10 Weird and Forgotten Historical Photos from American Cities
Neill Lynskey
Published
Yesterday
in
Funny
America’s cities haven’t been here that long compared to the rest of the world, but their history is genuinely insane.
New York, Chicago, and San Francisco have more weird stories than most places, and they’re fascinating to go through. They include secret graveyards, haunted islands, deadly duels, and a Frenchman starting a war against some Texan pigs.
Take a look back, learn something new, and be happy you live in slightly less insane times.
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1. The Austin Texas Pig War
In 1840, a French diplomat named Jean Pierre Isidore Alphonse Dubois arrived in Austin, Texas. A few blocks from his hotel were a group of pigs kept by a local hog farmer, and they soon discovered the Frenchman fed his horses corn. The pigs invaded his quarters and apparently ate his linens and important state papers. He declared war on the pigs, and the city joined in on the roast. -
2. The Holland Tunnel’s Catwalk Cars
New York City’s Holland Tunnel has thing pathway running alongside it that workers can barely squeeze through. Originally, these pathways were made for trolley cars city officials would ride through the tunnel. The cars are now obsolete, but the pathways are still there. -
3. San Francisco’s Horse Drawn Houses
When San Francisco was developing, the city kept changing its road and sidewalk regulations. The city demanded more space and for houses to be demolished, but the citizens had a more interesting idea. Since the houses were wooden and generally light, they attached horses to them and simply moved them elsewhere. -
4. Millionaire Private Subway Stops
The NYC subway system is a terrible place these days. But way back when, it had private transportation of the city’s one-percenters. The Vanderbilts, Carnegies and other Gilded Age families had enough cash to fund private subway stations right underneath their mansions. All those people and their money are dead now, but there are still some abandoned private stations underneath the city. -
5. North Brother Island's Dark History
In the East River of New York City, there’s an abandoned island called North Brother. It was first used as a hospital, which became famous as the home of Typhoid Mary. She was spreading her illness all throughout New York, so the city forcibly quarantined her on the island until her death. Later, the hospital was converted to an insane asylum. It’s abandoned now, but its haunted ruins are still there. -
6. San Francisco’s Deadly Senator Duel
In 1850, a San Francisco court clerk named George Pen Johnston got into a bar fight with State Senator William I. Ferguson. He challenged the Senator to a duel, and they took pistols to Angel Island off the San Francisco coast. Johnston killed the Senator, because Ferguson never even shot his pistol. -
7. The Ancient Egyptian Obelisk in Central Park
In 1877, New York City acquired one of Cleopatra’s Needles from Egypt to display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The obelisk is 3500 years old, and was moved to the United States on a broken down ship and rolled on cannon balls. It was at the museum for a bit, but when it was too difficult to move regularly, they placed it in Central Park. It has a twin that sits on the banks of a river in Westminster, England. -
8. Chicago’s Secret Graveyard Park
Lincoln Park is known as one of Chicago’s wealthiest, nicest neighborhoods. But after the Civil War, there were so many dead bodies sent back to Chicago, they didn’t know what to do with them. Many were buried in unmarked graves under land that eventually became Lincoln Park. Some of the bodies were removed, but the Windy City’s nicest park is still secretly a graveyard. -
9. New York City’s Abandoned Hippy Island
In 1905, the rocks and dirt left over from a tunnel construction were dumped in the East River and an artificial island was born. First known as Belmont Island, a guru employed by the UN bought it in 1977 and declared it U Thant Island, named after his friend, Burmese diplomat U Thant. They built a “oneness arch” on the island, but soon after abandoned it. -
10. Empire State Building as a Blimp Parking Garage
When the Empire State Building was erected, blimp, dirigible’s and zeppelins looked like they were going to be the future of air travel. So the architects built a spire into their new building, which blimps could attach to, and empty the passengers into their office buildings below. It took too many workers to maintain, and it was insanely dangerous, so now the building has a giant, useless blimp dock on top.
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Replay - 10 Weird and Forgotten Historical Photos from American Cities
The Austin Texas Pig War
In 1840, a French diplomat named Jean Pierre Isidore Alphonse Dubois arrived in Austin, Texas. A few blocks from his hotel were a group of pigs kept by a local hog farmer, and they soon discovered the Frenchman fed his horses corn. The pigs invaded his quarters and apparently ate his linens and important state papers. He declared war on the pigs, and the city joined in on the roast.
In 1840, a French diplomat named Jean Pierre Isidore Alphonse Dubois arrived in Austin, Texas. A few blocks from his hotel were a group of pigs kept by a local hog farmer, and they soon discovered the Frenchman fed his horses corn. The pigs invaded his quarters and apparently ate his linens and important state papers. He declared war on the pigs, and the city joined in on the roast.
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