John Parker House

On our mini vacation last Fall we also visited the Parker House a National Historic Landmark, home of African-American abolitionist, John Parker.

He was the son of a black woman and white plantation owner in Virginia born in 1827.

He was sold to a doctor and was taught illegally to read.

His last owner allowed him to purchase his freedom in 1845 by earning extra money at a foundry.

A former slave who became a successful patented inventor and businessman.

He made Ripley, Ohio his home.

Ripley was a thriving abolitionist town, with over 300 members in the Ripley Anti-Slavery Society.

From his Front Street home he is credited with assisting hundreds of slaves to make their way north to freedom.

The borderlands along the Ohio River was waged around a few houses at the top of the river bank on Front Street.  The occupants of these houses were called the Midnight Marauders, very secretive and silent in their ways, but trustworthy and friendly to fugitive slaves.

His foundry sat where this park is today, next to his house.    

He has two patents for agricultural inventions, the earliest granted an African-American..

He married Miranda Boulden of Cincinnati, my Nati City.

Parker frequently crossed the Ohio River directly across from his home to bring fugitive slaves into Ohio, keeping the Underground Railroad filled with passengers.

During the Civil War, he was a major recruiter for the 27th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (Colored) Regiment. 

Parker was well-known for his activities, and there was a $1,000 price on his head across the river in Kentucky.

Thanks for being a friend

Traveling down the road and back again

Your heart is true and your a friend mine

Signing Off

Sweet William The Scot

Psss ~ In doing Lee's Ancestry research we found her 2nd great-grandfather, Aaron Stratton, was part of the 59th Ohio Infantry in the Union Army during the Civil War.  It was organized at Ripley, Ohio, September 12, 1861.  He was at the Battle of Shiloh.

Got to get to the Beach Party at Dory's Backyard!

Like a hula, hula hoop, hula, hula hoop, oh
Round and round your loving winds me up!

Do the Hula

Easter Greetings 2017

Happity Hoppity Easter Friends!

I thought I would show you what it takes for my Lee to make my postcard every year.

First Lee makes the paper.  Well that is sort of a misnomer.  You take scrap paper that we like the color of and shred it and put it into the blender with water to form a loose paste.  Then you pour it onto a screen and press with another screen. 

Sometimes we add flower seeds to our paper.

When it dries you very gently pull it off the screen.

We find vintage postcards at tag sales that Lee likes to somewhat imitate together to form our one card.

We spray an additive on before Lee starts to sketch so the color is less likely to run.

We use calligraphy pens with different color inks and watercolor paints.  Pens for detail and brushes for background.

You have to work around the picture and let it dry often so the colors don't bleed and it takes awhile.

When finished we spray again.  Then we have the postcard printed.

From a plain piece to a painted postcard.

Last year, 2016, now look!

Our creeping phlox that we planted on our newly built stone wall last year looks beautiful for Easter.

Our other stone wall has blue myrtle flowers blooming and ivy.

 Lee says no pee pee here. 

This year Lee is trying white roses and white hydrangea and red tulips for our table setting with blue dyed eggs.

Thanks for being a friend
Traveling down the road and back again

Your heart is true and your a friend mine

Signing Off
Sweet William The Scot