BITS & PIECES OF A MISPLACED LIFE: AMERICANA

DEMOCRAT IN KENTUCKY

Democrat is an unincorporated community in Letcher County, in the U.S. state of Kentucky.
Democrat remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1985.[2] The community was so named because the postmaster, Isom Sergent, was politically a Democrat. 

"In Democrat, KY, the postmistress totted up , announced that Republicans outnumbered Democrats -- 50 to 10." Time (August 2, 1948)
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AN OUTLAW OF THE OLD WEST

Pearl Hart was a Canadian-born outlaw of the American Old West — who committed one of the last recorded stagecoach robberies in the United States and became notorious for the shocking heist. For the robbery, Pearl cut her hair and dressed as a man and stole over $400 from the stagecoach passengers — a small fortune at the time. Following the heist, Pearl went on the run in the desert but was eventually caught by sheriffs."

U.S. TRIVIA site (June 12, 2024)
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SILLY SALLY

"The term originated from a fairground game in the mid-1800s. The game involved throwing sticks at a human figurine to dislodge a pipe from her face. The figurine depicted a Black woman and was named Sally. This was a common name for women enslaved in the US. For example, a woman enslaved by Thomas Jefferson was called Sally Hemings. Over time, the figurine has evolved into a more abstract “doll”.
 
Anu Garg. WORDSMITH  (May 30, 2024)

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ON PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND

Harrison is a wise man
   Cleveland is a fool.
Harrison rides a white horse.
    Cleveland rides a mule.

Campaign song of 1892
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE AUTOMOBILE

'The 1950s were a transformative decade for transportation in the United States. Factors such as postwar prosperity, suburban living, and a decline in public transit led to a major increase in car ownership. At the start of the decade, approximately half of Americans owned an automobile; by 1960, nearly 75% of Americans owned at least one car, and many owned two. It was the golden age of the automobile."

HISTORY FACTS (JULY 16, 2024)
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SHERMAN'S SOLDIERS & BUMMERS

The designation "bummers" was used, both by soldiers and civilians, to describe Sherman's soldiers, official and unofficial, who "requisitioned" food from Southern homes along the route of the Army's march. Often highly destructive in nature, bummers became notorious among Southerners for looting and vandalism, and they did much to shatter the illusion that the Confederate Army was successfully defending its territory on all fronts. The bummers' activities in Georgia and the Carolinas helped ensure that the South would be unable to sustain its war effort..."
                  WIKIPEDIA

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Hercules Posey (1747?-1812) 

Three years after Alice’s death, in the second year of Washington’s presidency, the capital relocated from New York City to Philadelphia. In November 1790, Washington summoned Hercules to cook diplomatic—and personal—meals for him in the President’s house.8,9 In Philadelphia, Hercules gained public renown. Known as an exacting and skilled cook, he produced elaborate, multi-course meals for Washington, politicians, and others.10
Washington’s step-grandson George Washington Parke Custis later wrote that Chef Hercules was a commanding presence who enjoyed fine clothes and the Early Federal Philadelphia social scene. 
While in Philadelphia, Hercules earned money, with Washington’s permission, by selling “slops” or leftovers from the kitchen. He earned a $200 yearly salary that was more than four times that of an overseer at Mount Vernon."

https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/
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AMERICA'S FIRST SPY

Often recognized as America’s first spy, Nathan Hale was a young patriot who volunteered for a dangerous intelligence-gathering mission behind British lines during the Revolutionary War in 1776. Despite all precautions, he was recognized by a British officer who tricked him into confessing his allegiance by pretending to be a Patriot himself.He was captured and promptly hanged as an illegal combatant, but his last words, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country," were remembered long after his death and immortalized his bravery." 

Dictionary Scoop website (July 27, 2024)
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WAKING UP IN THE MORNING 
THINKING ABOUT BILLY THE KID 

Out of the blue it comes to me,
What Pat Garrett sd
About Billy the Kid,
That Billy "Drank and laughed,
Rode and laughed,
Talked and laughed,
Fought and laughed,
And killed and laughed."
Damn it!Today's Tuesday.
That's exactly what I want to do.  

Louis Phillips