative that also serves as a guided tour of Alabama’s largest Civil War battlefield, the book pioneers a telling of Blakeley’s story through detailed accounts from those who participated in the harrowing siege and assault.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs.
Located behind Advent Health Hospital in DeLand, Florida is a small cemetery that very few people know about. If you are driving Stone Street just north of Plymouth Avenue pay attention on the left hand side of the road as you pass the hospital. You will see a single lane road and small road sign stating Charnel Cemetery Road. If you turn left here, it will take you directly to the small fenced cemetery.
Wide view of Charnel Cemetery
The cemetery contains around 450 burials. The headstones are all ground level and unexceptional.
There are a few military markers. The markers date from approximately 1960 through 1999. The
interments during this period are considered to be indigent burials.
I use the term “during this period” because along the left (south) fence there are three headstones that
do not fit date wise or style wise with the other headstones. These belong to E.W. Gregor and family,
Elizabeth Jones, and Mary Taylor. One can safely determine that these headstones are not in their
original location. Where these burials are, or the individuals these headstones commemorate are lost to
time
Headstones for E.W. Gregor, Elizabeth Jones, and Mary Taylor
Overall, the cemetery is in good, but not excellent condition. When I visited, the grass was cut low and
the grounds were safe to walk. To the north side of the cemetery, a tree limb had fallen but did not
cause damage to any markers. Most of the markers could use a good cleaning as might be expected. The
markers are in straight rows making it easy to navigate through.
According to the Florida Master Site file, the property has changed hands several times over the last
century. The County of Volusia purchased the property from the Noble estate in 1889. In 1924, Joseph
A. Scarlet II purchased the land before it selling it back to the county eight years later in 1932. Based
upon the FMS file this is still county owned property. In 1983, the West Volusia Hospital Authority
purchased undeveloped portions of the parcel. I believe this purchase occurred strictly to allow for
future expansion.
We now jump ahead to the year 2014 when the hospital, then operated as Florida Hospital DeLand, was
expanding and adding a cardiac catheterization lab. On July 28, 2014, workers were digging as part of
the construction process when they uncovered a portion of a human skull. Construction was halted
immediately and local police summoned to the scene. Reports at the time stated, “The hospital was
built more than fifty years ago, and it is believed that these remains are from an indigent cemetery that
was in the area approximately 100 years [or longer] ago.”
Over the next eleven months, archaeologists from Prentice Thomas & Associatesworked the site,
discovering the remains of twenty-one individuals. Research into the site determined it to have been the
location of a county poorhouse and during the 1890s was home to an agricultural poor farm where
residents could live and support themselves. Many residents died here and it is now presumed they
were buried on site. Because there were no records indicating who was buried there, no relatives could
be contacted.
On August 15, 2017, Florida Hospital DeLand hosted a service in their memorial garden honoring the
memory of those whose remains were found in the unmarked graves. Pastor Johnny Long from First
Baptist Church led the invocation, “Father, we lift up the families of these. We don’t even know their
names, but Lord what we do know is they lived and their life meant something very much to their
families, their communities, to this community and to you.”
After archaeological work and the forensic examinations were completed, the remains were interred at
Oakdale Cemetery. A large, single marker now notes the location of these long forgotten Volusia County
residents.
The marker in Oakdale Cemetery commemorating the twenty-one unmarked and unknown burials found behind Florida Hospital DeLand.
An online memorial for burials in Charnel Cemetery may be viewedhere.
A video of Charnel Cemetery may be viewed hereor by clicking the embedded video below.
For an excellent introduction to Florida law as it relates to abandoned cemeteries and unmarked graves
please visit the Florida Division of Historical Resources.
Sources:
Daytona Beach News Journal
www.findagrave.com
Florida Master Site File
West Volusia Beacon
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs.
The Rufus Pinkney mural in DeLand, FL is a memorial to Pinkney’s work and life.
We all live somewhere; whether it be a town, village, or city; urban or rural, small town or giant metropolis. What makes it home though is a sense of community. Men like Rufus Pinkney are what makes a community.
You don’t know who Rufus Pinkney was? Well you must not have lived in DeLand, Florida at any time for the past sixty odd years. Rufus was an institution in the downtown area. Even if you didn’t know his name you knew who he was. He was a local legend. Was he a sports star? Was he a political figure or a prominent banker or lawyer? No. Mr. Pinkney shined shoes. That’s right. He shined shoes and he was a more beloved representative of small town community than any sports star could be.
