Monday Memories

Bush Beans Visitor Center

First Published, September 18, 2018

So we were up and at it this morning.  No, not that early, but a nice I’m retired and this is the proper time to get up morning.  We had some sightseeing we wanted to do this morning and we really didn’t want to get back home all that late.  Thus off we went heading southeast into the Great Smokey Mountains.

Along the way, somehow, we ended up on a road that never went straight for a good ten miles.  Hairpin curves, twists and turns, up and down hills.  All I kept thinking was, what a blast this would have been on my motorcycle!  Ah, but that was back then this is now and I can’t and don’t really want to go back.  Travel in Graybeard is so much more comfortable.

In due time we arrived at our destination.  A little different from the normal places we go exploring  Yet, this was someplace that got our curiosity up and we had to go.

I don’t believe either of us really knew what to expect, maybe a little hole in the wall, a glorified gift shop, or?  What we discovered instead was a fascinating museum and gift shop that took the better part of two hours to get through.  Let me just say there is much more here than I could ever put in a blog.  So many exhibits, so many displays, and so much detailed information about the Bush company.  I’m going, therefore, to just hit the highlights and share with you some of what I found absolutely interesting and insightful.

This is who it all began with A.J Bush and his wife Sallie – and a dream.  It now spans over one hundred years and is still going strong.  It all began in the little town of Chestnut Hill, Tennessee.   A.J. was a man with ambition, vision and a determination to improve the living conditions of his family and others in the community.  He believed quality was the best policy, and that honesty and integrity were essential to a successful business.

Sallie, it was said, was never in a hurry, never flustered.  She was called on by all in the community during births and deaths, sickness, tragedies and troubles.  She drew on an inner strength and religious commitment equal to her husband’s.

A.J. and Sallie raised four boys and two girls.  It was a large family that at various times included other family relatives, assorted guests and household help.  The boys worked in the fields, the general store, and the cannery once it opened.  The girls helped with household chores, and as they grew older in the general store as well.

Meals, especially on Sunday, were packed with guests.  Fresh garden vegetables, a bit of pork and a slice of cornbread satisfied many a youngsters appetite.  Sallie was well-known for her cooking.

Long before there were Bush’s Baked Beans there was the General Store that A.J. opened in 1911.  It provided him the space in which to carry a broad selection of merchandise.  His brother, Oscar, along with Sallie’s brother, Bert, managed the store.  A center of Chestnut Hill community life, A.J.’s store operated for over 100 years.  It is now the present day Visitor’s Center.

In 1904 A.J. opened a tomato cannery in partnership with the Stokely Brothers of Newport.  By the end of 1908 he had bought out this agreement and Bush Brothers and Company was born.  As to how the Bush Brothers processed tomatoes in 1908

 

What I learned about the early canning process is that the Bush Brothers first used a canning process called Hole and Gap.  Early cans were originally made completely by hand of tinplate’s.  To make the body, a piece of tinplate was bent into shape on a roller and the overlapping edges were soldered together.  Two round disks were cut for the ends, their edges bent down, and they were soldered to the body.  One disk always had a small hole in its middle.  The tomatoes, or pieces of them, were forced through this hole and then a cap  was soldered over the opening.  Using this process about 10 cans a day could be made.  Automatic soldering and wiping machines ultimately replaced hand-soldering in larger canneries and soldered many cans at a time.

This is a picture of some the early tools used when cans were soldered by hand.  In the left foreground are Tomato Spoons, used to core and peel tomatoes before they were stuffed into the little opening on the top.  In the center back is a blow torch which was used to heat the soldering irons.  In the right foreground is a typical soldering iron.

This is a picture of an early Hole and Cap can that was used by the Bush Brothers.

Not long after the cannery was opened a revolutionary new kind of can made its debut.  Unlike hole and cap cans, these cans required no soldering.  They were closed instead by a machine called a double seamer, named for its unique closing process.  With these cans fruits and vegetables could be placed inside with less breakage and they were also free of the small bits of solder that sometimes dropped into the old cans.  The Bush Brothers soon changed over to this new technology.

As with much of America, the 1920’s were good for the Bush Brothers.  Business prospered and the company incorporated and added two new plants to its Chestnut Hill operations as it expanded its cannery business.

In the 1930’s as America entered the Great Depression the company like so much of the country struggled to survive.  They added Pork and Beans to their product line which proved popular during hard economic times.  They depended in the end on the production of simple foods such as hominy and sauerkraut to make financial ends meet.

In the 1940’s business as for most of America was defined by the events of World War II.  The war brought significant challenges to the company.  These challenges were compounded when A.J. and Sallie passed away soon after the war’s end.  It was the end of an era as both Bush Brothers and American entered a new postwar culture.

