Face Artifact The Place: Mantoloking, New Jersey Found on the beach, a pebble in the sand with sculpted human features. To unlock this riddle, the team must travel through time, across borders and between cultures. Fire Station The Place: Morristown, New Jersey The evidence suggests that President Ulysses S. Grant celebrated America's centennial at this old firehouse. The History Detectives try to prove it. ""Pop"" Lloyd's Baseball Field The Place: Atlantic City, New Jersey Black ball players, white politicians, prejudice and patrimony. All of these threads appear when the History Detectives begin to unravel the origins of a historic memorial to black ballplayer John Henry Lloyd.
Bonnie & Clyde The Place: Brodhead, Wisconsin Did these five .45 caliber bullets end one of the most infamous crime sprees in American history? The History Detectives try to link these bullets to Bonnie and Clyde using ballistics tests and some old-fashioned research. Al Ringling Theater The Place: Baraboo, Wisconsin Was this one of the country's first great movie palaces? The History Detectives set out to discover why such an ornate theater was erected and survived in such an obscure location. Sears Home The Place: Akron, Ohio The History Detectives investigate whether or not Sears & Roebuck could have built this home during the industrial boom. Does this couple live in a relic from years gone by?
Morgan Whaling Ship The Place: Mystic, Connecticut Did this Charles W. Morgan whaling ship smuggle slaves out of the south as part of the Underground Railroad? The History Detectives are called in to find out. Witch's House? The Place: Essex County, Massachusetts Did Martha Carrier, who was hanged as a witch, once own Benjamin Abbot's house? The History Detectives must rely on historical research, Martha's descendents and even experts from around the world to solve the case. 1909 Jigsaw Puzzle The Place: Worcester, Massachusetts A quirky jigsaw puzzle of women playing football in the 1800s puzzles the History Detectives. A jigsaw expert, sport historian, magazine collector and antiquities society help solve the riddle.
Portrait of George Washington The Place: Frederick, Maryland Is this an authentic portrait of the nation's first president, George Washington? The History Detectives call in a fake buster and art historian to discover if this is a national treasure. Patty Cannon The Place: Federalsburg, Maryland Was Jack and Rose's home once the headquarters of kidnapper and slave trader Patty Cannon? Trumpet The Place: Bucks County, Pennsylvania Was this trumpet, bought by a Philadelphia man at auction, actually played during the battles that won America's independence from England?
Lee's Last Orders The Place: Beech Island, South Carolina Is the Beech Island Agricultural Club's copy of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's farewell address the original? Natchez House The Place: Natchez, Mississippi How could Robert Smith, a former slave, afford to build this magnificent home for himself in 1851? Napoleonic Sword The Place: St. Martinville, Louisiana A family legend has it that when a doctor treated Napoleon at the Battle of Wagram in Austria, the great General was so grateful he rewarded him with a fine sword, which has been kept in the family ever since.
John Brown's Letters The Place: Sacramento, California Does a Californian woman own a treasure trove of John Brown's documents? Tukufu sets out to authenticate the letters and delve into her family tree to prove if she is related to the famous abolitionist. Japanese Tea House The Place: Gilroy, California How did an authentic Japanese house become part of the famed San Francisco World Fair just before World War II? The history detectives attempt to reveal the origins of the house and how it got there. Poems The Place: San Francisco, California Kathleen Wong, a second-generation Chinese-American calls in the history detectives to trace her ancestors' perilous journey to America. She wants to know whether any of the hundreds of poems left on the walls at the West Coast Angel Island detention center relate to her family.
The Depot That Made Dallas The Place: Dallas, Texas A local historian calls in the History Detectives to find out if a disused depot was the first railroad station in Texas and if it was responsible for putting Dallas on the map. Mexico Peso The Place: San Antonio, Texas Searching through his great-grandfather's belongings, a San Antonio man finds Mexican currency and suspects a link to infamous bandits Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa. Did this money play a part in the Mexican revolution in the 1910s and how did it end up in the hands of a quiet family man? Pirate Spyglass The Place: Texas City, Texas Jean Lafitte was a fearsome pirate, an ingenious privateer, and a war hero. A Texas library is donated a spyglass said to be handed down from Lafitte to his ship captain. Was it?
Ventriloquist Dummy The Place: Brooklyn, New York Where did ""Sam"" the first black ventriloquist dummy, come from? Did he change the way Americans viewed race in the early 20th century? Home of Lincoln Assassination Plot? The Place: Greenwich Village, New York Did John Wilkes Booth, the infamous assassin of Abraham Lincoln, spend time in this woman's house planning the assassination? 34 Star Flag The Place: Staten Island, New York Did a 34-star Civil War-era flag in the possession of a New York historical society once save a boarding house from being burned down? Legend says it replaced a confederate flag hung at the height of Civil War hysteria.
