Recent Posts
New Jersey Woman Faces Husband Who Came Back from the Grave
In 1921, a strange domestic drama unfolded in Orange, New Jersey, when a woman answered her door and found herself face-to-face with the husband she…
The Barn in Salisbury, Massachusetts That Welcomed Hoboes
In the early 1900s, the word “hobo” carried a whole world of meaning. It could suggest poverty, wandering, hard luck, railroad travel, or simply a…
Hoosier Man Burned by X-Ray May Lose His Leg
When X-rays were first announced to the world in late 1895, they seemed almost miraculous. For the first time, doctors and experimenters could look beneath…
Fined $5 for Getting the Fish Drunk
There are plenty of strange old newspaper stories involving drunken men, but this 1917 report adds a far more unusual twist: drunken fish. Originally published…
416,389 Hides a Year: The Shocking Scale of a 1906 Shoe Factory
In 1906, the scale of American manufacturing could be measured in hides, railcars, and miles. This short article offers a striking look at the Mayer…
Lawrenceburg Man Uncouples Express Train to Reach His Sweetheart
Some love stories involve stolen glances, secret letters, or moonlit promises. This one involved an express train, a coupling pin, and a very bad decision….
How Two Swindlers Sold Candy as a Cure for Seasickness
At the turn of the 20th century, transatlantic travel promised adventure, discomfort, and plenty of opportunities for sharp-eyed swindlers. Passengers trapped together on a steamship…
Woman Awarded $10,000 After Doctor Left Gauze Inside Her
In 1920, a Chicago courtroom heard a medical malpractice case that would sound painfully familiar even today. Mrs. Hulda Anderson, the wife of a letter…
When 84,000 Bottles of Milwaukee Beer Were Dumped Into the Sewer
When 84,000 Bottles of Milwaukee Beer Were Dumped Into the Sewer In 1919, as Prohibition tightened its grip across the United States, beer did not…
Father Saves Baby From Being Devoured by Hog
In the summer of 1912, a quiet moment in the shade of a tree nearly turned fatal for a five-month-old baby in Union, Salt Lake…