In the 1950’s stability and prosperity returned to the company.  They were on the road to becoming the company that they are today.  But one event above all others made the company what it is today.  In 1962 Bush Brothers bought an unused cannery in Augusta, Wisconsin for $35,000.  The facility canned fresh peas as well as dry beans throughout the 1960’s.  But there were many unexpected challenges and

Condon Bush who managed the plant realized that if something was not done soon he was going to be looking for a new job.  That something would turn out to be Bush’s Baked Beans.   They were based on fond memories of family dinners and warm summer days – and a secret family recipe.

The Baked Beans were a hit and sales rose steadily.  This not only helped turn the company’s August facility around, but more importantly, it set a direction that would become increasingly significant in the future.  It would encourage the company to try other items of the same nature throughout the 1970’s and 80’s.  It began the journey towards producing more of what would come to be called table ready items.

 

That then in a nutshell is the story of the Bush Brothers and their now famous Baked Beans.  As I stated in the beginning there is so much more that could be told, so many more pictures that could be included.  But time now for some of the whimsical stuff we did while there.  Like me in front of the giant can of baked beans.

Or how about finding out my weight in beans?  Yup, in beans not pounds.

The day was not over yet, however.  Attached to the Museum is their own cafe.  We wondered, what would we find here?   As we were standing there mulling over whether to go in or not for lunch, a woman leaving said You just have to have the open face roast beef lunch.  Oh, it is so good.  That did it, in we went for lunch.

This is part of their regular menu.

Here are the specials for the day.

Here is the Open Face Roast Beef Sandwich.  Oh it was so good!

Then after lunch walking to the car I discovered this.

Talking to the owner I discovered that it was a 1955 Chevy Fleetside with a big block 5.3 cubic inch Chevy engine, automatic transmission, and a complete air ride suspension.

He and his elderly mother had just driven up from North Carolina for a bit of lunch!

That then was our day.  Fantastic from beginning to end.  Oh, we did make one more stop but that will have to wait until tomorrow.  Thanks for joining us on the The Road of Retirement.  We hoped you enjoyed your journey with us.  I know we had a great time, made even better by the fact that we traveled together, singing our song, side by side.  As I bring this to and end once again something for each of us to ponder and think about:

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

Friday, November 19, 2021

Temperature 79 Degrees

Another Project Completed – New Shower

This is the second “major” project we had planned for the house that being the installation of a new customer shower.

I went back and forth as to whether I should try to tackle this project or let the professionals do it. Now, for those accustomed to doing home renovation the decision would probably be an easy one. But I’m not that person. I don’t have the experience nor do I have all the right tools. So I turned to the professionals. In the end I’m glad I did. The remodel required moving a vent stack, installing new supply lines and vales, and moving the drain. It took them a day. If I had tried to tackle it I’m sure it would have been more like a week.

This was the old. It was a one piece plastic enclosure that definitely was showing its age.

Out with the old. It came out in several pieces because of its size.

The sum total of the old shower enclosure.

The materials for the new shower waiting to be cut, fitted and installed. We chose a new one piece shower pan, acrylic for the walls and a customer shower door.

After the pan was installed all new three quarter inch plywood walls were installed.

The acrylic was glued to this. Shelves and grab bars installed.

Finished! They did a fantastic job and we are absolutely thrilled with the way that it turned out.

So, the second big project is completed. Only one more to go which will be the installation of double pane windows sometime in the future.

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog.  We always appreciate your company, your comments, and your suggestions. Remember, take time to stop and smell the roses and live each day that God gives you to the fullest.

Monday Memories

Hope Cemetery, Barre Vermont,

First Published June 2018

 Tonight we’re going to Hope Cemetery.  Now I know what you are probably thinking going where?  Why?  Stick with me.

Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont is like no cemetery we have every visited.  Located on a small hillside just outside of Barre, Vermont, the Granite Capital of the World, the Hope Cemetery stands as a magnificent tribute to the stone cutters and artisans peacefully interred among their very own creations.

Hope Cemetery was established in 1895. Originally, it contained 53 acres. Since then, it has expanded to a total of 65 acres. Edward P. Adams, a nationally known landscape architect, created the original plan for the cemetery. There are over 10,000 monuments made of Barre Gray granite. 

As we entered the front gate we passed by two granite

 

sentries, forever watchful over their abode. From the moment we arrived it was obvious to us that this is no typical resting place for loved ones gone by.  It is truly a gallery of splendid artwork, in the most unusual of settings. Within the cemetery are really awesome works of art.  Each a credit and monument to the artistry of the people who created them, as much a memorial to the people who buried within or under them.

So, let’s begin our tour.   We begin with the Biplane.   Both Leo and his wife, Caroline, were civil air patrol pilots; the headstone, which took three months to create, was carved by Leo’s brother-in-law, noted Barre granite artist Giuliano Cecchinelli.  The bi-plane has broken through the clouds. The American flag rests in a stand available only for veterans of the US military.

