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What Happened Here?

What Happened Here?

By Hannah Allman Kennedy

A podcast exploring the stories of interesting and forgotten places. Join as each week, writer Hannah Allman Kennedy looks at a place and asks, "What happened here?"
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Episode 6: The Allegheny National Forest

What Happened Here?Jun 19, 2022

00:00
17:37
Episode 15: The Bennington Triangle, Vermont

Episode 15: The Bennington Triangle, Vermont

In the Season 1 finale, Hannah tells a few stories from one of the most mysterious parts of New England: a vast and isolated forest hiding ghost towns, buried treasure, and missing persons. 

This is the Bennington Triangle of Vermont. What happened here?

Please subscribe, rate, and review, and keep an eye out for season 2 soon!


Sources used in this episode:

1. Obscure Vermont: https://obscurevermont.com/tag/white-rocks/

                                https://urbanpostmortem.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/the-patch-hollow-massacre/

2. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_T._Stafford_White_Rocks_National_Recreation_Area

                     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallingford,_Vermont

                     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennington_Triangle

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Mountain_National_Forest

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_A._Citro 

3. USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gmfl/recarea/?recid=65137

4. History of Wallingford, Vermont, by Walter Thorpe: https://books.google.com/books?id=NBpRK8ukdP8C&pg=PA195&lpg=PA195&dq=white+rocks+treasure+wallingford+vt&source=bl&ots=zpi7Qdkh8z&sig=ACfU3U0F5wVqgirStrysUgp3l0SETQuftQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi8qpHijcn5AhWhM1kFHSEPDGUQ6AF6BAgiEAM#v=onepage&q=white%20rocks%20treasure%20wallingford%20vt&f=false

5. Rutland Herald: https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-1032.html

6. https://www.benningtonbanner.com/local-news/after-60-years-students-fate-remains-a-legendary-mystery/article_01b5a8cd-cad7-51dc-9dd9-667ee9a64c34.html

7. Vermont Gold and Treasure: http://vermontgoldandtreasure.blogspot.com/2014/01/spanish-silver-wallingford-vt.html 

Aug 21, 202224:34
Episode 14: Dennis Severs' House, London UK

Episode 14: Dennis Severs' House, London UK

The city of London is home to many a mystery, and the twists and turns of the Spitalfields district is no exception. One house, at 18 Folgate Street, offers visitors the ability to almost literally step back in time. This is Dennis Severs' house.

What Happened Here?

Listen along to find out!

Keep in Touch:

  • Season 1 is ending soon: make sure you're subscribing and following to get updates when Season 2 drops!
  • Please rate and review if you enjoyed today's episode!
  • Find me online: Instagram @whathappenedhere.pod, or send an email! whathappenedherepod@gmail.com

Sources Used in Today's Ep:

1. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Severs%27_House

                    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitalfields#Victorian_era

                    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitechapel_District_(Metropolis)

2. Dennis Severs House Website: https://dennissevershouse.co.uk/about/the-house

3. The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/jul/25/dennis-severs-house-recreates-his-eccentric-tours-based-on-found-tapes

                        https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/jan/10/guardianobituaries

4. Old Spitalfields Market Website: https://oldspitalfieldsmarket.com/journal/things-to-do-dennis-severs-house

5. Museums London: https://www.museumslondon.org/museum/49/dennis-severs-house

6. Google Earth: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dennis+Severs'+House/@51.520882,-0.077706,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xeb180c41f36e96e8?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_x6vm68T5AhVPF2IAHVdABKoQ_BJ6BQiBARAF 

7. Morbid Podcast 5-Part Series on Jack the Ripper: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jack-the-ripper-part-1/id1379959217?i=1000570373715

Aug 14, 202217:11
Episode 13: Lake Peigneur, Louisiana
Aug 07, 202218:27
Episode 12: The Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike

Episode 12: The Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike

If there's anything we Pennsylvanians love, it's complaining about our roads. From constant construction, to precarious navigation around rugged terrain, to the wear and tear of weather and idiot drivers, the roads of our commonwealth offer much to lament. In today's episode, however, Hannah deep dives into the history of one road PA is actually pretty proud of: the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Not only does this road bear the honor of being America's first superhighway, but it also carries a secret: 13 miles of crumbling highway winding through the Pennsylvania countryside, a section of road which has sat abandoned for over half a century. 

What Happened Here? 

Tune in to find out!

Please don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!


