Losing history

[flyingcollie]

Realizing firstly, most of us want to play the CAS game and shoot, and the history is kind of a side-line interest, I wonder how many other places in the West have lost their history the past 30-40 years, and continue to lose it ?

In the valley where I live, I can think of a dozen places or more, important to local history from discovery through early settlement that have been torn down, obliterated or just forgotten about. The local "historical societies" though very well-intentioned have never been able to provide a consistently accurate historical account.  ?? Is this even important anymore ??

Looking back to when I was a kid, I realize that we thought of the "settling of the West" as a completed development. Now, I think I was born into a "post-pioneer" phase, and as "progress" continues to develop the West, and the population explodes, I see the "nesters" and ranchers have been driven off like the Indian and the buffalo before them, supplanted by corporate farms, big box stores and strip malls, and a population with no cultural identity that links them to what came before.

I look at my CAS compadres, and see a bunch of grey-headed guys who were brought up on the "cowboy legend", and very few folks under 50 . . . Oh, well. Damn. I miss the old days !!

[Blair]

My Aunt and Uncle (Dads younger brother and wife) bought a house that was slated to be bulldozed for the development of a new Industrial complex in the Baltimore, MD. area.
They had the house dismantled piece by piece and but into storage for a number of years before they bought the land to have the house rebuilt.
The first time I saw the house was in 1957, and to me It looked like a bran new house. The last time I was there, 2005, my Aunt had just had the house re roofed with Cedar Shake shingles. (how is that for long lasting roofing?)
What maybe amazing is this house was the family home of Frances Scott Key. The writer of the "Star Spangled Banner"!

My point to this story is... that Losing History is not new. Nor is it a specific problem to any one generations.
My best,
  Blair

[Shotgun Franklin]

At work I talk to a lot of people, Adults and Teens, about the Old West. Very many of'm have never heard of Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid or Jesse James, much less the history of that era.

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[Mogorilla]

Yes, I worry about the history that is being taught these days.   I live in the KC area, we have blackpowder shoots three times a year the Jesse James's family farm in Kearney (wow, just realized that is tomorrow.  I need to get my gear together).   The majority of people I work with have no clue about local history.   Jesse James is a complete mystery.   
As to losing history, yup, has been happening since people started building.  Urban sprawl is a nightmare in this country, many large cities just becoming bigger doughnuts every year. 

[wyldwylliam]

I knew things were going to hell in a handbasket, but not knowing who Jesse James was pretty much puts the icing on the cake. The fact that this is so unbelievable to me tells me how out of touch I am, I guess. Or they are. Or something. Lord have mercy.

[GunClick Rick]

Of course our kids and grand kids will know Some older folks don't know,i was at the cancer society thrift store today and saw a shelayli walking stick made from black thorn in Ireland,used to be that's the only place you could get them,they can be pretty pricey at times.It had a tag of 15.00 on it,so i thought i would give the ole gals workin there the routine.I called one over and said you know you all are gettin a little shifty,walk out back and pick up a stick and sell it in here for 15.00 ??
  She takes it over to the other gals and she is mumbleing something,i here the lady go "i don't know" so i walks over and said whatayathink,15.00 for an old stick,well the first gal was gonna toss it,and i says now wait a minute,ain't ya ever seen the movie THE QUITE MAN with JOHN WAYNE??? No,no, the quite man? no i don't recall it,i said just about every body in had one,shakin them at somebody and if ya live in Ireland and don't have one well Johhny be jiggered! It's the root ball of the black thorn bush or rose,pullem up,let em dry,knock off the thorns,put a brass cap on the end and ya got a walkin stick,with a head thumper on the other end.

The oldest one looked at me like i was still pullin her leg,she looks at the stick,looks back up at me and says and you like it huh,i says yup! Then give me 15.00 and you can have it....   i had another here at ome a little bigger and my grand duaghter plays with it,first thing she grabs,well i got the little one for her,,,YEP she calls it her stick,bapaw gotta stick too..