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I live near Grover Cleveland’s birthplace. I’ve never been, but the people who handle our area’s highway signage are very proud of our proximity to presidential history, even if Cleveland left this house (and New Jersey) before he turned five. One of these days, I’ll drop by and let you know what there is to learn about our 22nd (and 24th) president.
In the meantime, we have a copy of James Loewen’s Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong to give away, so let’s do this: tell us about the historical landmarks in your general vicinity. The most obscure historic site wins the book. We’ll also give away a mental_floss t-shirt to another submission we find particularly enjoyable.
We’ll announce the winners early next week. I’m looking forward to adding a few more sites to my ‘Must Visit (But Probably Won’t)’ list.
[Image courtesy of Jim Albano’s Real Estate Blog.]
I live down the road from Wolf Den State Park in Connecticut, where the last wolf in Connecticut was killed. A state park for eliminating a species?
The town next to us is also the birthplace of Benedict Arnold and proud of it.
posted by Zach on 8-28-2008 at 3:14 pm
I live in Milwaukee and consider the Ambassador Hotel, where Jeffrey Dahmer would do his ‘work’, a historical spot.
posted by susan on 8-28-2008 at 3:36 pm
I’ve never been inside the birthplace of Grover Cleveland but have been inside the Dunkin Donuts across the street many times.
posted by Bill on 8-28-2008 at 3:40 pm
I have never been inside Grover Cleveland’s birthplace but I went to Junior High at Grover Cleveland JHS and I have been in the Dunkin Donuts across the street from his birth place many times.
posted by bill on 8-28-2008 at 3:42 pm
In my home town we have a historical marker entitled, “Plowville”. I forget the specifics but a US president came to our little town to watch plow races in a field… i gotta get a picture to send in!
posted by Mike S. on 8-28-2008 at 3:45 pm
Not a (an?) historical landmark — but my great-grandfather’s first and middle names were Grover and Cleveland. He was from rural, western Virginia. Apparently his parents were big fans.
Why does reCapatcha hate me?
posted by Ms. B on 8-28-2008 at 3:47 pm
I live about twenty miles from the largest twine ball made by one man, located in scenic Darwin, MN. They even have a festival and museum devoted to the ball of twine.
posted by Katie on 8-28-2008 at 3:49 pm
Virginia Beach - Separated from my home by a state park lies the Edgar Cayce Association for Research and Enlightenment, Inc. He predicted I would write this post.
posted by Andrew on 8-28-2008 at 3:49 pm
Rocks State Park in Harford County, MD, is home to an interesting rock formation known as “The King and Queen Seat”, which was once a ceremonial gathering place of the Susquehannock Indians. See also flickr.com/photos/tags/kingandqueenseat/
posted by Cordelya on 8-28-2008 at 3:50 pm
I don’t think many people have been inside the Grover Cleveland birthplace. Many years ago I wanted to tour the place (was trying to show off historic places to a friend) and they didn’t even have tours.
One of the best historic spots in the area has been closed (I believe since Clinton was in office) which is the Edison Historic Site in West Orange, NJ. The tour includes the labs (which are under refurb) and Edison’s beautiful home in nearby Llewlyn Park. I’ve done the tour twice and it was fascinating for all ages. But have NO idea when they are finally going to finish up and re-open the place.
posted by beth on 8-28-2008 at 3:51 pm
My parents live near the Haunted Gate of Gurnee. It’s pretty awesome, all haunted and stuff. Surprisingly, this gate is in quite a few books about the supernatural. If you google “byfarthersteps” and “haunted gate” you can find a few pictures of this special gate. Look closely and you can see the Haunted Trashcan of Gurnee!
posted by Ben E. on 8-28-2008 at 3:56 pm
Don’t get jealous, but Birmingham, AL boasts the Sloss Furnace Historical Landmark. Here in the south, we enjoy making former mass pollutants landmarks!
posted by ErinM on 8-28-2008 at 3:58 pm
These aren’t very historical but they sure are entertaining…
while driving from Chicago to Milwaukee you will pass the Mars Cheese Castle and the Bong Recreation Area exit 340 sign. Sadly the Mars Cheese Castle is not made of cheese nor resembling a castle in any way, shape or form. I haven’t been to the Bong Recreation Area but I can only imagine.
posted by maggie on 8-28-2008 at 3:59 pm
I live near the birthplace of Abner Doubleday, mythical inventor of baseball. (Researchers now say this is a pretty dubious claim, but myth is sometimes stronger than fact, I guess.)
posted by MH on 8-28-2008 at 4:04 pm
Here is a link that talks about Plowville and Eisenhower making a speech at it….
historyquest.com/state/mn/rad53392_minnesota_historic_site.html
posted by Mike S. on 8-28-2008 at 4:05 pm
No question about it- the Quartzsite, AZ monument that marks the gravesite (”Last camp”) of Hi Jolly, the US Army camel driver. Wikipedia even has an entry with photo: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi_Jolly
posted by AndyB on 8-28-2008 at 4:21 pm
the first post, the one about the wolf park. i posted a copy below, this person should win the contest for sure hands down.
