Icons of Our Heritage Country Churches, One-Room Schools, Water Powered Mills and Bridges to the Past: The Roles They Played in the Development of a Nation

by Shirer, Larry

• ISBN13: 9781667832890
• ISBN10: 1667832891
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2022-04-13
• Publisher: BookBaby

Summary

Churches nurtured the spirits of our ancestors and kept them going in the face of adversity. The rural church, with its steeple or belfry, was more than a picturesque feature of the countryside; it was a vital part of American life. Churches established the moral tone of the community and brought communities together. Teachers in one-room schools, with limited tools and resources, educated the bulk of American students for over 150 years. With limited resources, these teachers provided young people with what they needed to earn a living and cope with life. Water powered mills ushered in the industrial revolution and once supplied a nation of isolated rural communities with the necessities of life. Covered bridges provided practical solutions to getting people, livestock, and products across streams and rivers and reflected the peoples' penchant for building things that last. Water powered mills and covered bridges made often forgotten, but significant, contributions to the economic and social development of our country. Reflecting on the contributions of those responsible for these institutions to the development of the nation helps develop a perspective of who Americans are, what they have accomplished, and what they can accomplish.

Author Biography

Larry Shirer – Bio
I earned a BBA from Ohio University and an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.
I have held responsible positions in several companies, including serving as Vice President and General Manager of a $25,000,000 division of a New York Stock Exchange listed company. My career includes two stints with Management Consulting firms, during which I helped owners of small and medium sized businesses enhance the performance of their enterprises, by improving their decision making skills.
I am deeply committed to learning and have been consistently involved in personal development through reading and classes in philosophy, morality and spirituality. I have also taught part time at the university level.
Since semi-retiring, I have worked as a commercial real estate broker and have had four previous books self - published.
I have been actively involved in community service activities, including serving as Chairman of the United Way Board of Directors, Chairman of the Board of Directors of a local Soup Kitchen, Treasurer of a Mental Health Board and mentoring junior high youth.
I have a web site at www.larryspointstoponder.com, and 2 blogs, one about Native American Values and Virtues, and the other focused on the "Points to Ponder" theme.