Mossy Feet Books – Author Paul R. Wonning
Books About Indiana History, United States History and Garden Guides
Coxhall Gardens is a 125 acre park that includes a children’s garden, a bike trail, music pavilion, prairie garden and many other features. The Cox Hall Gardens Centerpiece showcases twin 90-feet bell towers, a recreation lake, fountains, gazebo and tiered lawn seating. The Garden was developed by Jesse H. Cox and his wife Beulah. The garden’s dedication ceremony took place on September 9, 2006. Continue reading Cox Hall Park and Gardens in Carmel
Early June 1776 – Thomas Hickey Joins Conspiracy to Kill Washington
General Washington had arrived at New York on April 13, 1776, to take charge of the defenses of New York against the expected British invasion of the city. Washington occupied a mansion called Richmond Hill, in Manhattan, to use as his headquarters. The approximately 150-man Commander-in-Chief’s Guard made camp on the 26-acre estate. Three taverns in the vicinity served as gathering places for these soldiers, Lowrie’s Tavern, The Highlander, and Corbie’s Tavern. Continue reading Thomas Hickey Joins Conspiracy to Kill George Washington
Native to Readington Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Jonathan’s parents were Reverend Jacob and Mary Kennedy Jennings. Both of his parents practiced medicine, as in addition to his ministerial duties Jacob was a doctor. Mary assisted him in his practice and may have possessed a medical degree. Sometime around 1790 the family migrated to Dunlap Creek in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, where Jonathan grew up. He attended the public schools in the area and received home schooling. His mother passed away in 1792 and his sister Sarah, and his brother, Ebenezer took over his care. He studied law at Washington, Pennsylvania. Sometime before 1806 he moved to Steubenville, Ohio, to join his brother’s law practice. Continue reading Indiana’s First Governor – Jonathan Jennings
The members of the Council of Indian Affairs wished to discourage the tribes of the Iroquois League from allying with Britain during their war of independence from Britain. They extended an invitation to the League to meet with them in Philadelphia. A delegation of chiefs traveled to New York, arriving there by May 16. They continued to Philadelphia, arriving there on May 25, 1776, and requested to meet with the Congress. The Congress voted to meet with them on May 27 at 11:00 AM. Continue reading A Busy Week During the Revolutionary War
General George Washington appointed John Manley as Commodore of his fleet, which became known as George Washington’s Fleet Continue reading Washington Appoints John Manley as Commodore of his Fleet
James R. “Jimmy” Hoffa (February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975)
The son of John and Viola Riddle Hoffa, James was native to Brazil, Indiana. His father, a coal miner, died of lung disease when Jimmy was seven years old. His early education was sporadic, due the the necessity of his having to work to help support the family. His mother went to work upon the death of her husband and eventually moved the family to Detroit. Continue reading New Podcast/Video – James R. “Jimmy” Hoffa
The War of Independence and the Birth of a Nation Available now on Amazon The colonies suffered emotional ebbs and … Continue reading The American Revolution – 1776
By mid-May 1776 the movement for independence from Great Britain had coalesced across the colonies. Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” which had been published in January and advocated independence sold thousands of copies. Colonial assemblies in eight of the colonies had passed resolutions advocating independence. The discovery that Britain had contracted to use German mercenaries to fight against them, a practice generally employed against foreign enemies, had encouraged the movement. On May 11, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the “Resolution for the Formation of Local Governments.” The resolution stated, “Congress recommends to the colonial assemblies and conventions, where no government sufficient to the exigencies of their affairs have been hitherto established, to adopt such government as shall . . . best conduce to the happiness and safety of their constituents in particular, and America in general.”
Many members of Congress hoped that the resolution would help persuade those supporters of independence in Pennsylvania to gain the upper hand. Many considered Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia key to independence.
The process of becoming a nation independent of Britain had passed another step. Continue reading The Road to Independence – Forming Local Governments
The Barkshire family was a family of former slaves that lived in Rising Sun, Indiana in Ohio County along the Ohio River. The members of this family were quite active in the Underground Railroad movement. Their former owner, Nancy Hawkins, though not a member of their family, was responsible for manumitting them as well as being closely associated with them after they moved across the river from Kentucky to Indiana. Continue reading The Barkshire Family
General Charles Cornwallis, along with squadron of about ten warships accompanied by a fleet of thirty transports, arrived off the coast of Cape Fear on May 3, 1776.
Fleet Disbursed
The fleet had departed Cork, Ireland on February 12, but had run into storms five days after departure. The storms scattered the fleet, which included Ethan Allen, held prisoner below deck of HMS Soledad. The Fleet, commanded by Commodore Peter Parker, was still incomplete, as many ships were still at sea.
