Please allow me to welcome guest writer Nathan Richardson. Mr. Richardson is a poet, author, and Frederick Douglass historian based out of Suffolk, Virginia. Among his many other accomplishments, Richardson is in his 7th year with the Frederick Douglass Speaking Tour, in which he delivers a compelling portrayal of the former slave, writer, orator andContinue reading “Tuskegee Institute: A Roll-Call of Self-Made Men”
Author Archives: rianicholas
One Thousand Years at Taos Pueblo
How Po’Pay Saved His People by Ria Nicholas When Jim and I visited Taos Pueblo a couple of years ago, we were immediately struck by the beauty of its natural setting, by the warmth of its people, and by its indefinable sense of timelessness. The Pueblo has presided over the mountains of New Mexico sinceContinue reading “One Thousand Years at Taos Pueblo”
Mud, Mayhem, and the Making of Millionaires
Dirty Dealings On Display at the East Texas Oil Museum In Kilgore By Ria Nicholas Most folks outside of Texas have never heard of the little town of Kilgore. But, in fact, it lies at the epicenter of a series of discoveries and deals that rocked our history and culture – almost to the core,Continue reading “Mud, Mayhem, and the Making of Millionaires”
Were Smoky Mountain Grist Mills a Tech Thing?
Making the Most of the Daily Grind by Ria Nicholas In the late 1800s, scattered Appalachian [apple-AT-ch’n] farm communities consisted of independent, resourceful, God-fearing people, scrappy enough to wrest a living from the hardscrabble soil under their feet. If the Church acted as the spiritual head of the community, and the family epitomized its heart,Continue reading “Were Smoky Mountain Grist Mills a Tech Thing?”
Houston’s Puttin’ On the Ritz!
The Majestic Metro Theater Is the Bee’s Knees! By Ria Nicholas Just a few days ago I went with Jim Zura to help video a musical performance (without audience) at Houston’s Majestic Metro Theater at 911 Preston Street. I’d never heard of the place before, let alone been there. What an unexpected surprise! It wasContinue reading “Houston’s Puttin’ On the Ritz!”
12 Galveston Time Capsule Adventures
The Little Island That Could by Ria Nicholas Galveston, Texas is a microcosm of some of the greatest social upheavals in U.S. history. In a sense, the narrative of an entire nation is distilled in the sands of this diminutive 200-square-mile barrier island. Tattooed Natives, shipwrecked explorers, determined slaves, brazen pirates, and barons of industryContinue reading “12 Galveston Time Capsule Adventures”
A Photo Essay on Jalopies
Truck #1 was located at an antique shop on Newport Highway (US 411), between Sevierville and Newport, Tennessee. We think it might be a 1951 or 1952 International Harvester truck. What do you think? Witnesses to the American Road by Ria Nicholas I know, I know! Jalopies are not a destination we can visit. ButContinue reading “A Photo Essay on Jalopies”
Battle of Vicksburg, MS: Civil War Victory Wasn’t Ironclad
The Sinking of the USS Cairo by Ria Nicholas Were they awestruck as they boarded her? Or skeptical perhaps, those Union soldiers? Did they brim over with excess pride, like the kid riding a brand new motor scooter on Christmas day, when everyone else just has a bike? Impossible to tell now. But all thoseContinue reading “Battle of Vicksburg, MS: Civil War Victory Wasn’t Ironclad”
Asheville, NC: A Little Castle for Three
Luxury and Excess at the Biltmore By Ria Nicholas The road trip from Knoxville, Tennessee to Asheville, North Carolina snakes its way down I-40 through the verdant Smoky Mountains. We made the trip in winter, when gossamer shrouds of mist, prompted by the crisp December air, billow up from among the dips and hollows andContinue reading “Asheville, NC: A Little Castle for Three”
American History Road Trip 