George Washington slept here
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A: George Washington entered the world at his father’s Popes Creek Plantation, about 40 miles east of Fredericksburg. The family moved when the future president was 3 years old. When his half-brother inherited the plantation, he renamed the property Wakefield. No one knows what the house looked like, because a fire destroyed it in 1779. The foundation, excavated in 1936, could have supported a two-story home ‘ but it was most certainly smaller than the stately homes held by wealthy plantation owners of that era. The preserved site and a memorial home are now part of the National Park Service, and it is open to the public.
Q: Is it true that John Wayne was offered the role of Marshall Matt Dillon in the TV Western ‘Gunsmoke’? ‘ L.B.Z., Sarasota, Fla.
A: There is some dispute as to whether John Wayne was actually offered the role, but he did suggest James Arness for the part. Amanda Blake was not the original choice for Miss Kitty, by the way. That role was offered to Polly Bond, but she had recently been married and wanted to spend time with her husband, so she turned it down.
Q: A park ranger in Washington, D.C., said the top, or capstone, of the Washington Monument, the pyramid-shaped object, has a name. I can’t remember what it was called. Can you help me out? ‘ R.F., Portland, Maine
A: It’s called a pyramidion.
Q: I remember an advertising slogan, ‘The quality goes in before the name goes on.’ What was the brand? ‘ W.R.B., Santa Rosa, Calif.
A: Zenith.
Q: Is Dolly Parton the real name of the famous singer/songwriter? ‘ O.H., Eugene, Ore.
A: Born Dolly Rebecca Parton on Jan. 19, 1946, she has described her family as being dirt-poor. From those humble beginnings, she has become an incredibly successful, singer, songwriter, composer, musician, author, actress, philanthropist and businesswoman. She has won a Grammy, and her music has garnered two Oscar nominations.
Q: How old was ‘The Red Baron,’ the German World War I ace, when he was finally shot down? ‘ T.U., Tulsa, Okla.
A: Credited with 80 confirmed air-combat victories, Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen was shot down over Australian lines in France on April 21, 1918, just a few weeks shy of his 26th birthday.
Q: I recently purchased a Hyundai car. Now I’m wondering what the name Hyundai means? ‘ T.W.E., El Paso, Texas
A: I asked Robert Burns, the company’s manager of public relations, who told me that Hyundai means ‘modern.’ He also said the South Korea-based automaker was established in 1967 and is now the sixth largest automaker in the world.
Q: One of the books of the Bible is Ecclesiastes. What does Ecclesiastes mean? ‘ P.L., Santa Fe, N.M.
A: The word comes from Hebrew and means ‘preacher.’
Q: While cleaning out my folks’ attic, I came across a box of football memorabilia. Most of the items were clippings of the Portsmouth Spartans. At one time, my parents lived near Portsmouth, Ohio. I asked a few football fanatics about the team. No one ever heard of it. Oh, I found an unused ticket. It cost $2.27 to attend a game. Do you know anything about this team? ‘ H.G., Altoona, Pa.
A: The Portsmouth Spartans joined the National Football League in 1930 and played through the 1933 season. The team was sold and moved to Detroit, where they became the Lions. The $2.27 ticket is equivalent to around $29 today.
(Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at [email protected] or c/o United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016)