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FEBRUARY 9, 2011

REMEMBERTHE MAINE

THE SIMPSONSAMERICA’S LONGESTRUNNING SITCOM

AMERICA’SCUPID

AMERICANPATRIOT

AMERICA’S CUPID

46RIDING THEPONY EXPRESS

8THE SIMPSONSAMERICA’S LONGING RUNNING SITCOM

THIS WEEKIN AMERICANHISTORY

QUOTE OFTHE WEEK

14 15

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OLMSTEDHE PUT THE PUBLICIN PARKS

4 AMERICAN PATRIOT

One billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Daythe second largest card-sending holiday of the year. So says the GreetingCard Association. In the United States, this phenomenon is not the resultof Cupid but can be traced to a single female entrepreneur named EstherAllen Howland. Howland, who lived from 1828-1904, is known as theMother of the American Valentine’s Day card.

Here is the love story and a uniquely American

one at that. The Howland family operated a

book and stationery store in Worcester MA. As

a young student at Mount Holyoke seminary,

Esther had been exposed to the annual Valen-

tine celebrations. After graduating at the age

of nineteen, she received an intricate English

Valentine from one of her fathers’ business

acquaintances, and felt confident that she

could make a better one. Howland persuaded

her father to order paper and supplies, she

whipped up a dozen samples, and her brother

included them in a catalog for his next sales

trip. Hoping to recoup their investment, the

family was shocked when the brother returned

with thousands of dollars in advance sales.

To fulfill these sales, Howland hired four female

friends to assist her, setting up shop in her

parents house. An assembly line was set up:

seated at a long table one person would cut out

small colored lithographs of sentimental ob-

jects, the next person in line would lay them

onto a glazed paper background, the third

person assembled the layers of lace paper that

framed the central design, and the fourth per-

son pasted down a printed sentiment, normally

AMERICA’S CUPID

AMERICAN PATRIOT 5

inside the card or underneath a flap where only the recipient could

see it. Howland was in charge of quality control and getting them

to the store.

By the end of 1849, Esther Howland was firmly launched in the

valentine business. As the years passed, the business flourished.

The valentines were beautiful — and successful. The work force

kept increasing and had to move to larger quarters on the Howland’s

third floor. Among her ingenious innovations are the “lift-up”

design, which combined several layers of lace paper to give a sense

of depth to the central picture, and the use of small pieces of

folded paper that acted like an accordion pleat, lifting up the lace

from the main body of the valentine and holding it there. This

growing cottage industry touched a responsive chord in sentimental

nineteenth-century Americans and became increasingly popular.

In 1880, Howland sold out to the George C. Whitney Company,

which became the largest valentine factory in the world. She lived

until 1904 —unmarried, ironically — but with an enormous

legacy of having spread the gospel of romance and Valentine’s

Day to her countrymen.

6 AMERICAN PATRIOT

RIDING THEPONY EXPRESS

AMERICAN PATRIOT 7

Delivering mail on the Pony Express was

grueling for both man and horse, requiring

10 to 20 straight hours of continuous riding

(horses were switched every ten miles, the

limit for a sustained sprint, riders every 75-

100 miles). Riders earned 25 dollars a week,

24 more than an unskilled worker. They had

to be lean and energetic, not weighing more

than 125 pounds and able to withstand

physical and natural extremes. The horses

were the finest stock available in the west,

small and fast.

The Pony Express route measured roughly

1900 miles, from St. Joseph MO to Sacra-

mento CA. The central route closely followed,

in order, the Oregon, California, Mormon trails

to Utah, then over the Central Nevada Route

and through the Sierras to the California Coast,

tracing a system of Pony Express Stations.

The goal of the Pony Express was to win an

exclusive mail contract from the Postal

Service by shortening routes and eliminating

costly stagecoaches. It never happened.

Competition from established stagecoach

services, the advent of the telegraph, and

the shutting down of key routes during the

Civil War led to its early demise. Its lasting

legacy was to prove that a unified, year-

round national mail system could operate.

Following the war, the assets were sold to

Wells Fargo, which would go on to use the

Pony Express logo continuously until 1990.

Today, the Postal Service owns the trade-

mark. Celebrating its 150th anniversary in

2010, the Pony Express still lives on in the

collective memory. Monuments and statues

have been dedicated in California, Nevada,

Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri.

The Pony Express National Historic Trail is

one of the most popular attractions of the

National Parks Service.

FOLLOW THE PONY EXPRESSHISTORIC TRAIL

It is hard to find a finer example of “American rugged individualism” than thePony Express. The iconic, briefly-lived service allowed mail to be deliveredfrom the Atlantic to the Pacific in 10 days, a huge improvement over theslow, unreliable stagecoach services with which it competed. Riders rodeday and night, carrying only a revolver, a bible, water, and 20 pounds of mail.The service, despite operating for amere 18months and having lost 200,000dollars, is part of the myth of the American West — both for its legendaryriders and its aligning of California with the Union before the Civil War.

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8 AMERICAN PATRIOT

THE SIMPSONSAMERICA’S LONGESTRUNNING SITCOM

AMERICAN PATRIOT 9

Matt Groening created the animated series to

parody the American working-class family in

1989. As most of you already know, the five

person family lives in a quaint brown house in

Springfield. It is the ideal setting for Bart’s

mischief, Lisa’s smarts, and Maggie’s ability

never to grow old. Homer, the clueless dad,

spends most of his time at the bar or strangling

Bart, while his talented wife Marge is the self-

less stay-at-home mom who sublimates her

needs to the rest of the family.

One running gag is that hometown Springfield

remains in an unidentified state not far from

“Capitol City.” But is the epitome of an American

town where, in one song, we discover it is “where

the schoolyard’s up and the shopping mall’s

down.” When The Simpsons Movie opened

cities called “Springfield” across America com-

peted to have the premiere in their hometown.

Ultimately Springfield VT won the prize, but it is

clear the Springfield inhabited by the Simpsons

is somewhere in the heartland.

Every episode created takes six to eight months

to complete. Groening reports that the most

popular episode ever created was in season 4

episode 9: “Mr. Plow.” In the episode, Homer

decides to buy a snowplow to cope with

Springfield’s long winter and ends up having to

compete with his best friend, and town drunk,

Barney Gumble, for stakes in the town’s plow-

ing business. Linda Ronstadt sings Barney

Gumble’s commercial jingle defaming Homer.

Adam West also appears in the episode to sell

Homer the plow. The episode won an Emmy

that year.

Speaking of guest stars, it has long been cool

to be a guest on The Simpsons: a smattering

include Ringo Starr, Magic Johnson, Bob Hope,

Hugh Hefner, Bette Midler, Elizabeth Taylor,

Gary Coleman, Kim Cattral, Kelsey Grammar,

James Earl Jones, Danny DeVito, Larry King,

Tony Bennett, Steven Hawking, Tito Puente,

and Alec Baldwin. Now that they are well into

their twenty-first year, the creators are thinking

up new and innovative ideas for episodes for

another twenty seasons.

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETELIST OF GUEST STARS

“Don’t have a cowman!” The Simpsons have captured the American television

audience with its subversive humor and wit, making fun of American family

life and its idiosyncrasies while affirming an essential goodness. As the longest

running show on the air, The Simpsons has won numerous Emmy Awards,

People’sChoiceAwards, andevenhas its ownstar on theHollywoodWalk of Fame.

In 1999, Time Magazine named it “the 20th century’s best television series.”

CREATOR MATT GROENINGDRAWS HOMER SIMPSON

10 AMERICAN PATRIOT

GERALD FORDA BRIEF BUT HEALING PRESIDENCY

AMERICAN PATRIOT 11

Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. became the 38th president of the United Statesas a result of some of the most extraordinary events in U.S. history. Fordwas the only occupant of theWhite House never elected either to the pres-idency or the vice presidency. A former Republican congressman fromGrand Rapids MI, he always claimed that his highest ambition was to bespeaker of the House of Representatives.

He became the Vice President in 1973 almost

by accident. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew

pleaded “no contest” to a tax evasion charge and

resigned from the nation's second-highest office.

Richard Nixon, looking for a non-controversial

substitute was appointed to fill Agnew’s term.

Soon after, Ford inherited the Oval Office after

Nixon himself, tainted by the Watergate scandal,

also resigned.

In his inauguration speech, Ford humbly declared

“I assume the Presidency under extraordinary

circumstances . . . This is an hour of history that

troubles our minds and hurts our hearts . . . .

My fellow Americans, our long national night-

mare is over.” This theme ran throughout the

brief Ford presidency. He impressed the nation

with his basic down-to-earth decency and made

a start at restoring the nation's confidence in

the basic institutions of government. On the

other hand, his pardon of Richard Nixon, meant

to speed the healing, was controversial and

cost him his own election.

Gerald Ford was born in July 1913 in Omaha NE.

