Near Diamond in Newton County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
George Washington Carver's Thoughts
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
1. George Washington Carver Nature Trail
Inscription.
George Washington Carver's Thoughts. . , Right Road , …how can I be sure that I’m on the right road?… “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Now you must learn to look to Him for direction and then follow, and you will never go wrong. , George Washington Carver , March 1939, Success , …the further anyone gets away from themselves, the greater will be their success in life…you can’t get very far in life if you can’t get away from self…and see a richer and broader horizon. , George Washington Carver , March 1939, Go Ahead , …sometimes it is wise not to look for too much appreciation. The main thing is to be sure you’re right and go ahead regardless of whether people appreciate it or don’t, because in time they will appreciate it. , George Washington Carver , March 1939, Wisdom , The finite mind of man can never grasp the mysteries of the infinite. It is the highest wisdom, as it is our great happiness, to accept our limitations, to use what we have, and leave the rest to God. , George Washington Carver , 1938, Nature Trail, “Day after day, I spent in the woods alone in order to collect my floral beauties, and put them in my little garden I had hidden in brush not far from the house, as it was considered foolishness in the neighborhood to waste time on flowers.” , “…many are the tears I have shed because I would break the roots or flowers of some of my pets while removing them from the ground, and strange to say all sorts of vegetation seemed to thrive under my touch until I was styled the plant doctor…”, Praying , My prayers seem to be more of an attitude than anything else. I indulge in very little lip service, but ask the Great Creator silently, daily and often many times per day, to permit me to speak to Him through the three great Kingdoms of the world, which He has created, viz. – the Animal, Mineral, and Vegetable Kingdoms, their relations to each other, to us, our relations to them and the Great God who made all of us. , George Washington Carver , December 1941, Legacy , No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it. , George Washington Carver , May 1915, Serving , Selfishness and self are at the bottom of a lot of troubles in the world. So many people fail to realize that serving God and one’s fellow–men are the only worthwhile things in life. It is service that counts. , George Washington Carver , 1938, Helping , My idea is to help the “man farthest down.” This is why I have made every process just as simple as I could to put it within his reach. , George Washington Carver , January 1929, Work Together , I hold before you my hand with each finger standing erect and alone, and so long as they are held thus, not one of all the tasks that the hand may perform can be accomplished. I cannot lift. I cannot grasp. I cannot hold. I cannot even make an intelligible sign until my fingers organize and work together. In this we should also learn a lesson. , George Washington Carver , April 1908, Closer , More and more as we come closer and closer in touch with nature and its teachings are we able to see the Divine and are therefore fitted to interpret correctly the various languages spoken by all forms of nature about us. , George Washington Carver , February 1930, “One of the things that have helped me as much as any other, is not how long I am going to live but how much I can do while living.”
Right Road
…how can I be sure that I’m on the right road?… “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Now you must learn to look to Him for direction and then follow, and you will never go wrong.
George Washington Carver
March 1939
Success
…the further anyone gets away from themselves, the greater will be their success in life…you can’t get very far in life if you can’t get away from self…and see a richer and broader horizon.
George Washington Carver
March 1939
Go Ahead
…sometimes it is wise not to look for too much appreciation. The main thing is to be sure you’re right and go ahead regardless of whether people appreciate it or don’t, because in time they will appreciate it.
George Washington Carver
March 1939
Wisdom
The finite mind of man can never grasp the mysteries of the infinite. It is the highest wisdom, as it is our great happiness, to accept our limitations, to use what we have, and leave the rest to God.
George Washington Carver
1938
Nature Trail
“Day after day, I spent in the woods alone in order to collect my floral beauties, and put them in my little garden I had hidden in brush not far from the house, as it was considered foolishness
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in the neighborhood to waste time on flowers.”
“…many are the tears I have shed because I would break the roots or flowers of some of my pets while removing them from the ground, and strange to say all sorts of vegetation seemed to thrive under my touch until I was styled the plant doctor…”
Praying
My prayers seem to be more of an attitude than anything else. I indulge in very little lip service, but ask the Great Creator silently, daily and often many times per day, to permit me to speak to Him through the three great Kingdoms of the world, which He has created, viz. – the Animal, Mineral, and Vegetable Kingdoms, their relations to each other, to us, our relations to them and the Great God who made all of us.
George Washington Carver
December 1941
Legacy
No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.
George Washington Carver
May 1915
Serving
Selfishness and self are at the bottom of a lot of troubles in the world. So many people fail to realize that serving God and one’s fellow–men are the only worthwhile things in life. It is service that counts.
George Washington Carver
1938
Helping
My idea is to help the “man
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
2. George Washington Carver Nature Trail
farthest down.” This is why I have made every process just as simple as I could to put it within his reach.
George Washington Carver
January 1929
Work Together
I hold before you my hand with each finger standing erect and alone, and so long as they are held thus, not one of all the tasks that the hand may perform can be accomplished. I cannot lift. I cannot grasp. I cannot hold. I cannot even make an intelligible sign until my fingers organize and work together. In this we should also learn a lesson.
George Washington Carver
April 1908
Closer
More and more as we come closer and closer in touch with nature and its teachings are we able to see the Divine and are therefore fitted to interpret correctly the various languages spoken by all forms of nature about us.
George Washington Carver
February 1930
“One of the things that have helped me as much as any other, is not how long I am going to live but how much I can do while living.”
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
3. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
36° 59.18′ N, 94° 21.276′ W. Marker is near Diamond, Missouri, in Newton County. Markers are near the visitor center and along the nature trail at George Washington Carver National Monument. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5646 Carver Road, Diamond MO 64840, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . 1. George Washington Carver National Monument. National Park Service website entry (Submitted on May 31, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. George Washington Carver. Historic Missourians website entry (Submitted on May 31, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
4. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
service website entry (Submitted on May 31, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
5. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
6. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
7. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
8. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
9. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
10. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
11. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
12. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
13. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
14. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 22, 2011
15. George Washington Carver's Thoughts Marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, August 9, 2015
16. George Washington Carver
This 1942 portrait of George Washington Carver by Betsy Graves Reyneau hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.
“Born Diamond Grove (formerly Diamond), Missouri. Born into slavery, George Washington Carver overcame the obstacles of slender means and racial discrimination to seek an education. He believed that "when you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." These words, coupled with his lifelong goal to help poor black farmers trapped in sharecropping and dependency on cotton as a crop, pervaded his work at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute, where he was director of agricultural teaching and research for nearly forty years. Carver's laboratory investigations led to the discovery of more than 450 new commercial products-ranging from margarine to library paste-that could be extracted from previously untapped sources such as the peanut and sweet potato. He demonstrated for southern farmers the wisdom of diversifying crops, instead of relying mainly on the soil-exhausting crop of cotton.” — National Portrait Gallery
Credits. This page was last revised on March 4, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,099 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. submitted on May 31, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 16. submitted on August 12, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.