Manor

The Maundy Monday Newsletter - This Week in History July 14 - 20.

My sister-in-law got us a customized doormat a few years ago. Like all good ideas born from a gallon of wine, it showed up at our door unannounced.

It combines Anonymous and my last names, with the word “Manor” below it. Those of us who know us probably know the name, and for those who don’t, well, I’m not going to encourage you to use the internet machine and go digging around.

In any case, the doormat has become worn out and probably needs to be replaced soon. My sister-in-law and I have already discussed some ideas, this time during rounds of beer, and I have to admit, I’ve already forgotten the best idea.

A worn-out doormat means we’ve stayed put. Our city has been around a long time, too. This week, we celebrate the anniversary of the District of Columbia's establishment as the seat of the United States government on July 16, 1790.

Although DC does not have representation in the federal government, it’s still a great place to live. We love our street, which is filled with people of various backgrounds and different tenures of residency. Republicans and Democrats are our neighbors. About a dozen dogs and two street cats run the block. We are grateful that Blue is friendly with Drew, the corgi mix who lives next door. However, Wilson, the dark gray cat who looks like he’s been in too many boxing matches, drives him crazy.

DC was created to be a neutral place, neither southern nor northern. The Framers, specifically our boy Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson, agreed to a space with no inhabitants. Never mind the enslaved people already living there—they didn’t count in the planning documents. But instead, a place where representatives from up and down the colonies would gather to debate and pass laws.

Fast forward 235 years, and over 700,000 people call DC home. Many have worn out doormats, and plenty have come here to wear out their welcome in general or to use the people whose families have lived here for decades as doormats. Either way, DC is a vibrant, diverse, active, caring, frustrating city that should be a state.

Okay, let's highlight what else happened this week. As a reminder, these events celebrate their anniversary, ending in 5 or 0. Here's what I got:

1. Adlai Stevenson died on July 14, 1965. The multiple Democratic presidential nominee lost back-to-back elections to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. When his death was announced, people were probably shocked to learn it wasn’t another presidential campaign run. He was 65.

2. Mariner 4's Mars flyby on July 14, 1945. The first images of the Red Planet were beamed back. Eighty years later, NASA would have roughly the same resources to go back, and this time, the goal would be to move in.

3. The first atomic bomb was tested on July 16, 1945. The first mushroom cloud exploded over the Red Dirt of New Mexico. A few weeks later, we dropped two on Japan to end the war—and usher in a new era of constant existential dread. We can always move to Mars.

---

Here’s a fun anniversary we celebrate this week:

If you love capitalism, here is a funny bit of history that supports it. By the 1930s, even in the middle of the Great Depression, cars were pretty popular. People would drive their cars to urban areas and park them all day to go to work, shop, or whatever.

Business leaders hated that prime spots would be occupied for long periods. So, on July 16, 1935, the business leaders in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, decided to create parking meters to ensure that cars would move consistently during the day.

A guy named Carl invented a machine that charged 5 cents an hour to park downtown. Meter “maids” would remove the coins, and the revenue was deposited into city reserves. Businesses then had rotating customers; since then, everyone has accepted this practice.

---

I have a request. Please keep my Father-In-Law in your prayers. He will be having necessary surgery this morning in Florida. It’s one process in a series of processes to get him back in better health. I knew he wasn’t feeling well when we spent time together in West Virginia a few weeks ago, and I beat him in golf. I should never beat him in golf. I shouldn’t come within seven strokes of beating him in golf.

We need him to get better so I can start losing to him in golf.

Thanks for any help and your support of OKH. I’m working on something for Friday. Have a great week!

Okay,

Chris

Blue will be chilling out this week.