The Lake Cumberland area of Kentucky dubs itself the “Houseboat Capital of the World” with good reason. The region hosts the greatest concentration of houseboat manufacturers in the world. The largest, Trifecta Ventures, was created by the August 2014 merger … Continue reading →
Rochester, Ind., population 6,218, is a capital within a capital within a capital, the holy of holies of a triplet of concentric territories all known as “The Round Barn Capital of the World.” Indiana boasts more round barns than any … Continue reading →
When Fred H. Wells opened a milk route in Le Mars, Iowa, in 1913, little did he know the iconic globally renowned landmark his humble enterprise would spawn. Wells bought a horse, delivery wagon and a few cans and jars … Continue reading →
Noted industrialist and philanthropist George F. Johnson (1857-1948) lived a commitment to both work and recreation. George F., as he was known, was a partner in the highly successful Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company, which established the Triple Cities of Binghamton, Johnson … Continue reading →
Secessionists in the antebellum South invoked the slogan “King Cotton” to advocate establishing the Confederacy as a separate nation. Kewanee, Ill., population 12,676, and its surrounding Henry County, use the phrase “King Hog” to summarize the role hog farming has … Continue reading →
Welcome to the hushed confines of Green Bank, W.Va., noted as “The Quietest Town in America.” Within the tiny unincorporated hamlet of 143 residents, cell calls and texting are prohibited; car radios scroll across the dial in the vain search … Continue reading →
One century ago, Carl G. Rose started with asphalt and ended with horses. In 1916, Rose traveled from Indiana to Ocala, Fla., to oversee construction of that state’s first asphalt road. But he ran into problems with the material, so … Continue reading →
On Nov. 1, 1919, residents of Anoka, Minn., woke up to a scene of serial depredation. They saw wagons spirited onto rooftops, capsized outhouses and cows wandering along Main Street. House windows were soaped. Several cows were locked in the … Continue reading →
McMinnville, Tenn., sits in the eye of a perfect storm of fortuities, meriting the town of 13,605 — and its contiguous five-county area in central Tennessee — the designation as “Nursery Capital of the World.” The “concatenation of circumstances,” according … Continue reading →
Welcome to a town literally named after a punctuation mark … a town whose charm compels visitors to stay for life, even if they intended only to pass through … a town with more abracadabra per capita than anywhere else … Continue reading →
Wisconsin Dells, Wis., has long served as a Midwest tourist destination. Its natural scenic sandstone cliffs and rock formations have enticed visitors for more than 150 years. But only in the last decade has the small burg in central Wisconsin, … Continue reading →
