Category Archives: History

Jun23

Ghosts of Gettysburg

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Ghosts of Gettysburg

Ghost Tours in Gettysburg abound and for good reason, it may very well be one of the most haunted places in America. There’s a lot of history in this town, mostly the Civil War, which has permanently left its mark. The young men with ideals for a bright future and who were called by the patriotic dream, only to be caught in disillusionment losing there lives in mortal combat and for some unknown reason, seem to be reaching out to the living to tell their stories of woe. Over the centuries, since the battle, stories of scores of sightings keep emerging from the houses and fields in and around Gettysburg.

Stories of sightings of soldiers moving in a battle line across the fields where they once marched and where they fell; tales of visions through a rip in time revealing the horrible scene of a Civil War hospital; apparitions appearing before guests staying at hotels Gettysburg provides all the Civil War history buffs, all put together leads to some great ghost tours. Gettysburg has several tour companies to choose from and they are all good. One tour offers escorts dressed in period clothes and each guide isn’t following any script, they have their own unique ghost stories and have been thrilling tourist for decades. Most tour guides will tell you of their very own experiences and some interesting experiences some visitors have had during the tour such as walking past what was once an orphanage during the Civil War and having their shoelaces constantly coming untied.

You’ll be taken through battlefields, buildings where battlefield hospital were located, and Inns and restaurants, both of which would rather you not know about their haunting. Walk on the grounds of the modern hotels where disembodied voices are heard, phantom arms appear and where unsuspecting tourist are awakened in the dead of night by strange noises. Even if you don’t believe in the spirits, you’ll still enjoy the Ghost Tour, you’ll hear some really great stories and learn more about Gettysburg . Plus, the tour guides really do know everything about certain battles and all the gory details. These tours are not for the squeamish, but for those looking for something a little bit on the scary side of Gettysburg.

Mar15

Forney Transportation Museum in Colorado

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Forney Transportation Museum in Colorado

For eight dollars and a trip to Denver, Colorado, you can take a look at the largest steam locomotive in the world as well as famed pilot Amelia Earhart’s Gold Bug Kissel (which happens to be her car), as well as 500 other exhibits, all at the Forney Transportation Museum . Originally, the museum focused on cars, but grew over time to include all transportation vehicles, using the slogan, “Anything on Wheels.” You’ll find here “Big Boy,” the planet’s biggest steam train as well as railcars, cabooses, antique cars and buggies, fire engines, aircraft, a cable car, steam tractors and motorcycles, bicycles and tricycles, and so on.

The featured exhibit is the 1923 Kissel Speedster, also known as the Gold Bug, which aviator Earhart owned from 1924 to 1929. She first bought the roadster when she didn’t want to travel by train across the country. Those who knew her said she speed around town in the car fairly recklessly, and Earhart admitted that she learned first how to fly before she ever learned how to drive a car.

Cross country travel in the early part of the last century was not routine, with poor roads. The road trip from Los Angeles to Boston covered 7,000 miles, and by the time they traveled from Los Angeles to Boston, the car was covered with stickers from the spots they’d visited. The car, also known as the Kissel Kar, was made by Louis Kissel and sons from the Kissel Motor Car Company, which began in 1907.

While Amelia Earhart disappeared on her attempt to fly around the world in 1937 (and declared dead two years later), her canary yellow Gold Bug is still with us, and one of the sights Colorado has to offer its visitors.

When you arrange a visit to Denver, check out this site ; it’s good not only for a place to stay while you’re checking out the Forney Transportation Museum, but a place to find any number of hotels around the state.

Dec17

Most Famous Tea Party

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Most Famous Tea Party

Another historical fight with the British Empire ended up being the biggest tea party in history. But it wasn’t a very quite afternoon tea party. It was a battle that would start the beginning of setting a new land free to become its own country. It was the ultimate protest to the measure that protests fought today can sometimes have references of the Boston Tea Party. A small reminder of the fight goes a little something like this. The British Empire was still trying to hold onto the new found America land as part of a new colony. The French and Indian War cost a lot for the British so they were looking for a way to pay for it. King George III wanted to tax the American colonies to get his money back. The were also trying to solidify their control over the new colonies who had become a bit more independent while the King was distracted with the war. There had been a few events that angered the colonists like the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townsend Acts and the Boston Massacre. They were already angry so now that the King wanted to tax the tea that was imported they were as angry as stoned beehive.

