This is a good book for the whole family to read. too many authors seems to be using this idea and with this book it definitely did not work for me. Use of the image requires written permission from the staff of the Collections Division. However, as soon as she was upright the crew could see that her left rear ankle was severely injured. Lofty and Patches. San Diego Zoo: 100 Years. There is only one giraffe species, but there are several subspeciestwo of which are endangered. Check out our new community for fans and supporters! All the kids screaming,its the end of the world.. The hurricane chewed away at roadbeds, like Shore Drive in Winthrop, Mass., above. The story is set around a truly extraordinary real life occurrence that took place in 1938. Those Giraffes, caught in a storm that killed hundreds of people, were en route to San Diego, California, and the storm was only the beginning of their cross-country journey. text-decoration: none; In The Zoo. } I remember my mother saying she got the last bus out of downtown Providence go home to Jenkins St I think they were living there then. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Sixty years ago this week, the San Diego AeroSpace Museumrenamed the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 2006opened to the public in Balboa Park. Amid advertisements for California Fig Syrup and Hoods Sarsaparilla, a glowing 1898 profile of the community of La Mesa by a writer using the initials, J.W., Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our NewslettersSite Map, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |. The storm hit seven days after I was born in Northampton, Mass. Please send suggestions for future episodes: Suggestions@TheHistoryGuy.net. Cleaning up timber damaged by the Great 1938 Hurricane took years. Her debut novel "Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale" won the 2013 Writers League of Texas Novel of the Year and was adapted as a major French film starring Catherine Deneuve (French title: "La Dernire Folie de Claire Darling") released in 2019 in France and around the world through 2020. a really sweet coming-of-age story that combines american history, animal friends, and a cross-country roadtrip. Listen 4:55. I hope to die there, I do. I was 7 yrs old and I remember getting out of school late afternoon. The crates holding giraffes Lofty and Patches are loaded onto the truck from the ship in New York, 1938. . Our giraffe habitat lets you get amazingly close to these tremendously tall creatures. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time, you're watching the live cam from the Safari Park. 3rd ed. Robert L. was completely crushed by the animal. I seldom read books more than once, but this one I will return to again in the future! Americas First Zoostory: 125 Years at the Philadelphia Zoo. 1938: The Great Depression lingers. They also turned a profit for the first time in the zoos 22-year history. The storm hit Long Island and Southern . display: flex; align-items: center; It's 1938The Great Depression lingers. Looks like a granny, dresses like a schoolmarm, swears like a sailor, and still charms snooty zoo galoots with their fancy educations. Rutledge even includes reference to Benchleys encounter with an escaped baboon. Charley Smith would update Benchley via telegram during the twelve-day trek. Print out this index page and present it to the librarian. It brought down 20,000 miles of power and telephone lines. There were many reasons giraffes were hard to come by for Americas first zoos. At 8:15 pm electric power went out and with it the fire . } The Modern Ark: The Story of Zoos: Past, Present and Future. The family moved first to the second floor and finally to the third floor to stay above the storm surge, watching as house after house succumbed and neighbors were washed away. They were on their way to San Diego Zoo in California. Perhaps you will fall in love with those giraffes and enjoy the adventures of Old Man and Woody as much as I did. Westerly, a bastion of quiet old wealth, never quite regained its prestige after the Great 1938 Hurricane. This story was updated in 2022. . He done a grand job and he knew it. A crane was used to lower the giraffe crates out of the truck and onto terra firma. 100 Years of the San Diego Zoo. Giraffes Proud Parents at the San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (August 28, 1952): 15. My Life in a Man-Made Jungle. Isadore Jachman and the Battle of Dead Mans Ridge, Christmas Flowers and Foreign Wars: Joel Roberts Poinsett, Best of The History Guy: Christmas History, Air Raid on Bari: the Little Pearl Harbor.. I had read about the true story of the famous hurricane giraffes when I conducted research for my story on Belle Benchley, but I thank Lynda Rutledge for writing this work of fiction, which left me with the desire to learn more about them. Im so happy that I found this website to answer my questions about this great book. All received the Gold Lifesaving Medal, the Coast Guards highest honor, for extreme and [], [] frequently visiting her familys summer home in the Fenwick section of Old Saybrook. -webkit-box-shadow: none; It is one of my favorite books I have read in my 84 1/2 yrs. West with Giraffes. After three days of being fed pancakes (and the giraffes are indeed fed pancakes at one point in the novel), she mustered up the energy to pull herself up. I learned to expect it, he said yesterday, but I never learned to like it.. the rig, the Old Man, and the giraffes were more homeand more familythan any home Id ever had. Stone stairs from a washed away house stood on Atlantic Ave through the 80s. Above, the steamship Monhegansits at a pier in Providence after sinking during the hurricane. Visit our other Wisconsin Historical Society websites! As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration. Parts of downtown Providence were under 14 feet of water, with people sheltering on the second and third floors of buildings. Another awesome animal book! Yesterday at 12:30 Eddie drove the truck through the gates at San Diego zoological gardens and all hands followed it to the mesa where the citys big crane was waiting and the camels were wondering what the heck. For the purposes of a bibliography entry or footnote, follow this model: Common questions about purchasing historical images from the Wisconsin Historical Society. .fun to weave the book with your stellar research! That storm spared this building, but strong winds and rising waters demolished countless houses and cottages closer to the shore. Afterward, the hurricane left only three. [] department store employees could be fiercely loyal. It was a wonderful novel. Images of America Series. The National [], The Great 1938 Hurricane, A Once-In-A-Lifetime Storm, Cherie Burns. I certainly recommend it as a book club read. The events of the twelve-day cross-country drive are difficult to decipher outside of what Smith revealed to journalists and The Boss Lady. He did not keep a journal, so Lynda Rutledge takes creative license to fill in the blanks for us. Find The History Guy at:New community! Erosion from the Great 1938 hurricane. That historical event inspired this fictional story starring an experienced zoo keeper, a 17 year old orphan, an aspiring photo journalist and 2 giraffes. Lofty and Patches lived at the San Diego Zoo for nearly 30 years and had seven offspring, including Raffy, D-Day (born June 6, 1946), Rusty, Patty and Lofty Jr. From The San Diego Union, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1938: alive and kickingaccent on kicking--the two much-heralded animals that blazed a publicity trail across the continent were unloaded in San Diego zoo yesterday. The first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed the topic, the setting and the giraffes!! My sister passed it on to me and knew Id enjoy it. This book stays in my library for later rereading. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. San Diego Zoo's timeline is best viewed on a desktop. Pictures taken just after unloading from ship.". Woodrow Wilson Nickel, aka Woody Nickel, almost 18, happens to be on a New York dock in 1938 when the hurricane-battered SS Robin Goodfellow limps into the harbor. One question I have, since way back in the early sixties I was licked on the nose by a giraffe at the San Diego Zoo. You can purchase the bow tie worn in this episode at The Tie Bar: https://www.thetiebar.com/?utm_campaign=BowtieLove\u0026utm_medium=YouTube\u0026utm_source=LanceGeigerAll events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Show more .printfriendly a, .printfriendly a:link, .printfriendly a:visited, .printfriendly a:hover, .printfriendly a:active { In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. The Great Depression lingers. Browse all issues of Life Magazine in full color and search the full text through Google Books. The storm forced the Connecticut River over its banks, inundating cities and towns with floodwater. The trials and hardships of an old man, a young man, and a dreamy eyed girl are laid out for all to breath in through the action, imagery, and emotion of life during the hardest of times. ATHENIA, NJSept. Authors Channel Summit. Realizing that punching all the TVs in the world wouldnt save the giraffes, he set out to document his story of how two giraffes changed his life forever. With the necessary funds, zoo director Belle Benchley, the first female zoo director in the world, paid for two young Ugandan giraffes and one rhinoceros to be shipped from Africa in 1938. West with Giraffes is a Lovely Book based on real life events, about an orphaned teenager who ends up driving two giraffes across the USA to the San Diego Zoo in 1938. Upon discovering that two of the passengers were giraffes, a whole new set of stories quickly developed. As soon as Smith had apprised Belle Benchley of the giraffes poor condition, Benchley contacted Dr. Charles Schroeder from the Bronx Zoo to assess her condition. At one point in the novel, Old Man stops at the zoo in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the