Charles Cornwallis – (December 31, 1738 – October 5, 1805)
The son of Charles Cornwallis, 5th Baron Cornwallis and Elizabeth Townsend, Charles was native to Governor Square in London, England. Cornwallis received his secondary education at Eton College and Clare College, Cambridge. Continue reading General Charles Cornwallis Arrives America
Indiana possesses a wealth of botanical gardens, allowing plant researchers to study the plants growing there as well as provide casual visitors a place to learn about, and enjoy, them. Readers of Indiana Botanical Gardens will discover the history of botanical gardens in addition to listings of the world’s, United States and Indiana’s botanical gardens. Continue reading Visiting Indiana’s Public and Botanical Gardens
This is the story of the first 13 American colonies, from the time of their first settlement until the eve of the French and Indian War. This was the beginning of the colonial era when the process of creating America as we know it began. The history of the 13 colonies is the beginning of the United States History as many of our traditions, laws and much of our culture began. Continue reading Podcast – The First Thirteen Colonies
In the dawning years of the Nineteenth Century, the quest for fast, cheap transportation of freight over long distances seemed in reach with the construction and economic success of the Erie Canal. The Erie Canal connected New York City with the Great Lakes. It spurred New York’s growth as a major commercial center. It also provided encouragement more canal construction across the United States. Landlocked states like Indiana seized on canals as the answer to open markets in inland cities that lacked navigable rivers. The Wabash and Erie was the first of these projects tackled by Indiana. Continue reading The Central Canal Walk in Indianapolis
To help buttress their Army the British imported large numbers of German mercenary troops to fight. Prince William of Hesse-Hanau had agreed to send troops to America in early February. On April 20, 1776, Prince Frederick Karl August, prince of the German principality of Waldeck, agreed to send 670 infantrymen to America. Continue reading Britain Hires German Mercenaries
The USS Indianapolis belonged to a class of United States Warships called the Portland Class.
Portland Class ships were heavy cruisers that featured heavier armor than previous ships of similar class. The ships were 610 feet long and had a beam of 66 feet. The ships had 9 8″ guns and 8 5″ guns.
She also sported 5-inch/25-caliber anti-aircraft guns and 2 QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns. There were 4 airplanes and 2 catapults to launch them. Typically, the planes were fighter aircraft that were launched from the catapults for aerial reconnaissance. At the end of the mission the pilot had to either find a land-based air strip to land or ditch the plane in the water close to the ship and wait for rescue. The ships had a crew complement of 807 sailors. There were 2 ships in this class, the USS Portland and the USS Indianapolis. Continue reading Memorial to the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
Greetings, in this episode I discuss a dispute over land erupted between the Yankees and Pennamites in 1775.
The Wyoming Valley in the Appalachian area of northeastern Pennsylvania became the focus of warring factions from Connecticut and Pennsylvanians after the French and Indian War ended in 1763. The colonists had driven the Delaware tribe out of the coveted valley after the death of Teedyuscung, King of the Delaware in 1763. Problems among the white colonists arose because of a mistake made one hundred years earlier by King Charles II. Continue reading War Between the Colonies – The Yankee and Pennamite War
Today the author visits the Indianapolis Zoo.From the BookEast Central Indiana Day Trips At the suggestion of Indianapolis Times writer … Continue reading Indianapolis Zoo
The classifications of the colonies the British established in the New World consisted of 3 types, proprietary, charter and crown colonies.
Proprietary Colonies
Most of the colonies began life as a proprietary colony. Theoretically, the Crown owned all the land in the colony. Under the proprietary system, the monarch granted a man, or group of men via a charter, the rights to manage a defined region of land. The man, or group, were known as proprietors and the group was called a corporation. He/they had the right to appoint governors, set up courts, organize assemblies and otherwise manage the colony. This was the earliest type of colony. Many of the proprietors did not live in, or even visit, the colony they managed. This type of colony proved inefficient, and most were later converted to royal colonies. Continue reading Classification of the Colonies
This is the story of the first 13 American colonies, from the time of their first settlement until the eve of the French and Indian War. This was the beginning of the colonial era when the process of creating America as we know it began. The history of the 13 colonies is the beginning of the United States History as many of our traditions, laws and much of our culture began. Continue reading The First Thirteen Colonies
Commodore Essex Hopkins, on his mission to the British fort on Nassau, had captured the HMS Bolton and Hawke on April 5, 1776.
After capturing the HMS Hawke and Bolton, the ships of the Continental Navy were overloaded with spoils from Nassau. Since they had captured two British ships, Admiral Hopkins had taken crew members from the American ships and used them to man the captured ships. Thus, the Continental Navy’s ships were undermanned. Continue reading Battle of Block Island
Mossy Feet Books - Author Paul R. Wonning 