The Mississippi River, despite its nickname the “Big Muddy,” is surrounded by natural beauty. Bluffs over look the water as it meanders its way through the landscape, making its way ever southward toward the Gulf of Mexico. As picturesque as it is, there is a very practical side to the river as well. The […]
Steam and Fury: The Lansing Steamboat Disaster of 1867 Read More »
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
Death Curve: The Legend of Julia Markham Read More »
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 »
In 1922, Myrtle Belden was a rural mail carrier around Yorkville, Illinois. A single woman in her late twenties, she cared about her position and, seemingly, did a good job. For whatever reason, the cashier of the Farmer’s State Bank in Yorkville, a man named Clarence Beecher, had allegedly been saying some bad things about
Pretty Things and A Good Right Hook Read More »
In many true crime tales, women are all too often the unfortunate victims. In the 1920’s, Hazel Anderson and Helen Depue turned the tables and showed just how ferocious they could be. Sources Girl and Woman Rout Bandit in Daring Battle. The Davenport Democrat and Leader, 12/27/20 Brave Women Frustrate Plan of Holdup Man. The
Episode 52: Pretty Things and a Good Right Hook Read More »
Even familiar noises can seem odd in a new house. In 1887, one woman tried to explain away the mysterious footsteps she heard as natural. But when the strange man started to appear, she knew otherwise. Sources United States Federal Records Rock Island, Illinois, City Directories Ancestry.com. Illinois, County Marriage Records, 1800-1940 [database on-line].
Episode 22: The Tinsmith’s Ghost Read More »
There’s nothing quite like moving into a new house. In most cases, a new buyer obviously likes it, otherwise they never would have bought it. They like the layout, the features. In an older home, people often talk about liking the character of the home. There’s something about how it feels. Still, it takes a
The Tinsmith’s Ghost Read More »
Movies are full of iconic imagery. From the majestic vistas of Monument Valley in John Ford’s westerns to the bleak future battles of James Cameron’s imagination, Hollywood has impressed amazing scenes on the human psyche for over one hundred years. Perhaps amongst the most iconic of these is the image of the damsel in distress.
Damsels in Distress? Three Women Who Broke the Stereotype in 1920 Read More »
William Bettendorf showed a passion and talent for invention from an early age. Raised by German immigrants first in Illinois and then later near Leavenworth, Kansas, William was able to see first hand the daily struggles of the American farmer. At the age of thirteen, he set out on his own, working in several plow
