#first hill streetcar

[scoticus]

he's on a train

[antoninasavi]

Budapest. Hungary. June 2024

At Berlin airport, it was surprising that they ask you to put photographic film out of your luggage. As it turned out, it was to avoid spoiling them. They must have gotten new super powerful scanners. I can only thank them for taking care of my films, which were scanned with another machine.

Yes, I'm traveling alone again. This does not embarrass me at all, but only emphasizes my freedom and independence to act.

On the first day, of course, I climbed the nearest hill and from there I successfully hid in the national gallery from the scorching sun. For me, a person who thinks in terms of history and culture, nothing says more about the place where I am than the National Gallery. And in Budapest, it's really good! Compared to the quality of the works of the Verger artists, Berlin loses the pomp of the Kaiser's time or the greenishness of 1920. In the National Gallery of Budapest I found very many truly high works in their own right. But there was also something in it that made me think. As soon as the art of the Romantics is replaced by Impressionism as a trend of visualization, the paintings begin to painfully resemble copies of the French masters. This surprised me so much. The quality is of course superb and I have sometimes caught myself thinking that the Hungarians do it even better. And so it went on in cubism and in the avant-garde. It got to the point of absurdity that I saw a painting that was 100% painted by Gerhard Richter. But no, it was some obscure Hungarian artist again.

At first I wondered, where is the Hungarian originality missing? Or is it all a logical consequence of cultural influences. Or is it all about the curator of the gallery trying to conform to the trends of the market? Everything in me suspects that the latter assumption is true. Especially if we rely on the latest critique of contemporary consumer society as described in Oliver Roy's book "The Crisis of Culture".

On the second day, I discovered that I am a bad tourist. In the sense that it's not easy for me to sell anything. In the part of the city of Pest that is on the left side of the Danube River, there are the very streets that horrify me, filled with fat tourists, expensive cafes with disgusting coffee and all the clothing stores that are probably the same all over Europe. Strangely, I can't bring myself to interact with reality in such places. I find that I will avoid these streets in the future and will consider the day I stepped into them a tourist mistake.

I was fascinated by the city's trams. They make you want to keep up with them. Of all the films that were shot in Budapest (12 pieces of 12 frames each), at least two were spent on trams. As it turned out, streetcars are the most popular transportation in Budapest. Their intervals are sometimes as long as 60 seconds due to the incredible congestion during rush hours.

The castle on Buda Mountain with its incredible beauty of architecture right next to the ugly plastic and impersonal building of the Redison Hotel made me smile. What an absurd world we live in.

I love it when a city has so many hills. Perhaps because I was born in a hilly city, I feel alive making an incredible effort in the thirty-degree heat to climb one more hill. It's a pity Berlin is so flat.

As a bad tourist, I found all the areas where there are no tourists, where you can see how ordinary people live, and therefore how things really are.

On the last day I received a message that my flight was cancelled. So I was stuck for 3 hours in a history museum trying to get a seat on another plane and book a room for the night. The museum was useful, even if the guard looked at me with suspicion. I was a little worried that my credit card wasn't working. But everything worked out, and after I transported my luggage to the new location, I went to Mount St. Galert. The sky was very beautiful even after, Friday evening in Budapest. It's so unforgettable. That evening I fell in love with Budapest and threw a coin into the Danube as a sign or desire to return again. I didn’t regret at all that my plane was cancelled at all.

[handeaux]

Cincinnati’s Old-Time Streetcars Were Notorious Death Machines

Cincinnati’s commuters have complained about mass transit since the first horse-drawn omnibuses started hauling passengers in 1859. By the late 1880s, the Queen City offered a selection of transport systems, from steam-powered inclines to equine-powered horsecars that struggled to ascend the city’s hills to a couple of cable-car routes on Vine Street and Gilbert Avenue. Each had its detractors.

It appeared that a new age dawned in 1889, when the Kilgour brothers introduced electric street cars as a replacement for horsecars and cable cars. The newfangled trolleys zipped up Cincinnati’s steepest hills, obviating the need to add auxiliary horse or mule teams on the steeper routes. The electric cars required far less maintenance than the cable cars that often, literally, froze up on icy winter days.

Despite their contemporary styling and innovative power systems, the new electric streetcars had one small but persistent drawback. They killed lots of people.

The years 1906 and 1907 were particularly bloody along Cincinnati’s streetcar lines. The Cincinnati Post [21 March 1907] tallied 22 fatalities caused by streetcars in 1906 and an additional 13 deaths in the first three months of 1907.

The Post’s report coincided with a national exposé titled “The Needless Slaughter by Street Cars” in the nationally distributed Everybody’s Magazine. Journalist and author John P. Fox slammed transit monopolies in cities across the United States for their dismal and deadly safety records. According to Fox:

“If along every mile of street railway track in the United States a headstone was raised for every death by accident the routes we travel would resemble one long drawn-out cemetery.”

Cincinnati’s death records and morgue records as preserved at the University of Cincinnati Archives support Fox’s contention. More than a hundred deaths between 1890 and 1910 are documented in these files as being caused directly or indirectly by street cars. There was 57-year-old Martha Fuchs, who died from injuries on 19 September 1908 after falling from a crowded streetcar. There was five-year-old Philomena Armenti, run over by a streetcar in 1906. And a physician, Dr. Edward Schaefer, 44 years old, who succumbed to injuries caused by a streetcar collision.

The streetcar companies and their employees regularly blamed the victims for carelessness. The Cincinnati Enquirer [1 September 1894] printed the complaint of a streetcar driver regarding pedestrians during rush hour:

“We don’t run 60 miles an hour, but you can kill a man just as quick at 12 miles an hour, and it shakes you up just as much. There isn’t a gripman but dreads to make the downtown loop during rush hours.”

And those were just the fatalities! Little Florien Bercheit was only five years old when he fell under the wheels of a streetcar. His legs were so mangled they were both amputated and he lived the rest of his years supported by crutches while dragging two wooden stumps along the streets. James Bennett, known as “Big Fiddle,” was a city street inspector, knocked by a passing streetcar into an open excavation in 1907 and paralyzed for life.

Fox’s exposé in Everybody’s Magazine blamed electric street cars in general, but the Post noticed that Cincinnati’s streetcars were far deadlier than those of cities of larger size.

“London is 14 times as large as Cincinnati, yet against the slaughter of 22 in Cincinnati, the biggest city in the world shows on its death roll that only 10 were killed by the surface street cars in 1906.”

According to the Post, Cincinnati’s death toll was the result of greedy traction companies interested in profit at the expense of human life and health.

“Traction companies prefer dividends to the saving of human life. They get fenders such as they use in Cincinnati, which have been declared humbugs by high railroad officials in the United States; they use primitive brakes; they employ inexperienced men; they drive competent motormen away from them by low salaries.”

The quality of “fenders” or guards mounted around the wheels of the streetcar was a particular sore spot to the Post. Streetcar motormen involved in fatal accidents were routinely charged with manslaughter, but the Post found no record that anyone was ever convicted. Instead, the traction company lawyers placed the blame squarely on the victim and the courts never investigated whether better safety fenders or less-crowded cars could have prevented the death.

James Hall, driver on the Price Hill line, complained about the condition of his car when it left the garage on 30 December 1906 for its morning run. His supervisors ignored his observation that the brakes were faulty. Hours later, that car hurtled down Warsaw Avenue as motorman Hall lost control of the vehicle, his brakes entirely useless. The car, containing 38 passengers, accelerated until it reached a hairpin turn halfway down the slope and jumped the tracks, tumbling through the air into the side of the hill. Four people died and 20 were hospitalized. The runaway car crashed into a hillside covered in wet mud, which cushioned the impact and prevented even more fatalities.

Another major streetcar crash with multiple fatalities occurred when a Cincinnati-bound car jumped the tracks in Bellevue, Kentucky and tumbled down a steep hill on 15 February 1901. An inspector blamed the accident on morning frost making the rails at a tight turn too slippery. The transit company blamed officials in Bellevue and Newport for refusing to build a viaduct to bypass the dangerous turn.

Although big crashes made the headlines, most injuries and fatalities involved single individuals. In fact, the same edition of the paper that carried the news of the Bellevue accident reported the death of four-year-old William Crary of Baymiller Street. Attempting to cross the road, he was struck by a streetcar and “horribly mutilated.” Young William died en route to the hospital.

As automobiles became popular in the 1920s, they caused so many traffic deaths that Cincinnati’s abundant streetcar fatalities faded from memory.

[helenapsent]

Okay, I was very intrigued by the footage of the movies and documentary show used in Igor, so I decided to do a little research

Research is to find out what year of issue these inserts are from and, based on them, to understand in what approximate time period the events of the cartoon may take place

In the scene where Eva is being brainwashed, scenes from old horror movies are glimpsed. In the first shot, we see an old lady and the main character from the 1959 movie "House on Haunted Hill". Back then, this shot/scene was considered the creepiest thing in the world, which is also played up in the cartoon.