Sheridan's House? The Place: Grand Ronde, Oregon Although the locals have little interest in this abandoned Dutch Colonial Style home, new research suggests the house may originally have been built as officer quarters for the Union Army by a young Philip Sheridan, before he became a famous general. Mark Twain Watch? The Place: Oregon The grandson of prominent Oregonian Captain Ainsworth wants to know if his watch was a gift from noted American author Samuel Clemens. Prisoner Poem The Place: Salem, Oregon Where did this Revolutionary War poem, recently discovered in an antique trunk, come from? Did the author, an American prisoner of war in England, write it there? If so, where was it for over two centuries, and how did it end up in Oregon?
The Love Dish The Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Was a set of 18th century china emblazoned with hearts and arrows given by the Marquis de Lafayette to Elizabeth Willing, the popular wife of the Patriot Mayor? Rebel Gun The Place: Mercer, Pennsylvania Local lore says this late 18th Century flint-lock rifle was recovered from the hideout of infamous Tory bandit Moses Doan after a raid in 1783. Prison Plaque The Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania A recently-found plaque suggests that inmates from Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary were recruited to fight in World War One. Was this an extraordinarily progressive prison or just wartime desperation?
Civil War-Era Submarine The Place: New Orleans, Louisiana In Louisiana's bustling French Quarter sits a surprising remnant of American warfare - a Civil War-era submarine. Salvaged from the depths of a New Orleans lake, the origin of this vessel remains a murky mystery. Now a New Orleans man wants to know if his great-grandfather helped build the iron-clad wonder. Red Cloud's Peace Pipe? The Place: Livermore, California Was this peace pipe given to a Californian woman's ancestor by the famous warrior Chief Red Cloud? The ancestor was the Indian agent who moved the Oglala Lakota to a Reservation in South Dakota. Would Chief Red Cloud have given such a gift to a U.S. government official? The History Detectives go back to the turbulent days of the 1870s and a battle of wills and political scandal that reached the highest levels of government. Thomas Edison's House? The Place: Union, New Jersey This strange house is said to have been designed and built by Thomas Edison. Did the
Early Monopoly? The Place: Arden, Delaware A man in Delaware has an old board game that bears a remarkable similarity to Monopoly, but was made 20 years before Parker Brothers patented their creation. Could he own the earliest version of the world's best-selling board game? History Detectives investigates Monopoly's history and discovers a surprising story. Rather than originating in the Great Depression of the 1930s, Monopoly could be a much older game, reflecting an economic argument that - if followed - would have created a radically different economy than today's. Japanese Internment Camp Artwork The Place: San Francisco, California A San Francisco archive has discovered a set of watercolor paintings of what appears to be a prison camp. Piecing them together shows they were painted on the back of a Japanese-American internment notice from 1942. What is the story behind these paintings? Who was the artist? And what was his or her fate? History Detectives uncovers the dramati
World War II Landing Craft The Place: Bayfield, Wisconsin A craft used for dredging and hauling rocks in Bayfield's harbor could hold a dramatic secret. A local man whose father fought in the Second World War claims that, 60 years ago, the vessel played a vital role in the D-Day landings, when it transported American tanks on to the beaches of Normandy. Could this ship really be one of the 1500 LCT103 ""Landing Craft Tanks"" designed and built to support the amphibious landings of World War II, and did it really see action off the beaches of France? The Abolitionist Flag The Place: Michigan What two Michigan brothers believed was an old sheet in a family trunk may have contributed to the end of slavery in America. Was the sheet a flag an ancestor may have used to campaign for the creation of Free States? Or was it used as propaganda in a pivotal pre-Civil War campaign? History Detectives explores the politically charged abolition movement to reveal the surprising past of this fam
The First Movie Studio? The Place: Los Angeles, California Lincoln Heights is a quiet neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles located far from the glitz and glamour normally associated with Hollywood. But a resident there thinks the city's first motion picture studio may be located right in her very own neighborhood park. Could a broken gateway once have been the grand entrance to the beginning of Hollywood history? Warner Ufa Lighter The Place: Los Angeles, California A California man spends $50 at a flea market on an antique lighter that could be a piece of Hollywood history. It is engraved with ""Harry Warner"" on one side and ""Ufatone"" on the other. Harry Warner was one of the founders of Warner Brothers, whereas Ufa was Germany's largest studio and Hollywood's biggest competition. What is the connection between Harry Warner, known for his anti-fascist commitment, and a studio that became the propaganda tool of the Nazi party? King Kong Camera? The Place: Washington State and
