Linda Osborne Cynowa

The Thorington School Part 2

Linda’s Monthly Monday Morning Moaning’s for April 7, 2025

Back in early 2020, I wrote a blog about my frustration in seeing a Washington Township treasure, the 1840 Thorington primary school, sit at the side of the road, at Mound and 31 Mile and slowly deteriorate as time went on. Many people would comment on why this was allowed to happen, but nothing seemed to fix this issue. I realized that our township Supervisor Sebastian Sam Previti was also greatly bothered that this landmark for Washington was being ignored, and over the next four years he managed to come to an agreement with the owners of this small bit of property, 1/8th of an acre with the school sitting on it. Image below, from 2021.

Image below from 2023, now showing the large hole in the roof that that continues to weaken the structure further.

To further this, I will let Sam speak for himself: I am excited to announce the purchase of the historic 1840 Thorington School House!

I am proud to share that we have officially secured the purchase of the historic 1840 Thorington School House! This acquisition was approved by the Washington Township Board of Trustees with a 6-1 vote, marking a major step in preserving our community’s rich history.

The Thorington School House, located on Mound Road just south of 31 Mile, was purchased for $125,000, including the original school bell. Right now, the building sits on just 1/8 of an acre, making it difficult to develop, maintain, and fully restore. That’s why I’m leading the effort to relocate it to a 10-acre township-owned parcel on 31 Mile Road between Mound and Campground. This move will allow us to properly restore, protect, and showcase this incredible piece of history for future generations.

The new location will become Thorington Park, a public green space that will feature: A pavilion, restrooms, playscape, pickleball courts & parking. The historic schoolhouse as the focal point, for a beautiful setting for student visits, proms, homecomings & photos and rental space for small private events. A fruit tree from each township orchard to honor our agricultural heritage will be planted on the site.

To restore and revitalize the Thorington School House, we are partnering with Craig Brant, Romeo Schools Building Trades teacher, whose students will gain hands-on experience in construction and restoration. Additionally, Romeo High School architecture students, led by Evva Dossin, played a major role in designing the park layout, creating a working mockup of the future Thorington Park. Finally we are having our planning consultant Spalding DeDecker work to explore grants and funding to help explore funding avenues of this project. Protecting our historical landmarks for future generations

Beyond my role as Supervisor, I also serve as President of the Greater Washington Area Historical Society and Museum, where I’ve helped raise critical funds to preserve the 1916 former High School that now serves as the Washington Township museum, including securing a much-needed roof replacement. My passion for history runs deep, and I am honored to lead this project for our township. The Romeo-Washington-Bruce Parks and Recreation Department will oversee the park’s maintenance, ensuring it remains a long-lasting community asset and follow a key part of our township’s master plan for new parks and green spaces. Sebastian Sam Previti.

Having been ‘cleaned up’, now waiting for its next move in July, a 1/4 mile east of its present location to a 10 acres parcel on 31 Mile Road and Campground.

Thank you Sam, for all the hard work, negotiations, and time you put into this project, in acquiring this little treasure for our community. There were many times I was fearful when passing the structure in the last few years that it would be laying as a pile of timber on the ground, each winter making the possibility of this, almost a sure thing. Thank you for taking the reins and seeing this project through, hopefully the hard part is finished. Above images courtesy of the author. Advertisement image courtesy of Anne Nicolazzo Photography. And thank you to ‘The Record’ newspaper.

Thank you for visiting and reading today. Please if you haven’t already, enter your email address in the subscription form below to receive my blog by email on the first Monday of each month. Thank you.

America’s Liner

Linda’s Monthly Monday Morning Moaning’s for March 3, 2025

Off she went….

On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, the SS United States, the liner often called ‘America’s Liner’, was towed from her berth at Pier 80 in Philadelphia, where she had been waiting for 30 some years. I have followed this ship for many years, with the ships manifest, memorabilia and photographic images, because it was on this ship my parents and I immigrated to this country from Great Britain in the mid 1950’s. A little girl below, who could easily have slipped into the ocean, (ok, Mum and Dad??) not knowing what was ahead with this big adventure she was on.

I had hoped that the ship builders granddaughter Susan Gibbs could save her grandfathers creation and bring it back to a useful entity once again. I had the pleasure of meeting this determined lady, and understood her passion. Sad to see that not to be.

