farm

DDT: The dangerous old insecticide that used to be everywhere – even embedded in wallpaper (1940s)

The insecticide DDT was introduced in the 1940s, and originally thought to be safe for people and pets. It was marketed with happy cartoon characters and family-friendly products, but, as we eventually discovered, the poison was bad for people and animals, too.

History of Knott's Berry Farm at Click Americana

History of Knott’s Berry Farm: See the Southern California amusement park as it used to be

Take a look back at the history of Knott’s Berry Farm – the fun California amusement park known as a Disneyland alternative, but one that boasted its very themes and even a ghost town.

Margarine - Just knead the bag to make it yellow

Yellow or white margarine? The tedious legal battle over butter-colored margarine, and how people had to dye it themselves

In the early 1900s, there was a war fought with food coloring & butter knives. Learn about the great battle of colored margarine: yellow vs white.

Homesteads and the Homestead act - Millions of acres across the US

The 1862 Homestead Act: How it transformed America & changed our society forever

Find out how the Homestead Act of 1862 helped shape American society in dramatic ways by playing a vital role in the settlement of vast US prairie lands.

Frying scrapple slices in a cast iron pan

Homemade scrapple recipe & about this meaty Pennsylvania treat

What is scrapple, exactly – and how do you make it? Get a good old-fashioned Pennsylvania Dutch homemade scrapple recipe here, and find out about the history of this meaty mixture.

Not just peanuts: Why George Washington Carver is considered one of history’s most important scientists

The insights and inventions of Dr George Washington Carver – which he gave freely to the world – revolutionized the South, and helped millions out of poverty.

See Dorothea Lange’s iconic Migrant Mother photos from the Great Depression

Some of the most iconic images of the Great Depression were the migrant mother photos of a woman named Florence Thompson, taken by Dorothea Lange. While one picture was famous, there were several other shots taken at the same time. See them here!

Vintage weathervanes: 60+ examples of early American decorative & functional rooftop art

Antique early American weathervanes shaped like horses, cows, deer, roosters, angels, ships and even fish were hammered in metal and used as much to decorate rooftops as to note the direction of the wind

Old Gilbert, Arizona: How one of the fastest-growing cities in the US started out small

Starting in 1914, there was a lot of hype about Old Gilbert, Arizona, a little town near Phoenix: ‘the fastest growing and most prosperous community in the Southwest.” See how it’s grown!

A Phoenix, Arizona birds-eye map view from of the city from 1885

Old Phoenix, Arizona: See how the city’s changed over the years since the 1880s

See old Phoenix, Arizona as it looked back in the 1800s and 1900s, when the city’s population was low and there were plenty of wide-open spaces.

Clyde Tombaugh with Pluto and news headlines

How young Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto back in 1930

Clyde Tombaugh, a Kansas farmer, loved astronomy, and cemented his name in history by discovering Pluto. Here’s how he found it.

Early Jeep - Willys turns a Jeep upside down (1946)

See an old Universal Jeep upside down, with its Willys engine (1946)

Look under the old Universal Jeep, and you’ll see why it has pulling power surpassing anything its size, plus versatility no other vehicle matches.

farm Colonial-style barn signs for good luck

Vintage Pennsylvania Dutch and other Colonial-style barn signs for good luck (1959)

The “hex marks” painted on the old barns of the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch farmers, even on some of the modern new barns, now are merely traditionally ornamental.

New Amsterdam to now: Images of New York in the Colonial days

Here are images showing New York City’s growth from a frontier settlement known as New Amsterdam to the metropolis of the western world –through the Colonial times, and in the early days of US independence.

Organic food: Just a fad or is it really healthier? (1972)

Organic foods: Are they modern-day cure-all elixirs sold by modern-day hokum medicine men? Or are they a more wholesome alternative to the chemically-treated foods we customarily eat?

The Big Fair at Petersburg, Virginia Wild West shows and acres of farm machinery on display (1911)

The Big Fair at Petersburg, Virginia: Wild West shows & farm machinery were on display in 1911

The Big Fair in Virginia more than 100 years ago offered Great Wild West show and other attractions give free exhibitions every day and night – plus a huge display of fireworks every night.