Latest news with #history
Yahoo
an hour ago
- General
- Yahoo
Historic marker for first black female Indiana pharmacist
FERDINAND, Ind (WEHT) – The town of Ferdinand is celebrating its rich history by unveiling a new historical marker to Ida Hagan Whitaker, the first black female licensed pharmacist in Indiana. Whitaker grew up in the Pinkston settlement, a free black community just west of Ferdinand. After completing a pharmacy course, Whitaker earned her license in 1909 to practice in Gary, Indianapolis and Ferndinand. 'She did everything with kindness, and I think that's an important lesson to carry on today,' said Kathy Tretter. 'She did everything that she could do to make her world and this world a better place.' The town commemorated her accomplishments with a marker in front of the Wollenmann House on Main Street. Dozens gathered to celebrate, including U.S. Representative Mark Messmer, who says this is a great way to remember Whitaker, especially during a time when it wasn't easy for her. 'It just shows the interest that the people have in the history of Ferdinand and the history of the people who made this community great and the people that contributed to the society in a big way,' he said. 'It shows the broad range of support of the community overall from all over the county and all over southwest Indiana.' Ceremony speaker included Dr. John Clark from the University of South Florida's Taneja College of Pharmacy. Dr. Clark says he does not usually attend events like these, but after hearing Whitaker's story, he made the trip. 'Some of the women that have made big contributions throughout the history of pharmacy are often overlooked and overrated,' he said. 'So, I decided I wanted to be here just for that. To be inspired by everything that she's done and all her accomplishments.' Town officials say they hope the marker is not the last of its kind and hope to see more in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Historic gold pocket watch that was lost in deadly shipwreck is finally returned home 165 years later
After lying hidden beneath the depths of Lake Michigan for over a century, a historic gold pocket watch - lost in a deadly shipwreck - has finally made it home to the United Kingdom. In the dead of night in 1860, the steamship Lady Elgin collided with another vessel, plunging into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan and dragging 300 souls to a watery grave in what remains the deadliest shipwreck in Great Lakes history, BBC reported. Then, in 1992, while exploring the wreckage off the Illinois shore, divers made a remarkable discovery - nestled among the remains lay a gold pocket watch, still attached to its chain and fob. But this was no ordinary chain - engraved with the initials 'H.I.,' it once belonged to Herbert Ingram, a prominent British journalist and politician. Now, 165 years after the tragic sinking, the piece of history has returned to Boston, Lincolnshire - near Ingram's hometown - where it will take its rightful place on display at the Boston Guildhall museum. 'Returning this watch is the right thing to do,' Holland-based historian and author Valerie van Heest told Fox 17 News. 'This is reminding people that shipwrecks affected people, affected families, and this shows that 165 years later, we care,' she added. 'People care about the individuals lost.' After lying hidden beneath the depths of Lake Michigan for over a century, a historic gold pocket watch - lost in a deadly shipwreck - has finally made it home to the United Kingdom (pictured) In the dead of night in 1860, the steamship Lady Elgin collided with another vessel, plunging into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan and dragging 300 souls to a watery grave in what remains the deadliest shipwreck in Great Lakes history (pictured: illustrated wreck) It was no ordinary chain - engraved with the initials 'H.I.,' it once belonged to Herbert Ingram, a prominent British journalist and politician who perished in the wreck alongside his son (pictured: illustrated photo of Ingram) Now, 165 years after the tragic sinking, the piece of history has returned to Boston, Lincolnshire - near Ingram's hometown - where it will take its rightful place on display at the Boston Guildhall museum (pictured) On the night of September 8, 1860, Lady Elgin was making her return voyage to Milwaukee from Chicago, carrying a group of mostly Irish passengers, when a violent storm swept across the lake. In the darkness, the Lady Elgin was struck by the Augusta - an unlit and overloaded schooner - sending hundreds to their deaths in just minutes. Among the lives lost in the wreck were Ingram and his son, whose bodies were later recovered and returned to Britain for burial. Ingram was a prominent public figure - instrumental in bringing fresh water, gas and railway connections to the community, as reported by the BBC. 