You've seen Casey's regular mentions of the mail being safe and sound. I'm going to give Casey a break (or have Charles do more work, not sure which) and give some background.

When planning began for this adventure Casey wanted to include an educational component. He devised a lesson plan for school kids that would emphasize the mail delivery aspect of the Butterfield Overland Mail Company. Kids from a school at his starting point of St. Louis would be matched with a correspondent school near his final destination of San Francisco. The St. Louis students would write letters and Casey would deliver them in "stagecoach" time — the San Francisco area kids would reply and send the letters by United States Postal Service .

What really makes this fun is that all the kids can follow along via the Guided By History blog, track what Casey is up to, and imagine how difficult it was 150 years ago for a letter (and any news at all) to make its way across the country.

As Casey was researching for the trip, he also connected with the amazing Ms. Hansen of Lowell Elementary in Arkansas. Adding letters from her students worked especially well since Arkansas was historically a major mail connection point.

So now Casey has two bags in the RV full of inquiring letters that he is carefully transporting. (I wonder how the mail bags compare in size to the dogs?)

Continue reading "The Mail Will Get Through!" »

Posted by Anne at 04:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Found in Animals, Branding, Dogs, Events, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Misc, Museums, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Participate, Perspective, Ride sharing, San Francisco, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

(Casey wrote this post last week and sent it to me with lots of good video. I wanted to keep it all together, as one piece, because the story is richer with words and video together. Also, Casey insists the whole story, in one place, represents our deep thanks to Garland and Lana Richards for their genuine friendship to Casey and our Butterfield Overland journey. —CR)

September 23:

Being a little behind on editing and downloading and uploading and sending video, I worked most of the morning. I finally emerged from the RV just before lunch. While I was busy working, Garland and Lana Richards' had one of their ranch hands take my flat spare tire — or as it turns out, shredded! — and replace it. Thank you again, Garland and Lana. I was truly overwhelmed by your generosity and concern for my safety.

After meeting in the Richards' office for a quick show-and-tell of the incredible research they have done on Fort Chadbourne  and the Butterfield stop that's located on the grounds, we decided lunch was necessary before we began our tour....

Continue reading "Fort Chadbourne, the Richards & Big Daddy" »

Posted by Casey at 07:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Animals, Artifacts, At Home, At Work, Barbecue, Dogs, Environment, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Misc, Museums, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Participate, Perspective, Prepare, Remember, Ride sharing, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

After a big hug, a mug of coffee and a bran muffin to go, I was off to pick up Connie Whalen, Curator of the Wells Fargo History Museum in Phoenix. It was good to see Connie, and I'm looking forward to the next 12 days with her. She quickly whipped our RV into shape, turning it from a traveling bachelor pad to a "home" in one swoop.

I know Juan is going to enjoy his break from the trip, and I wish him much rest. See you again in a couple of weeks, Juan!

Our first stop together was in Denison, Texas . We headed to Eisenhower State Park  to meet Jill Campbell of the Texas Historical Commission , Texas Heritage Trails Program . There are four regions to the program, and she covers the Texas Lakes region .

This group is amazing, and Jill was really on the ball. She contacted me months ago with offers of support for this trip. She helped arrange a tour on private property, at the landing spot of Colbert's Ferry , which carried Overland stagecoaches across the Red River near Gainesville, Texas .

What a treat this was!

We met so many great folks at the park, including Karen Watson of Texas Parks and Wildlife , Kim Phillips of the Denton Convention and Visitor Bureau  and Superintendent Paul Kisel of Eisenhower State Park. We had a great visit that included a lot of talk about fishing and catfish in particular  — which made me really hungry.

Superintendent Kisel took us to one of his favorite restaurants, specializing in fried catfish (one of my favorites!). We were joined by the aforementioned Jill Campbell and Karen Watson. The restaurant, Farm Raised Huck's Delta Goodness , claims to be a "good place to eat catfish." It was all that and more! I ordered mine "burnt," which means extra crispy. If you're ever in Denison, you have to stop at Huck's and have some fried catfish.

