DVD with Highlights of my walk available now

 

      If you’re interested, I now have a DVD for sale  with highlights of my walk retracing Military Road from Iowa City to Dubuque.  The day I passed through Anamosa, I stopped by the local newspaper, Becky, had a set of questions for me, she had the video tape recorder running, after I completed the walk, I sent her a DVD with my pictorial high lights.    Becky took my oral interview, added the photos and some music  and here is the end result.  I think it runs about 22 or 23 minutes all total. 

      I would be glad to send you one if you’re interested for $17.00 which includes postage.  Just drop me a note in the comment thread and I will get back to you.

Post # 25 After The Walk- My Initial Thoughts

I’m home

6 days

81.8 miles

172,763 steps later.

Here are 5 photos of my last 6 days walking in the footsteps of Lyman Dillon and Old Military Road from Iowa City to Dubuque….

 

Sunrise North of Solon on day 2

Picture of my footsteps looking back near Langworthy

Looking back at our house as I leave for Cascade.

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Walking in the drizzle on day 6

Mrs DM and I at the end of the road

      Here are just a few  highlights of the trip.

       While I am on my feet all day at work, I am not a “walker”, and yet, I did not get any blisters, my feet never hurt,  only  felt  stiff at the end of day 3 as I was coming down a long hill into Anamosa.

     I woke up refreshed every morning , 4 of the nights I stayed  in homes of people I didn’t (or barely) knew.

     It rained 2 of the 6 days, which only added to my sense of being on an  adventure.

     A couple of  you mused there  would be a spiritual component to this adventure and there definitely was.  I’ll probably write more about that later.

      My next goal (after writing thank you’s) is to contact the people I met in each town and work on my book “On The Trail Of Lyman Dillon“ 

      When I’ve mentioned writing a book,  I’ve  encountered a few  “Oh sure you are”  looks.    What the nay sayers don’t know is I already have 2 books in print.  I realize I probably sound a little testy  as I write this, but I have very little time for negative, pessimistic, people.   

  Here’s  a quote by Theodore Roosevelt which  comes to mind when I meet a nay sayer :

 

        “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

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 As a side note, this adventure made it in (7) different newspapers,  (1) TV clip (w/ a 2nd pending),   a chance to talk w/(4) High School history classes and (3) history groups while on the walk.  We finished the trip with a small reception in Dubuque @ Lot One- site of  Tim Fanning’s Log Tavern….it was a full week.

Post # 22 Gus Norlin Research Material

        Today is March 31 2008.  It’s been raining off and on all day….thought it would be a good time to post an update on our research project of Lyman Dillon. 

     I got the picture of Lyman Dillon (above) from our friends Larry and Kathy.  Along with his photo, I also got one of his wife  Charlotte, who are both buried in the Protestant section of the Cascade Iowa Cemetery.  There will be more photo’s in my book…this one is just a teaser so there will be a photo on the Internet of Lyman Dillon.  As far as I know, this is the only one you will find on-line (I’ve looked)

     Through a chance conversation with Pam  at her antique store, I was able to look through her dad (Gus Norlin’s )  research on Lyman Dillon which as far as I know was never formally published.   Gus was the president of the local Historical society for several years…he had several pieces of research I had not seen before.  Pam was gracious enough to let me take everything home and scan and make copies before I returned it to her…THANK YOU PAM!!!  

     Gus had tracked down a  Granddaughter believe it or not of Lyman Dillon in California in the 1980’s….She (Florence Cordelia Parrott Lippert) was born 7/3/1885 in Cascade Iowa daughter of Lima Dillon (Parrott)

     Florence Lippert eventually donated a highchair to the Jones County Historical Society in Edinburg Iowa where it resides today.  The chair was built by Lyman Dillon himself from lumber from his sawmill which used to exist North of Cascade Iowa on the North Fork of the Maquoketa River.   The sawmill was located West of Lyman’s home.  We have been out there to take pictures..nothing remains of the sawmill which was owned by several people…originally the Delong Brothers, then Dillon,  at some point was a paper mill, still later converted into a flouring mill known as Myer’s.

       I have additional material from the Norlin papers, which  I am hoping to include in my book if the family gives me permission to include it….stay tuned!