United Evangelical Church in Marietta, Kansas, about 1915
On April 21, 1890, a post office was established with C. T. Mann as postmaster. It was named for his wife, Marietta. By 1910, it was described as a “thriving little village"; however, by 1959, the post office closed. More on the ghost town of Marietta, KS: legendsofkansas.com/marietta-kan...
Early day Sherman, Colorado.
High in the San Juan Mountains once stood Sherman — a tiny mining camp with big dreams, brutal winters, and one legendary mine that kept it alive. Today, only scattered ruins remain along the Alpine Loop.
More on the Ghost Town of Sherman, Colorado
🔗 legendsofamerica.com/sherman-colo...
Lottie Deno.
Born April 21, 1844, Carlotta J. Thompkins was known by many names, including Laura Denbo, Faro Nell, and Charlotte Thurmond. Poker skills earned her the name "Lottie Deno" after someone said that, with all her winnings, she should be called "Lotta Dinero." 👇
www.legendsofamerica.com/we-lottiedeno/
Art piece named "Memories", by Keppler and Schwarzmann, 1913.
It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand. – Apache.
More Native American Proverbs and Wisdom 👇
www.legendsofamerica.com/na-proverbs/
San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.
In the early morning of April 18, 1906, San Francisco was rocked by a major earthquake. The resulting fires blazed for days. 3,000 died, and 200, 000 were injured. Just part of the history of the city by the bay. More on San Francisco, CA www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-sanfranci...
Tampa, Kansas, 1913.
Gaining a post office on April 17, 1888, Tampa, KS, grew slowly. By 1910, it had a bank, telegraph and express offices, a money order post office, several retail stores representing all merchandise lines, and a population of 256. Less than half remain: legendsofkansas.com/tampa-kansas/
Soapy Smith, Skagway, AK, 1898.
Before the West was tamed, one man turned deception into an art form. Jefferson “Soapy” Smith built an empire of scams, rigged games, and loyal followers who helped him run entire towns from the shadows. Read about Soapy Smith – Bunko Man of the Old West
www.legendsofamerica.com/we-soapysmith/
Westmoreland, Kansas, 1915.
Westmoreland, Kansas, may be small, but its history is anything but. From Oregon Trail travelers to fierce county‑seat battles and a limestone courthouse built by sheer determination, this town has stories carved into every block of stone. 👇
legendsofkansas.com/westmoreland...
Kenneth McKenzie
Born in Scotland on April 15, 1797, Kenneth McKenzie, nicknamed the “King of the Missouri,” was a fur trader for the American Fur Company who controlled a territory larger than most European nations. More on Kenneth McKenzie: www.legendsofamerica.com/we-kennethmc...
Chinese in Idaho City, Idaho, circa 1898.
Idaho City wasn’t just another mining camp; it was once the largest town between St. Louis and San Francisco. Gold strikes, lawmen, fires, feuds, and fortunes shaped this wild boomtown.
Step into the history of Idaho City, ID - Queen of the Boise Basin
🔗 www.legendsofamerica.com/idaho-city-i...
Shasta Chief Kimolly, late 1880s
The Shasta tribe, once numbering in the thousands, lived throughout northern California and southwestern Oregon. Their lives revolved around salmon-rich rivers, acorn harvests, and seasonal hunting. Learn more about the Shasta 👇
www.legendsofamerica.com/shasta-india...
President Abraham Lincoln hearse in Springfield, Illinois by F.A. Fassett, 1865.
After being shot the night before, on April 15, 1865, at 7:22 am, President Abraham Lincoln succumbed to an assassin's bullet. It was the first time a President had been assassinated. More on the Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln: www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-lincolnas...
Margaret "Molly" Tobin Brown
On April 14, 1912, as the Titanic struck an iceberg, one woman refused to stay silent. From helping others into lifeboats to demanding they turn back for survivors, The Unsinkable Molly Brown made a difference. More about Molly 👉 www.legendsofamerica.com/molly-brown/
Thomas Jefferson, by Rembrandt Peale 1805.
On April 13, 1743, Thomas Jefferson was born, destined to leave an indelible mark on American history. From his authorship of the Declaration of Independence to his passion for education, agriculture, and liberty, Jefferson’s influence still echoes today. www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-thomasjef...
Aerial view of Fort Sumter off Charleston, South Carolina. The first shots of the American Civil War were fired at this sea fort on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery fired on the Union garrison. The cannon fire continued all day, watched by many civilians in a celebratory spirit. Photo by Carol Highsmith, 2017.
For decades, differing views on slavery had created a growing divide, making it impossible to reach any lasting political compromise. By the winter of 1860–1861, the U.S. was on the brink of Civil War. It broke out on April 12, 1861, at Fort Sumter, SC. www.legendsofamerica.com/sc-fortsumter/
Old mountain lion enclosures at Two Guns, Arizona. Photo by Dave Alexander, 2015.
In front of the Two Guns Mountain Lion exhibit. Photo by Carol Highsmith, 2018.
Building ruins at Two Guns, a ghost town along Route 66 in Arizona. Photo by Dave Alexander, 2015.
