Who else loves random local history?

[lowflyn]

I have always loved local history from areas I visit.

Last month I was in Seattle, WA and had a server tell me about the Tacoma Hilltop Crips and Army Rangers getting in a shootout because local LEO wouldn’t solve the issue.

Today I ran across a story from McMinn County, TN where a group of returning GI’s beat a corrupt political syndicate using weapons and dynamite stolen from the local national guard armory in 1946. Battle of Athens 1946.

What random but fun stories do you know that should be more famous?


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[svtfocus2cobra]

The Hilltop shootout is infamously called the Ash Street Shootout. People thought it was urban legend for a long time but it is true. It was back in the day when Hilltop was up there with Compton and the like. It was a bad place!

 

[bdcardinal]

Bombardment of Ellwood - Wikipedia

This happened not far from my house. There is a restaurant made from what was left of the pier.

 

[olympic]

Al Capone travelled to Saskatcehwan on the Soo Line Railroad many times in the prohibition years looking to buy booze and take it back to Chicago. There's a giant maze of tunnels under the City of Moose Jaw where they say he set up his base of operation.

 

[coposrv]

I love reading about local historical events and places. I’ve even worked on a few homes in our town from the early 1700’s. My great-grandfather and grandfather were machinists. They owned tower clock specialists, they machined clock tower mechanisms. When I was younger my dad and I would go with him to maintain some projects they built. Most all were in old churches all over mass and NH. Crazy history in the steeples of old New England churches.


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[Coiled03]

I live in IL. It's not called the Land of Lincoln for nothing.

There are countless stories about Lincoln around here.

 

[IronSnake]

There's one of the oldest known race tracks a few miles from me. It was one of the original tracks Nascar would travel to back in the 40's and 50's. It's pretty much gone for large shops, but behind the last building in the back you can still see the pavement and embankment of turn 4. Kind of neat. Most people don't know what it is, that it was there, or where to even find it.

 

[Revvv]

Augusta has a unique history. It isn't exciting, just unique.

Believe it or not, Augusta is not consumed by golf. It is the home of the Masters, but beyond that, golf is a once a year event.

Augusta and the surrounding area is known for several celebrities. The boys from Lady Antebellum, James Brown, Lawrence Fishburn, Hulk Hogan, Oliver Hardy, Steve Morse, Josh Kelley, Amy Grant, Pastor Troy, and a long, long list of others that were born here.

There used to be a NASCAR track.

Augusta was never involved in a direct civil war battle, but the city was a huge part of GA, as it served as the Capitol of the State.

Augusta was originally populated by Native Americans due to access provided to the Savannah River. You can still walk the river in remote areas and find Cherokee artifacts.

The Augusta canal, the early industry, and downtown all hold a visual reflection of the past.

I could go on and on, but there really isn't anything I find exciting. It is interesting, but far from exciting.

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[jeffh81]

5 years in Galveston TX. Place had a lot of history and 2 years working at the Hotel Galvez a big time haunted and historical hotel. We also had a haunted train museum for the foamers.

 

[Silverstrike]

Augusta has a unique history. It isn't exciting, just unique.

Believe it or not, Augusta is not consumed by golf. It is the home of the Masters, but beyond that, golf is a once a year event.

Augusta and the surrounding area is known for several celebrities. The boys from Lady Antebellum, James Brown, Lawrence Fishburn, Hulk Hogan, Oliver Hardy, Steve Morse, Josh Kelley, Amy Grant, Pastor Troy, and a long, long list of others that were born here.

There used to be a NASCAR track.

Augusta was never involved in a direct civil war battle, but the city was a huge part of GA, as it served as the Capitol of the State.

Augusta was originally populated by Native Americans due to access provided to the Savannah River. You can still walk the river in remote areas and find Cherokee artifacts.

The Augusta canal, the early industry, and downtown all hold a visual reflection of the past.

I could go on and on, but there really isn't anything I find exciting. It is interesting, but far from exciting.

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Also Augusta had the largest powder works (black powder mfg.) in the world 1863 to late 1864 that was before Union forces took a torch to it.

Only really famous or infamous person from my parts was William Clark Quantrill. Every time you see a Civil War movie or Western and they mention the Lawrence Ks massacre well yep this guy from little old Dover Ohio was the architect of it.

