Author Conversations

Hamburg is perhaps South Carolina’s most famous ghost town. Founded in 1821, it grew to four thousand residents before transportation advances led to decline. During Reconstruction, recently freed slaves reshaped Hamburg into a freedmen’s village, where residents held local, county and state offices. These gains were wiped away after the Hamburg Massacre in 1876, a watershed event that left seven African Americans dead, most of them executed in cold blood. Yet more than a century after Hamburg, the one white supremacist killed in the melee is canonized by the racially divisive Meriwether Monument in downtown North Augusta. Author Michael Smith details the amazing events that created this unique community with a lasting legacy.

https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467148559

Thad Carter joins me for this episode. Thad is the author of The Railroads of Lake Charles which is available now. This week we talk about Thad's memories of the railroad growing up, the importance of the railroad today and where it may go in the future. 

If you would like to purchase Thad's latest book you can do so by clicking the link below: 

https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467106153 

A true crime story that captured the attention of the nation. 

On Christmas Eve 1881, a horrible crime shook the small town of Ashland, Kentucky, and captivated the entire nation. Three children were brutally murdered and their house set ablaze. Nothing in the small town’s past had prepared it for what followed. Three men were convicted of the crimes, and two were sentenced to death. But the murderers were protected by the governor’s untrained militia, which would eventually turn their guns on Ashland’s innocent citizens. Join author H.E. “Joe” Castle as he adds to the work of J.M. Huff and discover this incredible, captivating true story of one of the darkest chapters in the history of Kentucky.

The Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington is perhaps the single most significant stretch of railroad in the country, connecting dozens of cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. The line carries thousands of passengers daily on a mix of long-distance, regional, and commuter trains. Before it emerged as a vital stretch of railway, some of the earliest railroads in America created a foundation for the future corridor. They constructed a patchwork of lines that laid the groundwork for the Northeast Corridor of today, which later formed integral portions of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. The impact of this line is still felt in the many communities that developed along the tracks. While the Northeast Corridor continues to evolve, it remains as relevant as it was when the original developers conceived the rail link nearly two centuries ago.

You can purchase The Northeast Corridor by following the link below: 

https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467105583 

Racing is more than just turning left. It is about grit and determination. Technology and skill. Author Robert Redd joins me today on this special episode as we get ready for the Daytona 500. 

Long before the Speedway was even a glimmer in Bill France Sr.’s eye, racers in Daytona Beach were careening along at the fastest possible clip. Cars were still a novelty in 1903 when Daytona Beach drivers were pushing for land speed records on a track near today’s Granada Avenue beach entrance. A reputation was born here early, drawing racing pioneers like Sara Christian, who famously raced her husband on the combination dirt and paved track in 1949. From the brave forerunners who tore up the hard-packed sand to the modern vehicles blasting away at nearly two hundred miles per hour on Daytona Beach International Speedway, Robert Redd explores the driving tradition that has made Daytona Beach a racing mecca.

You can purchase Racing in Daytona Beach by clicking the link below: 

https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467142779 

This week we learn the history of a serial killer who took the lives of over 20 victims yet hardly anyone knows his story or more importantly the story of those who's lives were cut short. Until now. Join me this week as I talk with Janie Jones who is the author of The Arkansas Hitchhike Killer and learn the story of how the nationwide murderer slipped under the radar of true crime writers for so long. 

You can purchase this week's title by following the link below: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467148177 

On this episode we learn the intriguing history of Macon, GA during the Civil War. 

Macon was a cornerstone of the Confederacy’s military-industrial complex. As a transportation hub, the city supplied weapons to the Confederacy, making it a target once the Union pushed into Georgia in 1864. In the course of the war’s last year, Macon faced three separate cavalry assaults. The battles were small in the grand scheme but salient for the combatants and townspeople. Once the war concluded, it was from Macon that cavalry struck out to capture the fugitive Jefferson Davis, allowing the city to witness one of the last chapters of the conflict. Author Niels Eichhorn brings together the first comprehensive analysis of the military engagements and battles in Middle Georgia.

Order the book here: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467146944 

Atlanta has a rich history that goes far beyond a town in flame during the Civil War. Learn about the rich Native American History and how Atlanta's crossroads with ancient trails have been bringing cultures to a point in what is now Georgia for millennia. People from all over the world have helped shape Atlanta into the city it is today. 

Order the book by by following the link below: 

https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467146074 

Today I speak with Retired United States Coast Guard Captain Jeffrey Hartman. Join us for the interesting history of the academy and stories from the Captain's career. 

The predecessor of the US Coast Guard (USCG) was the Revenue Marine, formed to enforce the customs laws. The officers for the service were drawn from the Merchant Marines, and occasionally the US Navy, and political connections were often more important than competency. To ensure consistent training, the original Revenue Cutter School of Instruction became the US Coast Guard Academy, moving to its present location in New London, Connecticut, in 1932. Prior to that, instruction had been afloat on four different vessels, known as cutters, and ashore in New Bedford, Massachusetts; Curtis Bay, Maryland; and Fort Trumbull in New London. The training has grown from a two-year program, providing primarily practical seamanship, to one of the highest ranked small engineering undergraduate schools in the nation, offering nine majors and graduating male and female officers with a liking for the sea and its lore.

This week we travel out west to Haunted Prescott, AZ! 

When Arizona was created as a U.S. territory in 1864, Prescott became its first capital. Accompanying the city's rich history is an equally dramatic heritage of supernatural manifestations. Visitors report a strange chill in the Palace Restaurant and taps on the shoulder at the Smoki Museum. Lingering spirits crowd famed hotels like the Vendome and the Hassayampa Inn, as well as theaters such as the Elks Opera House and Prescott Center for the Arts. Learn the secrets of Prescott's cemeteries and the truth about the hangings on the Courthouse Plaza as Darlene Wilson and Parker Anderson lead an excursion through the haunted sites of Arizona's mile-high city.