The Brothels Are Closed but the Whisky Still Flows in the Deadwood of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane

By Rich Grant “Wild Bill” Hickok, of Dakota’s most boisterous boomtown, was such a romantic figure that it is hard to believe he really existed. Of course, through dime novels, movies, HBO, television shows and merchandising for 155 years, his image has become a caricature of the real thing. Look back at what contemporaries wrote…

With the End of COVID-19 we’re Hitting the Road for Vacation. Will our History Still Be There?

Four of our greatest presidents. Or two slave owners, a racist and an Indian killer? Will a Minnesota beat cop’s act of brutality change America’s perception of its past? By Mark Orwoll There are countless paths across America. I’ve followed many of them. Route 66, with its tepee motels, trading posts, and homey cafés. The…

U.S.- Canada border closure diminishes travel economies on both sides of the St. Lawrence River

By Ben Oleksinski There are some places in the world where political boundaries don’t prevent foreigners from becoming neighbors and people living astride the frontier share experiences and economies with friends from the other side. One such place is the U.S.-Canada border where friends holding different passports share some of the hemisphere’s  best fishing and…