THIS CACHE WAS
MURDERED!
BORN 11/14/2002 DIED
01/01/2006
I am looking for real pictures of the unique roadside
attractions Zippy the Pinhead has visited in the comic strip
“ZIPPY”, created by Bill Griffith. Kind of a REVERSE CACHE. You see
it in a comic strip, then find and photograph the real place. The
list can be found at: zippythepinhead under
Zippy’s Roadside Attractions or Roadside
Tour. These categories seem to be interchangeable as of
5/18/2003, AND ARE SEARCHABLE BY
STATE/COUNTRY.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT ADDED AS OF
5/18/2003: B.G. is doing multiple comic strips about the
same attraction in some instances. Only the FIRST to be logged will be allowed!
And, as your MOTHER told you, RUNNING WITH SCISSORS is not
allowed!
This list is not limited to America, there are international
roadside caches to be found, and perhaps there will be more created
in the future?
When claiming this cache, have your pictures ready to upload
IMMEDIATELY. I’ll give you no more than a few hours, then…, you
know. Also, due to the uniqueness of these roadside attractions,
some have been claimed as other caches already. One example is
FROG ROCK, Eastford, CT. Those
previously claimed for other caches CANNOT be used again, and will
be deleted. (I will find them) To log your find you must report the
coordinates, and name the location where found (city,
state/province, and country). You must take photos of your find
with your GPS visible - old vacation photos and photos downloaded
from the web won’t be allowed. The usual rules apply. Only one log
per location will be allowed, and only one log per geocacher/team.
Make your 1st photo as similar to the cartoon strip as possible!
Then take some others.
A LITTLE BIT OF REAL HISTORY (LOOK IT
UP!!!)
Zip the Pinhead, born William Henry Johnson, (1857 Liberty
Corners, New Jersey - April 28, 1926 New York, New York) was an
American freak show performer famous for his oddly tapered
head.
William Henry Johnson was born to a very poor African-American
family. His parents were William and Mahalia Johnson, former
slaves. As he grew his body developed normally but his head
remained small. His tapering cranium and heavy jaw made him
attractive to agents from Van Emburgh's Circus in Somerville, NJ.
His unusual appearance caused many to believe that he was a
"pinhead", or microcephalic. Microcephalics are characterized by a
small, tapering cranium and impaired mental faculty. A furry suit
was made to fit him, and his afro was shaped to a tiny point that
further accented his sloping brow. Finally, he was given the name,
"Zip the Pinhead," the "What-Is-It?"
Zip's early performances were set against a background story. It
was told to the audience that a tribe of "missing links" had been
discovered in Africa, and that Zip was one of these. It was further
explained that the "wild man", the "What-Is-It", subsisted on raw
meat, nuts, and fruit, but was learning to eat more civilized fare
such as bread and cake. Zip would then be revealed in a cage where
he could rattle the bars and screech. This act was tremendously
successful for Barnum, and Zip was as big a draw to his American
Museum as the famous Siamese twins, Chang and Eng Bunker. In later
years Zip became more "civilized" in his act. He shared the stage
with other prodigies, including his friends Jim Tarver, the Texas
Giant; Jack Earle, the Tallest Man in the World; and many others.
Zip also traveled extensively with the Ringling Brothers
circus.
In his later years Zip eschewed traveling in favor of displaying
himself at Coney Island. One Sunday afternoon in 1925, during one
of his strolls on the boardwalk, Zip heard a little girl cry for
help. He noticed the girl waving her arms in the ocean and swam out
to rescue her. He instantly became a hero, being cheered by all who
witnessed, but shyly ran away from the attention of being a good
samaritan. He took seriously ill in early 1926. He had bronchitis
and despite the wishes of his doctor and Captain White he continued
to perform in a stage play in which he had a part. Upon the closing
of the play he returned to his home in Bound Brook, NJ, where he
was cared for by his doctor, Captain White, and his sister. When
his condition worsened he was moved to Bellevue Hospital in New
York City where he passed away. It is estimated that during his
astonishing 67 years in show business, Zip entertained more than
one hundred million people. He was termed "The Dean of Freaks". His
funeral was attended by the greatest side show acts of the days,
including Madame Olga, the Bearded Lady; Frank Graf, the tattooed
man; and many more. During the ceremonies the distraught Capt.
White collapsed. He died three days later. Zip the Pinhead, William
Henry Johnson, was buried in Plot 399 of the Bound Brook Cemetery
in New Jersey. A small gravestone bearing the inscription "William
H. Johnson, 1857-1926" marks his resting place.
William Henry Johnson was not a true microcephalic; he merely
had an oddly-shaped head. He therefore did not suffer the mental
retardation that a microcephalic suffers. There has been interest
in ascertaining Zip's actual mental capacity, however. William
Henry's sister, Sarah Van Duyne, claimed in a 1926 interview that
her brother would "converse like the average person, and with fair
reasoning power," when he came to visit her. Zip's last words were
to his sister, Mrs. Van Duyne. He is quoted as saying, "Well, we
fooled 'em for a long time!"
Rest In Peace ZIP, May your humor live on!
GM
This information was gathered from public information available
on the www.
GM