After great food and conversation I had to, as always, hurry on to the next stop. Sherman, Texas   was only supposed to be a quick stop before my final stop in Decatur . But that changed when I met Ivert and Jeanette Mayhugh of A Touch of Class Antique Mall   in downtown Sherman, right across from the courthouse.

First of all, A Touch of Class is a first-rate Antique mall, but what makes the place are Mr. and Mrs. Mayhugh. I know I keep saying this, but I mean it every time and particularly this time, these were the nicest folks.

And what a wealth of information and knowledge they have about local history  and so much more! I spent at least an hour with them, although it went so fast. They walked us through their Historic Exhibit Room on the third floor of their shop. In fact, I was there getting the tour until well after they closed.

The mall is located in the historic Hall Furniture Building  , now a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark . The Building was officially placed on the National Registry of Historic Places  in 2002. Any stop in Sherman must include a visit with the Mayhughs.

What a great day: a Red River adventure, friendly folks and good 'ole fried catfish! It don't (sic) get much better than that! Texas is the longest leg of the journey, and if my first day in the state is any indication of what's to come, I can't wait for tomorrow.

Posted by Casey at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Misc, Museums, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Perspective, Remember, Ride sharing, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

This year is the sesquicentennial of the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, the first transcontinental stagecoach line. Casey Gill will follow the trail of the BOMC next month and blog about it here. Behind the scenes, teams of dedicated Historians are working 'round the clock to make this historical event come to life. For you!

Casey's journey across the land is the visible piece in a huge undertaking. Lots of sweat and yes, even some tears are falling on his behalf. Behind the BOMC glitz is the seamy underbelly we call reality.

Glen Myers is a Curator in the Wells Fargo History Museum here in San Francisco The other night, Glen and I were working on some video stuff for the project, when outside the studio window came a loud CRASH. We rushed to see what was up and saw a pile of wreckage that was, only moments before, three automobiles.

"My Car!!" Glen yelped and with a single leap, he was outside. Glen's truck was parked behind another car outside the studio, and the third car of destiny came round the corner at high speed. That driver lost control and plowed into Glen's truck, which macked into the one in front.

No one was injured, and the driver of the offending vehicle was led away in a stupor and taken to the hoosegow  .

The police and emergency workers on scene were brilliant, and darn efficient. After 3 hours of police work, insurance reports and tow trucks — there was even another crime across the street that needed the police! — our night's work was through. Glen has everything worked out and we'll get back in the studio on Sunday to finish the gig. But behind the glamor of Casey's trip 'cross country, there are many stories of bravery and perseverence that might never be known. Except for this blog, which brings you the real McCoy  .

Glen's is one such story. The scars we bear are a testament to the level of committment we have to following the Butterfield Overland Mail Route. To bring it to you — our community. There is no greater sacrifice.

And we think Glen might get a Hybrid  out of it!

Posted by Charles at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Found in Branding, Crime, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Misc, Museums, Natural Disasters, Neighborhood watch, Perspective, Photographs, Prepare, San Francisco, Stagecoach, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

Posted by Charles at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Animals, At Home, Branding, Farmers, Get Involved, Holidays, Labor Day, Misc, Movies, Museums, Music, Participate, Railroads, Remember, Steamers, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank, Wells Fargo Wagon, Women's History

It's a Thursday here at the Wells Fargo History Museum in downtown Minneapolis. Thursday means vegetables — just a block away from us to the north is the Nicollet Mall Farmer's Market , held on this day every week during the summer.

It's fitting that our visitors on Thursdays are often on their way to or from the Farmer's Market: Wells Fargo has a long history of being part of agricultural businesses here in Minnesota.

When Wells Fargo came to Minnesota, it was on the Great Northern Railroad, and then on the Chicago Great Western Railroad. Our agents handled shipments of both crops and livestock. We worked with small farm families and the huge mills  along the Mississippi River. Wells Fargo express cars carried packages to and from the University of Minnesota's School of Agriculture , which opened in 1888 . There is a long list of farm produce and equipment that Wells Fargo shipped to and from Minnesota, but my favorite item is a photo from MNHS   of a shipment of beer from different breweries, including August Schell's brewery  in New Ulm, Minn.