I live down the road from Wolf Den State Park in Connecticut, where the last wolf in Connecticut was killed. A state park for eliminating a species?
The town next to us is also the birthplace of Benedict Arnold and proud of it.
posted by Zach on 8-28-2008 at 3:14 pm
posted by kat on 8-28-2008 at 4:24 pm
I live near the The San Jacinto Monument. It commemorates the site of the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. I am quoting the last paragraph of the inscription on the monument:
“Measured by its results, San Jacinto was one of the decisive battles of the world. The freedom of Texas from Mexico won here led to annexation and to the Mexican-American War, resulting in the acquisition by the United States of the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma. Almost one-third of the present area of the American Nation, nearly a million square miles of territory, changed sovereignty.”
Pretty darn cool if I say so myself!
posted by Pink Coat on 8-28-2008 at 4:25 pm
Andrew, I also live in Virginia Beach!
But my hometown of Lawrenceville, GA, is much more interesting, as right outside our historic courthouse in the town square is where pornography publisher Larry Flynt was shot (which left him paralyzed, but not dead). Alas, there are no plaques in town square for this as they ran out of room due to all the Confederate memorial ones.
I honestly would’ve never had any inclination to watch the movie “The People vs. Larry Flynt” if it wasn’t for this piece of trivia.
posted by catherine ann on 8-28-2008 at 4:28 pm
This is not an entry, but I think its funny. Three of our most famous Saint Louisians hated this city, Josephine Baker, Miles Davis, Tennesse Williams. They would write or tell disparging remarks about it quite often.
posted by marty on 8-28-2008 at 4:35 pm
I live near St. Charles, MO and there’s a great big sign saying that on this spot the Interstate Highway System was started. There’s no grand statue or anything, just a fairly standard, run-of-the-mill interstate sign signifying the start of the interstate. I think that’s meta or something…
posted by SpaceMonkeyX on 8-28-2008 at 4:41 pm
I live in Louisville, near the final resting place of Colonel Sanders. Also, the Hilton where Donnie Whalberg of New Kids On The Block set a couch on fire. There’s not a plaque for that one.
posted by Gary on 8-28-2008 at 4:41 pm
In front of our church is a large rock with a plaque placed there by the local DAR chapter announcing that this is the location of the “Van Buren Elm”.
When Martin Van Buren was president he vetoed a bill to fund improvements on the National Road (now US 40). Some people in our town were still angry
two years after Van Buren left office. When he came through town on a political speaking tour some locals decided to get even and arranged for the carriage driver to ride over the roots of a large elm tree. The carriage tipped and Van Buren ended up in the mud of the unimproved National Road.
Replacement elm tree number two (or maybe three) sits right behind the large stone with the marker.
posted by Bill on 8-28-2008 at 4:42 pm
I live down the road from the site where, in 1921, President Warren G. Harding signed the Knox-Porter Resolution, thus ending America’s involvement in World War I. The site is now a Burger King.
posted by Jen on 8-28-2008 at 4:49 pm
I’ve been interested in the Civil War for a time. We all know about Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Antietam, Appomattox….and the Battle of BOONE’S MILL. What? You’ve not heard of that last one????
Well, in July of 1863 when Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia was limping home after its defeat at Gettysburg. The Federals in Eastern North Carolina wanted to cut the Wilmingon-Weldon Railroad which heavily supplied Lee’s forces and at a time such as this Lee desperately needed Ammo and Foodstuffs so the Federals launched an attack with a force of 2,000 troops under Colonel S. P. Spear. Confederate General Matthew Ransom noticed the force and ran back to the Confederate outpost near Jackson, NC where a group of 200 Rebels were bathing in the Mill Pond. He shouted that the Yanks were coming, so the Stark Naked as Jaybirds Confederates fought for 5 hours and successfully defended the bridge and railroad.
