Stanley Steamer - 10-2

Thus far, the American Treasure Tour blog has concentrated its attention on items in the collection found in the Music Room side of the tour.  We are going to "hop the hallway," a phrase we intend to coin one day, and talk about one of the antique automobiles in the Toy Box.  We will begin with one of our very favorites,

our 1922 Stanley Steamer.  (Please note:  the above picture is NOT an image of our Stanley, but it was taken at the time of their original popularity.)
The Stanley Motor Carriage Company was in business for only twenty-two years; however, they were considered some of the finest vehicles on the road shortly after the turn of the twentieth century.  Founded by the Stanley brothers, Francis and Freelan (born in 1849), they utilized steam to power their engines, and made speed and endurance records during the height of their popularity.  During the nineteen-teens, the internal combustion engine was developed, and the new gasoline-powered cars quickly made the steam-powered Stanley obsolete.  The Stanley at ATT was produced only two years prior to the closing of their Newton, Massachusetts factory and the dissolution of the company.

Question:
In 1899, a Stanley Steamer was the first automobile ever to reach what New England destination?
a)  Mount Washington, New Hampshire
b)  Desert of Maine, Maine
c)  Bunker Hill, Massachusetts
d)  Newport, Rhode Island
e)  The Mark Twain House, Connecticut

Answer Below

Today in History
The 28th President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, was in office when the 19th Amendment was passed, which finally gave American women the right to vote.  Earlier, he led the nation into - and out of - World War I, and he advocated American ratification of the Covenant of the League of Nations (the precursor to the United Nations).  In 1919, he took a tour of the country in the effort to gain support for the Covenant.  Likely because of the strain of the journey and a bout of influenza earlier in the year, Wilson collapsed while in Pueblo, Colorado.  On October 2nd, he suffered a serious stroke, which paralyzed the left side of his face.  Despite his being incapacitated, he refused to give up control of the government and remained in power, even considering a run for a third term of office as president in the effort to realize his fading dream of entry into the League of Nations.  Neither event happened, and Wilson died in March of 1921.

On a much lighter note, it was this day in 1950 that Charles Schultz first got his comic strip Peanuts

published.  During its fifty years of publication, almost 18,000 strips were printed, making Peanuts one of the most enduring comics of all time, and certainly one of the most beloved.  Schultz, nicknamed Sparky, grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of immigrants from Germany and Norway.  His first Peanuts strip was printed in only seven newspapers, although it would reach 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries during its height, with classic strips printed in strips for years after his death in the year 2000.

Births

As is every day, October 2nd is the birthday of many special and important people.  Sometimes it is difficult to determine who to highlight and, since we already addressed the tragic stroke that hit Woodrow Wilson in 1919, the ATT blog has opted to focus on celebrating the birth of someone who has inspired the laughter in many, many people since his birth in 1890.  His name was Julius Henry Marx, more famously known as 'Groucho."  Greasepaint eyebrows and an unnaturally thick moustache made Groucho one of the most 

recognizable comedians of his era.  He began his career as a comic performer on the vaudeville circuit, then moved into film, starring with his brothers Harpo and Chico - and occasionally Zeppo, too - Groucho eased into television with his humorous game show You Bet Your Life.

Our second comedian celebrating a birthday on October 2nd is none other than Bud Abbott.  Five years younger than Groucho, William Alexander "Bud" was the taller, thinner straight man of the comedy team Abbott & Costello, and they made dozens of popular films prior to 1957, when the team broke up.  Costello passed away two years later, Abbott in 1974 at the age of 78.

Quote:

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies. -- Groucho Marx.

Answer:  a)

Love & Rockets - 10-1

The American Treasure Tour blog is happy to discuss our album collection, and today we are going to show the diversity of what is on our walls just a little bit.  To date, we have talked about such country artists as Lynn Anderson, Johnny Paycheck, Johnny Cash, and even Ray Charles.  Entering the month of October, we will talk about the English band Love & Rockets, formed in 1985 by former members of the Goth-Rock band Bauhaus Daniel Ash, David J, and Kevin Haskins.  Earth, Sun, Moon was their third album, released

in 1987, and included their first big hit, "No New Tale to Tell."  The band released seven albums during the 1980s and '90s before disbanding at the dawn of the 20th century.

