Friends of the Limberlost
  • Home
  • Resources
    • Maps
    • Teachers
    • Mobile app and iBook
    • Programs >
      • Birds >
        • Beneficial Birds
        • Chimney Swifts
        • Eagles
        • Extreme Birds
        • Indiana's Raptors
        • Owls of Limberlost
        • Peregrine Falcons
        • Vultures
      • Insects >
        • Dragonflies
        • Moths
      • Rent-a-Naturalist
    • News
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Bird's Eye View
  • Contact Us

Mourning Warbler

6/26/2016

 
Picture
By Alexandra Forsythe

Discovered in 1810 by Alexander Wilson in Philadelphia, the Mourning Warbler migrates through Indiana in the spring on its way to its breeding grounds in Canada and northern portions of the U.S., and again in the fall on its way to the wintering grounds in the tropics. According to Audubon scientists, the Mourning Warbler breeding ground is expected to move much further north over the coming decades, as illustrated by Audubon's interactive model:http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/mourning-warbler. The change will likely impact the timing of their migration and their appearance in Indiana.


With their subdued coloring, preference for thickets, and solitary nature, it can be difficult to spot a Mourning Warbler. Like most warblers, they have a habit of darting from branch to branch, particularly if you are trying to take a photo! Most Indiana birders struggle to find a Mourning Warbler out in the open, so imagine, if you will, seeing a variety of different warblers, including Mourning, all in a line, holding still, ready to be photographed! Gene Stratton-Porter had that experience and she shared it with us in "Homing with the Birds":


"In a line on a wire fence, there was a string the length of a city lot, of warblers gathering for migration, while over several bushes before and close behind the fence flocked dozens upon dozens more of these trim exquisite little birds. Of course, the predominant colour was yellow, there being the pure gold of the summer yellow bird and the slightly deeper shade of the prothonotary. There were the deep orange of the Blackburnian and the mottled yellow of the magnolian. There appeared prominently on the wire the yellow head and throat of the blue-wing, the stronger touch of yellow of the redstart, the black-throated green warbler, the yellow pine and the yellow-touched hood and mourning warblers. There were a number of specimens of the black-throated blue warbler and the still paler cerulean. There was at least one specimen of the bay-breasted warbler, with robin-breast colour on the top of its head and all over its underparts, and there were enough chattering, little warblers I could not identify to have made a large flock...As a rare and unusual sight I can think of no experience in field work to surpass the beauty of this picture."

Veronica’s Trail at the Loblolly Marsh

6/19/2016

 
By Veronica Rambo

My name is Veronica Rambo. I am 25 years old. I was born with Spina Bifida and get around in a wheelchair. When I was in 4 th grade I went on a field trip to the Limberlost and to the Loblolly Marsh. The day that we went to the marsh it was rainy so that meant that the marsh was really muddy. I was asked if I wanted to stay on the bus or go with my classmates to explore the marsh. I told them that I wanted to go with the rest of my class. It took about five people (including my mom) to get me through the marsh because there was no trail there at the time.

About four years after that field trip I got a phone call. It was Ken Brunswick! He was calling to tell me how they made a trail and when he was thinking of what to name it, I popped into his head. Ken told me that he wanted to name it Veronica’s Trail. I was excited about this news. After I told Ken that he could name it after me, he asked if I could come down to the trail to open it. I told Ken that I would love to go open the trail. I have been through a lot in my life and to get a trail named after me was a highlight. When I was going to open the trail up a second time I was in the hospital. I was able to be there for a little bit.

I love the trail a lot. Love the sound of nature there. I try to get to the trail once a year. Every time I go there I see something different each time. Now at 25 years old, I am out of high school and I have started dialysis. Going to that trail help me get rid of what is going on in my life and become one with nature.

I thank everyone at the Friends of the Limberlost who have helped make the trail what it is today. I thank Ken Brunswick for dealing with me at the time. He and others had to carry me through the marsh. I thank you Ken Brunswick for naming the trail after me. I hope we run into each other again someday. I hope you have enjoyed my story. I hope when you go to the Loblolly Marsh that you will feel at peace and enjoy nature! Thank you everyone!
Picture

Geneva’s Oldest Business: Briggs Hardware Store - Established 1882

6/10/2016

 
By Terri Gorney
​
Geneva’s oldest business is Briggs Hardware Store. It was begun in 1882 by Andrew G. Briggs.

The William Briggs family moved to Geneva in 1871. William’s son Andrew Briggs would make his mark in the town of Geneva. Charles Porter would buy his first property in Geneva in 1872. Andrew and Charles would become lifelong friends and business associates.

In November 1883 Andrew married Margaret Day, a native of Celina Ohio. She was the daughter of James Day who was an attorney and judge. Margaret and Gene Stratton-Porter both came to Geneva as young brides. Like their husbands, Margaret and Gene would become good friends. They would be founding members of a ladies literary society and the “The Birthday Club.” In 1894 the Porters and the Briggs would both hire architect Will Christen to build their homes (Limberlost Cabin and the Andrew Briggs home on Line Street).