Had this battle ended differently, Union troops from occupied New Bern could be sent deep into Virginia within a matter of days and Lee would have come ‘home’ to a fresh Union army on his doorstep and the War probably would’ve ended that year.
posted by Creighton Lovelace on 8-28-2008 at 4:50 pm
The corner of Veteran’s and 14th st in my city has a marker proclaiming it the “Site of the Last Battle of the War Between the States.” Apparently Georgia is so redneck and confederate-thick that “Civil War” isn’t a term in our lexicon.
posted by drumnbasskitty on 8-28-2008 at 4:58 pm
In Lodi, CA there is a plaque marking the site where the first A&W Root Beer was sold from a cart during a parade.
posted by Judy on 8-28-2008 at 5:04 pm
My favorite obscure National Monument not too far from me is the Carizo Plain National Monument. The reason it’s a monument is because it’s the largest example (approx 250,000 acres) of what California grasslands were like before people came and started messing things up changing the landscape. I highly recommend it for outdoorsy hiking types, or people with a geological/biological bent (but not in summer… it’s a little warm. Go in the spring when the wildflowers are in bloom).
The San Andreas fault runs down the center of it… you can see creek beds offset by 400+ feet, or stand with one foot on the Pacific plate and the other on the North American plate. Wildlife is everywhere… if you’re lucky you’ll get to see antelopes, kit foxes, or kangaroo rats. You can also hike over to painted rock to see Native American pictographs or to the northern end to see the huge soda lake.
It’s only about an hour or so north of L.A. You can google for pictures if you like.
posted by Jason! on 8-28-2008 at 5:12 pm
I live near Eureka College, which was where Ronald Reagan went to school. It only has like 600 students! They have memorial things all over the campus and town
posted by Bethany on 8-28-2008 at 5:24 pm
My hometown of Shelby, North Carolina, is home to both the birthplace and the grave site of Thomas Dixon, Jr., who is best known as the author of the novel The Clansman, which was the basis of the film The Birth of a Nation. Both are of course despicable examples of racism and hatred, but The Birth of a Nation was a hugely successful and influential film.
posted by AMT on 8-28-2008 at 5:28 pm
I live near Benicia, CA, which was the sixth official state capital. They are VERY proud of this, so the Benicia State Capital Building–which was ony actually used officially for 11 months–was fully restored and now gives tours on request. I also live IN Vallejo, which was the fifth offical state capital, but they didn’t build a meeting hall in a timely manner, which is why it was moved to Benicia. I’m sure there’s a historical building here somewhere dedicated to it.
posted by Brandy on 8-28-2008 at 5:34 pm
drumnbasskitty, the reason (my father said) that we call it the War Between the States, and not the “Civil War” is that there was nothing civil about it. (Also know down here as ‘The war of Northern Aggression’…..
posted by Vickey on 8-28-2008 at 5:46 pm
Huntington, Indiana home of the Dan Quayle Vice Presidential Museum. I did not go in, but I have hideous picture of myself standing by the sign on the building.
posted by Pam on 8-28-2008 at 5:48 pm
My birthplace of Dalhart, TX, is home to the Empty Saddle Monument–probably the most photographic piece of our town. My favorite thing about Dalhart is that we can boast having the world’s largest free BBQ as part of our XIT Rodeo and Reunion. Not a landmark, but pretty cool. :-D
posted by nutmeag on 8-28-2008 at 5:56 pm
I live in the neighborhood next to where Lorena Bobbit ummm took her husband’s penis removal surgery into her own hands
posted by Paul on 8-28-2008 at 6:25 pm
I was raised in Fentress County, Tenn., which boasts itself as the place where Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, was conceived. Legend has it that the Clemenses owned a bunch of land in the area and left for Missouri. Some months later, little Samuel was born.
I have no idea where the, ahem, deed took place, but it was somewhere in the Pall Mall community. The Museum of Appalachia at Norris, Tenn., has the cabin where the alleged lovemaking that resulted in Mark Twain transpired.
posted by paperdoll82 on 8-28-2008 at 6:52 pm
I live in Americus,Ga. home of Southerfield airport where Charles Lindbergh first soloed, Home of Habitat for Humanity, have two NFL coaches from here (Dan Reeves and Chan Gailey). 10 miles from here is Plains,Ga….home of the big peanut (and Jimmy Carter)! and 10 miles in the other direction is Andersonville Civil War prison and POW museum. Not too bad for a population of about 18,000!
posted by Meg from GA on 8-28-2008 at 7:00 pm
Judges Cave in New Haven, CT, which is named after two of the judges that signed the death warrent for King Charles I. When Charles II became king the regicides had to flee England. Two of them, Whalley and Goffe, spent time in New Haven on the run from the King’s soldiers. They were hidden in the cave (”at” the cave, probably, since it’s so small) by townsfolk, and children brought them food. To visit the cave, you have to hike the Regicides Trail to the top of West Rock, a 700-foot landmark on the western New Haven border.
posted by Robert McGuire on 8-28-2008 at 7:12 pm
The Washington Monument - not the tall pointy one in DC - the first monument built to the original POTUS is along the Appalachian Trail in western Maryland.
