A chance discovery on January 24, 1848, profoundly shaped the destiny of California and the world. On this day, in a river valley that quickly became the town of Coloma, James W. Marshall found gold in the tailrace of a sawmill he was building for John Sutter. The discovery precipitated the largest gold rush in history, bringing an estimated 300,000 fortune-seekers from all over the world in just a few years. By 1849, Coloma mushroomed into a town of 10,000 people, most of them transient miners. Soon, the town became more permanent, with grand hotels, fine homes, and stout brick buildings. In...
A chance discovery on January 24, 1848, profoundly shaped the destiny of California and the world. On this day, in a river valley that quickly became ...
The Missouri State Penitentiary was established in 1833 via a bill passed by the state legislature, and the first prisoner was incarcerated in 1835. Inmates constructed the main prison building from rock quarried at the site in 1836. The penitentiary closed on September 15, 2004, and plans are in place to redevelop the site into offices for state agencies and private enterprises. The Missouri State Penitentiary was once considered one of the largest maximum-security penal institutions in the United States. After 550 serious assaults occurred inside the prison in the early 1960s, Time magazine...
The Missouri State Penitentiary was established in 1833 via a bill passed by the state legislature, and the first prisoner was incarcerated in 1835. I...
The prolific journey of African Americans in Portland is rooted in the courageous determination of black pioneers to begin anew in an unfamiliar and often hostile territory. Amazingly, a small population of African Americans settled in Portland against a backdrop of exclusion laws that banned free blacks from settling in Oregon. At the end of the 19th century, new employment opportunities in Portland and growing antiblack sentiments elsewhere spurred the growth of Portland s African American community. Approximately 75 African American men were hired at the Portland Hotel, and the completion...
The prolific journey of African Americans in Portland is rooted in the courageous determination of black pioneers to begin anew in an unfamiliar and o...
In 1880, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad laid out the Winslow townsite along its new transcontinental line through northeastern Arizona Territory because the nearby Little Colorado River supplied a vital water source. The river had sustained the prehistoric Homol ovi villages, and a passable ford across the river brought trails, wagon roads, and Mormon settlers to the area before the railroad arrived. This high desert boomtown blossomed into a bustling city when the Santa Fe Railway bought the A&P and transferred division headquarters to Winslow. Along with a shipping point for area ranches,...
In 1880, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad laid out the Winslow townsite along its new transcontinental line through northeastern Arizona Territory beca...
The history of Pleasantville is a rich patriotic fabric woven with the arrival of the first tenant farmers and laborers during Dutch Manor rule. During the Revolutionary War, local militias were critical in the capture of British spy Maj. John Andre. The construction of the railroad in 1846 opened new markets for farmers and attracted many New York City professionals wanting an idyllic countryside family setting. It also initiated the tradition of the daily commuter. In 1908, the wealthy Manville family moved to the village, and the 1928 wedding of their daughter to the Count Folke Bernadotte...
The history of Pleasantville is a rich patriotic fabric woven with the arrival of the first tenant farmers and laborers during Dutch Manor rule. Durin...
As drivers in the 1950s and 1960s traveled the roads of Wisconsin, they often came across billboards inviting them to Eagle River, the nation s vacationland. Then, as now, vacationers and sportsmen came to Eagle River for the clean air, the restful woods and lakes, and the peace and quiet of the Northwoods. Eagle River, created in 1885, is the county seat of Vilas County and is home to the longest chain of freshwater lakes in the world 28 in total. By the late 1890s, the virgin pine forests were depleted, but Eagle River residents recognized that the abundant local hunting and fishing...
As drivers in the 1950s and 1960s traveled the roads of Wisconsin, they often came across billboards inviting them to Eagle River, the nation s vacati...
The Oregon State Insane Asylum was opened in Salem on October 23, 1883, and is one of the oldest continuously operated mental hospitals on the West Coast. In 1913, the name was changed to the Oregon State Hospital (OSH). The history of OSH parallels the development and growth in psychiatric knowledge throughout the United States. Oregon was active in the field of electroshock treatments, lobotomies, and eugenics. At one point, in 1959, there were more than 3,600 patients living on the campus. The Oscar-winning movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest was filmed inside the hospital in 1972. In...
The Oregon State Insane Asylum was opened in Salem on October 23, 1883, and is one of the oldest continuously operated mental hospitals on the West Co...