The ship was designed by American naval architect William Francis Gibbs and could have been converted into a troopship if required by the United States Navy in time of war. The ship served as an icon for the nation, transporting celebrities and immigrants throughout her career between 1952 and 1969. Her design included innovations in steam propulsion, hull form, fire safety, and damage control. Despite her record speed, passenger counts declined in the mid-1960s due to the rise in jet-propelled trans-Atlantic flights. Below, her at the height of her beauty, and below that, what 55 years of sitting and waiting will do……

First-class passengers were entitled to the best services and locations the ship had to offer, including the grand ballroom, the smoking room, first-class dining room and restaurants, observation lounge, main foyer, grand staircase, and promenades. Most of these facilities were located midship, distant from the vibrations and distractions of the engines and the outside.

The liner’s famous passengers favored first class due to its prestige, priority service, and spacious cabins. The Duck Suite, which was popularized by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, was the ship’s best-known stateroom. It was created by combining three first-class staterooms into a single suite containing four beds, three bathrooms, two bedrooms, and a living room. Up to 14 similar suites could be created in a similar way, establishing a level of stateroom above that of a standard first-class ticket. Tickets for the two-bedroom suites started at $930 ($10,552 in today’s funds); these were aimed at the wealthiest passengers on board. Much like the Duck Suite, these rooms reflected a post-war American standard of living, lacking in intricate details and adorned with natural scenes.

Cabin class was aimed toward the American middle classes, striking a key balance between the affordability of tourist and the elegance of first class. Each cabin had four beds and a private bathroom, and were located primarily aft. While inferior to first class, passengers received service and had access to amenities that were historically reserved for the highest class on other ocean liners.The food, pool, and theater were shared with first-class passengers, making cabin class ideal for those who wanted the first-class experience without paying first-class rates.

Tourist class was aimed at those who were unable or unwilling to spend much on a ticket; it was often booked by migrants and students. Cheapest of all tickets, tourist-class cabins were located at the peripheries of the ship, where rocking and noise were most pronounced. These small cabins were shared among passengers, each room containing two bunk beds and simply furnished with little detail. Communal bathrooms were shared with all tourist-class passengers in the same passage. Service from the crew was lacking compared to the other classes, as tourist-class passengers received the lowest priority. While equivalent to the third-class on other vessels, these poorest conditions on United States were noticeably better than what was offered on other ships. I believe this was the way we sailed, based on images of a mother, her daughter and bunk beds!

Following the financial collapse of the United States Lines, the SS United States was withdrawn from service in a surprise announcement in 1969. All planned cruises were canceled, and the ship changed owners repeatedly for the next several decades. Every owner attempted to make the ship profitable, but she was aging and poorly maintained. In 1984, her interior furnishings were sold at auction, and the rest of her interiors were stripped to the bulkheads in 1994. In 1996, she was towed to Philadelphia, where she would remained.

Since 2009, the ‘SS United States Conservancy’ has been raising funds in an attempt to save the ship from being scrapped. The group purchased her in 2011 and has created several unrealized plans to restore the ship. Due to a rent dispute, in 2024, the ship was evicted from her pier. Because no other locations for the ship could be found, America’s Flagship is on her way to Mobile, Alabama where she will be prepared as the World’s Largest Artificial Reef to be deployed off of Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

The ‘SSUS’ journey to Mobile, Alabama, is expected to take about two weeks. Upon arrival, the vessel will continue its rebirth into an artificial reef as contractors remove hazardous material, including nonmetal parts and fuel to ensure this deployment is clean and not harmful to the environment it aims to benefit. Modifications will also be made to ensure that when the vessel is deployed, it will land upright underwater. The preparation process will take about 12 months.

The exact location along the Gulf Coast for the vessel’s deployment has not been set but it is expected to be about 20 nautical miles south of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area. As the World’s Largest Artificial Reef, the story of the ‘SSUS’ will be told to thousands of divers from around the world as they explore her unique design and features. She will also benefit her surrounding ecosystem and become home to countless marine species that will thrive from the presence of her structure.

Due to the size and the depth, this new artificial reef will provide bountiful fishing and diving opportunities for the local, visiting and charter industries. Okaloosa County will continue to partner with the SS United States Conservancy as it pivots to develop a land-based museum in Destin-Fort Walton Beach that will celebrate and commemorate the nation’s flagship. I will do another blog when she gets herself settled in her new home.

It might be time to learn how to dive?

Update: When she left her berth on February 19, she made her way down the Delaware River into the Atlantic, and followed the coast somewhat, till she rounded the Florida Keys into the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, and looks for her to reach her destination in Mobile, sometime late today. Many were fortunate to see her travels when she was close enough to the shore line, and with the tugs far ahead by her pulling her along, she looked to be sailing once again. It is with great thanks to the SS United States Conservancy for all they did in keeping this ship in the hearts of so many, many people.

