Revolutionary War in NYC; Clara Barton in DC; Yerkes Observatory on Geneva Lake; Leonardo da Vinci in Pueblo

July 2026

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the July issue of Side of Culture. This is an exciting time in America as the country marks its 250th anniversary. We raise our hats to our country that has come so far in 250 years and hope that Democracy will prevail for another 250. America has been a beacon of light for so many seeking freedom and a better way of life. Liberty has been hard fought but our history is not untarnished.

Side of Culture is honoring the birthday with an article on the institutions in New York City that played a role in the Revolutionary War and that are still standing today. Nadine Godwin explores her home town and points out many of the buildings (now museums) that you can visit today and that remind of the important events that unfolded in the City 250 years ago. David McCullough in his book, 1776, memorialized the Revolutionary War as it unfolded in New York and Nadine finds many of the places he mentions in her story.

Linda Cabasin highlights an extraordinary museum in Washington D.C. dedicated to the Civil War nurse, Clara Barton. She was however not only famous for being the "Angel of the Battlefield" but also for having founded the Missing Soldiers Office Museum which identified over 22,000 soldiers for their families.This important museum was literally lost until a few years ago until a mysterious tap on the shoulder revealed what history had hidden.

Mark Laiosa went to Geneva Lake in Wisconsin to rediscover the Yerkes Observatory. Opened in 1897 as the crown jewel of American astronomy, visitors today arrive for telescope tours, concerts, lectures, exhibitions, children’s play experiences, ecology walks, and arts programs. The story behind its revival is one of community organizing, civic imagination, and a vision for the future.

Last but not least, Heather Mundt writes about the new Leonardo da Vinci museum in Pueblo, Colorado that has contributed hugely to its community. The founders of the museum point out that Pueblo has a surprisingly active arts community and its people are really engaged and really want to see their community grow. The final decision to locate the museum in Pueblo was made too to help support an "underserved population here in terms of education, science education, arts education.” This is the power of arts communities....to inform and education and support communities.

Author Walter Isaacson explored the power of the Declaration of Independence in his book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written and that despite the obvious flaws in the second sentence, the document still underpins our country and provides common ground. At Side of Culture, we believe that building communities plays a part in keeping our country strong.

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Thank you for reading!

Victoria Larson

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Revolutionary War Buildings & Museums in New York City Today

By Nadine Godwin

In 1776, while America’s founding fathers were in Philadelphia signing the Declaration of Independence, colonial forces in New York were in a desperate and losing fight to defend the strategically important city on the Hudson. Read on

A Hidden Gem in DC: The Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum

By Linda Cabasin

In Washington, DC, grand monuments and museums tell the story of the United States, making it a perfect place for celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary. But tucked quietly around the city, lesser-known sites also illuminate important parts of America’s history. One of these, the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum, is almost invisible on a busy Penn Quarter street. The location of the building where Clara Barton—Civil War nurse, humanitarian, and founder of the American Red Cross—discovered the fate of more than 22,000 soldiers was identified only in the 1990s. Read on

Saved by the Stars: How Yerkes Future Foundation Rescued an Observatory....

By Mark Laiosa

At first glance, it seems impossible that a place as grand as Yerkes (rhymes with turkeys) Observatory came close to disappearing. The silvery dome still rises above Geneva Lake. The Beaux Arts facade still commands attention. Century-old trees still frame long views in the way landscape designers intended more than 100 years ago. This landmark of science and design stood at a crossroads where its future was far from certain, urban development. Read on

The Renaissance of the West: How North America's Only Permanent Leonardo da Vinci Museum Is Transforming an Overlooked Colorado City.

By Heather Mundt

The new Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America, opened June 12, has everything you’d expect of an institution dedicated to the renowned 15th century Italian artist and inventor: a 20,000-square-foot space large enough to house several one-of-a-kind reproductions of his work that you won’t find in just any museum, starting with the palazzo-worthy lobby. Read on

Celebrating our Past and Our Future

In celebration of our country's 250, Side of Culture pulled together some of the articles we have published on America's past. Enjoy this compilation on our Instagram.