National World War I Museum and Memorial

National World War I Museum and Memorial
100 W. 26th St.
Kansas City, MO 64108

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. Having visited hundreds of museums and historic sites over the years, I can safely say this museum is now in my top three all-time favorite museums. The museum's collection consists of thousands of artifacts related to the war including uniforms, vehicles, weapons and documents. My favorite object in the collection is the French-made Renault FT-17 tank which was used by the Americans in the war (pictured below).

The main attraction at this site is the Liberty Memorial, which is a 217-foot tower that overlooks Kansas City. Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony in 1921, and the tower was completed in 1926. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by American political figures and members of the Allied High Command in World War I, including American General John Pershing and Admiral Earl Beatty of Great Britain. The dedication ceremony was attended by President Calvin Coolidge and 150,000 spectators. The museum is unique in that it chronicles the war in an unbiased way that avoids favoring the Allied Powers over the Central Powers.

Below is a link to the National World War I Museum and Memorial website, along with a few photos that I took during my recent visit:

https://www.theworldwar.org/

MW

International Boxing Hall of Fame

International Boxing Hall of Fame 
360 N Peterboro St.
Canastota, NY 13032

In 2014, I had the opportunity to visit the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in Canastota, New York. This trip was one of my favorite trips to date. The IBHOF includes plaques dedicated to inductees as well as a large collection of relics from the rich history of the sweet science. Each June, the IBHOF honors a new class of inductees from across the boxing world. Hall of Fame weekends are a great time to interact with boxers and boxing personalities from both past and present. If you are a sports history fan and have not had the opportunity to visit the IBHOF, I highly recommend you do so!

Below are a few of my favorite photos that I took during my visit, along with a link to the IBHOF website:

http://www.ibhof.com/

MW

Fort Lowell

Fort Lowell Park
2900 N. Craycroft Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85712

Fort Lowell was a U.S. Army post on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona from 1873-1891. The fort played an important role during the Apache Wars of the 19th century. The fort provided supplies and soldiers to outlying military installations, and prevented Apache raids on Tucson due to its size and garrison. The fort averaged thirteen officers and 239 enlisted men. The fort housed a number of cavalry and infantry regiments during its history. These regiments included the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th Cavalry Regiments, as well as the 1st, 8th, and 12th Infantry Regiments.

The fort featured a large parade ground, officers' quarters, quartermaster and commissary storehouses, corrals, and quarters for enlisted men as well as for married non-commissioned officers. The most prominent building on post was the hospital, the adobe remnants of which still stand under a protective structure. A lane lined with cottonwood trees, named Cottonwood Lane, graced the area in front of the officers' houses. Famous officers who were stationed at the installation included Walter Reed and Charles Bendire. Reed was a physician who is well-known for his research on yellow fever. Bendire is known for his work as an amateur ornithologist. The Bendire Thrasher bird is named after him.

Fort Lowell was decommissioned by the Army in 1891. Following the departure of the Army, Mexican families from Sonora moved to the fort to take advantage of the free housing that became available. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The fort museum is housed in the former commanding officer's quarters.

Below are two links with more information on Fort Lowell, along with several photos I took during my 2010 visit:

http://www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org/welcome-to-the-arizona-history-museum-tucson/

http://tucson.com/entertainment/weekend/history-comes-to-life-at-fort-lowell-day/article_5e48788b-bc75-57f7-9bb4-2d690113441c.html

MW