Author Archives: Dablad1

Minnesota Home to the longest shoreline of any city on the Mississippi River (26 miles), St. Paul is the site of the current (and third) Minnesota statehouse. Construction began in 1886 when Minnesota had been a state for only 37 years. It opened in 1905 at a cost of 4.5 million dollars (126 million today). … Continue reading »

Vermont The smallest state capitol (building) is located in the smallest state capital (city) , Montpelier,VT. The building was opened in 1859 making it the 8th oldest capitol in the country. Also, it is the only capital city without a MacDonalds. The first photo is dated ca.1870. North Carolina North Carolina’s statehouse is located in … Continue reading »

Placerville is located in northern California near Nevada and it’s Mother Lode Region. From 1849-54, it was known as Hangtown, but the name was changed for obvious reasons. Many buildings from the mining days remain, so much so that the entire town is a California Historical Landmark. Several of the more prominent buildings are: Cary … Continue reading »

Hollywood Sign Just like Lucy The Elephant, the Hollywood sign was built to attract home buyers. It was constructed in 1923 at a cost of $21,000 and, originally, was intended to last 1 1/2 years. Numerous and frequent repairs had to be made, including in 1947 when the word “land” was removed. A completely new, … Continue reading »

Castle Rock Castle Rock is located in Ignace MI. It stands 195 ft. above Lake Huron and provides a stunning overlook of Mackinac Island. It opened in 1929 and is still operated by the same family. The first photo is undated. Coral Castle Coral Castle is located near Miami. It consists of 1,100 large stones, … Continue reading »

Old Exchange The Old Exchange, located at 122 E Bay, was built in 1771. It was originally owned by the British government and operated as a jail during the Revolution. The building was the site where South Carolina approved the U.S. Constitution. It is now a museum operated by the Daughters of the American Revolution. … Continue reading »

Charleston SC was founded in 1670 and encountered numerous catastrophes thereafter. Most notable were The Civil War, the earthquake of 1886, and Hurricane Hugo in 1989, which damaged or destroyed 2,000 buildings. Yet, in spite of all that, much remains to enjoy. While next month will show public buildings, this month emphasizes the many historic … Continue reading »

Meeker was born in Ohio in 1830. In 1852 he, his wife, son, and brother trekked to Oregon by wagon, traveling over 2,000 miles in the six-month journey. He became a wealthy grower of hops. Although in his late 70s, he decided to retrace his journey. In 1906 he proceeded east, placing markers and gaining … Continue reading »

The Oregon Trail was a 2,170-mile-long pathway that started mostly in Independence Missouri and ended in Oregon . From 1840 to the late 1860s nearly 400,000 people migrated westward. About 80,000 stayed in Oregon while many others took the cutoff to California. The average trip was 160 days in 1849, then dropped to 140 days … Continue reading »

Dearborn and Randolph The corner building on the left in this 1909 picture was built in 1874 as an eight-story office building. Note the Cunard Line office on the first floor. That is now a two-story McDonalds! Wabash Ave. “L” 1907 Dearborn St. Station The railroad station was built in 1885 and now houses a … Continue reading »