John C.Court Cabaret is an intimate dinner theater in Sarasota, Fl, offering live performances,  cozy Parisian style cabaret atmosphere, and full dining service.  The cabaret is part of the Florida Studio Theatre campus,located in the Hegner Theatre Wing at the corner of Coconut and 1st street. The John C. Court Cabaret in Sarasota was built and opened in 2013 as a part of the Florida Studio Theater’s Hegner Theater Wing

Log Cabin barbeque is a historically notable in New Buffalo, MI known for its unique log cabin architecture  and its place in local Americana.

   Suggestive evidence is that the restaurant was operational in the 1950s and 1906s. The owners were Mr and Mrs Geo Stanisos

     The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a world famous Victorian engineering marvel spanning the Avon Gorge in Bristol, England. It was initially designed by the legendary Isambard Kingdom Brunel.  The bridge serves as his defining professional monument, despite taking 33 years to complete and opening  5 years after his death.

     Origins and financial woes 1785–1843)

The idea of a bridge originated in 1750 when a wealthy wine merchant William Vick left a one thousand pound bequest in his will.  He stipulated that the money should be invested until it reached 10,000 pounds and then used to build a toll free  stone bridge across the Avon Gorge.  By  1829, the fund had grown significantly but a stone arch bridge was deemed unfeasible and far too expensive.

     The bridge committee launched a design competition for a suspension bridge. After a messy initial round  judged by Thomas Telford who rejected all entries to propose his own unpopular plan,a second competition was held in 1831.  A 24 year old Isambard Kingdom Brunel won the contract calling the project my first child, my darling.

    Construction officially began in June, 1931 but the project quickly encountered disasters.

  Bristol Riots (1831)

     Severe political riots shattered  commercial confidence causing investors subscriptions to dry up overnig

     Bankruptcy (1843) construction work resumed fitfully in 1836 but funds were exhausted by 1843. Work grounded to a total  hault with only the massive stone towers partially  completed

 

      Death and Rebirth 1859 –1864)

    Brunel passed away in September, 1859.at the age of 53.having never seen his project completed.

     Viewing the half built towers as a monument to failure, his colleagues at the Institution of Civil Engineers decided to raise new capital and finish the landmark as a monument to his genius.

1.      Engineer John Hawshaw  and William Henry Barlow took over modernizing Brunel’s original plan to feature a wider, heavier and more robust deck.  Fortuitously Brunel’s Hungersford Suspension Bridge in London was being demolished at this time. Hankshaw and Barlow purchased the iron chains of the Hungersford bridge and transferred them to the  Clifton.project to string them between towers
2.  The bridge finally celebrated its grand opening  December 8, 1864. featuring a lighting display.This was a completion of Buck’s dream.
3.  The bridge was a masterpiece of Victorian design. Not incorporated several highly advanced design mechanics 

     Movable saddles.  The iron chains rest on.cast iron ” saddles on top of the towers.  These saddles sit on rollers allowing the structure to slide slightly to accommodate thermal expansion high winds and weight changes without damage to the masonry.  There is no wind bracing.  Despite having no modern aerodynamic wind braces,the bridge flexible design allows it to swing 18 inches.

     Secret vaults. In 2002, an inspection revealed that the massive supposedly solid red sandstone Leigh woods abutment were actually hollow  containing 12 forgotten, multiple story vaulted brick chambers

Bridge today

Now it is a Grade 1 listed historic building.  The bridge is  by the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust. The original 1864 structure remains incredibly.well preserved with an estimated 97%–98% of its iron work still intact.  It jass evolved from carrying light horse drawn carriages to accomodating  more than 4 million commuter vehicles every year.

     At one time there was  train station in Harbert, MI.  The area around where Harbert was located was originally known as Greenbush. 

     A small two.story depot was built in 1889 in Harbert, MI

The Railroad Station was built by the Chicago and West Michigan. Railway, which later became.part.of the Pete Marquette Railroad and eventually the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad

     Historical Impact: The town was originally named Greenbush but was renamed Harbert when the station was established. The station was highly critical to the local economy, acting  as the main transit hub to ship produce, fruit from local orchards and goods from a thriving local pickle factory to Chicago and Detroit

  Distance ice from Habert, MI station to New Buffalo is 8.3 mi  Precise closure date is unknown.

