Category Archives: American history

3 States You’ve Never Heard Of

“There was a good deal of confusion in men’s minds during the first months of the great trouble, a good deal of unsettledness, of leaning first this way then that, and then the other way. It was hard for us to get our bearings.” -Mark Twain

If you are of a certain age, you probably remember being herded en masse onto a grade school stage and forced to warble Fifty Nifty United States to beaming moms, dads and grandparents.

“Fifty, nifty, United States, from thirteen original colonies,” the song cheerfully began. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to it beyond rhyming “fifty” and “nifty.” It eventually meandered through a roll call of the “nifty” states in alphabetical order. Missing from that roster was the Kingdom of Calloway. And the Free State of Winston. And the Free State of Jones.

But each one briefly existed (more or less) during the turbulent time known as the Civil War. And it’s worth revisiting their short, strange stories to fully understand just how mixed-up that era was. Continue reading →

Pink Parker’s Bizarre Monument to John Wilkes Booth

One day in June 1921, the editor of the Herald newspaper in Troy, Alabama finally had enough. On his desk lay a clipping from the previous Sunday’s Brooklyn (NY) Daily Eagle. “An Assassin’s Monument,” the headline said. It had been reprinted in papers from coast to coast.

The editor angrily banged out his reply to the Eagle on a manual typewriter. “The people of our city to do not appreciate the publicity we are getting out of this thing,” he fumed.

You couldn’t blame them. After all, for 15 years the tiny town of Troy, tucked in the southeast corner of Alabama, had been stuck with a notoriety not of its own making. Continue reading →

“I, Being of Sound Mind and Body, Do Hereby Declare…”

Oddities From the Parting Thoughts of Famous Folks

Certain chores in life aren’t fun. But they are necessary. Such as preparing your last will and testament. People put it off as long as possible to avoid confronting their own mortality.

Personally, I dispensed with this unpleasant task a decade ago. So when the Man In The Bright Nightshirt (as W.C. Fields called death; more on him in minute) eventually calls for me, there will be no family squabble over the vast holdings of the Powell Estate.

A will serves another purpose. It can also provide valuable insight into historical figures. How someone distributed their personal effects often reveals what was going on inside their head and heart. Continue reading →

How the Nazis Helped a Brit Soldier Get England’s Top Medal

Every so often, history provides a story that is every bit as improbable as it is inspiring. This is one of them.

Permit me to share the truly remarkable tale of how a badly injured young soldier’s heroism defied the odds … and how his enemy helped him receive the recognition he deserved for it. Not any old recognition, either, but the highest honor Great Britain can bestow: the Victoria Cross. It’s their version of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Continue reading →

When the “Big Cheese” Came To the White House

How do you express your appreciation to the President of the United States? Sending a positive letter is nice. A card or telegram works, too. But 214 years ago, folks in one town devised a unique gift … which turned out to carry malodorous consequences. And it inspired an even bigger, even smellier presidential gift 34 years later, which went on to serve as the inspiration for two episodes of a popular 1990s TV series. That’s a lot of legacy from a single token of appreciation. And here’s how it all started. Continue reading →

The Most Hated Man in Tennessee

Folks in the Volunteer State disagree about many things. Are you a Vanderbilt fan, or do you root for the University of Tennessee? Do you vote for the Democrats, or the Republicans? (The state swings both ways.) Appalachian bluegrass, or Memphis blues?

But people there unanimously agree on one thing: Parson Brownlow is the most hated man in Tennessee history. Nearly 150 years after his death, just mentioning his name can trigger a firestorm of epic proportions.

He passionately despised (in no particular order) Baptists, the Devil, Democrats, Confederates, Andrew Johnson, and basically anyone who disagreed with him. And he fought them all with every ounce of energy he possessed. Continue reading →

How Ants Turned a Broke GI Into a Millionaire

When Milton Levine returned from World War II, he had some very common, but very pressing, problems.

First, he didn’t have much money. That was doubly urgent because he brought a lovely young war bride from France with him.

Second, he didn’t have a job. With 15+ million service members returning to civilian ranks at the same time, and with the economy shifting from wartime back to peacetime footing, there just weren’t enough jobs to go around. Plus, he had led a platoon that built combat bridges in Europe; that skill set wasn’t in high demand Stateside. Continue reading →

A Child’s Stolen Oscar

Every once in a while, history provides a story where good triumphs in the end. Not always; just often enough to keep you from becoming a cynic. With the Christmas season in full swing, this is the perfect time for just such a tale. So grab a cup of eggnog, sit back and learn what happened when a child’s Oscar was taken by a thief.

I’m a fan of classic movies, the old black white films from the 1930s and 40s you see on TCM. It was a time of unrivaled talent on the silver screen. And Margaret O’Brien’s cheerful face was right there alongside the greats from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Continue reading →

Tiffany’s Extreme White House Makeover

Chester Arthur never ran for president, but he got the job anyway. And the first time he walked into the White House as its new resident, he didn’t like what he saw.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

To fully understand what Arthur did to the place, you must first understand why.

To say the White House was rundown by the early 1880s is an understatement. Let’s be blunt: it looked like a shabby hotel on a courthouse square in a little county seat town. Continue reading →

The Scoundrel Who Visited His Lost Leg

If an election were ever held for the title “Bad Boy of American History,” Dan Sickles would be a serious contender.

He served in Congress; married a woman half his age; publicly murdered her lover, then beat the rap by pioneering a legal defense that’s still used today; became a Civil War general, losing a leg while nearly losing the Battle of Gettysburg at the same time; dabbled in diplomacy and fooled around with a queen; filled his pockets with money that wasn’t his; received the Congressional Medal of Honor; and lived to the ripe old age of 94.

Oh, and he did something very weird with his lost leg, too.

That’s a heap of living. So let’s meet one of the most complex, contradictory characters to ever grace the American scene. Continue reading →

J. Mark Powell

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