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| Howell Family with George (middle row 3rd from right) and granddaughter Virginia Irene (2nd from left) |
A Win-Win Strategy
Years ago, I was introduced to the book “Strategy of the Dolphin: Scoring A Win in A Chaotic World” (1990) by Dudley Lynch and Paul L. Kordis. It was the summertime and I remember reading it while lounging on a 1960s green sleeper couch at our cottage. It’s a great couch to sit on because there is a larger picture window overlooking the lake. (The couch, now very much “shabby chic” over 30 years later is still there.) I don’t remember who recommended the book to me, but at this time I had begun teaching high school and spent summers those first years doing paid internships and professional development experiences. Maybe it was someone at the internship at Ford Motor learning about CAD-like computing to take back to the classroom?
Anyway, back to the book.
The main premise of the book is that one can be successful with a Win-Win mentality. They use a metaphor of a dolphin to describe how a dolphin loves to win but doesn’t like to do it at the expense of others. Being creative and flexible and thinking outside the box for solutions that benefit everyone can be a successful strategy. For me, this book was a head nodding experience that resonated and has stuck with me for 30 years. I hadn’t consciously thought about this book in decades but when I reflect on my experience this summer, I can see its imprint on me in all aspects of my life, including family history.
I have always been service oriented, a member of Alphi Phi Omega (National Service Fraternity) in college and now an active Rotarian (our motto is “Service above Self”), it gives me joy to serve others. This summer, I decided to join the Tecumseh Historical Society. After my second visit to the Historical Museum where I found some amazing photos of my husband’s ancestors and helped to identify some unidentified photos (See Serendipity or Determination?), an officer in the club invited me down to the basement where the archives are located and suggested that I might find some great finds but it was a restricted area and I could only go accompanied by others. At the same time, an email from the archivist was soliciting volunteers. I’m in! They welcomed me and were happy to invite me to help organize the archives.
By the time this all happened, it was mid-August, but for the last month I have spent one afternoon a week on a project that was assigned to me. I am organizing, cataloging and preserving the files in two drawers of a filing cabinet. I have learned a lot about Tecumseh and also about archival preservation and come across some very unexpected treasures!
Some Tecumseh History
One of the local heroes is Musgrove Evans, a man born in 1785 in Pennsylvania with a thirst to explore west. He was a surveyor who came to Lenawee County and platted out the town of Tecumseh in 1824. He helped to settle the town but went further west to Texas after his wife died in 1832.
His surveying equipment is proudly on display at the Tecumseh Historical Museum.
Interestingly, this summer I came across a biography (more likely an autobiography) on p. 238 of Knapp & Bonner’s 1903 book Illustrated History and Biographical Account of Lenawee County, MI of Jim’s great-great grandfather George Howell in which states he not only learned how to use surveying equipment but was the possessor of Musgrove Evans’ instruments!
Imagine my surprise!
When my husband and daughter saw the instruments and I showed them the text, we all agreed that maybe Musgrove Evans had many such instruments and maybe not this exact one. Note that George was not born until 4 years after Musgrove Evans left Tecumseh.
Well, further research indicated that George’s father became a surveyor for other communities in the area, so it is not surprising that young George might have been taught by his father and his father was the original recipient of Evans’ compass and chain.
Fast forward to yesterday. I was doing my due diligence at the archives, working on the “E” file and found an envelope labeled “Musgrove Evans Surveying Equipment”. In it were a variety of handwritten titles and descriptions that looked like they had been used to help describe a display at some point. And among them was this placard mounted on some display board:
The last line is what stood out at me “It is now the property of Geo. Howell”. I recognized the handwriting because I had seen it this summer at the Bentley Library on an alumni response card and also a registry at medical school, it is Dr. George Howell, my husband’s great-great grandfather’s handwriting.
According to the archivist, the items found in the envelope were put in the envelope by her when she was cleaning out drawers of an old desk upstairs in the museum. My guess is that at one time, this placard was displayed with the other ones in the envelope. I am still investigating how the compass and chain made it back to the museum but for now I’m convinced that he did in fact own a compass and chain of Musgrove Evans!
This is not the only treasure that I’ve found while working. Last week, I had completed a task but still had a little time before my “shift” was over, so (with permission) I pulled out the Macon box and started reading through its contents. And came across a most wonderful photo of the 1910/1911 one-room school house photo in Macon. All of the people were identified on the back, so I quickly identified “Irene Conklin” and flipping it over I saw this sweet 13 year old girl on the left in the 4th row peeking around another girl that could easily be identified as Jim’s grandmother (and granddaughter of George Howell) as a teenager!
And the program from her Macon graduation exercises before she headed to Tecumseh for High School.
I feel good that I am helping in the archives and delighted that I am finding a few gems along the way. As I live the "Strategy of the dolphin" this is a total Win-Win and I can’t wait until I go back next summer to volunteer in the archives!
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