In this day and age, newspapers rarely print fiction. Of course, there is the occasional magical story written by a third grade class that appears every once a week in the Arts and Entertainment section of the paper, but for the most part, fictional stories of real substance are not published in newspapers anymore. This was not the case in the 1800's. Appearing in The Valley Star each week was...
On April 16, 1901, at The Medical Association of the State of Alabama, Dr. C.T. Wilbur gave a speech to the medical committee on the state of “The Feeble-Minded” people in Alabama. While giving his speech he directed the audience’s attention to a census taken in 1890 that showed the number of Feeble-Minded and compared it to one taken in 1900. Dr. Wilbur then stated that it seemed as if the...
Wright Hall is dedicated to Ammi Wright, the local businessman who donated the original thirty acres of land on which Alma College is located. In early 1900, Mr. Wright donated more land to the college, including a block and a half located on the south side of Superior Street, directly across from the campus. Mr. Wright wished for new buildings to be erected on this land, specifically a new dormitory.
Construction...
In the early 20th century, Delray’s appealing waterfront location in southwest Detroit attracted a diverse group of industries to the area. Businesses were attracted to the accessibility of transport, both riverfront and railway lines, and abundance of human capital. In May of 1901, M. J. Murphy, owner of Murphy Chair Company, purchased 50 acres of land in Delray, stretching from River...
Drafted during the crucial period following the Spanish-American War, the Platt Amendment passed on March 2, 1901, was an addition to the Army Appropriations Act. Secretary of State Eilhu Root with the cooperation of Connecticut Senator Orville H. Platt drafted the amendment essentially making Cuba a dependent of the United States. This amendment, with the sole purpose being strategy, gave the United...
The Anti-Saloon League began with a modest following in 1893 to becoming a major political force in lobbying for a Constitutional amendment. Their goal, under the guidance of their president, Rev. Howard Hyde Russell, was to unify the anti-alcohol sentiment already brewing in society and to enact further legislation to prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol. Grounded in moral and religious...
Throughout Florida during the early centuries of the colonization of America, Native Americans tribes dominated the Everglade region, mainly the Seminoles. With this came the need for missions in order to civilize and absorb the Indians into American society. H. Gibbs, a missionary in Florida during the early 1900s, wrote of the alcoholism and diseases that plagued the Natives after white settlers...
Awaiting the click of the camera, the 25 boys gathered around the porch laughing and talking. Some were joking and kidding around while others waited seriously with thoughts of their impending studies for the night. Many of the boys clutched baseball bats, gloves, and catcher's masks in anticipation of baseball practice later that afternoon. On the back of the keepsake photograph, someone had...
With the idea that America was the new Promised Land, many Americans were open to everything new including ideas on health. Diet, nutrition and wellness were topics of debate, often with men claiming to have the latest and greatest cure-all remedy.
Reverend Sylvester Graham was an advocate for healthful living. He introduced a restrictive diet excluding meat, butter, coffee, tea and...
Before the end of the Civil War, the education of black slaves in the United States was a criminal endeavor. Although efforts were made in the newly formed free black communities to organize schools, few African Americans received any education at all before the Reconstruction Era when public schools were opened. Even then, establishments for black children were poorly financed and largely ignored....