Dueling Pistols The Place: San Francisco, California A San Francisco bank owns two antique pistols, allegedly used in the last great duel on U.S. soil. Fought in 1856, the duel was between abolitionist Senator David Broderick and California Supreme Court Justice David Terry. 150 years later, a bank employee wants to know if these guns are authentic - and more about the duel. What really happened? Was it about slavery or honor? Did it influence the outcome of the Civil War? Evelyn Nesbit Portrait The Place: New Jersey A woman owns a portrait she believes is a lost masterpiece by one of America's greatest illustrators and artists, Howard Chandler Christy. The painting's subject is claimed to be Evelyn Nesbit, the actress and model who rose to fame in 1906 when her husband killed a famous architect accused of ""taking advantage"" of her. The resulting scandal rocked New York in the early 1900's and became the ""trial of the century"". But is the painting authentic? Little Big Horn Bay
Preston Brooks' Riding Crop The Place: Long Island, New York A man claims that a beautiful riding crop was given to a family ancestor by the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. He believes that it was no ordinary present, but was given to Preston Brooks to congratulate him for beating into senselessness an anti-slavery campaigner, Charles Sumner. Many regard this public attack in the Senate as a significant moment in America's move toward division and Civil War. History Detectives visits New York City, Columbus, Georgia and Sea Cliff, New York, to unravel a startling story of politics, filibusters and mistaken identity. Home of Lincoln Assassination Plot The Place: Greenwich Village, New York A woman has a question about the home she's been living in for the last few years. She's heard a rumor that John Wilkes Booth, the infamous assassin of Abraham Lincoln, spent some time in her house. Not only that, she's heard that her home is where the plot for the assassination
Ventriloquist Dummy The Place: Brooklyn, New York An African American woman in Brooklyn, New York, has her father's black ventriloquist dummy, ""Sam."" Her father, John Cooper, was the first famous African American ventriloquist. In a time of minstrel stereotypes, did ""Sam"" help transform how Americans viewed race in the early 20th century? How was this dummy created and was it meant to be a protest against racial prejudice? Witch's House? The Place: Essex County, Massachusetts Did this house once belong to an accused witch? History Detectives heads to New England to research the likelihood with local historians and a descendant of the accused witch, Martha Carrier, who was executed by hanging in 1692 during the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Migrant Poems The Place: San Francisco, California In the first half of the 20th century, nearly 250,000 Chinese immigrants attempted to enter the United States. Because of discrimination against Chinese and laws meant to impede their pass
Bonnie & Clyde The Place: Brodhead, Wisconsin Could 5 spent bullets in the possession of a Wisconsin woman have been responsible for the demise of the notorious Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow? History Detectives travels to cities all over the country in an attempt to link the bullets to the crime spree of the murderous twosome. Revolutionary War Poem The Place: Salem, Oregon History Detectives goes to Salem, Oregon to look into the story of a Revolutionary War poem found 25 years ago, hidden in an antique trunk. The document appears to have been written by an American named Dan Goodhue while imprisoned in 1780 as a POW in England. Who was this man and how did his poem travel for over two centuries, across the sea and nation, to end up in Oregon? Portrait of George Washington The Place: Frederick, Maryland Could a drawing passed down through a Maryland family actually be an authentic portrait of the nation's first president, George Washington? The investigators attempt to pr
Lost Gold Ship The Place: Alaska Environmentalist Gabriel Scott was working in the Copper River Delta near Cordova, Alaska, when he came across the wreckage of an old ship. According to locals, these are the remains of the SS Portland, the famous steamship that carried 68 miners and nearly two tons of gold from the Klondike River to Seattle harbor and began the great Klondike Gold Rush of 1897. The History Detectives team mixes maritime history and forensic science to reveal the dramatic story of the SS Portland and confirm that the remains are of this legendary ship. John Hunt Morgan Saddle The Place: Paris, Kentucky A Kentucky man owns a beautifully preserved, Western-style saddle, believed to have been used by Confederate General John Hunt Morgan on his audacious raid into Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio in July 1863. History Detective Wes Cowan has a surprising personal connection to the case - his great-grandfather was actually one of ""Morgan's Raiders"" and was captured alongsi
""Pretty Boy"" Floyd's Handgun The Place: La Verne, California A man owns a vintage Colt automatic handgun, which family legend suggests once belonged to the Depression-era desperado, Charles ""Pretty Boy"" Floyd. According to the legend, Floyd gave the gun to the man's uncle, who had served as the criminal's lookout. History Detective Wes Cowan travels to California, Oklahoma and Missouri to discover why gangsters became heroes to the rural population of the Midwest and to reveal the true story behind the dramatic rise and fall of a man who ranks alongside Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger as one of the most colorful bank robbers in American history. Continental Army Muster Roll The Place: Las Vegas, Nevada A man owns an old Continental Army muster roll issued by the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts in July 1780. Among the 16 men listed is ""Paul Cuffee, and the contributor wants to know if this could be evidence of a previously unknown episode in the life of Cuffee, a remarkable
