Monthly Archives: October 2025

Halloween

‘Salem’s Lot

Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot is a modern-day vampire story set not in a gothic castle, a faraway land or a big city but a small town in Maine known formally as Jerusalem’s Lot or simply Salem’s Lot. King set his story purposefully in a small town to illustrate how corruption big and small leads people to ignore when things go bad. Salem’s Lot was King’s homage to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the vampire Barlow bears some resemblance to him as he is obviously from central Europe, and his physical features are similar. Barlow like Dracula highly intelligent and has thought through everything he is going to do. And he manages to stay ahead of those trying to thwart him using his familiar Straker. The town has layers of corruption that has allowed its inhabitants to turn a blind eye and avert noticing something is out of place. It is exactly the right place, a dying town, that Barlow and Straker come to and wipe out nearly the 1,319 souls that inhabit it.

[Spoiler Alert! If you have not read this story, do not read!]

The old Marsten House, shuttered after a terrible murder-suicide decades ago, is not unlike a castle perched to look out at the town below. It is considered cursed and haunted. A young boy named Ben Mears enters the house on a dare and sees the ghost of Hubie Marsten hanging from a rafter. He returns years later as a published writer wanting to face his fears about the house. The house is still there but it has new owners through a very curious real estate transaction with the town’s realtor Larry Crockett. Crockett is offered a piece of property worth four million dollars for the house and a store. Crockett is sure there is a catch, but all the paperwork checks out. So, he buys the properties, gets the land, and hands them the keys to the house and store. And nowhere does the names Barlow nor Straker appear on the official sale. Since the sale is no doubt questionable, he keeps quiet about it. And he blackmails a worker who saw kid’s clothes in the Marsten House basement that likely came from the missing kid.

King sets up a small town that looks like any other town except for its many warts. Everyone is going about their day and then suddenly the horror starts to ratchet up. First a young boy named Ralphie Glick is abducted and never found again. He is an offering by the familiar, Richard Straker, in a midnight satanic ritual in a cemetery. This is important because there already is an evil entity there and needs to be appeased. His death and sacrifice are tied up with the Marsten House, where Barlow will reside, and where Hubie Marsten once corresponded with Barlow (then called Breichen). Danny Glick collapses at home and is taken to the hospital, where he dies of pernicious anemia. He is Barlow’s first victim and rises after the funeral to bite Mike Ryerson who works at the cemetery. He too dies later and rises as well. Then Ryerson’s body and a baby at the morgue disappear as does Carl Foreman. Others begin to act sluggish during the day or simply disappear.

It happens very fast and the town seems not to notice though some do. A small group eventually forms: Ben Mears, Matt Burke, Father Callaghan, Susan Norton (Ben’s girlfriend), Dr. Jimmy Cody, and a young boy Mark Petrie. Both Mark and Susan end up captured when they go to the Marsten House but are captured by Straker. Mark would escape but alas Susan is bitten by Barlow and becomes a vampire. However, Mark manages to severely injure Straker that Barlow kills him because of all the blood. Father Callaghan, whose faith is wobbly and drinking too much, is overwhelmed by Straker and drinks his blood. He leaves town since he is unclean and cannot enter a church. Burke, who suffered a heart attack when Ryerson came to his house, provides analysis and research. As the days go on the streets are getting emptier, few people are around, and fewer stores open. Eventually, and after some very painful experiences such as having to kill Susan Norton, Barlow is killed in his coffin as the sun is setting. Unfortunately Cody got killed in a booby trap. The other vampires nearby can do nothing since they have been bathed in holy water and escape eventually to Mexico. They return a year later to burn the Marsten House down and the ensuing fire would consume the town as well.

In the end Barlow has achieved his goal as nearly the entire population was made into vampires. The town itself is just a shell now with decaying buildings, overgrown lawns, and strangely no rats or birds to be found. The people around there know something bad happened but are afraid to say what that might have been. King gives us a horror that lingers and has very troubling images. You have neighbors, now vampires, attacking their former friends. Children are not spared and nor are babies. A bus driver who terrorized the children on his bus finds them coming back as vampires to take revenge on him. Barlow uses his intelligence to thwart the small group but like Dracula, is beaten in the end. King delivers a terrifying story of a vampire destroying a small town and does it well. While some adaptations have been okay, the book fleshes out the characters better for great story worth reading anytime of the year. But not late at night with only a candle for light.

There have been several adaptations of the work. Two were miniseries and one was a feature film on a streaming service.

Salem’s Lot (1979) CBS

This is a 3-hour miniseries that was shown on CBS. There are two versions of it. One is the full three-hour version and a much shorter 2 -hour theatrical production. Directed by Tobe Hooper, the story is mostly the same though some characters are dropped or merged with others. The acting is top rate with David Soul as Ben Mears, Bonnie Bedelia as Susan Norton, and well-known veteran actor James Mason as Straker. Straker has a more prominent role than in the book here. The special effects, particularly with the vampires floating outside windows, are still scary to this day. The biggest change was the vampire. Instead of the human form that the book has, Hooper decided to go against form for effect and made him a Nosferatu in appearance. Unlike the book, he cannot speak so Straker does all the talking for him.  A good horror movie and adaptation as well.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Salem’s Lot (1994) TNT

This adaptation was also 3-hours long and made several differences from the 1979 version. Barlow this time is modeled from the book and jump scares are reduced to settings and atmosphere. Ben Mears is played by Rob Lowe who has a troubled history with the Marsten House believing he had something to do with a death of a child there. Susan Norton’s mother does not care much for Ben (like the book). It is hinted Larry Crockett has had incestual relations with his daughter Ruthie (who Dud Rogers lusts for and as a vampire bites her). Donald Sutherland’s portrayal of Straker is different. He is more crazed and less refined than James Mason. On the other hand, one can easily see his nastiness as well in his interactions. Father Callaghan was changed so that unlike in the book, he ends up leading the vampires after the town burns down (although it appears they are all dead killed over the years by Ben and Mark). Perhaps the most disturbing scene and deviation from the book is that Father Callaghan, now Barlow’s thrall, kills Matt Burke in his hospital bed. Rutger Hauer plays Barlow with great effect. While it is closer to the original book in some respects, it lacks the horror punch the first one did. Still worth watching.