Then, as Brain begins to change channels, there are snippets from entertainment shows that showed a girl water-skiing on the screen (water skis were invented in 1922). Her bathing suit is very similar to the bathing suit models of the 40's and 50's; In addition, we see an excerpt from a cooking show; A couple is also seen dancing the so-called "twist" (a dance introduced in 1960).

A little later, the footage changed to a documentary about the the actress who played Blanche DuBois in "A Streetcar Named Desire" (the play was written by Tennessee Williams and produced in 1947, with the first film adaptation in 1952).

Also, I can't miss the opportunity to add here the scene in which Eve mentions the musical "Annie". The musical is based on the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie", produced in 1924, and released in 1976. However, the musical gained widespread fame through a Broadway production in 1977.

Well… According to the scenes of the first act of the movie we can assume that the whole action of the movie takes place in 50-60 years, but judging by the latest observations, technologies presented in the movie, and some knowledge of the characters we can say that it is either the beginning of the 80th year or its middle (because already at that time television was in color)

And that's all

/Of course, this is all just speculation and conjecture, but it has a place and exists nonetheless

[miswitched]

Books Regina Mills would read:

1. Crime and Punishment, she understands the madness of it all too well. She relates to the ideas of guilt and anger and impulsivity, having toyed with those feelings more than ever in her early days of being the evil queen.

2. All the Bronte novels- gothic novels have her heart and basically everything the Brontes wrote made her feel a little bit less alone in her marriage to the king. 'Wuthering Heights' appealed to her greatly, especially when Heathcliffe dug up Catherines grave, and how Heathcliffe gradually turned into a monster. She also loved 'Jane Eyre', having felt understood when she read about Jane and Mrs Reed, and relating to Rochester trying to keep his secret wife in the attic in the sense that she kept a version of herself secret.

3. Pride and Prejudice, you just know she loved the drama of it and being able to see at least one person have a happy ending, even if she’ll never admit it. She thought her own life may have gone this way, until Daniel died. I imagine she was quite a big Jane Austen fan before all of the tragedy. Sometimes, even when she was the evil queen and the mayor of storybrooke, she'd reread it for those moments of lightness it brought her.

4. Lolita; trying to love someone and being taken advantage of; leopold being seen as a gentle king when he was not to her, not that it mattered to anyone; screaming, crying, having fits of anger and rage and still no one would listen to her; being too young for the situation she found herself in.

5. The haunting of hill house, she read this in her first few years of the curse and was enchanted by it, and when the series came out she went feral, loving the haunting feel to it.

6. The Secret History, the dark feeling appeals to her, and if her cursed memories of going to university were actually real, she easily could have seen herself going down the same route, of murdering one of her friends. She loved the expression of ancient language, it assured her that whilst the world was moving on, she was going to be okay.

7. Great Expectations, she understands Miss Havisham, and also relates to Pip over never being good enough and always being made fun of by her elders.

8. A streetcar named desire, because she relates to Blanche wayyy to much having once lived in a fanciful world with costume jewellery, and trying to convince herself that she was the evil queen and that by being the way she was, she could be happy.

9. The Bell jar, she loves reading dark books and as a result this one is her fave because she’s been there, she's had the same struggles. The raw youth of the book reminds her of when she was young. But the ending scared her, because no matter how good things look, they could always end up wrong.

[sweetlullabyebye]

theo raeken and tragic hero essay... thing (idk what i'm doing)

in this... essay, i will talk about theo raeken as a tragic hero, because why the hell not.

tragedy as a literary genre goes all the way back to the 5th century BC, and is still written about today. it is a genre of drama focused on stories of human suffering, where a human flaw/weakness/choice leads to devastating events, traditionally ending with death. examples of tragedies include 'romeo and juliet', 'a streetcare named desire', etc etc.

so, anyways, tragedies have multiple components, with an introduction, a middle and an end, dramatic events, a character that is usually the tragic hero, and it all leads to catharsis (catharsis being the purging of emotion).

the structure would go more or less like that:

the tragic hero, central character, starts out in a good position (could be of high social standing, or maybe they're famous, successful, happy in general, etc), whose choices or weaknesses lead to a chain of events that end with their downfall. it could be oeudipus, killing his father and marrying his mother, and later being like 'oh shit'. because of their action or trait, the hero is now facing an inevitable ending, which is... tragic.

and that leads us to theo!

i consider that theo's tragedy starts with him watching tara die, and ends with him going to hell (we're ignoring season 6, sorry theo, maybe later), and would probably actually be composed of two parts (his childhood, and then him arriving in beacon hills again).

we have the tragic hero, theo, who, while he has good qualities, makes an error of judgement (that's an understatement) and lets his sister tara die of hypothermia, in order to gain power. that choice leads to his downfall, as he becomes the first chimera, being experimented on.

so we'll consider theo's hunger for power his tragic flaw (the 'hamartia' of the story, which is a factor that causes the downfall), that follows him all the way to the first episode where we see him.

then again, theo starts out great, but he ends up experiencing peripeteia; a reversal. while he was planning on taking over scott's pack, there is a reversal of situation, which means that it doesn't turn out how he wanted.

from then on, theo loses control over the story, kills part of his pack, loses the few 'betas' he had, becoming isolated, fails at everything he attempts, and, at the last moment, realizes what's about to become of him. before being dragged by tara into 'hell', he has a moment of 'anagnorisis' (recognition) of his fate, and tries to fight against it (pleading to be helped, trying to hold on something).

however, a tragic character, while they might fight against fate, cannot reverse it, which is why theo gets trapped in hell.

so in my opinion, theo shares traits with tragic heroes, and part of his story follows the concepts of tragedy.

where it lacks, however, is the fact that you probably don't relate or pity theo's downfall until you've watched season 6 and started liking theo (which doesn't go along the idea of the tragic hero being relatable), and thus there is little catharsis, except for general satisfaction at his tragic ending. theo also escapes, in a way, his tragedy, by later being released from hell (his ending is reversed).

anyways, the story has a tragic hero, a tragic flaw, some sort of catharsis, peripeteia, and some late anagnorisis, so i'll consider it a tragedy :).

(sources are

https://www.supersummary.com/tragedy/

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/agamemnon-the-choephori-and-the-eumenides/critical-essay/aristotle-on-tragedy

https://literaryterms.net/tragedy/

https://www.britannica.com/art/tragedy-literature

https://teen-wolf-pack.fandom.com/wiki/Theo_Raeken)

[rabbitcruiser]

Cable Car Day

Cable Car Day is celebrated every year on January 17. The day celebrates Andrew Smith Hallidie getting the patent for the cable car in 1871. It is believed that Hallidie saw horses struggle to pull cars up the steep hills of San Francisco, and worried about the news of people falling and dying. He decided to invent a system where strong cables would move the cars up and down the hill. Today, San Francisco is the last American city to still run any true cable cars! The Cable Car Museum in San Francisco is also a tourist attraction. In other American cities, you will find electric streetcars.

History of Cable Car Day

In early 1871, inventor Andrew Smith Hallidie received the first patent for the cable car. That occasion is now observed as Cable Car Day. Hallidie was struck by the idea to construct a cable-propelled transit after witnessing horses falling, and even dying, as they tried to pull cars up San Francisco’s steep Jackson Street. Hallidie was agitated by the deaths of these horses and decided to convert his sympathy into action. Before cable cars, Hallidie had previously invented a type of aerial tramway and designed improvements to mining ropes which drastically improved their economic life. Hallidie was obviously a talented inventor who always had others’ best interests in mind.

Two years after receiving his cable car patent, Hallidie was already on his way to setting up the world’s first cable car railroad on Clay Street. After that, things moved pretty quickly. By 1890, most large cities in America had at least one line. By then the electric streetcar had also been invented. These cars operated by connecting to overhead electrical wires instead of underground moving cables. Cities quickly started switching to these newer cars. These were also easier to install and operate.

Today, San Francisco is the last American city to still run any true cable cars. Unfortunately, none of the original lines survive. Only the grip car eight can be seen at Mason Street’s Cable Car Museum, which is located on two of San Francisco’s three cable car routes. You can also find cable car railways in Venice, Tampa, Las Vegas, and Milan.

Cable Car Day timeline

1826 The First Cable-operated Railway

It uses a moving rope that can be picked up or released by a grip on the car.

1881 The Dunedin Cable Tramway System

It opens in Dunedin, New Zealand, and becomes the first such system outside San Francisco.

1882 The Chicago City Railway

It becomes the largest and most profitable cable car system.

1890 Electric Trams

Electrically-powered trams become the norm and replace existing cable car systems.

Cable Car Day FAQs

What day is Cable Car Day?

January 17 is Cable Car Day. This occasion marks the day Andrew Smith Hallidie received the first patent for cable car railways in 1871.

When was the cable car invented?

Cable cars were invented by Hallidie in San Francisco in 1873.  It was based on the cable car system of early mining conveyance systems.

Which cities have cable cars?