Charlie Parker's Saxophone? The Place: Oakland, California A woman owns a beautiful old alto saxophone that belonged to her father and according to family legend was once owned by the legendary jazz musician Charlie ""Bird"" Parker. Her late father, a white musician, told her that when they lived in Portland, Oregon, Charlie Parker came to a practice session without his horn. The story goes that when her father chided Parker for selling his instrument, Bird said, ""If you want the horn so much, here's the pawn ticket."" Is the story true? Did these two musicians ever meet? Would troubled musical genius Charlie Parker abandon his horn? Prison Plaque The Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania In the heart of Philadelphia stands the abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary building. Founded by Quakers in 1829, this castle-like structure set new standards for prisons across the country with its progressive ideas for rehabilitation. Recently, a group in charge of preserving this historic structu
Body in the Basement Newport U-Boat Shippen Golf Club
The Spirit of St. Louis Two brothers from New Jersey suspect that their uncle may have built the engine in Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis plane. Suicide Pin A Kansas City man bought a used toolbox that contains two pins similar to the “poison pins†U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers had with him when he was shot down in 1960 over the Soviet Union. Image of Apache Warrior Geronimo A woman in New Mexico has a photo that she thinks is the Apache warrior Geronimo.
Black Star Line Certificates Mickey Mouse's Origin Pro-Nazi Newspaper in Texas
Arthur Szyk's Earliest Cartoons Professor Lowe's Hot Air Balloon Chemical Warfare Map
Cherokee Bible Slave Banjo United Empire Loyalists
Portrait of George Washington Revolutionary War Poem Revolutionary War Cannon
Secrets of the Tape Mountain Mail Bag Banned Birth Control Box
Doc Holliday's Watch Civil War Female Soldiers Japanese Internment Camp Artwork
Hermann Goering's Shotgun Calf Creek Arrow The Edison House
Coney Island Lion Legacy of a Doll Ballet Shoes
Leisureama Homes Jim Thorpe Tickets 1667 Land Grant
Home for Unwed Mothers Long Expedition Encampment Evelyn Nesbit Portrait
Puzzles involving the Chisholm Trail, Houdini posters and a flag that may have draped the coffin of President William McKinley, assassinated in 1901. Included: determining how far south the Chisholm Trail extended; checking the authenticity of Harry Houdini posters for a Chicago magic show; learning if a flag handed down to the great-grandson of McKinley's bodyguard actually adorned the 25th president's casket.
Questions surrounding a baseball autographed by Dizzy Dean, a brass eyeglass containing an image of Jefferson Davis, and a question on credit for an oil-drilling device. Included: investigation of a 1944 baseball game in which the players supposedly included Dean, Satchel Paige and an Air Force staff sergeant; whether an eyeglass belonged to a Confederate supporter; whether a twin-cone roller-rock bit was invented by Howard Hughes or a San Jose resident's grandfather.
Puzzles involve an 1886 Coca-Cola trade card, a map connected to a Civil War battle and a billy club from a 1912 textile-factory strike in Lawrence, Mass. Included: a trip to Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta to try to verify the trade card info; digging up details pertaining to the 1863 siege of Vicksburg, Miss.; a journey to Lawrence to investigate the Bread and Roses strike.
Puzzles pertaining to 1943 certificates labeled “alternate service to war”; a set of books that may have belonged to 19th-century politician John C. Calhoun; and a toy mouse named Micky that bears a patent date of 1926 (two years before Walt Disney created Mickey).
Puzzles concerning items believed to have come from a WWII kamikaze attack; a badge that may have belonged to a British soldier in the Revolutionary War; and two New Jersey brothers who suspect that their uncle built the Spirit of St. Louis's Wright Whirlwind J-5C engine.
Puzzles involve a film reel of 1920s stuntman Eddie Polo; scales used by Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century; and a shotgun that belonged to Nazi henchman Hermann Goering.
Puzzles involve a camera that belonged to a Holocaust survivor; the link between a 1942 letter and the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous; and a cross found at a Tallahassee excavation of a 17th-century mission.
Puzzles include a bison skull that may date to 3000 B.C.; a watch that may have belonged to gambler-gunman Doc Holliday; and stock certificates possibly signed by black nationalist Marcus Garvey.
Puzzles involve a car that may be the one driven by Grace Kelly in “To Catch a Thief”; possible Civil War POW photographs; and a 1914 motorcycle that might have been used in WWI France.
A baseball ticket possibly signed by Lou Gehrig on the day of his farewell speech; an electric streetcar from Cleveland; and a document that may have granted freedom to a slave.
