The Kitchen Table Historian
John F. Dillon stood, inspecting the monument in front of him. Fall had already taken a firm hold on the region, the kaleidoscope of orange and red leaves providing a beautiful backdrop for the granite obelisk. Forty feet from base to tip, it was exactly what Dillon had paid for. Now, looking at it again,... Continue Reading →
The day had started out normally for 18-year-old Walter Garenz. He woke up that morning, got dressed, and had breakfast with his employer, Christian Schindledecker. Shindledecker was a butcher, and Garenz worked for him at his shop, doing chores and making deliveries. He was a good boy and worked hard, so Christian didn't mind renting... Continue Reading →
In 1905, a St. Paul, Minnesota butcher was brutally murdered in his shop. When police began investigating, little did they know that they were on the trail of one of the most cold-blooded killers they had ever seen. Sources Murderer Chops Victim to Pieces In Butcher Shop. The Saint Paul Globe, 2/19/1905 Fatal... Continue Reading →
Thomas Clark was hungry. A lot of people think they’ve been hungry because they skipped lunch one afternoon, but that’s not hunger. Hunger is not remembering when you last ate, and not knowing when you’re going to eat again. True hunger is like an animal, clawing and barking and snapping, demanding to be fed. The... Continue Reading →
Thomas Clark seemed like an ordinary Indiana farmer until he went away to the asylum. They said he was cured. But, in 1922, he committed a horrible crime that proved that his unseen malady was far from improved. Sources Posse Chasing Huntington Murderer. The Huntington Herald, 11/16/1922 Huntington County... Continue Reading →
In the late 1960's, a fraternity in Davenport, Iowa moved into a comfortable new chapter home. Before long, they discovered that a spectral visitor also came with the property. How would you handle this uninvited guest? Sources: Sheridan, Joe. Irene Hughes - Psychic Investigator. Quad City Times, 5/15/1977 Steiger, Brad. Psychic Safaris. Quad City... Continue Reading →
In 1925, a terrible event took place in Wisconsin that literally shook a city and left one man dead. The police were baffled, until the culprit was revealed in an unlikely set of circumstances. Sources Racine Steel celebrates 100 years. The Journal Times, 9/19/1992 www.northshoreline.com http://www.vindustries.com/racinehistory/ Life Sentence For Man Who Shot at Train.... Continue Reading →
24-hour, late night restaurants are a normal, accepted institution in the modern world. While some establishments have discontinued round the clock services, there are several that still offer them. They cater to the late-night crowd – students, second and third shifters, police, doctors, and several others like them who routinely perform their jobs long after... Continue Reading →
Floods are a dangerous fact of life in the Midwest. So many of those who live here have experienced horrific flooding over the years, bonding them together through shared memories and similar circumstances. One such event happened in 1958, when a terrible flash flood claimed the lives of 19 people. Sources “9 Dead,... Continue Reading →