Updated: Who Am I No. 13 Revealed

I’ve maintained my youthful looks,

So please accept the mask.

The Patch insists upon its use,

To complicate your task.

Basketball was once my game,

I was the star point guard.

See if you can guess my name,

It’s really not that hard.

Who am I? I am Todd Kiley.

I'LL BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW ... THE STORY OF PRIVATE ISAAC WHITE

The blowing sands of time can erase as well as hide the evidence of events that might someday be considered of historical importance. And as easily as our landscapes erode and disappear, so too can our unprotected written records, with their clues to our life and links to our reality.

Thus, it is into this murky cloud that I step, as I introduce you to Private Isaac White. I only recently became aware of White, when I stumbled upon his brief story. The information I have discovered on him is sparse and incomplete. Yet, his story is one that I believe most students of Holliston history will appreciate.

Isaac White was born in Holliston in 1774 (possibly 1777) and joined the army in 1801. In 1803, he served on Captain Amos Stoddard’s artillery company, while stationed at Fort Kaskaskia, in Illinois. He is described as having been a laborer, measuring five feet, seven-and-a-half inches tall, with blue eyes, a fair complexion, and sandy hair.

It was to Fort Kaskaskia, situated on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, that Meriweather Lewis and William Clark traveled in November 1803, with their Corps of Discovery. Secretary of War Henry Dearborn had issued orders providing that the fort’s commanders were to “furnish one Sergeant and eight good men who understand rowing a boat to go with Captain Lewis as far up the river as they can go and return with certainty before the ice will obstruct the passage of the river.” Eleven men have been identified as having been recruited from the fort, including Isaac White.

White traveled to Saint Louis, most likely with Clark, where preparations continued for the expedition, which finally set off in May 1804. There is no mention of him related to the Corps of Discovery after this, though it is possible that he was sent back with traders in June 1804, or more likely, a member of the return party to Saint Louis from Fort Mandan in 1805.

Though he never reached the Pacific with Lewis and Clark, White’s time on the Corps must surely merit attention when discussing Holliston residents and how they may have touched, or were touched, by history. It is possible that White died on September 6, 1812 while serving in the U.S. Army.

TEA PARTY COMING TO HOLLISTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

There will be a Tea Party in Holliston next week. Sarah Palin is not expected to attend. Michael Graham probably won’t be there, and Christen Varley most likely has other plans.

This gathering, actually, is in no way related to the crusade to restore traditional American values and fiscal sanity. Instead, we are pleased to report that the will be holding a fun at the Asa Whiting House (547 Washington Street), on Saturday, March 12 at noon.

According to the Society's Web site: “People (ages three and up) and dolls of all ages are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. The Tea Party menu includes tea and pink lemonade, tea sandwiches and desserts. Children will also make crafts, take home an educational program booklet and have an opportunity to win a door prize.”

In recognition of the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War, an original story about a Holliston girl’s experience as the war began will be told. A porcelain doll collection based on the book “Little Women”, as well as Civil War-related items from the Society’s collection will also be displayed.

Seating is limited and tickets must be purchased in advance.  Tickets for children and accompanying adult are available at for $12 each. Additional information is available by contacting Judy Grosjean at jhgrosjean@comcast.net or calling 429-7474.

NOTHING TRIVIAL ABOUT THIS BEE

We had it all figured out. Or so we thought.

We would be like the Dream Team: the 1992 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team that crushed their opposition while winning the gold medal in Barcelona.

We would be like Cream: the sixties supergroup of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce that represented the “cream of the crop” among British musicians.

We would be like Lincoln’s Cabinet: a group of diverse men assembled for the attainment of a worthy cause.

Who were we? We were The Flying Jacuzzi’s, the Celebrate Holliston-sponsored team participating in last week’s Holliston Education Foundation’s . Our team, consisting of Tom O’Leary, Andy Porter, Jonathan Loya and myself, was delicately constructed with our eyes firmly focused on winning what the Patch described as “the coveted trivia trophy cup.”

This was not our first trip down this road. Competing in last year’s inaugural Bee, Tom, Andy and I had managed a respectable, yet disputed, third-place finish. This year, however, we wanted it all.

We reviewed what we believed to be our strengths prior to the event. Tom’s knowledge of even the most obscure world events was an acknowledged plus. A deep understanding of American politics and history made Andy invaluable. I was to be relied on for sports and Holliston trivia.

When we learned that teams, unlike the year before, would not be limited to three members, we invited Loya to join us.  A 20-year-old college student with a musical background, we believed Jonathan would provide strength in the contemporary arts, such as with movies and the world of Lady Gag Gag (pun intended).

Wednesday night, we arrived early at the cafeteria and took our seats at our assigned table, the farthest from the front and next to the high school band. Alone on our island, we imagined ourselves the last-invited wedding guest, who finding himself seated next to the bathroom, feels the need to make his presence known. Our opportunity would come.

The rules were explained. There would be four sessions of five questions each. Teams would be allowed to assign different point totals to the questions based on their anticipated category strength. The categories were announced as "People and Places," "Entertainment," "History, Science and Nature," "Sports and Leisure," "Holliston Trivia" and "Wild Card." The team scores would be calculated and announced after each round. We were ready to roll.

And that’s what we did. With the naming of “Oh Canada” as the Canadian national anthem, to the revelation of the Nipmuc’s as the Indian tribe that once lived in the area, we swept through the first round with a perfect 26 points. Other teams had also scored well, and it was evident that win or lose, this was going to be a tight competition.

The second round began and we easily answered the first four questions. The fifth question was announced as being Holliston trivia, and I knew it was time for me to step up.

“What commonly used kitchen item was invented in Holliston?,” Superintendent Brad Jackson asked the crowd. I felt the eyes of my team upon me, as the grayish white organ that consumes 20 percent of my body’s oxygen (as I had learned in a prior question) went completely blank. It was Andy who rescued me, when he said the wax paper cutter, and knowing he was right and assuming we would be the only team to guess correctly, we decided to cheer obnoxiously for ourselves when the answer was read. Which we did.

Yet, to our surprise, other teams had also answered correctly, and following the third round of questions, we found ourselves still perfect, but locked in a tie with our Lions Club brothers and sisters, with many other teams locked on our heels.

The fourth round began.  “What musical instrument did Einstein play” asked our Superintendent. “The violin,” we correctly responded. Only four correct answers separated us from perfection, and then we blinked.

“Which Steven Spielberg movie was his first to gross 200 million dollars?” We looked at each other. Was it "Jaws?"  Was it "E.T.?" We debated back and forth, knowing that timekeeper Tim Cornely stood to the side, armed with a mallet, ready to gong us into oblivion should we not answer in time. In desperation, "E.T." was hastily scribbled on our answer slip and submitted. With the announcement that "Jaws" was the answer, we saw our hopes and chest-pounding opportunity slip away.

At my urging, under the belief that drastic measures were needed to save us, we gave an off-the-wall response to the next question, which also proved wrong. We correctly answered the last two questions, and limped home with 92 points, good for what I believe to be fourth place.

For the second year in a row, the of Richard Sherr, Virginia Beebe and Brody Mankus took top honors. As for the Flying Jacuzzi’s, we took home the knowledge that when it comes to debates between man-eating denizens of the deep and extra-terrestrials, go with the fish.

As for next year, the invitation for famed Holliston historian Joanne Hulbert to join our team is in the mail.