I’ll admit it, the first time I saw the sign announcing that I had arrived in Salem, I got chills up my spine. The Salem witch hunt was a real-life horror story, and usually the first one we learn as school children. If you grew up in the sixties, there’s a good chance that mood […]
A brief history of St. Patrick: Who was Patrick and what does he have to do with green beer?
St. Patrick’s day throughout the world has reduced the role of St. Patrick, and some would argue Ireland itself to a breakfast cereal character. Who was he? And why should we care?
Deconstructing myths of the American Revolution: Paul Revere’s ride in the words of Paul Revere himself and a travelogue
What most people know about the midnight ride of Paul Revere comes not from the history books, but a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which stretched the truth
The Bell Witch Cave and Cabin: An American haunting in the hills of Tennessee turns up tales of Kate, Betsy and old John Bell
“When we were kids, Jerry used to make fun of Doug Bell, making different names up based on Bell. Mainly Buggy Dell, along with hell’s bells. Dougie’s belly, shit like that. Anyway, one day here comes Doug and his dad, who informs us that Doug is going to kick our asses for making fun of […]
A Brief History of the Bell Witch Hauntings and a visit to the Bell Witch Cave in Adams, TN
A remarkable occurrence, which attracted wide-spread interest, was connected with the family of John Bell, who settled near what is now Adams Station about 1804. So great was the excitement that people came from hundreds of miles around to witness the manifestations of what was popularly known as the “Bell Witch.” This witch was supposed […]
Old Westbury Gardens: An English estate on Long Island’s Gold Coast
In a case of mistaken identity, Roger Thornhill was taken at gunpoint from a posh Manhattan eatery and driven out to a mansion on the north shore of Long Island, and plied with copious amounts of alcohol before escaping in a perilous, intoxicated drive through the winding roads of the gold coast.