Friday, June 7, 2013

Brush, CO and Glenn Miller

Brush, CO  High 84  Low 48

We arrived in Brush yesterday morning and pulled into the Brush City Municipal Park Campground.

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Your first night of camping is free and then it’s $20 a night. They offer 12 electrical hook ups – some 30 amp and some only 20 amp. They also have water available.

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But you need to get here early because it fills up fast. Lots of folks stop for the one free night and then move on the next day. We are staying two nights.

These sites will all be taken by 2:00 p.m.

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After all the going we’ve been doing it’s been really nice to take it easy.

But taking it easy doesn’t mean that we don’t check things out.

Fort Morgan is only ten miles up the road and I found out that Glenn Miller spent his childhood and graduated high school from there. The museum has a section dedicated to him so we had to check it out.

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Glenn was born in Iowa on March 1, 1904. His family moved around quite a bit and finally settled in Fort Morgan in 1918. During that time Glenn discovered his love of the trombone and writing music. After graduating from high school he attended some college but dropped out to pursue his music career.

P1030875 After many set backs he finally developed the sound that would make his orchestra one of the best known dance bands in the country. Glenn received the very first Gold Record ever presented by RCA when his record, Chattanooga Choo Choo, was the first record in history to sell over 1,000,000 copies.

WWII changed many lives including Glenn’s. He decided that he needed to serve his country even though at the 38, this was easier said than done. He finally got his commission in the Army Air Corps in 1942. He continued to perform and organized an Army orchestra.

His high school band – Mick-Miller Melody Five

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P1030890On December 15, 1944, Glenn was to fly from the United Kingdom to Paris, France, to play for the soldiers there. His plane (a single-engine UC-64 Norseman) departed from RAF Twinwood Farm in Clapham, on the outskirts of Bedford and disappeared while flying over the English Channel. No trace of the aircrew, passengers, or plane has ever been found. Glenn’s military status is missing in action.  Nobody knows for sure what happened to the plane but there are many different stories and theories about it.

Also in the museum was a soda fountain with a neat old jukebox.

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Anybody know what this is? It’s a corn sheller. One ear at a time.

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This privy is a WPA Fly-Tight Privy.

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To complete our visit to Fort Morgan, we stopped at the Rainbow Arch Bridge over the South Platte River. When this bridge was built in 1923, it was the longest Arch Bridge in the world.

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A bright spot of color to end our visit.

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16 comments:

  1. You two....or four I should say...have really been busy! My mother in law loved Glen Miller! Glad you got your spot...can't beat free!

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  2. I was fairly young when the movie "The Glenn Miller Story" came out and I never did see it. I wouldn't mind an old rerun now.

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  3. I sure did not know anything about Glen Miller other than he had a band. Thanks for the info..continue to have fun.

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  4. Free is definitely a good price. Matter of fact, that's the price I like best.

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  5. Glenn Miller wasn't only known in North America. After the war his music arrived in Germany and I loved it. But I did not know was that he died in a plane crash before the war was over. For many years "Glenn Miller Music was played by German Dance Bands. I still like it very much.

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  6. My dad loves Glenn Miller. I did not know he received the first Gold Record...how interesting. I will see my dad today and ask him if he knew he died in a plane crash/disappearance. I didn't know that either.

    You two better never tell us to slow down. You two have been going at it nonstop for a long time now. You are making me tired.

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  7. What an interesting place you found and the campground looks great for a few nights. I put it on my Pinterest board in case we ever get out west.

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  8. I knew about the Glen Miller Orchestra and that he was born in Iowa but the rest was new to me. Looks like a great little museum. I too am going to tag that campground for the future, thats a great deal!

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  9. Glen Miller was my Dad's favourite - he used to play those old records over and over again. I think I've heard 'In The Mood' a million times.

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  10. I have lots of Glen Miller's records. They just don't make music like that anymore. :c(

    Nice camping spot. Can't beat that price! Wish they'd have things like that out here in the East.

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  11. My favourite childhood song "How Much is That Doggie in the Window" was by Glenn Miller.

    First night is free, but you must have to stay at least 2, eh?

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  12. I never tire of seeing the picture of Scooter & Skittlez (sp) every time I open your blog they make me smile :)

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  13. Do not know much about Brush, but grew up with Glenn Miller and played in a Dance Band playing those 30/40 hits all over the place:)

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  14. I grew up playing in the mood on the piano... And also knew the story of how he was lost over the channel... But that was largely because my dad was such a fan of his music...

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  15. I've never been up I76, but I understand Fort Morgan has a free city park ($ for electric.) Interesting about Glenn Miller.

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Thanks for visiting today. I look forward to reading your comments. Have a beautiful day.