     Carl Sandburg

In 1926, author and poet Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) and his family rented a summer home on Lake Michigan, near the town of Sawyer, MI  Two years later, Sandburg purchased several lots in Harbert, MI.  His wife Lillian (1883-1977), whom he called Paula, designed and supervised construction of a beachfront three story home that would become their year round residence for the next 17 years. Sandburg  rode the train from Harbert to Chicago to  return to his office at the Chicago Daily News as needed. When he stayed up all night writing, his wife Lillian left breakfast and coffee by his office door.  While living near here, Sandburg completed several books  including a volume of poetry called The People: Yes, Steichen the Photographer,and the Pulitzer Prize winning multi-volume set Abraham Lincoln: the War Years.

    The Frigo Memorial Bridge is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and is a structurally sound  tied arch bridge carrying four lanes traffic over  I 43 over the Fox River.  It is fully opened and safe for traffic

Length and dimensions: Total length is 1.51 miles, width 80.1 ft, height 203 feet, clearance below 120 ft, and longest span 450.2 ft

Opened in 1981

Location North Side of Green Bay, Wisconsin, spans the.Fox River just south of its mouth into Green Bay

Official name  Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge (formerly Tower Drive Bridge);renamed in 2002 in honor of civic leader Leo Frigo,a local civic  and philanthropic leader

Chikaming Goat Farm

     From 1928 to 1946, poet Carl Sandburg and his family lived in a beachfront home near here. When he took breaks from writing, Sandburg walked in the sand dunes or studied Lake Michigan from his deck.  Often, he entertained friends by singing and playing songs on his guitar. His wife Lillian developed an interest in farming, and in 1935, purchased a small herd of goats.  They named their property Chikaming Goat Farm after an early Native American Tribe in the area. Lillian’s goat breeding program increased, the herd earned national recognition for high milk production. Seeking a milder climate the Sandburg family moved to North Carolina in 1945. In an interview for a local paper Sandburg said” I’ve traveled from coast to coast and I find Harbert best of all. Lake Michigan is beautiful and I love this spot”

     The Pete Marquette Railroad established extensive operations in New Buffalo, MI in the early 20th century including new tracks, coaling stations and a round house.  As part of this development in 1921, the railroad constructed a 56 room hotel to serve passengers and railroad employees.  This hotel was associated closely with the railroad yard, which was a major stop on the Pete Marquette mainline west line, providing lodging and amenities for passengers and staff.

     The hotel contributed to New Buffalo’s growth as a rail hub and complemented the town’s broader transformation as a lake resort.  While the surrounding area had earlier resort hotels and summer camps dating to  1893 and the late 19th century, the Pete Marquette Hotel was uniquely tied to railroad operations and designed to accommodate the increasing number of travelers during the railroad boom. The hotel’s construction coincided with other railroad improvements, such as engine facilities and coaling stations, marking 1921 as a pivotal year in New Buffalos railroad linked development.

     Architecturally, the building is rectangular with brick construction. Its design emphasized stability and durability.

     The Pere.Marquette Hotel in New Buffalo , Michigan was built in 1893 by termed and entrepreneur Isaac O. Smith to accommodate travelers heading to the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago

     The upper floor closed years ago.  The lower level of the building continued to serve rail road related functions. It has integrated into the New Buffalo Railroad Museum

    The Hotel Rio (often.called.The Rio on the Beach ) was a landmark restaurant and hotel built on the sand dunes of New Buffalo, Michigan, around 1930.  Local.lore suggests parts of the structure originated from.the 1893 Chicago.World’s Fair.before being moved to the New Buffalo Shoreline.

Origins and Operations

   Establishment:  Built.on the dunes and current beach park.area in.1930, operating as popular gathering spot and resort destination.

     Community. Hub:served as a local touchpoint , including hosting the initial 1956 meeting that established the New Buffalo Yacht Club

   Tourism and local sign fiance

The Rio contributed to New Buffalo ‘ transformation from a small railroad town into vacation destination. 

     The Hotel operated for at least 25 years before closing.