Wikimedia Commons/SMU Central University Libraries A Shoe Shine and an Elevator Ride When young Dick Rowland stepped into Sarah Page’s elevator on May 30, 1921, no one predicted America’s worst racial violence. News spread that a black man had attacked a white woman. Within hours, white mobs torched 35 city blocks of Greenwood in one … Read more

Wikimedia Commons/Underwood & Underwood The 1932 Bonus Army Eviction from the Lincoln Memorial World War I veterans came to Washington D.C. in spring 1932 to ask for early payment of service bonuses. Congress had promised them about $1,000 each in 1924, but they couldn’t collect until 1945. The Great Depression had left 25% of Americans … Read more

Flickr/amerune The Nashville Sit-In of February 13, 1960 On February 13, 1960, 124 students began the Nashville sit-in campaign that lasted until May 10. Most participants were Black students from local colleges who challenged racial segregation at downtown lunch counters. The Nashville Student Movement and Nashville Christian Leadership Council organized these protests. Students planned to … Read more

Wikimedia Commons/Magicpiano The Fairbanks House The Fairbanks House is the oldest wooden house still standing in North America. Built between 1637 and 1641, scientists confirmed its age by studying tree rings in the wood. Jonathan and Grace Fairbanks came to Massachusetts in 1633 with their six children. After living briefly in Watertown, they helped start … Read more

Shutterstock The Edge of the Cedars State Park & Museum, Utah Part of a widespread network of Ancestral Puebloan communities influenced by Chaco Canyon, Edge of the Cedars was first settled in 825 AD. The village was abandoned in 950 AD, remained empty for years, then a new group arrived and stayed until about 1125 … Read more

Shutterstock Kanab, Utah Ten Mormon families set up camp in 1870 in what the Paiute called “place of the willows.” They built Fort Kanab in 1864 but attacks forced them to abandon it two years later. By 1924, Tom Mix and his horse Tony were filming “Deadwood Coach” against those red cliffs. Over a hundred … Read more

Shutterstock Montana’s most relaxing mountain towns Montana’s mountain towns have a vibe that just pulls you in. They’re packed with charm, quirks, and routines that make you feel like you belong. Whether you’re casting a line in the river, hitting a local festival, or dreaming up your next business idea, these places are perfect for … Read more

Shutterstock Berkeley Pit, Montana On April 22, 1982, workers shut off the pumps at Butte’s Berkeley Pit for the last time. The massive copper mine had operated for 27 years, but falling prices made it too costly to continue. Without the pumps running, toxic groundwater began filling the mile-wide hole. Within months, what had been … Read more