About the man in the mural
Rufus was born June 12, 1932 in Palatka to parents Pearl and Rufus Pinkney. As a child the family moved to Miami before Rufus left south Florida, ending up in Mississippi where he met his future wife, Mary Louise Gray. Rufus and Mary had two children; a daughter Sharon and a son, also named Rufus.
Choose Economy Bookingsand get the best rental car at the best price. Choose from Avis, Budget, Enterprise, and more.
Pinkney operated his shoe shine business out of a small building located in the parking lot near 127 E. New York Avenue. Here, according to a Daytona Beach News-Journal article “…is a jumble of polishes, brushes, calendars, shelves of gleaming shoes, and more signs. One praises him as the “Master Engineer in Charge of Preserving the Primary Means of Personal Locomotion,’ and a bulletin board [was] thickly thumbtacked with business cards.” His shop was most recently adorned with a sign painted byStephen Danko showing an alligator shoe with the words “Shoes Shined by Rufus”. Mark Lane of the News-Journal reports that Pinkney had shined shoes in Deland since 1955 and before that in St. Augustine at the old railroad station.
In addition to his skill at shining shoes, Rufus was a well-known local harmonica player and received the gift of being a great conversationalist. He was an elder at Greater Refuge Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ. When you saw him he was always dressed well and of course his shoes were never scuffed.
Rufus passed away September 12, 2016 after suffering a stroke. In his 84 years though he touched many lives. Personally, I can remember Rufus from back in the late 1980’s and early 90’s when I worked in downtown DeLand. He used to always stop in for his daily coffee. Sometimes more than once a day would we see him. Rufus never really lingered long though. Despite being in a hurry he was always pleasant and had a smile and kind word for everyone. Lingering was never an option because he was busy. He had to get back to the shop and take care of business.
The mural commemorating Rufus Pinkney.
The City of DeLand and Mainstreet DeLand Association in seeking to honor this local legend agreed that Mr. Pinkney should be included in the city’s mural collection. Artist Robert Ammon of Palm Coast was selected to complete the installation and in 2018 the beautiful mural was unveiled. The mural is located in a parking lot off east New York Avenue, where Mr. Pinkney used to operate his shop.
There is a Findagrave memorial for Mr. Pinkneyhere.
Click the image, or THIS LINK, to support this site through Buy Me A Coffee. Your support pays for web services, research trips, photocopies, and photo usage fees.
More Public Art in DeLand, FL
Did you enjoy this mural? If so, take a look at the other murals located in DeLand by downloading the DeLand Mural Walk booklet.
DeLand has plenty of other public art for you to enjoy. Take a look at more options through the Museum of Art DeLand.
Detail from the right hand side of the Rufus Pinkney mural.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. Affiliate programs or sponsors providing products do not influence the views and opinions shared in this blog.
It was more than ten years after the war in Vietnam ended that a monument was unveiled on Veterans Day, 1983
A memorial marker to Vietnam Veterans placed by the Sunrise Kiwanis Club of DeLand in 1983.
to a crowd of more than 200 in downtown DeLand, Florida honoring the service of all who served during the Vietnam War. While not specifically dedicated to local service members, “this monument is dedicated to those people who made their individual sacrifices. That’s what this ceremony is all about. Not just to the killed in action and the missing in action, but to all the Vietnam vets” were the words spoken by John Allen, who spearheaded the monument committee for the Sunrise Kiwanis Club of DeLand.
The beautiful African black granite monument weighs 3,600 pounds. The Kiwanis raised over $5,000 in order to fund the project. The monument is inscribed; “In appreciation to members of our armed forces who served in Viet-Nam.” Four service branch emblems are engraved on each side and the DeLand Sunshine Kiwanis name and 1983 is inscribed at the bottom.
The keynote speaker for the event was Major General Maurice O. Edmonds. At the time of the event, Major General Edmonds was serving as Deputy Chief of Staff of Training at the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. General Edmonds discussed the importance of duty, stating, “The same call to duty to the nation demonstrated by our forefathers still exists in the young generation of Americans today.”
Major General Edmonds had a long and distinguished career with awards and decorations including the Silver Star, the Defense Superior Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with four oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal, amongst others.
The monument is located on Indiana Avenue adjacent to the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Building, 123 W. Indiana. Indiana Avenue features one-way traffic and there is parking on both sides of the street. There are also parking lots located within easy walking distance of the monument.
Sources:
Daytona Beach Morning Journal November 11, 1983
DeLand Sun News November 12, 1983
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase I may receive a small commission fee. This does not impact your purchase price. Affiliate fees help defray costs of this website.