Question:
Love and Rockets had very few hits, despite a loyal following - their biggest hit was the 1989 song "So Alive."  From what source did they take their name?
a)  A movie
b)  A science fiction novella
c)  A song from another band
d)  A comic book
e)  A dream
Answer below.

Today in History
Robert Fulton did not invent the steamboat.  What he did was create effective and successful steamboat transportation routes in the United States.  His first regular service began in 1807, with  his steam-powered boat, the Clermont, taking passengers between New York City and Albany, New York.  Four years later, steamboat service had expanded to such an extent that the first one travelling from Pittsburgh down the Ohio River arrived in New Orleans.  The date of its arrival was October 1, 1811.

We at the American Treasure Tour blog do everything in our power to avoid editorializing about politics; however, it was on October 1st, 1890, that the United States Congress did something for which only the most shortsighted people could offer criticism.  They declared California's Yosemite Valley a national park.

The park was protected (poorly) by an understaffed military force until the actual National Park Service took over in 1916.  It received another upgrade in 1984, when it became a World Heritage Site.  The natural beauty of the site alone justifies its protection.  

Births

Happy birthday, Richard Stockton!  The founding father from New Jersey after whom one of the rest stops on the New Jersey Turnpike is named, was born today, in the year 1730.  He lived for only fifty-one years,

but during his lifetime he had quite a few accomplishments as a lawyer, jurist and legislator.  His family was also deeply involved in the development of what would become Princeton University.  Most significantly for posterity, he was one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.  The British forces imprisoned Stockton during the war and compelled him to sign an oath of allegiance to the king to regain his freedom.  He respected the vow he took to remain out of the war for two years, resigning his post in Congress, and tried to return to his private practice but never quite recovered from the reversals he experienced with the war.

Walter Matthau was born this day in 1920.  The actor, the son of Lithuanian immigrants in New York City's Lower East Side, started to perform after serving in World War II, in the U.S. Army Air Force.  In fact, his first film appearance was in the 1955 Burt Lancaster western, The Kentuckian.  He went on to perform in about sixty years before his death in the year 2000.

Quote:

Every actor looks all his life for a part that will combine his talents with his personality....  The Odd Couple was mine.  That was the plutonium I needed.  It all started happening after that.  -- Walter Matthau

Answer:  d)

Richard Marx - 9-16

Today's installment of the continuing saga, Record Albums of the American Treasure Tour, focuses on Chicago's own Richard Marx:

Marx began his singing career as a back-up artist for the likes of Madonna and Whitney Houston before recording his own songs, many of them power ballads in a classic rock style.  He has the distinction of being the solo musician to have his first seven releases hit the Billboard 100, all of which reached the top five (the fourth, fifth and sixth all making number one).  This first album (above), released in 1987, includes the songs "Don't Mean Nothing," "Endless Summer Nights," and "Hold On to the Nights."  It took no time before Marx headlined his own concert tours.  His first three albums reached platinum status.  He continues to make music, although his output receives less commercial attention today.  A recent song "Long Hot Summer," represents the fourth decade during which Marx reached the top of the charts.

Question:

Which Marx appeared in only five of the Marx Brothers movies?
a)  Karl
b)  Chico
c)  Richard
d)  Zeppo
e)  Groucho

Answer below

Today in History

On this date in 1920, a horse-drawn wagon was left in front of the J.P. Morgan building on Wall Street by an unknown terrorist.  At 12:01pm, explosives inside the wagon exploded and caused 38 deaths and 143 injuries.  The building itself was left largely unharmed, excepting scars that remain to this day.

Despite the tragedy of the event, the explosion in no way stopped business for the day and the New York Stock Exchange remained open.

The trial of former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega began on this date in 1991 in the United States.  Ruled guilty of drug trafficking, racketeering and money laundering, he spent fifteen years in American prison prior to his extradition to Paris for further trials.  He is currently back in Panama, and still in jail.

Births

Today is Richard Marx's birthday.  He turns fifty years old today.

