Unique Historic Structure may be Lost

Yes, there are many, many historic structures endangered by neglect. But you have to admit, Hangar One at Sunnyvale's Moffett Field is pretty exceptional.

This enormous structure, which covers more than 8 acres, was built to house the USS Macon, a Navy scouting and recon dirigible. The Macon itself was pretty exceptional - it was one of the largest helium airships ever built, and actually carried five Sparrowhawk biplanes, making it the world's only flying aircraft carrier!

The Macon crashed in 1953, after less than two years of service.

The historic Hangar One may become a victim of budget battles between the US Navy and NASA. The structure needs a costly environmental clean-up, and in these days of tight budgets, nobody has been willing to commit to the costs of restoration and maintenance.

For more about the structure and the battle to preserve it, visit preservationnation.org

SteamPunk Macintosh

There's something wonderfully demented about modifying a state-of-the-art computer to look like it was built in the 1800's. Kudos to Dave Veloz for his beautiful Mac Mini conversion.

Read more about this project (and see lots of great photos) at the Steampunk Workshop website.

Capture the History of the SF Earthquake

The San Francisco earthquake struck the Bay Area one hundred years ago today. Much has been written about this fascinating event, but one thing to note is that we're almost beyond the point when living people will have first-hand memories of the earthquake and its aftermath. SFmuseum.org would like to hear from people whose lives were affected by the earthquake. Visit their website to learn more.

Still Rebuilding!

The 100 year anniversary of the San Francisco Earthquake is approaching (next week), and the topic is very much in the news. The San Jose Museum of Art is taking advantage of the attention to publicise a new project... rebuilding the clock tower that was destroyed in the earthquake 100 years ago!

The rebuilt clock tower will be a nice addition to a city that all too often neglects its heritage and its architecture. You can learn more about the project, and the history of the museum building, on the San Jose Museum of Art website.

Once every Hundred Years

The time is:

2:03 4/5/06

The Curiously LESS Strong Peppermints

For many years I've been a fan of Altoids, the "Curiously Strong Peppermints" from Callard and Bowser. The mints have evolved, but the original formula dates back to the 1780's!

Recently I saw a new Altoids tin in a store. It's the same size, but the design has been changed and is more old-fashioned looking. Oddly enough, the mints tasted just a bit different, so I compared the list of ingredients with an old tin I had on hand.

OLD LIST: sugar, oil of peppermint, gum arabic, gelatin, corn syrup

NEW LIST: sugar, gum arabic, artificial flavor, oil of peppermint, gelatin, glucose syrup

Oil of peppermint has gone form the second to the fourth ingredient! *sigh*

Time to try another mint.

History All Around Us

It's not surprising that there's a lot of history around us... people have been living in this country for a long time. And in almost every community, there are people who care about that history, and work to preserve it. Hostorical societies and small museums abound. Some communities may have "living history" centers that cover many acres and preserve dozens of structures; others may have a small room in the city hall or community center where a handful of artifacts are preserved.

It's hard for these history exhibits to compete with multi-media entertainment centers, but they are there, year after year, waiting for you. It's worth your time to see what your community was like in the past. It's not something that's "good for you" - it's just plain fun.

Take a little time this week and seek out a local history exhibit or museum! And maybe - just maybe - you'll want to become a little more involved in preserving your community's history for others to enjoy.