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:

1. 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?
2. 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.