Category: Culture
Was Edgar Allan Poe’s Dark Reputation Partly His Brother’s?
Edgar Allan Poe has always been difficult to separate from his legend. To many readers, Poe is remembered as the haunted genius of American literature….
The Collapse of America’s Stage Queens
In 1902, newspapers reported what they called an “epidemic” of sudden illness and nervous collapse among some of the most celebrated actresses of the day. …
Newark Judge Fines Couple for Kissing in Park
In 1902, a few kisses in a Newark park were enough to land one couple before Judge Herman Schalk and cost them $10. The story…
Mysterious Numbers on Child’s Eye Spur Occult Speculation
In the small fishing village of Île-Tudy, France, a four-year-old girl named Marie Le Guen became the center of an unsettling mystery. Visitors came to…
Missouri Man Sent Himself Back to the Workhouse
Jacob C. Arnold did not try to break out of the St. Louis workhouse. He tried to break back in. In January 1903, Arnold appeared…
Japanese Forces Use Electrified Fences Against Head Hunters
Some old newspaper articles are strange because of what they describe. Others are disturbing because of the casual way they describe it. This 1908 report…
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 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,…
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…
