Author: Tom
Best of 2011: Santa Anna
It’s been over 150 years since Illinois soldiers faced Santa Anna in the Mexican War. However, traces of that battle fought over 1500 miles to…
Best of 2011: Pioneers of Flight
Today a transcontinental flight from New York to L.A. might take about five hours. But do you know how long the first such flight took?…
Best of 2011: Helen Netherton
It’s a tradition the last week of each year we give you the “Best of the American Countryside.” And in 2012 we interviewed 110 year…
A POW-built Nativity
It was Christmas 1945. German POWs at Camp Algona in Algona, Iowa would be returning to Europe the next year. This was the final Christmas…
An Odd Request
At first glance, it might appear to be an odd request. A U.S. commander asked a group of German POWs to construct a nativity scene…
The Denver Sleigh Works
Santa needs his sleigh to make deliveries around the world and this man makes sure he’ll never run out of transportation…..
Leroy Keyes
In 1968, O.J Simpson won the Heisman Trophy, but it was this man who was runner-up in the Heisman balloting that year. His story is…
The New Madrid Earthquake
Although California and Alaska are most often the epicenter of major earthquakes in the United States, it was the Midwest that produced one of the…
Keith’s Cafe
In Memphis, Missouri, there’s a café where great food has been served for about 65 years now. This is the story of the family who…
Leading Tours of the Underground Railroad
Imagine unearthing history from nearly two centuries ago to find the secret routes people used to gain their freedom. That’s what this man does and…