American Countryside

There was a time when cattle ranchers and sheep herders clashed, sometimes violently, in the western U.S.  This town saw it's share of unfriendly encounters...

In the fall of 1879, an unfortunate set of events led to a clash between Native Americans and white settlers in northwestern Colorado.  Several men...

In western Colorado you'll find the town of Meeker.  It's the surname of a family sent here in the 1870s for a job with the...

He is a man of legend…a man whose story may be larger than life…a renegade who history now looks upon as a catalyst to the...

It was the site of events that would change the history of this nation and in turn influence the world.  While the town is now...

Wendover, Utah is home to a closed air base that still has many features of the days when it was in operation.  In fact, this...

As World War II raged in Europe and in the Pacific, scientists worked to develop a nuclear weapon that could end that war.  Part of...

When you head west from Salt Lake City you cross the Salt Lake Desert and the first town you'll come to is on the state...

Many Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo every May, but the date does not garner as much attention in Mexico.  So why does the commemoration of...

Southeast of Sacramento you'll find many towns that trace their roots to the gold rush days of the late 1840s.  One such town is Columbia,...

Most people don't look at a road atlas these days when they need to go somewhere.  However, if you visit Baker, Montana, you might appreciate...

Most steers don't live to the age of 15 years old.  When one does, well, there's probably an interesting story behind him.  That's the case...

In the 1920s and 30s, one farmer in southeastern Montana was raising some of the largest steers the country had ever seen.  In fact, one...

Within the boundaries of one of northwest Louisiana's larger cities, you'll find an old fort.  It was this outpost around which today's city grew and...

In northwestern Louisiana you'll find lands once the home to the Caddo Nation.  When the first European explorers came here, they soon developed a trading...

John Sellers says the key to winning an old-west shootout was not quickness, but accuracy.  And when you take into account how difficult it was...

In a movie “western” you might see two gunslingers fire their pistols at each other in the town square.  That's exactly what happened here.  It...

When the Civil War ended, there were still many unsettled scores of course.  Towns along the border with North and South were especially prone to...

It's common that towns, school and other sites are named in honor of U.S. Presidents.  So it's natural that most people believe this town was...

Today technology can help us predict and spot several storms that may be headed our way.  Of course, there was a time when that was...

There's a good chance you've never heard of this fort, yet it was very important in the United State's war that acquired much of today's...

When the United States made the Louisiana Purchase they didn't get all of today's state of Louisiana.  Today I'll take you to the part they...

There are many towns in this country named Springfield, but only one can be home to this fictional tv family.  That designation brings several people...

There is some evidence this place in Vermont was in the crosshairs of the German military during World War II if their planes were to...

A church doesn't want to leave any place for the devil to hide.  This old church took that to heart and built a place with...

The oldest log cabin in New England is on an island in Vermont.  It's a spot you can visit today, and for those that do,...

In the northeastern part of Vermont you'll find Lake Champlain, and in that body of water there are the Hero Islands.  So who is the...

Many writers take inspiration from nature.  That is certain true for this man who is known to take long walks and then come back to...

It is know as the “shot heard ‘round the world.”  It was the shot considered to have begun the American Revolution in Concord, Massachusetts…

It's been about 250 years since British Regulars met Citizens of Concord, known as the Provincials at the Old North Bridge.  That confrontation began the...

Although the Shroud of Turin is located in Italy, the research and a traveling exhibit about it have connections to this country and specifically the...

Easter week is a time Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In Shreveport, Louisiana you'll find a lady who knows much about...

They are an unlikely duo.  Turn back the clock to the 1870s, and one ancestor participated in the murder of the other's ancestor.  Today they...

When Avery Hamilton began researching his ancestors, he found a chapter of local history unknown to him.  The more he researched, the more he learned...

In the years after the Civil War, amendments to the U.S. constitution were written to provide former slaves with the same rights as white Americans. ...

If your family lived in the Five Points area of Denver, Colorado in the first half of the 20th century, there's a good chance you...

There is a cliché that says, “Perception is reality.”  For Paul Stewart, his perception growing up was that young men like himself were not cowboys. ...

To some, they resemble totem poles, but the works of art are more modern and quite intricate.  At least one can be found in every...

Peter Toth was just a boy when his family was forced to leave Hungary.  The event left a lasting impression on him and influenced what...

People often associate Abraham Lincoln with the states of Illinois or perhaps his birthplace in Kentucky.  But what state is the farthest west he ever...

Many schools take field trips.  They're usually fun events for students to get some time out of the classroom.  But some field trips don't go...

There are major awards like Oscars, Grammys and Nobel Peace Prizes. Then, there is the Battered Bucket Award.  You've probably never heard of it, but...

After four years of Civil War the conflict had claimed over 630,000 lives.  It was time to begin the long process toward peace and healing. ...

Most Americans know it as the place where the Civil War ended.  Although that is not technically true, it is still the spot where the...

A brick layer from Norway came to this country in the early 1900s.  The impact he had in one Colorado town is still seen today…

When the first farmers and ranchers began to settle this part of north central Colorado, they found a mineral spring that was unique from the...

If you happen to drive by the cemetery in Gypsum, Colorado on April 8th, you may find several people serving breakfast.  It's an unusual sight...

Near Gypsum, Colorado you can still find a small cabin that was the home of a farmer named Charley Peterson.  He also ran a ferry...

When mining didn't pan out, many here turned to ranching and then to farming.  And when it came to growing crops, one vegetable in particular...

What is the only U.S. state with a circle, or arc, as part of its boundary?  There's only one and we'll go to the center...

The Underground Railroad was not only a dangerous journey for blacks escaping slavery, but there were also consequences for those who helped them.  This old...