Sources Used For This Episode:

1. Uncovering PA: https://uncoveringpa.com/abandoned-pa-turnpike

2. Wikipedia:

     - Sideling Hill Tunnel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideling_Hill_Tunnel

     - Ray’s Hill Tunnel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rays_Hill_Tunnel

     - Laurel Hill Tunnel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Hill_Tunnel

     - PA Turnpike: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Turnpike

     - Abandoned PA Turnpike: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abandoned_Pennsylvania_Turnpike

3. PA Turnpike History.com https://www.paturnpike.com/about-us/turnpike-history

     - Timeline: https://www.paturnpike.com/about-us/turnpike-history/interactive-timeline

4. Washington Observer-Reporter:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CYpiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kXcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3151,3028891&dq=pennsylvania-turnpike+tunnel&hl=en

5. Jeannette News Dispatch: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rPpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xUINAAAAIBAJ&pg=2600,5170278&dq=pennsylvania-turnpike+tunnel&hl=en

6. "Breezewood, Pennsylvania: The Most American Place on Earth," by Ed Simon for Belt Magazine: https://beltmag.com/breezewood-pennsylvania-most-american-place-earth/

7. Know Your Meme: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/breezewood-pennsylvania

8. Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0030123,-78.2259096,1175m/data=!3m1!1e3

Jul 31, 202220:23
Episode 11: Monarch Park, Pennsylvania
Jul 24, 202222:53
Episode 10: The North End Waterfront, Boston MA

Episode 10: The North End Waterfront, Boston MA

Today, the North End Waterfront of Boston is a peaceful outdoor recreational space in one of the most historic parts of this legendary city. But just over a hundred years ago, it was the site of one of the most devastating industrial disasters of the 20th century: the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. 

What happened here?

Listen as Hannah tells the story of the Great Molasses Flood, and what it can tell us about the pursuit of human flourishing. 

Please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen!


Sources used in this episode:

1. Wikipedia, of course: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Molasses_Flood, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langone_Park

2. Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo (2004, Beacon Press): https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tide-Great-Boston-Molasses/dp/080707800X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PTZ8LMOWSYZF&keywords=dark+tide+the+great+boston+molasses+flood+of+1919&qid=1657928782&sprefix=dark+tide%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1

3. The New York Times: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1919/01/16/97058317.pdf

4. Boston.com (by the Boston Globe): https://www.boston.com/news/history/2019/01/13/victims-great-boston-molasses-flood-1919/

5. NBC https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/great-boston-molasses-flood-1919-killed-21-after-2-million-n958326

6. History.com https://www.history.com/news/great-molasses-flood-science

7. History.com https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/america-enters-world-war-        i#:~:text=April%206%2C%201917%3A%20Two%20days,formally%20enters%20World%20War%20I.

8. Google maps: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3661873,-71.0550076,16.34z

Jul 17, 202227:13
Episode 9: Whittier, Alaska

Episode 9: Whittier, Alaska

On the vast southern coast of Alaska, there's a tiny town that fits under one roof, is only accessible by a tunnel that closes each night, and which was the site of the mysterious disappearance of two politicians. This is Whittier, Alaska.

What happened here?

Please rate and review if you liked today's episode, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you're first in line when a new one drops each week!

Thanks for listening!


Sources Used in This Episode:

1. Wikipedia (Don't hate me):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whittier,_Alaska

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begich_Towers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckner_Building

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Greenleaf_Whittier

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Begich

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hale_Boggs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_Boggs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Tyner

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Credit_Opportunity_Act

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chugach_National_Forest

2. Whittier, AK https://www.whittieralaska.gov/

3. Crazy Ray’s Adventures: https://crazyraysak.com/about-whittier-alaska/

4. CNN: https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2015/07/us/whittier-alaska-american-story/

5. Far Out Magazine: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/whittier-alaska-worlds-weirdest-place-to-live/

6. Politico: https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/hale-boggs-plane-vanishes-in-alaska-oct-16-1972-229692

7. Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/09/17/plane-carrying-cokie-robertss-father-disappeared-over-alaska-he-was-never-found/

Jul 10, 202224:54
Episode 8: The Precious Moments Museum, Carthage Missouri

Episode 8: The Precious Moments Museum, Carthage Missouri

You know them: small porcelain figurines in soft colors, large-headed childlike little people with teardrop-shaped dark eyes and sweet tiny-lipped smiles. Sweet, pious, and mawkish, Precious Moments figurines were a mainstay of life in the 1980s and 90s. What you might not know is that just a few miles outside the town of Carthage, Missouri, a 33-acre complex is home to a variety of Precious Moments-themed attractions, including a convention center, mini-mall, and 9,000 square-foot chapel.

Um, What Happened Here?

Listen along as Hannah unpacks the story of the Precious Moments Chapel and Museum. 


Please rate, review, and subscribe if you enjoyed today's episode!


