mentoring event

i had the day off from work today, so i could attend the year-end mentoring event at a local college. we did an odd thing on the football field, using solar bags. one of them almost was taken away by the wind. we also got to see a speech by a former pro football player that became a judge. i made sure to get a picture of it, as my student in this program was on the stage to accept the scholarship he was awarded at the ceremony. i liked having the chance to see 'millionaire', and 'jeopardy', 2 game shows i like,as the event was done in the early afternoon.

now for more shared research about emerson hough, the man. i liked finding articles last week, and i am looking at the copies as i write. on top is the one about the school's dedication, from january 19,1927. kind of ironic one early comment in it, due to the ordeal we face now about the school board's unpopular vote to close the school. james rhodes thanked the school board for having done their part in perpetuating the name of such an illustrious author, and in their having put the official stamp of approval of the newton schools upon the superlative work done by emerson hough in the field of american literature. other titles in the article included 'practiced law in the west', 'faced all discouragements', 'historian novelist of the midwest', and 'perpetuates history of west'. it's sad how so many are unaware of history. hello, school board, i'm talking to you! same sentiment expressed in a recent newton daily news editorial.

the next copy here is of the first national convention of the izaak walton league, the date manually written on it was april 21,1923. given by the chicago chapter, it lists hough as a guest of honor as he is a national director. hough died just over a week later, on april 30. so this was a busy time in his life, as the chicago premiere of his movie 'covered wagon' was april 23. next one has 2 articles, one is called 'newton claims e.h.' from november 20,1920. apparently he gave a speech back in newton on this date.
the other is about his death, 'famous alumnus, e.h., dies'. it is dated may 4, and said 'news of his death reached newton on monday'. well we all know how news didn't travel as fast then, i know radio became common in that decade but it would have been the greatest media available.
now for the more recent articles. both are from the newton daily news. it is dated august 19,1987, titled 'conservationist e.h. well-known by a few residents'. there is a picture of hough, i recognize it as being one just like in the delbert wylder bio about hough that i have. there are also pictures of the stone marker at his boyhood home, across the street from the school. but no picture of the school, though early in the article it says the school is about the only thing keeping his memory alive today. the biggest picture is of a 'creel', which looks like a wicker basket. the caption says the newton chapter of the izaak walton league displays this memento of one of its founding members. and of course the newton chapter is named for him.

the next big article is from 2001 or later, i think. big headline, 'the legacy of emerson hough'. above the headline is a picture of the school. a small picture of hough, a covered wagon from the 'ft. emerson hough' playground, the cover of 'story of outlaw'- with billy the kid on the cover- along with the cover of 'passing of the frontier'. final picture is of the boyhood home. titles in the article include: e.h. the man, e.h. the author, and e.h. the legacy. the main thing mentioned in the legacy is the school, and the renovation over the years, including construction of the 'fort' playground. also poignant is the final line in the article, stating that many community members may be unaware of the history behind the school, the fort and former resident e.h. but his legacy lives on and awaits discovery through his literary works and his impact on american history. there is only a brief mention of the co-founding of 'ike's' and the newton chapter.
there are other articles here, but i should save them for a later day.

history is not just something one reads in books. it is meant to be experienced and learned and cherished and preserved. i have a lot of passion about this ordeal since i majored in history. from studying it, i understand better how- and why- things are the way they are today. mr. hough's legacy is at stake here! i wasn't about to stand idly by while it is in jeopardy. so it means reporting in this medium here for others to discover.