The 250th Anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord

Today’s post was written by Matthew DiBiase, an Archives Specialist from the National Archives at Philadelphia. The documents featured here are from the Interim Report of the Boston National Historic Sites Commission (led by Congressman and future Speaker of the House Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, Jr.) to the Congress of the United States submitted on … Continue reading The 250th Anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord

The War Between the States – Civil War sites in the National Register of Historic Places

South Carolina, Fort Sumter (National Archives Identifier 533429) Last Saturday marked the 164th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, which started on April 12, 1861, when the Confederacy bombarded the Union fort, Fort Sumter in South Carolina.  There are a number of properties in the National Register, specific to the Civil War, including … Continue reading The War Between the States – Civil War sites in the National Register of Historic Places

Standardizing Color Television Systems

Today's post is written by Timothy Wilcox, an Archivist at the National Archives at Kansas City. Many born in the 1980s and after cannot recall a life without electronic visual media in vibrant hues. Few of us know the history that brought it to the masses. The advent of color television was a gradual process … Continue reading Standardizing Color Television Systems

Faces from a Vanished Ship: The Life and Afterlife of the S.S. Muskogee

Merchant Marine Vessel Logs for the Port of Boston; Muskogee, 12/31/1941 - 1/30/1942, Boston, MA (NAID 6991388) Today’s post was written by Katherine Terry, Archives Technician at the National Archives at St. Louis. The Sinking of the Muskogee The S.S. Muskogee was a merchant tanker built in 1913 by the Sun Shipbuilding Company in Chester, … Continue reading Faces from a Vanished Ship: The Life and Afterlife of the S.S. Muskogee

More than Samoas, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs! Properties about Girl Scouts in the National Register of Historic Places

Girls' Activities - Girl Scouts - Girl Scout Camp at Central Valley. The bugler of the girl scouts camp at Central Valley, New York (National Archives Identifier 31483120) Tomorrow, March 12, is Girl Scout Day, which commemorates the founding of the Girl Scouts of the USA, when Juliette Gordon Low officially registered the organization's first … Continue reading More than Samoas, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs! Properties about Girl Scouts in the National Register of Historic Places

Meet Artist Pablita Velarde/Tse Tsan (Santa Clara Pueblo)

March marks Women’s History Month, set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history. Today I would like to highlight the life and career of Pablita Velarde/Tse Tsan (Santa Clara Pueblo), a prominent 20th-century Native artist. Using records from a host of collections across National Archives facilities, we are able to glimpse into this accomplished … Continue reading Meet Artist Pablita Velarde/Tse Tsan (Santa Clara Pueblo)

Case Files of Japanese-American Prisoners, 1944–1946

Today’s post is written by Jessica Behrman, Archivist at The National Archives at Denver. Heart Mountain Relocation Project (National Archives Identifier 342713797) On February 19, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which resulted in Japanese-American incarceration at relocation centers across remote areas of the western U.S. and Arkansas.[1] This series is part of … Continue reading Case Files of Japanese-American Prisoners, 1944–1946

Money, Money, Money – Historic Banks in the National Register of Historic Places

The United States Bank, Philadelphia (National Archives Identifier 135803994) Are you saving enough?  Is it in a nice traditional bank building?  Is it historic?  There are more than eight hundred properties that are retuned when you search for “banks and banking” in the files of the National Register of Historic Places (National Archives Identifier 20812721) … Continue reading Money, Money, Money – Historic Banks in the National Register of Historic Places

Swing into the Bureau of Indian Affairs Decimal Filing System

In 1913 Philip Longergan, superintendent of the Pueblo day schools, received a deal he couldn’t refuse. Even marked CONFIDENTIAL, adding validity to just how great a deal it was, Longergan was entitled…to purchase an A.G. Spalding and Brothers Incorporated All-Steel Apparatus for the Playground…for 20% off! A.G. Spalding and Brothers Inc. playground equipment coupon sent … Continue reading Swing into the Bureau of Indian Affairs Decimal Filing System

“Let’s all go to the Lobby!” – It’s National Popcorn Day – Popcorn related Properties in the National Register of Historic Places

POPCORN WAGON AT SNOWMASS MOUNTAIN (National Archives Identifier 554217) On Sunday January 19, the deeply underappreciated holiday of National Popcorn Day will be celebrated. There are about seventy-five properties that are returned when you search for “popcorn” in the National Register files (National Archives Identifier 20812721).  Of course, several of the properties are theaters or … Continue reading “Let’s all go to the Lobby!” – It’s National Popcorn Day – Popcorn related Properties in the National Register of Historic Places