Please send suggestions for future episodes: Suggestions@TheHistoryGuy.net. [] years earlier, The New England Hurricane of 1938, one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, had struck without warning and killed more []. Woodrow Wilson Nickel is a 17-year old boy who left his home in TX during the dust bowl to live with his relative. It's 1938. : https://thehistoryguyguild.locals.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryGuyYT/Please send suggestions for future episodes: Suggestions@TheHistoryGuy.net. Sixty years ago this week, the San Diego AeroSpace Museumrenamed the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 2006opened to the public in Balboa Park. The storm hit seven days after I was born in Northampton, Mass. West with Giraffes: A Novel 9781542023344 | eBay As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration. } Explore Jim Widmer's photographs of the Friday fish fry dinner tradition in Wisconsin. . Glover/Barton VT to be precise. 1999. Just finished this wonderful book!! Instead of running away from the crazed primate, she stretched out her arms and caught it in mid-air and carried it back to its pen. Awesome The History Guy merchandise is available at: Few paid attention to the stormbarreling up the coast. Her fictional account follows the giraffe truck across the Lee Highway and illustrates the scenes of America in 1938. i loved the idea of the story, a road trip from new york to california with two young giraffes, the only part of the book that is non-fiction. One of the aspects of the novel I enjoyed the most was the depiction of Belle Benchleysweet but tough, and highly respected. So all in all, it's really well done: a great escape, completely enjoyable, and if you are an animal lover who cares about animal rights and avoiding the final sixth extinction, you'll be especially satisfied. In the novel West with Giraffes, Woody Nickel, is a seventeen-year-old dirt-farm rowdy, pure as a cow pie, cunning as a wild hog bound to escape the Texas Panhandle (and any law enforcement that might be looking for him). I have some books printed the next year , with 100s of picture , tv, nh, ri, and ct I have a book for each. The youngest child, just turned 2, was with her and a tree limb fell and gave him a bad cut on his head. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Lofty and Patches became national figures, From the Archives: In 1893 Jos Gabriel was the first inmate to be executed at San Quentin, From the Archives: 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee galvanized the modern American Indian Movement, From the Archives: The queens 1983 visit to San Diego drew a crowd, From the Archives: Egg poached to save condor 40 years ago. I would give this book ten stars if possible. This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Sold! He done a grand job and he knew it. A crane was used to lower the giraffe crates out of the truck and onto terra firma. It touched me more deeply than anything Ive read in years!! The story is set around a truly extraordinary real life occurrence that took place in 1938. Smith, who was quick to express his affection for Lofty--the giraffe that didnt kick him--directed that his crate be the first to be unloaded by the whirring, grinding, chug-chugging crane. Little did anyone now that in September 1938, during the final few days of their trip, these animals bound for San Diego would encounter what was then the most devastating hurricane to hit the upper East Coast, killing nearly 700 people. San Diego Zoo. This was on his retirement day. abbvie ceo richard gonzalez wife; how far is haddonfield, illinois from chicago . . There is not a man now on the animal staff who is not in the work because he would rather be in it than anywhere else in the world, and because he feels that his contribution is important to the Zoo and to the community. According to Ken Stott, a former San Diego Zoo curator, . Of course, I knew your zoo history background already, so I was delighted to see your additions to this beautiful story. Life Magazine Digital Archive. 1940. In normal conditions this would be a rough trip, especially for temperature-sensitive giraffes, which were placed in crates and forced to endure whatever the high seas threw at them. Shared post - San Diego's Hurricane Giraffes - locals As one of the most costly hurricanes to hit the U.S. mainland, it caused damage later estimated at $308 million. The physiological demands of that long neck get support from a gene involved in strengthening bones and blood vessels, researchers find after inserting the sequence in mice. The Great 1938 Hurricane took almost everyone by surprise. How do you mess up a story about two giraffes, an orphaned boy, a hurricane, and a cross country trip? Show more What happened on that ship during the storm is almost too crazy to be true. [], [] Sailing master Joseph Kemp compared the Portland Gale to the Great Hurricane of 1938. Survivor. