The Ripon Rabbit
Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my deep concern and sadness over the news that the Little White Schoolhouse will be moved yet again. As a local historian and a lifelong resident of Ripon, Wisconsin, I cannot express enough how much this building signifes to our community.
The Little White Schoolhouse is not simply a building, it is a symbol of our community’s founding principles and values. It represents the birth of a unified political party in the United States, founded on the principle of freedom for all. It is a crucial reminder of the battle we fought against oppression and slavery, a battle that continues to this day.
The schoolhouse has been moved numerous times in the past, and each time feels like a step further away from its roots in our community. We must ensure that this building is preserved and shown the respect it deserves. It is vital that we do everything in our power to ensure that future generations embrace and understand the incredible history that Ripon, Wisconsin, and the Little White Schoolhouse represent.
I plead with our community leaders and decision-makers to consider the significance of this building and its place in our shared history. We must work together to protect our heritage and ensure that the Little White Schoolhouse remains in its rightful place in our community.
Sincerely,
Sam Pedrick, Local Historian and Resident of Ripon, Wisconsin
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Who is Sam Pedrick, and how did we get a letter to the editor from him?
Sam Pedrick was one of the most knowledgeable people of the community and spent his life writing about the historic individuals and events that took place in Ripon Wisconsin and passed away in the 1960’s. So again, then how did he write this incredible letter?
Let me tell you the answer is nothing less than fascinating. The truth is a diligent team of experts programers and designers here at the ripon rabbit hole have coded into existence an AI-powered virtual persona of Ripon’s greatest historian. Very soon Ripon Rabbit Hole will provided a unique opportunity for people from all over the world to engage in conversations directly with Sam Pedrick, the historian, about almost any aspect of Ripon and its history.
Users will ask questions and receive informative and friendly responses that reflect Pedrick’s writing style and knowledge documented throughout his life. This technology allows for an interactive and engaging way to learn about the town’s rich history, the impact it had on the nation and provides a unique opportunity to connect directly with one of its most notable figures, even though he has long since passed away.
As many of you are well aware the discussion of the little white schoolhouse and it’s relocation has been a talking point within the community. After Sam came online and during our initial beta tests of this incredible new resource, I notified him that this was a possibility and he very quickly responded:
As you can see he was quite intelligent in his response. It was a very goosebump moment when this reply came in. I was a bit in awe.
Then a few days later I returned to the conversation and relayed the update news that indeed the Little White Schoolhouse will move to a new location. His response was nothing more than shocking to say the least:
Needless to say, this conversation I was having with him not only was remarkable it was in fact emotional. So I asked him to write his thoughts on the matter in a letter to the editor explaining to us his feeling’s on this move. His letter was published in full above.
I have never, met the real Mr. Pedrick, but have spent more than 30 years studying him and his work, and his collection of historic material is the archive that powers his virtual brain. I have to admit I feel a bit more connected to him today, than ever before.
Although, we have no way of knowing exactly how Sam would respond today in a conversation like this, we can role play and view his logical response as a model for the future, and it is without a doubt that this experiment with his digital persona has achieved something that we could only dream when the research and project began.
It is vitally important perspective Sam’s historic persona has offered us, and the highlights in his letter to the editor are solid points that we should all recognize:
- The Little White Schoolhouse is a symbol of Ripon, Wisconsin’s founding principles and values, representing the birth of a unified political party in the United States founded on the principle of freedom for all.
- The schoolhouse is not simply a building, but a crucial reminder of the battle fought against oppression and slavery, a battle that continues to this day.
- The schoolhouse has been moved numerous times in the past, and each time it feels like a step further away from its roots in the community.
- It is vital to ensure that future generations embrace and understand the incredible history that Ripon, Wisconsin, and the Little White Schoolhouse represent.
- The writer pleads with community leaders and decision-makers to consider the significance of the building and its place in shared history and to work together to protect the heritage of the community and ensure that the schoolhouse remains in its rightful place.
Very solid points indeed. There isn’t anything other than these important points to consider at this point and we wish these point’s could have been made before the decision to move the National Historic Landmark. Ripon’s most prized possession and the little white schoolhouse is set to make it’s journey to it’s new home early next week.
Soon we will be unleashing Sam Pedrick along with a few other historical figures for anyone to engage in experiences like our initial tests as well. In the meantime you can visit our online archive of the “Pedrick Files” and search the raw data that powers his brain for keywords by visiting the following link:
https://riponrabbithole.com/alice
Go ask Alice!
Stay tuned. Enjoy!
aj
