Why we owe food regulation to a 19th-Century chemist who poisoned his colleagues
Try to imagine twelve fine young men sat around a fine dinner table with a fine white tablecloth and fine silver settings, with their bow ties rested at their chins […]
The colonial era ghosts that still haunt the streets of Yorktown, the landmark village of the American Revolution
It is said that the town of Yorktown is haunted. From Cornwallis’ Cave on the banks of the York River, to Crawford Road, the town is a magnet for urban […]
July 4: It’s Independence Day for the U.S.
One of the most significant dates in the calendar of the United States, on this day, July 4 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, […]
Everything you need to know about New Orleans’ Cities of the Dead~
There is no shortage of spooky graveyards in America, especially in the South and, it seems, when it comes to burying the dead no city does it better, and with […]
Captain William Robinson: the keeper who won’t leave his lighthouse in Whitehall – Michigan
White River is nearly twenty-four miles (about 38 km) in length and passes through White Lake before emptying into Lake Michigan. When in 1675, Father Pere Marquette stopped in the […]
The strange stories of Mouth Cemetery – Michigan
Mouth Cemetery in White River Township, Michigan was established in 1851, even though it is believed that an unknown number of men and women were buried in unmarked graves throughout […]
Block Island Southeast Light and Mad Maggie, the ghost who hates men
Block Island Southeast Light is a lighthouse located on Mohegan Bluffs at the southeastern corner of Block Island, Rhode Island. Block Island is surrounded by submerged rocks and sandy shoals […]
The bloody history of Staten Island’s Kreischer Mansion
Sitting just off the Staten Island’s poetically named Arthur Kill Road is Kreischer Mansion, a lovely Victorian home that is said to be one of the most haunted places in […]
Mount Moor Cemetery: a historic African-American graveyard hidden in the parking lot of one of America’s largest malls~
The huge Palisades Mall is among the largest “mega malls” in the United States. The vast concrete complex was opened in 1998, and even though it was described by the […]
Execution Rocks Lighthouse – New York
The solitary Execution Rocks Lighthouse in the Long Island Sound guards the way to mansions which inspired The Great Gatsby, but also hides a macabre history of murder. In the […]
#March 15, 1889: the power of nature blows gunboat diplomacy out of the water in Apia Harbour, Western Samoa
Gunboat diplomacy was at its height in 1889 and on this day, March 15, tension was high with an act of war seemingly imminent. Three American warships (the sloop-of-war USS […]
Graveyard at the end of Demon’s Road – Texas ~
There’s a remote, lonely dirt road outside of the university town of Huntsville, that for years has had the reputation as a place you don’t want to be after dark. […]
19# Fruitcake: the gift that keeps on giving
American journalist and humorist Calvin Trillin theorized that there is only one fruitcake and that it is simply sent from family to family each year. What is true, is that […]
14# The Christmas Pickle
Each december, millions of people dust off Christmas ornaments and hang them on their respective trees. They carefully place glass baubles and string lights to respect a tradition that, as […]
Vintage Photographs and customs from a 1920s/30s Halloween
Today, we associate October 31 with candy, costumes, and creepy decor. But, have you ever thought about the origin of Halloween and how the ghoulish holiday has evolved over the […]
Hotel Monte Vista – Arizona: a historic hotel along Route 66 and its guests~
Located along legendary Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona is the Hotel Monte Vista. A huge, old-fashioned neon sign towers over this historic hotel, hinting at what’s inside: feather lampshades, vintage […]