Welcome!
My name is Bob Pollock. I was born (1955) and raised in Southern California, lived in Washington state (1975-1990), returned to California, lived on the Central Coast (1990-2003), moved to Branson, Missouri (2003-2008), spent the summer in Vancouver, Washington, then to St. Louis, where I have resided since October, 2008. I served in the United States Marine Corps (1974-1978) at Twenty-Nine Palms, California and Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from University of Washington (1982) and a Master of Arts in History from Missouri State University (2008). I am a member of the national history honor society Phi Alpha Theta. My Master’s paper, The Battle of Wilson’s Creek in History and Memory, was awarded “Best Graduate Essay” in 2008 by the History Department at Missouri State.
I now work as a Park Guide for the National Park Service at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis. I have been involved in public history for many years. I drove charter/tour buses all over the west out of San Luis Obispo, California for several years. I was Operations Manager for a company that provided narrated tours for Amtrak passengers from San Luis Obispo to Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument (popularly known as Hearst Castle). In 2006, I got my first seasonal position with NPS at Lincoln Home National Historic Site. Briefly in 2007 I worked at the Titanic Museum in Branson before getting a student position at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. Summer of ’08 I had a seasonal position at Ft. Vancouver National Historic Site. (The photo here was taken at a special event at San Juan Island National Historical Park that summer.)
I started this blog as an outlet for my writing and research. I write about American history, primarily 19th century/Civil War and Reconstruction, but the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era also. Of course, Ulysses S. Grant is a frequent subject. The history of the places I have lived and worked hold special interest for me, therefore you will find frequent posts on Missouri history. I also post about my own 19th century ancestors who were from Michigan and Indiana, and anything else that might interest me.
Please feel free to browse the archives and leave comments on any posts. If, however, I do not feel your comments are appropriate I will not approve them. This is my blog. And, again, the views expressed here are mine, and do not reflect the views of the National Park Service, or anyone else unless duly noted.
Dear Bob Pollock,
A few days before Christmas I noticed my blog was getting referrals from yandtblog.com and I found your terrific website. As you have already discovered, Rebecca Gratz had an extended family which included Cary Gratz and B. Gratz Brown. Also among those who called her Aunt Becky were Cary’s cousins Frank Blair and Montgomery Blair who were living in St. Louis before the war and her real nephew, Dr. S. Gratz Moses and his sons Dr. Gratz A. Moses and John Moses, also residing in the city. The Moses family would be Confederates. If you ever need assistance in untangling all the relationships I would be honored to help. I know that Rebecca Gratz met B. Gratz Brown at least once and was very impressed with the young man, and I am looking forward to learning more about him.
Hi Susan, Thank you for the comment! I’m glad you like my new venture. I found your blog while researching Gratz Brown. My plan is to examine 19th century Missouri politics through the life of Gratz Brown. I planned to write about his family in an upcoming post, and I will mention your excellent blog.
Hey Bob – I just perused through your blog and I really liked it – I will check more in to it tonight…I am always looking for great Civil War blogs to cross list – and thanks, btw, for listing me in your blogroll – I will gladly return the favor.
Oh – and on another note – you were at 29 Palms the same time as my uncle – he was there in the mid to late 70s Gny. Sgt. Jimmy Carl Harris. He joined in ’58 and retired after the first Gulf a Sgt. Mjr. -He lives in Ala now and writes war stories. Maybe you guys crossed paths – I used to visit him every summer and climb rocks with my cousins at Joshua Tree Nat’l Park – still love going out there!
Talk to you soon,
Keith
Hi Keith,
I was stationed at 29 Palms for nine months, from Nov ’74 – July ’75. It seems like several lifetimes ago. I saw on your blog that you were a student of Joan Waugh at UCLA. We had her at U.S. Grant NHS last October as the featured speaker for the annual John Y. Simon Day. I had the opportunity to have a couple of great conversations with her. I was thrilled to get to meet her. And, my maternal grandparents were both alumni of UCLA. After I went to Washington, I always had a fun rivalry with my grandmother whenever the Huskies played the Bruins! Thanks for checking out my blog, and of course, feel free to leave comments.
Hi Bob,
Love your blog! I am doing some exploring / research on an American Flag (possible Civil War era) that my Mom purchased from an Estate Sale in 2005. It was the home of “Luce” in Ashland Oregon. Could this be a relative of yours? We’re trying to find additional provenance regarding the flag, and I thought maybe you can help being a descendant of the Luce family.
Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
Anne
Hi Anne,
I am not aware of any Luces in Ashland, although it would not surprise me to find that there were. I know that Cyrus G. Luce’s wife Julia Dickinson was the youngest sister of Obed Dickinson. You can read about Obed here:
http://www.salemhistory.net/people/african_americans.htm
and elsewhere, although he was up by Salem.