Great American guitarist B.B. King is celebrating 88 years today, having been born in 1925.  His career has spanned six decades, for which he has been recognized by induction into both the Blues and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame.  George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Metal of Freedom in 2006, as well.  An icon of American music, King represents the American dream, having grown up in a shack on a plantation outside of Berclair, Mississippi to become the famed musician that he is.

Quote:

There are so many sounds I still want to make, so many things I haven't yet done.  -- B.B. King

Answer:  d)

Crystal Gale - 9-17

Brenda Gail Webb is nineteen years younger than her sister Loretta.  When Loretta married Oliver Lynn, she took on his name and became Loretta Lynn.  When Brenda decided to pursue her own career in music, she was encouraged change her name to avoid confusion with her contemporary, Brenda Lee.  Inspired by a Krystal hamburger store, she became Crystal Gayle, and eventually accumulated twenty number one hits on the country music charts, during the 1970s and 1980s, recording twenty-two studio albums and eleven compilation albums.  Two of the albums adorning the walls of the American Treasure Tour are:

We Must Believe In Magic was released in 1977, including her hit single "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," and went platinum.

Miss the Mississippi came out two years later and contained three hits for Gayle:  "Half the Way," "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye," and "The Blue Side."

Gayle married her high school sweetheart, with whom she is still together, living in Nashville while touring for her fans.

Question:

What Native American tribe awarded Gayle with a Medal of Honor at a ceremony in Tahlequah, Oklahoma in the year 2000?

a)  Sioux

b)  Cherokee

c)  Arapaho

d)  Crow

e)  Lenni Lenape

Answer Below

Today in History

September 17th, 1776, the colony of New Spain began the fortification of a space in Alta California in the effort to establish a claim to the land.  This fort became known as the Presidio, and was located in the San Francisco Bay.  Mexico claimed the land when they became independent from Spain, and the United States took it over in 1848 when Mexico ceded it after the Mexican-American War.  Shortly thereafter, gold was discovered in the mountains east of San Francisco, compelling the region to become extremely important to gold rushers and America in general.  California received statehood in 1850, only two years later.

The Battle of Antietam was fought between General George B. McClellan's Union forces and the Confederates under Robert E. Lee.  The bloodiest day in the American Civil War, 22,717 men were deemed missing, wounded, or dead.

Births

Born in Scotland in the year 1854, David Dunbar Buick migrated to the United States at the age of two, and they settled in Detroit.  

A natural tinkerer, Buick started his career in the plumbing field, then invented a lawn sprinkler, and methods to effectively coat cast iron with enamel that became a popular cover for bathtubs.  At the age of forty-five, Buick began his first company associated with the production of automobiles in a company that used his name.  Buick's fortunes rose and fell, and by the time of his death at age seventy-four from colon cancer, he was in poverty.

Sharing a birthday with David Dunbar Buick is Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger.  Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota the son of a traveling salesman, Burger received his law degree magna cum laude in 1931 and became a distinguished lawyer in Minnesota, prior to his appointment by President Richard M. Nixon in 1969 as Chief Justice, following Earl Warren in the position.  Considered a critic of Warren's court, Burger surprised many by upholding decisions made by his predecessor.  He resigned his post in 1986, and passed away nine years later.

Quote:

Crime and the fear of crime have permeated the fabric of American life.  -- Warren Burger

Answer:  b)

K-Tel's Star Power - 9-18

K-Tel records was founded by former door-to-door salesman Philip Kives of Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Kives' first compilation album, available in 1966, predated the creation of K-Tel.  25 Great Country Artists Singing Their Original Hits was supposed to be a one-time product, but it sold so well it compelled K-Tel to greatness, and something of a notoriety with the albums they presented, mostly using television commercials as their primary form of advertisement.

Star Power was released in 1978.  A time capsule for the year, it included many popular hits of the day, among them Meco's interpretation of the "Star Wars Title Theme," "Cold As Ice," by Foreigner, the Bay City Rollers hit "You Make Me Believe in Magic," and many more!  K-Tel remained a popular source for multi-star compilations into the 1990s, and has since diversified into other markets while still remaining a presence in the music industry.

