Valley Forge

One item on Ron's bucket list has been to visit Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army.  We missed it the last time we were on the east coast so we made sure to plan for it this time.

Continental Army troops under George Washington's command were encamped at Valley Forge from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778.  Washington chose the site for the encampment because it was between the Second Continental Congress in York and supply depots in Reading, and close to Philadelphia, the revolutionary capital that the British occupied following the Battle of Brandywine and the city's fall.

The encampment was one of the most trying moments for the Continental Army during the war, but they also used the encampment to retrain and rejuvenate.  The shared hardship of the officers and soldiers of the Continental Army and the military training provided are considered a turning point in the Revolutionary War.

We spent some time in the Visitor Center for an overview of the area.

Quite a display on the medical tools used.  Can you imagine?

Amputation knives cut through the flesh of the limb to expose the bone for the amputation saw.  Amputation was often deadly due to infection and the lack of antibiotics.

Army surgeons used amputation saws to cut through arm or leg bones.  Surgeons removed limbs after battlefield injuries or to prevent spread of diseases like gangrene.

It was interesting to learn about smallpox and immunizations.

An extensive display of the weapons used in that time period.

And then we got in the truck and started our drive around the area.

On December 19, 1777, 12,000 soldiers and 400 women and children marched into Valley Forge and began to build what essentially became the fourth largest city in the colonies at the time, with 1,500 log huts and two miles of fortification.  The encampment was as diverse as any city, and was made up of free and enslaved African American soldiers and civilians, Indigenous people, wealthy officers, impoverished enlisted men, European immigrants and speakers of several languages.

It was time to move on the Washington's Headquarters, also known as the Isaac Potts House, which is one of the centerpieces of the Park.  The house was built by Isaac Potts, a Quaker who operated a grist mill nearby.  George Washington, and later his wife Martha, occupied this house from Christmas Eve 1777 until June 18, 1778.  

Washington conducted the army's business in an office on the ground floor during that period.

This room was used by his staff during that time period.

The bedroom that George and Martha used.  The majority of the furniture in the house is period pieces but not necessarily the original furniture.

And the other bedrooms.

As with many homes in that time period, the kitchen was separated from the main house in order to keep the heat out of the house in the summer and to eliminate the possibility of a house fire.

The house became part of a state park in 1893 which was given to the people of the United States by Pennsylvania in 1976.

Of course, there was a statue outside memorializing George Washington.

Another interesting statue was that of  Anthony Wayne.  During 1774 Wayne was the chairman of the Chester County Committee and the deputy of the Provincial Convention.  In 1787 he was a member of the Pennsylvania Convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution.  

During the encampment, George Washington relied heavily on Wayne's leadership, saying "In Wayne the spark of daring might flame into rashness, but it was better to have such a leader and occasionally to cool him to caution than forever to be heating the valor of men who feared they would singe their plooms in battle."  Wayne's duties included recruiting replacement soldiers and providing clothing for the men of the Pennsylvania line.

On to see the National Memorial Arch.  The monument honors the arrival of General Washington and the Continental Army.  Construction of the structure began in 1914 and was dedicated in 1917.

I loved seeing the American flag through the arch.

Next was the Washington Memorial Chapel.  The chapel was built in 1903 to serve two purposes.  The first is as a tribute to George Washington and his service to our country.  It currently serves as a wayside chapel for the visitors of Valley Forge National Historical Park.  The second purpose is as the home for the Episcopal parish that worships at the chapel.

The inside is beautiful.

The Justice Bell (The Women's Liberty Bell, also known as the Woman's Suffrage Bell) is a replica of the Liberty Bell made in 1915.  It was created to promote the cause for women's suffrage in the United States from 1915-1920.

This memorial caught my attention.

I scoured the plaques looking for "my" patriot, Ashbel Waller from Connecticut.

Darnit, he wasn't there :-(

A nice view of the lobby as we exited.

What wonderful history at Valley Forge.  I'm glad we were finally able to check this bucket list item off.

Pittsburgh

Since we'd never been to Pittsburgh, we decided to make a stop and spend a day or two in the area.  We weren't sure what we wanted to do or see so we just got in the truck, turned on the GPS, and found our way to Pittsburgh.

And this.......

Acrisure Stadium, formerly known as Heinz Field, is located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh.  It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panthers (NCAA).  The stadium opened in 2001 as Heinz Field, following the controlled implosion of the teams' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium.  In 2021, H.J. Heinz Company declined to renew the stadium's naming rights and the City of Pittsburgh granted Acrisure's bid to purchase the rights in 2022.

We arrived just before the next tour was to begin and they could squeeze two more in, so we bought tickets.  Interesting that everything is done by phone.

And just like that, we were in and met our guide, Wen.  I think she said it was short for Gwen.

I'm not much of an NFL fan these days and have never been a Steelers fan, but it was fun to be able to see the inside of a stadium up close and personal.