Next is Joey Laquerre Jr.’s No. 61 racecar.   (the 1:4 scale-model monument even has a carved axle underneath.)  The young man was an enthusiast of fast cars.. He died at 28 years of age.

Here is the elegant and creative monument for the Bernasconi family: Two rectangular pillars are connected by eight chain links in an arch, each link carved with a name of a child. We learned that it was no easy task to carve those links from a single piece of granite — a perilous process, since a mistake or crack would ruin the whole chain. We also learned of the chain’s lovely symbolism: two close families and their children are linked together forever by marriage.

Continuing, here is one of the cemetery’s most engaging figures done by the gifted Italian sculptor Louis Brusa.  It is that of a youthful, sitting angel whose head, adorned with curly, flowing hair, rests on an open palm; her elbow perches on casually crossed legs. Is she pondering life and death? Is there a hint of a smile? Was she a wife, a mistress, a friend? Her face is beguiling, and her eyes seem to return the gaze of a captivated visitor.

Then there’s the tragic story of gifted Italian sculptor Louis Brusa and the controversy his monument incited. Brusa fought to force the granite sheds to install dust exhaust systems, even as he was dying of silicosis. The Vermont Legislature passed a law mandating the safety measure in 1937 — too late to help Brusa, who expired the same year. The monument, which he partially carved himself to honor victims of silicosis, caused its own tension in Barre. It depicts a dying Brusa in the arms of an unnamed

standing woman, whose shapely backside was apparently too much for some prim and proper Vermonters! A prominent doctor had his own (future) gravesite moved so he wouldn’t have to stare at the blatantly pornographic statue for eternity.  Observing the figure’s slender granite form with 21st-century eyes, however, you can only marvel at how times have changed.

We move on now to the grave of Elia Corti.  This gentleman died after a political meeting got out of hand and he was fatally shot in the stomach.  The marker for Elia Corti was crafted from a single block of granite by the brother of the deceased. The outstanding hand carved life-size figure sits quietly contemplative for an eternity to come. The detail of the clothing almost bring this figure to life.

Next is the Soccer monument .  The Davis grave contains the body of a young man believed to be a soccer enthusiast. The monument includes the names of his parents.

One of several remarkably eerie but emotionally touching tombs we found was shaped like a bed.  William and Gwendolyn Halvosa are shown sitting up in pajamas, holding hands, their tombs stretched out before them. No doubt, preparing for what will be a very long night of sleep. 

We also have the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ after his crucifixion, death, and removal from the cross, but before he was placed in the tomb.  This is a replica of Michangelo’s Pieta. 

This next was rather unusual to say the least.  It is the graves of T. Paul Martel and Janet M. Martel.  Not only unusual in its style, but by the fact that there are inscriptions on each side of the cube.

We have Giuseppe Donati’s stone, a raised relief depiction of a soldier smoking a cigarette, while the face of his wife or person close to him floats in a wisp of smoke.

There we have the graves of Daniel Morrell Vrooman and Jane Elinor Vrooman in which they caution one and all about the risks of ignoring the spiritual nature of humanity.  These markers are engraved on all sides with messages from the Vroomans and passages from the Bible.

Then there are several others for which I could find no information but which I found absolutely fascinating.   Take this one depicting a large bass fiddle.

Man on a motorcycle while his wife/mother watches him go

This one of Jesus praying

Finally the grave of a child.

I believe you will agree with me by now that this is no ordinary cemetery.  What an unusual place to find such beautiful and fascinating works of art.  We are so glad that Dr. Pam, the chiropractor, had told us about this cemetery.  Tomorrow, we’ll bring you the place where most of these works of art were sculptured which is the Rock of Ages.  Using stone from their own quarries, their in-house artisans are the ones behind these awe-inspiring handcrafted monuments.

Till then, day is gone and night is once more upon us.  We had an absolutely fascinating day of discovery.  As always, made better by the fact that we did it together, traveling along, singing our song, side by side.  We thank you for taking the time to come along with us.  We also hope that your day was a truly great one as well.  Now, in closing, a thought for each of us to ponder:

 

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

Veterans Day, 2021

So it is here again. Veterans Day. A day we are supposed to honor our veterans and thank then for their service. As a veteran I do appreciate when someone stops to thank me for my service. But the truth is I enlisted and served not for any thanks then or at any time down the road. I joined because I felt my country needed me and it was duty to serve. I still feel that way and I was honored to do so.

Let me close with this, we’ve all heard the old saying that if you value your freedom, thank a vet. That’s all well and good, but if you really want to thank a veteran, words are not enough. The best way that you can thank each one of us by being a good citizen, by voting, by standing up to bigotry and hate, by working together to make this country even better than it is. Not by trying to tear it apart because you belong to one political party or the other and think that everyone who is not for you is against you. That’s not what this country is about, and that’s not why millions of Americans have fought and bled and died. You can honor their sacrifice by making it worthwhile.

Now and always, honored to have served.