night to procure some medication for Girls wounded leg. He is full of talk and wit and fun when he is around, but when away he makes me wait for news day after day until I am nearly mad from worrying. https://www.thetiebar.com/?utm_campaign=BowtieLove&utm_medium=YouTube&utm_source=LanceGeiger. } Life Magazine Digital Archive. Thank you for such an amazing story! Baby Giraffes from Africa Reach San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (October 27, 1938): 14. It's hard to imagine a time when most of the population had never seen a giraffe. When they finally were in their new house, a picturesque building that resembles a fairy-tale illustration, every connected with the job was ready to fall apart except Mr. and Mrs. [], [] This story was updated in 2018. In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. I remember hearing my dad talk about this and how it affected the trees. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. The book was wonderful and reading this was the icing on the cake! The first part of their journey involved sailingaboard a ship from Africa. They were given names Lofty and Patches, the winning entries in a naming contest. Vol. With Woody behind the wheel, true to the actual events, the giraffe truck stopped regularly at auto camps under appropriate trees with the top of the crates open to let Boy and Girl reach up and browse. Red paper hearts, ribbons and Kewpie dolls were just the thing for Valentines Day entertaining 100 years ago. There were many reasons giraffes were hard to come by for America's first zoos. Fantastic, and such a good read. 1938: Two giraffes, Lofty and Peaches, arrive. Boston: Little, Brown and Co. Croke, Vicki. Imagine waves so severe that a rhino is tossed overboard. West with Giraffes, a novel by Lynda Rutledge, gripped my attention from beginning to end. If you'd like to read more about the 1938 hurricane, click here. One of the aspects of the novel I enjoyed the most was the depiction of Belle Benchleysweet but tough, and highly respected. outline:none; Many zoos simply werent willing to take the risk or didnt have the funds. The San Diego Zoo: The First Century. Apparently they subsisted on pancakes that the cook made for them for three days until they got to shore. A Pegasus XL rocket was delivered to Vandenberg Space Force Base for the TacRL-2 mission in a quick response demonstration launch that carried a small tactical satellite payload into low Earth . As they neared the eastern coast of the U.S., the ship was thrashed about in a hurricane, tumbling their crates and washing all their food overboard! Recently, one particular work of historical fiction captured my interestthe fact that the title contained the word giraffes certainly helped, but upon reading the description I discovered that its based on actual events revolving around the San Diego Zoo in 1938. Inspiration struck, and the result is this charming and wondrous enchantment of a novel. Giraffes at Lion Country Safari remained outdoors and kept their heads down during Hurricane Irma. In 1938, America was looking for a feel-good tale to help them through the threat of Hitler in Europe and the continuing Great Depression. 1938 1939 LIFE Magazine October 10, 1938 LIFE Magazine October 10, 1938 Legion Drum Majoretts $ 39.99 9 in stock Add to cart SKU: 113-810-1000 Categories: LIFE Magazines, LIFE Magazines 1930's, LIFE Magazines 1938 Tag: Description Additional information Description Traveling shows displayed them as early as 1837; however, they were difficult to capture and transport, making them expensive to procure. Rhode Island got battered by the Great 1938 Hurricane. How I got into. When she sent him on a collecting trip to Africa in 1940, she noted, I am quite sure that we shall not hear much about Charleys trip until his return. She indeed fills our imagination with a journey full of colorful characters, tall tales, and deep secrets. We had us an adventure, didnt we, Woody Nickel? (And New York would not experience one as destructive until Hurricane Sandy in 2012.) Who was the editor on this one? Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. The first giraffes could be seen in Central Park in 1872 and in Philadelphia in 1874, and the first baby giraffe in captivity was born in Cincinnati in 1889. But by 1925 there were reportedly only five giraffes in the entire country. Amazingly, one of the crew saw the female giraffe move, so they covered and protected her as the storm raged on. They talked about the bridges that had washed away. In the novel, Woody is able to stop chasing the truck as, after much begging and pleading, he is offered the driving job by Old Man after a falling out with Earl. While hiding out at the barn in Athenia, Woody does his own acquainting with the giraffessneaking into the paddock to feed them apples and onions, and checking on the injured girl. I would give this book ten stars if possible. 