Many cities in America once had cable cars, but today, only San Francisco does. However, commuters can find trams in many other cities around the world.

Cable Car Day Activities

Ride a cable car

Pet a horse

Ride the tram

If you are in San Francisco, ride a cable car to work on Cable Car Day. It’s also a great way to cut down on carbon footprint.

If you don’t have trams or cable cars in your city, fret not. Pet a horse on Cable Car Day as a way of showing appreciation for the earliest cable cars.

Trams can be found in many cities around the world. If you are lucky enough to have the tram system in your city, don’t forget to hitch a ride on Cable Car Day.

5 Facts About Horses That Will Blow Your Mind

They are quick learners

Horses don’t laugh

Horses aren’t colorblind

We have a few things in common

They are versatile sleepers

Horses can run within hours after birth.

They’re actually engaging in a special nose-enhancing technique known as “flehmen,” to determine whether a smell is good or bad.

They are better at seeing yellows and greens than purples and violets.

Horse hooves are made from the same protein that makes up human hair and fingernails.

Horses can sleep both lying down and standing up.

Why We Love Cable Car Day

A way to go green

A day born out of kindness

Celebrates history

If you have been thinking about switching to eco-friendly transport, then traveling by cable car is the right option for you! The fuel emissions are negligible and it’s a convenient form of public transport.

It’s unique to find inventions that were solely made to improve the lives of animals. Cable cars are one such invention and the day reminds us to be kind to all creatures around us.

Cable cars have a historic value in most cities. They are preserved in museums and cherished by generations of commuters. The day is a celebration of the innovation of the cable car through the years.

Source

The first cable car was patented by Andrew Smith Hallidie in the US (began service in 1873) on January 17, 1871.

[anniekoh]

The Portland Bridge Book by Sharon Wood Wortman with Ed Wortman

Third edition of The Portland Bridge Book is like an old faithful bridge that's been restored by a dedicated crew of specialists to increase its carrying capacity for the public's enjoyment. Over a span of 225 pages (50 percent larger than the second edition and more than twice the size of the first edition), this edition delivers: Profiles 15 highway bridges and four railroad bridges across the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the metro area. Each structure's general history, technical details, source of its name, and more are explained in accessible language. 150 historic and large format contemporary photographs, many published for the first time. Annotated drawings by Joseph Boquiren showing Portland's movable bridges in operation. How & Why Bridges Are Built, written by Fremont Bridge field engineer Ed Wortman. Expanded and localized glossary of bridge termsPortland transportation history timeline, truss patterns, bridge poetry, lyrics.

Images 1 & 2 from the Portland Bridge Book. Image 3 is the cover of the book.

Snippets

Multnomah County owns four of the five large movable bridges: Hawthorne, Morrison, Burnside, and Broadway bridges, as well as Sellwood and Sauvie Island bridges. Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) owns state and interstate highway structures, i.e. Ross Island, Marquam, Fremont, St. Johns, Oregon City, and Abernethy bridges, and across the Columbia River, Glenn Jackson Bridge and in a joint agreement with WA state, the Interstate Bridge.

Other notable bridges in Portland Oregon that do not cross the river.

Balch Gulch Bridge on Thurman Street in Northwest Portland, built for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition. One of about 150 highway and pedestrian bridges owned and maintained by the City of Portland, this unusual hanging deck truss is the oldest highway deck truss bridge in Oregon. Vista Avenue Viaduct, a 248-foot open-spandrel reinforced concrete highway arch located 128 feet above SW Jefferson St on the way to US Highway 26 in Portland's West Hills.

Tilikum Crossing: Portland's Bridges and a New Icon by Donald MacDonald & Ira Nadel (2020)

Portland, Oregon's innovative and distinctive landmark, Tilikum Crossing Bridge of the People, is the first major bridge in the U.S, carrying trains, busses, streetcars, bicycles, and pedestrians- but no private automobiles. When regional transportation agency TriMet began planning for the first bridge to be constructed across the Willamette River since 1973, the goal was to build a something symbolic, which would represent the progressive nature of the Twenty-First Century. Part of that progressiveness was engaging in a public process that involved neighborhood associations, small businesses, environmentalists, biologists, bicycling enthusiasts, designers, engineers, and the City Council. The result of this collaboration was an entirely unique bridge that increased the transportation capacity of the city while allowing Portlanders to experience their urban home in an entirely new way—car-free. In this book, the award winning architect of Tilikum Crossing, Donald MacDonald, and co-author Ira Nadel, tell the story of Portland through its bridges. Written in a friendly voice, readers will learn how Portland came to be known as "The City of Bridges" and the home to this new icon in the city's landscape. MacDonald uses 98 of his own drawings to illustrate the history of Portland river crossings and to show the process of building a Twenty-First Century landmark

Image 4 is the Tilikum Crossing book cover. Image 5 is a photo of the bridge itself.

Short video: Aerial footage of some of the bridges in Portland, Oregon. Relaxing views of the Broadway, Fremont and Steel bridges. Apr 26, 2021

[demospectator]

"Clay St. West of Kearny SF 1873 - First Cable Car in the World" In this elevated view west on Clay Street to the Clay St. Cable RR cable car at Kearny Street Terminus, Portsmouth Square can be seen on the right. Signage for the R. Cutlar Dentist, H. Traube watchmaker and jeweler at left.   This photo is a detail from Carleton Watkins' stereo card number 2368 (Variant) under the original title: "Clay St. Hill R.R., San Francisco, Cal. Run by A.S. Hallidie's patent Endless Steel Wire Rope and Gripping Attachment. Overcomes an Elevation of 307 feet in a length of 2800 feet. Worst grade, one foot in six"  (from the Marilyn Blaisdell Collection).  

Chinatown at the Advent of the Cable Car

This year San Francisco marks the sesquicentennial of its cable car system.  In the late 19th century, San Francisco experienced rapid urbanization and faced the challenge of its hilly terrain. Traditional horse-drawn streetcars struggled to navigate the steep inclines, necessitating an innovative transportation solution.

In the predawn hours of August 2, 1873, Andrew Smith Hallidie introduced the first successful cable car system in the world. The cable cars utilized an underground cable mechanism to propel the cars along tracks, overcoming the city's hilly landscape. This new mode of transportation revolutionized urban mobility and played a pivotal role in San Francisco's development.

Historian Phil Choy wrote about the Clay Street cable car terminus at Portsmouth Square as follows:  

“Following Andrew S. Hallidie’s successful test-run of the first cable car on August [2], 1873, horse-drawn cars were replaced with a cable car  on Clay Street.  Thereafter, the Chinese called Clay Street ‘Mo Mah Lie Ch’eh,’ which literally means ‘no-horse-drawn-car’ [冇馬拉車; canto: “mou5 maa5 laai1 ce1″].  Starting from the top of Leavenworth Street, the line ended at a turntable at the bottom of Clay and Kearny Streets, to send the car back up the hill.”

California and Montgomery streets, c. 1889.  Photographer unknown (from the Martin Behrman Negative Collection / Courtesy of the Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives).  The view is west on California across Montgomery, as an Omnibus Railway Co. horsecar #11 passes the Parrott Building, or Parrott Block (1852, Architect Stephen Williams) seen in background.  A Chinese man is walking south at the northeast corner of the intersection.  The signs for the offices of Equitable Life and Dr. William F. McNutt at 405 Montgomery are visible at right.  

The introduction of cable cars in San Francisco had a profound impact on the Chinese community. Several cable car lines conveniently passed through Chinatown, allowing Chinese residents to access transportation. The cable cars provided a reliable means of travel for the community, connecting them to other neighborhoods and employment opportunities initially for domestic workers serving the mansions atop Nob Hill and eventually throughout the city.

Clay Street Cable Car, c. 1873.  Photograph by Carleton Watkins and published as “Pacific Coast. 2369″ and by Taber Photo (from the Marilyn Blaisdell collection).  In this startling image, patrons and car operators can be seen posing on or alongside cable cars on Clay near Jones Street, except for at least two Chinese men seated in the car at left.  Their faces were lost to history because one man placed his hat over his face, while the other inclined his head to avoid the camera’s lens. Watkins' image may be the only extant image showing urban pioneer Chinese actually riding an early cable car, possibly to their jobs as domestic servants for the mansions on Nob Hill.

Watkins' stereo card bears the legend: “Clay Street Hill R.R., San Francisco, Cal. Run by A.S. Hallidie's patent Endless Steel Wire Rope and Gripping Attachment. Overcomes an Elevation of 307 feet in a length of 2800 feet.  Worst grade, one foot in six. 2369”  Photograph by Carleton E. Watkins (from the collection of the San Francisco Public Library).

