2019 marks the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. When builders pounded the golden spike at Promontory Point, Utah, on May 10, 1869, they opened a new era in transportation. But long train … Read the article
For fifteen years, Henry Johnson had his hands full as Wells Fargo’s pioneer detective. The company built its reputation on safety and security. From the time of its founding, it guaranteed delivery and paid its customers for … Read the article
The War of 1812, often called “the forgotten conflict,” is probably the least understood American war. Just as frequently, it is described as the Second War of American Independence. This is because of a persistent fallacy … Read the article
During the First World War Lowell Thomas was confirming—as he zipped to Europe, through Europe and then to the Middle East— that being in motion was his preferred state. And the direction he preferred for all this … Read the article
In December 1917, Amy Lowell’s local newspaper, The Brookline Chronicle, ran a notice that caught her eye. U.S. Army training camps were in need of books for their libraries. Amy called up Miss Louisa M. Hooper of the … Read the article
Exactly 100 years ago today, April 6, 1917 the United States of America declared war on the German Empire and officially entered World War I. Largely forgotten today, Americans across the country volunteered to serve their country and played a … Read the article
In The Last of the Doughboys, Richard Rubin introduced readers to a forgotten generation of Americans: the men and women who fought and won the First World War. Interviewing the war’s last survivors face-to-face, … Read the article
Thomas Fulton drove one of the few automobiles in Lancaster, Ohio to the local train depot on the town’s south side. Fulton, a leader of the Hocking Glass Company, hoped to meet a crew of men … Read the article
After four seasons at the Carlisle Indian School, Pop Warner was already considered one of the brightest and most innovative coaches in football. However, Pop made the dubious decision to take the field for one last … Read the article
Grace Humiston was a celebrated lawyer, a famous detective, and the first female U.S. District Attorney in history. Her specialty was tracking down missing persons, yet she remains largely (and mysteriously) missing from history herself.