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Leadville is located about 20 miles south of Vail Colorado at an elevation of 10,152 ft., making it the highest city in the U.S. It was founded in 1877 by two men, one being Horace Tabor–owner of the Matchless Mine and several prominent businesses in town. Within three years of its founding on “desolate flat … Continue reading »

Peaks Island Peaks Island is actually part of the city of Portland Maine, three miles away. It consists of 720 acres and was once known as the Coney Island of Maine. Ferry boats have been landing there since 1880. The first photo is dated 1910. Atlantic City Boardwalk The first boardwalk in Atlantic City NJ … Continue reading »

The first major tourist attraction in the U.S. was Niagara Falls in the mid 19th Century followed by Yellowstone National Park. It was not until after World War II that mass tourism took off. Early tourism can, therefore, be viewed as early 20th Century up to the late 1930s. Several of the leading destinations are … Continue reading »

Gloucester MA is located on Cape Ann. It was founded in 1623, but, due to harsh conditions, it was abandoned in 1626. It was finally incorporated in 1642. The company Gortons of Gloucester was started there in 1906. Rudyard Kipling’s Captains Courageous was filmed there as was Stephen King’s The Perfect Storm. Currently, National Geographic’s … Continue reading »

Chilcoot Pass The trail to the summit was four miles long with an elevation gain of 3,500 feet. Carved into the ice and snow were 1,500 steps that became known as The Golden Staircase. The average load carried was 50 pounds, but each man had to bring up food and supplies for one year (about … Continue reading »

Gold was discovered in a tributary of the Klondike River in Canada in 1896, but word did not get out until the winter thaw in June 1897. A stampede of 100,000 people set out, but only about 35,000 actually made it to the Klondike. By 1899 it was all over. Most people had no experience … Continue reading »

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 »