The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act

Linda’s Monthly Monday Morning Moaning’s for Monday, February 3, 2025.

Twenty-five years later:

The NHLPA or better known as the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act was passed in October of 2000. For the nation’s lighthouse heritage, this became an important step in the needed preservation of many of these historic treasurers. This law became an amendment to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which gave the government a way to dispose of the lighthouse property it owned, while still persevering the architectural and historic aspects of the lighthouse property. As it turns out this act is why we have a National Register of Historic Places and a list of Historic Landmarks.

This new act made it possible for non-profit organizations to participate with equal footing along with local and federal agencies in the process to acquire these properties. This was needed because there were non-profits that had put a lot of time, and money into the preservation of certain lighthouses and they should be able to benefit from that, when the properties were deemed excess by the United States Coast Guard. This would only benefit lighthouses that were listed as historic. Maintenance of the property, was done by the non-profits, while allowing the Coast Guard access to and responsibility for the light, then the use of the property for educational, cultural and recreational purposes, and providing access to the general public, as well as compliance with historic preservation guidelines could still be done.

White Shoals without it’s barber shop stripes, Michigan

Above, two of the many lighthouses that have been helped in the 25 years that the program has been in effect. Since 2022, the NHLPA program has resulted in the transfer of 43 lighthouse to non-profits, the auction of 70 lighthouses to private citizens, and also the transfer of 25 lighthouses to local governments. This generating the ability for many of these lighthouses to be opened to the public, and the education value of teaching the importance these lighthouse had to the maritime life they helped. These saved lighthouse have gone on to have roles as museums, Bed & Breakfast’s, research stations, and retreats.

The challenge of keeping these lighthouses in good repair is not an inexpensive situation, no matter who is the caretaker of the lighthouse, they must be prepared to deal with a lot of challenges, not the least of which, is Mother Nature at her best. The price you pay to walk the steps of those lighthouses, has far more importance that we can imagine. Next time you are out on a beautiful day, go see a lighthouse and walk the steps!

It is with much courtesy and a thank you that I mention, Anne Puppa, for use of her very well written and important article about the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, NHLPA, 25 Years Later, in Lighthouse Digest, January- February 2025. Postcard images used, courtesy of this author.

The Southern Lights During The Civil War

Linda’s Monthly Monday Morning Moaning’s for Monday, January 6, 2025.

This first bog of the New Year, is in the form of a ‘book report’. While doing research for these lighthouse books, I have had the pleasure of reading so many great books and stories, on how these lighthouses around the country were built, were operated, about the people who worked them, and also those that were destroyed. When working on the southern lights, I came across a newly published book, I wanted to share, ‘When the Southern Lights Went Dark’ by Mary Louise Clifford and the late J. Candace Clifford.

The Confederacy extinguished the lights in the lighthouses it was in control of, long before any shots were fired at Fort Sumter. ‘When the southern Lights Went Dark: The Lighthouse Establishment during the Civil War’ will tell you the story of the men, that took on the task of finding the lenses and lamps, repairing the deliberate destruction made to the towers and the lightships, and the work done to relight them as soon as the United States Navy could give them the protection needed.

While under normal conditions, military officers filled the posts of engineers and inspectors in each of the lighthouse districts, now it would become the task of civilians, who were talented enough to build and maintain lighthouses, but could also supervise a party of workmen and make crucial decisions on their own. While the Light-House Board was located in Washington, they could do little but give advice, order needed equipment and pay the bills.

The book is written, as one would write a diary, and started in 1861 when the hostilities began. The Confederate states encompassed Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, also included were Arkansa and Tennessee, although these last two states did not have lighthouses.

” You are instructed to relight the light at New Canal (above image), under your charge, at sunset this day, Wednesday, October 21, 1863, and every night there after. The military injunction under which the light was extinguished, has been removed.” (Postcard image courtesy of this author).

It would take a number of years to re-established the lights to working condition again, but the Civil War was long over, and most of the aids to navigation that had been extinguished or destroyed by the Confederacy were again guiding mariners to safety into the southern ports. Some of the repaired lights would be temporary and would replaced as Congress appropriated funds. The men who spent so many years hunting for the missing light apparatus, scrounging for materials, worrying for the security of their men, must have felt a heavy burden lifted from their shoulders.