Rating: 3 stars

Salem’s Lot (2024) Max

After some years of languishing, this movie version significantly cuts out much of the rich material in the King book and the other two miniseries.  It was originally going to be put into theatres in 2023, but Warner scrapped that and sent to Max instead. Of all the three, it is perhaps the weakest of all because of the streamlined story and other issues. Most critical reviews out there note all those deficiencies. While some liked it, overall, it missed the King story by a wide country mile. It does prove one thing: some Steven King novels are better suited for miniseries or a 2-part movie like IT.

Rating: Not yet viewed

Not a Remake or Adaptation

 Return to Salem’s Lot (1987)

Billed as a sequel, it has nothing to do with the original movie. Instead it is about a colony of vampires that migrated to the US and reside in Salem’s Lot. The story has no relation at all to the King book. The vampires are trying to mainstream themselves and use drones for both breeding and outside contact. Michael Moriarity’s character is shocked to learn, since he was there as a boy, that it was really vampires that ran the town. Other than for some visuals and not so clever criticisms of American way of life, not worth watching. It is one of the few movies some critics gave zero ratings for, so that gives you an idea of how poorly it was received.

Rating: 0

Suggested Book & Video

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Halloween

How Halloween Came to Be

Halloween Decoration in Fall
Vera Kratochvil
Publicdomainpictures.net

October 31st is set aside as Halloween. It is not an official holiday (meaning government shuts down, banks closed, and many professional offices closed) but is celebrated nearly as one these days. There are really two separate Halloweens, one is secular and the other religious. The secular one most people easily understand. Kids dress up in silly or scary masks and go to homes asking for candy by yelling “trick or treat” to those who open their doors. Pumpkins have become associated with the day along with all kinds of scary decorations as well. Horror movies get shown during this time. Halloween has a religious meaning to that goes back to how the Catholic Church set the day up.

The original meaning of Halloween was All Hallows Eve that got contracted over time to Halloween. All Hallows Eve is the vigil of All Saints Day, a solemnity (meaning a major feast in the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar). All Saints Day honors all the saints we know by name and any saint in heaven whose name is unknown to us. Originally this feast was celebrated on 13 May, but Pope Gregory III (731-741 AD) moved it to 1 November as that was the day the foundation of a new chapel (St. Peter’s Basilica) was being laid. He wanted to dedicate the new chapel to All Saints. Halloween then became part of a three-day period called ‘Days of the Dead” which it is the first day of (the vigil), then followed by All Saints and then by All Souls (those in purgatory).

During the reign of Pope Gregory IV (827-844 AD), he decided to make the feast of All Saints (just celebrated in Rome at that point) universal meaning all dioceses had to observe it. This meant that people with their own cultures would celebrate in their own ways. Since it was customary to have vigils before a major feast day, there was nothing unusual in this. In celebrating these holy days, we are reminded of heaven and hell. It reminds us that we have choices to make in this life that can lead to one of two outcomes: heaven or hell. By striving to live good lives by following God’s teachings, we want to go to heaven rather than the other place.

All Souls’ Day by Jakub Schikaneder(1855-1924)
National Gallery Prague
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

The roots of Halloween thus are not founded in any pagan celebration (such as Samhain or Druid festivals), and it is just coincidence that it occurs during the same time frame. If you study what those festivals were about, they had nothing to do with Christianity and followed a different belief system. Samhain, perhaps the best known, was a harvest festival in Scotland to celebrate the end of the harvest and to prepare for the coming of winter. It was a common belief (and not limited to Scotland, Ireland, or England) that this time of year where the transition from light to dark occurred meant also when evil spirits would abound to cause trouble. So, they would offer them food at their tables for these invisible guests. Mischief Night grew out of this as well where you would do pranks on your neighbors.

Jack O Lantern
Petr Kratochvil
publicdomainpibtures.net

Communal eating during this time meant lots of shared foods given out. The Scottish Halloween Cake was popular was hidden inside was a special prize of three trinkets. Later others celebrating All Souls Day would hand out pastries to those who came to console them on family who had passed away and that to would also add to the idea of handing out food during this time. Many wore masks to cover their faces so evil spirits would not see them. As the celebration of Samhain and others like it faded with the conversion to Christianity, some of the old rituals of having harvest festivals, wearing masks, and asking for food would continue. Creating lanterns too out of turnips and other things would continue. The Irish tradition of the Jack O’ Lantern was imported to the US and, thanks to the wonderful availability of pumpkins (and easier to carve than turnips) became a symbol for Halloween that many adopted as well.

Protestants had a different take on Halloween and All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. The argument (and there are several different ones, but this is the most basic) is that the Catholic church merely took over these pagan festivals and incorporated them into the church by renaming them. More zealous Protestant denominations like the Puritans banned Halloween (along with Christmas and Easter) saying they were pagan. In places where such views were strongly held (such as in the northeast of the U.S. or in England when the Puritans were in charge), it had the full power of the state to impose the restrictions. As time went out, and without many Catholics around to push back (in countries like England they were forbidden to practice and adherents who failed to submit to the new Protestant order imprisoned or executed), this became a dominant view of what Halloween was.

What the Protestants didn’t count on was the many peoples who celebrated Halloween and other holy days emigrated to America and settled outside where they had direct control (New England). The old English and Scottish custom of knocking on doors for Soul Cakes and promising to pray for the departed resumed along with wearing costumes. Likewise, the old customs of holding harvest festivals where people would gather, eat food, and share stories of old would resurrect. Kids would bob for apples, there would be spooky tales told, but most of all it was just a fun time. Halloween, far from being made extinct by like the Puritans, came back. And when the Puritans and those that shared their views fell out of favor and power in England, it came back (though sadly some traditions would remain more secular as a result).

