History and Geography Posts

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During the 1800s, worldwide economic changes were seen due to the building of canals. While many canals became famous for increasing the rate at which goods were transported, some canals became total failures. One of these failures was the Eureka Irrigation Canal, also called Soule Canal. In 1882, two brothers reached out to their childhood friend Asa T. Soule to help make southwest Kansas “bloom like a rose” with the building of a canal. Soule was known as the “Hops Bitter King” after he patented an elixir composed of bitters, hops, and alcohol. Soule invested in the Eureka Irrigation Canal Company, which built a 96-mile canal that diverted water from the nearby Arkansas River. While investing in the area, Soule founded the city of Soule, Kansas, which would later be renamed Ingalls, established the First National Bank in Dodge City, Kansas, and donated land near Dodge City to the local Presbyterian Church for the building of Soule College.

Unfortunately for Soule and others, the canal failed. The portion of the Arkansas River that fed the canal had a very erratic water level, and the area received on average less than thirty inches of yearly rainfall, leaving much of the canal dry. By 1887, the canal had become known as Soule’s Folly. In 2014, two portions of the Soule Canal were added National Register of Historic Places.

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By Drew Stapleton

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Pantheon of Rome, world's largest unreinforced concrete dome with 1900 years. Each 21 of April (date for the founding of Rome), the rays of the sun pass through the oculus illuminating the main gate. See more: themindcircle.com/the-pantheon-a-roman-excellence/

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In 401 BCE, Cyrus the Younger, a Persian prince, hired an army of around 10,000 Greek mercenaries to help him overthrow his brother, King Artaxerxes II. 

The army was led by Xenophon, a Greek historian and warrior, who chronicled their journey in his book Anabasis.

The Greeks marched with Cyrus's army into the heart of Persia, but they were betrayed and stranded in enemy territory after Cyrus was killed in the Battle of Cunaxa. 

With no clear leader or supplies, the Greeks had to fight their way north through hostile territories to return to Greece.

Their journey was filled with challenges, battles, and cultural encounters. 

They marched through modern-day Turkey, Armenia, and Iraq, facing harsh weather, treacherous terrain, and fierce enemies. 

Along the way, they elected new leaders, including Xenophon, to guide them.

After many months of travel, the Greeks finally reached the Black Sea, where they were able to find ships to return to Greece. 

Only about 6,000 of the original 10,000 mercenaries survived the grueling journey.

Xenophon's Anabasis is not only a thrilling adventure story but also a valuable historical account of the ancient world, offering insights into the cultures, politics, and warfare of the time.

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Abandoned viking tunnel.

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Was JFK a Jelly Doughnut?

On June 26, 1963, just a couple of years after the construction of the Berlin Wall, President John F. Kennedy visited the city of West Berlin. JFK praised the people of West Berlin for being a symbol of freedom to the world and actually made a statement in German: “Ich bin ein Berliner.” In English this meant, “I am a jelly doughnut.” Or did it?

Obviously what Kennedy meant to say was, “I am a Berliner.” but some argue that because he said, “Ich bin ein Berliner” instead of “Ich bin Berliner” that he actually referred to himself as a jelly filled pastry known as a Berliner. However, there are a few problems with this claim. When referring to a nationality in German, the indefinite article should be included; however, Kennedy was not referring to his actual nationality because he was obviously an American.

When identifying with a group of people with whom one does not actually belong, the indefinite article should be used; therefore, Kennedy did actually say, “I am a Berliner” and not “I am a jelly doughnut.” Also, the pastry is only referred to as a Berliner in eastern parts of Germany; in western Germany it is known as a pfannkuchen, so most likely, nobody in the crowd listening even thought that could have been what he said.

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(Written by: Drew Hixson)

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For 100 yrs, from 1860-1960, this is how you crossed the Neches River near Kirbyville! The Sheffield Ferry operator hand-pulled the boat & load along a cable stretched across the River! A bridge finally replaced the ferry on FM 1013.

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Is the Tomato Actually from Italy?