“At the Corner of Dupont and Jackson Streets” c. 1896 -1906.  Photograph by Arnold Genthe (from the Genthe photograph collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division).  A cable car on the Jackson Street line can be seen at right.  “Two girls wearing embroidered holiday wear are crossing the street,” as historian Jack Tchen wrote in his book about Genthe’s Chinatown photos.  “The store behind them is a ‘Chinese and Japanese Curios’ store located at 924 Dupont Street, southwest corner.  The good-quality, expensive vases in the window display and the sign in English indicate that the store catered especially to tourists.  Some such stores were owned by Japanese, but the main reason that both Chinese and Japanese goods were sold in the same store was that the general public could not distinguish between the two cultures.”   (NOTE:  Tchen’s location of the address at 924 Dupont appears incorrect, as the photo depicts the west or odd-numbered side of the street. The building bearing an address of 943 Dupont actually occupied the southwest corner of the intersection with Jackson Street.  Directories of the time indicate that the Tong Yuen Lai confectionary operated at the 943 address during the 1890’s.  By the 1905 publication of the Chinatown phone directory, the Jong Mee Cigar Store had either co-located or operated solely at the address.)    

The cable cars, particularly the Clay, Sacramento, California, and Jackson street lines, had played a significant role in fostering economic growth within Chinatown. 

“B 3096 Clay Street Hill, Chinatown, San Francisco” c. 1886.  Photograph by Isaiah West Taber (from the Marilyn Blaisdell Collection).  In this view east on the south side of Clay Street, and just above Dupont, the trees of Portsmouth Square can in the distance at left, a horsecar can be seen on Kearny and an original Clay Street cable car.  The large billboard for Globe Business College and Conservatory of Music in distance. The large vertical sign in Chinese denotes an herbalist or apothecary store.

The view east on Clay Street, c. 1888. (Photographer unknown from the collection of the California Historical Society).  A cable car is in the process of crossing Dupont Street and heading west up the hill.  The balconies of the Yoot Hong Low restaurant appear at left. 

“161 Street Scene in Chinatown,” no date.  Photographer unknown (from a private French collection).  A cable car can be seen traveling west on Clay passing Stockton Street. 

“Chinese Quarter, San Francisco, Cal.” c. 1891. Photograph by A.J. McDonald (from a private collection).  A cable car is seen passing the 800-block of Clay Street between Dupont St. and Waverly Place.  The decorated balconies of the Yoot Hong Low restaurant can be seen at center.  

“B 2807 Lotta’s Fountain, and junction of Market, Kearny a& Geary Streets, S.F.” c. late 1880s.  Photograph by Isaiah West Taber (from a private collection). A Market Street Cable Rail car appears in the right foreground. Two Chinese men can be seen in the background at left on the sidewalk  between the two lampposts and under the Philadelphia Lager sign. 

“Carrying New Year Presents” c. 1900-1905. Photograph by Arnold Genthe (from the Genthe photograph collection, The Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division). A cable car can be seen on the hill just behind the head of the young woman in the photo.  She appears to have been a servant to the family of prominent merchant Lew Kan. The boy in the photo is Lew Bing Yuen, the older son, who also appears in Genthe’s well-known photo “Children of the High Class.”

After transformation of post-1906 Chinatown into the “Oriental City,” this urban transit network remained crucial the neighborhood’s integration with the citywide economy.  Tourists and locals utilized the cable car system, and Chinese-owned businesses along, and in proximity to, the cable car lines experienced increased patronage. This urban mobility represented by the cable car system, even after its reduction to only two lines, has sustained the Chinese community from it pioneer beginnings to this day.  

“San Francisco Cable Car Lines at the Fullest Extent of Operation (1890s)”  (courtesy of the Cable Car Museum). As the Cable Car Museum advises here, “Clay Street Hill Railroad was the sole cable car company for 4 years. A former horsecar company, Sutter Street Railroad, developed its own version of Hallidie's patented system and began cable service in 1877, followed by California Street Cable Railroad -1878, Geary Street, Park & Ocean Railroad -1880, Presidio & Ferries Railroad -1882, Market Street Cable Railway -1883, Ferries & Cliff House Railway -1888, and Omnibus Railroad & Cable Company -1889.”  At its peak, the San Francisco companies had laid “53 miles of track stretching from the Ferry Building to the Presidio, to Golden Gate Park, to the Castro, to the Mission.”

Published in Germany under the title “The Plaza, near Chinatown, San Francisco, U.S.A.” c. 1890. Photographer unknown (from the Marilyn Blaisdell Collection). In this northwesterly view toward the 700-block of Washington Street, a man walks a child through Portsmouth Square, and a cable car can be seen in the background. By the 1890s, a cable car line had been built on Washington Street, running along the northern edge of the square.

For the Chinese families who began to populate the eastern slopes of Nob and Russian Hills (and the garment workers in the small sewing factories along Pacific Avenue west of Stockton Street), the cable cars served as their principal transit system until the establishment of bus routes such as the Pacific Avenue shuttle (championed by Phil Chin and his Chinatown Transportation Improvement Project crew a half-century ago), and now known as the no. 12 Folsom/Pacific line.  

A group of women (at least one of whom has bound feet) disembarks from a cable car in 1908.  Photographer unknown (from the collection of the Chinese Historical Society of America). For women with bound feet (including great grandmothers on both sides of my family), the cars represented not only convenience but a necessary travel option for the residents navigating the hilly topography of San Francisco Chinatown.

The clang of cable car bells and the snap of the cable in the tracks remain an integral part of the soundtrack for the several generations of Chinese children who grew up in the greater Chinatown area. 

Cable cars symbolized the vital role of urban transportation in fostering connections and opportunities -- providing convenient travel options for the residents of Chinatown, maintaining the neighborhood’s economy during hard times, and tying the segregated Chinese community to the larger city.

“Convergence of Cultures” oil painting by Mian Situ.

[updated 2023-8-14]

[brightm8]

The city built into the cliffs

Ok so. There's this city that just, like. Erupts from cliff-sides. Buildings all jut out from rocky faces over crashing waves that lap against the cliffs' bases. Houses and factories and little plazas with bronze gazebos, some of these perched on stilts bolted to the cliff and some with little waterfalls spilling into the sea below.

And of course the people need to get around this city. It's pretty hard to put sidewalks in when some buildings have no territory on flat ground. So they have these little streetcars suspended on rails like ski-lifts - called Yuko Cars - and they make that little clacking noise that rollercoasters make when they're going up the hill. They're rarely clean, but they're efficient and the rails are well maintained, so everybody pretty much gets around via Yuko Car if they don't have a flying vehicle and aren't a dragon or otherwise winged.

Now, the whole city isn't built into the cliffs; just the parts you notice when you first sail in to the harbor. The Old Town of the city lies in a valley near the center, filled with markets and slums and restaurants, interspersed with canals that carry water and sewage from the buildings higher up to the sea to the South. Like the little underground bar - 10 City - which hosts regular live music with pool tables and card games. Or the KFC, which... mainly just exists because of the chaos of an average roleplaying session.

But before you sail into the city to take in the roofs and structures reaching for the peaks of the surrounding mountains, the very first part of the city you find is the Academy, shaped like the bow of a massive ship departing from the very cliffs themselves. Its huge marble-white bricks tower up from the underwater foundations, with the bricks at sea-level occasionally meticulously cleaned. (At the moment, they are stained green with algae.) The school atop this massive structure acts as a beacon for the industrial revolution of arcana, attracting students from across the Arc Isles to research and discover the complexity that emerges when psychic chemicals and machinery intersect.

[scoticus]

🚋

[21astor]

Portland’s NW Neighborhoods Are Quickly Becoming the Most Exciting Areas in PDX!

Incredibly Fun Things to Do

To say that the Northwest neighborhoods are a vibrant area is a bit of an understatement. At any given time, Portlanders have their pick of marvelous parks, entertainment venues, and cultural events. Here are a few of the local faves:

Jamison Park

This park boasts a cool fountain, tidal pool, and outdoor art gallery.

McMenamin’s Crystal Ballroom

This historic venue, which is about five minutes from our nob hill apartments, showcases some of the biggest music acts as well as themed dance parties.

First Thursdays

On the first Thursday of every month, PDX-ers enjoy an awesome gallery walk featuring art exhibits, wine, and live music.

The Brody Theater

A mecca of improv comedy, The Brody Theater offers up a good time with shows, open mics, and classes.

Amazing Places to Eat, Drink and Shop

BridgePort Brewing

A Portland original, BridgePort crafts brews and pub bites with deliciously fresh and locally-sourced ingredients.

Powell’s City of Books

A major benefit of living in Northwest District/Nob Hill zone is being super close to world-famous Powell’s. With millions of new and used books in their inventory, it’s a bibliophile’s paradise.

Marrakesh

Marrakesh is not just about the exceptional Moroccan fare. It also delights diners with talented belly dancers.

Java Hound Coffee Bar

Java Hound welcomes both humans and canines alike with scrumptious coffee, tea, pastries, and puppuccinos (dog treats floating in goat’s milk).

