It’s History

It’s History

By Ryan SocashHistory
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It’s History episodes

  • The Largest Abandoned Subway in the World - EXPLAINED

    Cincinnati's subway was one of the most ambitious projects in North America. It was designed to link the populous downtown, with the Ohio River Valley, and then onward to the east and west suburbs. There was a long-term plan to extend it all the way to Indiana.

    But what happened? Why did Cincinnati, who had a world-class mass transit system in place, build an expensive highway called I-75 instead?

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    18 min
  • Why Pennsylvania's coal mine fire problems are here to stay forever

    Fires in coal mines have been a problem for Pennsylvania for decades. These fires are not only dangerous, but they also keep the mine from being profitable. We'll talk about the dangers of these fires, how they happen, and what can be done to prevent them.

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    13 min
  • What really happened to Newspaper row and the Tribune Building?

    As one of New York City's early skyscrapers, and one of the first high-rise elevator buildings, the New York Tribune Building was a tragically underrated pioneer of its age. Despite its somewhat controversial opening it lived a storied life, though it later fell to the wrecking ball in 1966. This is the story of the lost New York Tribune Building.

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    18 min
  • What's on the rooftops of Chicago's most famous skyscrapers?

    Have you ever wondered what is on the tops of each building in Chicago's Skyline? Every major American city has a horizon littered with skyscrapers and Chicago, one of the most prominent cities in American history, is no different, holding some of the tallest buildings in the US. When walking through the streets of Chicago and looking up at these metal marvels stabbing the sky, one thing that the everyday citizen can obviously not see, is the tops of these buildings. This ultimately begs the question, what is on the rooftops of Chicago's tallest buildings? Chicago's Skyline is one of the tallest cities in the world, holding over 100 skyscrapers that are featured heavily in popular media such as film, television, music and art. Each of these tall structures are all unique in many ways from their age, who they house and what methods were used to construct them. Similarly, what lies on the roof of each of these skyscrapers is different in each case. So in order to get a holistic view of Chicago's rooftops, let's examine a select few of the most famous skyscrapers in the city.

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    27 min
  • Why New York's North River Tunnels were cursed from the beginning

    The North River Tunnels are a pair of rail tunnels that carry Amtrak and New Jersey Transit lines under the Hudson River between Weehawken, New Jersey, and the Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan. Constructed in 1910, the North River Tunnels is a critical travel option for commuters on the New Jersey Transit and Amtrak's busy Northeast Corridor line. These tunnels are active, they allow 24 crossings per hour each way and operate near capacity during peak hours. The tubes run parallel to each other underneath the Hudson River. Their centers are separated by 37 feet. The two tracks fan out to 21 tracks just west of Penn Station.

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    21 min
  • When Seattle's underground became infested with criminals and rats (literally)

    Did you ever wonder what's under the city streets that you walk on every day? Well if you live in Seattle, you would be surprised to find out what lies underneath! Underneath the streets of the Pioneer Square neighborhood lies the Seattle Underground, a hidden section of passageways and corridors which at one time hosted an array of commerce both legal and illegal as well as shops, homes, storage and a collection of fascinating history unknown to most, even among Seattle's citizens themselves. As a result of Seattle's reconstruction following the Great Fire of 1889, the streets were lifted several stories above ground level for several reasons, leaving all the surrounding buildings to partially dwell underground. After only a few decades the city shut down the Underground for public health and safety concerns but some areas remained in use for various nefarious activities while the rest were left abandoned. While the Seattle Underground is now nothing but a tourist attraction, there persists a long and interesting history hidden underneath these streets, much like the Underground itself.

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    17 min
  • The Rise and Fall of Camden, New Jersey - America's most dangerous city

    Camden City long served as the heart of the South Jersey region. Located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Camden capitalized on its strategic location for shipping and is the home to the Campbell Soup Company. Unfortunately, Camden lost its once premier standing as it struggled with high poverty, crime, and environmental degradation. But what was the cause of Camden's fall? What became of the city that once was at the height of an industrial economy?

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    26 min
  • Philadelphia's Abandoned Ghost Subway Lines: What Happened To Them?

    The Philadelphia subway system has served millions over its lifespan, and continues to be a primary way of travel for countless Philadelphians to this very day. But did you know that the subway system we see today could have been much larger? Today, we will discover the lost subway tunnels of Philadelphia.

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    19 min
  • The Dangerous History of Transatlantic Steamship Travel

    If you wanted to take a trip from New York City to Liverpool, all you would need to do is pack your bags, pay for an airplane ticket and board the plane and in less than 24 hours you are on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean on a completely different continent. But it wasn't always this easy and this fast. In fact, traveling across the Atlantic was often a dangerous task that took months or years if you even survived. As a result, man has always been trying to find new ways to make this journey, faster, safer and more efficient. One example of this was the invention of steamships. These revolutionary vessels ruled the waves just a few centuries ago before becoming obsolete as man found even faster, safer and more efficient ways to travel, trade and fight wars. This, however, begs the question what happened to these transatlantic steamships which used to be the primary form of travel across this vast ocean?

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    39 min

About It’s History

From the publisher's feed

IT’S HISTORY is a ride through history – join us in discovering the world’s most important eras, the minds that changed everything, and the most important inventions of our time through weekly tales of Urban Decay.