On December 23, 1886, a group that had six days earlier incorporated as Hollywood Cemetery purchased fifty acres from Robert A. Hurt for $3,000. Nearly 100 people were buried at Hollywood prior to the turn of the century, including nine whose markers show death dates prior to the cemetery’s founding, and who were moved to Hollywood from various other burial grounds. Founded during the post-Reconstruction era segregationist movement, Hollywood Cemetery was established within a year of Jackson’s African-American cemetery, Mt. Olivet. New cemetery plot buyers in the respective ethnic groups (Hollywood for whites and Mt. Olivet for blacks) were attracted to the new, racially exclusive burial grounds rather than the older, integrated Riverside Cemetery. Hollywood’s modern layout allured upper and middle class patrons interested in following the newest graveyard design trends. Hollywood’s location near the outer edge of one of the first street car suburbs of Jackson is significant because it exemplifies the period between Reconstruction and World War I when the population of many southern towns expanded due to industrial growth, pushing city limits and residential neighborhoods to the fringe areas rimming the core urban area. With the expansion, new cemeteries were needed and typically located on the outskirts of the newly developed communities. Hollywood served the new upper middle-class, white-collar segment that primarily occupied the suburban area and reflects their new tastes in cemetery design and art.
Graceland is a mansion on a 13.8-acre (5.6 ha) estate in Memphis, Tennessee that was owned by Elvis Presley . It is located at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard in the vast Whitehaven community, about 9 miles (14.5 km) from Downtown and less than four miles (6 km) north of the Mississippi border. It currently serves as a museum. The mansion was opened to the public on June 7, 1982. The site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1991, and declared a National Historic Landmark on March 27, 2006. Graceland is the second most-visited house in America with over 650,000 visitors a year; second only to the White House.
Elvis
Elvis Presley died at Graceland on August 16, 1977. His will appointed his father, Vernon Presley, who had long handled Elvis’ personal, non-career business affairs, as executor and trustee. The beneficiaries were Elvis’ grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley; his father, Vernon Presley; and his only child, Lisa Marie Presley. The will provided that Vernon Presley could, at his discretion, provide funds to other family members as needed. Vernon Presley died in 1979. Minnie Mae Presley died in 1980. This left Lisa Marie Presley as the sole heir to the estate. Elvis’ will stated that her inheritance was to be held in trust for her until her twenty-fifth birthday, February 1, 1993.
If you love slots, you’ve come to the right place! At Harrahs New Orleans Casino, we have over 1,700 of the city’s most exciting slot machines spread across a 115,000 sq. ft. gaming floor. A wide variety of your favorite games including progressive slots and video poker makes Harrah’s payout paradise!
Love penny slots? We’ve got 700 of the hottest one- and two-cent games for you to choose from in our high-energy Penny Gras slot section. You can also try your luck at one of our ultra-high limit slot machines in the Court of Good Fortune where payoffs are big. Don’t forget to stop by Smuggler’s Court, Party Gras and Mardi Gras Court where the fun and action continues. These games offer many ways to win and cool bonus features too. Discover them all!
Fried bologna hamburger with side of jambalaya at Bayou Burger on Bourbon Street.
In one of the oldest cities in America, Bourbon Street is rich with historic venues, social tales and iconic buildings. The street dates back to 1798, when New Orleans was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. Also known as “Rue Bourbon,” this monumental street sits at the heart of the French Quarter extending 13 blocks from Canal St. to Esplanade Avenue.
With a walk down Bourbon Street you are bound to hear music on every corner that will make you want to dance the night away. But if you’re looking for some good old-fashioned jazz, you’ll find it at Fritzel’s European Jazz Club. Located in an almost 200 year-old building, Fritzel’s hosts live traditional jazz performances on every night of the week!
Beignets are commonly known in New Orleans as a breakfast served with powdered sugar on top. They are traditionally prepared right before consumption to be eaten fresh and hot. Variations of fried dough can be found across cuisines internationally; however, the origin of the term beignet is specifically French. In the United States, beignets have been popular within New Orleans Creole cuisine and are customarily served as a dessert or in some sweet variation. They were brought to New Orleans in the 18th century by French colonists, from “the old mother country”, and became a large part of home-style Creole cooking, variations often including banana or plantain – popular fruits in the port city. Today, Café du Monde is a popular New Orleans food destination specializing in beignets with powdered sugar, coffee with chicory, and café au lait. Beignets were declared the official state doughnut of Louisiana in 1986.
