Author Archives: Dablad1
John Brown’s Fort
John Brown’s Fort was built as a firehouse in Harper’s Ferry West Virginia in 1848. It is the site where, in 1859, John Brown and his followers barracaded themselves after attempting to take over the adjacent armory. Ironically, the insurrection was put down by none other than Robert E. Lee and Jeb Stuart. In 1891 … Continue reading
Niagara Falls Daredevils
Here are three of the most notable Niagara Falls daredevils. The first is Annie Taylor who, in 1901, dropped 158 feet over Horseshoe Falls in a barrel and became the first man or woman to survive it. Click to enlarge the photo and note the cat on the barrel’s rim. The second daredevil is … Continue reading
Niagara Falls Turned Off
For six months in 1969 the Army Corps of Engineers diverted Niagara’s flow in order to check the stability of the rock to avoid the possibility of collapse.
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is comprised of three separate falls, two (American and Bridal Veil) on the American side and one (Horseshoe) on the Canadian side.Together they flow an average of 3,160 tons of water per second! They are seen by three million people a year. On the American side most visitors view from Niagara Falls State … Continue reading
Grove Park Inn
Grove Park Inn is located in Ashville NC and opened in 1913. Four hundred men worked 10-hour shifts six days a week for $1 a day. Everything had to be hauled up the mountain either by mule train or by car train (for the heavier boulders some weighing as much as 10,000 pounds). The roof is 5 … Continue reading
Phoenix Building
The Phoenix Building is located in Pittsford NY. It was opened in 1814 as an inn along a stage line.It served that purpose for 150 years hosting the likes of DeWitt Clinton (who was surveying for the eventual Erie Canal), the Marquis de Lafayette, and Daniel Webster. It burned in 1963 and sat idle for … Continue reading
Bush House
Bush House is located in Index WA and opened in 1898. It served the tourist trade from Seattle as well as the growing local lumber and mining industries causing the need for extensive additions to the original building. However, it eventually fell into disrepair and closed in 2001 and was sold in 2011. The new … Continue reading
Timberline Lodge
Timberline Lodge is located at the base of Mt. Hood OR having been constructed by the WPA starting in 1936 and dedicated by FDR in 1937. It served as an exterior for the hotel in the movie The Shining. Timberline Lodge is four stories tall, is 40,000 square feet, and is open for skiing year … Continue reading
Cashtown Inn
The Cashtown Inn was built in 1797 and got it’s name from the owner’s requirement for cash to use his road. It was heavily occupied by Confederate forces during the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. The Confederates’ retreat started at the Inn and consisted of a 17-mile wagon train . The Inn is now … Continue reading
Turkey Run Inn
Turkey Run State Park is located in west central Indiana near the town of Marshall. The Inn opened in 1919 and looks much the same as it did back then. The first photo is undated.