Recent Posts
Heroes and Horror in Tannersville’s Twilight Hotel Fire
In July 1926, the fashionable inn at Tannersville, New York, was destroyed by fire so completely that even counting the dead became difficult. The hotel…
Over 20 People Witness Werewolf in Oporto
In 1902, newspaper readers were told that Portugal had fallen under the spell of superstition, with witches, wizards, saints, spirits, and even a werewolf troubling…
When Homework Was Called a National Crime
The debate over homework, overworked children, and the need for fresh air is not nearly as modern as it sounds. In 1900, editor Edward Bok…
9 Men Hurt in Pittston Mining Incident
A mine cage was supposed to carry workers safely down into the darkness and back again, but when something went wrong, it could become a…
When Fashion Came for the Squirrel
At the turn of the twentieth century, fashion had already taken a heavy toll on the natural world. Birds had been slaughtered for their feathers,…
Frozen to Death on Lake Erie
This 1904 account from Lake Erie describes the terrible danger faced by men who crossed the ice in winter. Without landmarks, a traveler could lose…
NYC Subway Worker Buried Alive in Sand
In 1926, Clark was working on the new Eighth Avenue Subway in New York when he climbed into a sand bin to clear a clogged…
Omaha’s Wartime Charcoal Boom
War has a way of reviving old industries. In 1918, as World War I reshaped American manufacturing and pushed prices skyward, charcoal burning suddenly became…
Headless Body Discovered on the Pittsburgh Tracks
The discovery was as grim as it was puzzling. Early one October morning in 1915, the mutilated body of Miss Sophie McCallin was found near…
Americans Urged to Hold Nutting Parties to Win the War
During World War I, even the smallest scraps from the kitchen table could become weapons of defense. In 1918, Americans were urged to save fruit…
