History Happened Here

Overlook at 61st Street along Pennsylvania's Schuylkill River Trail | Photo courtesy SRDC

Pennsylvania’s Schuylkill River Trail

Posted 03/03/23 by Danielle Phillippi in America's Trails | Tagged with Circuit Trails, Connected Systems, History Happened Here, Local Organizing, Pennsylvania, Trail of the Month, TrailNation

The Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) is a multiuse path that will ultimately extend 120 miles between the small town of Frackville in east-central Pennsylvania and the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers in Philadelphia.

Washington's Centennial Trail | Photo by Barbara Richey

Washington’s Centennial Trail

Posted 02/14/23 by Agueda Pacheco Flores in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, History Happened Here, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Washington

Traversing a region in northwest Washington known for its rural farmlands, lush riverbeds, forests and lakesides, as well as its historic districts with that timeless small-town feel, Snohomish County’s Centennial Trail is a popular route among the nearly 90 rail-trails in the state.

Photo by Helena Guglielmino

Travels Through Time on the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail

Posted 02/13/23 by Helena Guglielmino in America's Trails | Tagged with California, History Happened Here, Nevada, Trail Destinations

The bi-state Tahoe-Pyramid Trail (TPT) intersects some of the richest histories that have shaped the West as it follows the Truckee River on its developing 114-mile journey from the Lake Tahoe shoreline in California to Nevada’s Pyramid Lake. Here we showcase some of the diverse historical events trail users can learn about along the way

Once the most thriving coal district in the U.S., Scott’s Run fell on hard times in the 1920s. Residents who were not allowed to move to the nearby New Deal community of Arthurdale banded together, forming workers alliances and cooperatives to survive. (1937) | Photo by Lewis Hine

Industrial Heartland History: Scott’s Run—the Most Diverse Coal Camp in America

Posted 02/02/23 by Ashley Stimpson in America's Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, History Happened Here, IHTC, TrailNation, West Virginia

Take a step inside the Scott’s Run Museum in Osage, West Virginia, on a Saturday afternoon, and you’re in for a story time like no other.

Oregon's Crown Zellerbach Trail | Photo by Dale Latham

Oregon’s Crown Zellerbach Trail

Posted 11/15/22 by Amy Grisak in America's Trails | Tagged with Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Local Organizing, Oregon, Trail of the Month

Winding 25 miles through the northwest corner of Oregon, the Crown Zellerbach Trail (affectionately nicknamed the Crown Z Trail) serves as a rolling journey into history, introducing visitors to the home of the region’s First Peoples, the legacy of the area’s railroad and timber industries and intriguing geological events.

National Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming | Photo by Amy Kapp

10 Great Places of Learning Along the Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 11/04/22 by Zach Zimmerman in Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Great American Rail-Trail, History Happened Here, Top10, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail Use Tips, Why Use Trails?

The Great American Rail-Trail® and its hosts trails connect to many places of learning, history and culture where students can take a break from the grind of classwork and explore. Here are some of our favorites.

The Poe Museum and its famous kitty ambassadors, Edgar and Pluto, near the Virginia Capital Trail in Richmond | Photo courtesy The Poe Museum

Trailside: Richmond’s (Haunted?) Poe Museum and the Legacy of a Gothic Literary Master

Posted 10/28/22 by Amy Kapp in Trail Use | Tagged with History Happened Here, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Virginia

To celebrate Halloween this year, let's shine a light on a 100-year cultural attraction in Richmond, The Poe Museum, which sits just a block from the 52-mile Virginia Capital Trail and pays homage to one of America’s greatest gothic writers: Edgar Allan Poe.

Northern Cheyenne Monument | Courtesy Northern Cheyenne Journey Home Committee

A Path Toward Healing

Posted 06/03/22 by Scott Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, History Happened Here, Local Organizing

Until recently, the term generally preferred was the Northern Cheyenne Breakout, but just as the monument represents a better understanding of the events, so too does what it’s called. The Northern Cheyenne’s Tribal Council voted recently to change the name of their group focused on these events to the Northern Cheyenne Journey Home Committee. “It is a more accurate reflection of our ancestors' decision that day,” said Major Robinson, “which wasn't just to break out—it was to journey home, or die fighting to get there.”

Anacostia River Trail | Photo by Sam Kittner, courtesy Capitol Riverfront BID

We Asked—You Answered: Rails-to-Trails Supporters’ Top Priority Picks for 2022 and Beyond

Posted 04/13/22 by Ryan Cree in America's Trails | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Great American Rail-Trail, History Happened Here, State and Federal Programs, TrailsTransform

Over the past few weeks, we asked our members and supporters for feedback on the direction of our work this year via online survey. We were thrilled to receive more than 10,000 responses from passionate trail users, and we’ll be using what we learned to prioritize our efforts into the future. Here’s a quick rundown of the results. Thanks to everyone who responded!

Considered icons of the New Orleans jazz sound, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band recorded their debut album in 1923 at Gennett Records in Richmond, Indiana. | Courtesty Charlie Dahan

A Walk to Remember: Indiana’s Place as the Crucible of American Music

Posted 02/01/22 by Scott Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, History Happened Here, Indiana

America’s greatest contribution to cultural history is its music, and no matter what kind of music you listen to, it’s been influenced directly by the records made by those artists of Gennett records.

Sheet music image | Courtesy University of Colorado, Music Library

Taters and Trains: The Great Big Baked Potato and the Northern Pacific Line

Posted 11/10/21 by Scott Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, History Happened Here, Tourism

The year was 1908; Hazen Titus was the new superintendent of dining cars for the now-defunct Northern Pacific (NP) Railway when he overheard a conversation between two passengers that would result in the NP’s dining cars catapulting ahead of the competition and cementing the railway in the public’s imagination.