On the northwest corner of Greene Street and Washington Place in Manhattan sits the Asch Building. Made of iron and steel and constructed in 1900, the ten-story building was named after its owner--Joseph J. Asch--and, upon its completion, offered office and factory space for several of New York's rising industries. In 1911, the 8th, 9th, … Continue reading No One Was Responsible
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The Small Fry Club
Let's go back in time together. Back before Netflix and Hulu, before satellite dishes and cable providers, back even before a plethora of available local stations like Fox and PBS. Back to the 1940's, when television was in its infancy and there were only 3 networks. Three! ABC, CBS, and NBC. And the only thing … Continue reading The Small Fry Club
For Love of the Land…
The Allegheny forest of Northwestern Pennsylvania was once a sight to be seen. Brimming with acres upon acres of Eastern hemlock, American beech, sugar maple, chestnut, and other distinct trees, this old-growth forest was home to wolves and cougars, which kept the deer population at naturally regulated low levels. This, in turn, allowed the understory … Continue reading For Love of the Land…
Heartbreak Hotel and Other Humble Beginnings
On January 8, 1935, in a two-room shotgun house in East Tupelo, Mississippi, a woman named Gladys gave birth to a son, Jesse Garon. The child, unfortunately, was stillborn. Thirty-five minutes later, the second of the twins arrived alive, to the great relief of both mother and father. They named the child Elvis Aron (later … Continue reading Heartbreak Hotel and Other Humble Beginnings
The Beginning of a Dream
It's #historyfriday--throwback edition! Today, in honor of the upcoming MLK holiday, I'm re-posting an article I wrote about the beginning of Martin Luther King Jr's dream. You can read it here "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." --MLK
Swimming With Sharks
Today's #historyfriday is a little off the cuff. Usually I research and try to write about little known events in history that occurred on the specific day in question. Or I'll take a larger event and write about some little known tidbit behind it. But, as I was researching for December 10, I kept coming … Continue reading Swimming With Sharks
A ‘Few Appropriate Remarks’
"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal..." It's been over twenty years, and I can still remember these words. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. Millions of school children recite … Continue reading A ‘Few Appropriate Remarks’
The Anti-Monopolist’s Monopoly
On this day in 1935, millions of people across America began buying up Park Place, collecting Community Chests, and not collecting $200 as they were sent directly to jail. In other words, on this day in 1935, Parker Brothers introduced the game known as "Monopoly." Rich Uncle Pennybags--for real, that's the monocled mascot's name--has been … Continue reading The Anti-Monopolist’s Monopoly
The Best Worst Photos
Chances are, if you've read or seen any sort of history about World War II and, more specifically, the D-Day invasion, you've seen the work of Robert Capa, born this day in 1913. Although you may not know his name, his blurred, grainy photos, taken on Omaha beach, are iconic, part of a dwindling collection … Continue reading The Best Worst Photos
A Cow and A Lantern…or a Comet and some Craps
One hundred and fifty years ago today, on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire ignited. Burning over a period of two days, the blaze destroyed thousands of buildings over an area of three square miles; killed an estimated 300 people and left over 100,000 more homeless: and caused an estimated $200 million in damages, … Continue reading A Cow and A Lantern…or a Comet and some Craps