Incredible Urban Innovations

Portland has done a brilliant job of keeping up with economic growth and an increase in population. One example of this is the Portland Streetcar. No doubt the overall public transportation system in PDX is terrific, but the Streetcar is uniquely inventive for several reasons:

It was the country’s first modern streetcar

It’s an award-winning system

It’s easily accessible and links multiple Portland districts (yes, including Pearl)

It’s a cinch to use for PDX-ers and out-of-towners alike

It ingeniously utilizes unused railyards

It serves as a model for other cities

One of the Top Luxury Apartments in Portland

The Residences

Our 1 Bedroom luxury apartments Portland and 2 Bedroom luxury apartments Portland are designed to be spacious and contemporary with a high-end aesthetic. Units include tall ceilings, large windows, wrap-around kitchens, quartz Carrara countertops, stainless steel appliances, porcelain enamel tubs and showers, plenty of closet space, and serene color palettes.

Amenities

We understand what matters to Portlanders. Every day, our residents benefit from amenities like bike storage and maintenance spaces, a pet washing station, in-building parking, concierge and package receptions services, reserved storage, and dry-cleaning pick-up and drop-off lockers.

The Building

In order to rise above other luxury apartments close to Nob Hill Portland, we knew we had to impeccably blend modernity and beauty with environmental consciousness. The result — a LEED-certified, highly efficient building with features such as a gorgeous dark-red brick exterior, Neoclassical bay projections, and a lobby with Statuary Carrara Marble and a 24K white gold Bisazza mosaic.

The Northwest District has certainly earned its spot as one of the top places to live in Portland. (It’s no wonder why it was named one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world.) We’re ecstatic that this dynamic community has allowed us to provide our residents with a living experience that is unmatched by any other luxury apartments in PDX. But, you don’t just have to take our word for it. Why not come check it all out for yourself?

Connect with us to find out more about living in 21 Astor’s incredible PDX apartments!

[handeaux]

Remember When The Cream Of Cincinnati Society Performed Circus Tricks?

A circus was the hottest ticket in Cincinnati in 1905, but this was no ordinary big-top extravaganza. The Riding Club of Cincinnati, comprising the very cream of Queen City society, staged a one-ring performance every other year and the stars of this exclusive entertainment were, in fact, the scions of the city’s most established families.

The opportunity to witness various Tafts, Probascos, Hulberts, Graydons, Burtons, Schmiddlapps, and other social-register luminaries demonstrating their skill in trick riding and clowning could probably have generated immeasurable ticket sales. This was, however, an occasion organized by the smart set for its own amusement, so each Riding Club member was issued three, and only three, tickets to distribute to friends and family. The audience never topped 500. Thankfully, the newspapers were invited and so we have a record of the evening’s various acts. And, according to the record, Cincinnati’s upper crust acquitted themselves admirably in the tanbark ring.

The 1905 circus was organized by real estate magnate John Van Buren Scarborough, president of the Riding Club. The performers, mostly younger members of the social set, were trained by the club’s riding master, Leon De Gisbert, and his assistant, Frederick “Fritz” Schaurer.

Ringmaster W.H. “Buck” Harrison narrated the opening parade including, he claimed, “a magnificent menagerie of carnivora, herbivora, omnivora, exotics, epizootics, neurotics, microbes, molecules and germs.” The pageant was led by drum major Murdock Burton, who later went on to Harvard University and the presidency of several Cincinnati companies. In addition to horses, donkeys, dogs and clowns, the procession included two floats occupied by older members of the club costumed as historic figures.

Since it was organized by the Riding Club, it is not surprising that most of the acts featured in the 1905 circus involved equestrian skill – riding bareback, prancing in formation, various jumping routines – but the membership also demonstrated their capabilities in gymnastics, dog training and, notably, clowning.

Even in 1905, with the automobile encroaching ever more ominously onto the city’s streets, the Riding Club’s greasepaint skits were largely directed at mocking mechanical transportation. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer [26 March 1905]:

“The modern way of traveling was illustrated by the clowns’ trouble with the automobile, which finally exploded and was carried from the ring in baskets as kindling wood.”

This anti-automotive theme was a position of long standing among the Riding Club. Two years previously, several members announced, according to the Cincinnati Post [31 October 1903] that they were dissatisfied with the city’s streetcar service. They recommended abandoning electric streetcars in favor of horse-drawn omnibuses.

“A circular letter has been sent out by the entertainment committee, consisting of Messrs. Scarborough, Holland, Burkhardt and Laws, which proposes to start omnibus lines for the accommodation of members of the club and their families. At first this is to be used for the musical rides this winter, but it may be extended later to every-day service. It is proposed to run the lines between Walnut Hills, Clifton, Avondale and Vernonville.”

That proposed omnibus route indicates the neighborhoods in which the Riding Club members mostly resided. Originally organized at Music Hall in 1890, the Riding Club moved out to the hilltop suburbs not long after and constructed a bridle path running from Reading Road in Avondale along Victory Parkway (then still known as Bloody Run) to Walnut Hills.

The headquarters of the Riding Club was located on Reading Road at Asmann Avenue, on property later traded to the Ohio National Guard for its armory. Ranny Matthews recalled that old building for the Cincinnati Post [7 May 1945]:

“It was always murky and cold in the Ohio Guard ring. Our mothers shivered. The horses steamed. And red-nosed, black-habited Fritz, the assistant riding master, had a perpetual cold.”

Despite his ongoing battle with rhinoviruses, Fritz Schaurer saw his role as preparing the upcoming generation for leadership. He told the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune [24 June 1923] that learning to ride was an important component of learning to lead:

“A horse is not the least bit deceived about the rider on his back. That horse knows exactly whether the rider is master or not of himself, and therefore, of the animal.”

Interestingly, since most of the Riding Club trainees were young women, they were, perhaps unintentionally, instructed in how to manage men. This side effect came out when the young ladies of the Riding Club held a leap-year ride in 1904. Since they were trained in horsemanship, and their beaux were generally not, it presented an amusing turnabout for the Cincinnati Post [6 February 1904]:

“There will be beauteous damsels, until now waited on with assiduous attention, vainly striving to assist 240-pound swains into the saddle. Gracious me! And should one of the spirited equines prance and curvet with its burden of bachelor, a snowy hand must restrain its joyous spirit and care for the safety of the rider – it is so nominated in the bond, and a leap-year party means the ‘Ladies Paramount.’”

Eventually, the city’s wealthier families, and the Riding Club, adjourned to greener pastures in Indian Hill and environs more suitable for fox hunting and horseback riding in general. The old Armory, afflicted with dangerously outdated wiring, burned to the ground in 1954.

The memory of the 1905 circus lived on for decades. Among the highlights of that long-ago event was the Maypole Ride, in which 10 young ladies holding gayly-tinted ribbons galloped at full speed around a maypole planted at the center of a 42-foot ring. The newspapers noted that every last one of the riders would “come out” in the next debutante class and be presented to society in a very different setting indeed.

[usastuffstates]

Illinois

Chicago • 300 South Wacker • 360 Chicago  Observation Deck • Anderson Shumaker • Balboa Monument • Batcolumn • Big Monster Toys • Big Smile Dental • Billy Goat Tavern • Billy Goat Tavern (at The Mart) • Billy Goat Tavern (Navy ) • Billy Goat Tavern (near United Center) • Billy Goat Tavern (Ohare Airport- Concourse C) • Billy Goat Tavern (The Original) • Billy Goat Tavern (Wrigleyville) • Bob Newhart Statue • Bohemian National Cemetery • Busy Beaver Button Co • Chicago Architecture Center • Chicago Fed Money Museum • Cloud Gate • Creative Circle • Crown Fountain • Daley Plaza • Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy • Douglas Tomb State Historic Site • Field Museum • Former 7th District Police Station • Fountain of Time • Gallagher House • Geographical Center of Chicago • Graceland Cemetery • Grant Park • Historic Begin Route 66 Sign • Hotel Lincoln - JDV by Hyatt • Hubcap Yard House • Humboldt Park • Hyde Park Hair Salon & Barber • International Museum of Surgical Science • Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art • Jack Brickhouse Memorial • John Hancock Center • Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum • Kocol Mark S • K Three Welding • L. Frank Baum Yellow Brick Road • Los Portales Mexican Restaurant • McDonald's •  Merchandise Mart • Midwest Eye Center - Chicago • Monument To The Great Northern Migration • New Colony Building • Nuclear Energy Sculpture • Obama Kissing Rock • Oz Park • Ravenswood ArtWalk • Robin Williams Mural • Rosehill Cemetery •  Sanchez Lab • Shit Fountain • Sims Metal Management • Skydeck Chicago • SP+ Parking • Superdawg Drive-In • Swoon • Taco Bell Cantina • Tribune Tower • Twisted Spoke • United Center • University  of Chicago • Victory Gardens Theater • Walt Disney Birthplace Home • Weber Grill Restaurant • Winston's Sausages • Wolfy's • Wooly Mammoth • The Wormhole Coffee • Wrigley Field

