Fort McDowell

Fort McDowell Ruins

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation (Behind the Recreation Center)

17661 E Yavapai Rd

Fort McDowell, AZ 85264

Fort McDowell Exhibit at the River of Time Museum

12901 N La Montana Dr

Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

Fort McDowell Exhibit at the Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park 

1300 N College Ave

Tempe, AZ 85281 

Camp Verde was established on the Verde River in Arizona in 1865 by California Volunteer Soldiers. The camp was later designated as a fort in 1879. In 1879, the post was also renamed Fort McDowell, after the American Civil War General Irvin McDowell. The fort was established to protect settlers and travelers from Apaches who lived in the nearby Gila and Salt River Valleys. The fort was an embarkation point for many of the expeditions against the Apache, including General George Crook's Tonto Basin campaign in the early 1870's. The fort was abandoned in 1890. In 1891, the land was transferred to the Department of the Interior and became the Yavapai Indian Agency.

The history of the U.S. Army installation Fort McDowell can be seen in three locations in the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona. Ruins of the frontier post still exist on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, while two museums in the area have outstanding exhibits on the fort. If you plan on going to see the ruins I suggest you do sooner than later. I lived in Arizona from 2003-2014, and can safely state that these ruins have been steadily deteriorating over the years. The River of Time Museum in Fountain Hills has some outstanding artifacts on display, as well as photos and a model of the fort. The Arizona Historical Society provides visitors with firsthand accounts of Soldiers and civilians who lived on the fort.

Below are two links to sites that provide more information on the history of the fort. I also included several photos I took of the fort ruins and from the two museum exhibits on Fort McDowell:

http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_McDowell_(2)

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/az-fortmcdowell.html

MW

Fort McDowell Ruins

 River of Time Museum

Arizona Historical Society Museum 

Seabrook-Wilson House

Seabrook-Wilson House
719 Port Monmouth Rd
Port Monmouth, NJ 07758

The Seabrook-Wilson House, also known as the Spy House, is located in Port Monmouth, NJ. The house was built as a cabin around 1663 by Thomas Whitlock. Whitlock was one of New Jersey's first settlers. The Seabrook family later acquired the home and made numerous additions to the original structure. The Seabrook family owned the home during the American Revolution. During the American Revolution, the house was allegedly used as a tavern. Legend has it that British troops would frequent the location during the war. As the soldiers would drink, Patriot sympathizers would listen to their conversations and gather intelligence that would later be turned over to Continental forces. It is important to note that historians cannot confirm or deny this legend. However, the popularity of the tale has resulted in the building's alternate, and more popular name.

The house changed hands again in the early 19th century when Reverend William V. Wilson, leader of the New Monmouth Baptist Church, acquired the home until the 1970s. For many years the house served as the "Port Monmouth Spy House Museum". It featured exhibits about the history and heritage of the bayshore. The museum was a popular location for tours up until the early 21st century when it was closed to the public.

There are also numerous reports of paranormal activity in the house, which you can read more about in the second link listed below. I was approached while photographing the building by two people passing by on a nearby path. They asked me if I had ever heard that the house was haunted. I told them I had, and they went on to tell me that they believed the house had been protected by the spirits when Hurricane Sandy ravaged nearby buildings. I found this encounter interesting in that it confirmed that the house still has a strong reputation in the area of being haunted.

Below are two links with more information on the Seabrook-Wilson House, along with some photos that I took during a recent visit. The first link is to the Monmouth County, NJ official site. The second link is to the Asbury Park Press newspaper website:

http://co.monmouth.nj.us/documents/130/seabrook%20wilson%20house%20public%20information%20sheet.pdf

http://www.app.com/story/news/local/red-bank-middletown-area/middletown/2014/10/25/weird-nj-spy-house-americas-haunted/17915339/

 MW

Jacob Purdy House

Jacob Purdy House
60 Park Avenue
White Plains, NY 10603

The Jacob Purdy House served as General George Washington's headquarters in White Plains during the American Revolution from July 23rd to September 16, 1778. The house is also believed to have been Washington's headquarters while fighting took place near Chatterton Hill during the Battle of White Plains on October 28, 1776. The home was purchased by Samuel Purdy in 1730, and passed to his son Jacob around 1785. The home passed from the Purdy family to Samuel Mott in 1869. The home was in danger of demolition until the Battle of White Plains Monument Committee purchased the house in 1963.

Below is a link to the White Plains Historical Society site along with some photos that I took during my recent visit:

http://www.whiteplainshistory.org/JacobPurdyHouse.html

MW

The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast - Episode #1

Check out the first edition of The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast!

SoundCloud:  https://soundcloud.com/matt-ward-427598454/the-matt-ward-history-experience-podcast-episode-1

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/matt-ward-history-experience/id1178237076

The following segments and topics are covered in Episode #1:

1. Let's Talk History - Interview with the Matawan Borough Historian and docent of the Burrowes Mansion Museum, Al Savolaine
2. Genealogy
3. Book of the Month - Philadelphia Fighters:  The Golden Era of Greatness by Lew Freedman

The Burrowes Mansion Museum is located at 94 Main Street in historic Matawan, NJ. Below are links to the Burrowes Mansion Museum official website and Facebook page:

Burrowes Mansion Museum Official Website:

http://burrowesmansion.org/

Burrowes Mansion Museum Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/BurrowesMansion?fref=ts

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the interview and tour of the Burrowes Mansion Museum:

Matt Ward and Al Savolaine (Photo courtesy of the Burrowes Mansion Museum Facebook page)

Matt Ward and Al Savolaine (Photo courtesy of the Burrowes Mansion Museum Facebook page)

Matt Ward and Al Savolaine (Photo courtesy of the Burrowes Mansion Museum Facebook page)

Matt Ward and Al Savolaine (Photo courtesy of the Burrowes Mansion Museum Facebook page)

First and foremost I would like to thank Al Savolaine for sitting down at the Burrowes Mansion Museum to talk history with me. I would also like to thank the two other docents of the Burrowes Mansion Museum, Julius and Nancy, as well as Terri, who is a volunteer at the Burrowes Mansion Museum. If you ever find yourself in Matawan, please go check out the Burrowes Mansion Museum.

This month's Book of the Month is Philadelphia Fighters: The Golden Era of Greatness by Lew Freedman. Philadelphia Fighters: The Golden Era of Greatness can be purchased on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Philadelphia-Fighters-The-Golden-Greatness/dp/1933822651

http://calltothepen.com/author/alison1/

This episode would not have been possible if it had not been for the technical support of my good friend Peter Lloyd of One Stone Recording. Pete mixed and cleaned up the original recordings into the great episode that you can stream above.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank all of my readers and listeners - Especially those who submitted questions for this month's segment of Let's Talk History.

This episode is brought to you by my friends in the band Dystrophy. Check out Dystrophy's new album "Wretched Host". "Wretched Host" is available for purchase at the following link:

http://dystrophyband.com/

MW