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. First giraffes arrived at San Diego Zoo by truck in 1938 West with Giraffes is a wonderful novel based on the true story of the cross-country road trip America's first giraffes took in 1938. Location: Urban Jungle. The stormblew down so many trees that paper mills processed them for nine years. Another indication that Benchley was loved by the zoo staff came after she found herself in the hospital for eleven weeks following an auto accident. One of the giraffes is hurt and the cage is crushed around her. At 8:15 pm electric power went out and with it the fire . Empower curiosity about the people, places, and stories of our past. .printfriendly { It was the voice of the narrator that I struggled with. Charley Smith was certainly the man for the job. According to Benchley, Our relations as Boss and Man-Friday are ludicrously funny, and when he thinks he is working for me I am overjoyed. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. Volume 1: The Founding Era, 19161953. With the necessary funds, zoo director Belle Benchley, the first female zoo director in the world, paid for two young Ugandan giraffes and one rhinoceros to be shipped from Africa in 1938. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 - Damage Photos Weather.gov > New York, NY > The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 - Damage Photos Current Hazards Current Conditions Radar Forecasts Rivers and Lakes Climate and Past Weather Local Programs The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 82nd Anniversary - September 21, 1938 Above, Bushnell Park in Hartford after the storm. The hurricane blew the house pictured above onto railroad tracks. The storm hit Long Island and Southern . Im so glad you enjoyed it! Train travel did not allow that freedom. It destroyed cemeteries, slammed boats into shore, uprooted entire orchards and smashed structures into splinters. .primary-navigation-wrap{background-color:transparent}.main-navigation-menu a:hover,.main-navigation-menu a:hover:after,.main-navigation-menu a:active,.main-navigation-menu a:active:after{color:#fff !important}.main-navigation-menu li.current-menu-item>a,.main-navigation-menu li.current-menu-item>a:after:hover,.main-navigation-menu ul .menu-item-has-children>a:after:hover,.widget_wpcom_social_media_icons_widget ul li a{color:#fff !important}.widget_tag_cloud div a:link,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:link,.widget_tag_cloud div a:hover,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:hover,.widget_tag_cloud div a:active,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:active,.widget_tag_cloud div a:visited,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:visited,.wp_widget_tag_cloud div a:link,.footer-widgets .wp_widget_tag_cloud div a:link,.wp_widget_tag_cloud div a:hover,.footer-widgets 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a:visited{color:#000}button:hover,input[type="button"]:hover,input[type="reset"]:hover,input[type="submit"]:hover,button:focus,input[type="button"]:focus,input[type="reset"]:focus,input[type="submit"]:focus,button:active,input[type="button"]:active,input[type="reset"]:active,input[type="submit"]:active,.widget_wpcom_social_media_icons_widget ul li a:hover,.more-link:hover,.more-link:active,.widget_tag_cloud .tagcloud a,.entry-tags .meta-tags a,.widget_tag_cloud div a,.wp_widget_tag_cloud div a,.post-navigation .nav-links a:hover,.post-navigation .nav-links a:active,.post-pagination a,.post-pagination .current,.infinite-scroll #infinite-handle span,.post-slider-controls .zeeflex-direction-nav a:hover,.post-slider-controls .zeeflex-direction-nav a:active{background:#000}.site-header,.main-navigation-menu ul,.footer-widgets-wrap{background:#000}.header-bar-wrap{background:#000}.primary-navigation-wrap,.footer-wrap,.top-navigation-menu ul{background:#000}a,a:link,a:visited,.widget-title,.widget_flickr #flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:link,.widget_flickr #flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:visited,.archive-title,.page-title,.entry-title,.entry-title a:link,.entry-title a:visited,.comments-header .comments-title,.comment-reply-title span{color:#b43412}button,input[type="button"],input[type="reset"],input[type="submit"],.main-navigation-menu a:hover,.main-navigation-menu a:active,.main-navigation-menu li.current-menu-item>a,.widget_wpcom_social_media_icons_widget ul li a,.more-link,.entry-tags .meta-tags a:hover,.entry-tags .meta-tags a:active,.widget_tag_cloud div a:hover,.widget_tag_cloud div a:active,.wp_widget_tag_cloud div a:hover,.wp_widget_tag_cloud div a:active,.post-navigation .nav-links a,.post-pagination a:hover,.post-pagination a:active,.post-pagination .current,.infinite-scroll #infinite-handle span:hover,.main-navigation-toggle,.main-navigation-toggle:active,.main-navigation-toggle:focus,.main-navigation-toggle:hover,.main-navigation-menu .submenu-dropdown-toggle:hover,.main-navigation-menu .submenu-dropdown-toggle:active,.post-slider-controls .zeeflex-direction-nav a{background:#b43412}.primary-navigation-wrap,.main-navigation-menu ul,.widget,.type-post,.type-page,.type-attachment,.comments-area,.sticky,.page-header,.main-navigation-menu-wrap{border-color:#b43412}blockquote{border-left-color:#b43412}.rtl