The road to secession in antebellum Georgetown and Horry Districts was long. Through the use of newspapers and public lectures, local leaders unified their communities against the Second Great Awakeni
Each county in the vast territory of southern Georgia has a haunted history. The old Barber-Tucker Inn in Colquitt County and the renovated former Scottish Inn in Bryan County host ghostly guests. A p
North Georgia is home to more than its fair share of ghosts, from scenic antebellum mansions to restaurants, mills and even an outhouse. Reverend Robert William Bigham of Coweta County received a supe
From the Chumash legends of the Dolphins and the Whispering Tree to the ghostly sightings at Sedgwick Reserve, hauntings abound here. In beautiful La Conchita, nightfall reveals dark secrets to anyone
The Newburgh, St. Clair and Collinwood neighborhoods formed the core of Greater Cleveland’s enormous Slovenian population, still the largest in America. The city’s Slovenian heritage is replete with g
Pittsburgh is a hardworking city. And hard workers sometimes enjoy the occasional spirit. So, when Prohibition hit the Steel City, it created a level of violence and corruption residents had never wit
Just beneath the glossy surface of Rockford’s rich heritage lies a dark history of tragedy. The city’s troubled and turbulent past left scars that still resonate today. Geraldine Bourbon’s final strug
One October morning in 1979, a stamp and coin dealer was gunned down in his Visalia shop. There were no witnesses. Persistent police efforts across jurisdictional lines connected it to another death.
New Orleans has a reputation as a home for creatures of the night. Popular books, movies and television shows have cemented the city’s connection to vampires in public imagination. In the early days o
For almost one hundred years, generations of New Orleans shoppers flocked to Krauss. The Canal Street store was hailed for its vast merchandise selection and quality customer service. In its early day
Plymouth is known worldwide as “America’s Hometown,” landing place of the Pilgrims in 1620 and home of the first Thanksgiving. But the real story of the town is a tale of grim beginnings, plague, desp
With hills studded with whiskey stills and cisterns brimming over with beer, Glen Rose operated in concerted defiance of one of Prohibition’s chief champions, Governor Pat Neff. In 1923, Neff dispatch
Beloved lunch counters, oyster houses, roadside diners and elegant dining rooms—Seattle has seen the best of them all come and go. Manca’s Café invented the beloved Dutch Baby pancake, while Trader Vi
The spirits of the early pioneers still roam the streets of Leavenworth and lurk in the lengthening shadows of the surrounding hills. Chas Gordon’s murder sits unsolved after a century of mystery, as
Although Illinois saw no dramatic witch trials, witchcraft has been a part of Illinois history and culture from French exploration to the present day. On the Illinois frontier, pioneers pressed silver
Northwest Arkansas’ High South cuisine is replete with nostalgia, fresh ingredients, tall tales and rural roots. In the 1890s, Ozark apples fed the nation. Welch’s Concord grapes grew in Arkansas vine
An American invention, the cocktail fluctuated in popularity following Prohibition and had firmly taken root in the culinary landscape by the 1990s. The Bay Area played a significant role in reviving
Arkansas’s booze scene had a promising start, with America’s biggest brewing families, Busch and Lemp, investing in Little Rock just prior to Prohibition. However, by 1915, the state had passed the Ne
In the mid-’70s, the University of Georgia football team caused quite a stir off the field. Several players had encounters with the manipulative “Godfather of Pro Wrestling” and his money-for-sex sche
The Cucamonga Valley was once America’s largest wine-producing region, crafting quality vintages decades before Napa and Sonoma. Secondo Guasti, an ambitious and enterprising Italian immigrant, establ
Ranked among the top ten states for both disasters and dry climate, Colorado has a long history of extreme weather. On May 19, 1864, residents of the fledgling gold rush town of Denver awoke to a wall
In the autumn of 1940, two icons of American culture met in Sun Valley, Idaho—writer Ernest Hemingway and actor Gary Cooper. Although “Hem” was known as brash, larger-than-life and hard-drinking and “
The Prohibition era often conjures up images of Tommy guns and speakeasies, but prohibition in Columbus added up to more than a crime stat sheet. It continued to dramatically shape the city far beyond
Beyond the idyllic countryside and suburban communities of Long Island lies a murky history of murder and mayhem. A Victorian romance went awry in Huntington when wealthy farmer Charles Kelsey was tar
Countless Michiganian women performed extraordinary acts that challenged and improved the world. Madame Marie-Therese Cadillac served as the medicine woman in the frontier that became Detroit. Annie T
Most know Florida as the land of endless sunny beaches, but the state is home to numerous eerie legends and mysterious creatures. The Everglades is home to the elusive Skunk Ape, a strange bipedal cre
Few places are as obsessed with the paranormal as New Jersey, and the area once known as West Jersey is a hotbed of supernatural activity. The ghost of a young boy in Mannington appears to welcome gue
Providence has one of the nation’s most intact historic downtowns and is one of America’s most beautiful cities. The history of architectural change in the city is one of lost buildings, urban renewal
Fueled by ambition and pipe dreams, Fargo’s earliest residents created an entire city out of the dust of a flat, desolate prairie. Roberts Street might not exist if it weren’t for Matilda Roberts, a r
While known for the twang of its country music, Nashville is also home to a colorful and salacious past. The earliest settlers to lay claim to the land surrounding Nashville brought with them betrayal
Confederate brigadier general John Adams refused to leave his men despite his own critical injuries and died at the Battle of Franklin. Until recently, his service was rarely acknowledged. During his
The ruins of Daniel Shays’s fortified settlement reveal the hidden story of the famous rebellion. Shays and the Regulators founded the settlement deep in the Vermont wilderness after fleeing the upris
The Plott hound has reached worldwide fame through the contributions of many colorful characters from the Southern Appalachians. Quill Rose—a legendary local outlaw, moonshiner, gunfighter and more—he
From ancient bayous to beloved old businesses, Metairie has changed dramatically over generations. And many of those landmarks are lost to time. The lake, railroads and a beach resort were popular fea
Louisiana is famous for its culinary delights, and the state’s rich medley of treats and confections proves its sweet tooth. Creative bakers improvised traditional recipes during days of rationing to
California has a rich history of cultural innovation and colorful characters. On May 26, 1853, Lola Montez premiered her famous Spider Dance routine in San Francisco. On February 21, 1937, San Diego’s
Created in 1920, the 500,000-acre Nantahala National Forest dominates the rugged southwestern corner of North Carolina. Rivers such as the Cheoah, Cullasaja, Chattooga, Nantahala and Tuckasegee carve
At midcentury, two federal urban renewal projects in the gritty, blue-collar navy town of Portsmouth decimated two neighborhoods. But in the 1970s and ’80s—thanks to an influx of artisans, chefs and e
A young commercial wine industry notwithstanding, winemaking traditions run deep in the Mount Rushmore State. Sodbusting pioneers like Anna Pesä and Jon Vojta defied South Dakota’s harsh terrain and p
Gilded Age financier Morton F. Plant inherited his father’s transportation empire determined to improve his community. A dreamer eager to invest in innovative technology and grass-roots community caus