Once a bustling stop along Route 66, Two Guns, Arizona, is now a haunting collection of ruins perched above Canyon Diablo. Its story includes Native Americans, outlaws, a bizarre roadside zoo, and a string of misfortunes that seemed to doom the town. More: www.legendsofamerica.com/az-twoguns/
Arikara Indian at the Alter by Edward S. Curtis, 1908.
Native American spirituality wasn’t a “religion” in the way settlers tried to define it—it was life itself.
From vision quests to the Great Mystery, explore the deep, diverse beliefs that shaped countless tribes across North America. 🌿✨
www.legendsofamerica.com/na-religion/
Shaw Manufacturing Advertisement for a kit to convert a car into a tractor.
Shaw Motor Works in Galesburg, Kansas, early 1900s.
Born April 12, 1870, Stanley Shaw grew up in Galesburg, Kansas, a small town that helped shape a man who would go on to design several mechanical devices, including early farm‑related tools and improvements to machinery. More on Shaw and Galesburg, KS ⬇️
legendsofkansas.com/galesburg-ka...
Elizabethtown, photo by John Collier, 1943.
The ruins of the Mutz Hotel, photo by Dave Alexander, May 2004.
High in New Mexico’s Moreno Valley lies the ghost of a town that once pulsed with gold fever, gunfighters, and stories stranger than fiction. Elizabethtown rose fast, fell hard, and left behind tales of glory, outlaws, and even a serial killer.
More🔗 www.legendsofamerica.com/nm-etown/
Wolcott’s Regulators.
April 1892: Wyoming was on the brink.
Frank Wolcott and his hired gunmen rode out, cutting telegraph lines and leaving fear in their wake as the Johnson County War reached its violent peak.
Dive into the story of Wolcott’s Regulators:
www.legendsofamerica.com/wolcotts-reg...
In his 80s, he was still outmaneuvering soldiers half his age. Nana, the fierce Apache war leader, carved out one of the longest fighting careers in the West until his death at age 96.
Discover the story of the warrior they could never quite catch.
🔗 www.legendsofamerica.com/na-nana/
St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Olmitz, Kansas, by Kathy Alexander.
Gaining a post office on April 11, 1881, by 1910, Olmitz was one of the larger villages of the county. At that time, it had a bank, three general stores, three grain elevators, a hotel, and hardware stores. Its population peaked that year at 200. More 🔗 legendsofkansas.com/olmitz-kansas/
Appomattox, VA - McLean House Surrender Room, Photo by Kathy Alexander.
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in Virginia commemorates the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia to Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865. More about this historic site: www.legendsofamerica.com/appomattox-c...
Old Methodist Church in Glade, Kansas by Kathy Alexander.
An old building in Glade, Kansas. Photo by Kathy Alexander.
Established as Chillicothe, Kansas, in 1872, the town and post office were renamed Marvin on April 8, 1881. Another town named Marion caused mail delivery problems, so in 1908, the name was changed to Glade.
More on Glade, KS – Extinct in Phillips County 👇
legendsofkansas.com/glade-kansas/
Frank Woolworth
Woolworth 5 and 10 Cent Store in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Frank Woolworth died on April 8, 1919, just shy of the 40th anniversary of his 1,200-strong chain of discount stores. Founded in 1879, Woolworth Company would continue for over 100 years.
Read about the pioneer of the five-and-dime. 👇 www.legendsofamerica.com/woolworth-st...
Bloody Pond - Throughout the Battle of Shiloh, soldiers on both sides came here to drink and bathe their wounds. Both men and horses died at the pond, their blood staining the water. Photo by Kathy Alexander.
The Shiloh National Military Park preserves the site of the bloody Battle of Shiloh on April 6 & 7, 1862, and the siege, battle, and occupation of the key railroad junction at nearby Corinth, Mississippi. More on Shiloh National Military Park, Tennessee: www.legendsofamerica.com/tn-shilohbat...
It is hard to see the old church in the ghost town of Detroit, Kansas, for all the trees. Photo by Kathy Alexander.
The earliest settler came in 1857, and as the community developed, they named it Lambs Point. A post office called Detroit, named after Detroit, Michigan, was established on April 6, 1866. Today, only about 100 residents remain in this emerging ghost town. legendsofkansas.com/detroit-kans...
Enlisted Barracks at Fort Bidwell, California, about 1890.
Initially called Camp Bidwell after Mexican War veteran Major John Bidwell, the post’s name was officially changed to Fort Bidwell on April 5, 1879. It was intended to protect travel routes from Oregon and Idaho, including the Applegate and Lassen Trails: www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-fortbidwe...
Through the window of an abandoned building in Comet, Montana. Photo by Kathy Alexander, 2008.
Montana produced countless boomtowns, including Comet, a once‑thriving company town shaped by mining. Its mills, tunnels, and tailings still whisper the history of a community built on hard work and hard luck. Check out the ghost town of Comet, MT 🔗 www.legendsofamerica.com/mt-comet/
Shawnee Indians in Oklahoma, 1910.
The Shawnee are a Native American tribe who, by 1600, were living in the Ohio River Valley. At the time, they were estimated to number 10,000 people. Their name comes from the word “shawun,” meaning “southerner.” Today, there are around 14,000 members: www.legendsofamerica.com/shawnee-indi...