What happened is the religious origins of Halloween have been completely overtaken and completely secularized. 

 Halloween then became a time of festivity, trick or treating, and putting on funny or sometimes scary outfits. The idea of Halloween parades would come about because of trying to curtail some of them more unpleasant sides of Halloween, namely Mischief Night pranks that sometimes got out of hand. Using toilet paper to cover trees, eggs to pelt cars and people, and sometimes more dangerous ones (like a flaming bag of dog poop on a porch) led to the creation of more ways to channel that energy.

Halloween candy, once a small, became national as did pumpkins. No longer were pumpkins just for pumpkin pie but many wanted them for decoration as well. And competition would emerge as to who could grow the biggest one of all. And of course, the selling of costumes and holiday decorations would explode as well. From costumes to candy, pumpkins to Halloween cakes, Halloween became an unofficial but nationally practice holiday that included kids as well as adults. And let us not forget the various Haunted Houses, haunted hayrides, and people decorating their houses in a wide variety of decorations.

There is a darker side to Halloween practiced by those who want to glorify violence, horror, and sexuality. Some use the time to dabble in such things as fortune telling, seances, using Ouija boards, or even ghost hunting. All those things most pagans wanted to avoid during their ancient festivals during this time. At best they wanted to placate spirits and avoid the evil ones as much as they could. Yet now many decide to do these things thinking they are harmless, but many find out it is not at all like they thought it would be. This is why people now are trying to reclaim Halloween to make it less dark and more family-friendly rather than just people dressed up as zombies or worse dressed up in some sexually explicit costumes.

Today you see more families doing more things together such as going to haunted hayrides or holding Halloween parties where kids can get treats and have fun as well. During Covid lockdowns, such celebrations were limited but coming back as is trick or treating. Many though are opting to also take the time to revisit what the original Halloween was all about. This is perhaps a natural outgrowth of the overhyping and commercialism of Halloween. The higher costs of many items such as candy as made people revisit some classics from the past such as popcorn, roasted pumpkin seeds, baking cookies, and even making your own candy. It is not as hard as you might think.

While the original meaning of Halloween has been secularized for a long time (like Christmas was before it got its resurgence in the 19th century), it is starting to move away from some of the more excessive parts. And for some, the day does include just a few prayers for the Days of the Dead that are to come.

Sources

“Halloween: Origins, Meaning & Traditions | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified October 27, 2025, accessed October 29, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-halloween.

“The Origins of Halloween: A Catholic Celebration Rediscovered,” EWTN Vatican, last modified October 31, 2023, accessed October 29, 2025, https://ewtnvatican.com/articles/true-origins-of-halloween-a-celebration-steeped-in-catholic-tradition-1788.

“Christian Roots of Halloween | Why Catholic,” Why Catholic, last modified October 25, 2025, accessed October 29, 2025, https://www.whycatholic.com/christian-roots-of-halloween/.

Nangia, Tamanna. “Where Did Halloween Come From? | Halloween, Origins, & Samhain.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified October 23, 2025. Accessed October 29, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Where-did-Halloween-come-from.

Stonehill, Heidi. “Halloween Traditions Explained: Jack-o’-Lanterns, Costumes & More.” Almanac.Com. Last modified October 22, 2025. Accessed October 29, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/origins-halloween-traditions

Suggested Reading

Rossetti, Msgr Stephen. Diary of an American Exorcist: Demons, Possession, and the Modern-Day Battle Against Ancient Evil. Sophia, 2021.

Van Den Aardweg, Gerard J. M. Hungry Souls: Supernatural Visits, Messages, and Warnings From Purgatory. Tan Books, 2009.

Baker, Robert A and Nickell, Joe. Missing Pieces: How to Investigate Ghosts, UFO’s Psychics, & Other Mysteries. 1992. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books

Thigpen, Paul. Saints and Hell, and Other Catholic Witnesses to the Fate of the Damned. Tan Books, 2019

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Titanic

Up For Auction: Rare Titanic First Class Passenger List

First Class Passenger List from Titanic
Screenshot from New York Post article
Image credit: Henry Aldridge & Son

Titanic first-class passenger Frederick Sutton perished when the ship sank in 1912, however some of his personal effects were found and given to his family. Now they are being put up for auction by Henry Aldridge & Son on 22 November 2025. One of the items being auctioned off is a rare first-class Titanic passenger list. While their names are known, the list that was distributed on Titanic has never been seen till now. Also being put up for auction are his personal effects that include a gold seal ring with his initials and a silver whistle.

It was incorrectly reported to the family that his body had been recovered and in Halifax. A letter from them informs that if they want to have his body brought home, they will need to purchase a first-class ticket to send the body home. A second batch of his effects will be auctioned off in 2026.

The first-class passenger list is expected to fetch $100,000 at auction.

Source

McCormack, Caitlin. “Titanic Archive Including Rare First-class Passenger List Expected to Sell for More Than $100K at Auction.” New York Post, October 29, 2025. https://nypost.com/2025/10/28/world-news/titanic-archive-including-rare-first-class-passenger-list-expected-to-sell-for-more-than-100000/.

Titanic

NTSB Report on Titan Submersible

Titan (submersible)
Becky Kagan Schott, OceanGate

As many of you will recall, back on June 2023 the submersible Titan imploded as it was near the Titanic wreck. The implosion killed five people. The NTSB issued its report on October 2. Here are the key findings.

  1. Titan likely sustained damage in earlier dives that weakened the vessel leading to the implosion.

2.  The engineering process to construct the submersible was inadequate allowing anomalies into the carbon fiber composite that failed to meet proper strength and durability requirements. OceanGate failed to properly test Titan and was unaware of its actual strength and durability not realizing how the vessel was stored and towed could be affected by these operations. Further its real time monitoring of the vessel was flawed not informing it was damaged after an earlier dive.