'He was a member of parliament,' van Heest told Fox 17. 'He was also the founder of the London Illustrated News, which was the first time a newspaper printed images in the paper,' she added. 'So he was really the founder of pictorial journalism.' All that remained of that fateful night were fragments of the Lady Elgin, scattered across nearly a mile of the lakebed - silent echoes of tragedy that van Heest's team began documenting back in 1992. On the night of September 8, 1860, Lady Elgin was making her return voyage to Milwaukee, carrying a group of mostly Irish passengers, when a violent storm swept across the lake -resulting in an unlit schooner colliding with the ship (pictured: illustrated wreck) Among the lives lost in the wreck were Ingram and his son, whose bodies were later recovered and returned to Britain for burial (pictured: Lake Michigan) Ingram (pictured) was a prominent public figure - instrumental in bringing fresh water, gas and railway connections to the community and the founder of the London Illustrated News, which was the first time a newspaper printed images in the paper Holland-based historian and author Valerie van Heest's team was exploring the wreckage (pictured) in 1992, but the location was leaked - resulting in other divers exploring the remains and ultimately finding the gold watch But her team wasn't the only group drawn to the century-old wreckage, as other divers were also exploring the site. 'The location had leaked, and a trio of divers I have just recently learned, came upon a pocket watch,' van Heest told Fox News. 'A gold pocket watch, an extraordinary discovery.' Remarkably, the long-lost artifact was found in relatively good condition, with experts attributing its preservation to the lake's cold, low-oxygen depths, which helped prevent significant corrosion over the years, People reported. However, for more than 30 years, the divers guarded the discovery of the 16-carat pocket watch in complete secrecy, keeping its existence hidden from the world. Eventually, the divers cleaned the watch and reached out to van Heest. Through her research, she found that Ingram's descendants were still alive in England, and that the museum in his hometown was preparing an exhibit about his legacy, as reported by Fox. 'I very quickly came to the realization it doesn't belong in America,' van Heest told the BBC. Remarkably, the long-lost artifact (pictured) was found in relatively good condition, with experts attributing its preservation to the lake's cold, low-oxygen depths, which helped prevent significant corrosion over the years However, for more than 30 years, the divers guarded the discovery of the 16-carat pocket watch in complete secrecy - until they contacted van Heest (pictured) about the watch, which she purchased and donated to the town Through her research, she found that Ingram's descendants were still alive in England, and that the museum in his hometown was preparing an exhibit about his legacy (pictured: Ingram statue) In a statement about van Heest's offering, the museum's arts and heritage manager, Luke Skeritt, said: 'This find is truly a once-in-a-lifetime discovery' (pictured: van Heest and Boston mayor Councilor Barrie Pierpoint) 'It belongs in Boston where Herbert Ingram was from, where a statue of him still stands,' she added. She then got in contact with the Boston Guildhall museum and personally acquired the watch, determined to donate it as a gift to the town. 'So many people lost their lives within minutes of hitting the water,' van Heest told Fox 17. 'They didn't have any personal artifacts, and here I was offering not only an artifact, but Herbert Ingram's personal watch,' she added. 'It was an extraordinary, serendipitous occurrence.' In a statement about van Heest's offering, the museum's arts and heritage manager, Luke Skeritt, said: 'This find is truly a once-in-a-lifetime discovery'. 'The sort of thing you read about in textbooks and not something you expect to read in an email on a mid-week working day.'
Mail & Guardian
5 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Mail & Guardian
What makes a building memorable long after the paint dries?
