American Countryside

Businesses may use a variety of ways to get their name out to the public.  In the first half of the 20th century, one sport...

In northern Minnesota you'll find one of the tallest statues in the nation.  His hat literally lights the way for you to find him and...

Many kids have the dream of playing major league baseball.  This man got his chance for one inning.  Interestingly, that one inning made him very...

When several tragedies strike within a short period of time, people might say “the world is coming to an end.”  That's what the folks thought...

We all know Custer and his men met their fate at the Little Big Horn.  However, a chapter of the story you've probably not heard...

One day they would both become president of the United States, but when the two spent the summer in the same town passing each other...

If in heaven the streets are paved in gold, then perhaps this town was pretty close to paradise.  For a century ago, their streets were...

You can buy a lot of things out of a vending machine, but this town had perhaps the most unique such device anywhere in the...

Sometimes people and towns like to go against the grain and live life differently.  For the folks in Corrine, Utah that was definitely the case...

What does it mean to “muster”?  For those living in Colonial times, that word was very important and this spot was one of the most...

The message was clear – lay down your arms and stop the rebellion against the British Crown or otherwise be prepared to have your cities...

In one small town in southwestern Virginia you'll find a place that at first glance may appear to be just a park.  Take a stop...

The flag of the President of the Unites States shows an eagle holding an olive branch and arrows.  President Harry Truman wanted to add something...

June 14, 1777 was an important date in American history because of a short resolution that was passed that impacts life today…

What is the only state flag with two dates emblazoned upon it?  Those two dates are not only important to that state but the nation...

A red hat and stick is a symbol of what movement?  You may be surprised by the answer and equally astonished at the fact the...

The citrus industry is very important to the state of California.  However, you may be surprised at the location of one of the groves established...

Oroville, California has its fair share of churches.  It also has another house of worship that is very rare, especially for a town of this...

There's a tool for just about everything.  And if you want to see just about every tool…well, your best shot may be this place in...

Bob Boldt was a tool salesman – a really, really good tool salesman.  He was also really good at finding unusual tools in his travels. ...

In western Wisconsin you'll find the Chippewa River.  Its drainage encompasses a large portion of the western side of the state and it's the mission...

This is the 100th anniversary of Route 66 and that has many people traveling the old route and reliving its glory years.  In one town,...

It was known as the Packhorse Library Project.  During the years of the Great Depression, many young ladies answered the call to ride horse and...

You'll still find bookmobiles that bring books to rural schools and libraries.  In a moment, I'll take you to an era when the need was...

When the first pioneers passed here, they may have overlooked this place, believing it to be too dry to support much farming. For those who...

A famous trail passes next to this town and that fact is celebrated in the local museum yet today. However, the first settlers weren't keen...

Imagine a packed crowd in a sweltering courtroom.  Refreshment vendor are allowed inside during recesses and chimps perform on the lawn outside.  It was a...

His last name is forever linked to one of the most publicized trial in American history.  It was John Scopes that probably did not teach...

Cities might devise many plans to help increase commerce and spur business growth.  Brining a trial to your town would seem to be an odd...

In Manitowoc, Wisconsin you'll find a submarine that was a part of the Navy's fleet during World War II.  It was still serving the country...

This city along the shores of Lake Michigan has long had an important role in the shipping and transportation of the area.  And in World...

One street in Ogallala, Nebraska is designed to look a bit like it might have back in the late 1800s.  It's been one family's job...

For about a decade's worth of time in the 1800s, this Nebraska town was the end of the trail for thousands of cattle being herded...

Mt. McKinley.  Mt. Ranier.   Pikes Peak.  They are some of the tallest mountains in the United States.  But this peak may be better known, yet...

The Harold family has farmed and ranched along the Kansas-Colorado border for over a century.  Their homestead may appear to be much like many others...

You no doubt have heard of Paul Revere.  However, you've probably not heard of Jack Jouett.  When you hear the two stories, you'll wonder why...

There's a good chance you've not heard of Jack Jouett, yet he may have been the man who saved some of the founding fathers in...

The Tsukamoto school in Sacramento is a place of triumph.  Some may not know the story behind the name, but when you dig deeper, you...

When Marielle arrived in Arkansas, she found her new home must have been constructed for a group of second graders.  It was a humorous incident...

Bob Fletcher is a hero to many around Sacramento.  When others were wronged, he stepped in to make things right – giving of his time...

Sometimes we don't realize the historic value of what is around us until it is too late.  That was partially the case for this town. ...

It's a town relatively new in the south, and a place where one woman defended her historic home by standing guard on her porch with...

When this astronaut was grounded due to health concerns, he used an alias to get reassessed at a world-renowned hospital.  The results of that trip...

He was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, but he never got to go into space in that program.  His story from a Wisconsin...

It's known as the cycling capital of America.  Its location may surprise you, but when you learn the reason why this small, rural town it...

As the United States began sending thousands of troops to Europe and the Pacific during World War II, there were also new needs that sprang...

A gold rush can attract people from all walks of life and all points on the globe.  That was the case for the big stampeded...

Many of us have heard about the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill that set about the 49's rush in the mid 1800s, but this...

Strikes have been a part of the push and pull between labor and management for as long as one can remember.  While those strikes can...

On Memorial Day, we remember our loved ones. But these ladies recognize our fallen soldiers today and every day of the year…

Most of us don't think of the state of Illinois as a major coal mining region, however in the 1800s and early 1900s, this was...