It’s History

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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Once one of the nation's premier resorts, the Salton Sea welcomed millions of guests to its idyllic shores every single year. And yet today, it has been reduced to little more than a barren, toxic wasteland, growing saltier every year. Today, we will uncover the story of the Salton Sea, and if there is still hope to save it.

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The Chicago & North Western Railway terminal in Chicago, Illinois was one of the most magnificent and beautiful train stations in the country. It was built in 1888 and served as the C&NW's primary station until it was closed in 1970. The station was demolished soon after, but remnants of it still exist today...

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The Pony Express is a testament to the ingenuity and innovation of the American West in the 19th century. The Pony Express is also a reminder of how transportation networks and technology can still have a profound effect on society today. The Pony Express was the first long-distance transportation network in the United States, and it operated between April 3, 1860 and October 26, 1861. The Pony Express was in operation for only six months, but it's still remembered today as a testament to how important a transportation network can be. The Pony Express was used to transport mail across the vast and sparsely-populated American West. The West, being the largest geographic region in the country at the time, was the perfect place for the Pony Express.

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In the 1950s, New Jersey's population was bursting at the seams. The only way to accommodate the increasing number of people was to build more roads. And what better way than with a new multi-lane highway?

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Second only to the Panama Canal, the Los Angeles Aqueduct was once the most extensive creation of its kind in human history. An unbelievably expensive and lengthy project, its benefits and consequences are still felt today. Other regions went dry to sate Los Angeles's need for water, causing decades of turmoil in the so-called Water Wars. Without it, the city would have never prospered as it did. The Los Angeles aqueduct is one of the most important and overlooked water projects in American history. The massive aqueduct is an essential piece of Los Angeles — supplying the city's residents with water and revitalizing the once-barren Owens Lake. The aqueduct was completed in 1913 and has withstood the test of time. However, it is easy to forget that this significant piece of infrastructure was not always in place.The aqueduct is a product of the 1910s in Los Angeles. The booming city was preparing for a century of growth. The population was rapidly increasing, and city leaders needed to figure out how to support it. The town was already in need of new water sources. The Owens Lake aquifer was drying up, and the city had no choice but to look elsewhere. In 1913, the city approved the Owens Valley Aqueduct. This massive engineering project would transport water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Los Angeles. The aqueduct was built using an innovative gravity-fed canal system that eventually became the Owens Lake aqueduct. Los Angeles has always been a city of extremes. Located in the hottest, driest part of California, the city is also one of the wettest. The Owens Lake aquifer was its only water source, and its supply was constantly dwindling. The city needed to find a new water source and build a massive aqueduct to support its growing population.

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What's on the rooftops of New York City's most famous skyscrapers? From interesting architecture to a bird's-eye view of the city, explore the hidden secrets and stunning vistas of the Big Apple's rooftops.

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Being as big a city as it is, Chicago needs a lot of systems to keep it running. Among the most important is the sewer system, which has disposed of Chicago's waste for over 150 years now. From the initial installation and the pollution of the Chicago River to the newer implements of the past several years, the Chicago Sewer System has a pervasive history.

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The Brooklyn docks are an integral part of the borough's history. But with the industrial past of New York City and the rise of container shipping, these piers have been abandoned and left to rot. What happened? In this episode, we take a look at what happened to the piers on Brooklyn's waterfront. We'll talk about how they've been used over the years, why they were abandoned, and what people are saying about them today.

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Once the Magic City of America's Rust Belt, Gary, Indiana is a city of a much different reputation today. From the greatest producer of American Steel and a key arm in the Arsenal of Democracy, it devolved into a murder capital until it ran out of people to kill. Its story is familiar, though, with any luck, it is not over.

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