Fox River Grove • Bettendorf Castle

Freeport • Little Cubs Field • Union Dairy

Fulton • The Dutch Oven • Heritage Canyon • Windmill Cultural Center

Galena • Belvedere Mansion • U.S. Grant Home State Historic Site • West Street Sculpture Park

Galva • Galva City Police Department

Gardner • Streetcar Diner • Two Cell Jail

Gays • Two Story Outhouse

Geneva • Chicago Soccer Academy • Fabyan Windmill • Oak Hill Cemetery • Good Templar Park Association

Glen Ellyn • College of DuPage • College of DuPage, Health and Science Center

Glenview • Abt Electronics

Granite • Chain of Rocks Bridge • Everclean Car Wash • Granite City Park District

Grayslake • Lake County Farm Bureau

Greenville • DeMoulin Museum

Gridley • Telephone Museum of Gridley

Griggsville

Gurnee • El Rancho Motel

Hartford • Lewis & Clark Confluence Tower

Harvard • Five Point Park • RavenStone Castle

Hebron • Basketball Water Tower

Herod • Gap Bar • Garden of the God's • Herod Cave Historic Site • Shawnee Bigfoot Statue

Highland Park • Giant Hawk Head and Nest

Hillsboro • Abraham Lincoln Statue Plaza

Hillside • Mount Carmel Cemetery

Hinsdale • Robert Crown Center For Health Education

Homewood

HoopPole • St. Mary of the Fields Catholic Church

Hopewell • Whispering Giant Park

Hudson • Comlara Park

Hudsonville • Hutson Memorial Park

Inverness • Village of Inverness

Iuka • Quandt's Supply

Jacksonville • Brennan HVAC

Joliet • Blues Brothers Copmobile • Dick's Towing Service Inc • First Dairy Queen Location • Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 • Liberty Meadow Estates • Old Joliet Prison • Route 66 Food n Fuel

Justice • Resurrection  Cemetery

Kankakee • 5th Avenue Community Gardens • Alexander Construction and Innovative Mobile Marketing • American Legion Kankakee Post 85 • Dairy Queen

Kaskaskia • Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial

Kent • Blackhawk Battlefield Park

Kewanee

Lemont • Argonne Welcome Center Northgate

Lerna • Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site • Shiloh Cemetery • Thompson's Welding Service

Lexington • Crazy Presidential Elephant

Liberty

Libertyville • Lambs Farm

Lincoln • Hotel Lincoln Inn • Lincoln City Hall • Lincoln Watermelon Monument • The Mill Museum on Route 66 • Postville Courthouse State Historic Site • Tiny Church • The Tropics Restaurant Neon Sign

Lincolnshire • Par-King Skill Golf

Lincolnwood • Novelty Golf & Games

Livingston • Pink Elephant Antique Mall

Lockport • Lincoln Landing • Lockport Powerhouse

Loda • Loda Park

Lombard • Weber Grill Restaurant & Cooking School

Long Grove • Sock Monkey Museum

Lynnwood • Clarke's Garden Center & Stone Depot

Lyons • Chicago Portage National Historic Site

Macomb • Living Lincoln Topiary Monument

Makanda • Giant City State Park Lodge & Restaurant • Rainmaker Art Studio • Water Tower

Malta • Old School Pizza

Mapleton • Butler Haynes Pavilion • Hollis Park District

Marseilles • Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial

Marshall • 1918 Brick National Road • World's Largest Gavel

Martinsville • Martinsville Agricultural Fair • Moonshine Store

Matanzas Beach

Mattoon • Burger King (Mattoon)

McCook • Welcome To Fabulous McCook Illinois Sign

Melrose Park • Kiddieland Amusement Park Sign

Metropolis • Big John Super Foods Store • Fort Massac State Park • kryptonite rock • Lois Lane Statue • Masonic Cemetery • Massac County Courthouse Annex • The Super Museum

Midlothian • Bachelor's Grove Cemetery

Milford

Mokena • Creamery

Moline

Monmouth

Morton • Red Barn Tree Shop

Mount Carroll • Raven's Grin Inn

Mount Morris • Illinois Freedom Bell

Mt Olive • Soulsby Shell Station • Union Miners Cemetery

Mt. Pleasant • Grave of King Neptune the Pig • Trail of Tears Welcome Center

Mt. Vernon • Mt.Vernon Overhead Door

Murphysboro • Holiday Inn Express & Suites Murphysboro-Carbondale

Naperville • Central Park • Dick Tracy Statue • Highlands Elementary School • Millennium Carillon • Naperville Public Library - 95th Street Library • Naperville Public Library - Naper Blvd. Library • Naperville Public Library - Nichols Library • Naperville Train • Wrinkle Fairy

Nashville • The Traveler’s Chapel

Nauvoo • Nauvoo-Colusa Elementary/Jr High School

Newton • A-J Welding & Steel • Burl Ives Statue • Mug Tree

Niles • Booby's • Leaning Tower YMCA • Niles Veteran's Memorial Waterfall • President Abraham Lincoln bench • Veterans Memorial Monument Nilwood • Turkey Tracks on Route 66

Normal • Carl's Ice Cream Factory • Sprague's Super Service Station

Norridge • Westlawn Cemetery & Mausoleum

North Aurora • Scott's Vintage & Antiques

North Riverside • Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care

Norway • Norwegian Settlers State Memorial

Oak Brook • Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center

Oak Forest • King Heating and Air Conditioning

Oak Lawn • Cardinal Liquor Barn Inc

Odell • Standard Oil of Illinois Gas Station

Oglesby • The Rootbeer Stand • Starved Rock State Park

Olney • Olney Chamber of Commerce • Olney City Park • The Repair Shop

Oquawka • Norma Jean, Circus Elephant Monument

Oregon • Lowden State Park • Lowden State Park Campground • Oregon Park East

Ottawa • Ho-Ma-Shjah-Nah-Zhee-Ga Indian Monument • Lincoln-Douglas Park • Ottawa Avenue Cemetery • Remembering the Radium Girls • Shoe Tree • Volvo at Carling Motors Co. Limited

Palatine • Ahlgrim Family Funeral Services

Pana • Giant Hand with Painted Nails

Park Forest • Chinese House @ 428 N. Orchard Drive • Park Forest Rail Fan Park

Pekin • Double D's Soft Serve

Peoria Heights • Heights Tower

Peoria • C.T. Gabbert Remodeling & Construction • Neal Auto Parts • Peoria Plaza Tire • Peoria Riverfront Museum • Richard Pryor statue by Preston Jackson • Wheels O' Time Museum Paris • Sapp Bros. Travel Center

Peru

Petersburg • Oakland Cemetery

Piasa • Southwestern Middle School

Plainfield • Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202

Plano • Smallville Superfest

Pontiac • Burma Shave Signs • Livingston County War Museum • Route 66 Association of Illinois • Route 66 decommissioned Illinois State police headquarter

Port Byron • Will B. Rolling Statue

Princeton • Owen Lovejoy House • Red Covered Bridge

Quincy • St Peters Cemetery

Rantoul • Chanute Air Force Base (Decommissioned) • Hardy's Reindeer Ranch • Rantoul National Aviation Center Airport-Frank Elliott Field

Rend Lake • Rend Lake Golf Course Restaurant & Banquet

River Grove • Hala Kahiki Lounge

Riverdale • Riverdale, IL Water Tower

Roanoke

Rochelle • Vince's Pizza & Family Restaurant

Rock Island • Black Hawk State Historic Site • Chippiannock Cemetery • Rock Island Arsenal

Rockford • Beyer Peaches Stadium • Lockwood Park & Trailside Equestrian Centre • Midway Village Museum • Rock Men

Rolling Meadows • Rolling Meadows Park District Headquarters

Romeoville • White Fence Farm Main Restaurant

Rondout

Roscoe • Historic Auto Attractions

Roselle • Mark Drug Pharmacy and Home Health

Rosemont • Rosemont Water Tower Russell • Russell Military Museum

Salem • Pollard Motors

Sandwich • Bull Moose Bar & Grille • Sandwich City Hall • Sandwich Opera House

Savanna • Savanna Army Depot

Schaumburg • Al Larson Prairie Center For the Arts • Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament • Weber Grill Restaurant & Cooking School

Scott AFB • Scott Field Heritage Air Park

Seneca • LST Memorial Public Boat Launch

Shelbyville • Mobile Wedding Chapel & Wedding Ceremony • Shelby County Courthouse

Silvis • Hero Street Monument Committee

South Barrington • Goebbert's Farm - South Barrington

South Elgin • Fox Valley Trolley Museum

Springfield • 1908 Race Riot Memorial • Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum • Ace Sign Co • Capitol Complex Visitors Center • County Market • Cozy Dog Drive In • Derringer Auto Care • Dumb Records • Illinois State Capitol • Illinois State Fairground • Illinois State Military Museum • Lauterbach Tire & Auto Service • Lincoln Monument Association • Mahan Filling Station • Oak Ridge Cemetery • Pearson Museum • Shea's Gas Station Museum • Southeast High School • Springfield Amtrak Station • Young Lincoln Mural