3. Emergency assets would have been available quicker if OceanGate had followed certain protocols. They did not implement guidance from a circular issued by the Coast Guard that would have had emergency response nearby resulting in the Titan being found sooner.

4. NTSB found criticism of the U.S.  Coast Guard’s reaction to the implosion unwarranted. OceanGate failed to notify them of its planned expedition. Their efforts in the search and discovery of the Titan wreckage were both effective and timely.

5. The current guidance on U.S. small passenger vessels of this type is insufficient. NTSB recommends that current international standards be adopted for consistent design, construction and operation of these vessels.

?The implosion was not the result of one fatal error but a combination of factors that led to the tragic implosion. Hull failure occurred because of OceanGate’s flawed engineering process which did not determine actual strength and durability of the carbon fiber composite vessel. Further an unknown internal damage occurred as well that led to the buckling and the implosion. Contributing were conflicting guidance between U.S. and international standards on the operation of these vessels and insufficient U.S. small passenger vessel regulations. OceanGate’s own pressure monitoring system data was flawed allowing continued operation of a damaged vessel.

The upshot from both the earlier U.S. Coast Guard report and this one from NTSB is that implementation of construction, safety, and operation standards must be implemented to ensure such vessels operate safely. They recommend the Coast Guard create a commission to do this and work with international bodies to make sure these standards are implemented. Until this is done, deep dives like this will probably will not occur.

Source

“Hull Failure and Implosion of Submersible Titan,” NTSB, last modified October 2, 2025, accessed October 21, 2025, https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA23FM036.aspx.

History

Seward’s Folly: The Purchase of Alaska (18 Oct 1867)

Check issued to pay Russia for Alaska purchase.
This treasury warrant was issued to Russia on 1 Aug 1868 for the purchase of Alaska. This transferred $7.2 million to the Russian Minister to the U.S. Edouard de Stoeckl.
Public Domain

In 1867 the announcement that the United States had purchased Alaska from Russia caused many to scratch their heads and wonder if someone had gone mad in President Andrew Johnson’s administration. Secretary of State William Henry Seward had championed the purchase of the remote land, and it became known as “Seward’s Folly.” The 586,412 square miles were purchased for $7.2 million, a relative bargain of about 2 cents per acre at the time. While many opposed it, others saw it as a positive move in expanding the territory of the United States.

Alaska was remote and few, except explorers mapping the coastline, visited there. The Russians, desiring to expand their fur business in Siberia, first landed in 1732 and by 1739 had established an official presence with the creation of the Russia-American Company (RAC). There was no formal colony, but the Russian Orthodox Church sent missionaries to convert the native population living there. The land itself was twice the size of Texas and ended up being controlled by 700 Russians. Worried about both Britain and the United States trying to lay a claim, Tsar Alexander I in 1821 issued an edict declaring Russian sovereignty over the territory. The edict also forbade foreign ships to approach their territory which resulted in the US Secretary of State John Quincy Adams protesting it. The tensions were soothed by the Russo-American Treaty of 1824 where Russia limited its claim to lands north of parallel 54 and opened Russian ports to U.S. ships.

Two events would cause Russia problems for Alaska. One was that the hunting of sea otters had resulted in the near extinction of the species reducing drastically Russia’s income from it. Down in California the discovery of gold brought thousands of Americans in such numbers that they took it from Mexico. With a dwindled treasury after losing the Crimea War to Britain and France, Alaska being remote was hard to defend. And they were concerned the British might try and seize it at some point as well. When the Czar’s own brother began to note it was too remote to protect, it was decided to negotiate with the U.S. about purchasing it from them. Talks began in the 1850’s, but as the American Civil War began, talks stopped. Seward, who acted as Secretary of State in both the Lincoln and Johnson administrations, was all in favor of getting Alaska.

The conclusion of the Civil War saw talks resume in secret. Czar Alexander II gave his authorization to negotiate the sale. Negotiations started in early March 1867 and were concluded on March 30. The agreement called for $7.2 million to be paid in gold. Aside from the remoteness of Alaska, Russia struck the deal to get back at Britain. With the U.S. at the 49th parallel and in Alaska, it hemmed them in and prevented them from using Alaska as an outpost to be used against them. Seward had to hold numerous dinners to sway members of the U.S. Senate, which had final say on any treaty, as to the merits of the deal. Many were swayed that it opened new opportunities to expand the country and exploit the resources it had (except the snow of course). Others lampooned the purchase and called it “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s icebox.” The name Seward’s Folly still exists to this day though its original meaning turned out to be unfounded.

Signing the Alaska Treaty of Cessation, L. to R. Robert S. Chew, Secretary of State (USA) William H. Seward, William Hunter, Mr. Bodisco, Russian Ambassador Baron de Stoeckl, Charles Sumner, Fredrick W. Seward, William H. Seward House, Auburn, New York
Painting by Emanuel Leutze (1816–1868);1867.
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Those who studied the accounts of explorers (like Senator Charles Sumner) realized that Alaska had a lot of untapped resources that would be valuable for the country. Others saw Alaska as important in the growing Asian trade. The population of Alaska was divided perhaps into two categories-Russians who lived in the trading posts and the native peoples-with around a total population of 10,000 (about 2,500 Russians and the rest the native peoples). There were also many of mixed Russian and Native Alaskan blood as well.

Some earlier histories report that most American were not in support of the purchase, but that turns out to be mostly inaccurate. The sensational accounts written in newspapers decrying the purchase probably stuck in people’s memory and got passed on. And if you just looked at certain newspapers, you might come away with the view that the purchase was very unpopular indeed. However, that was not the case. In many cases it was both cautiousness and skepticism that was at play. While some U.S. senators were unsure, most came around and it passed the senate on a 37-2 vote ratifying the treaty and the purchase of the land. Russia had called it Alyaska but American chose to call it Alaska from an Aleutword alashka meaning great land or mainland.