Sources used for this episode:

1. Precious Moments Website:

https://preciousmomentschapel.org/

https://www.preciousmoments.com/butcher-story/

https://www.preciousmoments.com/blog/original-21-precious-moments-figurines/

https://www.preciousmoments.com/history

https://www.preciousmoments.com/blog/the-history-of-precious-moments-the-faithful-journey-to-the-precious-moments-chapel/

2. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Butcher

3. Roadside America: https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2139

4. Good Housekeeping: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a34904/precious-moments-facts/

5. “Precious Moments and American Kitsch”: Nathan Rabin: https://www.nathanrabin.com/happy-place/2018/5/10/precious-moments-and-american-kitsch

6. Instastory by Carlos Whittaker: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3OTAzMTI4MzcyOTQ0NjE2?story_media_id=2583933348054772286&igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Jul 03, 202219:12
Episode 7: Donora, Pennsylvania
Jun 26, 202221:23
Episode 6: The Allegheny National Forest

Episode 6: The Allegheny National Forest

The Allegheny National Forest, over 500,000 acres of deep, vibrant green space, covers the upper edge of Pennsylvania, and creates the border of the PA Wilds. This region is one of the least populated places in the eastern US, and has some of the oldest forest growth in North America. But barely a hundred years ago, the land was completely bare. What happened here?

Listen along to hear the story of the Allegheny National Forest, a tale of resilience, sustainability, and peace.

Listen, follow, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts!


Sources used for this episode:

Jun 19, 202217:37
Episode 5: The Molly Malone Statue, Dublin Ireland

Episode 5: The Molly Malone Statue, Dublin Ireland

She's a woman who might not exist, a piece of art and also a tourist trap, with either questionable morals or a pure heart, who stands in a place not where she used to be, celebrating an event that was either a year too early or decades too late. 

This bundle of contradictions is the Molly Malone statue in Dublin, Ireland, and we have to ask: What Happened Here?


Please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Find me on Insta: @whathappenedhere.pod, or on email: whathappenedherepod@gmail.com, and tell me what place you want to visit next!


Sources used in this episode:

Visit Dublin: https://www.visitdublin.com/molly-malone

Wikipedia-Molly Malone: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Malone

Wikipedia-Jeanne Rynhart: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Rynhart

Wikipedia-St. Andrew's Street: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Andrew%27s_Street,_Dublin

The Irish Times: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/shining-example-an-irishwoman-s-diary-on-the-molly-malone-statue-and-inventing-a-tradition-1.4031633

Irish Family History Centre: https://www.irishfamilyhistorycentre.com/article/a-brief-history-of-dublins-mysterious-molly-malone/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-brief-history-of-dublins-mysterious-molly-malone

“Dublin Throws a Party”, Andrew Phillips, Maclean’s: https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1988/8/8/dublin-throws-a-party

Dublin Town: https://www.dublintown.ie/the-story-of-suffolk-street-st-andrew-street/

Database of Irish Excavation Reports: https://excavations.ie/report/2014/Dublin/0025191/


Jun 12, 202216:39
Episode 4: Canyon de Chelly, Arizona

Episode 4: Canyon de Chelly, Arizona

Five hours north of the city of Phoenix, and only a few miles from the town of Chinle, Arizona, a stunning, windswept canyon splits the earth in two. This is Canyon de Chelly, a national monument, a park, a homeland, and an important part of the story of the Navajo Nation. 

Why is this place so significant? What role does it play in the story of Manifest Destiny and Indigenous genocide? What happened here?

Join along to hear the story of this important place. 


Connect with me on Instagram (@whathappenedhere.pod) or via email (whathappenedhere@gmail.com) and let me know what you think of this episode, or to tell me what place you think we should cover next!

Please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts; I really appreciate it!


Sources used in this episode:

  1. The National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/cach/index.htm
  2. Discover Navajo.com: https://discovernavajo.com/canyon-de-chelly/
  3. First People.us https://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/SpiderRock-Navajo.html
  4. Wikipedia: Navajo Nation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navajo_Nation
  5. Wikipedia: Canyon de Chelly: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canyon_de_Chelly_National_Monument
  6. Wikipedia: Battle of Canyon de Chelly: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Canyon_de_Chelly
  7. Wikipedia: Fort Sumner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Sumner
  8. Wikipedia: Long Walk of the Navajo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Walk_of_the_Navajo
  9. Wikipedia: List of U.S. States and Territories by Area: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_area


Jun 05, 202220:20
Episode 3: The Hill of Crosses, Lithuania

Episode 3: The Hill of Crosses, Lithuania

A short drive from the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania, a rather unusual monument stands as a testament to the determination and defiance of generations of people in a much-contested land. This is the Hill of Crosses: over 100,000 crosses left by people throughout the centuries as an act of resistance, cultural identity, and hope.

But what exactly is this hill a memorial to? Why was resistance necessary? What happened here?

Follow along as we find out, and explore this fascinating place!


Connect with me on Instagram (@whathappenedhere.pod) or via email (whathappenedhere@gmail.com) and let me know what you think of this episode, or tell me what place you think we should cover next!

Please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts; I really appreciate it!


Sources used in this episode:

1. Lithuania.travel.com: https://www.lithuania.travel/en/place/the-hill-of-crosses#:~:text=The%20Hill%20of%20Crosses%20near,in%20his%20homilies%20and%20speeches.

2. National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/things-to-do-hill-of-crosses-religious-tourism

3. UNESCO https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/cross-crafting-and-its-symbolism-00013

4. Wikipedia: Hill of Crosses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_of_Crosses

5. Wikipedia: Lithuania https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuania

6. Wikipedia: Partitions of Poland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partitions_of_Poland

7. Wikipedia: Lithuanian Cross Crafting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_cross_crafting

8. Wikipedia: Lithuanian Americans  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_Americans

May 29, 202221:14
Episode 2: CAP Park, Pittsburgh

Episode 2: CAP Park, Pittsburgh

At the crossroads of four major Pittsburgh streets, CAP Park connects a bustling downtown with the Hill District, a historically black community touched by stardom, injustice, and urban blight. CAP Park is less than a year old, but it already plays a part in so many stories: from art, music, and culture; to architecture and infrastructure; to systemic racism and failed urban renewal; and a figurative (and literal) circus.

Join me, Hannah Allman Kennedy, as we ask: "What Happened in CAP Park?" 

...but first, "What is CAP Park?"


Sources used in this episode:

- Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority: https://www.pgh-sea.com/index.php?path=i5-ucp

- Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership https://downtownpittsburgh.com/visit/construction-updates/cap-construction-project/

- The Architect’s Newspaper: https://www.archpaper.com/2022/03/pittsburgh-is-the-latest-city-to-gain-a-freeway-capping-park/

- National Trust for Historic Preservation: https://savingplaces.org/stories/the-story-of-the-pittsburgh-neighborhood-that-inspired-fences#.YoMJwW7MITV

- “Creating Space for Virgil Cantini in Pittsburgh” (Holden Slattery) Belt Magazine, https://beltmag.com/virgil-cantini-artist-pittsburgh-public-art/

- Pennsylvania Historic Preservation https://pahistoricpreservation.com/virgil-cantini-saving-cantinis-mosaics/

- Lower Hill Redevelopment http://www.lowerhillredevelopment.com/events-announcements/ribbon-cutting-ceremony-marks-the-opening-of-frankie-pace-park-formerly-i-579-cap-park-connecting-downtown-and-hill-district

- Wikipedia for the Hill District: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_District_(Pittsburgh)

- Wikipedia for Oil City: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_City,_Pennsylvania

- Obituary from the Pittsburgh Press: November 20, 1989 (Newspapers.com) https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73246319/obituary-for-frankie-pace-aged-84/


May 22, 202221:43
Episode 1: Petroleum Centre, Pennsylvania

Episode 1: Petroleum Centre, Pennsylvania

Drive two hours north of the city of Pittsburgh, and you’ll find Venango County, Pennsylvania, a region of remote towns, rugged hills, shimmering river valleys, and endless emerald forests. To the average traveler, this place is nothing more than your typical rural backcountry, but looks, as they say, can be deceiving. Look again, and you’ll find the remnants of a past life buried under the tangled forest: networks of rusted pipe, giant rotted wood barrels, and the foundations of towns long gone.

Petroleum Centre is one of these towns.

In this, our first episode, Hannah Allman Kennedy explores the rise and fall of a small Pennsylvania ghost town, and the colorful characters that called it home.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_Center,_Pennsylvania

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_oil_rush

Hildegard Dolson, The Great Oildorado, Random House, 1959.

https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/petroleum_centre_tour#.YjZDXxDMI6A

https://explorepahistory.com/story.php?storyId=1-9-C

https://uncoveringpa.com/ghost-towns-in-pa

https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3823c.ct004159/?st=image


Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whathappenedhere.pod/

Hannah's Website: https://hannahakwrites.com/ 


May 15, 202220:38
Trailer: What Happened Here?

Trailer: What Happened Here?

Welcome to What Happened Here, the podcast in which writer Hannah Allman Kennedy geeks out over interesting (and formerly uninteresting) places. From nature to history, culture to infrastructure, places hold so much meaning, and we can tend to forget. But as someone who grew up around ghost towns, Hannah is undeterred. Tune in each week as we look at a new, old, weird, or forgotten place, and ask, "What happened here?"

Mar 17, 202201:14