United States
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The Teapot Dome Scandal
In geological terms, a dome is a formation that traps oil underground between layers of rock, with the upper layer bent upward to form a dome. Teapot Dome is a dome north of Casper, Wyoming, which was named for a rock formation that looked like a teapot- complete with a spout and a handle. This rock was unsurprisingly called Teapot Rock. In the early 20th century, the oil deposits were designated by the federal government as Naval Oil Reserves. President Theodore Roosevelt had dreams of a powerful American Navy that could sail around the world showing off our might. (For more on Theodore Roosevelt, please see this post http://www.historynaked.com/theodore-roosevelt-man-arena/…
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Joshua Chamberlain and the Ghost
The American Civil War was in full rage by 1863. On July 1, 1863 the armies were massing around a small town in Pennsylvania called Gettysburg. The battle that followed was one of the bloodiest and crucial in the war. Joshua Chamberlain was the Colonel of the 20th Maine, promoted after the battle of Chancellorsville. The 20th Maine was described as a “hell of a regiment”, which was not a compliment. Apparently, they were unruly and had some deserters that had to be forced back to duty at the point of a bayonet. I imagine this was par for the course in those days, however. Chamberlain was told by General…
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The Crippen Murder
Hawley Harvey Crippen was a meek little man with a big problem. His wife was a cheating, gold digging narcissist. To complicate matters, he was in love with another woman. How did he get into this predicament? Crippen was born to a prosperous family in Coldwater, Michigan in 1862. Despite the fact the family was comfortable, they instilled in young Hawley a strict work ethic. Crippen completed a degree an M.D. from Cleveland Homeopathic Hospital after graduating from the University of Michigan. He set up practice in Brooklyn, NY and married a nurse named Charlotte Bell and the two had a son. Bell died suddenly, and Crippen sent their son…
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Pukwudgie
These magical creatures where capable of both good and evil. They where similar to the fairies and gnomes of Europe. They are usually described as being knee-high or even smaller. Their name literally means ‘person of the wilderness’ and are considered to be spirits of the forest. In some traditions, they have a sweet smell and are associated with flowers. Their stories come from Algonquian folklore. They are told throughout the northeastern United States, southeastern Canada, and the Great Lakes region but their stories differ between tribes. In the Ojibwe and other Great Lakes tribes, the pukwudgie (or bagwajinini) is considered a mischievous but basically good-natured creature who plays tricks…
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Chevalier Henri de Tonti- Thunder Arm
Born the son of an Italian banker in 1649, Henri de Tonti has illustrious relatives. His father, Lorenzo de Toni, was the governor of Gaeta and invented the tontine life insurance plan, where the initial investors split the returns until all but one dies. His brother Alphonse de Tonti was one of the founders of Detroit. His cousin Duluth went onto explore Minnesota and the city of Duluth is named for him. Henri is best remembered as the right hand man of French explorer, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. However, he has quite a story in his own right. The family was originally from Naples, but fled to France…
