What Happened Here?

In the Season 1 finale, Hannah tells a few stories from one of the most mysterious parts of New England: a vast and isolated forest hiding ghost towns, buried treasure, and missing persons. 

This is the Bennington Triangle of Vermont. What happened here?

Please subscribe, rate, and review, and keep an eye out for season 2 soon!

Sources used in this episode:

1. Obscure Vermont: https://obscurevermont.com/tag/white-rocks/

                                https://urbanpostmortem.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/the-patch-hollow-massacre/

2. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_T._Stafford_White_Rocks_National_Recreation_Area

                     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallingford,_Vermont

                     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennington_Triangle

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Mountain_National_Forest

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_A._Citro 

3. USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gmfl/recarea/?recid=65137

4. History of Wallingford, Vermont, by Walter Thorpe: https://books.google.com/books?id=NBpRK8ukdP8C&pg=PA195&lpg=PA195&dq=white+rocks+treasure+wallingford+vt&source=bl&ots=zpi7Qdkh8z&sig=ACfU3U0F5wVqgirStrysUgp3l0SETQuftQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi8qpHijcn5AhWhM1kFHSEPDGUQ6AF6BAgiEAM#v=onepage&q=white%20rocks%20treasure%20wallingford%20vt&f=false

5. Rutland Herald: https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-1032.html

6. https://www.benningtonbanner.com/local-news/after-60-years-students-fate-remains-a-legendary-mystery/article_01b5a8cd-cad7-51dc-9dd9-667ee9a64c34.html

7. Vermont Gold and Treasure: http://vermontgoldandtreasure.blogspot.com/2014/01/spanish-silver-wallingford-vt.html 

The city of London is home to many a mystery, and the twists and turns of the Spitalfields district is no exception. One house, at 18 Folgate Street, offers visitors the ability to almost literally step back in time. This is Dennis Severs' house.

What Happened Here?

Listen along to find out!

Keep in Touch:

Sources Used in Today's Ep:

1. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Severs%27_House

                    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitalfields#Victorian_era

                    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitechapel_District_(Metropolis)

2. Dennis Severs House Website: https://dennissevershouse.co.uk/about/the-house

3. The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/jul/25/dennis-severs-house-recreates-his-eccentric-tours-based-on-found-tapes

                        https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/jan/10/guardianobituaries

4. Old Spitalfields Market Website: https://oldspitalfieldsmarket.com/journal/things-to-do-dennis-severs-house

5. Museums London: https://www.museumslondon.org/museum/49/dennis-severs-house

6. Google Earth: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dennis+Severs'+House/@51.520882,-0.077706,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xeb180c41f36e96e8?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_x6vm68T5AhVPF2IAHVdABKoQ_BJ6BQiBARAF 

7. Morbid Podcast 5-Part Series on Jack the Ripper: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jack-the-ripper-part-1/id1379959217?i=1000570373715

In rural southern Louisiana, miles from the Gulf of Mexico, a deep saltwater lake exists in unlikely surroundings. But little do many people know the secrets under the surface. This is Lake Peigneur. 

What Happened Here?

Listen along to hear the story of the mysterious Lake Peigneur, which was irreversibly altered only 40 years ago.

Please like, subscribe, follow, rate, and/or review wherever you listen!

Sources Used in This Episode:

1. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Peigneur

                   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Jefferson_House

2. The Nashua Telegraph: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2209&dat=19801121&id=mKUrAAAAIBAJ&pg=7170,4208269&hl=en

3. Atlas Obscura: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-peigneur

4. Damn Interesting: https://www.damninteresting.com/lake-peigneur-the-swirling-vortex-of-doom/

5. Scott E Raymond: Lagniappe Magazine: https://bestofswla.com/2018/06/07/rip-van-winkle-gardens/

6. History Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXnxGIDhOA

7. Google Earth: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lake+Peigneur/@29.9804596,-91.9785727,14.41z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x86237ab7895a2f0b:0x484dd7de1c6b937c!8m2!3d29.9794613!4d-91.9808129

If there's anything we Pennsylvanians love, it's complaining about our roads. From constant construction, to precarious navigation around rugged terrain, to the wear and tear of weather and idiot drivers, the roads of our commonwealth offer much to lament. In today's episode, however, Hannah deep dives into the history of one road PA is actually pretty proud of: the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Not only does this road bear the honor of being America's first superhighway, but it also carries a secret: 13 miles of crumbling highway winding through the Pennsylvania countryside, a section of road which has sat abandoned for over half a century. 