1997. Giraffe to leave his crate was another matter. and sweet foreign farm dung. For a farm boy who grew up listening to his father prattle on that animals were nothing more than food, this experience was life-changing. lofty and patches giraffes 1938. The miracle giraffes who survived the killer hurricane on the high seas had to make their way the flooded and blocked streets of Manhattan today in order to get to the United States Bureau of Animal Industry Quarantine Station in Athenia, New . Photo courtesy Archives and Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries. font-size: 14px !important; It was the voice of the narrator that I struggled with. 1999. The Great 1938 Hurricane crossed over the tip of Long Island, slammed into New London and raced up the Connecticut River Valley at 50 miles per hour. She was presumed dead while every precaution was taken to protect the male. Amanda Heidt | Mar 19, 2021 | 5 min read. Two huge broken-up crates are lifted off containing amazing cargo: two Baringo giraffes. Giraffe. When the storm was over so was their livelihood. .primary-navigation-wrap{background-color:transparent}.main-navigation-menu a:hover,.main-navigation-menu a:hover:after,.main-navigation-menu a:active,.main-navigation-menu a:active:after{color:#fff !important}.main-navigation-menu li.current-menu-item>a,.main-navigation-menu li.current-menu-item>a:after:hover,.main-navigation-menu ul .menu-item-has-children>a:after:hover,.widget_wpcom_social_media_icons_widget ul li a{color:#fff !important}.widget_tag_cloud div a:link,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:link,.widget_tag_cloud div a:hover,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:hover,.widget_tag_cloud div a:active,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:active,.widget_tag_cloud div a:visited,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:visited,.wp_widget_tag_cloud div a:link,.footer-widgets .wp_widget_tag_cloud div a:link,.wp_widget_tag_cloud div a:hover,.footer-widgets .wp_widget_tag_cloud div a:hover,.wp_widget_tag_cloud div 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span:hover,.main-navigation-toggle,.main-navigation-toggle:active,.main-navigation-toggle:focus,.main-navigation-toggle:hover,.main-navigation-menu .submenu-dropdown-toggle:hover,.main-navigation-menu .submenu-dropdown-toggle:active,.post-slider-controls .zeeflex-direction-nav a{background:#b43412}.primary-navigation-wrap,.main-navigation-menu ul,.widget,.type-post,.type-page,.type-attachment,.comments-area,.sticky,.page-header,.main-navigation-menu-wrap{border-color:#b43412}blockquote{border-left-color:#b43412}.rtl blockquote{border-right-color:#b43412} They were finally able to leave quarantine on October 10, 1938. Begin or dive deeper into researching your family tree, Learn about the spaces, places, & unique story of your community, The largest North American Heritage collection after the Library of Congress. 'jetpack-lazy-images-js-enabled' San Diego Zoo Centennial Timeline: 1938. https://www.sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/timeline/1938/1938/ (accessed 2/9/2021). According to Benchley, Our relations as Boss and Man-Friday are ludicrously funny, and when he thinks he is working for me I am overjoyed. They were instant successes, and beloved by staff and visitors alike. https://thehistoryguyguild.locals.com/This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Growing fame. She was right. box-shadow: none; Three improbable protagonists take it upon themselves to transport two giraffes, that survived a 1938 hurricane at the end of their trans-Atlantic crossing, in a trans-continental adventure from New York to San Diego. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. How do you mess up a story about two giraffes, an orphaned boy, a hurricane, and a cross country trip? So preciousIt reminded me of my days at the St Louis Zoo and Bill Ross the elephant man. } It is history that deserves your help! Born in the wild country of southeast Africa, these babies, less than three years old, set sail from their native shores last summer and were 54 days at sea. While conducting research in the archives of the San Diego Zoo, Rutledge came across a trove of newspaper articles about two giraffes that had survived a hurricane on the deck of a freighter and a cross-country trip, from New York to California, in 1938. Virginia Beach: The Donning Company. West with Giraffes is an endearing, and also heart-rending piece of historical fiction. If you love history, this is the channel to support! No one recalls exact conversations, the gap teeth of a service station attendant, the color of vehicles along the road after 80 years. Two weeks ago last night, Smith, the giraffes and Eddie Seuss, mechanic, started the trek westward, the animals heads sticking out of the top of the crates and astounding motorists from ocean to ocean wondering if they saw it, really. For the in-depth story, see The San Diego Zoo: The Founding Era, 1916-1953 Three giraffe subspecies are housed at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park (as of July 2016; Amanda Lussier, personal communication):