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The Presidency of Zachary Taylor

Although this president died in office in 1850, his body was exhumed over a century later to determine if his death was really due to natural causes…..

New Mellary Caskets

When people began attending funerals here, many had the exact same reaction. They mentioned that when they passed, they wanted a funeral just like that. What resulted is a business with deep ties to the mission they men serve…..

Making Use of Their Timber

These men had about 3500 acres of farmland, pasture and timber. However, tilling the land they owned was becoming more difficult as they grew older. What they did next not only pays the bills, it has become a well-known enterprise…..

Monks and the Civil War

Who helped supply the Union army’s depot in Galena, Illinois during the Civil War? The monks at this abbey, of course. Their work is why you’ll find many of the beautiful buildings that still stand on the hills just outside of Dubuque…..

Aroostook County’s Potato Harvest

This week, many schools in this county are giving their students a couple of weeks of vacation.  It is a vacation from school, but for most, it is not a vacation from work.  In this county, the largest county east of the Mississippi River, everyone is needed to pitch in…..

The International Towing and Recovery Museum

Not long after the first cars were made, the first cars began to break down or get involved in accidents. And that’s why this museum is exists today…..

The Story Behind Lincoln Park’s Lily Pool

This famous architect was hired to design one of Chicago’s famous park landscapes.  No sooner did he design it than park employees began mowing down all of his flowers.  What Alfred Caldwell did next perhaps made this the well-known spot it is today…..

Die or Betray a Friend?

Sam Davis had an important choice to make. His decision would determine if he would live or be hung…..

A Story Everyone from Tennessee Knows by Heart

His job was to use his stealth to maneuver through enemy lines and gather as much information as possible for his own army.  His story is one that almost everyone in the state of Tennessee knows by heart….

Dozens of Currencies

One, five, ten, twenty? Those are the denominations of bills we normally see when paying for items. Now imagine that not only were there more denominations, but there were dozens of different types of bills in circulation. What you would have is a major mess–and that’s exactly what banking could be like in the 1850′s…..

Herman, Missouri

Why did one family move their piano making business from Philadelphia to a fledgling community in the Midwest? In may seem odd to some, but there was something here that was a draw for many families just like theirs…..

The German Settlement Society

Today we might look at a travel guide for insights on where to take a vacation. Those who looked at this man’s travel guide decided not to vacation here, but to move here. This is the story of one river town and the families who came here nearly two centuries ago…..

Buying a Russian Mig

It can be a hassle filling out paperwork when you buy or trade a new car or truck. But what’s it like if you want to buy something from another country–say a Russian mig fighter. That can take a lot of paperwork and a lot of time…..

The World Aerospace Museum

Quincy, Illinois has a nice airport which links its citizens to thousands of flights around the globe. But what many don’t realize is the very unique aircraft sitting in one of the hangars along the runway here…..

Show-Me Energy

We may have heard of cellulosic ethanol production, but cellulosic plants can be used to provide a variety of energy products. Here’s a facility that’s working to offset the use of coal as an energy source…..

Robert Rothschild Farm

It all began with a west coast couple that wanted to grow some raspberries in the Midwest. It became one of the most recognized names in today’s food industry…..

Feeding People in a Different Way

If you were dropped inside this building and had no idea what it was, it might take you awhile to figure out what business operated here. That’s because this place looks at its role of feeding Americans in a unique and proactive way…..

An Old Mattress Warehouse

What can you do with an old mattress warehouse? Use it to feed thousands of people in twenty counties. That’s what this organization is doing…..

The House with the Gothic Window

Holly Berg finds a steady stream of people that stop by her office to have their picture taken in overalls holding a pitchfork. There’s a good reason for that…..

Painting Your Sister and Dentist

If an artist painted a picture of his sister and his dentist, you’d probably doubt it would be anything special. Think again. It became the second most recognized portrait in the world and it all began in this small Iowa town…..