Today, Wells Fargo supports farmers in the Midwest and throughout the US with Agricultural Business Banking, as well as Agri-Business Insurance. Our ties to the farming community remain as strong now as they were in the 1800's, and you could say that those ties have borne a lot of fruit.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go buy some pure Minnesota-made maple syrup.

Posted by Phyllis at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Found in Agriculture, At Home, Branding, Environment, Experts, Farmers, Get Involved, Minneapolis, Misc, Museums, Participate, Prepare, Railroads, Remember, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank, Wheat

We have a story in the Wells Fargo Messenger, June 1918, about Wells Fargo handling the first shipment of Harley-Davidson motorcycles by express. At the time, Harley Davidson  sent a photo to Wells Fargo and Co.'s Express, showing a railroad car backed up to the plant in Milwaukee with a load of motorcycles aboard.

So far, no one can locate the photo. But we Historians won't rest till we do!

Another example of exceptional Wells Fargo motorcycle service happened on New Years Eve, 1916. A package came into Wells Fargo's office in Oklahoma City  for shipment to Purcell , 40 miles away. It contained a new dress suit, destined for a bridegroom who would say his "I do's" that very evening at 6:00. Agents at the depot placed the package on the stack to be loaded on the last Santa Fe Railway  train to Purcell that day. But after the No. 17 left the station, it was discovered that the package had been left behind!

General agent C.B. Kinne remembered that wagon driver M.H. Childers had a motorcycle and tracked him down. Childers was instructed to personally carry the bridegroom's suit to Purcell. It was one of the coldest days of the year, but Childers set off on his mission, "slowing down to forty-five miles an hour" when he went through Norman.

The wedding was still on, thanks to motorcyclist M.H. Childers, who made it to Purcell with time to spare, at 4:45pm! I hope the couple lived happily ever after because it's such a cool story.  Whoever the groom was that day, the best man was actually from Wells Fargo — someone who really came through for the couple.

Great moments sometimes just happen on their owns, and I like to think Childers had a good time taking that package on his bike. Even if it was too cold, he got the chance to let 'er rip.

I wonder if he rode a hog... 

Posted by Charles at 04:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Found in Artifacts, At Work, Branding, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Misc, Participate, Perspective, Pony Express, Railroads, Remember, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

Wells Fargo launched the Someday Stories^SM contest recently — it's a chance to win $1,000, $10,000…even $100,000!

It's easy: Tell your story in a paragraph or two. A Someday Stories entry is a 250-words or less expression of your true financial dreams that Wells Fargo can help you achieve. Make sure you submit your dream  before July 25th.

From June 9th to August 25th, Wells Fargo is awarding $1,000 for the "Story of the Week." In July and August, five finalists will each receive $10,000 toward fulfilling their "Someday" goal. The prizes will be announced on September 17th, and a team of Wells Fargo financial professionals will help winners develop the plan to achieve their goals.

The prize delivery, financial consultation and winners telling their individual "Story" will be filmed and a two-minute clip posted online. Everyone is welcome to visit the site and vote for their favorite of the Someday Stories entries. The top vote-getter becomes the grand prize winner, and gets $100,000 on November 17th.

But wait — there's more!

When people go online to cast votes for their favorite video, they can also vote for one of three great causes: Junior Achievement , Boys & Girls Clubs of America  and Habitat for Humanity . The charity that receives the most votes gets $250,000! The second- and third-most vote-getters receive $150,000 and $50,000, respectively.

It's a pretty generous contest. So many can win money they need and deserve: organizations that help people, and individual people who dream of a brighter tomorrow — all great causes. Enter! 

Posted by Charles at 04:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in At Home, At Work, Branding, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Misc, Participate, Wells Fargo Bank

A couple weeks ago, the Olaf Wieghorst  Western Heritage Day's Festival took place in El Cajon, California. It's always great to be able to get out and interact with the public in that type of environment. After 6 years, I'm still amazed at the reaction people have when they see the stagecoach, whether it's the memories it conjures, the curiosity it piques or the awe it inspires. Men and women, young and old — so many people are drawn to it.

