Locked Codfish in a Cell: Coney Island’s Strangest Prisoner of 1897
In 1897, a Coney Island police-station doorman locked an 18-pound codfish in a jail cell for safekeeping. An hour later, the cell was open and the fish was gone —…
Did Drive-In Movie Theaters Sell Mosquito Coils?
Why did drive-in movie theaters sell mosquito coils at the concession stand? They were a simple answer to summer-night bugs, open car windows, and outdoor moviegoing. Here’s how the coils…
Why Did Old Milk Bottles Have a Bulge at the Top? Meet the Cream-Top Bottle
Why did some old milk bottles have a strange bulge near the top? It was designed to collect the cream that rose from non-homogenized milk. Here’s how cream-top bottles worked,…
What Were Those Little Burning Pots Along Old Road Construction?
Remember those little black pots with flames along old road construction? They were kerosene-burning warning torches, including the famous Toledo Torch, used to mark trenches, barricades, and hazards after dark.
Cabbage Night? The Strange Halloween Tradition of Cabbages and Mischief.
What exactly was Cabbage Night? Discover why kids once tossed cabbages, soaped windows, moved gates, and turned the night before Halloween into a regional tradition.
How 15 Woolly Bear Caterpillars Helped Create a Fall Legend
Fifteen woolly bear caterpillars helped turn an old bit of weather folklore into a fall legend—but the real science of how these caterpillars survive winter is even stranger.
The Curious History of the Apple Cider Doughnut.
Apple cider doughnuts feel like an old-fashioned fall tradition, but their rise owes plenty to doughnut machines, roadside farm stands and some clever 1950s marketing.
Friday Night at the Terror Glow Drive – In: Gidget (1959)
Earl gives the monsters a night off as Gidget hits the Terror Glow screen, bringing surfing, Sandra Dee, Moondoggie, and a surprising bit of beach-movie history.
Why Did Old Candy Recipes Put Paraffin Wax in Chocolate?
Why did old candy recipes call for paraffin wax in chocolate? A 1978 Farm Journal recipe shows how this once-common ingredient helped candy coatings set firm and glossy.
The Hollywood Goat Who Took On the Police
In 1940, a stubborn Hollywood goat chased a dog into a house, resisted police, sent an officer to the hospital—and apparently still wasn’t finished.