2368 - Columbia, Missouri, USA

Joan lives in Columbia, Missouri, and is a university town with about 126 000 people. She sent me a "Missouri History" card of Jesse James.

Jesse James (1847 - 1882) is a giant in the folklore of the American West. For many, James is a Robin Hood-type figure who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. There is, however, no evidence that James and his gang gave any of their booty to anyone other than family. Many scholars, in fact, say that James was one of the many criminals inspired by the ex-Confederates following the American Civil War, not as a victim of economic injustice or of frontier lawlessness.

James was the leader the James-Younger Gang which consisted of Jesse and his brother, Frank; the Young Brothers - Cole, Jim, John, and Bob; as well as numerous others. The gang disolved when the Younger Brothers were captured after trying to rob the Northfield First National Bank in Minnesota.

James decided to get back into his criminal activities in 1879 when he formed a new gang with Ed Miller and Robert and Charles Ford. It was Robert Ford, who couldn't resist the $10 000 reward (dead or alive) for Jesse James, shot James in the head in April of 1882.

James left a widow, Zerelda Mimms and four children. One of his sons, Jesse, Jr., went on to practice law in Missouri.

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3227 - Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Mölln is a small city of about 20 000 located in northern Germany. The Elbe-Lübeck Canal flows through the town, and there are eight small lakes that surround the city. It was founded in the 12th century and was a part of the Old Salt Route. Salt that was produced in the salt mines of Lower-Saxony was shipped to the Baltic Sea. Till Eulenspiegel, a legendary trickster known for exposing vices and provoking thought, is said to have lived in Mölln the last year of his life. He apparently died of the plague in 1350, but his existence has never been proven. Mölln has several monuments dedicated to him.

3322 - Hamburg, Germany

Happy birthday to me! What a lovely handmade card from the sender. Beautiful penmanship. Am Rothenbaum is the site of the main court of the German Open Tennis Championships. The International German Open has been played at the Rothernbaum since 1892, making it Germany's longest running tennis tournament. The current stadium was built in 1999 and can hold 13 200 people.

3232 - Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States of America

The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal North Pierhead Light was built in 1882. There were nine keepers of the light until 1897. It was redesigned in 1903 and is 12 meters high. The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal was started in 1872 and wasn't opened for large-scale watercraft until 1890. The canal is 2.1 kilometers long that goes from Sturgeon Bay in Lake Michigan to Green Bay. There are no locks on this canal. The canal was sold to the United States government in 1893 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the canal.

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