Amazing Tales About History

Milton Hershey never finished 4th grade. Yet, he built such a successful business that 80 years after his death his trust is still financing a wide array of charitable enterprises, with billions in surplus. Even Hershey, PA is named after him. Hershey started in caramels, but felt they were a fad and switched to chocolate. All his accomplishments, however, were almost cut short by the Titanic disaster.

We speak with a bridge painter on the George Washington Bridge. What’s it like to maintain the historic structure, sometimes dangling 600 feet above the Hudson River. Even hearing about the “fear of heights test” he had to take will send shivers down your spine.

The 5-mile Windsor Locks Canal is only 1% the length of the Erie Canal, but its ingenious design set is above all other canals of its era. And, it allowed businessmen in one city to out-maneuver a rival canal operation.

He was the first to drive through the Lincoln Tunnel, across the lower level of George Washington Bridge, and along the New Jersey Turnpike. Those were just 3 out of hundreds of such achievements. He was called “Mr. First” and you won’t believe the legacy he left behind.

One of the more fantastic Revolutionary War stories concerns General Israel Putnam’s daredevil horseback ride down 100 steep stone steps in Greenwich while escaping British soldiers who were firing at him. But, what really happened that day?

The gigantic George Washington Bridge was one of the greatest infrastructure projects ever accomplished 100 years ago. The bridge is the busiest roadway in the U.S. It was supposed to have many things, such as elevators to an observation deck. Today, it needs to be repainted by those without a fear of heights.

It was a mammoth urban renewal project – replacing NY City’s crooked wagon paths with today’s elaborate street grid. It took nearly a century to install 12 avenues and 155 cross-streets, with all of its secret spots. And yet, nobody knows for sure who actually had the idea for the grid.

Ski jumping took hold in the U.S. 100 years ago, when Norwegians introduced the sport here. You go down a steep ramp at 50 miles an hour, jump off into the wind, fly for around 10 seconds, and land 2-3 football fields farther away. It’s not for the meek.

The election for CT Governor in the late 1800s was too close to call. The divided legislature couldn’t agree on a winner. So, the incumbent stayed on for another term. The Comptroller didn’t like that and took matters into his own hands.

Big Jim or Diamond Jim – those were names for the legendary Gilded Age robber baron Jim Fisk. He caused the gold crisis collapse after fooling President Ulysses Grant and stole millions from Cornelius Vanderbilt. A lover’s triangle, at age 37, would lead to his untimely end

Captain Andrew Upson wrote up to 2-letters-a-day from the front lines of the Civil War to his wife and children. The 200+ letters, a rare collection that still exists, paint a vivid picture of life in the war, including as a captive.

Michael Ross was the last person executed in CT. He raped and murdered 8 women. His doctors said he was mentally ill and shouldn’t have been executed. A journalist got to know him well for his final 10 years and shares her insights.

The Cheney brothers invented a process for mastering nature’s magical creation of silk, driving their business to the #1 position globally. They made the parachutes used on D-Day. They also introduced corporate paternalism, providing employees with housing, schools, and more.

Three families, from the same town. Did they start the American Revolution? John Hancock and his friends (the Adams and Quincy’s) fanned the flames. Hancock, meanwhile, married childhood sweetheart Dolly Quincy, after a love triangle involving Aaron Burr

He could have abandoned ship, just like everyone else. After all, the sub sank in just one minute. Everyone was scrambling. But he didn’t. A fellow submariner was still onboard.

Many people see the large white cross as they drive by, shining atop a hill overlooking the downtown. But not everyone has checked out what's hiding behind it. It's an unusual and unique complex that once drew tens of thousands a year to see it.

Where was the first Christmas tree? Proof is hard to come by. It seems that Windsor Locks, CT is among the very first – at least in legend; a stone monument lays claim to the first decorated tree in 1777. Researching this case turned up other very interesting side stories: German prisoners-of-war, Native American attacks, and even the Wizard of Oz.

Watkins Glen; world’s largest concert. 600,000 attendees. Six teenagers broadcast with an illegal pirate radio station they brought to the site, interviewing the Grateful Dead, broadcasting traffic and weather reports, and playing records. Attendees loved it. One of the broadcasters tells the crazy story.

Access to knowledge for the masses. For many years in the United States, you had to pay a membership fee to a subscription library if you wanted access to books and information. That all changed in the early 1800s when the first publicly funded library opened in CT.