The Clock_Tower

Jeanie Koliadko Allen snapped this photo. It is of the clock tower in Richmond, Virginia.

Crossing the Richmond Bridge, I passed this structure a hundred times as a child. But like so many wonderful places. I’m only just learning about it. I remember that when we approached Richmond from the Carolina Side we would see this glimpse.

The building seems to sit still and majestic and just seeing this photograph inspired me to ask questions. Who built this building? Why was it built? What did it mean to the people who built it and even more importantly, what does it mean to the people who preserve it today?

To answer my own questions, I did what every researcher in this century does. I goggled it. This is what I learned:

First: It is called the James Center Clock Tower and its address is : E Cary St and S 10^th St., Richmond, Va. It is part of the Canal Boats and Cobblestones Walking Tours. http://www.zvents.com/z/richmond-va/james-center-clock-tower--venues--1076688

It was built in 1901. It is a historic railroad station and office building. It is currently being served by Amtrak and there are future plans for it to become a northern terminus of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor as well as an intermodal station with Richmond’s city transit bus services. It is also a U.S. National Historical Landmark.

Now I know I have to visit it!

Uncle Joe 8.3.11

Sunday afternoon, and I was in the Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as usual. I always go there with a purpose in mind, usually with a family name I am trying to find a birth, marriage or death date for. But I have learned that family history research isn’t a straight line. In fact, most times the name I start researching ends with no information being available or a very small piece of information being available.

But after years of working as a researcher I have learned to take the information that I find and explore it. Previously, I had heard from a cousin that my Uncle Joe Koliadko had died. He was a wonderful man, and friend and was also my first dentist. He graduated from Loma Linda University and he and my Aunt Millie gave me my first lessons in dental hygiene.

I’m not discrediting the work that my mother and father did in encouraging me to brush and floss my teeth but somehow as a young person to have an expert reinforce their words was important.

I’ll never forget after my visit with Uncle Joe that Aunt Millie let me choose an unpainted figurine from her basket. She loved to create Plaster of Paris molds. And she had wonderful white landscaping or flower figurines. There were larger figurines of a kneeling Christ and his disciples but I had to earn one of those with a perfect score card. This meant that I had to brush and floss my teeth every morning and night and not have any cavities on my next dental visit. I found this site that has individual figurines of the Nativity . http://www.plastercraft.com/web_store.cgi?page=holidays-christmas-figurines-004.html&cart_id=8522425_14685I worked hard for those figurines. My Mom bought me a set of watercolors and I carefully painted the figurines. I really enjoyed showing them to my Uncle Joe and Aunt Millie at my next visit.

So when I had the chance to find Uncle Joe’s name at the family history center, I was pleased to include his information with my family history research. Unfortunately, I don’t know if these good people are even related to me. They are just a broken branch off my tree. If anyone has information where I can make this connection I would be pleased to receive it. But, no matter what they certainly are a part of the village that it took to raise a child. Me.

Tributes to Uncle Joe can be made at: http://hosting-24290.tributes.com/show/Joseph-Koliadko-91670206