And because I love to educate and tell stories, it was a great time.

After spending the weekend dressed in an 1870s costume, complete with waist coat and pocket watch, answering questions and telling stories about stagecoaches and Wells Fargo history in the hot El Cajon Valley sun, I decided to take a day off.

So, here I sit with my road atlas, a well-warn copy of The Butterfield Overland Mail  by Waterman L. Ormsby, Post-it Notes  in three colors, and of course, my laptop with internet at the ready. What could I possibly be doing?

Well, if all goes as planned, I will have the unique opportunity to travel the old Butterfield mail route  from St. Louis to San Francisco. What's the occasion you ask? As many of you may know, this year is the 150th anniversary of the first overland mail trip  via the Butterfield Route .

As part of our celebration of this anniversary — which will include new interactive exhibits in our museums! — I'm hoping to recreate the trip in the same amount of time as the historic journey .

Launching from St. Louis on September 16 and arriving in San Francisco on October 10 (to what I imagine will be a ticker tape parade!), I'll spend 26 days on the road. I plan to blog, video, photograph and interview interesting people and places I see along the way.

As you can imagine, this is no small undertaking: which brings me back to the atlas, book, post it notes, etc.

Right now, I'm in the process of working out the logistics, budget, research and all else that goes into planning a trip of this kind. I can only imagine what planning, anxiety and excitement must have gone into the pioneers' and 49ers' preparations. It's been a lot of work so far, but I think it will be incredibly rewarding in the end.

I can't wait to share this experience with you! So keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted....

Posted by Casey at 04:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Agriculture, Animals, At Work, Barbecue, Baseball, Branding, Coffee, Disco, Dogs, Environment, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Hollywood, Misc, Movies, Museums, Music, Perspective, Remember, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank, Westerns

If family is the root of Black culture, as Ebony surmised in 2002 , then family reunions strengthen those roots. With a goal of preserving the family, Black family reunions have become very popular over the past decade, and many families look forward to Juneteenth as a time to reconnect.

Parades, barbecues, fishing and baseball are traditional Juneteenth activities , but the holiday is traditionally focused on education and self improvement — speakers are brought in, and elders recount events of the past. A true Juneteenth celebration leaves families and friends heart-warmed from a day of fellowship and proud of a rich history of struggle and achievement.

These days, Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom, family, education and community. There are many ways to celebrate : from an outdoor cookout with traditional foods, to a special family gathering in the home.

To learn how Juneteenth celebrations have endured and evolved, start with a reading of its history . Plan a special event, and gather the family to acknowledge the importance of the holiday. Discuss your family's history. It is important to build a connection to your past. Separation is a fact of African American history, so genealogy is more than a hobby — it is the search for identity and the establishment of legacies.

Alex Haley said , "In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage, to know who we are and where we have come from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness."

Juneteenth is a day for everyone to celebrate history and freedom, as well as an opportunity for you to understand and appreciate your family's role among the generations. History is basically events in time, but it's also so much more — it is a force (like weather, maybe?) that affects how we move forward with our lives every day.

When we help each other understand who we were and what we’ve done over time, we can each understand a little better who we are and who we can become over time.

Posted by Charles at 01:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in African American History, At Home, Get Involved, Holidays, Misc, Perspective, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Juneteenth  is a celebration that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, Union Army troops landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended.

This was two and a half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation , which took effect on January 1, 1863. The Proclamation declared that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."

The Emancipation Proclamation, despite its enduring greatness, had some practical limitations. It applied only to states that had seceded  from the Union, not to Union states where slavery still existed, nor parts of the Confederacy that were under Union control. It was also an Act issued by President Lincoln  as Commander-in-Chief of the Union Army and Navy — the freedom it promised ultimately depended upon a Union victory.

So the Emancipation Proclamation was unenforceable in slave states during the war. Millions of African Americans in Confederate states were deprived of freedom.