Equipment to make Beignets:
Box of Cafe Du Monde Beignet Mix
Temperature Controlled Frying Pan/Frying Skillet works best
Fry Basket (to retrieve the finished Beignets)
Spoon (to stir the water and mix into a dough)
Mixing Bowl
Measuring Cup
Rolling Pin (to roll finished dough into a flat sheet)
Pizza Cutter (to cut dough into squares for frying)
Vegetable Oil/Louanna Cottonseed Oil is recommended
Powdered Sugar (to use as topping for finished Beignets)
Flour (to keep dough from sticking to rolling pin)
Water
As you explore New Orleans you will find gift shops and souvenir shops along Canal Street, Bourbon Street and throughout the French Quarter. To your delight and the delight of your friends back home who are waiting for a New Orleans gift or souvenir. You will find: New Orleans hot sauces, Louisiana spices, Jazz music CDs, Cajun music CDs, Mardi Gras masks, Mardi Gras hats, Mardi Gras beads, cowboy hats, funny hats, general purpose hats, New Orleans history books, New Orleans cook books, Cajun cook books, T-shirts, wind chimes, umbrellas, French Quarter street signs, Mardi Gras posters, New Orleans posters, bumper stickers, sun glasses , Mardi Gras dolls, Mardi Gras jesters, New Orleans coffee mugs, hand painted French Quarter roofing slates,Jazz figures, Cajun cooking ingredients and spices, Cajun children story books, fine hand crafted New Orleans arts and crafts, Tabasco condiments, Fleur de Lis and much, much more.
Whether you’re searching for the perfect memorabilia or some lovely Mardi Gras beads to remember your trip, or you’re hunting down an original painting or the perfect antiques, the French Quarter has plenty of options. The Quarter provides an interesting mix of shops designed for the tourist, the connoisseur, the casual shopper, and everyone in between.
While there are many individual treasures you can find on side streets, shopping in the French Quarter is centered around a few hubs.
Royal Street
If you’re looking for antique shopping in New Orleans, you need to get over to Royal Street in the French Quarter. With over 25 antique shops on this street alone, Royal Street is known around the country for excellent shops and great finds.
You can also find several art galleries showcasing many diverse styles of work.
Experience unique shops such as Bourbon French Parfums where you can create your very own scent!
French Market District
At the open-air Farmer’s Market, you can purchase fresh produce and seafood to take home, or you can grab something to eat while you shop. Enjoy some down-home Cajun dishes like boudin, jambalaya, Cajun dirty rice, gumbo, andouille po-boys, and pralines. Once you’ve picked your supply of tasty foods, visit the Flea Market for handmade or discount items. With merchants from around the world selling products at their stands, you can count on a diverse selection of items, including handmade jewelry, apparel, home decorations, and more. The French Market District also features retail shopping from more established venues, including bookstores, art galleries, candymakers, sports stores, clothing and more.
The French Market District is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is located at the 1200 block of North Peters.
The Shops at Jax Brewery
As the name implies, the facility of this shopping center was once a brewhouse–in fact, it was one of the largest breweries in the country at the time it was built. Today, the building houses clothing stores, gift stores, a food court for quick dining, and even space for private parties. Stop by the Shops at Jax Brewery for some shopping and a great view of the mighty Mississippi.
The Shops at Jax Brewery are located at the corner of Decatur Street and Toulouse Street.
The Shops at Canal Place
The Shops at Canal Place is your destination for sophisticated, upscale shopping with designer clothes and accessories. With more than 30 stores, the Shops at Canal Place is more than just a shopping destination, housing a movie theater as well as live performances at the Southern Repertory Theatre.
The Shops at Canal Place is located at the corner of Canal Street and North Peters Street.
Riverwalk Marketplace
Following the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans, the Riverwalk Marketplace was built on the riverfront property. Today, the half-mile mall features more than 100 stores, with restaurants, clothing and accessory stores, gift stores, stores for culinary equipment, electronics and much more. Regardless of your shopping preferences, the Riverwalk features a wonderful view of the Mississippi River.
Native Americans were using ground corn for cooking long before European explorers arrived in the Americas. Southern Native American culture (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek) was one of the main contributors to Southern cuisine. From their culture came one of the main staples of the Southern diet: corn (maize), either ground into meal or limed with an alkaline salt to make hominy, also called masa, in a Native American technology known as nixtamalization. Corn was used to make all kinds of dishes from the familiar cornbread and grits to liquors such as whiskey and moonshine, which were important trade items. Cornbread was popular during the American Civil War because it was very cheap and could be made in many different sizes and forms. It could be fashioned into high-rising, fluffy loaves or simply fried for a quick meal.
