IT’S HISTORY

Delve into the history of Rikers Island, the notorious jail complex in New York City. This video explores the origins of Rikers Island as a jail, its growth from a small facility to an overcrowded complex, and the dark issues it faces, including trash heap fires, rat infestations, and the impact on surrounding communities, especially Queens. The video highlights heroic acts, such as inmates saving...

Every day, thousands of drivers cross the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge without realizing they are passing over the abandoned Nimitz House on Yerba Buena Island. This residence was once home to Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the naval commander of the United States Pacific Fleet during World War II. In this episode, we explore the history of Yerba Buena Island, the mansion's rise and decay, and its...

Perched along the cliffs just south of San Francisco, Pacifica, California, was built on a dream of ocean views and quiet living. However, this dream conceals a dangerous reality. Developers initially ignored geological warnings, constructing neighborhoods on unstable marine terraces and eroding bluffs. Over decades, powerful storms, landslides, earthquakes, and relentless coastal erosion have mad...

Beneath New York City lies a 7,500-mile labyrinth that processes billions of gallons of waste daily. This underground network, built over two centuries, includes forgotten tunnels, Civil War-era infrastructure, and modern engineering marvels. This episode explores New York's evolution from cholera outbreaks and “night soil” collectors to a complex wastewater system. Discover the massive intercepto...

Across the American heartland, historic bridges line the old alignment of U.S. Route 66, many abandoned for decades and at risk of collapse. This episode explores how this iconic highway became a graveyard of failing bridges. It examines the repurposing of railroad spans in the 1920s, features engineering relics like Kansas's Rainbow Bridge and New Mexico's Rio Puerco Bridge, and discusses how ear...

Cabrini-Green, once a nationwide symbol of crime and urban decay, has seen gradual demolition over the past two decades. Originally home to 15,000 residents, the complex has transitioned into new retail and upscale condos, dispersing the African American community throughout the city. The area, historically known as "Swede Town," "Little Sicily," and later "Little Hell," was notorious in the early...

Coal breakers were essential machines in coal mines, responsible for breaking large chunks of coal into smaller pieces. They were the heart of the operation, despite being loud and dirty, requiring significant maintenance. Working in coal breakers was hazardous, making them a difficult workplace. #CoalMining #CoalBreakers #MiningHistory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...

The Staten Island Boat Graveyard, located at 2453 Arthur Kill Road in Rossville, has roots dating back to the 1930s and has been known as the Witte Marine Scrap Yard and Arthur Kill Boat Yard. Now referred to as the Donjon Iron and Metal Scrap Processing Facility, it was once home to approximately 400 vessels, though that number has dwindled to an estimated 25 to 40 decaying ships. This scrapyard...

Explore the battleship graveyard outside the Philadelphia International Airport, featuring storied vessels that once served in the United States Navy. This video highlights the fates of legendary ships, including the USS Barry, USS John F. Kennedy, and the USS New Jersey. Chapters: 0:00 - Why does Philadelphia have a battleship graveyard? 2:01 - USS Barry 5:45 - USS John F. Kennedy 9:17 - USS Tico...

Buried nearly 1,000 feet beneath southern Poland lies the Bochnia Salt Mine, one of Europe's oldest salt mines and a UNESCO World Heritage site with a history spanning nearly 1,000 years. This sprawling underground labyrinth stretches 37 miles across 16 levels, with only a fraction accessible to the public. In this episode, we explore the mine's forbidden corridors, including collapsing tunnels, a...

On November 25, 1990, a section of the Lacey V. Murrow Floating Bridge in Seattle collapsed and sank into Lake Washington, an event witnessed live by thousands. The bridge, an essential transportation link since its construction in 1940, folded into a V-shape before disappearing underwater. This episode explores the history of Seattle's floating bridge system, the engineering decisions that contri...

In the middle of the Mississippi River near St. Louis stand two mysterious stone towers known as the Chain of Rocks intake towers. Built in 1894 and expanded in 1915, these structures were crucial for St. Louis’ drinking water system, allowing engineers to draw water directly from the river to the city’s waterworks plant. Inside, keepers lived for weeks operating intake gates and monitoring river...

