A complex coexistence.From the climate of New England to the exotic islands of Hawai’i, Christian missionaries made not only an arduous trip, but one that would change the people and culture forever. Understanding what drove them to bring their religion to the native Hawaiians and the impact that is felt even today is what the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives is all about.Honolulu, Hawaii
A glimpse of life in the 1830s. A sign of what was to come.Historic Indian Agency House was a stop on the westward expansion. It also offers insights into our troubled relationship with Native Americans.Portage, WI
Where did they put their clothes?Is a house a home if it doesn’t have any closets? Well, at Plum Grove it is. The beautiful brick home has seven main rooms on two floors, and an attached one-story kitchen, but not one closet. Back then, closets were taxed as rooms. So, the owners, Robert and Friendly Lucas opted to save the money.Iowa City, IA
A time capsule is a window to the past.The original residents of the curious Octagon House in San Francisco, California left one that lay hidden for 92 years. Learn about what this family—living at the tail end of a Gold Rush and the infancy of a major war—left in theirs and how it was found so many years later. San Francisco, CA
New mansion outrageously priced at $41K.In May 1849, Alexander Ramsey, his young wife and son moved west after he was appointed the first territorial governor to Minnesota. While serving as a U.S. Senator, he built a remarkable “dream home” equipped with the latest technology: hot and cold running water, gas lighting, and hot water radiators for the extravagant price of $41,000.Saint Paul, MN
A house with Quaker roots built to withstand winds that could topple a train.As Americans moved farther and farther west across the continent, they encountered conditions, terrain and weather they had never seen before. What would become Colorado Springs had no permanent homes—until McAllister built a house for the ages.Colorado Springs, CO
First class hotel and restaurant owner with intriguing past.When you’re a chef’s apprentice turned journalist who’s accused of plagiarism and deserts the U.S. Army to later become a hero in a mining blast, what do you do next? Start one of the finest hotels and restaurants in the rough and tumble territory now known as Colorado. That’s just part of the story of Louis Dupuy and Hotel de Paris Museum.Georgetown, CO
A boom town born in the shadow of a log cabin.George Mandel wanted to be a postmaster. His log cabin post office made him so much more and helped establish a boom town on the Bozeman Trail.Sheridan, WY
The President and the pears. Being an orphan wasn’t easy. But Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the U.S., was lucky enough to have loving relatives who took him in and gave him a home to grow up in Oregon. His only issue were the back yard pear trees.Newberg, OR