Question:

Vinyl records an a repository for music that dominated the market during the twentieth century.  Prior to the record, music was stored on a phonograph cylinder, while it was eventually replaced by the compact disc.  What was the most common rotational speed at which the majority of full-length records were played after the 1930s?

a)  78 rpm (rotations per minute)

b)  45 rpm

c)  10"

d)  33-1/3 rpm

e)  Tony Orlando and Dawn

Answer Below

Today in History:

The United States Congress passed into law the Fugitive Slave Law on this day as part of the Compromise of 1850 designed to prevent Civil War.  The Fugitive Slave Law stated that it was a legal obligation for all suspected runaway slaves to be arrested and returned to their owners.  The suspect was not permitted to defend themselves physically or legally and, rather than reduce the tensions in the country, it served to intensify them as free African Americans were arrested without recourse and abolitionists protested these injustices.

The National Security Act of 1947 designated the Air Force an independent branch of the United States Military on this date sixty-six years ago.  

Prior to 1947, air force departments were subordinate divisions of the Army and the Navy, and it has since become the largest air force in the world.

Births

Professional voice actor June Foray was born on September 18, 1917.  She turns 96 years old today.  Although few Americans may know her by name, it is almost inevitable that they have heard her, as her career mirrors the history of 20th-century animation through her voice work in the 1950 Disney film Cinderella as the uncredited voice of Lucifer the Cat, Granny from Warner Brothers' Tweety and Sylvester cartoons, Rocky the Flying Squirrel from Jay Ward's Rocky and Bullwinkle and Smurfette from the cartoon series The Smurfs.

Former teen idol Frankie Avalon celebrates his 73rd birthday today as well.  Familiar to many baby boomers as a singer and movie star often coupled with Annette Funicello in beach-themed comedies, Avalon reached the top of the Billboard charts with thirty-one songs he performed between the late-fifties and the sixties.  He continues to perform, showing off his charm and self-aware sense of humor in reality shows and performances.

Quote: 

I think today's music stinks.  I really do mean that.  -- Frankie Avalon

Answer:  d)

The Monkees - 9-20

The Monkees.  Michael Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork and Davy Jones.  If you heard of the Monkees, it's very likely you know who are in the band.  Four performers brought together during the height of Beatlemania as the American answer to the British band, the Monkees reached the heights of popularity between the years 1966 and 1970.  Brought together by television producer Don Kirshner, the program lasted only two seasons, but it served as a springboard that launched the four previously-unknown musicians to international stardom and musical success that managed to outsell the Beatles.

More of the Monkees, displayed prominently on the music wall of the American Treasure Tour's Music Room, was their most successful.  In fact, it is considered the third biggest-selling album of the entire decade of the 1960s, including such songs as "I'm a Believer" and "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone."  Rather than ride the wave graciously, the members of the band were displeased after the release of the album for the simple reason that it in no way reflected their own artistic sentiments.  They were not permitted by Kirshner to write or record the music, only to sing the lyrics of other musicians.  For their next album, Headquarters, the band was granted permission to record their own music and, while it may not have reached the popularity of More of the Monkees, the result inspired much greater satisfaction for the boys.

Question:

After the Monkees' television series was cancelled, the band filmed one movie, Head.  What future mega-star was involved in writing the script for the film?

a)  Macauley Culkin

b)  Robert Redford

c)  Meryl Streep

d)  Steve Martin

e)  Jack Nicholson

Answer Below

Today in History:

The 263rd day of 2013, today is the astronomical start of Autumn (unless you live south of the equator, in which case today starts Spring).

One day after the untimely death of James Garfield in 1881, Chester Arthur was inaugurated the 21st president of the United States.

Arthur was a New York Republican considered by many to be a member of the political machine that ran the government of the state.  The members of the machine compelled him into the vice presidency out of a desire to have a loyal servant in Washington, but they were taken by surprise when his new position of power inspired Arthur to strive for civil service reform.  My question is this:  who ran the government after Garfield's death at 10:20p.m. on the 19th and prior to Arthur's taking office at 2:15a.m. on the 20th?  For almost four hours, the country had no president.

On a much happier note, the great tennis battle of the sexes was fought on this date in 1973 in the Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas.  The contenders were the feminist Billie Jean King and the misogynist Bobby Riggs.  King resolutely defeated Riggs in three matches, although some critics of King declaimed her skills because she was 26 years younger than Riggs.  Regardless, there is no question of the results of the day...

