During World War I, New Haven was a hive of wartime activity. The city hummed with munition production from the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, while food conservation campaigns, canning kitchens a
Since the 1940s, forty racing champions have traveled the hallowed grounds at the historic Aiken Training Track. Thoroughbred icons such as Kelso, Tom Fool, Swale, Pleasant Colony, Conquistador Cielo
In the aftermath of the Civil War, Richmond entered the Gilded Age seeking bright prospects while struggling with its own past. It was an era marked by great technological change and ideological strif
Designed by Richmond visionary Lewis Ginter, The Jefferson Hotel has been an icon in the community since 1895. From the alligators that used to roam the elegant lobby to the speakeasy housed within du
From the humble Ingalls family cabin in the woods to Ayad Akhtar’s multicultural conflicts, the Badger State’s stories and imagery have long inspired. Explore how Aldo Leopold and Lorine Niedecker dre
Michigan established St. Joseph County in 1829. It was a fertile land with an abundance of fresh water supplied by the St. Joseph River. The county’s colorful past is the result of forgotten locals an
Cape May is America’s first seaside resort, and with that comes a mouthwatering food history. The New York Times even proclaimed the city “Restaurant Capital of New Jersey.” The first settlers, the Ke
Originally a small town called Washington Courthouse, Fayetteville bloomed into one of Arkansas’s largest cities. The town prospered during its first two decades, until it suffered decimation during t
In 1829, eleven years after Illinois became the twenty-first state, New Salem was founded on a bluff above the Sangamon River. The village provided an essential sanctuary for a friendless, penniless b
In 1914, Poland, New York, was a picturesque slice of small-town America. But that innocence was shattered with the shocking murder of beloved schoolteacher Lida Beecher at the hands of her former stu
Not much drives passionate debate in Utah more than public land use. And sport climbing is securely tethered to that controversy as more thrill-seekers gear up each year to ascend the state’s geologic
Before the start of the Civil War, Georgia had ten railroads, five of which figured significantly in General William T. Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign and March to the Sea. The number of rail lines in the
Pittsburgh’s drinking culture is a story of its people: vibrant, hardworking and innovative. During Prohibition, the Hill District became a center of jazz, speakeasies and creative cocktails. In the f
Originating high in New Mexico’s mysterious Black Range and flowing to the Rio Grande amid contorted, ghost-like sycamores, Las Animas Creek remains one of the least accessible landscapes in the natio
Claiming the lives of seven adults and seventeen children, the Belvidere tornado struck the most vulnerable at the worst possible time: just as school let out. More than five hundred people suffered
Long known as the “Queen City” of New York’s Southern Tier, Elmira has a colorful history to live up to that name. Strange events and offbeat characters populate the city’s past. Eldridge Park once ha
In old Omaha, the scent of opium wafted through saloon doors, while prostitutes openly solicited customers. When the St. Elmo theater ran short of the usual entertainment, the residents could always f
In 1764, a small town in the British colony of Massachusetts ignited a bold rebellion. When Great Britain levied the Sugar Act on its American colonies, Parliament was not prepared for Boston’s backla
On March 10, 1941, at 12:38 a.m., the Brockton Fire Department responded to Fire Alarm Box 1311, which was pulled for a fire at the Strand Theatre. Fire Alarm dispatched the deputy chief, three engine
Newburyport was once the most dangerous harbor on the East Coast and one of its most prosperous. Local captains and sailors led the nation to battle during the American Revolution and founded the U.S.
Karl Kae Knecht’s name is synonymous with the city of Evansville. As editorial cartoonist for the Evansville Courier, he amused readers and spurred them to a higher social good. He mocked the Axis pow
Branson’s wholesome brand of entertainment made it the nation’s destination for family fun, but the vacation wonderland can’t claim a spotless past. Murder and mischief dogged the town’s efforts at re
Widely known for its musical influence, Beale Street was also once a hub for Hoodoo culture. Many blues icons, such as Big Memphis Ma Rainey and Sonny Boy Williamson, dabbled in the mysterious traditi
At seventeen, Floyd Burton Loveless became the youngest person ever executed by the state of Nevada. What led him to that end was just as tragic. Following a series of family catastrophes, Loveless wa
As early as 1755, explorers found coal deposits in Ohio’s Hocking Valley. The industry that followed created towns and canals and established a new way of life. The first shipment of coal rolled into
Early Oregon fur traders concocted a type of distilled beverage known as “Blue Ruin,” used in commerce with local Native Americans. Drawn by the abundant summer harvests of the Willamette Valley, dist
Competing with the likes of Detroit and Ann Arbor, Jackson won the battle to build Michigan’s first state prison in 1838. During the era of the “Big House” and industrial growth, the penitentiary’s on
Montgomery’s cultural heritage reflects two of America’s most transformative struggles: the Civil War and the civil rights movement. On February 18, 1861, Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as president
Upon declaration of war on April 6, 1917, Redlands mobilized immediately. The local National Guard Company G departed on April 4 to Arcadia and quickly relocated to San Diego. Residents worked to esta
Over two centuries, Coweta County has been home to diverse residents who mastered the art of reinventing the county. Initially home to Creek-Muscogee Native Americans, subsequent settlers ushered in a
Shortly after Cleburne landed the largest railroad shops west of the Mississippi, it set its sights on securing a professional baseball team. Against the odds, Cleburne became a Texas League town in 1
At the end of the nineteenth century, the U.S. Armory opened in Springfield, spurring rapid growth. With that golden age of progress came iconic buildings and landmarks that are now lost to time. Rail
This charming collection of original watercolor scenes depicts the people, places, and happenings that years ago had a presence in Charleston but have, unfortunately, since disappeared.
On his twenty-sixth horrifying mission over the hostile skies of Nazi Europe, a charismatic bombardier, seated at the nose of a B-17, strapped on his parachute as his disintegrating bomber dropped unc
The streetcars that plied Oregon’s small-town streets were every bit as diverse as those in Portland and their history even more fascinating. Learn of the devastating 1922 fire that scorched Astoria’s
From the earliest days of settlement, South Temple was Salt Lake’s most prestigious street. In 1857, William Staines built the Devereaux House, Salt Lake’s first of many mansions. The once-bustling Un
When a flood redirected the Missouri River in 1877, a small patch of Iowa landed in Nebraska—and a new town was born. Carter Lake incorporated as an independent city in 1930 as Iowa’s only community w
After Monroe Edwards died in Sing Sing prison in 1847, penny dreadfuls memorialized him as the most celebrated American forger until the turn of the century. With a bizarre biography too complicated f
New Mexico’s rich and varied history is easily accessible via detours down obscure backroads and overlooked off-ramps. By taking the road less traveled in any direction, visitors can experience ancien
The contribution of Black men and women throughout the history of California is often overlooked because it doesn’t easily fit into the established narrative. In Los Angeles, over half of the original
