Author Archives: Dablad1

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 »

Chicago has a population of 2.7 million, making it the third most populous city in the U.S. It was incorporated in 1837. In 1871 much of Chicago was consumed in a major fire which left over 100,000 homeless. Thirty years after being rebuilt, it was the fifth largest city in the world! Many noteworthy buildings … Continue reading »

H.H. Bennett was a photographer most noted for his pictures of the Wisconsin Dells area. He started in 1865 upon his return from the Civil War and continued until his death in 1908. He invented the stop-action shutter, the effect of which is best seen in the Stand Rock photo below. He also invented a … Continue reading »

These photos show Mark Twain’s office building on the left in the first shot and the International Hotel at the end of C street in the second They both were destroyed in the October 26, 1875 fire which burned for nine hours and consumed over 2,000 structures. Sutro Tunnel The huge Comstock Lode mining district … Continue reading »

Virginia City, NV, became a boom town with the discovery of silver in the Comstock Lode in 1859. Four years later a reporter for the city’s newspaper, a man by the name of Samuel Clemens, first used the name Mark Twain. By 1873 the population of Virginia City had grown to 25,000. The numerous mines … Continue reading »

Belle Isle is a 982-acre park located on the Detroit River within the City 0f Detroit MI. It is the most-visited state park in Michigan. Facilities include an aquarium, a conservatory, the Great Lakes Museum, a nature center, fountains, a golf course, a yacht club, and a venue for public events. The first photo, dated … Continue reading »

The Denver City Park,  which consists of 330 acres on the west side of Denver, was built in 1882. In 1896 the  Denver Zoo  started in the Park with one eagle and one bear. While it was growing, the Denver Nature and Science Museum opened in 1908. Use of the park now includes gardens, lakes, … Continue reading »

The Boston Common (no s) is the oldest city park in the U.S. It began in 1634 and was first used more as a cow pasture than as a city park. It was later occupied by British troops during the Revolution. It then became the center of political activity, protests, and rallies as well as … Continue reading »

Eden Park started out as 12 acres of donated land in Cincinnati in 1869 and now comprises 186 acres offering numerous activities and spectacular views of the Ohio River. The first photo shows the main gate in 1904. The third is  the main drive in 1921, while the fourth photo is undated and shows the … Continue reading »