@ Creighton, Appomattox is not a place. The surrender actually private in the Village of Appomattox Courthouse in a private residence. It was common for what we’d now call the County Seat to be named Courthouse.
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 8-28-2008 at 7:21 pm
I live near the very first town in Illinois. It is also the site of the the Hutson Massacre, which, like most massacres barely qualifies as a fire fight. James Jones was born and raised in our town, and is in fact the setting for one of his works. Also, Heath Toffee was invented here.
There’s also a museum dedicated to the local oil industry, as it is one of the main reasons that our humble town exists.
posted by Kieran on 8-28-2008 at 7:21 pm
I have two random historical markers within a few miles. In Malvern, PA, right in front of Immaculata University, where I went to school, there is a marker commemorating the “Battle of the Clouds.” Apparently, during the revolution, a battle was set to happen at that site (the highest altitude between Philly and Harrisburg) but the fog was so bad the next morning that both sides had their gunpowder ruined from the damp and withdrew. So that marker commemorates a battle that never happened!
Also, in West Chester, PA, my hometown, we have a historical site, complete with official marker, that is the house in which the first biography of Abraham Lincoln was written. Thats all, just the writing of the biography. Lincoln was never there himself. It sed to house the Lincoln Coffee House in the basement, then America’s Cup Coffee, and I’m not sure what’s there now. Seems an odd thing to mark historically. I don’t think anyone’s read the book itself in 100 years!
posted by H2OHen on 8-28-2008 at 7:35 pm
When I saw the piece at Neatorama yesterday, I wasn’t so impressed by the roller coaster ;). I live near Altoona, PA where the world’s oldest roller coaster still runs. It’s “Leap the Dips” and was built in 1902 (named a National Historic Landmark in 1996). When you go to an Altoona Curve minor league baseball game, you have a great view of the coaster at the amusement park next door.
posted by Eden on 8-28-2008 at 7:54 pm
My hometown, Mascoutah, IL, was the center of population of the USA from 1970 to 1980 according to the US census bureau. There is a placque outside of town at the exact geographical point. This means that just as many people lived east as of west and north as of south in USA.
posted by Kyle O on 8-28-2008 at 8:12 pm
Louisville has a few ‘landmarks’.
Colonel Sanders is buried here, as is Zachary Taylor. The largest baseball bat in the United States (and maybe the world) stands outside of the Louisville Slugger Museum. There is an 1800s house front downtown - the only thing that’s left is the front of the house, no windows or doors, just the brick front. Not sure where it came from or why it’s kept as a landmark, but I guess it’s kind of interesting to see. Hunter Thompson’s high school is a city landmark (but probably not because of him). The Brown hotel created the hot brown, though it’s probably not popular outside of our general area.
posted by Jenny on 8-28-2008 at 8:21 pm
My parents used to keep the historic house of the author of Ben Hurr. It’s in Crawfordsville, IN which was also, at one time, the world’s largest producer of bottle caps.
posted by Kendall on 8-28-2008 at 8:36 pm
My town (and some neighboring ones in upstate NY) are the site of an 1840’s revolt by the peasantry against the Dutch Patroons (who were literally lords over their tenants), called the Helderberg Anti-Rent War. There’s even a Vincent Price movie based on it called “Dragonwyck.”
posted by gibson8or on 8-28-2008 at 8:40 pm
I love not far from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Since the first race was almost a hundred years ago I think it could be considered an historic site.
posted by Jim on 8-28-2008 at 9:15 pm
I guess mine didn’t go through…In nearby Corydon, IN (Indiana’s first state capital) there is the Constitutional Elm. Apparently back in 1816 at the Constitutional Convention, it was too hot inside and everyone went outside and enjoyed the shade under this tree. It is now enclosed in stone (which one site described as a shrine) with a plaque. By the way, this tree is dead and all that is enclosed is it’s stump.
Not historical, but in Jeffersonville, IN is what is known as the hubcap lady. It is a large metal sculpture of a woman with a poem about the virtues of womanhood. In the background is a balance with one side reading “commitments” with “always too much” written under it and the other side says “love” with “never enough” under it. If you are ever in the area, it is definitely worth it to stop by and see.