I would like to thank Mary Louise Clifford and the late J. Candace Clifford, for the use of the material from their beautifully written book about such a difficult and ill used time in United States history, and all the hard work involved in putting together the research and writing. I hope this might peak the reader, some further interest and maybe a trip to your local library?

The 1900 Galveston Hurricane

Linda’s Monthly Monday Morning Moaning’s for Monday December 2, 2024

The house is all lit up with Christmas trees, and the effect always brings a sense of peace and long ago memories, to my life. I received my new cover image last week, for this last lighthouse book, ‘Lighthouses of the Southern Atlantic and Gulf States’, and since it won’t see the light of day till summer 2025, it will be a wait before I can see the cover wrapped around the 128 pages of postcards and writing that has been my preoccupation for some time now.

‘Lighthouses of the Southern Atlantic and Gulf States’

While researching these books, I have come across stories, both happy and regrettable sad tales of life for the dedicated people who chose the profession of lighthouse keeping. This edition about the southern states, for me was even more interesting to write as I was able to bring into the stories and the writing a lot more history, because of what came about with these lighthouses along the southern Atlantic coast. The Civil War and HURRICANES, hurricanes in abundance. Here is one such story:

Telegram: Houston, Texas, 7:37pm, September 9, 1900 To: Willis Moore, Chief US Weather Bureau, Washington DC. “We have been absolutely unable to hear a word from Galveston since 4:00pm yesterday…..” GL Vaughan, Manager, Western Union, Houston.

In the early morning of September 8, 1900, a hurricane of massive force struck the Gulf Coast, a Super Storm, just west of Galveston, Texas, this “Great Galveston Hurricane” was very well named, because it would prove to be the deadliest environmental disaster than any thing man made could ever come up with. With the approximately 8,000 and the roughly 2,000 more that would be lost in the other areas of the Gulf Coast, the death toll was greater than the combined Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the devastating hurricane Ike that struck the Galveston area in 2008.

At nearby Bolivar Point Lighthouse, the storm flooded the the low-lying peninsula and water broke against the base of the light. 125 people would seek protection from the approaching water and refuge from the storm as the water began to rise. The flood waters brought a halt to the train approaching the Bolivar Point Ferry Terminal. Of the more than 100 passengers and crew aboard the train, only nine waded into the waist high water to try and get to the safety of the light tower, soon the flood water surrounded the train, trapping the other souls and saw to their death. The many weary men, women and children rode out the stormy night sitting on the spiral steps that lead to the lantern room at Bolivar Point Lighthouse, and the next morning the survivors left the tower to walk upon a scene that resembled a massacre.

At Fort Point Lighthouse, a screw pile style light, located at the entrance to Galveston Bay, a row boat was sent 200 yards from the nearby Fort San Jacinto, to evacuate the light keeper Captain Anderson, his wife, Lucy and his assistant, but because of the high winds and water conditions, they would have to turn back before reaching the lighthouse. The occupants of the light were in for the fight of their lives. Many of the Fort San Jacinto personnel would ultimately drown, while many survived by hanging onto wooden doors as they floated out across Galveston Bay. Captain Anderson, kept his light burning throughout the storm, but late that evening the floodwaters carried away their storage tanks with fresh water and their lifeboat. With wind speeds at 200 miles per hour, the slate, roof shingles began to give way. The flying roof shingles would soon break the lantern glass and extinguish the light. With the first floor flooded, the light keepers made their way to the second floor, and with their hope gone they waited for the flood waters to over take them. By Sunday morning the Andersons, would see first hand the toll this hurricane brought to Galveston. They would always say the description was beyond all belief, with bodies floating everywhere as only a small part of the devastation. Unlike what Anderson had seen in the Civil War, it was not only men dying it was women and children also. An image of Fort Point Lighthouse below.

The US Light-Saving Service which at the time, was in charge of lighthouse, before the US Coast Guard took over responsibility in 1940’s, stated their motto was “You have to go out, but you do not have to come back”. Meaning that many Life-Saving Service personnel served in the worst sea and weather conditions to save the lives of many in need people. Many of their personnel would loose their lives trying to save as many lives as possible.

This is the last blog for 2024, and my hope for you is a good and healthy Christmas season and that there is great hope that new adventures will be awaiting all of us in 2025.

Many thanks to William H. Thiesen PhD, Coast Guard Atlantic Area Historian, US Lighthouse Society’s the Keepers Log, The Maritime Executive, for the informative information.

For exceptional reading to further your hopefully awaken interest, ‘Isaac’s Storm’ by Erik Larson, about a meteorologist who watched helplessly, not being able to get a warning out for help. Very well written.