President Johnson appointed General Lovell H. Rousseau to oversee the transfer of power. He left New York on 31 August 1867, crossed by land over Panama and then up to San Francisco (remember the transcontinental railroad was not completed till 1869). There with ships loaded with troops and supplies, he headed up to Alaska on a slow voyage to Sitka. Sitka waw the only sizeable Russian town in Alaska. He arrived on 18 October. The transfer went smoothly from all accounts. The Russian flag came down with American and Russian troops present along with representatives of the native peoples. Russian troops then departed and any Russians who decided to stay could become American citizens.

Back later in Washington though, a firestorm was taking place. President Johnson had been impeached in 1868 (but survived being removed in the senate by one vote) and Republicans in the House of Representatives refused to allocate the money to pay Russia. Finally in July 1868, after Johnson lost the Democratic party nomination for president, the money was allocated. However, it would be learned through a congressional investigation of corruption in the allocation of the $7.2 million in gold. Edouard de Stoeckl, the Russian minister to the United States, had bribed lobbyists and journalists to push for the allocation. A much later review of notes from President Johnson and Seward indicated that they were also aware money had been used to bribe members of Congress as well. The scandal tainted the whole process, but the sale had been done. And Seward headed to Alaska after leaving government in 1869 touring Sitka, meeting the inhabitants, and even being briefed the land was destined to become a state and a tourist attraction.

Aftermath

Most Russians would head back home as they found living there was not for them. The U.S. Army was officially in charge (and would be till 1877) and it was more like a frontier town than a settlement. Many did come and open up businesses in Alaska. Alas many who came with big dreams realized it would require a lot of capital since all your needed supplies would likely have to be shipped in meaning long delays in getting started. So many who came left back for home where they could start a similar business far cheaply. However, when gold was discovered, it spawned the Klondike Rush of 1896 as thousands came to Alaska to find the precious mineral. It was then Alaska was seen as something important to the whole U.S. and would spark a lot of people developing the resources of Alaska to its fullest. The influx of people meant big money was going to be invested in all kinds of businesses, namely mining at first, and Alaska became a popular place to be.

Alaska would become a territory and later a district (though it would formally be called a territory of the United States). A civilian government replaced both the Army and various other federal departments that for a time ruled Alaska. It would remain a territory until admitted as a state on 3 January 1959. Alaska Day, a day to commemorate the official transfer from Russia to the United States, is a state holiday on 18 October. The folly, it seems, became golden in the end and today is considered an important state rather than the icebox once some that it would be.

Sources

“U.S. Takes Possession of Alaska | October 18, 1867 | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified May 28, 2025, accessed October 20, 2025, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-18/u-s-takes-possession-of-alaska.

Jesse Greenspan, “Why the Purchase of Alaska Was Far From ‘Folly’ | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified January 31, 2025, accessed October 20, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/why-the-purchase-of-alaska-was-far-from-folly.

“Alaska Purchase | 1867, Price, Folly, History, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified October 15, 2025, accessed October 20, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/Alaska-Purchase.

Alaska Historical Society, “European Reactions to the Alaska Purchase – Alaska Historical Society,” Alaska Historical Society – Dedicated to the Promotion of Alaska History by the Exchange of Ideas and Information., last modified March 10, 2018, accessed October 20, 2025, https://alaskahistoricalsociety.org/about-ahs/special-projects/150treaty/150th-resource-library/new-articles/european-reactions-to-the-alaska-purchase/.

History

Fascinating History: Al Capone Goes to Jail (17 Oct 1931)

On 17 October 1931, Alphonse Gabriel Capone (commonly known as Al Capone or Scarface), an American gangster who had achieved notoriety as the boss of the Chicago Outfit, was convicted of tax evasion. It ended the reign of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s.

The son of Italian immigrants and originally from Brooklyn, New York he went to Chicago in 1920 where he was helping crime boss Johnny Torrio run his illegal enterprises. The 18th Amendment, commonly called Prohibition, had come into effect in January 1920. Under this law (called the Volstead Act), the manufacture, transportation, and transportation of alcohol was banned. Passed as means to end the terrible effects of alcohol intoxication and addiction, it instead allowed the rise of criminal enterprises that dominated the 1920’s. From illegal production or importation of alcohol to operating places to drink (speakeasies), it poured millions into criminal enterprises.

While other criminal activity still went on (smuggling, gambling and prostitution), alcohol was the biggest income producer for gangs such as Torrio ran. When Torrio retired in 1925, Capone took over control. Capone had to deal also with rival gangs such as Bugs Moran. Violence between gangs was often in public and bloody culminating in the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929. Bugs Moran would have been there but saw a police car and left thinking it was a raid. In fact, it is believed that the men, dressed as policemen and associated with the Capone gang, shot the seven men associated with the Moran gang. It officially remains unsolved, but most believe Capone responsible for the murders.

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre became national news and with Capone’s alleged association to it, his notoriety increased. Capone had relied on bribing city officials, intimidation and various hideouts to avoid arrest. He did spend 10 months in Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia for carrying a concealed handgun but ran his operation from jail. The effect though of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre was to bring the federal government into the situation. From corrupt city officials, police, and magistrates, the case was made the city was under the control of gangsters like Capone. President Hoover directed federal agencies concentrate on Capone and his allies.

Using a multi-agency approach, the Treasury and Justice Departments came up with plans on that attacked from two sides. First was to attack the gangsters for income tax evasion and then second to use small elite squads of Prohibition Bureau agents (this included the famous Eliot Ness) to be used against the bootleggers. William A. Strong, publisher of the Chicago Daily News (and who had urged Hoover to act), used his newspapers resources to gather intelligence to aid the investigations. The famous Untouchables in Chicago led by Eliot Ness were responsible for trying to inflict economic damage on his organization. Unlike what was shown in the movie The Untouchables, it was a large unit, and the income tax angle was done elsewhere.