For Seattle fans, this was a Super Bowl they'd rather forget.  Super Bowl XL was played in Detroit on February 5, 2006 when the 13-3 Seahawks played the 11-5 Steelers.  Unfortunately, the Steelers won the game 21-10. And that's all I have to say about that :-)

All of their Super Bowl trophies are on display.  Here's one.

Super Bowl XLIII

February 1, 2009, Tampa, Florida

Steelers 27 - Arizona Cardinals 23

The Steelers have a lot of history and they show it proudly in the stadium.

Retired jerseys.

The Steelers have only two officially retired jersey numbers - No. 70, previously worn by Hall of Fame defensive lineman Ernie Stautner, and No. 75, previously worn by "Mean" Joe Greene.  While these are the only two numbers officially retired, there are several others that have been unofficially retired - Terry Bradshaw (12), Franco Harris (32), and Jerome Bettis (36) to name a few.

It was nice to see that they recognize the high school champions.

The terrible towels were on display.

In 1975, the Steelers won the AFC Central title and qualified for the playoffs.  WTAE, the team's flagship radio station, said they needed assistance of Myron Cope, the Steelers radio broadcaster, in inventing a "gimmick" which would attract sponsors to his talk show.  Cope initially did not want to participate saying "I'm not a gimmick guy" but after a suggestion that a successful gimmick would be good leverage for a raise in his upcoming contract renewal, he changed his tune and said "I'm a gimmick guy".

The towel made its debut on December 27, 1975 in a playoff game against Baltimore.  Cope watched the gathering fans through his binoculars and saw fewer than a dozen towels while players were warming up.  Cope recalled that "Nearing kickoff, the Steelers gathered in their tunnel for introductions, whereupon the crowd exploded - and suddenly, by my estimation, 30,000 Terrible Towels twirled from the fists of fans around the stadium!".  The Steelers went on to defeat Baltimore 28-10 and the rest, as they say, was history.

The Terrible Towel has spread in popularity; for example, fans take their Towels to famous sites while on vacation.  The Towel has been taken to the peak of Mount Everest, and even into space on the International Space Station.

The fans, for the most part, were unhappy when the stadium was no longer named Heinz Field.  So, the stadium opened "Heinz Gate" in order to memorialize the name.

We then went out onto the field.  No one seemed to know what the clock was counting down to.

Kenny Chesney had just performed a few days before we were there and the turf had been covered so time was needed to get the grass back in playing shape.

It was interesting to see how they store the goal posts when not in use.

We went out to the endzone where Wen works on game days.

Make Noisi - What????

Behind the scoreboard was the Beer Garden with some beautiful views (but not so beautiful prices).

In the late 19th century, this "tram" on the Duquesne Incline, was intended to carry cargo up and down Mt. Washington.  It later carried passengers, particularly the Mt. Washington residents who were tired of walking up the steep footpaths to the top of the bluff.  Inclines were being built all over Mt. Washington to serve working-class people who were forced out of the lowlying riverfront by industrial development.  

But as more roads were built in the twentieth century on Coal Hill, as it was known, and automobile use increased, most of the inclines were closed.  By the end of the 1960s, only two inclines remained in operation, the Duquesne Incline being one.

After a few years of closure, the incline has since been totally refurbished.  The cars have been stripped of paint to reveal the original wood.  And observation deck was added at the top affording a view of Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle".  The Duquesne incline is now one of the city's most popular tourist attractions and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

It was time to go into the locker rooms.  The teams are very superstitious and don't want anyone to step on their name or logo.  We stayed off! 

And into the Steelers' locker room.

Of course, the city is abuzz with word of their incoming quarterback, Russell Wilson, former Seahawks quarterback.  His locker is just waiting for his arrival.

Our tour was over, ending at (of course) the gift shop.

There was a very important item to see outside the stadium so out we went.

The Immaculate Reception is one of the most famous plays in the history of football.  It occurred in the AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders which was the team Ron followed - closely - as a young adult.  The playoff game was held at Three Rivers Stadium, which remember was imploded, on December 23, 1972.

With his team trailing 7-6 on fourth down with 22 seconds left in the game, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a pass targeting Steelers running back John Fuqua.  The ball bounced off the helmet of Raiders safety Jack Tatum and Steelers fullback Franco Harris caught it just before it hit the ground and ran for a game winning touchdown.  The play has been a source of controversy and speculation ever since, with some contending that the ball touched only Fuqua (and did not touch Tatum) or that it hit the ground before Harris caught it, either of which would have resulted in an incomplete pass by the rules of the time.  No matter what, Ron WAS NOT happy that day :-(

A special "memorial" marks the spot where the play occurred.  You can even see the footprint of where Franco Harris "caught" it.

As we walked back to the truck we saw another interesting plaque.  

This was sure an unexpected surprise day.