St. Anne • St. Anne Caboose

St. Charles • Ghoulish Mortals

St. Elmo • Driftstone Pueblo

Staunton • Henrys Rabbit Ranch

Stewardson • Moomaw Truck Alignment INC. Stickney • Mt. Auburn Cemetery

Stockton • Bottle Shed Bar & Pizzaria

Stone Park • Casa Italia

Streamwood • Spirit of America Car Wash

Streator • Canteen Monument • Pluto Coffee and Tea • Schultz Monument Co

Summit • Argo Community High School

Sycamore • Statue of Mr. Pumpkin

Tampico • Ronald Reagan's Birthplace

Taylorville • Christian County Circuit Clerk • Oak Hill Cemetery

Teutopolis  • Monastery Museum

Towanda • Dead Man's Curve

Troy Grove • Wild Bill Hickok State Memorial

Union • Illinois Railway Museum

University  Park • Governors State University

Urbana • Natural History Building • U of I Pollinatarium • University of Illinois Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Vandalia • Jay's Inn • Kaskaskia Dragon • Vandalia City Hall • Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site

Vienna • Big Boys Bar & Grill

Villa Park • Safari Land

Volo • Jurassic Gardens • The Party Barn at Volo Museum • Volo Museum • Volo Museum Auto Sales

Wadsworth • Gold Pyramid

Wapella • Prairie Built Barns Wapella

Washington • Lincoln Statue “Return Visit” Washington  Park • Eddie's

Watseka • Smiley Face Water Tower

Waukegan • Club Tiki Bar & Video Slots • Waukegan Public Library • Waukegan Roofing | TPO Commercial Flat Roof Repair & Replacement

Wedron

Wenona • Coal Mine Car Monument

Westport • Lincoln Trail State Memorial

Wheaton • Armerding Center for Music and Arts • Billy Graham Museum • Jack T. Knuepfer County Administration Building • Wheaton College • Wheaton College Marion E Wade Center • Wheaton College  Observatory  (IL) • Wheaton Windmill Wheeling • Superdawg Drive-In

Whitehall

Willow Hill • Mound Cemetery

Willowbrook • Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket

Wilmette • Bahá'í House of Worship

Wilmington

Winnetka

Woodlawn

Woodridge • Hollywood Blvd Cinema

Woodstock • Royal Victorian Manor • Shoe Tree

Worth • Ball Fore Miniature Golf

[littletittie]

Illinois

Chicago • 300 South Wacker • 360 Chicago  Observation Deck • Anderson Shumaker • Balboa Monument • Batcolumn • Big Monster Toys • Big Smile Dental • Billy Goat Tavern • Billy Goat Tavern (at The Mart) • Billy Goat Tavern (Navy ) • Billy Goat Tavern (near United Center) • Billy Goat Tavern (Ohare Airport- Concourse C) • Billy Goat Tavern (The Original) • Billy Goat Tavern (Wrigleyville) • Bob Newhart Statue • Bohemian National Cemetery • Busy Beaver Button Co • Chicago Architecture Center • Chicago Fed Money Museum • Cloud Gate • Creative Circle • Crown Fountain • Daley Plaza • Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy • Douglas Tomb State Historic Site • Field Museum • Former 7th District Police Station • Fountain of Time • Gallagher House • Geographical Center of Chicago • Graceland Cemetery • Grant Park • Historic Begin Route 66 Sign • Hotel Lincoln - JDV by Hyatt • Hubcap Yard House • Humboldt Park • Hyde Park Hair Salon & Barber • International Museum of Surgical Science • Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art • Jack Brickhouse Memorial • John Hancock Center • Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum • Kocol Mark S • K Three Welding • L. Frank Baum Yellow Brick Road • Los Portales Mexican Restaurant • McDonald's •  Merchandise Mart • Midwest Eye Center - Chicago • Monument To The Great Northern Migration • New Colony Building • Nuclear Energy Sculpture • Obama Kissing Rock • Oz Park • Ravenswood ArtWalk • Robin Williams Mural • Rosehill Cemetery •  Sanchez Lab • Shit Fountain • Sims Metal Management • Skydeck Chicago • SP+ Parking • Superdawg Drive-In • Swoon • Taco Bell Cantina • Tribune Tower • Twisted Spoke • United Center • University  of Chicago • Victory Gardens Theater • Walt Disney Birthplace Home • Weber Grill Restaurant • Winston's Sausages • Wolfy's • Wooly Mammoth • The Wormhole Coffee • Wrigley Field

Fox River Grove • Bettendorf Castle

Freeport • Little Cubs Field • Union Dairy

Fulton • The Dutch Oven • Heritage Canyon • Windmill Cultural Center

Galena • Belvedere Mansion • U.S. Grant Home State Historic Site • West Street Sculpture Park

Galva • Galva City Police Department

Gardner • Streetcar Diner • Two Cell Jail

Gays • Two Story Outhouse

Geneva • Chicago Soccer Academy • Fabyan Windmill • Oak Hill Cemetery • Good Templar Park Association

Glen Ellyn • College of DuPage • College of DuPage, Health and Science Center

Glenview • Abt Electronics

Granite • Chain of Rocks Bridge • Everclean Car Wash • Granite City Park District

Grayslake • Lake County Farm Bureau

Greenville • DeMoulin Museum

Gridley • Telephone Museum of Gridley

Griggsville

Gurnee • El Rancho Motel

Hartford • Lewis & Clark Confluence Tower

Harvard • Five Point Park • RavenStone Castle

Hebron • Basketball Water Tower

Herod • Gap Bar • Garden of the God's • Herod Cave Historic Site • Shawnee Bigfoot Statue

Highland Park • Giant Hawk Head and Nest

Hillsboro • Abraham Lincoln Statue Plaza

Hillside • Mount Carmel Cemetery

Hinsdale • Robert Crown Center For Health Education

Homewood

HoopPole • St. Mary of the Fields Catholic Church

Hopewell • Whispering Giant Park

Hudson • Comlara Park

Hudsonville • Hutson Memorial Park

Inverness • Village of Inverness

Iuka • Quandt's Supply

Jacksonville • Brennan HVAC

Joliet • Blues Brothers Copmobile • Dick's Towing Service Inc • First Dairy Queen Location • Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 • Liberty Meadow Estates • Old Joliet Prison • Route 66 Food n Fuel

Justice • Resurrection  Cemetery

Kankakee • 5th Avenue Community Gardens • Alexander Construction and Innovative Mobile Marketing • American Legion Kankakee Post 85 • Dairy Queen

Kaskaskia • Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial

Kent • Blackhawk Battlefield Park

Kewanee

Lemont • Argonne Welcome Center Northgate

Lerna • Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site • Shiloh Cemetery • Thompson's Welding Service

Lexington • Crazy Presidential Elephant

Liberty

Libertyville • Lambs Farm

Lincoln • Hotel Lincoln Inn • Lincoln City Hall • Lincoln Watermelon Monument • The Mill Museum on Route 66 • Postville Courthouse State Historic Site • Tiny Church • The Tropics Restaurant Neon Sign

Lincolnshire • Par-King Skill Golf

Lincolnwood • Novelty Golf & Games

Livingston • Pink Elephant Antique Mall

Lockport • Lincoln Landing • Lockport Powerhouse

Loda • Loda Park

Lombard • Weber Grill Restaurant & Cooking School

Long Grove • Sock Monkey Museum

Lynnwood • Clarke's Garden Center & Stone Depot

Lyons • Chicago Portage National Historic Site

Macomb • Living Lincoln Topiary Monument

Makanda • Giant City State Park Lodge & Restaurant • Rainmaker Art Studio • Water Tower

Malta • Old School Pizza

Mapleton • Butler Haynes Pavilion • Hollis Park District

Marseilles • Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial

Marshall • 1918 Brick National Road • World's Largest Gavel

Martinsville • Martinsville Agricultural Fair • Moonshine Store

Matanzas Beach

Mattoon • Burger King (Mattoon)

McCook • Welcome To Fabulous McCook Illinois Sign

Melrose Park • Kiddieland Amusement Park Sign

Metropolis • Big John Super Foods Store • Fort Massac State Park • kryptonite rock • Lois Lane Statue • Masonic Cemetery • Massac County Courthouse Annex • The Super Museum

Midlothian • Bachelor's Grove Cemetery

Milford

Mokena • Creamery

Moline

Monmouth

Morton • Red Barn Tree Shop

Mount Carroll • Raven's Grin Inn

Mount Morris • Illinois Freedom Bell

Mt Olive • Soulsby Shell Station • Union Miners Cemetery

Mt. Pleasant • Grave of King Neptune the Pig • Trail of Tears Welcome Center

Mt. Vernon • Mt.Vernon Overhead Door

Murphysboro • Holiday Inn Express & Suites Murphysboro-Carbondale

Naperville • Central Park • Dick Tracy Statue • Highlands Elementary School • Millennium Carillon • Naperville Public Library - 95th Street Library • Naperville Public Library - Naper Blvd. Library • Naperville Public Library - Nichols Library • Naperville Train • Wrinkle Fairy

