Exploring America State by State

Monthly Archives: February 2025

The Ham House

Posted on by Posted in Haunted, Iowa Leave a comment

The Mathias Ham House, located in Dubuque, Iowa, is a fascinating testament to the life of a prominent 19th-century businessman. Built in the 1850s, the Italianate-style mansion reflects the prosperity Mathias Ham achieved through his various ventures, including lead mining and lumber. The house is not only architecturally significant but also holds historical importance as it provides a glimpse into the lives of a wealthy family in the Antebellum era.

The historic home has a reputation for being haunted. The house witnessed numerous deaths and tragedies over the years. The most well-known incident involves Ham’s daughter, Sarah, who shot and killed an intruder in the house.

Visitors and staff have reported a variety of paranormal phenomena, including cold spots, moving objects, phantom footsteps, and the sound of an organ playing despite it being inoperable. Some believe these occurrences are linked to the spirits of former residents, including the slain intruder, while others attribute them to the house’s tragic history. Whether you’re a believer in ghosts or not, the Mathias Ham House offers a fascinating glimpse into the past, with a lingering sense of mystery that adds to its allure.

Today, the Mathias Ham House is a museum operated by the Dubuque County Historical Society. Visitors can explore the restored rooms, filled with period furnishings, and learn about the Ham family and their contributions to the development of Dubuque. The site also includes other historic structures, such as a log cabin and a one-room schoolhouse, offering a broader perspective on life in 19th-century Iowa.

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The Hotel Florance

Posted on by Posted in Buildings, Illinois Leave a comment

The Hotel Florence, a gem within Chicago’s Pullman Historic District, stands as a testament to the grandeur of the late 19th century. Built in 1881 by architect Solon Spencer Beman, it was commissioned by George Pullman, the founder of the Pullman Palace Car Company, to accommodate visiting businessmen and dignitaries. Named after Pullman’s eldest daughter, the hotel exudes an aura of Victorian elegance with its Queen Anne style architecture, featuring a wide wraparound veranda and intricate detailing. Inside, guests were treated to luxurious amenities, including a spacious dining room, a billiard room, and a saloon, all designed to impress and entertain.

Over the years, the Hotel Florence witnessed the rise and fall of the Pullman empire, surviving the tumultuous labor strikes of the 1890s and the eventual decline of the railroad industry. In 1975, the Historic Pullman Foundation stepped in to save the hotel from demolition, recognizing its historical significance. Today, it is owned by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, which is currently overseeing a major renovation project. The goal is to restore the hotel to its former glory and reopen it to the public, allowing visitors to experience the opulence and charm of a bygone era.

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Florida’s Oldest Lighthouse

Posted on by Posted in Florida, Lighthouses Leave a comment

The Amelia Island Lighthouse, Florida’s oldest, stands near the northern tip of Amelia Island. It marks the St. Marys Entrance, guiding ships into the St. Marys River, Cumberland Sound, and Fernandina Beach harbor. Built in 1838, the lighthouse re-used materials from the dismantled 1820 Little Cumberland Island Lighthouse in Georgia.

Originally equipped with 14 lamps and 14-inch reflectors in 1839. In 1903, a third-order Barbier Benard Fresnel lens replaced this system and remains in use today. The light was automated in 1970. Thomas J. O’Hagan, one of the last keepers, was married to a descendant of the first keeper, Amos Latham. Today, the Amelia Island Lighthouse continues to shine, guiding ships and welcoming visitors to this northeastern corner of Florida.

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Liberty Pole Hill

Posted on by Posted in Parks, Wisconsin Leave a comment

While traveling through southern Wisconsin, I discovered a small hilltop park with a flagpole. I stopped to learn more and was captivated by the story behind the flag waving in the breeze.

During the Civil War, a log cabin was built on this hill as a recruiting station. The American flag flew proudly, visible for miles, inspiring local men to enlist. After the war, the cabin gradually disappeared, and the flag was no more. The hill, however, became known as Liberty Pole Hill, a lasting tribute to the original flagpole.

In 1966, Green County acquired the land and transformed it into a small park. Then, in 2010, a group of citizens erected a new flagpole, and the Stars and Stripes once again flies over southwestern Wisconsin. It’s amazing what you can learn by stopping a reading a sign in a park.

