It's an image as synonymous with the Dirty Thirties as dust: the hobo. Hopping the rails, scrounging for food, lounging on street corners with a tin cup or brown paper bag on their laps. In our minds, they are bedraggled, faces covered with stubble, carrying all their belongings in a handkerchief tied to a stick, … Continue reading The Rise and Fall of the American Hobo
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A Legacy Bigger Than His Batting Average
I miss baseball. I know it's a ridiculous thing to miss in the middle of pandemic that's taken much more important things, but still I miss baseball. So today, I want to forget the pandemic, forget the quarantine, forget the self-isolation, and let my mind travel to the ballpark, to the crack of the bat … Continue reading A Legacy Bigger Than His Batting Average
The Czar, The River, and the Thistle
Springtime in the southern plains. Although the days of the black dusters have long-since passed, March and April still bring with them the ferocious winds that once doomed the barren grasslands. While gone are the dunes that once piled against fences and buried unfortunate automobiles, stick around long enough and you might still see a … Continue reading The Czar, The River, and the Thistle
Einstein’s “Greatest Mistake”
March 14 marks 140 years since the birth of Albert Einstein, the renown physicist, Nobel Prize winner, and father of the atomic age. Or was he? Although the first two labels are most certainly correct, the third moniker--though widely-held--may not be entirely correct. Especially if you ask Einstein himself. Born in Ulm, Germany in 1879 … Continue reading Einstein’s “Greatest Mistake”
Home Sweet…Hole?
In the early 1900's, bolstered by the tune of "every man a landlord," thousands flocked West, hoping to snag a piece of Manifest Destiny and the American dream. Land was cheap, hope was high, and there was nothing standing between a man and his homestead but a few weeks' travel and a little elbow grease. … Continue reading Home Sweet…Hole?
The Dust Bowl Takes on NYC
New York City was dirty. Fueled by rapid industrial and population growth, by the early 1930s New York City had swelled to almost seven million people. Immigrants seeking a better life, rural Americans seeking better pay, and hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life seeking the fun, excitement, and culture of a … Continue reading The Dust Bowl Takes on NYC
Captain Cook and the Complicated Legacy of the Sandwich Islands
The holidays have come and gone, leaving most of us with lighter wallets, tighter pants, and weeks upon weeks of endless winter drear on the horizon. My head is filled with dreams of somewhere warm and green, the sound of the ocean in my ears and the smell of salt in my hair... ...and I'm … Continue reading Captain Cook and the Complicated Legacy of the Sandwich Islands
Holiday Hiatus!
#historyfriday is on holiday hiatus until January 16. Until then, here is a picture of my very old and very grouchy dachshund, Oksar, who hates all things, but especially Christmas (probably because I force him to do things like this.) Wishing you all the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Year's! See you … Continue reading Holiday Hiatus!
Christmas in the Dust
As the 1930's wore on, the rain still refused to fall on parts of Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. The dusters got worse, health deteriorated, and money grew scarce as crops withered and what would come to be known as the Great Depression tightened its grip on the country. Every-day life became a battle against … Continue reading Christmas in the Dust
Giving Thanks–and Wanting More
Love it or hate it, Black Friday is here. The unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season brings hordes of early birds, deal seekers, or--more my style--people watchers. And as I stare at the crowds of overly caffeinated, sometimes short-tempered shoppers with their over-loaded carts, I can't help but wonder: how in the world did … Continue reading Giving Thanks–and Wanting More
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