What Happened Here? 

Tune in to find out!

Please don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!

Sources Used For This Episode:

1. Uncovering PA: https://uncoveringpa.com/abandoned-pa-turnpike

2. Wikipedia:

     - Sideling Hill Tunnel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideling_Hill_Tunnel

     - Ray’s Hill Tunnel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rays_Hill_Tunnel

     - Laurel Hill Tunnel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Hill_Tunnel

     - PA Turnpike: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Turnpike

     - Abandoned PA Turnpike: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abandoned_Pennsylvania_Turnpike

3. PA Turnpike History.com https://www.paturnpike.com/about-us/turnpike-history

     - Timeline: https://www.paturnpike.com/about-us/turnpike-history/interactive-timeline

4. Washington Observer-Reporter:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CYpiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kXcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3151,3028891&dq=pennsylvania-turnpike+tunnel&hl=en

5. Jeannette News Dispatch: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rPpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xUINAAAAIBAJ&pg=2600,5170278&dq=pennsylvania-turnpike+tunnel&hl=en

6. "Breezewood, Pennsylvania: The Most American Place on Earth," by Ed Simon for Belt Magazine: https://beltmag.com/breezewood-pennsylvania-most-american-place-earth/

7. Know Your Meme: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/breezewood-pennsylvania

8. Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0030123,-78.2259096,1175m/data=!3m1!1e3

On a remote highway between the towns of Oil City and Franklin, Pennsylvania, an outdoorsman's camp lies obscured in the thick forest. Here people come to celebrate conservation and outdoor sport, and to pass on skills of life and survival. 

But what one might not know at first glance is that this was once the site of a magnificent amusement park that drew crowds by the ten thousands. 

What Happened Here?

Listen along as Hannah tells the story of Monarch Park, complete with her own experience visiting this fascinating place.

Please rate, review, and subscribe if you enjoyed today's episode!

Sources: 

The History of Monarch Park: Oil City PA.net (William Passauer) https://oilcitypa.net/monarch-park/history/a-detailed-history/

Judy Etzel with Oil Region Libraries https://oilregionlibraries.org/monarch-park/

Kara O’Neil, The Derrick https://www.thederrick.com/free/historical-society-featuring-exhibit-of-old-monarch-park/article_4ef13b4c-237c-11ec-bf30-039dda9b9a49.html

Sam Gordon, the Titusville Herald: https://www.titusvilleherald.com/news/article_53a5c45b-fa3f-58ec-b0b6-df9808c3c5f4.html

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izaak_Walton#Other_commemorations

Izaak Walton League Website: https://www.iwla.org/

Oil City Chapter Website: https://sites.google.com/site/oilcitychapter/

Today, the North End Waterfront of Boston is a peaceful outdoor recreational space in one of the most historic parts of this legendary city. But just over a hundred years ago, it was the site of one of the most devastating industrial disasters of the 20th century: the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. 

What happened here?

Listen as Hannah tells the story of the Great Molasses Flood, and what it can tell us about the pursuit of human flourishing. 

Please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!

Sources used in this episode:

1. Wikipedia, of course: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Molasses_Flood, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langone_Park

2. Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo (2004, Beacon Press): https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tide-Great-Boston-Molasses/dp/080707800X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PTZ8LMOWSYZF&keywords=dark+tide+the+great+boston+molasses+flood+of+1919&qid=1657928782&sprefix=dark+tide%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1

3. The New York Times: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1919/01/16/97058317.pdf

4. Boston.com (by the Boston Globe): https://www.boston.com/news/history/2019/01/13/victims-great-boston-molasses-flood-1919/

5. NBC https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/great-boston-molasses-flood-1919-killed-21-after-2-million-n958326

6. History.com https://www.history.com/news/great-molasses-flood-science

7. History.com https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/america-enters-world-war-        i#:~:text=April%206%2C%201917%3A%20Two%20days,formally%20enters%20World%20War%20I.

8. Google maps: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3661873,-71.0550076,16.34z

On the vast southern coast of Alaska, there's a tiny town that fits under one roof, is only accessible by a tunnel that closes each night, and which was the site of the mysterious disappearance of two politicians. This is Whittier, Alaska.

What happened here?

Please rate and review if you liked today's episode, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you're first in line when a new one drops each week!

Thanks for listening!

Sources Used in This Episode:

1. Wikipedia (Don't hate me):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whittier,_Alaska

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begich_Towers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckner_Building

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Greenleaf_Whittier

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Begich

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hale_Boggs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_Boggs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Tyner

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Credit_Opportunity_Act

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chugach_National_Forest

2. Whittier, AK https://www.whittieralaska.gov/

3. Crazy Ray’s Adventures: https://crazyraysak.com/about-whittier-alaska/

4. CNN: https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2015/07/us/whittier-alaska-american-story/

5. Far Out Magazine: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/whittier-alaska-worlds-weirdest-place-to-live/

6. Politico: https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/hale-boggs-plane-vanishes-in-alaska-oct-16-1972-229692

7. Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/09/17/plane-carrying-cokie-robertss-father-disappeared-over-alaska-he-was-never-found/

You know them: small porcelain figurines in soft colors, large-headed childlike little people with teardrop-shaped dark eyes and sweet tiny-lipped smiles. Sweet, pious, and mawkish, Precious Moments figurines were a mainstay of life in the 1980s and 90s. What you might not know is that just a few miles outside the town of Carthage, Missouri, a 33-acre complex is home to a variety of Precious Moments-themed attractions, including a convention center, mini-mall, and 9,000 square-foot chapel.

Um, What Happened Here?

Listen along as Hannah unpacks the story of the Precious Moments Chapel and Museum. 

Please rate, review, and subscribe if you enjoyed today's episode!

Sources used for this episode:

1. Precious Moments Website:

https://preciousmomentschapel.org/

https://www.preciousmoments.com/butcher-story/

https://www.preciousmoments.com/blog/original-21-precious-moments-figurines/

https://www.preciousmoments.com/history

https://www.preciousmoments.com/blog/the-history-of-precious-moments-the-faithful-journey-to-the-precious-moments-chapel/

2. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Butcher

3. Roadside America: https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2139

4. Good Housekeeping: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a34904/precious-moments-facts/

5. “Precious Moments and American Kitsch”: Nathan Rabin: https://www.nathanrabin.com/happy-place/2018/5/10/precious-moments-and-american-kitsch

6. Instastory by Carlos Whittaker: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3OTAzMTI4MzcyOTQ0NjE2?story_media_id=2583933348054772286&igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

An hour's drive down the Monongahela River from Pittsburgh, a sleepy small town sits forgotten by the world. Few know that this place was once the site of one of the worst environmental pollution disasters of the 20th century, and the catalyst for changing laws and standards in the US. This is Donora, Pennsylvania. But what happened here?

Rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Where should we go next? Email ([email protected]) or connect on Instagram (@whathappenedhere.pod) to suggest your favorite place!

Sources Used in this Episode:

Donora Borough: http://donoraboro.org/

Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-darkness-in-donora-174128118/

Quartz: https://qz.com/1117029/the-sudden-death-of-26-people-in-a-tiny-american-town-on-halloween-weekend-shows-the-bleak-reality-of-life-before-clean-air-laws/

Donora Historical Society: https://www.sites.google.com/site/donorahistoricalsociety/donora-history/Founding-of-Donora?authuser=0

https://www.sites.google.com/site/donorahistoricalsociety/donora-history/1948-smog?authuser=0

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donora,_Pennsylvania

National Weather Service: https://www.weather.gov/media/lzk/inversion101.pdf

The Allegheny National Forest, over 500,000 acres of deep, vibrant green space, covers the upper edge of Pennsylvania, and creates the border of the PA Wilds. This region is one of the least populated places in the eastern US, and has some of the oldest forest growth in North America. But barely a hundred years ago, the land was completely bare. What happened here?

Listen along to hear the story of the Allegheny National Forest, a tale of resilience, sustainability, and peace.

Listen, follow, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts!

Sources used for this episode: