A Photo & 5 · Cultural History · Historical Places

A Photo & Five: Promontory Summit and the Joining of the Transcontinental Railroad

A couple of days ago marked the 147 anniversary of the joining of the Central and Union Pacific Railroads at Promontory Summit, then in Utah Territory. The completion of a rail and telegraph system in the United States was nothing short of revolutionary with regard to the future development of the country, the way business was… Continue reading A Photo & Five: Promontory Summit and the Joining of the Transcontinental Railroad

A Photo & 5 · Historic people · The American Revolution

A Photo & 5: The Culper Ring

  1.The Culper Ring was a spy ring organized in the summer of 1778 under orders from General George Washington. The purpose of the ring was to spy on the British during their occupation of New York City. 2.The ring exposed many plots against the American forces including plans for a surprise attack on America’s… Continue reading A Photo & 5: The Culper Ring

A Photo & 5 · Cultural History · Historic people · Historical Places

A Photo & 5: The Winchester Mystery House

The Winchester Mystery House was the home of Sara Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company fortune. She built the home in San Jose, California after moving there based on the advice of a psychic. Sara visited the psychic after the deaths of her only daughter (1866), and her husband (1881). Sara believed her… Continue reading A Photo & 5: The Winchester Mystery House

A Photo & 5 · Cultural History · Historic people

A Photo & 5: Earth’s Message in a Bottle (The Voyager Golden Records)

This week’s Photo & 5 features the 2 golden audio visual phonograph records aboard the Voyager Probes 1 & 2. Maybe I should be embarrassed to admit this, but it’s true: I knew nothing of these records until I heard a reference to them on a public television cartoon that my kids were watching. See?… Continue reading A Photo & 5: Earth’s Message in a Bottle (The Voyager Golden Records)

A Photo & 5 · Cultural History · Historic people · Historical Places

A Photo & 5: The Moai of Easter Island

1.The Moai were carved between the years 1250 and 1500 by the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island who believed them to be the physical embodiment of deified ancestors (chieftains). The Rapa Nui National Park and the Moai are included in the 1994 list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. 2.The bigger the statue, the more… Continue reading A Photo & 5: The Moai of Easter Island