As the treasury bore down on him, Capone tried get his tax records into shape to prevent going to jail. He offered to pay for certain years in hopes of a reduced sentence and fine. A letter from his lawyer conceding large taxable income was a great gift to the prosecution. With a ledger and his accountant, the government position was to imply his control. Capone’s spending was presented to paint a vivid picture of someone who lived quite large having access to large sums of money to spend. It worked. He was convicted of evading $215,000 in taxes with an income of $1,038,654 during a five-year period.  Judge Wilkerson gave him the maximum penalty for the five counts: 11 years. He was also fined $50,000, $7,692 in court costs, and interest on the $215,000 that had not been paid.

His career as head of the Chicago Outfit would end. He was sent to the Atlanta U.S. Penitentiary in May 1932. However, Judge Wilkerson became concerned when he got reports of special treatment. Capone was suffering from both syphilis and gonorrhea, and had taken cocaine suffering withdrawal symptoms as well. He was transferred to Alcatraz in August 1934. Due to neurosyphilis that eroded his mental faculties, he would spend most of his time in the hospital section. After completing his term in January 1939, he was sent to another facility to serve out his contempt of court sentence. He would be paroled in November 1939 and received treatment at Union Memorial Hospital.

After treatments, he would go to Palm Island Florida where he remained for the rest of his life. He got treatments with the newest mass-produced drug called penicillin. It could not reverse his disease but helped him lived longer. He would die from heart failure on 25 January 1947. He was originally buried at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago. His remains were later removed (along with his family’s) to Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillsdale, Illinois.

Aftermath

With the repeal of the 18th Amendment when the 21st Amendment  was ratified in December 1933, Prohibition had come to an end. Only a few states choose to remain dry (that would change much later) ending the income for illicit alcohol that had given rise to gangs like the Chicago Outfit. Organizations like Chicago Outfit would take a quieter approach and avoid public violence to avoid either local or federal police investigations. These organizations focused on prostitution, union racketeering, and gambling after the Capone years. In later years, much to the chagrin of J. Edgar Hoover of the FBI, it would be found these criminal organizations had become very powerful and worked together.

Sources

Al Capone

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

Titanic

Remembering History: Pierre Laval Executed (15 Oct 1945) and Hermann Goering Commits Suicide (15 Oct 1946)

Pierre Laval Executed (15 October 1945)

FRANCE – JANUARY 02: Marshal Petain And Prime Minister Pierre Laval In The Park Of The Sevigne Pavillion In Vichy In 1942. Behind Them, On The Left, Dr. Bernard Menetrel Keeps Out Of Their Conversation. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)
Public Doman via Wikimedia Commons

Following the French surrender to Germany in 1940, the Vichy state was created with Henri -Phillipe Pétain in charge and Pierre Laval as head of state. Laval began his political life as a pacifist but shifted to fascism in the 1930’s and anti-communist supporting France aligning with Italy rather than the Soviet Union. With war looming in 1939, he argued against war with Germany encouraging the antiwar faction to avoid sending troops into Germany when it invaded Poland in September 1939. His support of Germany got himself a high position in the new Vichy government.

Pétain disliked Laval and dismissed him after learning he was negotiating with Germany on his own. His friendship with Hitler though would bring him back into power becoming the real ruler of Vichy with Pétain as a figurehead. Under his rule, he carried out German directives rounding up and deporting Jews and imposing their draconian laws and policies. He fled to Germany after France was liberated in 1944. He had to flee again when Germany was defeated in 1945 to Spain. Franco deported him and hid out in Austria ultimately surrendering to American forces. Put on trial in France for his collaboration with Germany, he was found guilty of treason after a sensational trial that revealed how complicit he had been. Sentenced to death, he attempted suicide and failed. He was executed by firing squad on 15 October 1945.

Marshal Henri -Phillipe Pétain, revered for his service for France in World War I, was spared execution. Though convicted of treason and sentenced to death, the court asked that it not be carried out. President Charles de Gaulle commuted his sentence to life imprisonment. He was stripped of nearly all his military ranks and decorations but retained the rank of Marshal. He died in 1951.

Hermann Goering Commits Suicide (15 October 1946)

Herman Goering body, 15 Oct 1946
Public Domain

Hermann Goering was the highest member of Nazi Germany to be put on trial after World War II (except for Admiral Donitz who was appointed Reich President by Hitler in 1945). As Reichsmarschall, he held the highest military rank answerable only to Hitler and his designated successor. He commanded the Luftwaffe, was president of the Reichstag, prime minister of Prussia and many more titles too long to list here. Under his direction, concentration camps were created to imprison the regime’s enemies. Goering was greatly responsible for many of the anti-Jewish policies that were implemented particularly Kristallnacht where Jewish business were looted and nearly every synagogue was burned to the ground. He was known for his great art collection that was substantially increased as it was enlarged by art taken from captured countries.

Because of his high position and Hitler’s confidence in him, few dared to oppose him. Only SS head Heinrich Himmler was his only threat. Both ironically would try and fail to assume power in the last days before Germany fell in 1945. Goering’s stature had diminished over time with Hitler. He failed to deliver a fatal blow during the Battle of Britain (1940) and his Luftwaffe did not deter enemy bombings of Germany. His increased reliance on painkillers to overcome depression led to addiction causing problems for Hitler and others around him. After his dismissal (officially called a retirement for health reasons), he would later surrender himself to Allied forces rather than be taken by the Soviets. He would be tried in Nuremberg for various crimes against humanity.

As a result of his imprisonment, Goering’s addiction to painkillers ended allowing him to defend himself at the International Military Tribunal. He denied complicity in the more heinous acts done in concentration camps and the murdering of Jews, blaming them on Himmler. He tried to portray himself as a peacemaker and diplomat. Some testimony pointed out that opposing Hitler was impossible as it meant execution. However, when documents were introduced showing his complicity in Kristallnacht in 1938. Testimony also showed he knew about the execution of 50 airman who escaped but got recaptured as well as the extermination of Hungarian Jews.