The Briggs Hardware Store is unique in a modern world. It is a little like stepping back in time. The floors are wood and many of the display cabinets are decades old. It is a place where nails and candy can be purchased by the pound. Whether you have needs for your home or office or party supplies, you can find it at this gem of a store on Line Street in Geneva.

The store is owned by Andrew Briggs, a great grandson of the founder. It is managed by Marvin Schwartz who owns A.B. Schwartz Construction.

May the Briggs Hardware celebrate another 134 years in business!

​Gene Stratton-Porter and the Great War

6/6/2016

 
By Terri Gorney

Over one hundred years ago, the Great War began in Europe. Gene Stratton-Porter was a supporter of the war effort when America entered WWI. She purchased a $5000 Liberty bond from the Allen County Chapter of the Liberty Loan Club. Dr. Miles Porter, her brother-in- law, was chairman of the first aid committee for the Red Cross Chapter in Fort Wayne.

Under Indiana native Ernest Bicknell, the National Red Cross developed three committees: a National Relief Board, an International Relief Board, and a War Relief Board. According to the “Fort Wayne Sentinel” Gene was on one of the national committees. In 1935, Ernest wrote down his experiences in a book called “Pioneering With The Red Cross.” Before the war, the Red Cross had 17,000 members by the end of the war, there were 20 million members.

She watched while the men in her life were affected by the war. Her son-in- law, G. Blaine Monroe, served as a dentist. Her nephew Donald Wilson served in the army aviation. Nephew Dr. Miles Porter Jr was according to Gene “a fine surgeon, who is to have charge of a base hospital near Paris.” He spent eighteen months in service. Another nephew, Dr. Charles Porter Beall, served as a doctor in France as did Dr. Corwin Price, a Geneva friend who would buy the Limberlost cabin in 1920.

Joyce Kilmer who wrote the “Tree” poem had corresponded with Gene. He was killed by a sniper in the war. In 1915, Kenyon Nicholson who became a playwright and screen writer won Gene Stratton-Porter’s prize in literature while he was attending Wabash College in Crawfordsville. He served in France during the war. Gene’s own driver, William “Bill” Thompson, enlisted.

During the war years, Gene and her friends were knitting wool socks so that they could be sent to the troops overseas. Gene encouraged the average citizen to do what they could for the war effort whether it meant knitting socks or donating time, money or books.

There were book drives across the country to send books to American service men in Europe. There was a 1918 report from Kingston, New York newspaper about a copy of “Freckles” that was donated to the book drive. In it was the following inscription, “My mother gave me this book to send to those who read it keep courage like Freckles did. I have two cousins and one uncle at the front some place. I am only 10 years and you don’t know how I wish I was old enough to help you catch the Kaiser.” James G-- - Port Angeles, Washington.

In 1915, Queen Mary of Great Britain wrote to Gene to ask her permission to use her writings in a book that would be a collection of different popular writers of the day. The book was known as the “Queen’s Book” and was sold to benefit wounded soldiers and sailors (England was already in the war by this time). Unfortunately for Gene, in the end, it was decided to use short stories by English writers only.

Gene penned a poem called “Peter’s Flowers” that was hauntingly beautiful. It was first published on pages 3 and 4 of the April 1919 “Red Cross” magazine. It was illustrated by Thomas Fogarty. The story is about the World War I tradition that the first flower to spring from the soil of a battlefield is the red poppy. The poppy is a living sign that they will not be forgotten. Gene could have been inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Lt. Col. John McCrae.

At the time Gene’s poem was published, John Sanburn Phillips was the editor of the “Red Cross” magazine. With the war over, Gene sent him a cheery Christmas greetings by writing, “I think “Peter” would want me to wish you all the joys of peace for the coming Christmas and all the blessings of prosperity for the New Year.”

In November 1918, Indiana’s Governor Goodrich called for a Reconstruction Conference, many organizations and prominent citizens were asked to attend, including Gene Stratton-Porter. The Indianapolis Star reported that party lines were ignored.

Gene was sensitive to the soldiers and veterans. Her book, “The Keeper of the Bees” was about an injured veteran of the war named Jamie MacFarlane who left a military hospital without proper discharge. She had it completed at the time of her death in December 1924. In a letter to her publisher, Nelson Doubleday, she wrote about a “Harvester type” character that she was developing. It is possible that she was referring to this book.

In 1921, the “Brooklyn (NY) Daily Eagle” carried an article about President Harding appointing a woman as a delegate to a disarmament conference. In the article, Gene insisted that one woman is not enough to be appointed by President Harding as delegate to the disarmament conference. She wanted an equal number of men and women. She wrote, “After twenty years of experience in business with men, I have lost my awe of a man as an infallible business proposition. I have yet to find the time or the place in which a big-hearted, well-educated, commonsense woman could not be of the very greatest assistance in any business proposition of any nature that any man or body or body of men might attempt.”

    Author

    The volunteers and staff of Limberlost

    Archives

    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.