Carved deep into the granite of Colorado’s Front Range lies the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, one of America’s most secretive Cold War creations. Built to survive nuclear war, this underground fortress housed command centers, power plants, reservoirs, and living quarters—an entire city inside a mountain. Protected by 25-ton blast doors and thousands of feet of rock, it became the nerve center of NORA...

Beneath Chicago’s Cloud Gate lies the city’s dramatic transformation. This episode traces Grant Park's evolution from marshland and post–Great Fire landfill to a bustling urban landmark, exploring Daniel Burnham’s 1909 vision and Montgomery Ward’s efforts to keep the lakefront “forever open, clear and free.” We examine the deck-over that led to Millennium Park, featuring Frank Gehry’s Jay Pritzker...

Hidden deep within the forests of Connecticut lies the ruins of Dudleytown, a vanished colonial village that mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind only stone foundations and enduring legends. This episode uncovers the story behind Dudleytown, tracing its origins in the 18th century, the harsh winters faced by its settlers, and the myths of a generational curse thought to have doomed the village...

Hidden in Newtown, Connecticut, Fairfield Hills Hospital stands as one of America's eeriest relics of mental health history. This vast psychiatric complex, known for its extensive underground tunnels, was marked by a dark legacy of lobotomies, overcrowding, and wrongful institutionalizations. Originally intended for care, it eventually became a symbol of failures in the treatment of the mentally i...

In the mid-1800s, Chicago faced the challenge of battling Lake Michigan's storms that eroded its shoreline. Engineers constructed a bold trestle bridge over the lake, with the Illinois Central’s wooden causeway stretching hundreds of feet above open water, significantly altering Chicago’s lakefront. This monumental structure sparked intense debates over commerce, corruption, and public space. It o...

Before streaming changed everything, Blockbuster Video was a dominant force in the American weekend, operating over 9,000 stores worldwide by the 1990s and renting 100 million tapes weekly. This episode explores the rise, dominance, and eventual downfall of Blockbuster, delving into the remnants of its abandoned stores across the country and focusing on the last surviving Blockbuster in Oregon, wh...

In the early 1800s, Lowell, Massachusetts, emerged as the birthplace of America's Industrial Revolution. The city was characterized by red-brick mills and roaring turbines that reshaped the nation's economy and identity. At the center of this transformation were the "Lowell Mill Girls," young women who left rural farms to work long hours in harsh conditions. Instead of the promised education and d...

Before Trump Tower was built on Fifth Avenue, the Bonwit Teller Building, an architectural treasure designed in 1929 by Warren & Wetmore, occupied the site. This elegant structure featured a limestone façade, sculptural reliefs, and Art Deco details. Its demolition in 1980 resulted in the loss of much of its artistry. This episode explores the history and cultural significance of the Bonwit Teller...

Beneath the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia lies a 112,000-square-foot nuclear bunker, secretly constructed during the Cold War to shelter the U.S. Congress in the event of a nuclear strike. Known as Project Greek Island, this facility operated for over three decades, hidden beneath the luxury of a five-star hotel. This episode delves into the construction of the bunker, its concealment, and th...

Did you ever wonder what happens to McDonald’s after the golden arches go dim? Across the globe, many locations have been demolished, replaced, or left abandoned. From a UFO-shaped McDonald’s in England to a floating restaurant known as the "McBarge" and a frozen-in-time outpost on a remote Alaskan island, these forgotten arches reveal an eerie side of fast food history. This episode traces the ri...

Across America’s Rust Belt, many older homes feature a unique fixture known as the "Pittsburgh Potty," a solitary toilet located in an unfinished basement, often lacking privacy. This unusual setup has gained attention online, but its origins are rooted in practicality. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, cities like Pittsburgh adopted combined sewer systems that regularly backed up during...

Just south of Chicago lies the Thornton Quarry, a limestone excavation that is nearly 500 feet deep and over a mile wide. I-294 runs directly through it, featuring sheer rock walls that plunge hundreds of feet. This site serves as a significant engineering landmark in America, with a history connected to Chicago founder Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard. The video explores the evolution of limestone mini...

On May 12, 1948, a Chesapeake and Ohio Railway freight train near Chillicothe, Ohio, experienced a violent steam locomotive explosion due to a steam engine's boiler failure. This incident, known as the "Hindenburg of the rails," was triggered by a critical error: allowing water levels to drop too low, resulting in a catastrophic chain reaction. In this episode, we explore the workings of steam loc...