A Superman sketch apparently signed by the comic strip's creators; a metal master used to press records in the 1920s and '30s; and a whiskey flask that may date to the time of George Washington.
The fifth season begins with a portable projection screen that may have been used by President Kennedy to view spy photos during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also: an aluminum record that might contain an original recording of the “Amos 'n' Andy” program; and a painting that may have been an original portrait used in the women's suffrage movement.
A possible Colonial-era $6 bill found by a Nebraska family; and a British 10-shilling note said to have been signed by FDR, Winston Churchill and George Patton. Also: A North Carolina woman has a pin she claims was made from metal taken from the Liberty Bell.
A fight bell that may have been used in a Jack Dempsey boxing match; a photo that may depict white Civil War soldiers standing with two black men, all of whom are thought to be members of the Grand Army of the Republic. Also: a document that may have Thomas Jefferson's signature on it, along with a pledge that would help finance a school.
Two bars of silver that may have been from a Spanish ship that went down off Florida; a book that might have belonged to social activist Lucy Parsons; a typewriter that may have belonged to WWII journalist Ernie Pyle.
Movie posters for a film that might contain footage of fighting during the Mexican Revolution; and an autograph book that may have signatures from Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge. Also: a robe that might have belonged to Gen. Peter Muhlenberg, who led troops during the American Revolution.
A square of fabric that may have been part of an NC-4 aircraft, which was the first to fly across the Atlantic; and an altimeter that might have been part of the XF-11 aircraft flown by Howard Hughes in 1946. Also: a piece of material that may have been part of a Civil War-era hot-air balloon designed for the U.S. Army.
A 1932 Ford Roadster that may have been used in dry-lake races; a letter that may have been written by Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum to James Red Cloud of the Lakota tribe; a cast-iron eagle that might have been a decoration for a New York post office
A letter that may have been signed by Abraham Lincoln; a map that might have markings for the Underground Railroad in Ohio; and artifacts that may have been aboard the USS Indianapolis when the ship was sunk by a Japanese sub during WWII.
A saddle that may have been owned by cowboy legend Bill Pickett; a flag that might have been draped over the casket of President William McKinley; and film cans that may contain archival footage of Nazi officials.
The fifth season ends with documents that may be related to the USS Thresher, a nuclear sub that sank in 1963; storyboards that may be for a comic strip about one-armed baseball player Pete Gray; and handwritten documents that may pertain to the Manhattan Project during World War II.
WWII Diary: Does this diary hold the key to understanding the fate of a missing bomber pilot from World War II? Annie Oakley Coin: Was this coin a target for one of the Wild West's most popular female sharpshooters? 1856 Mormon Tale: Is this tattered book a true account of female slavery in the old West?
Red Hand Flag: Is this peculiar flag one that African-American soldiers marched under in the war to end all wars? Seth Eastman Painting: Is this painting an original depiction of Native American life from one of the premiere painters of the American West? Isleton Tong: Was this building a safe haven for persecuted immigrants, or a hub for organized crime?
Japanese Balloon Bomb: Is this scrap of fabric evidence of a secret wartime attack on the United States' mainland? Society Circus Program: Why are some of New York's wealthiest planning a high society circus at the very depth of the Great Depression? Camp David Letter: Could a box found in a dumpster hold information about the founding of a top-secret Presidential retreat?
China Marine Jacket: Can the symbols on this unusual item of clothing identify a marine who may have witnessed a Chinese paradise tumbling into disaster? Airstream Caravan: Was this mobile home part of a modern-day wagon train halfway across the world? Lincoln Forgery: Could this piece of sheet music have come from Abraham Lincoln's private collection?
Hindenburg Artifact Was this device snatched from the burning wreckage of the ill-fated zeppelin? Bonus Army Stamp: Is this stamp connected to a moment when the U.S. Army advanced with fixed bayonets against fellow soldiers in the nation’s capital? Dempsey Fight Bell: Is this the bell that sat ringside at the world's first boxing superstar's legendary match?
GAR Photograph: How did two African Americans come to be part of this photograph of about 20 older white men in Reconstructionist-era America? Bill Pickett Saddle: Did this saddle ride into cowboy history with one of rodeo's most daring innovators? Hitler Films: Could these rusting film canisters contain unknown footage of one of the 20th century's most heinous murderers?
Black Tom Shell: Is this shell from a devastating act of foreign sabotage on American soil? USS Olympia Glass: Could this farmhouse door have sailed into battle in one of the country's greatest naval victories? Front Street Blockhouse: Did this unassuming house once protect an American colony from attack almost 300 years ago?