Births:

Two days ago, we celebrated the birthday of June Foray, the voice actor who gave Rocky the Flying Squirrel his voice in the 1960s Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons.  Today, the creator of that cartoon gets his due.  Jay Ward was born on this date in 1920.  During his 69 years, he created memorable characters that

entertained the young and old alike, with humor that reached many levels.  Characters such as Boris and Natasha, Peabody and Sherman, Dudley Do-Right, George of the Jungle and, of course, Super Chicken all came from the creative mind of Ward.

Character actor Gary Cole turns 57 today.  Although rarely a leading actor, Cole has complemented many films and television shows with his performances, ranging from comedy to drama and horror.  Some of his most memorable roles include that of Bill Lumbergh in the cult favorite Office Space and Mike Brady in the Brady Bunch movies of the 1990s.  His voice talents have also been used for many modern animated programs, including Family Guy and The Penguins of Madagascar.

Quote:

I may be president of the United States, but my private life is nobody's damned business.  -- Chester Arthur

Answer:  e)

Semi-Tough - 9-23

In the never-ending effort to keep fans of the American Treasure Tour blog interested and engaged, we will change things up a little today.  Instead of continuing our series on the albums adorning the walls of the ATT Music Room, we are going to...return to the movie posters!  Going a little crazy on a Monday, I know!

Today's feature film is Semi-Tough, a vehicle giving the youthful duo of Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson the chance to show off their charms as football players Billy Clyde Puckett and Marvin "Shake" Tiller (respectively) vying for the attention of their attractive young roommate, Barbara Jane Bookman, played by Jill Clayburgh.  Directed by Michael Ritchie, the film received mixed reviews criticizing a sloppy script with some superior comedy.

Question:

Burt Reynolds has been acting since his debut in 1959 on the television series Riverboat, often playing athletes or masculine heroes.  In  the 1972 film Deliverance, he gave one of the best performances of his career, playing a humbled anti-hero opposite Jon Voight, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox.  What happens to Reynolds' character, Lewis Medlock, in the film that takes him out of commission?

a)  He falls off a cliff

b)  He gets shot

c)  He breaks his leg

d)  He is killed by backwoods locals

e)  He is drowned in the river

Answer below.

Today in History:

September 23rd, 1845 was the day that the New York-based Knickerbockers Baseball Club was founded.  The first team to play using the modern rules familiar to fans today.  Four years later, the club designed and wore their own uniforms, also considered the first of the sport.  The games took place across the Hudson River from Manhattan in the town of Hoboken.  Because some of the players did not want to travel so far from home, they abandoned the team and eventually started their own, the New York Nine.

Richard Milhouse Nixon was the vice president under Eisenhower, between 1953 and 1961, but that almost never happened.  While campaigning in 1952, Nixon was accused of unacceptable practices for political expenses during his tenure in the Congress.

Nixon gave a speech on national television on this date to defend himself, confronting those who condemned him in front of the American public in what turned out to be a career-saving move.  Famously identified as the "Checkers Speech," Nixon described himself as completely innocent of receiving any gifts except that of a dog named Checkers, which he refused to give back because of the affection his children held for the dog.

Births:

Mickey Rooney turns 93 years old today.  Born in 1920, the 5'2" New Yorker first walked onto a stage in his father's vaudeville show at seventeen months old, and has been a performer ever since.  The first time he stood in front of a camera was at the age of seven, and he has not wandered far from the limelight since then.  As a teenager, Rooney starred opposite Judy Garland in the Andy Hardy movies, wherein the duo performed song and dance as they entertained audiences during the Great Depression.  He has since been recognized as an accomplished performer in movies, television, and on the stage.  Rooney has also developed some notoriety for his private life, as he has been married eight times.

Today is also the birthday of actress Elizabeth Pena.  Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, has done much to 

advance the cause of Latin American culture in the United States.  The daughter of Cuban immigrants, Pena has acted in and directed television and movies since the late-1970s.

Quotes:

Always get married in the morning.  That way if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted the whole day.  --Mickey Rooney.

Answer:  c)