I’m sure there are pictures floating around on the internet, it’s pretty cool and unique because it sits between and lumber yard and railroad tracks in an industrial part of the city.
posted by Aimee on 8-28-2008 at 10:03 pm
The Boll Weevil Monument, Dec. 11, 1919 - Enterprise, Al. Destroyed the cotton crops - so the town decided to grow peanuts and other crops instead, saving the town from economic disaster.
posted by Emily on 8-28-2008 at 10:17 pm
Louis Armstrong lived in Corona, Queens, for almost 30 years. Today, it is a museum!
posted by Daniel Pecoraro on 8-28-2008 at 10:35 pm
I live in Calhoun County, AL and there are quite a few obscure landmarks in the area. We have the World’s Largest Office Chair (at 31 ft high) in Anniston. Then we have the Janney Furnace in Ohatchee which was supposed to provide pig iron for the South during the Civil War but was shut down by Union troops before it was actually finished. A marker for the little known (even around here) Battle of Tallasseehatchee during the Creek Indian War of 1813-4 is just a few miles from my house. And big claim to fame is in Alexandia…the birthplace of Major John Pelham, dubbed the Gallant Pelham by Robert E. Lee just before Pelham was killed in Virginia in 1863.
posted by Christy on 8-28-2008 at 11:01 pm
Good old Richmond, Virginia. Home of Monument Avenue, Tredegar Iron Works, and the Old Harlem of the South has many historical landmarks to offer, but below is the story of one of my favorites, The Bill “Bojangles” Statue
In 1933, while in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson saw two children risk speeding traffic to cross a street because there was no stoplight at the intersection. Robinson went to the city and provided the money to have a safety traffic light installed. In 1973, a statue of “Bojangles” was erected in a small park at that intersection.
That very intersection and very oddly constructed statue is a mere 4 blocks from my home. To see a photo just visit the bottom of the Bill Robinson Wikipedia page.
posted by Sabrina on 8-28-2008 at 11:19 pm
I was born in Clear Lake, Iowa, which, as I understand it, is considered the town that killed Buddy Holly (as well as Richie Valens and the “Big Bopper”). He played his last show at the Surf Ballroom, I believe. And the flight that killed him flew out of Mason City Airport (it’s called Mason City Airport, but if you ask me, it’s much closer to Clear Lake.
Nowadays one of the streets the Surf Ballroom is on is called Buddy Holly place (or drive, I can’t remember) and the venue itself still gets the occasional show. The two most recent and notable that come to mind are Alice Cooper and Judas Priest.
posted by Coaster on 8-29-2008 at 2:01 am
3 “wild west” gravesites near McNeal AZ. A day trip up the Sulphur Springs Valley — where the McLaurys ranched their rustled cattle — takes you to Molly’s Grave (Buckskin Frank Leslie shot his wife, but only wounded the witness), Johnny Ringo’s grave (Wyatt Earp’s enemy, found dead against a tree, now in the middle of a peacock farm!), and Cochise’s grave (at least, near it — no Anglo will ever see it).
posted by Mike Jackson on 8-29-2008 at 6:39 am
I was born and raised in Wheeling, WV, which has several historical sites, but the most obscure has to be the site of McCullough’s Leap.
From bbhc.org: “The story of McCullough’s leap is described in numerous 19th-century frontier histories and is told, dramatically, from McCullough’s point of view. According to the stories, on September 2, 1777, a large band of Wyandot Indians attacked the small Ohio River town of Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia), forcing the townspeople to take refuge in nearby Fort Henry. News of the siege soon reached Short Creek, about 20 miles up river, from which Major Samuel McCullough and 45 volunteers swiftly rode to Wheeling’s rescue. Arriving at the fort and remaining in the rear of his command, McCullough was suddenly cut off from his men and surrounded. The Indians, who wished to torture the infamous white warrior before killing him, held their tomahawks. This gave McCullough a chance to bolt. The ensuing chase ended atop Wheeling Hill. McCullough was once again surrounded, except for an almost perpendicular precipice 150 feet high with Wheeling Creek at its base. His decision was immediate; rather than succumb to the horrors of torture, he struck his heels against the side of his steed, who sprang forward toward the precipice and they made the fearful leap. The Indians could only stand and admire. They had lost an opportunity to torture their most hated enemy. At least he was now dead. In the next instant, however, their astonishment grew tenfold when, from that impossible height, they watched as the Major climbed the opposite bank of Wheeling Creek and rode safely away.”
posted by Li on 8-29-2008 at 6:43 am
About 5 miles from my house is an area once known as Mineral City, where in WW2 a submarine of german spies came a shore, walked five miles to catch a bus to the train station. From there they went to cinncinati where they were promptly captured.
posted by peter on 8-29-2008 at 6:52 am
Thomas Jefferson’s original tombstone no longer marks his burial site. Instead it sits on the quad at the University of Missouri. It was donated by his family to honor the first public university founded in the Louisiana Purchase.
posted by Aaron on 8-29-2008 at 8:15 am
MY favorite…
Wye Oak State Park in MD. - It is 29 acres dedicated to the honorary state tree of MD. The only problem is in 2002 the tree was toppled by lightning. Now, the park still remains, but the tree is no more. I visited it once when I was in middle school… it’s a park with a tree in it… one tree, boring tree… left me wondering wye did we ever visit this tree…
posted by Tim Eagle on 8-29-2008 at 8:31 am
I used to live outside Hope, Arkansas, and then later Hot Springs, Arkansas. I always found it interesting that Hope advertises itself as the birthplace of Bill Clinton, and Hot Springs the “boyhood home.”