He was found guilty of all charges on 30 September 1946 and sentenced to be hanged. He asked to be shot as a soldier but that was denied. Before he was to be executed on 16 October 1946, he committed suicide the night before taking a potassium cyanide capsule. Attempts to revive him failed but the mystery of how he obtained the poison would linger for years. A note written by him was found in 1967 stating he had hidden the capsule in a pomade container. In 2005 a former army private, Lee Stivers, who had served in the honor guard at the trial, came forward to say he had been given a pen by a German girl named Mona. According to his story, he had met her on the street one day and was impressed with him. Two male acquaintances of hers asked him to take secret messages to Goering using a fountain pen. He did this twice but on the third time he was told it contained a pill that was medication for Goering. He never saw the woman or the two men again and came forward to clear his conscience in the matter.

There are many that doubt Stivers story, but some believe it to be true. Aaron Breitbart of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles is quoted by the BBC as saying, “is crazy enough to be true.” In the end his body and the others executed were cremated and the ashes scattered over the Isar River.

Sources

Pierre Laval

Hermann Goering

Suggested Reading

Bross, Werner. Conversations with Göring Nuremberg 1946. Translated by Ralf Einem. Independently published, 2024.

Curtis, Michael. Verdict on Vichy: Power and Prejudice in the Vichy France Regime. Orion Media, 2004.

Gilbert, Martin. Kristallnacht: Prelude to Destruction. Harper Collins, 2007.

Manvell, Roger, and Heinrich Fraenkel. Goering: The Rise and Fall of the Notorious Nazi Leader. Skyhorse Publishing Inc., 2011.

Paxton, Robert O. Vichy France: Old Guard and New Order 1940-1944. Columbia University Press, 2001.

Persico, Joseph E. Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial Penguin, 1995

Shirer, William L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany. Simon and Schuster, 2011.

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History

Today is Christopher Columbus Day (Observed)

Christopher Columbus (done after his death in 1506)
Sebastiano del Piombo (1485–1547)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Today is Columbus Day in the United States.  Celebrating Columbus began in 1792 in New York City and became an annual tradition.  As a result of 11 Italian immigrants being murdered by a mob in New Orleans in 1892, President Benjamin Harrison declared Columbus Day as a one-time national celebration. This was also part of a wider effort to ease tensions and to placate Italian Americans and Italy, which had expressed official dismay at the murders. Italian Americans began using Columbus Day to not only celebrate Columbus but their heritage as well.

Serious lobbying was undertaken to enshrine the holiday in states and ultimately the federal government. Colorado proclaimed it a holiday in 1905 and made it an official holiday in 1907. In 1934 after lobbying from the Knights of Columbus and New York City Italian leader Generoso Pope, Congress passed a statute requiring the president to proclaim October 12 as Columbus Day each year and asked Americans to observe it with “appropriated ceremonies” in schools, churches, and other places. However, it was a not yet a federal holiday. The effort to make it a federal holiday began in 1966 when the National Columbus Day Committee lobbied to make it a federal holiday. This was achieved in 1968 and has been a federal holiday since then.

Like most federal holidays, it is often celebrated on a Monday of the week the date it falls on. The exception being if falls on a Saturday, it would be celebrated on Friday.

Columbus is recognized for his discovery of the New World. He, like many, were eager to discover the riches of Cathay, India, and Japan. Since the Ottoman Empire closed off using Egypt and the Red Sea to Europeans (land routes were closed as well), European explorers were eager to find a sea route. Columbus (and he was not the only one) held the belief that by sailing west they would be able to get to the Indies. While many educated Europeans (like Columbus) believed the Earth was round, they had no concept of how it big it really was. Thus, they thought East Asia was closer than it was.

After securing financing from the Spanish monarchy, Columbus set sail on 3 August 1492 with three ships-Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina–from Palos, Spain. On 12 October 1492 land was sighted. They would find Cuba later and Columbus thought it was Japan. They landed on Hispaniola in December and left a small colony behind. Returning to Spain in 1493, he was received with high honors by the Spanish court.

Map of the first voyage of Christopher Columbus, 1492-1493. Modern place names are in black, Columbus’s place names are in blue.
Keith Pickering (28 Nov 2011)
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Columbus would lead four expeditions to the New World exploring the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and South and Central American mainland. His original goal of finding a western ocean route to Asia was never accomplished. And he likely never truly understood the full scope of what he had accomplished. The New World–North America, the Caribbean, Central and South America–would open new opportunities for exploration and wealth. Spain would become one of the wealthiest and powerful nations on Earth as a result.

Sea travel of great distances in the 15th century was quite a challenge, fraught with all kinds of uncertainty and dangers. They had to depend on the wind, current and favorable weather, and the stars. The sextant had not been invented yet, so they used a procedure called Dead Reckoning. This required the use of simple arithmetic and process to determine their location. A long rope was used, a piece of wood, an hourglass, and a compass. The navigator would record in a logbook the daily speed and direction. The rope was knotted every four to six feet along its length. Arithmetic tells us that distance traveled in a single direction can be measured by multiplying the speed with the time. You might have done some of this in grade school. A car traveling at 30 miles per hour for two hours would travel 60 miles (speed x 2). A navigator would log the speed, direction, and time in the log. In this way they could measure the distance traveled to and from where they departed from. Changes in wind speed and other things would be recorded as well. Columbus used his own version, gained from experience sailing, of determining the speed and direction to enter in his log. He could feel the keel moving through the water and with his sense of the wind, knew what the speed of his ship was.