His parents divorced, and his mother moved

him to Grand Rapids MI where his mother re-

married. He was an outstanding football player

during high school and at the University of

Michigan. After college, Ford went to Yale as a

boxing coach and law student. After graduating,

he returned to Grand Rapids, he married Eliz-

abeth Warner — forever known as “Betty” —

and they had four children.

Ford entered into Republican politics and was

elected to the House of Representatives in

1949. The future president became popular as

a representative, and his acceptance with the

Congressional inner circle led to election as

minority leader. Thus, when Agnew resigned

in 1973, Ford was a natural choice for swift

confirmation.

In 1976, a reluctant Ford ran for election in his

own right, facing down a powerful challenge by

Ronald Reagan in the Republican primaries,

and then losing narrowly and bitterly to new-

comer Democrat Jimmy Carter of Georgia who

ran as an outsider who would clean up Wash-

ington. The new President spoke for the people

in his own inaugural address when he said: “For

myself and for our nation, I want to thank my

predecessor for all he has done to heal our land.”

LISTEN TO GERALD FORD’SINAUGURAL ADDRESS

OLMSTEDHE PUT THE ‘PUBLIC’ IN PARKS

AMERICAN PATRIOT 13

Regarding Olmsted, his colleague Daniel Burnhamonce said: “An artist, he paints with lakes andwooded slopes; with lawns and banks and forestcovered hills; with mountain sides and oceanviews.” Informally educated yet wealthy, Olmstedfound his calling late, at age 35, having dabbledas a seafarer, merchant, farmer, and journalist.Olmsted became famous as a reporter, and histravel abroad helped him formed his views onsocial class and personal freedom. He developedthe notion that free access for all citizens to parkswas an important goal of American democracy.

His chance came in the early 1850’s, as the rapidgrowth of New York City led city planners to devisea plan for a Central Park. So desperate wereNew Yorkers for green space that leisure wasbecoming common in cemeteries and on privateproperty. Alarmed, the city called for a designcompetition for the space, which Olmsted andpartner Calvert Vaux won. Their plan called for thetotal creation of a landscape, with ponds, lakes,hills and pastures, granite outgrowths, and nu-merous manmade structures. It was a new wayof constructing a park and a huge undertaking.Thousands of people were removed using emi-nent domain. Four million trees were planted.Over many years, through money shortages,political strife, numerous firings and rehiring ofOlmsted, and Civil War, the park was completed.

Following the Civil War, Olmsted moved west.There his views on nature and man matured; hecame to see the Yosemite Valley and its surround-ings as a fundamental and irreplaceable aspectof being American. He would author the foundingdocument of the American Conservation Move-ment, “Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove: APreliminary Report.” Despite the protests of politi-cians and ranchers, Olmsted’s ideas helped leadto the establishment of theNational Parks System.

Returning to New York in 1865, Olmsted andVaux were in demand everywhere. In this pro-ductive period, Olmsted would design Chicago’sRiverside Park, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, andpark systems for Buffalo, Niagara Falls, andMilwaukee. Later years would find Olmsteddesigning the famous “Emerald Necklace” inBoston, the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, andthe campuses of Stanford University and theUniversity of Chicago.

The lasting nature of Olmsted designs is clear:His parks remain largely untouched by develop-ment aftermore than a century of use. But the reallegacy of Olmsted is the still-vibrant Americanattitude towards nature, that its preservation anduse is necessary for a truly robust democracy.

CLICK HERE FOR A TOUR OFOLMSTED’S CENTRAL PARK

Frederick Law Olmsted was the father of the public park, responsible for thedesign of New York’s Central Park, Chicago’s Riverside Park, the Boston parksystem, and many more. When one ponders what it means to be an American,the relationship between the citizen and the natural world is central. The visionof Frederick LawOlmsted—who believed that all Americans should have accessto a common green space — is the one that has endured.

14 AMERICAN PATRIOT

QUOTE OFTHE WEEK

“When you fish for love, baitwith your heart, not your brain.”

— MARK TWAINON LOVE, IN HIS MARK TWAIN’S NOTEBOOK, 1898

AMERICAN PATRIOT 15

1898.In an act that led directly to the outbreak of the Spanish American War, a massive

explosion sunk the battleship USS Maine in Cuba’s Havana harbor, killing more than

half the American sailors on board. Though the official inquiry did not directly blame

Spain, the American public and newspapers did – and demanded war accompanied

by the call to “Remember The Maine.” Three months later, the United States had

crushed Spanish forces on land and sea, and we received former Spanish possessions

Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines as part of the settlement.

THIS WEEK INAMERICAN HISTORY

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