The old Sheldon Church, in northern Beaufort County, South Carolina doesn’t have much luck when it comes war. The proper name for this venerable set of old ruins is Prince William’s Parish Church. With a name like that, one would think it would give faithful service. This seemed not to be the case however, as the British burned […]
The History Trekker
History travel is time travel
WHEN THE TIME AND PLACE IS RIGHT, the present fades away and you find yourself transported back to another time, another place. The more you know history, the more you understand how we got here, the more you understand who we are. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Have you ever wondered what it was like to live in another time? Sometimes it’s the little details that tell the story of the past, things that at the time were taken for granted. Everything from spoons to medicine …
As a kid, nothing made a long drive complete like a stop at a historic site. From the battlefields of the Civil War, to time traveling back to early Plymouth at Plimoth Plantation, there’s more to American history than we realize, and it’s all around us. Just ahead at the next exit even.
Some towns and cities reek of history. New York City has history literally stacked on top of history. Other towns are like stepping back into time … from the curated Colonial Williamsburg, to the towns where the twentieth century was just slow to show up. Nearly all towns and cities have their history, if you know where to look.
All around the world, people celebrate their history. Hell, here in America we celebrate medieval history and we weren’t even around in the middle ages. Maybe it’s the costumes, maybe it’s just a chance for guys to play with weapons. While you might not get an authentic experience, you do get a healthy dose of fun and a lesson or two.
We’re still fighting the American Revolution in some places. The Civil War is still being played out on the streets and in courtrooms across the country. It’s hard to argue that the founding fathers would have been against gun control when one of the first things Washington did was require everyone to register their weapons. Would the original participants in the Boston Tea Party join today’s tea party? The oft times hidden side of history …
Cry Innocent: Salem witch attraction brings the witch hunts and trials to life
Bridget Bishop. I know nothing of it. I am innocent to a Witch. I know not what a Witch is. Examiner: How do you know then that you are not a witch Bridget Bishop: I do not know what you say. Examiner: How can you know, you are no Witch, & yet not know what […]
Old Yarmouth Inn: Fish and Chips and spooks at Cape Cod’s oldest inn
One can only wonder if the fellow sleeping in a bedroom at the Old Yarmouth Inn, in Yarmouthport, Massachusetts had heard the following story … Early one morning, a guest in the Quisset Harbor room awaoke to find a man in Victorian era clothing standing at the foot of his bed, apparently confused at the […]
Piracy in Charleston S.C, The Pirate House
Sometimes it’s not the truth, but the story which makes for a historical attraction. A case-in-point: The Pirate House in Charleston, South Carolina. People have strolled the cobblestones of the French Quarter and down Church Street, past this bermuda stone dwelling since 1704, but when it took on the disinction of the Pirate House is […]
Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous 2011 & memories from the gutter
Musicoligists disagree on what was the first musical device. They generally agree that the first musical instrument was the voice. So it’s a simple leap to believe our ancient ancestors figured out whistling, and from there, the flute. The whistle imitated birds, the flute imitated the whistle and thus, music was born. But it’s always […]
Yorktown Battlefield Historic Site: Vive la Yorktown!
It’s a cliche of course, but no less true, the statement by George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I’m reminded of this for two reasons. First was a quote by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in last week’s Republican debate, “Our troops should not go off and fight […]
Return to Sleepy Hollow, from an essay by Washington Irving
Sleepy Hollow, a remembrance by Washington Irving is a short article which first appeared in the Knickerbocker Magazine in 1839. Unlike Irving’s more well-known short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Sleepy Hollow is autobiographical in tone. He explored the area as a teenager – a valley of the Pocantico River near Tarrytown, New York, […]
Historical Reenactments: The Fishers Renaissance Faire, Fishers Indianapolis – authentically fun
Renaissance fairs and medieval festivals are the red-headed step children of historical re-enactments. The reason is painfully obvious in the United States – there basically was no renaissance or medieval era over here. Compounding the fact that for example, the Civil War lasted about four years and the American revolution around eight, the Renaissance lasted […]
Living history in America’s most historic attraction: Plimoth Plantation brings the seventeenth century to life
Of the living history sites I’ve visited, none capture the imagination like Plimoth Plantation. Plimoth Plantation feels real, for aside from the visitors, there are no traces of modern life. There are no signs, no artifacts behind glass cases, no areas roped off. This is truly living history, as the interpreters never leave character, and […]
The reason for the season? How Christianity dyed its pagan roots.
I remember Christmas as a time of magic. There was something supernatural going on that you could never put your finger on. Flying reindeer, animals that talk at midnight, ghosts and Santa, a supernatural figure if there ever was one. To believe in Santa required faith, not unlike the kind of faith required to believe […]
