Money does not exist. Only its value does. Go to the bank and ask to see the $1,000 in your

Why Are High Schools Graduating Illiterate Seniors? If you really want to know what is happening in America’s schools, do

Coming Out of the Water Dry (The 1838 Missouri Extermination Order) “The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must

When Detective Heinz Noonan arrives in Spokane to investigate a simple case of double obituaries, he has no idea he’s

Detective Heinz Noonan, the “Bearded Homes,” is sent to Virginia Beach, North Carolina, to find 30 antique Christian crosses that

Why would anyone steal something that has no value? And then stick the insurance company for a ten-million-dollar loss? That’s

How can $2 million in diamonds vanish? First, the diamonds were assessed to make sure they were authentic. Then, in

The Alaska Gold Rush is the least studied era of United States history. If you pull up Alaska Gold Rush

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“Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.”

“Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.”

This is a photograph of a ship somewhere along the Mississippi before the Civil War.

“Who invented the telephone booth?

“Who invented the telephone booth?

Thomas Watson, Alexander Graham Bell’s assistant. His landlady complained about the excessive noise he was

Not that one!  This one!

Not that one!  This one!

In the 1950s, American engineers working in the Middle East – where liquor was frowned

Nothing is worse than a missed opportunity

Nothing is worse than a missed opportunity

Petroleum as a fuel source is on the wane.  We will not have another century

“62 days on the road and for what?!”

“62 days on the road and for what?!”

During the summer of 1919, a United States Army Major was assigned to a transcontinental

“He’s cccrrraaazzzyyyyy!”

“He’s cccrrraaazzzyyyyy!”

It was said that the Roman Emperor Caligula once declared war on Neptune, the God

No, what you are seeing is history, not fantasy.

No, what you are seeing is history, not fantasy.

Charles VI of France (1368-1422) was daffy. He thought he was made of glass and

“Talk about luck!!!”

“Talk about luck!!!”

There’s been a lot of talk about who was on the Titanic. How about the

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“How high is too high for heels?”

“How high is too high for heels?”

Like many fashions, high heels have come a long way since the 10th Century when

Mata Hari:  Spy? Scapegoat? Payback? To this day, no one knows for sure.

Mata Hari: Spy? Scapegoat? Payback? To this day, no one knows for sure.

In February of 1917, Mata Hari, an exotic dancer and self-confessed harlot, was arrested in

America in a Snapshot

America in a Snapshot

One of the nice things about historic photographs – please excuse the pun – is

Sometimes you can have TOO MUCH of a good thing

Sometimes you can have TOO MUCH of a good thing

I’ll bet you think you are looking at flowers. WRONG!  These are ‘fields’ of abandoned

“Say that again, will you?”

“Say that again, will you?”

    Sometimes it does not pay to advertise.

They were black but bled red just like the white soldiers

They were black but bled red just like the white soldiers

While the Afghanistan War was America’s longest, the shortest was the Spanish American War.  It

“Hey, that ain’ money!”

“Hey, that ain’ money!”

Actually, it is. During the Alaska Gold Rush there was not many United States dollars

Welcome to the Melting Pot

Welcome to the Melting Pot

One of my favorite anecdotes, hopefully true, involves a couple from Iowa who were visiting

Not a lot of social distancing here

Not a lot of social distancing here

Not a lot of social distancing here but, then again, this was 1890. Historically, the

Ugly, eh?

Ugly, eh?

Huh? What’s that?  Ugly, eh? Yeah, but it is the start of a new scientific

Talk about speed!

Talk about speed!

Talk about speed!  A little more than 100 years ago – on October 10, 1913

No, what you are seeing is history, not fantasy.

No, what you are seeing is history, not fantasy.

Charles VI of France (1368-1422) was daffy. He thought he was made of glass and

Alaska Gold Rush

Alaska Gold Rush

This is probably the most well-known photograph of the Alaska Gold Rush.  There is just

“She’s a member of the Lunatic Fringe?!”

“She’s a member of the Lunatic Fringe?!”

Hollywood aficionados will immediately recognize Louise Brooks.  Her beauty is timeless. She was an icon

In the days when “horsepower” meant horse power

In the days when “horsepower” meant horse power

Today, “horsepower” is a measure of strength of a car.  But that has only been

Make America great again.

Make America great again.

Bitcoins and money. Prior to Alaska statehood, there is a dearth of coins.   BIG transactions

The Matter of the Duplicating, Litigating Litigant

The Matter of the Duplicating, Litigating Litigant

When a lawyer tries to manipulate the system by suing herself, Heinz Noonan finds a simple solution that turns a clever scheme into a costly mistake.
“An Alaska Gold Rush Specialty!  Really!!”

“An Alaska Gold Rush Specialty! Really!!”

Before Alaska was a Territory it was a District. The first Governor of the District

“Yes, Dorothy, there is such a thing as fake news.”

“Yes, Dorothy, there is such a thing as fake news.”

I, as an Alaskan, am outraged some people are giving fake news a bad name. 

“What do you do when the boss is an idiot?”

“What do you do when the boss is an idiot?”

One fateful day in the 1870s, the James Robinson Circus traveled to Middleton, Missouri.  As

Different Mysteries

Different Mysteries

See my ‘different mysteries’ at https://authormasterminds.com/master-of-the-impossible-crime. See my webinar at http://bit.ly/2zjyiYG.]

Alaskan Humorist Warren Sitka #1

Alaskan Humorist Warren Sitka #1

Alaskan humorist Warren Sitka notes the problem with ignorance is it breeds faster than common

“When someone says, ‘He lost it all,’  they may be referring to Horace Greeley.”

“When someone says, ‘He lost it all,’ they may be referring to Horace Greeley.”

Today, Horace Greeley is best known for his advice, “Go West, young man, and grow

“Bite the whatttt?!”

“Bite the whatttt?!”

When Coke was introduced in China in 1982, Chinese shopkeepers sold the beverage as kekoukela.