While traveling, we’ve come across some people, primarily men, who have changed their worlds. Since these discoveries were so significant, we want to keep track of them in one post so we could easily find them. Be sure to check out the full posts to see more of the details.
Henry Ford – Deerfield, Michigan (northern Midwest 2018 trip)
We’ve come across Henry Ford’s influence before outside of Savannah, Georgia, in Richmond Hills, but in our northern Midwest 2018 trip, we visited his museum and Greenfield Village and were amazed all over again. Mr. Ford changed the landscape of people who worked for him and worked around him.
Greenfield Village originally was a school for local children so they could both learn in a classroom and then put learning into action in the different areas of the village. Following Ford’s interest in “learning by doing,” students at the Edison Institute School studied in the buildings and learned from the collections. More than 270 students were attending kindergarten through college by the late 1930s. (student information comes from encyclopedia.com)
Richard King and King Ranch – outside of Corpus Christi (southwest swing 2019 trip)
Mr. King single-highhandedly changed the cattle industry in Texas. First he raised longhorns and drove them to the railroad yards in Kansas City; the longhorns could handle the hot weather but didn’t have much meat on them. When a railroad line was built close by, he started breeding Brahman bulls from India that were used to hot weather with English shorthorn that had great beef. He named the new breed after the creek that ran through his property.
Later on he realized his cowboys needed better horses, so he bred his thoroughbreds that he raced with quarter horses that were quick but could only run a quarter of a mile. These new horses could run long distances and still work the cattle.
Not only did he change the cattle industry and create a new breed of horses, he provided homes for his cowboys and their families and education for their children. Even the truck industry benefited from his ranch.
Mrs. King was responsible for eliminating most of the rattlesnakes in the area and being the first teacher for the workers’ children.
Wayne Cartledge – along the Rio Grande and now in Big Bend Natl. Park (southwest swing 2019)
Businessman Wayne Cartledge recognized that cotton could be grown in the river-bottom fields in 1922. He also introduced steam- and gasoline-powdered irrigation pumps to boost his harvests. In 1923, he started “ginning” his cotton before selling it, increasing its value.
The trading post he built up supported his workers and families across the river in Mexico since movement between the 2 countries happened every day. He single-handedly brought some prosperity through industry to an area that had only known old world family practices.
Heinrich Dangberg – Carson Valley, Nevada (southwest swing 2019 trip)
Mr. Dangberg came to the U.S. from Germany in the mid-1850s. With his hard work and determination, he built up his ranch and farm to become the largest and most prosperous in Nevada. His sons took over the family business but didn’t do well with it in the end, but one son actually created the planned city of Minden so his daughters would have a nice place to live with people worthy of him.
view visitors saw when came for parties.
Henry Goulding and his wife Leone (whom he called Mike) – Monument Valley in Utah (southwest swing 2019 trip)
Mr. Goulding discovered and then explored this area after WWI as a sheep inspector for the federal government. He brought his young wife here to build a trading post for the Navajos and create a life for them. This trading post was a lifeline for the Navajos, and the Gouldings made life so much easier for their Navajo friends.
During the Depression when everyone was hit hard, Mr. Goulding and Mike went to Hollywood with photos of Monument Valley and finally were able to meet with John Ford, convincing him to film his next movie, Stagecoach, where they lived starring a new actor, John Wayne. This meeting started a love affair with Hollywood resulted in many films and TV commercials filmed in this beautiful place. Navajos were always hired as the extras in the early Westerns. Even a scene from Forest Gump.
The actors and production people needed a place to stay, so the Gouldings started a resort, opened a restaurant, and built an airstrip that are all being used today. Later on a bigger grocery store and a gas station were added to the complex to serve all of us who stay in this area.
