Beach’s First Subway: Pneumatic Transit System
Alfred Beach was an inventor and editor of Scientific American magazine. He was also a visionary for subterranean rapid transit. By 1849, New York...
The Ground is Smoking in Centralia, Pennsylvania
Centralia was incorporated as a borough in 1866 when coal was discovered in the area. Coal mining gave birth to the town and it...
The United States’ oldest great civilization: Cahokia?
When we studied Native American history in school, we learned about many tribes. Chances are you don't remember learning of Cahokia, a long-extinct civilization...
Real-life Zombieland set? Six Flags New Orleans
With so much that still needs to be rebuilt in New Orleans, the tragedy of Katrina is hard for some to put behind. A...
Largest Abandoned Factory in the World: The Packard Factory, Detroit
Packard was a premier nameplate in the United States, mentioned in the same breath as Duesenberg, Cadillac, Pierce-Arrow, and Lincoln. The crown jewel for...
St. Francis Dam: Worst U.S. Engineering Disaster of the 20th Century
The collapse of the St. Francis Dam in 1928 is one of the worst catastrophes of the twentieth century. Today it is an engineering...