Wednesday, June 27, 2012

A Bike Ride and History: Inspired by Dead End in Norvelt


I just finished Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos.  It was quite the ride, filled with laugh out loud humor and the kind of funny that will sneak up on you days later and spark a hardy guffaw when you least expect it.  It was also a history lesson, slyly delivered so that the reader won't even realize he/she is learning until the facts have already been absorbed.  A nice trick!

One character from the book, Miss Volker, is passionate about Norvelt and its history, as well as history in general.  She got me to thinking about all of the historic places that are all around us, how accessible some of them are.  So, I decided to take a few breaks on my bike ride to snap some shots of historic places I get to pass almost everyday.   What historic figures, events or buildings are close by to your residence?  Are they well-marked? Or did you have to do a little digging to find out a place has historical significance?


The actual building no longer exists, but here is the stone marker.






The actual law school is now a museum you can visit.


The actual home is a reproduction and is now a private residence.

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