The first recorded reference to the word “hush-puppy” dates to 1899.
Hushpuppies are a food with strong ties to the Southern United States, although they are available in many areas of the United States on the menus of deep fried fish restaurants. The name “hushpuppies” is often attributed to hunters, fishermen, or other cooks who would fry some basic cornmeal mixture (possibly that they had been bread-coating or battering their own food with) and feed it to their dogs to “hush the puppies” during cook-outs or fish-fries.
Other hush puppy legends purport to date the etymology of the term “hushpuppies” to the Civil War, in which soldiers are claimed to have tossed fried cornbread to quell the barks of Confederate dogs.
Lionel introduced the 817 caboose in 1926. The first version had peacock sides and a dark green roof. The earliest versions came with short wheelbase frames, and are the hardest cabooses to find.
By 1930 Lionel changed the windows on the caboose from orange painted to brass plated.
In 1933 the caboose got a new color scheme. Red with peacock roof.
In 1934 the color changed again to all bright red. The earliest bright red 817 cabooses had brass trim and latch couplers. These brass plate cars usually have a slightly darker shade of red.
In 1935 the bright red got a little lighter, and nickel plates and end railings replaced the brass trim. This version is found with latch couplers or box couplers. By 1937 the nickel railings were replaced with painted railings. The box coupler version ran until 1940 and was then discontinued. A rubber stamped version was not made.
I picked up a 817 on eBay for 5 dollars and decided to make it my first restoration project. It appears I have the 1933 version, red with peacock roof.
Here are some great instructions on how to restore a Pre-War Lionel car.
The Grades from the media seem quite good. With the loss of a number of Steeler Defensive players to retirement, it is not a surprise that 6 out of the top 8 are defensive team members.
Steeler Draft 2015 From NFL.com
The Steelers skew toward the conservative side on draft day, valuing productive players with size and athleticism. This has been the formula for the team since the Chuck Noll era. Defensively, the Steelers plucked Alvin “Bud” Dupree to give the team a much-needed pass rusher with speed and quickness. He isn’t a polished player, but has tremendous potential as a DPR (designated pass rusher). The Steelers also landed a pair of cover corners in Senquez Golson and Doran Grant. Golson is a bit of a question mark based on his diminutive physical dimensions — in addition to potentially struggling against bigger-bodied receivers, he could have some trouble against the run. Receiver Sammie Coates is a “boom or bust” prospect with enticing physical tools who needs to develop better consistency as a pass catcher.
2015 will no doubt be a transitional year. But with the addition of these new talented players, I predict that the Steelers will have another unexpectedly successfully season. (10-6) This is factoring in that the Steelers have a very tough schedule in 2015.
A beautiful drive along the Pennsylvania Turnpike on the way to Richmond in March.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for 360 miles (580 km) across the state. The turnpike begins at the Ohio state line in Lawrence County, where the road continues west into Ohio as the Ohio Turnpike. It ends at the New Jersey border at the Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge over the Delaware River in Bucks County, where it continues east as the Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike.
The highway runs east–west through the state, connecting the Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia areas. It crosses the Appalachian Mountains in central Pennsylvania through four tunnels. The turnpike is part of the Interstate Highway System; it is designated as part of Interstate 76 (I-76) between the Ohio border and Valley Forge, I-70 and I-76 between New Stanton and Breezewood, and I-276 between Valley Forge and the New Jersey border. The road uses a ticket system of tolling between the Warrendale and Delaware River Bridge toll plazas. An additional eastbound toll plaza is located at Gateway, near the Ohio border. E-ZPass, a form of electronic toll collection, is accepted at all toll plazas.
History
During the 1930s the Pennsylvania Turnpike was designed to improve automobile transportation across the mountains of Pennsylvania, using seven tunnels built for the abandoned South Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1880s. The road opened on October 1, 1940[2] between Irwin and Carlisle as the first long-distance limited-access highway in the United States, leading to the construction of other limited-access toll roads and the Interstate Highway System.
Following World War II, the turnpike was extended east to Valley Forge in 1950 and west to the Ohio border in 1951. In 1954, the road was extended further east to the Delaware River. The mainline turnpike was finished in 1956 with the completion of the Delaware River Bridge. During the 1960s an additional tube was bored at four of the two-lane tunnels, while the other three tunnels were bypassed; these improvements made the entire length of the highway four lanes wide. Improvements continue to be made to the road: rebuilding the original section to modern standards, widening portions of the turnpike to six lanes, and adding interchanges.