When people think of Italy, they often think about Italian food. Pizza, spaghetti, manicotti, ravioli, and lasagna are all very tasty, but they also have a very unique history that is quite different from what most people would think.
Although most people associate the tomato with Italian food, it is actually not native to Italy; in fact, it is not even native to Europe. The tomato is actually native to South America, most likely Peru. People like Christopher Columbus and Hernando Cortez brought the tomato to Europe in the sixteenth century but it was not instantly popular; most people thought it was poisonous. By the 1700s, people began to realize the versatility of the tomato and it became a staple ingredient in many Italian dishes. The “pastabilities” were endless, and modern Italian food was born.

It took quite a while for the tomato to reach North America, and when it did, it came from Europe, not South America. Many historians believe that Thomas Jefferson brought back some tomato seeds after one of his many trips to Paris. In the 1800s and 1900s, many Italian immigrants came to the United States, bringing the tomato with them, along with their native Italian dishes. Today the tomato remains a very popular vegetable (or fruit, depending on how you look at it) in the United States, Italy, and around the world, making the tomato a very important “pizza” history.

From Hidden History:
https://m.facebook.com/hidden.history.hh/

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You may heard of Hadrian’s wall but not so many have heard of Antonine wall .

The Antonine Wall is a remarkable historical monument that stretches across central Scotland, from Bo'ness on the Firth of Forth to Old Kilpatrick on the River Clyde. Built by the Romans in the 2nd century AD, it served as a barrier between the Roman Empire and the native Caledonian tribes of Scotland.

The Antonine Wall was constructed in AD 142-144 by soldiers from three Roman legions to serve as a barrier between the Roman Empire and the native Caledonian tribes of Scotland. It was a massive engineering feat that required the movement of thousands of tons of earth and stone, and it marked the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire. Despite its relatively short lifespan, the 39 mile Antonine Wall remains an impressive engineering and cultural monument that provides a unique insight into the history of the region.

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Clinton Lost the Codes!

The President of the United States is supposed to always have the nuclear launch codes either on his person, or with one of his close aids. However, in 2000, President Bill Clinton lost the codes. The process for launching a nuclear warhead is rather complicated and isn’t exactly as easy as just pushing a button, but the President does always have the codes needed to finalize the process; or at least, he is supposed to have them. The codes are supposed to be checked monthly and replaced every four months. 

When a representative from the Pentagon came to check on the codes, one of the President’s aids told him that the President was busy, but was always very careful with the codes and had them close. The next month, a different person came and he received the same response. Only when it came time to replace the codes did President Clinton admit that he had actually lost them.

Check out and follow Hidden History:
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(Written by: Drew Hixson)

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Lest We Forget . . . . . .
This man lived in the alcove of the old Finlay's tobacconist kiosk, in Camden Town Underground Station and although he had been living there since the early 1970's, nobody knew anything about him. He didn't beg, he refused to accept money, he never drank alcohol, he didn't smoke and for me, he was as much a part of Camden Town as the tube station itself. He only spoke to me once and it was on the day that I took this photograph. He'd seen me walking around with my camera loads of times but on this particular occasion he stopped me and said, "photographs are important, because people soon forget". I always knew that there was a lot more to him than the image he presented to the world but I was stunned, when I read his story in the Camden Journal, the week after he passed away in 1988. He was born in Poland and when the Germans invaded in 1939, he made his way to England. He fought in the battle of Britain, flying a Spitfire in one of the Polish squadrons, married an English girl and worked as a printer after the war. When his wife died in 1969, he was so devastated that after the funeral, he never went home and instead, he moved into the alcove of the tube station. It is to Churchill's detriment that he and other Polish pilots were not allowed to participate in the victory celebrations, because it was felt that the presence of the Polish contingent might upset the Russians. This man really was, one of the forgotten few, who spent the last 20 years of his life, living in a kiosk, mourning his wife.

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Just insane how well-informed for their time Romans were... You can see a Silk Road marked as yellow line on the map to the right.

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Grover's Mill resident, William Dock, stands prepared to defend his home against Martians, following the riveting broadcast of "War of the Worlds," a radio drama depicting a harrowing alien invasion.