But with the end of the Civil War, the Proclamation took effect everywhere. Enslaved Americans were free at last.

On June 19th, 1865, two months after the war ended, soldiers commanded by Major General Gordon Granger  landed at Galveston with the news: Freedom for African Americans in Texas was officially proclaimed. Juneteenth celebrations followed in ensuing years, as many former slaves and their descendants made a pilgrimage back to Galveston on the date. The gatherings began as a time for reassurance and prayer in Jim Crow  times, and helped bring family members together.

In the recent past, a number Juneteenth Organizations have emerged with the purposes of promoting official recognition of the holiday, and to cultivate knowledge and participation in African-American history and culture. Although Juneteenth has been celebrated since 1865, it wasn't until 1979 that Texas became the first state  to make it an official state holiday.

It may have started with Emancipation, but Juneteenth has evolved into much more — for African Americans the holiday honors memory and family, and celebrates freedom, culture, and achievement.

Posted by Charles at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in African American History, Barbecue, Baseball, Events, Get Involved, Holidays, Misc, Participate, Perspective, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

So Guided By History marks its second anniversary today. That's right, two years of bringing History to The People!

Frankly, I deserve all the credit, but I want to share it because that's just the kind of guy I am — a sharer.  I choose to share credit with:

• Valerie, our best buddy in Minneapolis.

• Joel and Ed, who do more things for the production of this blog than they're actually allowed to do.

• Henrik, who pushes 3 accurate buttons for every 12 wrong ones I push. (And who really oughta consider a safer sport...)

• Tim, who thought it was a pretty good idea and probably wonders if he made the right decision.

• All my colleagues in the History world of Wells Fargo who write so well.

And of course I share credit with all of you who drop by every day and check in with us. No YOU, no Guided By History. Period.

Thanks, Everyone!!

Posted by Charles at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Experts, Get Involved, Holidays, Misc, Participate, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

A couple of months ago (October 21, 2007), Wells Fargo helped celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Sacramento Public Library . A Wells Fargo Stagecoach made an appearance and the Old Sacramento Museum staff presented a gold panning exhibition. The festivities attracted many visitors, young and old, who enjoyed gold panning   and the other activities. The most important part, however, was the celebration of the 150th anniversary  of the Public Library.

Five years after the creation of Wells Fargo in 1852, the Sacramento Public Library was created. By 1857, Sacramento was developing rapidly . The city had a railroad, city hall, newspaper, steamboat service, ten churches, brothels, theaters and a Wells Fargo Express Office. The citizenry felt it necessary to fulfill their intellectual requirements as well – so in October, prominent residents formed the Capital Library Association.

The Association sold stock at 25 dollars per share and raised $25,000 to buy books, furnish the library and purchase land for the building. The Library opened in November 1857 to subscribing members who paid five dollars initially, then two dollars and fifty cents quarterly. The first building was located at 5th and J Streets and housed a collection of 800 books.

The following year, another 800 books sailed from New York , around Cape Horn , and through the Delta  to Sacramento. By September 1873, the library had 260 subscribing members and an annual circulation of 4,234 books. Unfortunately, membership started to decline after that.

The Association offered the property to the City of Sacramento to be used as a free public library. In June 1879, the Sacramento Free Library opened with over 6,000 books. Within six months, the number of daily visitors had grown to over 100. Since then library service has continued to expand, with the opening of branch sites throughout the city's communities.

The main branch  of Sacramento's modern Public Library opened in 1992 on 9th and I Streets in a beautiful six-story building. The Library today offers so much more with exhibits, programs, book readings and events. But the 150-year history of the Library is not forgotten: those 800 books that sailed 'round the Horn  in 1858 are still a part of the Library's rare book collection.

Posted by Martha at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Get Involved, Gold, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Remember, Sacramento, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

Check out this blurb from the January, 1915 Wells Fargo Messenger. Priceless.

I wish one and all the best of Days, ever!