Both are true…just kinda funny to me.
posted by Julie on 8-29-2008 at 9:22 am
I live in West Haven CT, and our main street is named Campbell Avenue, named after General William Campbell, who led the British Invasion of our town during the Revolution. Campbell became famou when during the march through town, he prevented his troops from killing the town pastor and burning the church on the green. As a reward for his kindness, Campbell was shot and killed later that day by American troops (USA!). The street is named in honor of him, the only main street in america to be named after an invader I believe. He is buried in town, his march is recreated each year and town tradition exists known as the Campbell Crawl, a bar crawl of Campbell Aves 15+ bars and taverns. The church still stands and was used in the filiming of Indiana Jones and the trippy alien skull or whatever it’s called (double landmark!)
posted by Sean on 8-29-2008 at 9:36 am
I used to work at the Diefenbunker - the Cold War bunker that would have been used for the federal government had an attack occured. Problem was, no Prime Minister ever agreed to go to the bunker in case of attack because they wouldn’t be able to bring their families (as military law). Absolutely nothing of interest ever happened there. It was shut down in the 90s and then turned into a museum with absolutely nothing in it. The best thing related to the place? How the bunker was discovered before it was even finished. Toronto Star reporters flew over the construction site for a “military insitute” that promised less than 100 people working there at one time. At the time they flew over, a cargo truck was unloading 72 toilets, so they began to think something was up (no, really?). So yeah.. its not necessarily the birth place of a president or a ball of twine or anything, but I used to give 2 hour tours on a military bunker that had nothing in it (all taken by the government). Fun!
posted by Crystal on 8-29-2008 at 9:58 am
There’s a sign here in Fayetteville, AR, marking it as the first home of Bill & Hillary Clinton. Neither was born or raised here. They were here a couple of years teaching at the U of A before he became governor.
posted by Kevin H on 8-29-2008 at 10:01 am
Oh… I posted a National Monument earlier. I didn’t realize that I could post any old historic site.
The Lakeview Gusher site sits off-road and out in the middle of flippin’ nowhere and is marked by a bronze plaque. It marks the site of the largest U.S. oil well gusher. Lakeview #1 blew out 9 million barrels of oil over an 18 month period in 1910 before it was finally brought under control. It literally created a river of oil that terminated into a little lake.
You can still find solidified oil and bits of wood and steel from the original derrick. Let’s commemorate an ecological disaster! Fun for the whole family!
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeview_Gusher
posted by Jason! on 8-29-2008 at 10:04 am
I’m a stone’s throw from the following historical landmarks and sites, and one not-so-historical:
Jimmy Carter’s birthplace and boyhood home
Andersonville Civil War Prison Camp
Site of Lindberg’s First Solo Flight
Koinonia Farm
Habitat for Humanity
Americus Institute (1897-1932), where Booker T. Washington spoke in May 1908
State Masonic Orphans Home (est. 1903)
Windsor Hotel
Freedman’s School
BIG PIG JIG BBQ Competiton
posted by kudzuhomecomingqueen on 8-29-2008 at 10:06 am
In fenton Missouri we have a pink elephant- its an historic roadride marker at the intersection of hwys 141 and 21. The orginal had a martini glss but someone has taken the glass
posted by Tia on 8-29-2008 at 10:47 am
Daniel David Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, has always been the biggest name to leave the lakeside town of Port Perry, Ontario, Canada.
His birthplace is a local historical landmark; the lakeside park was rechristened Palmer Memorial Park in his honour; and a memorial — complete with a bronze bust of the guy — was erected in said park.
We were very proud of it.
That is, until a few years ago, when we discovered that he wasn’t born in Port Perry, but in Pickering. Now we prefer to ignore the facts (the plaque under the bronze bust still reads, “Born Port Perry March 7 1845”) and lie to the tourists, who, of course, are here to walk the same road as Daniel David Palmer and not at all interested in the quaint but overpriced main street shops.
If anyone should mention the flaw in our historical sites, the general consensus seems to be to distract him with the fact that Playboy’s Playmate of the Year, Jayde Nicole, is also a Port Perry native. Would you like to see her bust?