Imagine 17!: Not all architecture is appealing, such as the Disa Towers in front of Table Mountain. But even these buildings invoke people's memories. Photo: Supplied Everyone remembers the corridors of their school and the distinct smell of specific classrooms. If you've ever been divorced, I am certain you will never forget those cold courtroom walls as you went in to finalise the legal process. It's hard to forget the home where your baby took her very first steps. And one cannot possibly erase the feeling of time spent within hospital walls, where the happiest of hellos and hardest of goodbyes intertwine. Buildings shape us and live inside us as the years go by. Cities with their people and properties evolve through human stories. South Africa, with its rich layers, contradictions, and painfully beautiful potential, is bursting with spaces that people have emotionally connected with for centuries. As I stood inside a heritage building last week at a property launch, I was reminded of just how many of Cape Town's buildings are not just structures but characters in the city's ever-evolving plot. I looked at the 120-year-old solid, bulky wooden beams above me and admired the original sun-dried brick walls —almost two centuries of history right at my very feet. And now, this building will receive a new lease on life as she enters her new chapter. She will become a modern apartment block. The developer will combine the old with the new, transforming this heritage building into something inspiring. They will incorporate modern, contemporary design, all the while maintaining the extraordinary façade with its vintage architectural charm. Have you ever sat and thought about the buildings in our cities and how they came to be? Let's take those three tall towers (known affectionately by Capetonians as the Tampon Towers) perched awkwardly at the base of the Mother City's iconic Table Mountain. I have tweeted a lot about these pepper pots, and the general consensus is that people either really love or really hate the towers. This controversial trio of architecture, officially known as Disa Park, is situated in Vredehoek, Cape Town. Big and brutalist in look and feel, it was designed by the architectural firm Bergamasco, Duncan & James. The towers were cylindrical in shape to withstand the strong Cape Town winds that are experienced in this section of Vredehoek. Some see them as charming reminders of youthful independence: their first-ever student digs, where they shaped the early days of their lives. Even today, those who live there love the towers' close proximity to nature trails and the cosmopolitan vibe of the Mother City. Others view them as visual intrusions on one of the world's natural wonders. Some of my Twitter, now X, followers have said the building sways when gale-force winds blow, and sometimes, a window or two has blown out. Did you know that the original plan was to build 17 of these towers at the base of Table Mountain? And have you ever wondered why three towers of this size were allowed to be built this high and so close to the base of Table Mountain? There is, of course, a fascinating story behind all of my above questions. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Cape Town was dealing with a 'white housing' shortage under apartheid. More housing needed to be built specifically in areas designated for white residents. In an effort to speed up construction and encourage development, the government suspended many building restrictions and relaxed zoning regulations in white group areas. Developers took full advantage and started building much taller buildings than was previously allowed. Cape Town then experienced a surge in high-rise developments. Murray & Roberts, the company behind the construction of Disa Towers, found a loophole. They built the base of the towers just below the legal development line at the foot of Table Mountain, then went upward. They were able to bypass height restrictions legally, and technically. Thankfully, only three towers were built, namely: Blinkwater, Platteklip and Silverstroom. Construction was completed in 1969. Each one has 18 storeys and is 54.86m high. The diameter of each tower is 24.384m. Amenities include a tennis court, squash court, swimming pool and braai area. With a total of 287 apartments and 340 parking bays, the cost to build this development at the time was R3 million. The third tower took just 63 days to build. If only we could close a pothole in record-breaking times such as this. And what was the monthly rent for an apartment in Disa Towers back then? R55 to R160 a month. This rate included water and electricity. The son of the National Party finance minister at the time — Nico Diederichs — was a junior partner in the company that developed Disa Park. The conspiracists say his involvement could have also contributed to these controversial towers being built at this location. Today, those towers remind us of a complicated era — one where architectural ambition often trumped environmental and social ethics. But they also reflect how policy shapes our skylines, for better or worse. Other notable buildings built during this cowboy period of development include Blouberg Heights, an extremely tall block that stands out like a sore thumb in the coastal suburb's landscape. Blouberg Heights, built in the 1970s, is 17 storeys high and is on Sir David Baird Drive in Bloubergstrand, Cape Town. It is the only building of its kind in this area, as other structures are much lower. Gardens Centre Tower is on Mill Street and Upper Buitenkant Street, Gardens, Cape