Stories of America’s Past
Welcome to America Comes Alive!, a site I created to share little-known stories of regular people who made a difference and changed the course of history. Look around and see what inspires you! — Kate Kelly
The concept for the first drive-in movie business originated with one man in the late 1920s. Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. came up with the concept of watching movies from one’s car. He was looking for an alternative for his mother who was very uncomfortable in movie theaters. Hollingshead thought sitting …
Today we send an e-mail, and if the address is invalid, the message bounces back. It’s annoying, but at least we know the information was not received.
The Post Office established the Dead Letter Office to manage misdirected letters or those with insufficient—or no—postage. Among the most baffling letters were those …
Baby books, vintage photographs, partially filled photo albums—we’ve all seen these in antique stores and at flea markets.
Photo from Borden Baby Book
Who were these people? And how did their photos end up in a “for sale” bin?
Kate Kelley (no relation) is a special education teacher who lives in Attleboro, Massachusetts, …
Title IX–the law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in any programs or activities in all federally funded educational institutions—was instrumental to bringing women into athletics.
University of Arizona Special Collections
But pioneers in women’s sports had to precede the hard-fought battle for a law. Ina (pronounced Eena) Gittings was among the women …
Curb cuts—the slight slope from a sidewalk to a roadway—are preferred by most people: walkers, bikers, and parents pushing children in strollers—yet they came about only because of a hard-fought battle by disability rights activists.
Enjoy them, use them, just don’t ever take them for granted.
The Issue With Curbs
For most people, …
Sacagawea, a Native American woman from a Hidatsa Village in North Dakota, accompanied Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery in their exploration of the West. The journey was the first official opportunity to explore the Louisiana Purchase President Thomas Jefferson obtained from France in 1803.
Sacagawea (1788-1869) was one of the …
On
This
Day
On May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge officially opened. When it was completed, it became the longest suspension bridge in the world (4,200 feet). The bridge connected San Francisco with Marin County, California. Opening day was declared Pedestrian Day, and by 6 a.m. several thousand people were lined up on both sides of the bridge. In all, some 200,000 showed up that day. The next day the bridge opened for cars.
Inspirational Women
Title IX–the law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in any programs or activities in all federally funded educational institutions—was instrumental to bringing women into athletics.
University …
Sacagawea’s story is everywhere. She is part of every book written about Lewis and Clark’s journey. There are many, many children’s books about her, and …
During the late 19th century, Native Americans had healers within their tribes, but few white doctors would undertake the care of a Native American. Susan …
Maggie Lena Walker was the first Black woman in the nation or organize and run a bank. She led a fraternal organization, the Independent Order …
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Recent Stories
Marathon-running was very popular in the early 20th century. The sport was low cost and offered a new option for blue-collar workers. The industrial age …
The concept for the first drive-in movie business originated with one man in the late 1920s. Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. came up with the concept …
Today we send an e-mail, and if the address is invalid, the message bounces back. It’s annoying, but at least we know the information was …
Baby books, vintage photographs, partially filled photo albums—we’ve all seen these in antique stores and at flea markets.
Photo from Borden Baby Book
Who were these people? …
“Battlefields are outdoor classrooms,” says David Duncan, president of The American Battlefield Trust.
There is no better place to learn how the acts of man shape …
The story of the U.S. Post Office is one of an agency that worked hard to make mail delivery better and better. Whether it was …
Part of the inspiration for this site comes from this remark: “People do not want to hear about simple things. They want to hear about great things – simply told.”
Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams (1860-1935)