I’ve always been a fan of crackpot science. There’s something about the unknown and the unknowable that spurs the imagination. I love ley lines, standing stones, the pyramids – be them in Egypt or Central America. I’m frequently asked if I believe in UFOs, to which I always answer yes. After all, there are certainly […]
Ohio River Valley
Stepping back in time and into the muck at Cache River State Natural Area
Tucked away in the southern tip of Illinois you can find places which don’t seem to belong there. When you think of Illinois – aside from Chicago, or references to Abraham Lincoln, you tend to think of acres of flat land covered in corn, wheat and soybeans. What you might not think of are sheer […]
Hoppy Rebstock, the heartbeat in the tombstone and the joys of school picnics
“I foamed — I raved — I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder — louder — louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly , and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? […]
Historical Attractions: A stroll through time in the downtown preservation district in Evansville Indiana
I was in Beaufort, South Carolina recently which prides itself in its old homes and architecture. And yep, it’s something to be proud of. But I couldn’t help but think that if you take away the Spanish moss, what you’re left with is heat and stunning architecture. In short, we’ve got that at home. Evansville, […]
A Contrarian’s View of History: The Myth of Independence
Who do we thank for our independence? Surely not the British for granting us self-rule under duress. Taxation without representation? We paid among the lowest taxes in the British empire, despite the disproportionately high costs of defending our safety. Jefferson, Addams, Franklin and the rest who signed the declaration? Curious that in this day of […]
Urban legend Black Annis makes the trip from England to the midwest
Annie lost her children in a fire on the north side of Carmi, Illinois quite some time ago. Ever since she wandered the dark alleys at night, looking for her lost children. She wore black, still in mourning, her face beyond pale and ghastly blue in the moonlight. Sometimes you could hear her shuffling along, […]
Living history at the 2010 Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous
The Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous, held in Vincennes, Indiana, a charming town on the banks of the Wabash River full of historic attractions and living history, always feels like a homecoming. Which it is for myself, as I spent several years living and working there. But it’s not just me. I see the same spirit […]
Growing up gothic; Of devil worshippers, Satanists and the Dark Secret of Harvest Home
Urban legends often have very rural roots. Read of devil worshippers, Satanists and rock and roll in this drawer of the Gothic Cabinet of Curiosities and Mysteries
New Harmony, Indiana: 19th century crafts and living history at Heritage Artisans Week
Above: Hands and the Scheitholt, Ruth Wintczak, Heritage Artisans Week 2010, New Harmony, Posey County, IndianaSo call me a geek, but I love historic re-enactments. Give me people in period costumes, an antiquated setting and the smell of wood burning and I’m happy as a pig in um, whatever pigs are happiest in. After moving […]
Pickett’s Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg
On the afternoon of July 3, 1863, approximately 13,000 Confederate soldiers, in a line a mile long, stepped out from the woods, marching side by side, all looking to converge less than a mile away, and in the process, crush the Union army. In the light of history it’s easy to see each of those men […]