Posted by Charles at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Agriculture, Animals, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Holidays, Misc, Participate, Prepare, Remember, Thanksgiving, Wells Fargo Bank

The 25th anniversary of the Thanksgiving Day fire that destroyed Northwestern National Bank  (now Wells Fargo) in downtown Minneapolis is fast approaching. The fire was, at the time, the largest office fire in US history and caused an estimated $100 million in damages. The flames burned for four days and demanded the efforts of 180 firefighters. Amazingly, the first five floors of the bank building were untouched by fire. Charles Lindberg’s first plane, a "Jenny" , on display in the lobby was unscathed (Lucky Lindy lives on), as were the safe deposit boxes and vault.

A new emergency plan — quickly put into place along with computer backup files stored four blocks away (new technology in those days) — allowed the bank to continue business the next day. By the following Monday, 1,500 team members were working from new office spaces throughout town.

The empty shell of a building stood for two years until it was demolished in 1984. The city block stood empty for another four years until the construction of the Norwest Center (now called the Wells Fargo Center ). Designed by Cesar Pelli , the 57-story bank tower opened in 1989. Pelli salvaged and reused many architectural parts from the demolished 1930 bank building. “These elements," Pelli declared, "help make the connection between past and present, old and new, to strengthen the continuity through time that is the hallmark of all great cities.”

Join us in remembering the fire. Contribute your stories online at our history website. And visit the museum on Tuesday, November 20, for a reception from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. CST. Objects on display at the Wells Fargo History Museum in Minneapolis include a melted telephone retrieved from the charred office remains.

Posted by Megan at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in At Work, Fires, Get Involved, Minneapolis, Misc, Museums, Natural Disasters, Participate, Perspective, Prepare, Remember, Thanksgiving, Wells Fargo Bank

I was born and raised in Wisconsin, spent winter vacations in Upper Michigan , and spent summer vacations camping around the country. My husband was raised in Indiana, where the ice storms  are legendary. We were both taught to have an attitude of preparedness. Our cars are outfitted with jumper cables, emergency shovels, sleeping bags, windshield scrapers, and (of course) umbrellas.

We don't have hammers.

When your car falls into water, you can't open the door because of the pressure from the water. If you have manual windows, you can open a window and swim out. If you have power windows, you must break a window in order to escape. How do you prepare for this? Keep a hammer in your car, within reach of the driver's seat.

The night of the I-35W bridge  collapse, I watched regular-channel programming for the first time in two years. I watched all night. By the time the rescue efforts were called off for the night, I had finally figured something out. All along, people had been saying that there were 50 or more cars on the bridge when it collapsed. But on the news coverage, there were more like 20, if that. I finally realized that all those missing cars were underneath the part of the bridge that was in the water.

Did those people keep hammers in their cars? Could I have gotten out?

There is a running joke in Minnesota that all we can talk about is the weather . There's a good reason for that: We have a lot of weather, and it causes the natural disasters that we deal with here. We have blizzards, we have tornados, we have flooding. We don't have earthquakes, or hurricanes, or tsunamis. So, of course, we talk about the weather. But now we're talking about bridges.

The I-35W bridge across the Mississippi is as complicated in its death  as it was simple during its life . For many of us, it is as though we lost a family member. Many of us drove that bridge twice a day; I myself drove it about twice a week. Its death has caused tangled emotions and tangled conversations, no less than it has caused tangled traffic. Some of us ran to give first aid help; some of us ran for our cameras; some of us ran away. Some of us want to get as close to it as possible; some of us can't even see pictures without shedding tears. Some of us blame the mayor; some blame the governor; some blame the legislature; some blame the construction company doing repairs. Some of us want to spend more on all of our highways; some of us want to spend more on mass transit; some of us want to spend more on maintaining the status quo.

I just want to buy a hammer .

Posted by Phyllis at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Found in At Home, At Work, Events, Get Involved, Minneapolis, Misc, Museums, Natural Disasters, Perspective, Prepare, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Chris Terzich, with our Incident Management Team in Minnesota, noted my post from last October, "How Do You Prepare For Crime?" In it, I wrote:

I could use a little help. My neighborhood is being infiltrated by criminals, and I honestly don't know how to "prepare" for crime ... I want to have the right pieces in place to prevent it from happening, or to lessen the impact on my property and my peace of mind ...

