New York City’s Democratic Party was controlled by the Society of St. Tammany, of which “Boss” William M. Tweed was already a major figure by 1860. He was opposed by the cartoonist Thomas Nast (of whom Tweed complained “I don’t care a straw for your newspaper articles, my constituents don’t know how to read, but they can’t help seeing them damned pictures”) and the New York Times, which in 1870 revealed that New York County was paying $41,190 apiece for brooms, and had paid Tweed’s friend George Miller $360,747 for a month’s carpentry work.
Tammany Hall continued to control New York city long after the Tweed Ring was broken up. Led by John Kelly, Richard Croker, and especially Charles Francis Murphy, it continued to profit from corruption. They were careful, however, to not be so blatant about it as Tweed. The organization started fading in the 1930s as the New Deal took over its function of helping out the poor and Fiorello LaGuardia managed to be the first New York mayor in decades to win more than one term without their backing. Its power dwindled down to nothing after World War II and went out of business in 1968.
A monument at Gettysburg honors New York City troops who fought in the battle, and depicts the teepee symbol of Tammany Hall.
The Gettysburg National Cemetery (at whose dedication Lincoln gave a few remarks) was designed by William Saunders. In 1867, Saunders founded the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, an agricultural organization better known simply as “the Grange”.
President Richard M. Nixon’s great-grandfather George died in the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, and is buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery.
Playing a single game of “Trivia Dominoes” at a popular message board, participants segued back to “Gettysburg” at least 23 times, not even counting the post
in which septimus neglected to mention that “Don’t Cry for me, Argentina” was a favorite song of one of the students.
Despite being critically acclaimed throughout his career, Van Morrison only had two songs in the Billboard Top Ten: “Brown Eyed Girl” (#10) and “Domino” (#9).
Van Morrison did not fight in the Battle of Gettysburg.
Ahem. Sorry.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio now displays some elementary school report cards and Cub Scout memorabilia of Jim Morrison of the Doors. Morrison’s father was a U.S. Navy admiral.
In recognition of his contributions to the city by writing the song Cleveland Rocks, Ian Hunter was given the key to the city by Cleveland mayor Dennis Kucinich on June 19, 1979.
The inspiration for Hank Ketcham’s Dennis the Menace comic strip came from his son Dennis, who was only four years old when he refused to take a nap and somehow messed up his whole room. Hank tried many possible names for the character, and translated them into rough pencil sketches. But when his studio door flew open and his then-wife Alice exclaimed, “Your son is a menace!” the Dennis the Menace name stuck. The character of Henry Mitchell bore a striking resemblance to Ketcham. The Mitchell family of Dennis, Hank/Henry and Alice were all named after the Ketchams. Alice died of a drug overdose in 1959 while the couple were separated, and Hank and Dennis drifted apart and were estranged for much of Dennis’ adult life (which is how I imagine it went with the Mitchell family too).
P.S.: Hank Ketcham in 1953, two years after the debut of the comic strip. He sure did bear a resemblance to Henry Mitchell. Or vice versa.
An unrelated British cartoon, also called “Dennis the Menace,” debuted on the same day in 1951 as Hank Ketchum’s American cartoon strip.
Hank Ketcham’s great-grandfather, James C. Weaver, ran for president as a Greenback in 1880 and a Populist in 1892. In the latter election, he won 22 electoral votes by taking the states of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, and Nevada.
The tiny town of Lebanon, Kansas (pop. 218) near the Nebraska-Kansas border is the nearest incorporated settlement to the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states, a fact commemorated by a large plaque and a couple of business names.
Alf Landon, Republican of Kansas, lost the 1936 Presidential election in a landslide to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Many years later, his daughter Nancy Landon Kassebaum was elected a U.S. senator from Kansas.
The Battle of Black Jack, which occurred near Prairie City, Kansas, on 2 June 1856, has been called the first battle of the Civil War, but its peculiar features have also been likened to a Monty Python skit. At the Battle, a large pro-slavery force led by Federal Marshals surrendered to a much smaller force led by John Brown.
The United States Marshals Service, established in 1789, is the oldest Federal law enforcement agency. Today it’s best known for hunting fugitives and protecting the Federal judiciary. Out of Sight, Justified, The Fugitive, True Grit and Gunsmoke have all fictitiously depicted the work of the Service.
William Conrad, who played U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon of Dodge City, Kansas on the radio version of Gunsmoke, directed two episodes of the TV version, which starred James Arness in the same role.
William the Conqueror was Duke of Normandy before landing in England in 1066. He carried with him a special banner, blessed by the Pope and symbolizing the pontiff’s support of his invasion.
The Granada massacre occured on December 30, 1066. when a Muslim mob stormed the royal palace, crucified Jewish vizier Joseph ibn Naghrela and massacred most of the Jewish population of the city.