It was a remarkable and historic undertaking. Long sea voyages were often avoided because you were away for years at a time and dependent a great deal on nature to survive. And there was the terrible specter of scurvy. Many would die on long sea voyages from this scourge, which came from the lack of vitamin c in the diet. Fresh water in kegs often wet bad after a month, so beer and spirits (often rum), was where you got water from. Fruits and vegetables would only last so long, and meat had to be cured for long term use. So, food was rationed carefully. Later when it was realized that having citrus would alleviate this condition, sailors would get lime or lemon juice as part of their daily food ration. It became so common on British Royal Navy ships the sailors were called Limeys.

Italians and Spanish are rightly proud of his accomplishment. Others had touched upon America (the Vikings for one) prior to Columbus but none had opened the door as he did to a new part of the world that had been undiscovered. Like all our accomplished heroes of the past, he had his faults. In fact, not one hero you can point to doesn’t have faults. The ancient Greeks knew this and what defined a hero was someone who rose above them to do something extraordinary. The Greek hero Heracles (Hercules in Latin) had all kinds of faults but did things that rose above them. Columbus should be remembered for the courage, bravery, and fortitude to sail over the horizon to see what lay beyond. It would change the world and end the Venetian and Ottoman control of trade to the East forever. Columbus died on 20 May 1506. Gout was considered the cause of his death, but doctors today believe it was reactive arthritis.

Sources

Flint and Valerie IJ, “Christopher Columbus | Biography, Nationality, Voyages, Ships, Route, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified October 11, 2025, accessed October 12, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christopher-Columbus.

“Christopher Columbus – Facts, Voyage & Discovery | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified October 9, 2025, accessed October 12, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/christopher-columbus.

Rafael Ortiz, “Christopher Columbus Was 100% Italian,” last modified July 29, 2025, accessed October 12, 2025, https://www.christophercolumbusthehero.com/2025/07/christopher-columbus-was-100-italian.html.

“Christopher Columbus: Man and Myth – 1492: An Ongoing Voyage | Exhibitions – Library of Congress,” accessed October 12, 2025, https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/1492/columbus.html.

Hunter Reardon, “Restored Columbus Statue From Richmond Finds New Home in New York,” Biweekly Newspaper for the Diocese of Richmond, last modified November 1, 2024, accessed October 12, 2025, https://catholicvirginian.org/news/restored-columbus-statue-finds-new-home-in-new-york/.

History

Interesting History: The First Train Robbery in U.S. History (6 Oct 1866)

Advertisement for the 1896 play The Great Train Robbery.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540
Public Domain

Traveling was hazardous in the early days. Roads were generally poor especially in winter and rarely maintained except near cities. Travelers also faced being robbed by thieves on the roads. Railroads changed that by connecting people and freight to cities and towns. It seemed implausible, except when the train was in a depot or a freight yard, that a moving train would be robbed. On October 6, 1866, the Reno Gang boarded a train in Indiana and made off with $13,000 in cash, bank notes, and gold coins. The daring robbery wase replicated by other gangs resulting in railroads having to come up with better methods of protecting both passengers and valuable shipments.

On the night of October 6, 1866, the Reno Gang boarded the Ohio & Mississippi train at the Seymour depot. Once the train was underway, they made their way wearing masks to the Adams Express Company–a company that transported currency, precious metals, and packages–car where they forced the clerk to open a safe. They got $10,000 in bank notes and $3,000 in gold coins. Another safe could not be opened so they tossed it out; they were never able to open it. After signaling the train to stop, they got off and disappeared into the night

First logo for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Color version.
Circa 1850’s
Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

The Reno Brothers were well known gang before and after the Civil War and caused lots of headaches. The gang frequently robbed post offices, homes, and murdered those who might talk about them. Their audacious robbery of a train would soon be imitated by other gangs and would become part of the lore of the old west. Trains carrying gold, cash, and other precious metal would become targets and became frequent in the 1870’s-1880’s. And they would become more deadly over time. Railroads were anxious to stop this banditry as it caused lots of bad press, angry passengers, and impacted shipping. So, they began adding armed guards to their trains along with horses in some cases so they could give chase. Bounties were made and the famous Pinkerton Agency was used to help track them down as well.

To make it more difficult to offload safes, they were made extra heavy all but making it impossible to toss them off the trains. And the people on the train may not have access to those safes for security reasons either making it useless to try and hold up the train (except to rob the passengers). While in the early days targeting trains was easy, deadly shootouts between the armed guards and gangs made it not worth trying as time went on. The Reno Brothers, an already notorious gang before and after the Civil War, added this to their roster of crimes that included robbing post offices, banks, homes, and murder. It did not end well for them. In 1868 after another successful train robbery that netted them $96,000, they were captured and held in jail pending trial. They had badly beaten an armed guard in the robbery and when he died while they were in jail, a vigilante mob was formed. They broke into the jail and took the Reno Brothers (Frank, William, and Sim) out and hung them from a tree.

Like most gangs, they had their supporters who threatened retaliation. The vigilantes-officially called the Jackson County Vigilance Committee-made it known that any retaliation would be met fiercely, which seems to have worked. While many in law enforcement wanted to bring them to trial and were not happy with this action, none of the vigilantes were identified or brought to trial for their actions. This ended one of the darker periods in southern Indiana history. The Reno Brothers Gang though would fade in memory while other gangs (such as the James Gang) would become more well known.

Sources

Jason Daley, “How The Reno Gang Launched the Era of American Train Robberies,” Smithsonian Magazine, October 6, 2016, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/reno-gang-launched-era-american-train-robberies-180960702/.

“Reno Gang’S Reign of Terror,” HistoryNet, last modified August 9, 2016, accessed October 6, 2025, https://www.historynet.com/reno-gangs-reign-of-terror/?r.

“The Reno Brothers Carry Out the First Train Robbery in U.S. History | October 6, 1866 | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified May 27, 2025, accessed October 6, 2025, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-6/first-u-s-train-robbery.

“Outlaws,” accessed October 6, 2025, https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-renogang/.