How do you prepare for crime? What does the Preparedness Kit consist of?

Chris dropped me a line with some advice that sounds like the surest bet—people getting together to protect the neighborhood. To have each other's back, so to speak.

"Hi Charles," Chris wrote:

"Locks, maybe alarms and a good habit of using them are important, but the most effective, if not most efficient, way to prevent crime is to know your neighbors. National Night Out  looks to accomplish that. It seems odd that a little grillin' and chattin'  will do anything meaningful to reduce crime, but it can. After eight years in our neighborhood, I know my neighbors and they know me. They may not be home all the time, but if I leave my garage door open, or someone comes to my house when I am out of town, I can expect a call.

"It takes time, and one National Night Out may not change a whole lot, but it is a good start."

Well, that sounds pretty good to me. Grillin' and chattin'  itself is motivation enough to get to know the neighbors, even the odd ones. If it adds to the "insurance" we all need against harsh reality, so much the better. An added note—the neighborhood organized a meeting with police shortly after the original post. The cops said pretty much what Chris said. Strong neighborhoods are the surest bet to discourage crime.

And start gettin' the word out! 

Posted by Charles at 09:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in At Home, At Work, Barbecue, Crime, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Misc, Neighborhood watch, Participate, Perspective, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

Yesterday evening, the I-35W bridge between Minneapolis and St. Paul collapsed during rush hour. Many died or suffered major injuries. At this point, the rescue operations are still going on, and it's hard to know what the ultimate toll will be.

Guided By History has bloggers in Minneapolis, and there are many people who work with us in preparation and publication. We all like each other a lot, laugh a lot about some of the things we put together here, and really believe in our company and its outreach. At this point, I know some are OK. I have not heard about others, but the calls are in and I'm waiting to hear.

The whole thing freaked me out because these are people I know and care about. I've been to Minneapolis on business, winter and summer, and it's a wonderful place. We have a terrific relationship with the Minnesota Historical Society  in St. Paul. Twin Cities people are my neighbors, and I feel this tragedy deeply.

Please contact the Red Cross chapter in Minneapolis  and do what you can to help. If you are part of this blog community, send an email or comment to let me know how you're holding up.

Posted by Charles at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Found in Events, Get Involved, Minneapolis, Misc, Museums, Natural Disasters, Perspective, Wells Fargo Bank

In May 1976, Wells Fargo Bank's Corporate Responsibility Committee found vanpools  "offer significant potential energy savings." The committee recognized the energy conservation that could be realized by such a program and referred it to the appropriate departments in the bank for implementation.

Environmental consciousness  developed quickly in the 1970s, thanks to the protest movements of the '60s and to the overwhelming pollution scourging the nation. In 1973, the gas crisis  raised prices at the pump and caused a major upheaval in the way Americans thought about their cars. (Check this outstanding report  on it.) Conservation became an important method for balancing supply with demand. People were looking for ways to save gas.

One method was to carpool, to find others who were going the same place and double up. In time, casual carpools  emerged as a way to commute. But vanpooling was the big idea that bridged business support with individual commuter habits. Businesses sponsor the vans and their maintenance, while rider-workers pay a reasonable fare and drive. The vans have dedicated routes, from a neighborhood to a business location.

The whole thing has worked pretty well, considering the long list  of vanpool and ride-sharing programs that exist. And the United States Environmental Protection Agency  actually rates the best programs and models the best areas for these programs.

But back in those halcyon '70s , when all this was the juncture of critical problem and forward thinking, the concept of riding together with people who were not family was new. But for Wells Fargo, the idea wasn't so new. From the beginning, the company supported the idea of taking as many passengers as the vehicle could handle!

Posted by Charles at 08:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Environment, Get Involved, Misc, Participate, Perspective, Prepare, Remember, Ride sharing, Stagecoach, Vanpools, Wells Fargo Bank

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