John Adams Book: Do these tattered pages open the book on a President who built a nation even as his own son fell into ruin? Mankato Spoon: What does this delicate silver spoon have to do with the largest mass execution in American history? NC-4: First Across the Atlantic: Is this piece of fabric a remnant from the first transatlantic flight, eight years before Lindbergh?
Shipwreck Cannons: Are these the last remains of a navy schooner that fought in a border dispute with the mighty British Empire? Connecticut Farmhouse: How is this Connecticut farmhouse connected to the assassination of a Russian tsar? Kahlil Gibran Painting: Is this painting an unknown work by an immigrant poet whose words inspired an American generation?
Blueprint Special: Did this record play a dramatic role in the Allied victory during the Second World War? Monroe Letter: Does this letter link America's fifth President to the high seas piracy of U.S. merchant ships in the early 1800s? Atocha Spanish Silver: What is the meaning of these markings on a silver bar discovered in the wreck of the Spanish ship?
Slave Songbook - Are these tattered pages the earliest record of music created by slaves? Josh White Guitar - What role did this guitar play in the transformation of the music industry in the 1960's? Birthplace of Hip Hop - Did this Bronx apartment building give birth to a culture that now spans the globe?
Season 7 begins with a closer look at the "Psycho-Phone," a device presumed to have been built by Thomas Edison and was designed to communicate with the dead. Then, a WWII letter between two soldiers which talks about a third man's qualifications to become a dog trainer. Lastly, a watch fob which commemorates Pancho Villa's infamous raid on Columbus, New Mexico in 1916.
Manhattan Project Patent - Could this drawing have been part of America's secret plans to fuel the atomic bomb? Galleon Shipwreck - Is this a piece of treasure from a Spanish galleon washed up on an Oregon beach? Creole Poems - Does this manuscript contain words of love or illegal acts of rebellion?
Items include a shotgun believed to have been used by a member of Al Capone's gang during the St. Valentine's Day Massacre; a threatening letter to President Andrew Jackson believed to have been written by John Wilkes Boothe's father; and an alarm which is thought to have been an alarm against grave robbers in a cemetery.
A woman wonders whether her mother was used as an infant as part of the incubator expedition at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. Also, a look at the Siegmund Lubin Studios, which made silent films in Philadelphia. And lastly, a closer look at a Navajo rug which may have a taboo symbol on it of a man in a feathered headdress holding lightening bolts.
Items explored include a recording believed to be from the trial of Iva Toguri, better known Tokyo Rose, the Japanese American woman who made propaganda broadcasts for the Japanese during WWII; a possible photograph of the legendary Crazy Horse, the Lakota warrior. Also, a diary written by a pilot during WWII who perished in action is returned to his family.
A Honolulu flight mechanic's grandson believes he possesses a piece of Amelia Earhart's airplane but needs help identifying it. Next, the 1851 presidential commutation of a death sentence to life in prison in the case of See See Sah Mah, a Native American who was charged with murdering a a St. Louis trader. Lastly, a home in Colorado which is believed to have been built solely from railroad boxcars.
A man from New Jersey claims to have the instrument panel from the Hindenburg in his possession, in which his family lore claims it came from the blimps 1937 crash site. Then, an 18th-century book titled "Trials of Patriots," may contain John Adams signature and an inscription to his son, Charles. And a search is on at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx to see, as legend has it, the origins of hip-hop music.
A man from Nevada believes he holds a dagger which was owned by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, including a letter which indicates it was retrieved from Mussolini's apartment following his death. Also, a stack of letters from post-Civil War from a freed slave emigrating from the US to Liberia; and a Cold War era, hand size device that has "National Emergency Alarm Repeater, Civilian Warning Device" printed across them.
Items look at include six paintings by Thelma Johnson Streat, which may have been mural studies commissioned by the WPA in the 1930s or '40s; a 1790 miniature color portrait of a "G. Washington" which was found stored above a Manhattan tavern in a box of documents; and a scrap of material believed to have come from a Japanese balloon bomb used during WWII.
A woman from Arizona wants to find out the fate of the man who sketched a picture of her father while in a WWII P.O.W. camp in Krems, Austria. Next, the Seadrome was a floating airport which would enable transatlantic flights was proposed in the 1920s, is investigated for a man in New York who inherited photos of Seadrome from his grandfather. Also, a woman in New Jersey has possession o an unusual artifact: a live artillery shell believed to date to the 1916 sabotage attack of Black TomIsland , N.Y., munitions depot by a German spy ring.
Duke Ellington Plates - Are these plates the first edition of Duke Ellington’s “Take the A Train”? "Scottsboro Boys" Stamp - Did a penny stamp help save the Scottsboro Boys from the electric chair? Civil War Bridge - Has a new discovery rewritten Civil War history?