Town. It was also built in the 1970s during this era of the 'white housing' crisis. It was completed in 1973, measuring 81m with 22 floors. This erf was once the home of the International Hotel before it was transformed into a residential tower with a shopping centre component. Last, the well-known Twin Towers in Sea Point were also built during this period of relaxed regulation. These two identical towers are right next to each other on Beach Road. All this was done in the name of alleviating the housing shortage for the white people, who were the only ones permitted to live in these areas. It's crazy to think that these developments were all built as a solution to a housing crisis at the time, yet their effect on the Cape Town skyline will be experienced by so many generations to come. They've left a significant imprint on the city's urban history. Perhaps they are a fundamental lesson for us all when it comes to the sustainability and essence of urban planning and design. Not all buildings are pretty. Not all histories are happy. But they all deserve to be heard. The concrete and steel don't just support floors. They support stories. They tell us who we were, how we lived, and if we're paying attention, what we should carry forward. Sometimes in our rush to innovate, we forget to anchor. We want smarter buildings, ROI, the latest tech and green ratings. Buildings shouldn't only help us move forward; they should also help us look back. Urban development should always listen to a place's heartbeat before changing its face. In the end, people don't remember square metres. They remember how a place made them feel. How a room held their joy or sorrow. How a view reminded them of something they'd forgotten. Ask Ash examines South Africa's property, architecture and living spaces. Continue the conversation with her on email (
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
On This Day, June 1: Lafayette Square protesters cleared for Trump church photo-op
On this date in history: In 1880, the first public pay telephone began operation in New Haven, Conn. In 1958, Charles de Gaulle became prime minister of France with emergency powers amid the collapse of the Fourth Republic. He was elected president of France at the end of the year amid the rise of the Fifth Republic. In 1962, Israel hanged Adolf Eichmann for his part in the killing of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany in World War II. In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court banned prayers and Bible teaching in public schools on the constitutional grounds of separation of church and state. In 1968, Helen Keller, a world-renowned author and lecturer despite being blind and deaf from infancy, died in Westport, Conn., at the age of 87. In 1973, Prime Minister George Papadopoulos abolished the Greek monarchy and proclaimed Greece a republic with himself as president. Constantine II, the last king of Greece, died in January 2023. In 1980, the Cable News Network -- CNN -- TV's first all-news service, went on the air. In 1993, President Jorge Serrano Elias of Guatemala was ousted by the military. In 1997, Betty Shabazz, Malcolm X's widow, sustained injuries when her 12-year-old grandson, Malcolm Shabazz, set fire to her apartment. She died nearly a month later. In 1997, teacher Jonathan Levin, the son of Time Warner's then-chairman, Gerald Levin, was tortured and killed by a former student who knew him to be wealthy and was seeking money. The student, Corey Arthur, was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. His alleged accomplice, Montoun Hart, was acquitted despite a signed, 11-page confession. In 2001, Nepalese Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev massacred nine members of his family, including his parents, King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya; his siblings, Prince Nirajan and Princess Shruti; and aunts and uncles Prince Dhirendra, Princess Shanti, Princess Sharada, Kumar Khadga and Princess Jayanti. Dipendra also shot himself in the head, but initially survived, and served as king for four days before dying. In 2008, a fire at Universal Studios Hollywood burned two city blocks and destroyed iconic movie sets, including those from When Harry Met Sally, The Sting and Back to the Future. In 2009, Air France Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people on board. In 2015, the Eastern Star, a passenger ship traveling along the Yangtze River from the eastern city of Nanjing, flipped during a violent storm, killing approximately 400 people. In 2020, law enforcement officers cleared protesters from Lafayette Square near the White House using tear gas and other tactics to allow President Donald Trump to walk to St. John's Episcopal Church to pose for a photo while holding a Bible. The photo op came amid protests against the police killing of George Floyd which caused damage to the church. In 2021, Adm. Linda Fagan took over for retiring Adm. Karl L. Schultz, becoming the first female commandant in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Washington Post
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
India's self-proclaimed 'history hunter' is on a drive to salvage the past for future generations
NEW DELHI — Cameras from a bygone era. Rusty typewriters. Vintage radios. Matchboxes once used to light contraband cigarettes. In an age of new technology and artificial intelligence, a visit to the New Delhi home of Aditya Vij is like stepping into a time machine. Every corner of his museum feels like a carefully constructed history chapter.
