My Home Town

[momof6quilts]

Sherry's post in todays sew in prompted me to think what is my home town known for.

I'm going to use Elmira because I live minutes from there.
Mark Twain spent summers here and wrote many of his books here including Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.
We have Ted Arnold the famous children book author. Tommy Hilfiger, Eileen Collins and Ernie Davis came from here as well.
We have the famous Prisoner-of-war camp from the Civil War which is still in use today as the Elmira Reformatory.
Elmira is mentioned in "It's a Wonderful Life" movie.
We have Newtown Battlefield an American Revolutionary War battlefield.
Howell Box which is now Howell packaging is one of the oldest companies, they used to make cigar boxes and wraps, now they make plastic and paramedical boxes. My husband works there.
On West Hill there use to stand a huge "hospital" for Water Curing and people came from all over the world to fast and be cured of all their ills.
Women's Sufferage was big here and Susan B. Anthony spoke here often.
We are also the Soaring Capital of the world. I sit in my backyard and watch the gliders all summer.

What's your hometown known for?

[dforseth]

My hometown is Borger, Texas. Our claim to fame is an oil boom in 1926. The past of Borger has a few "black eyes" and an interesting past. Our major industry is oil and gas production with two plants about a five minute drive from my home.
Debbie

[TeresaK]

History of the Borax mining. The Twenty Mule Teams hauled more than 20 million pounds of borax out of Death Valley between 1883 and 1889. 20 Mules Team Wagon crossed my MIL's Lot many years ago.

We also live right next door to Edwards AF Base where lots of Aviation Testing and Space Landings happened there.

Stakes its claim to being California's 3rd largest geographic city, 34th largest in the US. California City was incorporated in 1965.

[auntjana]

My hometown is Richmond, California. It is on the San Francisco Bay, on the north east side. It is home to several large oil refineries. It's claim to fame could be that Henry J Kaiser built and launched his Liberty Ships, built for WW2 in Richmond. My father was kept out of the war, because of his knowledge of shrinking steel. He affixed the booms on the Liberty ships, used to load and unload the freight.

We also had a Ford motor car plant there too, for a time.

It is most famous now for all the gang shootings, it is a very rough place to be.

Two major railroads had yards there as well.

Where I grew up, my house, was just 1/2 block from the Hayward Earthquake fault, the one that they are waiting for, to go off and level the area! LOL Also, I-80, and the old US 40, were within blocks of the house too. The actual beginning of each of those roads, that cross the nation, is just a few miles away.

So much for my hometown.

[suzette58]

I grew up in Arlington, VA. Our house was within walking distance to the Pentagon. Arlington Cemetery, all the museums and landmarks in Washington DC were very close. Warren Beatty, Shirley McClaine, Sandra Bullock grew up in Arlington also. Not to far from our house was a apartment building that was used by another country to spy on the Pentagon.

Suzette

[WeSignificant]

I was born in Aurora, Co. Yes, the same one that had the movie theater shooting. But, I was born in the same hospital as John Kerry! I have done most of my growing up though and graduated from High School in Napa Ca. World famous wine region of Callifornia. We moved to Ca after we came back from Europe,

[Marilynsgrammy]

I was born in Mariposa, Ca.

My family came here before Calif. became a state from Flushing Long Island in the early 1800's... the story is they made and lost their fortune in gold.... I am the 7th generation from this county.

Mariposa was the largest county when California became a state and now is one of the three smallest.

I live about 20 miles from where I was born,the hospital no longer delivers babies or takes care of real emergencies. but it's there. and the town is a tourist trap.

I am about 2 hours from the ocean or from Yosemite. and I am 30 miles from the exact center of the state which is Madera Calif.

[cindyg]

My hometown is Houston, Texas. The Astrodome (8th wonder of the world), NASA, Houston Ship Channel, home of ZZTop, the Houston Int'l Quilt Market and Festival, many many oil and gas refineries, Terms of Endearment was shot here in one of the ritzy parts of town, Arlington Air Force Base, George H. W. and Barbara Bush have a home here, the Battle of San Jacinto was fought here, and cindyg was born at St. Joseph Hospital in Houston. LOL

[SusieQ51]

Reading your histories is very interesting. However, I wish I could share that much interesting stuff.

I was born in Hartford City. We have a 3M plant that is sill active. We did have Overhead Door and St. Joe Paper both of which have now closed. Our biggest employer is the school system.

Blackford County is the third smallest county in Indiana. Our claim to fame - very high cancer rate - big enough to make the front page of the Muncie paper - and a XXX outdoor movie theater. Thank God, the theater is gone!!

The best part is family farm which has been in our family for around 200 years. Very proud of that fact!

Diana

**My right hand little finger doesn't want to work like it should!

[FlorenceM]

I grew up in Forked River, NJ, not far from Seaside Heights and atlantic City. Most of my family is still there. Funny I have lived in California for 31 yrs and NJ for only 21 yrs. But forked River will always be home for me.