blockquote{border-right-color:#b43412} In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. My 92 year old father is still talking about it, Our summer house is in Misquamicut which was wiped out. [], [] This story was updated in 2018. Our giraffe habitat lets you get amazingly close to these tremendously tall creatures. My sister passed it on to me and knew Id enjoy it. I had read about the true story of the famous hurricane giraffes when I conducted research for my story on Belle Benchley, but I thank Lynda Rutledge for writing this work of fiction, which left me with the desire to learn more about them. and ocean . Wisconsin Historical Society Archives, 4th Floor, Madison, Wisconsin. Afterward, the hurricane left only three. The crate containing the female giraffe rolled and rolled until it shattered to pieces. A woman stands on the running board of an International D-40 truck to feed a captive giraffe in transport. 2.5 stars, *When reading this, one will develop an strong urge to head to the nearest zoo and see giraffes (maybe even feed them; you can at the Colorado Zoo!)*. Hence, West with Giraffes. and sweet foreign farm dung. For a farm boy who grew up listening to his father prattle on that animals were nothing more than food, this experience was life-changing. They were instant successes, and beloved by staff and visitors alike. Giraffe | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants While hiding out at the barn in Athenia, Woody does his own acquainting with the giraffessneaking into the paddock to feed them apples and onions, and checking on the injured girl. 1938 Atlantic hurricane season Season summary map Seasonal boundaries First system formed January 3, 1938 (record earliest) Last system dissipated November 10, 1938 Strongest storm Name "Great New England Hurricane" Maximum winds 160 mph (260 km/h) (1-minute sustained) Lowest pressure 940 mbar(hPa; 27.76 inHg) Seasonal statistics That isn't much compared to what Hurricane Harvey did to Houston last month, dumping up to 50 inches of rain, but our hills and narrow valleys channel the water, producing much . (And New York would not experience one as destructive until Hurricane Sandy in 2012.) Itwashed away railroad tracks, sent bridges downstream and downed electrical wires, leaving some New Englanders without electricity for weeks. body.custom-background { background-color: #505050; } West with Giraffes - Sharon Virts | Author Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. My Mother remembers a tree falling through their roof in North Conway, NH. They never have kept house together before, and just o make sure they do not kick the daylights out of each otherand make the Zoos $7500 investment worth no more than the current quotation on dead giraffesthe animals were shown to separate apartments for the time being. There were many reasons giraffes were hard to come by for Americas first zoos. It then took two years for the 50 CCC camps and 15,000 WPA workers in the region to finish the job. Looking Up | San Diego Zoo 100 Almost 700 people perished as the result of the storm, and 2,000 were injured. However, as soon as she was upright the crew could see that her left rear ankle was severely injured. Giraffes at Lion Country Safari remained outdoors and kept their heads down during Hurricane Irma. The blowdowns posed a dilemma: What to do with enough woody debris to nearly fill Rhode Island? At one point in the novel, Old Man stops at the zoo in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the night to procure some medication for Girls wounded leg. Hurricane Sweeps Coast. New York Times (September 22, 1938): 1, 1618. 2 vols. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Traveling shows displayed them as early as 1837; however, they were difficult to capture and transport, making them expensive to procure. Erosion from the Great 1938 hurricane. In 1938, America was looking for a feel-good tale to help them through the threat of Hitler in Europe and the continuing Great Depression. Determined to meet his cousin at that Brooklyn dock, he arrived only to find that his cousin was killed on board the Goodfellow during the hurricane. This is a good book for the whole family to read. Enjoy this live view of the African Plains habitat that comes to you from the Kijamii Overlook at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Subscribe for more forgotten history: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ?sub_confirmation=1. As I looked for more historical information, I found your page. Told through the memory of an aged veteran, the story is set against the background of the Dust Bowl, the Depression and the advent of a World War. The hurricane chewed away at roadbeds, like Shore Drive in Winthrop, Mass., above. San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. i guess this is supposed to build up suspense and have the reader on the edge of their seat, waiting with bated breath for the secret to be revealed. She indeed fills our imagination with a journey full of colorful characters, tall tales, and deep secrets. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), his wish for giraffes at the National Zoo, https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/3298.html, https://library.sandiegozoo.org/sdzg-history-timeline/#1930, http://timeline.sandiegozoo100.org/1930/1930-3/, https://www.sandiegozoo100.org/100-animals/lofty-and-patches, https://www.sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/timeline/1938/1938/, https://issuu.com/sdzglobal/docs/march_zn. It is history that deserves your help! I remember hearing my dad talk about this and how it affected the trees. It was some time before they found out. The San Diego Zoo: The First Century. Red was an aspiring photojournalist trying to sell her giraffe story to Life magazine. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. . Along with the rhino, the food for the giraffes was lost as well. The narrator is the orphan, now 100 years old and nearing death, who has decided that he cant let the story die with him. The country had endured a Great Depression, filling the landscape with Hoovervilles and shantytowns, WPA and CCC projects, and migrants searching for a better life. border: none; } The first part of their journey involved sailingaboard a ship from Africa. It's harder to imagine hauling two of them across the United States during the Dust Bowl. Giraffes Proud Parents at the San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (August 28, 1952): 15. Total cost of the storm for the East End of Long Island alone was estimated to be $6.2 million (1938) Almost 50 . Schroeder was a former zoo veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo and would later become the zoos director after Benchley retired in 1953. A total of 4,500 homes were destroyed and 25,000 damaged. . West with Giraffes. West with Giraffes - Zoo Walks Through History Non censuram.Please send suggestions for future episodes: Suggestions@TheHistoryGuy.netThe History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered is the place to find short snippets of forgotten history from five to fifteen minutes long. Riley Jones is hired to handle the giraffes and get them across the country. .pf-button-img { 'jetpack-lazy-images-js-enabled' A Cherry & Webb employee drowned during the Hurricane of 1938 while trying to rescue the stores furs in the Providence stores [], [] waves in the hopes ofreaching the Pendleton, an oil tanker that had snapped in two during the fierce storm. Eighty-mile-an-hour winds lashed the coast and the torrential downpour caused rivers and streams to overflow. Around 60 people died on Long Island - 29 of them at or near Westhampton Beach. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. They also turned a profit for the first time in the zoos 22-year history. At 12:30 PM, a 30-foot bank of what looked like fog rolled in toward Long Island. The Great Hurricane of 1938 in Photos | The Weather Channel Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. Three improbable protagonists take it upon themselves to transport two giraffes, that survived a 1938 hurricane at the end of their trans-Atlantic crossing, in a trans-continental adventure from New York to San Diego. Before the storm, 100 boats fished the waters between Point Judith, R.I., and New London. Woman on Truck with Giraffe - Wisconsin Historical Society So very touching and heart wrenching!! Lynda Rutledge - West with Giraffes The hurricane also tossed the lighthouse tender Tulip, pictured above, ashore. Another regular occurrence, this one fictional, was the sighting of a fancy green Packard, driven by a redhead full of determination. If you'd like to read more about the 1938 hurricane, click here. box-shadow: none; They prepared to transport the animals across the country to San Diego, in the tall, oddly shaped crates that had been custom built for the purpose. I too felt the love for the giraffes and all animals really. So preciousIt reminded me of my days at the St Louis Zoo and Bill Ross the elephant man. All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. I absolutely loved this book! During that time they had seven offspring, including aptly named D-Day, born June 6, 1944. I Has it been made into a movie, or any chance it might be? I highly recommend the book: Sudden Sea by R. A. Scotti. San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. Visit our other Wisconsin Historical Society websites! Hooray Lynda Rutledge. Giraffe Transport with International D-40 Truck | Photograph After three days of being fed pancakes (and the giraffes are indeed fed pancakes at one point in the novel), she mustered up the energy to pull herself up. A charming and wondrous enchantment of a novel Sunday, February 14, 2021 Michelle Newby Lancaster HISTORICAL FICTION Lynda Rutledge West with Giraffes: A Novel Lake Union Publishing Hardcover (also available as an e-book, an audiobook, on audio CD, and in paperback), 978-1-5420-2174-6, 356 pgs., $24.95 February 1, 2021 The Modern Ark: The Story of Zoos: Past, Present and Future. I have been recommending it to everyone! } http://www.philbowie.com, [] The Great Hurricane of 1938destroyed nearly all the buildings in the seaside village of Sakonnet Point in Little Compton, R.I. [], [] Great 1938 Hurricane created several ghost towns along the coast. Giraffe to leave his crate was another matter. A giraffe could look into a second-story window without even having to stand on its tiptoes! Records Provide Reminder of Devastating 1938 Hurricane I seldom read books more than once, but this one I will return to again in the future! She also had a vocabulary that she kept in reserve that the [former] circus men could understand. The keepers came to call her Boss. She let them know that she admired their work, and responded to her with both respect and affection. I hope to die there, I do. Image-purchasing questions? Sometimes the men even stopped under appropriate food trees and let Lofty and Patchesstretch stretch their necks up for an afternoon snack. The 130-foot storm-ravaged cargo ship finally reached soggy and mangled Brooklyn on September 23. If you like history too, this is the channel for you.Subscribe for more forgotten history: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ?sub_confirmation=1.Awesome The History Guy merchandise is available at:https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-guyScript by JCG#history #thehistoryguy #SanDiego He tried alfalfa and molasses. Use the links below to plan your visit to the Society's Archives. Crazy Facts About the 1938 Hurricane | LongIsland.com Perhaps you will fall in love with those giraffes and enjoy the adventures of Old Man and Woody as much as I did. The AMC breached the contract once, after the Great Hurricane of 1938 required downed trees to be [], [] Snow called the High Tide Storm of 1723 one of the big four New England storms. The keepers and other staff members would visit her daily; [s]ometimes as many as eight would come during the same day or evening, she recalled. They survived, although the female was injured. float: right; Copyright 2023 Rumble. Lynda Rutledge - News & Events Footage of two giraffes transported on the highway before - YouTube lofty and patches giraffes 1938 - shahinctasc.com All the kids screaming,its the end of the world.. Begin or dive deeper into researching your family tree, Learn about the spaces, places, & unique story of your community, The largest North American Heritage collection after the Library of Congress. 2016. https://www.sandiegozoo100.org/100-animals/lofty-and-patches. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. } San Diego's Hurricane Giraffes - Rumble Initially they refused to leave their traveling carriers but were eventually lured out with onions. border: none; What we called highways were barely tolerable for transporting people much less chauffeuring giraffes. . You can purchase the bow tie worn in this episode at The Tie Bar: https://www.thetiebar.com/?utm_campaign=BowtieLove\u0026utm_medium=YouTube\u0026utm_source=LanceGeigerAll events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. -webkit-box-shadow: none; outline:none; You can purchase the bow tie worn in this episode at The Tie Bar:https://www.thetiebar.com/?utm_campaign=BowtieLove&utm_medium=YouTube&utm_source=LanceGeiger. Print out this index page and present it to the librarian. He's so upset that he wants to set down on paper his story about driving two young giraffes across the United States. The damage was horrific. I headed to San Diego and their new zoo, where Id heard that the animals get treated better than the people. z-index: 1000; position: relative display: flex; align-items: center; Check out our new community for fans and supporters! Now the incident is under review. The National [], The Great 1938 Hurricane, A Once-In-A-Lifetime Storm, Cherie Burns. cursor: pointer; Author Lynda Rutledge found inspiration for this story while browsing the San Diego Zoo archives and includes a number of the original articles in her book. DeLeon, Clark. News of the storm-tossed ship had reached reporters, and they gathered on the dock to get the story. The crates holding giraffes Lofty and Patches are loaded onto the truck from the ship in New York, 1938. . 1938: Giraffes Lofty and Patches arrive (survived a hurricane on the journey to the United States) 1940: Benchley publishes My Life in a Man-Made Jungle; 1941: Dr. Harry Wegeforth dies at the age of 59; zoo plants its own garden to save money during the war When she sent him on a collecting trip to Africa in 1940, she noted, I am quite sure that we shall not hear much about Charleys trip until his return. Growing fame. (Side note: these events occurred one year after young Nicky Arundel got his wish for giraffes at the National Zoo.). February 27, 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No Comments . Worley, Karen E. 2016. Pictures taken just after unloading from ship.". Lynda Rutledge, a lifelong animal lover, has had the joy of petting baby rhinos, snorkeling with endangered turtles, and strolling with a tower of giraffes as a freelance journalist while winning awards for her fiction.