In recent months, I have worked with national, state, and local stakeholders to meticulously research and write nomination reports for sites to be included in the National Park Service (NPS) National Network to Freedom. This network highlights the courageous acts of resistance against enslavement through escape and flight on the Underground Railroad. These comprehensive applications…
Floating Booze Boat on Delaware River Calls up Questions of State Boundary
In the summer of 1916, the well-known “Charlestown Booze Boat,” Uno, made waves in Penns Grove, NJ, becoming the talk of the dry town. Anchored just off the New Jersey shore in the Delaware River, this floating speakeasy from Maryland quickly became a popular destination for those seeking to tipple the forbidden indulgence. Dinghies and…
The Radium Water Craze: A Curious Chapter in Health and Marketing
Around the turn of the twentieth century, Marie and Pierre Curie’s discovery of radium sparked a frenzy of interest in its potential health benefits. Companies from various industries eagerly incorporated the radioactive element into their products, touting its supposed healing properties. Radium found its way into everyday consumer goods, including cosmetics, toothpaste, hair creams, over-the-counter…
Fighting for Equality on Route 40
A few months ago, I received a call from a producer working on the Audible docuseries Shadowball. This series delves into the history and experiences of Black athletes in the context of social justice and racial equality. Their interest was piqued by my 2013 research, which focused on the movement to segregate Route 40 in…