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Tippecanoe Place

Posted on by Posted in Houses, Illinois Leave a comment

Tippecanoe Place, located in South Bend, Indiana, is a historic mansion that once belonged to Clement Studebaker, co-founder of the Studebaker automobile company. Built in 1889, this Richardsonian Romanesque style mansion is a testament to the Studebaker family’s wealth and influence in the late 19th century. The mansion features four stories, with a distinctive conical tower, and is constructed of glacial boulders and Indiana Bedford limestone. Inside, the mansion boasts 40 rooms, showcasing intricate woodwork and luxurious finishes.

Today, Tippecanoe Place operates as a restaurant and brewery, offering a unique dining experience in a historically rich setting. Visitors can enjoy a meal or a craft beer while admiring the architectural grandeur of the mansion and learning about its fascinating past. The mansion also hosts events and offers tours, making it a popular destination for history buffs and those seeking a glimpse into the opulent era of the Studebaker family.

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The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site

Posted on by Posted in Houses, Illinois Leave a comment

The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site near Janesville in Southern Illinois, safeguards the 19th-century home of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, parents of President Abraham Lincoln. While Abraham Lincoln was a Springfield lawyer when his parents settled here, his legal work frequently took him to nearby Charleston and the family farm, particularly in the 1840s. He even owned a portion of the land, which he then deeded back to his parents for their use.

This 86-acre site, managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Sites, features a replica of the Lincolns’ two-room cabin. Built in 1935-36 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) on the original cabin site, the project was overseen by the National Park Service. The CCC also established Camp Shiloh within what became Lincoln Log Cabin State Park. Comprised of World War I veterans, the camp’s ten-acre northwest corner is now a National Register of Historic Places listing.

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Jim The Wonder Dog

Posted on by Posted in Missouri Leave a comment

In the town of Marshall Missouri is a park dedicated to Jim the Wonder Dog. He was a Llewellin Setter and lived during the 1920s and 30s, earning renown for his extraordinary intelligence and abilities. He was an exceptional hunting dog, reportedly tracking over 5,000 birds in his lifetime. Beyond hunting, Jim could understand and respond to spoken and written commands in English, Morse code, and shorthand. He could identify specific cars by license plate numbers, recognize people from descriptions, and locate hidden objects. Some even claimed he could predict the future, including the gender of unborn babies and the winners of seven consecutive Kentucky Derbies.

Jim’s abilities were so remarkable that he was studied by psychologists and veterinarians, who concluded he possessed an “occult power.” He became a local legend and was designated as Missouri’s official state wonder dog in 2017. Today, visitors can learn more about Jim’s life and see exhibits related to his abilities at the Jim the Wonder Dog Museum in Marshall, Missouri.

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The Locks in Ohio

Posted on by Posted in Ohio, Ruins Leave a comment

Near Piqua, Ohio is the small town of Lockington. Here you will find a series of stone structures that look like medieval walls. The name of the town gives a hint as to what they were used for. The Miami and Erie Canal went from Lake Erie in Toledo to the Ohio River near Cincinnati. The two hundred seventy four foot long canal cut through the Ohio countryside and had to traverse several elevations with the highest summit being near Lockington. The stone structures are what remains of the seven locks used to cross over Loramie Summit.

The locks were used to raise and lower boats sixty-seven feet. They consisted of a pair of enormous gates. Boats would be situated between them and then they were closed. The water inside could then be raised or lowered to match the surrounding elevation. It was like a giant water elevator since water does not flow uphill. Construction on the locks began in 1833, and they went into use in 1845 when the Miami and Erie Canal was opened for boat traffic. It was not much longer after the canal was completed that the railroad began running tracks across Ohio. The railroads diminished the need for canals and a devastating flood in 1913 destroyed part of the canal, putting an end to the waterway. Not much remains of the Miami and Erie Canal today, but the remains of the old locks can still be seen in Lockington.

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The Cornell Stacker

Posted on by Posted in Wisconsin Leave a comment

Driving into Cornell, Wisconsin I noticed a large metal framework protruding above the treetops. At first I thought it was a crane for bridge repair, but as I drove into town, I saw that it was something completely different. Standing in Mill Yard Park, the massive metal frame was a stacker used for stacking pulpwood used in the nearby paper factory.

Built in 1911, a conveyor ran down the middle of it to stack the pulpwood after logs were slashed into smaller pieces. It rises 175 feet tall and was used until 1971. It is the last remaining structure of its kind in the United States and stands as a reminder of the paper mill and logging industry in Wisconsin. It is truly an impressive mechanical marvel; you need to see it in person to understand how large it is.

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