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May 25, 1964 - It rises incredibly out of the flat Texas plain like a giant installation from the Federal space center nearby — 9½ acres of steel and plastics, tall enough to fit Houston’s 18-story Shamrock Hotel under its skylight dome and vast enough to hold big-league baseball.
The Houston Colts will move into the mammoth structure, known for now as Harris County Domed Stadium, for opening day, 1965, and play their 81 home games there.
It will be the newest ballpark since Shea Stadium, the biggest indoor arena in the world, and the only major league field with a full roof.
It will be followed in 1966 by new stadiums for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Angels, in 1967 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and later one for the Philadelphia Phillies.
In Houston, six tiers will seat 45,000 in air-conditioned splendor, while the teams perform under 1,960 floodlights on grass grown experimentally at Texas A&M.
Rain may beat down on the 4,596 skylight panels, but none will fall inside. Yet, sunlight will filter through to keep the grass growing, and 2½ million cubic feet of air will be cooled and circulated each minute.
It will cost $24 million. But the Colts will get back some of their annual rent from $750,000 from the county by leasing it to the University of Houston for football, to business expositions, to rodeos, and to Billy Graham.
When Casey Stengel saw the stadium for the first time, he ruefully recalled a pop-up epidemic that had plagued his Met hitters. “We got four guys who can hit a ball off that roof,” he said.
But the Colts have already had two of their best fungo hitters try to skyrocket fly balls straight up off the arched dome. The tallest fly ball came no closer than 30 feet from the apex of the roof, 208 feet above second base.
The playing field is 25 feet below the level of the ground outside. Customers will enter the park about midway in the six seating levels and will go to their seats by escalators or ramps.
Except for the great roof and the complete circle the arena forms, the park superficially resembles Shea Stadium and will seat almost as many people. The field’s dimensions are about the same — 340 feet down each foul line and 406 to straightaway center field.
And who will wash those 4,596 window panes?
It’s believed that rain and wind will keep them clean. But if not, Al Spangler, a Colt outfielder, suggests: “If a guy goes 0-for-4 in a game, he gets the roof job.”

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The Appian Way was the first and most famous of the ancient Roman roads, running from Rome to Campania and southern Italy. The Appian Way was begun in 312 BC by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus. At first it ran only 132 miles from Rome south-southeastward to ancient Capua, in Campania, but by about 244 BC it had been extended another 230 miles southeastward to reach the port of Brundisium (Brindisi), situated in the “heel” of Italy and lying along the Adriatic Sea.

From Rome southward the Appian Way’s course was almost straight until it reached Tarracina (Terracina) on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The road then turned inland to the southeast to reach Capua. From Capua it ran east to Beneventium (Benevento) and then southeastward again to reach the port of Tarentum (Taranto). It then ran east for a short distance to terminate at Brundisium.

The Appian Way was celebrated by Horace and Statius, who called it longarum regina viarum, or “queen of long-distance roads.” As the main highway to the seaports of southeastern Italy, and thus to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, the Appian Way was so important that during the empire it was administered by a curator of praetorian rank. The road averaged 20 feet in width and was slightly convex in surface in order to facilitate good drainage.

The road’s foundation was of heavy stone blocks cemented together with lime mortar; over these were laid polygonal blocks of lava that were smoothly and expertly fitted together. The lava blocks formed a good traveling surface, and one that proved to have extraordinary durability over the centuries. The first few miles of the Appian Way outside Rome are flanked by a striking series of monuments, and there are also milestones and other inscriptions along the remains of the road.

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The capstone of the Pyramid of Amenemhat III, 1860 BC-1814 BC.

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Julius Caesar in 75 BC was not yet famous. The scion of an ancient but not particularly powerful patrician family, his gens, the Julii, had roots that stretched back to before Rome had even been founded. That year, he sailed across the Aegean Sea to the island of Rhodes to study oratory – a common practice for ambitious young Romans who sought to enter politics. Unfortunately, a band of pirates from Cilicia – a region of southern Asia Minor notorious at the time for piracy – captured his ship and held him for ransom. That was unfortunate for Caesar, whose voyage and the start of his oratorical studies was delayed. It was even more unfortunate for the pirates.

The young Caesar differed from other captives previously encountered by the pirates. Rather than quake in fear, he became familiar with them. Not familiar enough, though, to abandon the air of superiority that was part and parcel of Roman aristocrats. When the pirates told him that they wanted a ransom of twenty silver talents – roughly 1400 pounds of silver, he scoffed at their ignorance. Instead, he suggested that fifty talents – about 3500 pounds of silver – was more appropriate for a nobleman of his pedigree. The pirates thought it was funny that their hostage negotiated for a higher ransom, and went along with it. As seen below, he continued to amaze them with his sublime confidence as they awaited the ransom.