 

[GodStang]

Across the river the government came in and pushed the town of Ellenton out in the of its area to build the Savannah River Plant in the 1950s where many parts for nuclear weapons were made during the cold war. I did archaeology there during college and there is just whats left of homes and towns from 80 years ago. We were surveying one spot deep in the woods and you could see just the chimney from where a house had once stood and you could make out a drive way and there was a car sitting in the driveway that had been sitting there since the 50s.

Augusta has a unique history. It isn't exciting, just unique.

Believe it or not, Augusta is not consumed by golf. It is the home of the Masters, but beyond that, golf is a once a year event.

Augusta and the surrounding area is known for several celebrities. The boys from Lady Antebellum, James Brown, Lawrence Fishburn, Hulk Hogan, Oliver Hardy, Steve Morse, Josh Kelley, Amy Grant, Pastor Troy, and a long, long list of others that were born here.

There used to be a NASCAR track.

Augusta was never involved in a direct civil war battle, but the city was a huge part of GA, as it served as the Capitol of the State.

Augusta was originally populated by Native Americans due to access provided to the Savannah River. You can still walk the river in remote areas and find Cherokee artifacts.

The Augusta canal, the early industry, and downtown all hold a visual reflection of the past.

I could go on and on, but there really isn't anything I find exciting. It is interesting, but far from exciting.

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[Revvv]

Also Augusta had the largest powder works (black powder mfg.) in the world 1863 to late 1864 that was before Union forces took a torch to it.

Only really famous or infamous person from my parts was William Clark Quantrill. Every time you see a Civil War movie or Western and they mention the Lawrence Ks massacre well yep this guy from little old Dover Ohio was the architect of it.

You are correct about the powder works. The building still stands today though.

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[DAVESVT2000]

Leominster Mass is home to Johnny Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed.

Also the home of the guy who invented the plastic pink flamingo lawn ornament, as Leominster was known as the Plastic City in the 50’s to 80’s due to all the plastic shops.

Also home to Foster Grant plastics / sunglasses.

 

[GodStang]

Also Augusta had the largest powder works (black powder mfg.) in the world 1863 to late 1864 that was before Union forces took a torch to it.

Only really famous or infamous person from my parts was William Clark Quantrill. Every time you see a Civil War movie or Western and they mention the Lawrence Ks massacre well yep this guy from little old Dover Ohio was the architect of it.

You are correct about the powder works. The building still stands today though.

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I have seen the Chimney many times over the years I just never knew that's what it was.

 

[Revvv]

I have seen the Chimney many times over the years I just never knew that's what it was.

It's gorgeous architecture.

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[C-Tidda]

Quick read on history of Beale St. here in Memphis

 

[HudsonFalcon]

The first Union Officer to be killed in The Civil War is from my hometown of Mechanicville, NY.

Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, a Zouave and one time Lincoln Law Clerk, was shot and killed in Alexandria, VA whilst trying to remove a Confederate flag. The flag was so big it could be seen from the White House with a spy glass. Ellsworth was successful in removing the flag from the roof of the inn but upon returning to the ground floor he was shot and killed by the inn keeper.

The Death of Colonel Ellsworth | History | Smithsonian

 

[GT350R]

We have a similar story to one above. The government came in a confiscated an entire town in 1974 to turn it into a park that never happened. The town remains to this day with no access. Countless stories about hauntings , demons , Satanists and more have become lore .
Link below contains pictures and stories.

Helltown, Ohio

 

[GodStang]

We have a similar story to one above. The government came in a confiscated an entire town in 1974 to turn it into a park that never happened. The town remains to this day with no access. Countless stories about hauntings , demons , Satanists and more have become lore .
Link below contains pictures and stories.

Helltown, Ohio

That's really cool thanks for sharing!

 

[GT350R]

FWIW... the website that page is hosted on has exactly what this thread is about. Obscure history. It is all over the planet so it's not the easiest thing to navigate though.

Another odd one that I use is a app called "roadtrippers". It gives you the ability to plot your course and gives you points of interest along the way. No matter how obscure. The wife has a Trans Am convertible, and when we take that it's always more about the trip than the destination.