May

12

Posted by Karin

Recent foot surgery has kept me immobilized, so I’ve spent this rainy Mother’s Day lounging on the couch reading Robert M. Utley’s Cavalier in Buckskin. This interesting read has led me to ask a couple of questions. (I’ll leave the military strategy debates to others, I like to know personal details). Anyone know the answers?

1) While George was fond of the ladies and they of him, Utley states there was another Monroe girlfriend before Libbie - Fanny Fiefield. Any armchair historians or scholars know any details about Fanny? Did she stay in Monroe? Get married? Start a prosperous business?

2) Several books state Custer gave up drinking after making a public spectacle of himself in front of Libbie’s home. I was told Custer was drinking in a local tavern where McGeady’s Town Pub now occupies. Does anyone know the name of the original tavern? And what exactly did Custer do that humiliated him so?

3) Eliza Brown Denison, the Custer’s runaway slave/companion/cook. Does anyone know anything about her?

4) In the book When Custer Walked The Streets of Old Monroe, author Steve Alexander mentions George Custer purchased Meloche Liniment specifically from Pauline Meloche, one of the Meloche Drugstore owners. While Custer was friends with her brother Frank Meloche, Pauline “didn’t appreciate Custer killing Indians!” according to her great nephew Frenchie Beneteau. Beneteau states his great aunt “never married, but took care of a lot of homeless people including the local Indians whom she fed and cared for.”

Imagine the conversations that must have transpired between Pauline Meloche and George Custer. Does anyone have any information on this fascinating lady?

Mar

28

Posted by Karin 

I have to give props to my co-blogger Ronda Stiffler for designing this excellent and informative site. The blogroll is fantastic! Ronda has made research easy. A wealth of information is just a click-of-a-link away.

I spent the past hour learning more about George Custer by reading a compilation of newspaper articles catalogued by the Monroe County Library System. These articles are easily accessed by clicking on the Custer in the News link found under our blogroll. What an excellent resource for teachers, scholars, students and history buffs.

Some interesting reads include a local account of Custer’s wedding, a series of articles on the Indian Expedition, a letter penned by Custer himself to the “editors of the world,” Sitting Bull’s purported account of the Battle of Little Big Horn, and an article documenting the return of the remains of Boston Custer (George’s brother) and Henry Armstrong Reed (Custer’s nephew) who died alongside Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

I also found written evidence supporting the belief that Dandy, the General’s favorite horse, is indeed buried on Neville Custer’s farm located on North Custer Road.

A 1922 Detroit Free Press article “Monroe Recalls When Custer Rode to Battle with the Horse” states: ”The horse died when about 30 years old and was buried in an orchard on the Custer farm, along the winding River Raisin.”

Time to go. I want to read some more articles.

Mar

25

Send us your links!

March 25, 2008 | 1 Comment

If you have any links related to Custer and/or Monroe that you’d like to share, please send them to us at monroescustercelebrationblog@live.com.

Mar

23

Posted by Karin

For years I’ve passed by the statue of George Armstrong Custer on the way to visit my sister, Liz, and her family who live on North Custer Road. When stopped by the red light at Elm and Monroe Streets, I’d sit there and admire the statue. Curiously, I always wondered, What is Custer’s real connection to Monroe anyway? 

Since I never heard anyone speak of it, I assumed the connection was tenuous at best. Perhaps he lived there for two years as a toddler, or passed through on military assignment, etc.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I, a former history teacher, wasn’t inquisitive enough to pursue this question once I pulled away from the traffic light.

Then, last October (through sheer luck as I don’t live in Monroe) I stumbled upon a Monroe Evening News article promoting the 9th annual Custer Week Celebration underway that week. 

The timing was perfect. It was Thursday, and I had the day off from work. Also, if you recall, the weather last October was fabulous. Sunny and 80 degrees!

Hmm. Should I spend one of the last beautiful days of the year running mundane errands or exploring Monroe’s history?

I opted for the latter, hopped in my car and set out to answer the question that has plagued me for years.

My trip to Monroe during Custer Week was amazing. I discovered impressive and rare Civil War era artifacts belonging to President Abraham Lincoln, General Robert E. Lee and Custer on display at the Monroe County Historical Museum. These artifacts were on loan from prominent public and private collections across the country.

Personal artifacts from his life in Monroe were interesting as well. Exhibits included an invitation to his bachelor party and the headstone of one of his beloved horses.

History came alive when I took a walking tour of Monroe. Armed with a copy of Traces of Custer obtained from the museum, I visited numerous sites pertaining to Custer such as Martin’s Shoes (still in operation) where the General purchased boots and shoes, the First Presbyterian Church where George and Libbie exchanged wedding vows, and the Custer plot at Woodland Cemetery where Custer’s parents, brother and nephew are buried.

Amazingly, while the businesses have changed, many buildings and streets from Custer’s time still exist. Although I wasn’t able to participate in the extensive weekend activities, I left Monroe excited. Despite the fact I’m no longer a history teacher, somehow I wanted to make teachers aware of this great opportunity to use local history to inspire kids and get them enthusiastic about our country’s history. 

The opportunity to inform teachers presented itself when I was asked to join the 2008 Custer Celebration Programs Committee as educational coordinator. So teachers, save the dates – Friday, October 3 – Saturday, October 11. You won’t want your students to miss this exciting living history event!This year, the Monroe’s Custer Week Celebration is even bigger and better.

Guest speakers include Ernie LaPointe, Sitting Bull’s great-grandson, and Dakota Goodhouse, chief of interpretation at Fort Abraham Lincoln. While many events are scheduled on weekends and weekday evenings, special weekday programs are being planned specifically for school groups.

Details to be posted here soon.   

Mar

18

Welcome to Monroe’s Custer Celebration Blog. Looking for information about Monroe’s 2008 Custer Celebration? Interested in Monroe’s history and how General George Armstrong Custer fits in? You’ve come to the right place!

The Monroe County Historical Society’s Custer Celebration Programs Committee and others in the community are already hard at work planning Monroe’s Custer Celebration 2008. There are a lot of exciting developments in the works for this year’s programs. Have a peek at the schedule here.

This blog will be updated often with links and information including event details as they develop.

Check back often for Custer Celebration 2008 updates and articles relating to General George Armstrong Custer, Monroe’s most famous resident.

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