by B.L. Unkel | Dec 4, 2021 | History
At approximately 8:45, on the morning of December 6, 1917, two ships collided in the Canadian harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The collision wasn’t bad, nothing more than a minor fender bender. But some of the barrels of highly flammable fuel, stored on the deck of the...
by B.L. Unkel | Nov 13, 2021 | History
Growing up, how many of you heard your parents or grandparents say, “When I was a child, we didn’t have . . . ” In my late teens, I pondered how I’d one day finish that sentence. As the years went by and technology advanced, the answer became obvious. Growing up, I...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 30, 2021 | History
Throughout history, one mineral has been prized above all others. Salt. Animals and people alike want it. Today we think of it as a seasoning, but in the past, it was much more. Many societies bartered with it, using it like money. The salary paid to a Roman soldier...
by B.L. Unkel | Sep 4, 2021 | History
During the past couple of weeks, much of the U.S. has dealt with serious weather issues, especially flooding. Last weekend, Hurricane Ida began her rampage with the Gulf Coast. As she traveled north, she lost her hurricane status but continued to drop tremendous...
by B.L. Unkel | Aug 14, 2021 | History
In these dog days of summer, we’re always on the hunt for ways to stay cool. However, before we look at the most obvious methods of doing that, let’s step back in time. Did you know the phrase “dog days” doesn’t refer to your dog lazing around because it’s hot? The...
by B.L. Unkel | Jul 10, 2021 | History
A couple of weeks ago, I shared The Legend of Reelfoot Lake. Here are the historical facts about the earthquakes in that legend. Timeline (All times listed are local to where the quakes occurred.) December 16, 1811, 2:15 A.M. – The first quake (7.2-8.2) hit...
