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 […]
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Too good to be true, mayhem on the highway turns into a ghost story from Old Charleston and the legend of Lavina Fisher
Top: Charleston’s Old Jail, where Lavina Fisher and her husband John were held and executed. Though she’s been dead for almost 200 years, Charleston is in love Lavina Fisher. Or rather the legend of Lavina Fisher. According to legend, Lavinia had a way with men, particularly her husband John. John and Lavinia ran the Six […]
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 […]
Driving through a disappearing countryside in the midwest
The loss of small, family family farms and increased exploitation of our natural resources means the stereotypical American countryside we all believe is out there, is rapidly disappearing.
Historic attractions, shipwrecks and solitude on Cape Cod
Many things come to mind when you mention Cape Cod – JFK walking the beach at his summer White House at Hyannisport, a getaway for the well-to-do, the arts and alternative lifestyle of Provincetown. But an incredible amount of history has washed up on Cape Cod’s shores. One of the largest barrier islands in the […]
Ancient America comes alive at Angel Mounds State Historic Site
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 […]
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 in Gotham City: A gin-soaked stroll through New York City’s Manhattan Island
For nearly eight years, I lived only an hour’s train ride to New York City. Yet I seldom visited there, and developed a true love/hate relationship with the place. The names associated with the place now don’t ring with the same sweet tones as the ones that came before them. There are no Gershwins, Cohens, […]
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 […]
