A friend of mine got a call from a road tripping pal who ranted about a strange monument he had encountered in some nowhere town in Kansas - a monument to 'the first white child born.' For some reason I found myself wanting to see what this ridiculous monument could possibly look like - which leads to this google image search I now share with you (link) It turns out that the first white child born was a momentous occasion for many American burgs and townships. (note: image is a similar New York marker)
I read that John Blowers was (Jamestown founder's) James Prendergast's "hired man". Nice work if you can get it!
Posted by: Brian C. | July 27, 2007 at 11:26 AM
Woah! Manifest destiny in effect! I had no idea these monuments were widespread. Or even that they exissted.
Posted by: Felix | July 27, 2007 at 01:21 PM
Mary Blowers' first mixed-race child had been born a year or two previously, thus necessitating the move to Jamestown.
Posted by: Goyim in the AM | July 27, 2007 at 02:04 PM
Now that's a LOT of white babies!
Posted by: jtm | July 27, 2007 at 02:32 PM
When you consider the white man's embracing of "manifest destiny" and his urge to expand into the western frontier (as Chautauqua County certainly was then), it's easy to understand why a caucasian child being born on land that was taken from the Red Heathen was cause to celebrate. It's undoubtedly more interesting than Lucille Balls birthplace, no?
Posted by: Dale Hazelton | July 27, 2007 at 03:00 PM
If this happened in Kansas, why does the marker indicate this monument is in New York?
Try harder next time.
Posted by: Perplexed | July 27, 2007 at 03:19 PM
Plaque clearly says New York at the top. Why would you say Kansas?
Posted by: Ummm | July 27, 2007 at 03:30 PM
Perplexed - you live up to your name. Sounds like the sign was FOUND in Kansas, but was from NY.
Posted by: TruthInAdvertising | July 27, 2007 at 03:31 PM
As a person that's worked for the New York State Education Department history board... I immediately recognized this sign as a New York State History Marker and then read Kansas... and went "that's not a Kansas marker," which I've visited that state and they're not the same. So either this marker was transported to Kansas or this is a very odd Photoshop job. This marker is for Jamestown, NEW YORK, just south of Buffalo, not Kansas.
Posted by: Charlie Smith | July 27, 2007 at 03:39 PM
to the perplexed
yep, it is Clearly NY
I just used this image to go with the story and the link 'caus I couldn't find the Kansas one -
sorry if this confused you all
click on the link in the post and see other images I could have used
Posted by: BenjamenWalker | July 27, 2007 at 04:01 PM
I was the first white child born to my parents. Where's my marker?!
Posted by: Chris R. | July 30, 2007 at 12:23 AM
Do you know where in Kansas the sign was seen? Could you find out?
Posted by: Anne | January 04, 2008 at 01:16 AM