Category: Culture
A Strange Reward From Long Island Sound
Some stories from the old newspapers are strange because they end in tragedy. Others are strange because they feel almost like little fairy tales printed…
Sing Sing Guard Dog Suspended for Bullying
Even prison guards could get themselves suspended at Sing Sing, especially when the guard in question had four legs, a shaggy coat, and a habit…
Blood Drinkers of New Orleans
At the turn of the twentieth century, desperation often drove the sick toward strange and unsettling remedies. In New Orleans, one such treatment drew men,…
When Hygienists Wanted Cows to Brush Their Teeth
In 1909, newspaper reports poked fun at what they called France’s growing “hygiene craze,” and the examples were almost too strange to believe. Tea, coffee,…
A 1921 Parade for Einstein Had One Rule: No Fords
In June 1921, Hartford, Connecticut, turned out in force to honor two of the most famous Jewish figures of the age: Dr. Chaim Weizmann, future…
Kentucky Girl With Shotgun Puts Night Riders to Flight
In the early 1900s, reports of “night riders” carried an immediate sense of terror. These masked groups moved under cover of darkness, often arriving in…
Ragtime Ghost Haunts New Haven Graveyard
At the turn of the twentieth century, newspapers loved a good ghost story, especially when the haunting came with witnesses, crowds, and just enough absurdity…
Maine Man Locked in Tomb With a Coffin Full of Rum
There is something wonderfully gothic about an old family tomb hidden behind a grand mansion, especially when that tomb comes with instructions involving a lead-lined…
Amateur Photographer “Accidentally” Creates a Study of Women’s Feet
In 1889, one amateur photographer set out to capture the lively scene at St. Simon’s Island during encampment week. What he got instead was something…
The Hobgoblins of Harmony, Maine
In the summer of 1908, the quiet town of Harmony, Maine, found itself troubled by something no one could quite explain. At the home of…
