In 1912, prospectors struck oil, and a lot of it, just west of Burkburnett, a tiny town in north Texas. The oil field brought 20,000 new residents to Burkburnett and the surrounding area. The nearby city of Wichita Falls was where many oil companies set up their offices. One of these office buildings was the … Continue reading The World’s Littlest Skyscraper
In the early 1990s, a man named Horace Burgess bought a plot of land in Crossville, Tennessee on Beehive Lane with a beautiful 80 foot tall tree on it. The base of the tree was 12 foot in diameter and was surrounded by other mature oak trees. Then, one night, Horace heard the voice of … Continue reading The Minister’s Treehouse
The idea came when the CIA was surveilling an Asian head of state. They noticed that during his meeting, feral cats were wandering around and no one seemed to notice. That’s when the Directorate of Science and Technology for the CIA developed the idea of using cats to spy on the Russian embassy. The project … Continue reading Acoustic Kitty
During the presidency of Woodrow WIlson, suffrage was a hot topic. Women fought for their right to vote. One organization fighting for the rights of women was the National Woman’s Party formed by Alice Paul. Paul was born January 11, 1885 in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Her mother was a member of the American Woman … Continue reading The Silent Sentinels
Alice Roosevelt took the nation by storm when she moved into the White House with her father, Theodore, and stepmother, Edith, in 1901. She was a 17 year old spitfire. Her father once told a friend, “I can either run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both. Alice … Continue reading Alice Roosevelt
Rob Hall was born January 14, 1961 in Christchurch, New Zealand. He met Jan Arnold at Mt. Everest in 1990. That same year, he and his climbing partner, Gary Ball, climbed the Seven Summits (the highest peak on every continent) in 7 months. Rob and Jan’s first date was climbing the highest peak in North … Continue reading Rob Hall
Maurice Wilson was born April 21, 1898 in Bradford, England. The day he turned 18, he enlisted in the British Army and served in World War I. In the Battle of Passchendaele, he fought alone to protect his injured unit against the German forces. He received the Military Cross for his bravery. Shortly after, he … Continue reading Maurice Wilson
Romell Broom’s execution by lethal injection was scheduled for 1:30pm on September 15, 2009. On the phone with his brother the night before, Romell told him that he was ready for it to be over and he was tired of being told what to do all the time. The execution drugs were delivered at 1:31pm … Continue reading Romell Broom
At approximately 12:30am on May 17, 1891, 36 year old George Painter came running out of the room he rented at 86 South Green Street in Chicago, Illinois and told fellow boarders that his wife had been murdered. He ran out the front door, looking for a police officer. At the crime scene, police found … Continue reading George Painter
Robert "Bobby" George Pickett was born February 11, 1938 in Somerville, Massachusetts. Growing up, he watched a lot of films at the movie theater his father managed. He became very good at impersonating famous actors, most notably, Boris Karloff. Bobby died of leukemia in Los Angeles, California on April 25, 2007. He was 69 years … Continue reading Bobby Pickett and Boris Karloff