Shipwreck Cannons - Are these the last remains of a navy schooner that fought in a border dispute with the mighty British Empire? Connecticut Farmhouse - How is this Connecticut farmhouse connected to the assassination of a Russian tsar? Kahlil Gibran Painting - Is this painting an unknown work by an immigrant poet whose words inspired an American generation?
Was this magnetic boot designed to allow walking in space? Could a three-inch square of metallic material be part of America's first satellite program? Did the Apollo 12 space mission smuggle Andy Warhol's artwork to the moon?
Iwo Jima Map - What role did this map play in one of WWII’s fiercest battles? Copperhead Cane - How did this cane inspire a fiery political movement that threatened Lincoln’s presidency? Theremin - How did this strange instrument help spark a rock n’ roll revolution?
Sculpture piece may be part of one that featured Andrew Jackson; Clara Barton letter; a notebook may have belonged to a World War I spy.
Cromwell Dixon: A four-inch square of fabric tells the story of one of America's first barnstorming pilots. Bartlett Sketchbook: Does this sketchbook illustrate scenes from the first ever US-Mexican border survey? Duke Ellington Plates (R): Could this dumpster find be the printing plates for Duke Ellington's hit "Take the A Train"?
Korean War Letter: What does this letter reveal about a forgotten act of heroism during the final days of the Korean War? Diana: How did this alleged lesbian autobiography escape censorship in the 1930’s? Lookout Mountain Painting: What can this painting tell us about a turning point in the Civil War?
St.Valentine's Day Massacre: Family lore says their shotgun played a role in the Chicago St. Valentine's Day Massacre. G. Washington Miniature: Why is this miniature of Washington more than a piece of art? Stalag 17 Portrait: A portrait sketched in a WWII prison leads to a meeting 65 years later.
Hot Town Poster: What role did this striking poster play in the explosive events of 1960s America? Face Jug: Did the artist mean to scare someone with the grimace on this face jug? Lost City of Gold: What does the inscription on a rock tell us about when Spain first arrived in America?
JACKIE ROBINSON SCORECARD What does this scorecard reveal about the desegregation of our national pastime? MODOC BASKET What tales does this basket weave of the heroism of an American-Indian woman? SPECIAL AGENT FIVE How did this tale of robbery and murder help FBI director J. Edgar Hoover consolidate his power?
WB Cartoons:This box of cartoon drawings and cels tells an unexpected story about animation's early days. Galvez Papers: Why did a regional governor care enough about a slave to sign her emancipation papers? Mussolini's Dagger: Did this dagger once belong to Benito Mussolini?
Chicago Clock: How could one clock regulate time for an entire region, and is this it? Universal Friends: A document seems connected to an early controversial religion, the first founded by an American-born woman. War Dogs: What went wrong during a WWII dog-training program on Cat Island?
A veteran collector of cowboy gear, our contributor thinks he may have a saddle that once belonged to rodeo champion and Hollywood legend, Yakima Canutt. History Detectives’ first ever Hawaii story takes us to the island of Ni’ihau, the backdrop for a fascinating tale often overshadowed by the enormity of the raid on Pearl Harbor. A Charleston, SC antique dealer discovered a century old puzzle in a corked test tube. The tube contained what appeared to be metal filings along with a note that reads: "Old Secession was rebored at the Charleston Iron Works May 4/99 and fired by Palmetto Guard Company U.C.V. in honor of U.C.V. reunion May 10/99."
War traumatized Sol Fellman. He rarely discussed his Spanish Civil War experience until shortly before his death when he passed on his mementos. Going through her brother’s belongings in El Paso, TX, a History Detectives fan came across a leaflet with Japanese writing and startling war images. Our contributor cherishes a small, framed watercolor handed down from his great-great grandmother, Anne Weston.But he has reason to believe the value of this painting may extend beyond his family bond.
Rummaging through a box of shells and bullets at a Colorado gun show, a History Detectives fan discovered a World War I vintage cartridge with a curious etching: Leo V. Thompson, CO E 31st Inf., A.E.F. Siberia. Our contributor bought a spear, or pike, from an antique shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He knows abolitionist John Brown lived near Chagrin Falls and wonders if rebels used this blade in John Brown’s famous raid at Harpers Ferry, VA. Have we found the original costume that launched Ronald McDonald? The label credits a well-known costume designer, and the costume looks similar to the suit we see in an early Ronald McDonald commercial: the yellow balloon coverall, red and white striped shirt and long stockings, and red oversized shoes.
Our contributor found an unusual 1950's comic book at an auction, titled Negro Romance. For over 50 years our contributor has cherished an object he inherited from his late father. It’s a piece of fabric in Plexiglass with signatures of Charles Lindbergh and Igor Sikorsky and dated August 1943. A couple of stamp enthusiasts found far more than stamps in a box they purchased. In the box, along with Civil War era stamps, we find letters addressed to a William Blackford, Senate Post, Washington, D.C.
