Tesla and the War of the Currents
byThe flash of a lightning bolt is one of nature’s most powerful phenomena. It also is a great metaphor for the mind of Nikola…
US-Industrial United States (1870-1900)
Jet-Set in a Jet-less Age: Nellie Bly’s Sensational Cross-Continental Voyage
byA cold morning mist lingered over the Jersey City harbor on the morning of November 14, 1889, as famed stunt journalist Nellie Bly stood…
The Secret Pneumatic Subway: Beach vs Tweed
byAlthough it only lasted one year, in 1789, New York City was once celebrated as the first capital of the United States. Today, the…
From a Museum to a World Renown Circus: The Creations of P.T. Barnum
byIn May 2017, a historic event happened: Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus shut down. Almost two centuries ago, it was created by…
The Johnstown Flood of 1889: A Preventable Disaster
byWhat comes to mind when you hear the word “geology”? Do you think of a scientist in a lab coat? Do you envision an…
H. H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer
byHerman Webster Mudgett, commonly known as H. H. Holmes, was born in 1861 in New Hampshire.1 Mudgett was born into an affluent family and…
Hidden By Hollywood: The Lost Tales of Bass Reeves
byThe late afternoon heat buzzed in waves across Oklahoma, passing over a Chickasaw County farmer by the name of “Bateman,” steering a workhorse through…
Protection for Our Children: The Mary Ellen Wilson Case
by“The frail child in the tattered dress stands next to a large carved wooden chair, her hand resting on the arm for support. A…
Nellie Bly Uncovers The Secrets of Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum
byOur idea of adventure today might be a road trip to a new destination, or simply getting on a terrifying roller coaster. However, what…
“Get to Fightin or get away”: The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
byIt’s a quite October morning in 1881 in a small mining town in Arizona, when suddenly the sound of gunshots fills the air; two…
“Fleet”: The Story of the First African American Catcher
byMoses “Fleet” Walker was born on October 7, 1857 in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. His parents were Reverend Moses W. Walker, M.D. and Caroline Maria…