Nashville • The Traveler’s Chapel

Nauvoo • Nauvoo-Colusa Elementary/Jr High School

Newton • A-J Welding & Steel • Burl Ives Statue • Mug Tree

Niles • Booby's • Leaning Tower YMCA • Niles Veteran's Memorial Waterfall • President Abraham Lincoln bench • Veterans Memorial Monument Nilwood • Turkey Tracks on Route 66

Normal • Carl's Ice Cream Factory • Sprague's Super Service Station

Norridge • Westlawn Cemetery & Mausoleum

North Aurora • Scott's Vintage & Antiques

North Riverside • Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care

Norway • Norwegian Settlers State Memorial

Oak Brook • Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center

Oak Forest • King Heating and Air Conditioning

Oak Lawn • Cardinal Liquor Barn Inc

Odell • Standard Oil of Illinois Gas Station

Oglesby • The Rootbeer Stand • Starved Rock State Park

Olney • Olney Chamber of Commerce • Olney City Park • The Repair Shop

Oquawka • Norma Jean, Circus Elephant Monument

Oregon • Lowden State Park • Lowden State Park Campground • Oregon Park East

Ottawa • Ho-Ma-Shjah-Nah-Zhee-Ga Indian Monument • Lincoln-Douglas Park • Ottawa Avenue Cemetery • Remembering the Radium Girls • Shoe Tree • Volvo at Carling Motors Co. Limited

Palatine • Ahlgrim Family Funeral Services

Pana • Giant Hand with Painted Nails

Park Forest • Chinese House @ 428 N. Orchard Drive • Park Forest Rail Fan Park

Pekin • Double D's Soft Serve

Peoria Heights • Heights Tower

Peoria • C.T. Gabbert Remodeling & Construction • Neal Auto Parts • Peoria Plaza Tire • Peoria Riverfront Museum • Richard Pryor statue by Preston Jackson • Wheels O' Time Museum Paris • Sapp Bros. Travel Center

Peru

Petersburg • Oakland Cemetery

Piasa • Southwestern Middle School

Plainfield • Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202

Plano • Smallville Superfest

Pontiac • Burma Shave Signs • Livingston County War Museum • Route 66 Association of Illinois • Route 66 decommissioned Illinois State police headquarter

Port Byron • Will B. Rolling Statue

Princeton • Owen Lovejoy House • Red Covered Bridge

Quincy • St Peters Cemetery

Rantoul • Chanute Air Force Base (Decommissioned) • Hardy's Reindeer Ranch • Rantoul National Aviation Center Airport-Frank Elliott Field

Rend Lake • Rend Lake Golf Course Restaurant & Banquet

River Grove • Hala Kahiki Lounge

Riverdale • Riverdale, IL Water Tower

Roanoke

Rochelle • Vince's Pizza & Family Restaurant

Rock Island • Black Hawk State Historic Site • Chippiannock Cemetery • Rock Island Arsenal

Rockford • Beyer Peaches Stadium • Lockwood Park & Trailside Equestrian Centre • Midway Village Museum • Rock Men

Rolling Meadows • Rolling Meadows Park District Headquarters

Romeoville • White Fence Farm Main Restaurant

Rondout

Roscoe • Historic Auto Attractions

Roselle • Mark Drug Pharmacy and Home Health

Rosemont • Rosemont Water Tower Russell • Russell Military Museum

Salem • Pollard Motors

Sandwich • Bull Moose Bar & Grille • Sandwich City Hall • Sandwich Opera House

Savanna • Savanna Army Depot

Schaumburg • Al Larson Prairie Center For the Arts • Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament • Weber Grill Restaurant & Cooking School

Scott AFB • Scott Field Heritage Air Park

Seneca • LST Memorial Public Boat Launch

Shelbyville • Mobile Wedding Chapel & Wedding Ceremony • Shelby County Courthouse

Silvis • Hero Street Monument Committee

South Barrington • Goebbert's Farm - South Barrington

South Elgin • Fox Valley Trolley Museum

Springfield • 1908 Race Riot Memorial • Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum • Ace Sign Co • Capitol Complex Visitors Center • County Market • Cozy Dog Drive In • Derringer Auto Care • Dumb Records • Illinois State Capitol • Illinois State Fairground • Illinois State Military Museum • Lauterbach Tire & Auto Service • Lincoln Monument Association • Mahan Filling Station • Oak Ridge Cemetery • Pearson Museum • Shea's Gas Station Museum • Southeast High School • Springfield Amtrak Station • Young Lincoln Mural

St. Anne • St. Anne Caboose

St. Charles • Ghoulish Mortals

St. Elmo • Driftstone Pueblo

Staunton • Henrys Rabbit Ranch

Stewardson • Moomaw Truck Alignment INC. Stickney • Mt. Auburn Cemetery

Stockton • Bottle Shed Bar & Pizzaria

Stone Park • Casa Italia

Streamwood • Spirit of America Car Wash

Streator • Canteen Monument • Pluto Coffee and Tea • Schultz Monument Co

Summit • Argo Community High School

Sycamore • Statue of Mr. Pumpkin

Tampico • Ronald Reagan's Birthplace

Taylorville • Christian County Circuit Clerk • Oak Hill Cemetery

Teutopolis  • Monastery Museum

Towanda • Dead Man's Curve

Troy Grove • Wild Bill Hickok State Memorial

Union • Illinois Railway Museum

University  Park • Governors State University

Urbana • Natural History Building • U of I Pollinatarium • University of Illinois Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Vandalia • Jay's Inn • Kaskaskia Dragon • Vandalia City Hall • Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site

Vienna • Big Boys Bar & Grill

Villa Park • Safari Land

Volo • Jurassic Gardens • The Party Barn at Volo Museum • Volo Museum • Volo Museum Auto Sales

Wadsworth • Gold Pyramid

Wapella • Prairie Built Barns Wapella

Washington • Lincoln Statue “Return Visit” Washington  Park • Eddie's

Watseka • Smiley Face Water Tower

Waukegan • Club Tiki Bar & Video Slots • Waukegan Public Library • Waukegan Roofing | TPO Commercial Flat Roof Repair & Replacement

Wedron

Wenona • Coal Mine Car Monument

Westport • Lincoln Trail State Memorial

Wheaton • Armerding Center for Music and Arts • Billy Graham Museum • Jack T. Knuepfer County Administration Building • Wheaton College • Wheaton College Marion E Wade Center • Wheaton College  Observatory  (IL) • Wheaton Windmill Wheeling • Superdawg Drive-In

Whitehall

Willow Hill • Mound Cemetery

Willowbrook • Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket

Wilmette • Bahá'í House of Worship

Wilmington

Winnetka

Woodlawn

Woodridge • Hollywood Blvd Cinema

Woodstock • Royal Victorian Manor • Shoe Tree

Worth • Ball Fore Miniature Golf 

[pithmemos]

may, again

It's May, again, and soon it will be August, and I wonder if I should make it all the way there, a repeat of two summers ago. My first summer working at the bookstore, a different place than where I am now, where I work on the floor but around different books, where I work at a back office desk surrounded by notes left by other people, where I work on Tuesdays at a basement desk that holds none of my belongings. I don't leave my favourite pens on the Tuesday desk--I didn't have any desk at the bookstore two summers ago.

I don't have to ask to know that it's different this year--I'm not sure, but at least I suspect. Two summers ago I lived in a different part of the city, above shops I couldn't afford to browse in, businesses that sometimes had packages delivered to our stoop instead that I considered stealing but never did. I brought you six boxes--would you please give me a steep discount on the cashmere scarf in your window I look at every year? No one ever buys it. It goes on sale and off again, pretending it doesn't exist on an unseen basement desk in the warm months. I had no AC, I had no working stove, I had mold across my bathroom walls, I had gas leaking out of my kitchen, I thought I was nauseous because of the weird odour as I brushed my teeth, getting too close to the sink drain. I was hot in my apartment--my fan is pointed at my rabbits, under the bed, on the hardwood floors, there are frozen waterbottles in their corners, not mine--and then I was hot on the walk to work, in streetcars, striding up hills in small heeled shoes, long sleeves to hide tattoos like I am sixteen and applying for a grocery store job again, hot on the walk home after working on my feet eight hours, lapping circles and straightening cards, hot walking through the ravine with a scoop of kawartha dairy.

I know it's different, now, to suspect and to wade through the summer all the same. Maybe I should pretend to consider, though? Pretend to be considerate? It's not knowing, not really. I think about a memory from when I was eleven, but I won't share it with you. I think about collapsing on my bed two summers ago at seven pm, book open and eaten beside me, waking up at eleven at night to cicadas through my open window, no reprieve, sweat around my ears and the feeling of having no blood in my body, heavy limbs moving to the fridge and finding only lemon-lime gatorade inside.