(Jayde Nicole was, in fact, born in Scarborough. There is no bronze bust of her in Port Perry.)
posted by K on 8-29-2008 at 11:02 am
I live down the interstate from Big Bone Lick State Park. It’s actually an interesting natural history site, just with a rather unfortunate name. I put a link to the official site in with my name.
posted by Roger on 8-29-2008 at 12:07 pm
How about the Tom Mix outhouse in Driftwood, Pennsylvania? What could be better than the boyhood privvy of a long-dead radio (and movie) cowboy?
posted by Eric on 8-29-2008 at 1:59 pm
In historic downtown St. Andrew (Panama City, FL) there is a park called Oaks by the Bay which is home to a one-of-a-kind historical monument: A four-headed palm tree. No one seems to be ashamed of (or disturbed by) the fact that the palm was originally located at the waste water treatment facility. Yes, it’s a mutant palm tree.
posted by Reese on 8-29-2008 at 3:34 pm
Near where I live, there is a monument called the Wiseman Memorial. It memorializes a family of 5 children who were massacred by a group of Sioux Indians while their parents were buying supplies 40 miles away in the 1880s. They have a replica of the cabin the family lived in, a tombstone looking thing with a description on it, and a guestbook notebook. It’s 20 miles from any town, then 5 miles down a gravel county road (think Texas Chainsaw Massacre). This memorial was created in the 1970s by a Methodist Women’s Group.
Sidenote: It’s a very creepy place, the memorial is encircled by a castiron fence, and once you step inside, it’s completely silent, no birds, wind, or anything.
posted by Laura on 8-29-2008 at 3:52 pm
The is a marker and museum at Bloomfield, MO to commemorate the printing of the first edition of the military newspaper the Stars and Stripes. The story goes that a couple of Union soldiers took over the local newspaper office to print the first issue.
posted by Alan on 8-29-2008 at 4:19 pm
I live near the Kalamazoo State Mental Hospital, where Malcolm X’s mother spent about 25 years of her life.
I believe Kalamazoo is also known for Most Elvis Sightings, and it’s said that the ghost of Elvis lives on the 6th floor of the Columbia Plaza building. I had a job in that building for 2 years.
posted by Andrea on 8-29-2008 at 5:25 pm
In downtown Phoenix, Arizona, in a historic government building, I used to work about three feet from the spot where Ernesto Miranda was not advised of his rights after his 1963 arrest, ultimately leading to the landmark Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona, the familiar remark, “You have the right to remain silent, etc.” and the verb “to mirandize.”
posted by kittymama on 8-29-2008 at 7:16 pm
In downtown Athens Georgia there is a small part set around a tree that owns itself.
A Confederate General so loved the tree that he did not want anything to happen to it. So he deeded the tree and all the land around it for 8 feet to the tree itself.
The original tree died, but an acorn was seeded and so for the last 50 some years the original trees child has lived and thrived.
Oh and for those who want to know, it’s a white oak.
posted by Patrick B on 8-29-2008 at 7:47 pm
My home town, Elberton has the Guidestones. I mysterious granite display on a hill. No one knows who designed it or paid for it. Think of it as a mini, modern Stonehenge.
posted by Patrick B on 8-29-2008 at 7:49 pm
Saxonburg, PA was founded in part by John Roebling, famous for his wire rope and suspension bridges (like the Brooklyn Bridge).
posted by Angela H on 8-29-2008 at 8:53 pm
The O Henry Hotel in Greensboro, NC is where Barack Obama stayed only a few weeks ago in a surprise visit to the city after making a campaign stop in Raleigh earlier in the day.
posted by Amy on 8-29-2008 at 10:11 pm
Santa Rosa, California (next to where I went to high school) is the home of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center (the guy that did the “Peanuts” comic strip). There’s a bronze statue of Charlie Brown and Snoopy downtown. The airport is named in memory of Mr. Schulz. Its logo is Snoopy in goggles and a scarf on top of his doghouse.
posted by Tessa on 8-29-2008 at 10:26 pm
Robert Luis Stevenson State Park is on Mount Saint Helena (also in California, and practically in my back yard). It marks the site where the author of Treasure Island stayed on his honeymoon in 1880. The cabin isn’t there anymore, but there is a plaque in a clearing along the side of the trail.
He didn’t write anything… or live there for an extended period of time… he was on his honeymoon.
posted by Tessa on 8-29-2008 at 10:36 pm
Just north of where my dad works, in San Luis Obispo, California, there is an alley way covered in used bubble gum. It’s about 15 feet high and 70 feet long, and covered in chewed gum.
posted by Tessa on 8-29-2008 at 10:41 pm
At the Burger King near my house, the joint congressional resolution that officially ended World War I was signed by Warren G. Harding in 1921.
