Category Archives: Scratch Pad

McFarland Publishing and Helene

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Allen Mesch

As readers may know, McFarland Publishing has published two of my books. McFarland is located in West Jefferson, Ashe County, North Carolina. The county, and especially West Jefferson, are among the most devastated parts of the East Coast. I have … Continue reading →

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Abraham Lincoln on Elections

Posted on October 1, 2024 by Allen Mesch

On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln said that elections were like “‘big boils’ – they caused a great deal of pain before they came to a head, but after the trouble was over the body was in better health than … Continue reading →

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Fort York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Posted on September 17, 2024 by Allen Mesch

Fort York is an early 19th-century military fortification in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was used to garrison British and Canadian soldiers and defend the Toronto Harbor entrance. The fort contains stone-lined earthwork walls and eight historical buildings, including two blockhouses. It is part of Fort … Continue reading →

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National and World Book Day

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Allen Mesch

September 6, 2024, is National and World Book Day. That means it’s time to pick up a book and spend the day in your favorite chair, with your favorite beverage, reading a book. What better time to read one of … Continue reading →

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What’s in a Label?

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Allen Mesch

With the political season in full swing, it seemed a good time to break out the dictionary and read what the words CONSERVATIVE and LIBERAL mean. Conservative Conservative adj. 1. Conserving or tending to conserve; preservative. 2. tending to preserve … Continue reading →

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The Enchanted Highway

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Allen Mesch

The Enchanted Highway begins at Exit 72 on I-94 near Gladstone and terminates 32 miles down the road in the small town of Regent. Beginning with “Geese in Flight” at Exit 72, large metal sculptures are placed along the county … Continue reading →

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National Book Lovers Day

Posted on August 8, 2024 by Allen Mesch

August 9, 2024, is National Book Lovers Day. On National Book Lovers Day, you can celebrate by immersing yourself in a book swap with friends, visiting your local bookstore to support small businesses, or simply curling up with a cup … Continue reading →

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The Hidden Oil Rigs of L.A.

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Allen Mesch

Before Los Angeles was known for making movies, it was known for making something else; oil. Believe it or not, L.A. used to be a small seaside town until the late 1800s. In 1892, Edward L. Doheny discovered the first … Continue reading →

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Pentagon Reviewing Medals of Honor for Wounded Knee

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Allen Mesch

The Wounded Knee Massacre, also known as the Battle of Wounded Knee, occurred on December 29, 1890, near Wounded Knee Creek on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It was the deadliest mass shooting in American history, … Continue reading →

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President Biden Awards Medal of Honor to Two Union Soldiers

Posted on July 15, 2024 by Allen Mesch

During the Civil War, a group of twenty-four Union soldiers and civilians, known as Andrews’ Raiders, embarked on a daring mission to infiltrate the Confederate States and disrupt railway and communication lines from Georgia to Tennessee. The raiders were told … Continue reading →

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