The first time that I remember hearing about a place called “dead man’s” anything was when I was over at a friend’s house in Rock Island, Illinois. We were out riding bikes and one of them made mention that we were coming up on ‘dead man’s hill.’ Clueless, I asked what that meant. One of …
The Death Curve of Cambridge, Illinois, will forever be linked to the story of a woman who committed a horrible crime nearby. What really happened there, and does her ghost still haunt the area? Sources Slayer of Her 7 Children Had Been Insane for Years. Chicago Tribune, 10/2/1905 Family of Nine is Wiped Out …
Episode 56: Death Curve: The Legend of Julia Markham Read More »
Horace and Geneva’s marriage began to fall apart for all the usual reasons: money, jealousy, and neglect. Their path to reconciliation would quickly take a dark turn through rage and madness, speeding toward a terrible conclusion in the summer of 1920.
Living with another person is not always an easy thing. Sharing your personal space with another human being always involves a learning process. People learn where to put things, how to organize around each other, how to divide household chores. The list is endless. For many of us, our first experiences living with someone else …
Horace and Geneva: The Wrong Way to Fix a Marriage Read More »
When I was growing up, western movies were just starting to pass out of popularity. After decades as one of the most popular genres, cowboys just weren’t as cool as they used to be. Thankfully, I got quite the education in the genre from my family, especially my grandfather. We would watch everyone from John …
Fancy Shoes: The Bizarre Fate of Big Nose George Read More »
By 1930, 68-year-old George W. Appleby had practiced medicine for forty-years in the small town of Bristow, Iowa. In many ways, he was exactly what you’d expect – a white-haired elderly man who seemed to genuinely care about his patients and treated their various ailments with a healthy mixture of sage wisdom and medical knowledge. …
The Insane Doctor: Medicine, Drugs, and Murder in Small-Town Iowa Read More »
Dr. George Appleby was everything a small-town doctor should be: polite, gentle, and caring. But under the surface seethed hidden secret that would burst forth one dark day in 1900. Sources ‘Mad Deed of A Doctor.’ The Courier, 1/10/1900 ‘Dr. Appleby’s Crime.’ The Evening Times-Republican, 1/10/1900 ‘Insane Doctor’s Crime.’ The Des Moines Register, 1/10/1900 …
Episode 53: The Insane Doctor: Medicine, Drugs, and Murder in a Small-Town Read More »
William Koenig came to America with his family for a better opportunity. On a warm August night in 1870, it ended in tragedy and death.
Some have said that the most dangerous people that you can ever come across are people that have nothing to lose. They aren’t going to lose any social standing. They’re not going to lose the respect or love of their family. They’re broke, so they’re not going to be losing anything financially. These individuals have …
I have always loved Adams County. Located in the southwestern portion of the state, Adams county is the least populous county in Iowa, containing just under 3700 people. It’s very rural, and is comprised of rolling hills and rich green fields. People still wave to you in the street, or raises an index finger in …
