James Wyman Johnson attended a Union army recruitment meeting at the Vail country schoolhouse in October 1861, about five months after the start of the Civil War. As he was mowing with his scythe the next morning, he decided to enlist. When he returned to the house, he hung his scythe in the small tree, about 8 inches in diameter and just a few feet tall, near the kitchen door. He told his parents he was going to enlist and remarked that the scythe was to stay hanging on the tree until he returned from war.... He died on May 22, 1864, from his wounds and was buried in an unknown grave.... Years passed and the handle fell away, the tree grew and gradually surrounded the blade. The long scythe blade only protruded a few inches outside the mammoth tree trunk.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Nov 03, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Agriculture, Death, Family, War, Fables, Myths, Urban Legends, Rumors, Water-Cooler Lore, Nineteenth Century
Posted By: Paul - Thu Oct 19, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Agriculture, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Human Marvels
Senator John C. Stennis poses with Miss Katherine Alexander of Booneville, Mississippi and Governor of Miss. J. P. Coleman at the State Queen of the Forest Pageant in 1956. Left to Right: Senator Stennis, Miss Katherine Alexander, and Governor J. P. Coleman.
1959 Press Photo Dixie Shadburn, "Queen of the Forest" for Southeast Mississippi
Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 31, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Agriculture, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Regionalism, 1950s, 1960s
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jun 24, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Agriculture, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Parades and Festivals, Regionalism, Twentieth Century, Twenty-first Century
Posted By: Alex - Thu Apr 21, 2022 -
Comments (1)
Category: Agriculture
Grape Day started in 1908 as a way to celebrate Escondido's grape harvest and promote the city. It flourished until 1950 and was revived by the Escondido History Center in 1996. Each year in October*, our community comes together to celebrate Grape Day.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 09, 2022 -
Comments (1)
Category: Agriculture, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Regionalism, Twentieth Century, Twenty-first Century
Prior to 1969 about the only way a female could be involved with the FFA was to be a chapter sweetheart. In the early days of the FFA, it was common for a chapter to have an FFA Sweetheart. The Sweetheart was typically voted on by the members and the selection of the sweetheart more often than not was a popularity/beauty contest. The Sweetheart, often wearing a white sweetheart jacket, might represent the chapter in a parade, at the school’s homecoming, or in a county livestock show or fair.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Feb 22, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Agriculture, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Education, Twentieth Century
Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 10, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Agriculture, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Food, 1930s
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 24, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Agriculture, Nudism and Nudists, Europe
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jun 22, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Agriculture, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Regionalism, 1930s
Who We Are |
---|
Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |