IT’S HISTORY

Europe deemed it impossible, and President Thomas Jefferson called it “nothing short of madness,” yet New York persevered and constructed the largest canal in the world: the Erie Canal. This video delves into the canal's history, detailing the engineering challenges, land carving, and the permissions required for construction. Chapters: 0:00 - The History of the Erie Canal 0:37 - The Roads and Riv...

In 1986, 30 million Americans witnessed Geraldo Rivera opening a vault beneath Chicago's Lexington Hotel, the former home of Al Capone, expecting to find cash and weapons but uncovering only dirt and old bottles. This episode delves into Chicago's historical battle over alcohol, highlighting events from the Lager Beer Riot of 1855 to the underground networks that fueled Prohibition-era crime. The...

Governors Island is a small island off the southern tip of Manhattan, New York City, with a rich history dating back to the 1600s as a Dutch colonial settlement. It has served various purposes over the centuries, including a military base, a quarantine station, and a dumping ground for trash. In 1996, the island transformed into a public park. This video explores the history of Governors Island an...

Below the sewers and subways of Chicago lie over 60 miles of forgotten 19th and 20th-century train tunnels. Once a vital connection between many of the city’s prominent buildings, this labyrinth has remained abandoned for almost a century. Facing severe congestion from horse-drawn carts, streetcars, and pedestrians around the turn of the century, Chicago introduced elevated rapid transport, known...

In this video, we take you inside Cook County Jail, known as the most dangerous jail complex in Chicago. This facility has a notorious reputation for violence, overcrowding, and inhumane conditions. Through exclusive interviews with former inmates, guards, and criminal justice experts, we explore the harsh realities of life inside this troubled jail. Issues such as rampant gang activity, drug trad...

Join us as we explore the history of rest stops in the Chicagoland region, including Chicago's evolution as a transportation hub. This video covers the rest stops on the Erie Canal, the Galena and Chicago Union Railway, and the Illinois and Michigan Canals, as well as the development of rest stops along the Chicago L and the rise of Chicago's highways. We investigate various rest stops along the I...

Join host Ryan Socash as he explores the hidden and forgotten tunnels beneath New York City, delving into their intriguing histories and what remains today. Chapters: 00:00 - History of the Cobble Hill / Atlantic Avenue tunnel 03:35 - The discovery of the lost Cobble Hill tunnel 04:33 - Manhattan's lost mail tunnel 07:23 - Brooklyn's abandoned pool tunnels 09:31 - Columbia University Tunnels 15:24...

In the 1950s, New Jersey's population was booming, leading to the construction of the New Jersey Turnpike, an iconic highway that transformed American travel since its opening in 1951. This video explores the history of the NJTP, including early road systems, the introduction of tolls, design and construction challenges, and its cultural significance. Chapters: 02:38 New Jersey's Roads in the 19th...

The history of electric cars dates back to the early 19th century, with early experiments in Hungary, the Netherlands, and the United States. By the late 19th century, improvements in battery technology made electric vehicles (EVs) practical. Notably, in 1889, William Morrison built one of the first successful electric cars in the U.S., capable of reaching 14 mph. By 1900, electric vehicles compri...

Explore the fascinating story of the London Bridge, originally built in the mid-1800s to cross the River Thames in London, now residing in Lake Havasu, Arizona—over 5,400 miles from its original location. This video delves into the intriguing history of this unique landmark, covering the impact of automobiles on architecture, eccentric billionaires, ghost stories, and the transformation of small t...

In Tuckerton, NJ, a massive cement monolith stands out from time, once the base of the tallest structure in North America and the second tallest in the world after the Eiffel Tower. Built in 1912, the Tuckerton Tower reached 825 feet and was the first and most powerful transatlantic broadcasting tower, despite its German ownership. Topics covered in the video include: - The significance of New Jer...

Discover the complex history of Gary, Indiana, once known as the Magic City of America’s Rust Belt. This video explores its transformation from a major steel production hub essential to the Arsenal of Democracy to a city facing significant challenges, ultimately becoming known for violence and struggling with population decline. Chapters: 0:51 - The Birth of the American Steel Industry 2:44 - What...

Step back in time as we uncover the fascinating history of Moszna Castle, one of Poland’s most intriguing architectural wonders. Built in the 17th century, this stunning fortress is known for its legendary 99 towers, each steeped in myth and lore. Once a stronghold for nobility, Moszna Castle has witnessed centuries of political upheaval, royal intrigue, and cultural evolution. This episode explor...

Love Canal was once seen as a promising site for urban development but became one of the most notorious environmental disasters in U.S. history. In the 1940s, the Hooker Chemical Company used the Niagara Falls, New York site as a dumping ground for toxic waste. Years later, homes and a school were constructed over the sealed landfill, leading to the exposure of residents to hazardous toxins. By th...

Pyramid Lake, located in Nevada, is significant to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe's ancestral land and faces environmental and cultural challenges. This lake, part of the Great Basin, relies on the Truckee River for its water supply. However, upstream diversions for agricultural and urban use have drastically lowered water levels. Since the early 20th century, the construction of Derby Dam has redi...

Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Butner, located in North Carolina, is known as "America's prison for the rich and famous" due to its high-profile inmate roster and more accommodating conditions compared to other federal prisons. This medium-security facility is part of the Butner Federal Correctional Complex and houses individuals convicted of white-collar crimes like financiers, celebritie...

Explore the forgotten tunnels beneath Los Angeles, which span over 11 miles and date back to the early 20th century. Initially serving as streetcar routes connecting commuters, some tunnels allowed for discreet movement between civic buildings, facilitating the transport of prisoners, officials, and money. During Prohibition in the 1920s, these tunnels became notorious for bootleggers moving illeg...

At its peak, Ocean Falls was a self-sufficient community in British Columbia, featuring a 600-bed hotel, an Olympic-caliber indoor pool, and a pulp mill that powered everything. However, when the mill closed, the town emptied almost overnight, leaving fewer than sixty residents today, accessible only by seaplane or boat. In 2017, an entrepreneur recognized the potential of the unused waterfall gen...

Before the subway tunneled beneath Manhattan, New York’s transit network featured an extraordinary system of double-decker elevated railways. This episode explores the forgotten story of stacked stations, two-tier junctions, and sky-high platforms that once defined the city. These structures facilitated express trains over local services and connected ferry terminals to upper-level walkways, showc...

Running across Detroit’s northern edge, 8 Mile has a complex history linked to surveys, treaties, and housing maps that transformed it into a notorious dividing line. In 1941, developers erected a six-foot segregation wall to separate Black and white neighborhoods, solidifying its reputation. This episode explores how 8 Mile evolved into a symbol of division, the global attention it garnered throu...

For decades, Toronto’s Pearson International Airport housed a 19th-century Catholic cemetery, the resting place of early settlers from the now-vanished village of Elmbank. This cemetery, fenced off and surrounded by active taxiways, remained untouched for over half a century amidst the roar of jets overhead. However, safety concerns eventually prompted the emotional and controversial decision to r...

In the Mojave Desert, about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles, lies California City—a vast urban experiment designed for nearly half a million residents but now home to fewer than 15,000. This stark reality showcases the ambitious vision of Nathaniel Mendelsohn, a sociologist-turned-developer, who aimed to create a new metropolis from 82,000 acres of desert land. The story unfolds with themes of...

At the southern tip of Illinois, where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers converge, lies the city of Cairo, which once depended on the Big Subway Gate for flood defense. This massive iron barrier was designed to be lowered into position, effectively isolating the city during severe floods and transforming it into a fortified island. This episode delves into Cairo's evolution from a swampy misstep to...

In the middle of San Francisco Bay sits an island that did not even exist a century ago. Built from dredged sand and rock in the 1930s, Treasure Island was created as the dazzling home of the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition — a glowing Art Deco “Magic City” meant to celebrate the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and California’s future. But after the fair closed and World War II began...

In 1969, engineers performed the unprecedented act of turning off Niagara Falls, leaving the American Falls as a dry cliff face for several months. This episode explores the surprising findings uncovered during this period, including thousands of coins and unsettling discoveries, as well as how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managed to halt one of the world's most powerful waterfalls. It examine...