TOURS OF DOGTOWN
When I put this link up I had planned that by this summer (2000) I would have both
walking tours and bicycle tours ready to offer on a regular basis. Well, I've just
gotten so busy with working on the web site that I haven't gotten this off the ground
and am not likely to until AT LEAST the summer of 2002. I will be spending the entire
calendar year of 2001 in Vienna, Austria.
However, I would be willing to do a personally designed tour for any who want it. Just
e-mail me and we'll work out the details.
For those who have some of my own craziness and might want something very different,
I have two things I want to do and would love to have others do these things with
me, thus motivating me to get to it. They are:
- A walking tour to "eyeball" candidate century houses. I have catalogued the entire
U.S. Federal Census for this area for 1900. You may
see that census by clicking here. I now have a list of every house address where someone was living in
1900. Now I want to walk around and LOOK at each address and eliminate any houses I can
as serious candidates as century homes. I suspect there are a couple of hundred homes
still standing in Dogtown which are more than 100 years old - pre-World's Fair homes. Want to go house eyeballing with
me and my census list?
- The 19th century local economy was dominated by mining and brick making. I have
identified 15 brick factories which were actually IN the neighborhood and employed many
of the people. I'll soon have a better idea how many, as I analyze the employment records
in the 1900 census. This got me interested in the bricks made in these factories. I
made a chart of the 15 factories. You may see that
chart by clicking here. Then I recently started a collection of local bricks. I only
have TWO at this time, one from Laclede Brick Co. and one from Evens and Howard. Neither
is a very perfect specimen, but a brick and one can read the name.
I now plan to start "hunting" bricks in odd places, old lots, along the Manchester railroad
tracks and so on. I WELCOME YOU TO BRING A STICK TO ROOT WITH AND TO COME ALONG WITH
ME BRICK HUNTING! Prime rule: Corbett gets first refusal on any bricks found. :)
I know, I know, these are not one's typical "tour." But, its the best I can offer at the
moment. But, these offers are serious. Just contact me by e-mail if you are interested.
Bob Corbett
corbetre@webster.edu