Hidden just steps from the Washington Monument lies a granite marker most people overlook—but this modest stone was once meant to become the center of the world. The Jefferson Pier Stone, placed in 1804, was part of a bold plan by Thomas Jefferson to sever the United States from European dominance by creating a new prime meridian through Washington, D.C.

But Jefferson’s dream quietly faded. The stone, lost and later rediscovered, now sits half-forgotten on the National Mall—an echo of America’s ambition to define its own place in the world. In this episode, we explore the forgotten history of the Jefferson Pier, the political defiance behind its placement, and how it was nearly erased from public memory.

At the edge of the Pacific Northwest lies one of the deadliest stretches of water in North America—the Columbia Bar, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. This isn’t just a river mouth—it’s a maritime gauntlet where unpredictable sandbars, deadly tides, and violent storms have claimed over 2,000 vessels. For generations, sailors have called it the Graveyard of the Pacific.

In this episode, we uncover the harrowing history of this infamous region—from Indigenous knowledge systems to shipwrecks like the SS Valencia and SS Pacific, whose wreckage remained hidden for over a century. We’ll explore how bar pilots risk their lives to navigate these waters, and how the U.S. Coast Guard continues to protect one of the most dangerous coastlines in America.

Beneath the streets of New York City lies the skeleton of one of the most ambitious communication systems in U.S. history: a 27-mile pneumatic mail network that once moved 100,000 letters a day—using nothing but air pressure. From 1897 to 1953, steel canisters shot through underground tubes at 35 miles per hour, connecting 23 post offices across Manhattan and Brooklyn. It was fast, reliable, and nearly invisible to the public.

So why did this futuristic mail system vanish? And how did something so ahead of its time become obsolete in just a few decades? In this episode, we explore the rise and fall of New York’s pneumatic mail system—from ceremonial cat launches and same-day Wall Street contracts to deadly tube explosions and sandwich deliveries gone rogue. Plus: what’s still down there today.

At the foot of Market Street stands the San Francisco Ferry Building, a majestic landmark overlooking the Bay. But for decades, this architectural gem was hidden behind a double-decker freeway, its grand arches obscured, its interior gutted, and its legacy nearly erased from the city’s memory. At one point, there were serious plans to demolish it altogether.

This episode dives into the astonishing rise, fall, and resurrection of one of San Francisco’s most important structures. From its origins during the Gold Rush to surviving two major earthquakes—and nearly being destroyed by urban planning—the Ferry Building’s story is one of resilience and reinvention. Discover how a forgotten transportation hub became a symbol of civic pride once more.

In the 1970s, the U.S. launched an ambitious plan to solve its growing nuclear waste problem: reprocess spent fuel into usable energy. The result was the Barnwell Nuclear Fuel Center—an ultra-secure, state-of-the-art complex in South Carolina designed to handle the nation’s radioactive leftovers. But despite half a billion dollars invested and near-complete construction, it never processed a single gram of fuel. What happened?

In this episode, we dive deep into the rise and fall of Barnwell—how Cold War optimism collided with nuclear non-proliferation fears, and how a symbol of energy innovation turned into one of America’s most expensive abandoned facilities. From political fallout to urban legends, the site’s story is stranger than fiction—and not quite over.

New Jersey might look like an ordinary East Coast state, but beneath the surface, it operates like one massive military base. With seven major installations—including Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the Picatinny Arsenal, and Naval Weapons Station Earle—New Jersey plays a critical role in America’s defense infrastructure. From testing next-generation weapons to housing elite military units, the Garden State is packed with strategic assets that most people don’t even realize exist.

But why does New Jersey have such a high concentration of military facilities? And what does this mean for national security? In this episode of It’s History, we explore the bases, the history, and the growing presence of surveillance and defense technology across the state. Could this explain the increasing number of *mysterious aerial sightings* reported in the region? Join us as we uncover why New Jersey is one of America’s most militarized states.

Before microphones, motorcades, and media blitzes — there were trains.

From the 1890s to the 1950s, campaign trains were a critical part of how American presidential candidates reached the public. Politicians like William Jennings Bryan, FDR, and Harry Truman crisscrossed the country, delivering speeches from the back of specially outfitted railcars — meeting thousands of voters face-to-face in a whirlwind of stops and spectacle.

In this episode, we trace the rise and fall of the campaign train — from Bryan’s grueling 18,000-mile tour in 1896 to Truman’s legendary 1948 whistle-stop comeback. What made these rolling platforms so powerful? And why did they vanish from the political stage?

Explore how this lost tradition once shaped American history — and why it came to a stop.

Long before Route 66 captured the American imagination, another road did something far more ambitious: it connected the country. The Lincoln Highway, completed in 1913, was the United States’ first true transcontinental road—stretching from Times Square in New York to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. But while it revolutionized travel, kickstarted tourism, and helped birth car culture, most people today have never heard of it.

In this episode, we trace the rise and quiet fall of the Lincoln Highway: from muddy wagon trails and volunteer road crews to cement milestones, patriotic branding, and fierce industrial politics. You’ll discover how a group of dreamers and auto tycoons built a road without government help, changed how Americans moved—and then watched it get dismantled by the federal highway system. Buckle up: this is the lost story of the road that made road trips possible.

At the center of Los Angeles International Airport stands a monument to a future that never arrived: the Theme Building. Designed during the golden Jet Age by architects William Pereira and Charles Luckman, this flying saucer-like structure was once meant to be the beating heart of LAX—a central hub where every journey would begin. It was bold, modern, and meant to revolutionize air travel.

But the plan was scrapped before the dome ever broke ground. Airlines pushed for autonomy, costs ballooned, and LAX became the fragmented airport we know today. What remained was the Theme Building: a shell of the original vision, reimagined as a restaurant and observation deck. In this episode, we explore the unrealized ambition behind the Theme Building and how it became an enduring symbol—rather than a functioning hub—of Los Angeles’ futuristic aspirations.

Just off the coast of Staten Island lies a forgotten island that once played a surprising role in global history. Shooters Island started as a Revolutionary War spy base and evolved into a powerful shipyard, launching vessels for the U.S. military and even crafting a royal yacht for Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II.

In this episode, we explore how this overlooked patch of land helped build warships, hosted presidents and royalty, and then disappeared into obscurity. Today, it’s off-limits, overgrown, and littered with the remains of a once-glorious past.