It wasn’t a Burger King then.
posted by Diane on 8-30-2008 at 1:44 pm
In Orange County, Virginia there is a tombstone marking the final resting place of Stonewall Jackson’s left arm. After a successful civil war battle, Jackson was mistakenly shot in the arm by his own troops. His arm was amputated and he was transported to another area to catch a train to Richmond. He died along the way.
His left arm was then taken to a hill near the field hospital and buried.
I love the quote from Robert E. Lee after learing of the death of his compatriot…
“He lost his left arm, but I have lost my right arm”.
posted by Liz on 8-31-2008 at 7:09 am
I live right near the birthplace of Millard Fillmore, America’s most-forgotten president. Only, I just found out this summer that nobody remembers him, because EVERYTHING near me is named after him.
posted by Meta on 8-31-2008 at 12:34 pm
I live in Austin and pass the 500 year old Treaty Oak on my way home from work each day. It used to be a grove of 14 oak trees called the Council Oaks that served as a meeting place for the Tonkawa and Comanche tribes. The women used to drink a tea made of honey and acorns from the trees to bring good luck to their warriors went they went off to battle.
In 1830, Stephen F. Austin met with the heads of local tribes in order to negotiate a border treaty after people were killed in raids. The sad part is that less than a hundred years later, only one of the trees remained and wasn’t taken care of very well. Eventually the City of Austin purchased the land and turned it into an official historic landmark.
While none of this is particularly bizarre, it’s the fact that it survived an intentional poisoning in 1989. Yeah. A guy was going to put a spell on the city by killing the Treaty Oak using a powerful hardwood herbicide. Everyone flipped, and fought to save the tree. All of the dirt was dug up and new dirt brought in. They even set up a mister system that would water it with fresh spring water. It lost a large portion of its branches and crown, but it’s still standing there today. Next to a Ben & Jerry’s. And a hair salon. And about two blocks from the Whole Foods mothership.
I love that tree.
posted by nikki on 8-31-2008 at 2:16 pm
Oh! One more thing - In 1997 it had it’s first batch of acorns since the poisoning. They were collected, germinated, and planted all of texas.
posted by nikki on 8-31-2008 at 2:18 pm
Oh! One more thing - In 1997 it had it’s first batch of acorns since the poisoning. They were collected, germinated, and planted all over texas.
posted by nikki on 8-31-2008 at 2:18 pm
In Natick, MA there is a small building amidst the shopping plazas that was once the site of the 18th Vice President’s (Henry Wilson) cobbler shop.
Also, I am from the town that Benedict Arnold was born in. It is something we learned in early on in elementary school but all there is to commemorate his birthplace is a small sign that stands in front of a newer house. This is the same town that completely restored a hotel because one night Lincoln had slept there.
posted by April on 8-31-2008 at 3:28 pm
I grew up the quirky town of Alpena, MI. We are home to the only freshwater National Marine Sanctuary in the US. Outside Alpena’s Besser Corporation headquarters is a historical marker proclaiming it the world’s largest cement plant. Mr. Jesse Besser was the inventor of the machine that makes cinder blocks, and our town boasts the Jesse Besser Museum and the World Center for Concrete Technology. In addition, we have a tree in the front yard of the late 99.3 WATZ DJ/newsman Don Parteka. It is home to a family of woolly-worm caterpillars that have been correctly predicting the severity of Alpena’s winters for several decades.
posted by Christina on 8-31-2008 at 5:43 pm
I live in Raleigh, NC, but my parents grew up in Fayetteville, NC which is about an hour away. Fayetteville is the birth place of Putt-Putt golf. Both my parents remember (and played on) the first ever Putt-Putt course. Sadly, the original course was demolished some time ago, except for the the 1st hole which is now accompanied by a small plaque stating its place in minigolf history.
posted by Darcy on 8-31-2008 at 8:36 pm
I live about 65 miles from Rugby, ND, the geographical center of North America.
I’ve been there several times, and the site itself is only a stone monument, but it’s a neat feeling to be right in the middle of the entire continent…
posted by Paula on 9-1-2008 at 2:48 pm
OK, I was on vacation, so this comment is a little late…
The weirdest Historical marker I’ve ever seen is on an traffic island in the middle of Rt. 50 in Fairfax, VA. After you scramble across several lanes of traffic to read the marker you get something to the effect of “9 miles west of this spot the Battle of Manassas was fought during the Civil War”.
You would think they could have shifted the marker 50 feet one way or the other so that you would not be required to risk your life to discover this import fact.
posted by John on 9-2-2008 at 10:00 am
Oddly enough, I live down the street from where Grover Cleveland lived next (Fayetteville, NY)…but alas, I have never made it inside either!
posted by Kristin on 9-3-2008 at 2:27 pm