The History Detectives Explore Lincoln's Letter, Parker's Sax, and Mark Twain's Watch , livre ebook

The History Detectives
Explore Lincoln s Letter, Parker s Sax and Mark Twain s Watch
And Many More Mysteries of America s Past
The history Detectives

Explore Lincoln s Letter, Parker s Sax and Mark Twain s Watch
And Many More Mysteries of America s Past
BARB KARG
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright 2008 by Oregon Public Broadcasting. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
Design and composition by Barb Karg.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions .
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Karg, Barbara.
The History Detectives explore Lincoln s letter, Parker s sax, and Mark Twain s watch : and many more mysteries of America s past / Barb Karg.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-470-19063-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. United States-History-Anecdotes. 2. United States-Antiquities-Anecdotes. 3. United States-Genealogy-Anecdotes. 4. Curiosities and wonders-United States-Anecdotes. 5. United States-Historiography-Anecdotes. 6. History detectives. I. History detectives. II. Title.
E179.K15 2008
973-dc22
2008004932
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is dedicated to George and Trudi Karg, Chris Grant, Piper Maru, and Rick Sutherland. All survivors. All my heroes.
And to every individual the world over who strives to shed light on history, and in doing so makes his or her own history.
C ONTENTS
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CHAPTER ONE
SNAPSHOTS IN TIME
The Haunting Portraits in the Attic The Puzzle in the Painting Time and Tide
CHAPTER TWO
ENTERTAINMENT IN THE SHADOWS
The Tale of the Ventriloquist s Dummy The Curious Case of the Broken Banjo The Bird Saxophone Mystery
CHAPTER THREE
LIFE IMITATES ART
The Dilemma of the Dubious Drawing Bait and Switch A Manhattan Murder Mystery One-Man Army
CHAPTER FOUR
AN UNCIVIL WAR
The Riddle of the Old GAR Photo Technical Wonders of the Civil War Missing Links Hide and Go Seek Vestiges of War

Evelyn Nesbit
CHAPTER FIVE
IF WALLS COULD TALK
The Case of the Distinctive Domicile The Conundrum of the Cold War Kitchen The Curious Concrete Creation The Pavilion Palace

Ballet slippers
CHAPTER SIX
AMERICAN ICONS
Voices of War The Message in the Masterpiece The Tip in the Timepiece The Man of Steel Mystery
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHILD S PLAY
The Ballet Slipper Mystery The Call of the Wild Fun and Games
CHAPTER EIGHT
WHISPERS IN THE MIST
The Case of the Calf Creek Skull Place and Time The Kennewick Controversy The Bog People The Ghost in the Glass Jurassic Fever

Geronimo
CHAPTER 9
DOLLARS AND SENSE
Money Matters The Curse of the Deceptive Dollar Not Fit to Print An Inconvenient Adversary The Case of the Peculiar Pesos
CHAPTER TEN
LET FREEDOM RING
The War of Independence The Mystery in the Muck The Adventure of the Absconded Artillery The Legend of the Row Galley Trumpet Flying High
CHAPTER ELEVEN
FAMILY TIES
The Mystery of the Unwed Mother Kindred Spirits

Crystal cross
CHAPTER TWELEVE
THE QUEST FOR EQUALITY
The Secret of John Brown s Letters The Haunting Paintings of the Calamitous Camp The Peculiar Deed of Groote Manuel
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ARMED AND DANGEROUS
The Deadly Downfall of Bonnie and Clyde The Case of the Contentious Colt The Robin Hood Syndrome
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE TREASURE TROVE
The Quest for the Sunken Silver Maritime Archaeology The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea The Golden Steamer Mystery

John Brown
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THAT S ENTERTAINMENT!
The Clue in the Camera The Pivotal Tale of the Black Maria The Devil Dog Dawson Mystery
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET
The Secret in the Cellar Bone Detectives The Quartz Cross Controversy
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
FLIGHT, FRIGHT, AND PERILOUS PLIGHTS
The Riddle of the Historic Hog Hog Heaven Mysteries of the Coldest War The Brash Billionaire Debacle An Unfathomable Mystery

Dizzy Dean baseball
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
SIGNED, SEALED, AND DELIVERED
The Riddle of the Ten-Shilling Note The Legend of the Strikeout King The Write Stuff
CHAPTER NINETEEN
DUBIOUS DWELLINGS
The Curse of the Wicked Witch Waterworld The Abraham Lincoln Mysteries A View to a Kill
CHAPTER TWENTY
WORLD AT WAR
Trouble at Sea The Kaleidoscope of War

World War II Pacific Theater artifact
EPISODE GUIDE
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS
INDEX
P REFACE
When you think of American history, what s the first thing that comes to mind? The birth of the United States? The fight against slavery or for women s suffrage? The Gold Rush? The successes and tragedies of wars? The study of history can be a passionate pursuit, whether it means learning more about local, national, or global events surrounding individuals or artifacts, or simply uncovering your own familial heritage. Many years ago, one of my best friends recited to me the words from a Leonard Cohen song: There s a crack in everything. That s how the light gets in. Those words had a very profound and lasting impact on me. And while that concept applies to every aspect of life, it s especially true of historical investigations. History isn t made by just the movers and shakers, but by each one of us every minute of every day. Birth, death, marriage, career, art, entertainment, sports, blogs; everything we say and do is a record of our existence, and while not everything makes it into a book or newspaper or online, it marks a moment in history-a moment that may one day become part of an investigation by an intrepid professional or amateur historian searching for answers to complex questions.
Since 2002, hundreds of thousands of loyal viewers have journeyed through time, exploring a wide range of mysteries presented to them by the popular PBS series History Detectives. By examining simple objects, documents, and structures, the show has drawn us into major sagas of American history, offering a creative approach to television programming. Each History Detectives episode is told from many different angles as the intrepid investigators draw on a multiplicity of investigative strategies utilizing modern research techniques, scientific tools, library research, and interviews with some of the most talented scholars, scientists, historians, and experts in their field. As a joint production between Oregon Public Broadcasting and Lion Television, the series has showcased dozens of mysteries surrounding various homes, family genealogies, and artifacts ranging from letters, books, paintings, weapons, vehicles, rare documents, and musical instruments to war memorabilia and even a few skeletons. Each investigation is unique and in many cases highly personal in its research, analysis, procedure, and above all, its telling of a story that might never have seen the light of day. This book is a compilation of the journey History Detectives has taken, focusing on investigations prompted by viewers who sought help in solving a historical mystery. Also included are additional stories and background research associated with each investigation-information that adds even more breadth and scope to the journey taken by the History Detectives in their quest for answers.

History Detective Gwendolyn Wright.
What makes History Detectives so special is that it makes history fun and engaging, inspiring individuals of all ages to investigate American history through interesting artifacts, objects, and structures, many of which are close to home. The majority of investigations are begun as a result of viewer participation. As thousands of viewers e-mails can attest, History Detectives is innovative in its approach to teaching all of us how we can unravel the secrets of bygone eras, starting with something we may have in our own homes. Over 150 investigations have resulted in amazing revelations that answer some baffling historical questions presented to us by a quartet of very special hosts.
Each of the four History Detectives approaches an investigation in his or her own way, and the journeys they take us on are fascinating no matter what the outcome may be. Exploring history is as close as we get to time travel, and History Detectives has taken viewers across the millennia from