Tucked into the pages of an antique book, our contributor from Osceola, Indiana found what he thinks may be a letter written by Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. More than 30 years ago, while tearing the aluminum roofing from a farm house, a Chicago man discovered an oddly carved piece of wood in the dark recesses of the attic. Working beside a rural airstrip, an Illinois man dug up an intriguing find: an eight-foot long wooden airplane propeller. A little research online made him believe that his propeller might be from a TDR-1 plane, a pioneering U.S. drone plane from World War II.
A viewer from Colorado thinks he may have discovered a gem of Gold Rush memorabilia when he found an unusual drawing. When a Kittery Point, ME man moved into his great aunt’s house he discovered an unusual wooden telescope. No one in his family knows where it came from or how long it’s been in the family. A California man hopes the Japanese characters on this hand-carved cane will unlock the mysteries of his family’s past.
A 1960s poster suggests a battle between citizens and police; carving of Andrew Jackson; a basket tells the story of a Modoc War heroine.
A camera may have been used to photograph President Truman; Civil War doll may have been used to smuggle medicine; a 15th-century map shows how Europe colonized Florida.
Two Castaic, CA teens found a 1915 ledger in their great grandfather's attic after he passed away. They found the names of more than Twenty-five years ago, a Roselle Park, NJ man bought an 1892 stock certificate because he suspected it was a fraud. The certificate bears the name Harlem Associated Heirs Title Company and includes a detailed map of Harlem. For the first time History Detectives teams up with Antiques Roadshow to trace the story behind two people in a fascinating photograph.
The Season 10 premiere investigates the history of an electric guitar to determine if Bob Dylan played it at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Also: possible Beatle autographs from 1964 Miami Beach; a $5 thrift-store find that may have a Frank Zappa link.
A matched set of Civil War-era pistols; a 78 rpm record from KKK Records that features the songs "The Bright Fiery Cross" and "The Jolly Old Klansman." Also: Eduardo Pagán attempts to prove that Motown bassist James Jamerson owned an Ampeg B-15 amp that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wants to display.
Country star Clint Black learns about an old book of wanted posters that he owns. Also: a chunk of molten metal that may be from a B-25 bomber that crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945; a 1950s-era slide that may be of pinup queen Bettie Page.
Whether two patches that feature a symbol of a bird dropping a bomb are from a World War II unit; if a neckpiece and leggings belonged to Chief Black Kettle, a Cheyenne leader; whether a President Lincoln-signed note is authentic. Also: A tattered piece of red fabric is linked to a pivotal moment in the U.S. Civil War.
Is this picture frame a piece from the Titanic, Lusitania or neither? Were these signs part of the scene in an early victory for Civil Rights? Did a Nazi spy buy these toy soldiers?
A North Vietnamese soldier's diary; Notebook with recipes for large volumes of liquor; ledger sheds light on how American Indian actors were treated in Hollywood.
World War I poster; a map of Valley Forge that George Washington may have used during the American Revolution; Transistor radio; business card may tie a man's father to Prohibition-era underworld crime.
A bill of sale for a 17-year-old black girl; powder horn; handwritten score helps make "Star-Spangled Banner" the national anthem; 1775 almanac.
A Kit Carson biography that may have belonged to his family members; a saddle linked to Hollywood stuntman Yakima Canutt; "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" sheet music with curious inscription; a basket that may have been woven by a pivotal player in the Modoc Indian wars.
The steamship Sultana exploded without warning one night in 1865, killing 1,800 people. Was the disaster a result of Civil War sabotage?
An investigation into the disappearance of Glenn Miller during World War II. On December 15, 1944, the Army Air Force plane carrying him from England to France vanished while flying across the English Channel. The report makes use of a plane spotter's notebook that was discovered in 2012 to pinpoint the path of Miller's plane; and digs into several theories, including one that friendly fire downed the plane and another that he was on a secret mission to end the war.
In 1884, a string of gruesome murders terrorized the people of Austin, Texas. Three years before Jack the Ripper struck London, a killer—or possibly multiple killers—brutally attacked and murdered eight women in their beds. The heinous crimes stopped as abruptly as they began, and the slayings have remained unsolved for over a century. Could this be one of the first known serial murders in the United States? Why were those responsible never brought to justice? Six of the eight victims were African American—were the crimes racially motivated? Armed with modern forensics, the History Detectives interview descendants of the murdered women and enlist the help of modern-day experts in an effort to solve this historical whodunit. Can they finally crack the case?
Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa disappears on July 30, 1975.