Also, if you’ve read my blog you know about the Parkers. One of the Parker brothers, Walter, migrated to Oregon after the Civil War and is buried in Lane County. My own great grandmother, Florence Belle Parker, and her husband Robert Sanderson, moved from Indiana to Portland in the early 1900s, before moving to Southern California. So, there are family connections to Oregon. This probably doesn’t help much, but if you find out more I would certainly love to hear about it. Good Luck!
Bob,
Kudos – I have been fascinated by the Civil war and the Union leadership in that period for years. Your blog is so very readable – I think the American Civil war has universal lessons for mankind as it was truly a contest between freedom and servitude. Even though I’m not American, the words to John Browns body move me like little else.
Keep up the good work
Best regards
MJ
MJ, Thank you for the comment and for reading!
Bob,
Thanks for putting Jacksonian America on your blogroll.
Mark
You’re welcome. I’m curious, did you name your blog after Pessen’s book?
I did, indeed. Lessen was a good counterpoint to Remini when I was an undergrad.
Make that Pessen, not Lessen.
I knew, Mark; no worry! I read and reviewed Remini and Pessen in grad school.
Hi Bob, I saw your comment over at “The Strawfoot” where I was also recommended to look at your blog. I’m having a great time reading it already. I’m a great admirer of General Grant, as you could probably tell by my comments over there, and I am so happy to see the work you are doing to keep his memory alive. I’m also incredibly jealous of you being able to spend your days working at the National Historic Site! It must be quite something to walk in the same places he did – I know for me it would be a thrill and an honor. I am currently trying to transition my career into public history and I hope someday to have a chance to work at a site connected in some way with the War.
I am hoping to make a trip to St. Louis, Wilson’s Creek, and other Civil War sites in the Missouri vicinity sometime this summer or early fall, and I’m very excited about it. You mentioned on “The Strawfoot” that you are seeing many visitors there who don’t have much knowledge of Grant but are interested in learning more, and that is very encouraging news to me. I’d love to here more about your impressions of how people today view Grant and how misperceptions about him might be changing. Keep up the great work!
Hi Sara,
Thanks for the comment! Glad you are reading. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions on any posts. Good luck with your quest to work in public history. Maybe I will see you at the park if you make it out to St. Louis!
Hello! I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog and have put you on my blogroll. I have also copied some of your posts to a Facebook group page that I administer for interpreters and other employees of the NC Division of State Historic Sites. I have just asked members of that group to consider the situation you mentioned in your most recent post and how they might handle that. If you get a chance take a look at my blog (linked above) and keep up the good work! I know I’ll keep reading.
Andrew Duppstadt
Assistant Curator of Education
NC Division of State Historic Sites
Hi Andrew,
Glad you’re finding something of value in this blog! Thanks for reading. I added your blog to my blogroll as well. Is the Facebook page accessible to anyone?
The Facebook page is not open to everyone. We allow anyone who is employed by the NC Department of Cultural Resources to join the group. However, I would be glad to add you to the group if you’d like. Do a Facebook search for NC Historic Sites Employees and request to join. Most of the material posted to that page deals with education/interpretation, visitor services, or social media use. Occasionally our collections folks will run across a collections related item and post it there as well. I try to keep it active, posting 5-10 things a week and I encourage others to post things they might find as well. Thanks for putting me on your blogroll! Keep up the good work.
Greetings:
I’ve enjoyed explorimg your blog. Well done.
Do you do book reviews? I’ve recently authored a book dealing with America’s Civil War and was hoping you might take a look.
If not, I understand.
Book information can be found on my web site: http://www.thelintinmypocket.wordpress.com.
My email is sthomassummers@hotmail.com
Many thanks,
S. Thomas Summers
Hello Bob, i googled Gov Cyrus G Luce to obtain information about him. I came across your Blog and a note that you are a great, great great grandson of Cyrus G Luce. My father gave me a picture of a political rally on the Gerome Ashley farm in Burlington, MI which was attended by Gov Luce, circa 1888. My father purchased the Ashley farm in 1940, I do not know if the photo was left in the home or how my father acquired it. If you would like a copy, please send me your email address.
Maybe you have a copy and could elaborate on the event. Regards.
George,
I don’t know anything about the rally in Burlington, but I would love to have a copy of the picture! You can send it to robertpollock1955@gmail.com
Thank you!
Bob, will do within a week or so when I get my scanner operating again.
Do you have the address of the Governor’s residence in Coldeate, MI area?
George,
See here:
http://www.michmarkers.com/startup.asp?startpage=S0469.htm