Squirrels Beware!

Open Season

Open Season. For Squirrels Begins To-Day and Continues to January 1. An Abundance of Game Reported. The open season for squirrels began this morning, and will continue until January 1, with the exception of the period between October 1 and November 10, when no game may be shot, and even the killing of rabbits is prohibited. Farmers report squirrels in greater abundance this season than for many years, and the shooting promises to be fine. Members of a fishing party that had been in the southern part of Harrison county for several weeks say that near their camp the trees fairly swarm with the little animals, and that an expert marksman, had it not been for the law, could have killed a dozen in a half hour. Complaint is made by the farmers that the little animals are so numerous that they have destroyed corn of sufficient value to have paid for all the squirrels in the State a number of times at 25 cents a pound. - New Albany Daily Ledger 01 August 1906

News or No News??

A cow owned by Mrs. Gebhart, a widow, fell over the bank at the bridge cut on Vincennes street, Wednesday night, and was killed.  An Air Line train ran over and killed, Wednesday, a cow owned by Americus Duggins.  On the same day a fine cow owned by ex-city engineer Smith died.  It was a bad day for cows.  - New Albany Daily Ledger 22 Jul 1886

Knob or Knobs?

There has always been a controversy concerning the hilly area to the north and west of New Albany.  Geologically, it is part of the Knobstone Escarpment and I find it quite impressive for our little corner of southern Indiana to belong to such a significant landform and stay quiet about it.  A more northern part of the escarpment is known for its superb hiking trail, the Knobstone Trail, while the more local region is known for its strawberries.  But the controversy hasn't been about the terrain.  It's been about the name.  Growing up in the area, it was just always Floyd Knobs, and I'm not sure anyone really questioned the name - after all, it was located in Floyd County.  Floyd singular.  Not plural.  Not possessive.  Somewhere along the way it started being called Floyds Knobs.  Plural.  Not possessive.  Both Floyds and Knobs. 

Not to get into the controversy of WHICH Floyd is the Floyd in the naming of the County - Maj. Davis Floyd (my vote!! and also the official honoree) or his uncle, Col. John Floyd - and therefore, also in the naming of the Knobs. Or if the Knobs in Floyd County are so named because of their location in Floyd County or were so endowed because of Davis or John or some other Floyd.  I do know the area was originally called Mooresville.  But enough muddy waters. 

It seems that Floyds Knobs is pretty official now.  If you google "FLOYD Knobs" the search engine will take you directly to FLOYDS Knobs.  The post office says Floyds Knobs.  The elementary school is Floyds Knobs Elementary School.  It's stumbled over and maybe even lisped over, but we can't deny it.  We don't have to like it (I admit I don't.)  Mostly I don't like it because it just sounds like it should be possessive, and that it's not.  But it still causes problems.  

The pictured flyer was distributed in a local eatery, heralding it's newest location - FLOYDS KNOB.  There's a new one!  This one would take some explaining.  At least it's still not possessive. 

New Albany's "Fool Lieutenant" No Fool

At the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, the staccato rows of memorials seem to march out to sea.  This cemetery is located near the cliffs of Omaha Beach in Normandy, across from the English Channel.  To see the Normandy beaches in combination with the American Cemetery is a most stirring yet solemn experience.  The beaches at their low tide seemed to stretch out to no end as did the memorials standing guard in the adjacent cemetery.  Both are vast in their scope.

The Wall of the Missing. 

The Visitor Center at the American Cemetery in Normandy provides emotionally compelling exhibits in its effort to personalize those involved in the D-Day invasion and its results.  One of the  commemorative displays features a quote from Lieut. Bob Edlin, a member of the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion, who grew up in southern Indiana and New Albany.  "I started out to cross the beach with thirty-five men and only six got to the top, that's all . . . "  He was initially wounded at Normandy, but was able to rejoin his battalion to continue the work that was begun on June 6, 1944.  While on a reconnaissance patrol, Lieut. Edlin managed to capture a German officer and force surrender of German fortifications. His exploits, personal narrative and war stories are told in the biography "The Fool Lieutenant", written by sisters Marcia Moen and Margo Heinen.  Edlin moved to Texas with his brothers in 1963 and died there in 2005. [The New Albany-Floyd County Public Library has several copies, one which circulates and the other located in the Indiana Room - 940.54 M693F.]

 

 

Major challenges for the Allied Troops at Normandy were the cliffs and the heavily-fortified German bunkers.  

 




Their arrival at low tide made the great expanse of beach another unplanned challenge.  This D-Day invasion on the beaches of Normandy, which had been under Nazi Germany control, saw the liberation of northern France and the beginning of the end of the war in Europe.