Tea at that time was a major staple to the colonial life. Not having tea was not an option. So the King thought. But the colonists would rather give up their tea than give the King any power or money. The colonials stopped the ships coming to major cities like Philadelphia, New York and Charleston from unloading the tea. One cold December, 7,000 angry colonists lingered on the dock. They had decided in the morning that the ships were to be sent back full of tea with no duty paid. When British customs refused to send the ships away, the crowd made a plan and made there way onto the three ships and dumped the cargo of tea into the harbor. Of course the King was now pissed and passed the Intolerable acts which closed the Boston Port and sparked the fire of the American independence. Visitors can come and look across the harbor near the site of the big event but the Boston Tea Party Ship museum was taken down by fire. There are still many historical landmarks that will make your head spin. You can find information at your Boston hotel.

Nov30

Bath Houses: Ancient and Modern

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Bath Houses: Ancient and Modern

The history of soaking in warm water has ties to ancient societies.  From Asia to Europe to Rome people have been enjoying the health benefits of taking time away from the world and enjoy relaxation.  Now these soaks are not only considered a leisurely way to spend an afternoon or an evening, but are being used in the medical field to treat certain illnesses and injuries.  The calming effects of the water will relax muscles, and sooth aching joints as well as slowing down the circulation and promoting healing.  At one time, this “bathing” in hot tubs and saunas was a communal event, and in some countries that is still the case.

The wealthy of Ancient Rome, usually did have private baths in their residence, but still preferred to go the bath houses on a regular basis.  This was a way of finding out what was happening in the neighborhood so to speak.  Politics to neighborhood gossip was discussed then, in much the same way that those conversations take place in the spas and the workout rooms today.  In Rome, the daily rituals of the bath was an important aspect of their culture, and considered to be part of the daily city life and urban activity.  In the complexes of those ancient bath houses, there were also libraries and meeting rooms.  This was more than just simply soaking in a hot tub or spa.  It was a culture in and of itself.

It was a bit like the continuation of the work day, for around two or three in the afternoon, everyone headed for that second part of the day in the bath houses.  In some of the houses, the women’s tubs were separate from the men’s', while in others they just had access to the use of the tubs at different times of the day.  It was considered not to be respectable for the two genders to attend at the same time, and was frequently banned by the various emperors throughout the years.  Today however, hot tubs are generally a part of back yard BBQs and parties, and still give people to take a break, and have a chance to socialize and relax together.

Aug17

Historic Monastery in Suffolk

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Historic Monastery in Suffolk

Suffolk, England refers to the region and area in the country that borders Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. It is known more for its natural beauty than it is for any cities found within the county. For the most part is a non-metropolitan area, though it is extremely strong in beauty. And while it is a relatively quite and peaceful region, it is full of historic landmarks and areas of interest for tourists who visit the county and stay in one of the quaint Suffolk hotels. Throughout the area and those near it artifacts from ancient history have been found and testify to the early inhabitants of the region.

A monastery in Bury St. Edmunds is just one of those. The monastery was founded in the first century AD, in the approximate year of 630. This famous building is reported to be the burial site of King Edmund. Edmund was slain by the Danes in 869 AD. The shrine quickly became famous due to the incredible miracles that were reported to have occurred on account of the martyred king. Due to this, the city began to be known by its current name. Today, the city itself is also known for its famous brewery, the Greene King.

The city is also well known for another major landmark. This is the Bury St. Edmunds Cathedral. This is a much newer building and was established in 1914 due to the formation of the Diocese of St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich. The cathedral continues to expand and as recently as this century a Gothic revival tower was built and added to it. This was part of a Millennium expansion project that occurred between 2000 and 2005. The official opening for the tower happened in July of 2005 and included a celebration that featured fireworks and a full brass band.