Damn the day Night Shades & the Torpedos

We started out the day looking for a Jo-Ann's Fabric store to try and find some string to re-string the damn Day/Night shades. I love these things when they work but they sure are a PIA when one of the strings break. Ours break so often that the small ones from start to finish, I can have them done in under an hour but the big six footers always seem to take ten times longer. It's just a pain working on some thing that long and using 4 strings that are twice as long.

By the time we found a Jo-Ann's then did lunch we noticed that we were only about a five minute drive from the town of Farragut, named after Admiral Farragut. Their city hall has a nice little museum in it, about 40% is dedicated to the town and surrounding area, the rest is to the Admiral who was born here.

They have made a few changes since the last time we were here about five years ago.

New in 2010 is the nice little park in front, displaying a statue of the Admiral and a couple of cannons off of two of the ships he commanded.

Entrance to the museum.

I had forgotten about the cigars, but I remember seeing there around the house when I was a kid.  Back when smoking was still proper.

They have quite a few items that belonged to the admiral and a lot more relating to his career.  

Here are a few amazing facts about the Admirals life and career, shortly after his mothers death he was adopted by a family friend Navy Captain David Porter, the Admiral was born James Glasgow Farragut but later changed it to David to honor Porter.  His career and life are pretty much the same since in 1810 he was appointed as a Midshipman on the USS Independence, He was NINE years old.

During the Civil War he captured New Orleans, opening up the Mississippi for the North, but he was most remembered for is the Battle of Mobile Bay where the smoke was so thick he had to climb up the rigging of the USS Hartford in order to see the battle.  It was from here that he shouted out the famous words "Damn the Torpedoes Full Speed Ahead"

Admiral Farragut was the first person in US history to hold the ranks of  Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral and Admiral.  He died in 1870 and is buried in the Bronx, New York.

His desk from the USS Hartford and cash box that he carried throughout his career.

Just something we found interesting.

After about an hour in the museum we talked with the Docent for about ten minutes and asked were the Admirals birth place was in relation to the museum.  He gave us some direction to it but then said 'Good Luck", the property is owned by a developer and was being divided into lots when the historical society stepped in and tried to stop him.  So now it's tied up in court and the gate to the property has been locked since then.  He told us we could drive by but we wouldn't be able to see anything.

It was only four miles so why not take a look, surprise! surprise!!!! when we got there the gate was not only unlocked, it was wide open.  So we pulled in, didn't see anybody around so we walked back to the waters edge and found the foundation of the house he was born in.

Foundation and sketch of his birthplace.

Monument placed by the D.A.R.

A pretty good day, but I never did get those Damn Day/Night shades fixed.