I had no idea who Era Bell Thompson was.
Day 91
Until I went to Driscoll, ND
June 25th, 2010
I'm walking across America.
That's the idea, at least. I'm walking westward from New York City for nine months or so. If everything goes according to plan, I'll be in Oregon when the clock runs out. If nothing goes according to plan, maybe I'll end up in Peru or Mongolia or Pennsylvania. You can read all about the details of my trip if you're so inclined.
Email me at matt@imjustwalkin.com
Subscribe to my email list
Here's my progress so far:
Me either. Nice shot…the greens and the blues are outragous aren’t they. Nice that you got that brown cow smack in the middle of the picture. Or is it a horse.?
I didn’t either until I googled him. I have been across N. Dakota twice but all I saw was Interstate 94!!
Can’t wait until Matt gets to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It’s really pretty.
Interesting … one writer mentions green, blue and brown … but not black. Oh, horses and cows. But not great Americans such as Era Thompson.
The other “googled him.” Barb, Era was a woman, like you.
Matt, you’re in white America … how neat that you found this town that acknowledges such a wonderful person. Who was black. And a woman.
Walk in peace, and with purpose.
ahemmm… If I may Paul. My comments were about the picture. I read the link. I simply said “me either”. If you had read my many whims and posts you would realize that I probably look beyond “color” I do not call it out or even think about it. Of this I am proud. I consider all my brother or my sister. I learned a great deal when I came upon this post to the blog. You do not mention in your comment about my comment about Sacajawea. She was a woman. She is the only woman on a piece of american money. She was not white, black, green or blue. But more then any other person hinted upon on any of these posts and I would assume many or most of us posting on this blog…She is a origional aborigional native person of this great county “we” like to call our own. I think the Dakot’s stand for much more then white america. It is about “true america” home of the buffalo. Home to Wounded Knee. I give more respect to the native american people of america then I do any other people that were brought, exported, imported, landed, settled, immigrated to this land. We robbed them and left them little chunks of land. I am sorry cause you probably ment no harm…but don’t read unto what I wrote. My words and thoughts go much deeper then what I write in a small space.
AMEN Jeff !!
I’ll bet you a dollar you’re wrong about about Sacajawea being the only woman on American currency. ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_B._Anthony_dollar
For those that may be interested, here is a link to a biography of her life:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Era_Bell_Thompson
She was quite a woman from what I have read.
The stuff you learn reading blogs..! As many doctor office copies of Ebony that I have read, I had no idea that such a key figure in that magazine was from North Dakota!
Era Bell Thompson led quite a life for a woman of her time. Her accomplishments would be admirable today.
There have been so many things that I’ve learned about on this blog, or that have interested me in general, that I started a bookmark folder in my browser to keep track.
I have too, Karen Too, I name my folder “ExploreAsTimePermits”. Maybe when I retire I can explore the links more thoroughly. :) I am too occupied with keeping track of Matt – to explore much lately. But I will, I will. Today in Alabama is a good day to explore the internet. Weather is HOT & HUMID and we are having thunderstorms.
It’s always to refresh ones history. I didn’t realize where she was actually from. You read something time and again and it goes it to the ether of ones mind. Now it is real. Thanks for bring the street view to me:)
I too (as opposed to Karen too) have been taking the walk on Google Satelite maps when you get down on the street view. again…have done this..but have never thought of doing it in this sort of way. Someone should have told Matt..could have saved him some blisters……no on the other hand ..he has it live in 3-d.
people, people, people! stop the bickering…….
is anyone ever ‘from’ somewhere? this person, Era, was born and lived in Iowa 9 years before she moved to North Dakota, lived and schooled until age 20 and then moved to Chicago. So really, where was she ‘from’
Her Momma
Peace amongst us all. No bickering. Bismarck. That is what seek.
Matt…thank you so much for the great education your are providing so many of us. Ms. Thompson sounds like a wonderful person…one of many we should definitely learn about. This country was built on great people like her.
And yay! Someone else from Vancouver, WA follows this blog!! Whoo hoo!
May you have great weather, much sustenance, and an easy day….
I love checking in with this site. You never know what you will learn.
Thanks for the tip on Era Bell Thomsen. Interesting lady to be from the middle of nowhere like that – inspiring story for way back in those times: wrote several books, was the editor of a NY magazine (Ebony) for decades. Travel broadens!