History Detectives
Season 4
No season overview available.
The Chisholm Trail; Harry Houdini Poster; McKinley Casket Flag
Puzzles involving the Chisholm Trail, Houdini posters and a flag that may have draped the coffin of President William McKinley, assassinated in 1901. Included: determining how far south the Chisholm Trail extended; checking the authenticity of Harry Houdini posters for a Chicago magic show; learning if a flag handed down to the great-grandson of McKinley's bodyguard actually adorned the 25th president's casket.
Wartime Baseball; Confederate Eyeglass; Howard Hughes' Invention
Questions surrounding a baseball autographed by Dizzy Dean, a brass eyeglass containing an image of Jefferson Davis, and a question on credit for an oil-drilling device. Included: investigation of a 1944 baseball game in which the players supposedly included Dean, Satchel Paige and an Air Force staff sergeant; whether an eyeglass belonged to a Confederate supporter; whether a twin-cone roller-rock bit was invented by Howard Hughes or a San Jose resident's grandfather.
Coca-Cola Trade Card; Vicksburg Map; Lawrence Strike
Puzzles involve an 1886 Coca-Cola trade card, a map connected to a Civil War battle and a billy club from a 1912 textile-factory strike in Lawrence, Mass. Included: a trip to Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta to try to verify the trade card info; digging up details pertaining to the 1863 siege of Vicksburg, Miss.; a journey to Lawrence to investigate the Bread and Roses strike.
Alternative Service Certificates; Carolina Mystery Books; Mickey Mouse’s Origin
Puzzles pertaining to 1943 certificates labeled “alternate service to war”; a set of books that may have belonged to 19th-century politician John C. Calhoun; and a toy mouse named Micky that bears a patent date of 1926 (two years before Walt Disney created Mickey).
U.S.S. Indianapolis; Highlander Badge; Spirit of St. Louis
Puzzles concerning items believed to have come from a WWII kamikaze attack; a badge that may have belonged to a British soldier in the Revolutionary War; and two New Jersey brothers who suspect that their uncle built the Spirit of St. Louis's Wright Whirlwind J-5C engine.
Orphan Film Reel; Chinese Opium Scale; Hermann Goering’s Shotgun
Puzzles involve a film reel of 1920s stuntman Eddie Polo; scales used by Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century; and a shotgun that belonged to Nazi henchman Hermann Goering.
Survivor Camera; Alcoholics Anonymous Letter; Tallahassee Mystery Cross
Puzzles involve a camera that belonged to a Holocaust survivor; the link between a 1942 letter and the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous; and a cross found at a Tallahassee excavation of a 17th-century mission.
Calf Creek Arrow; Doc Holliday’s Watch; Black Star Line Stock Certificates
Puzzles include a bison skull that may date to 3000 B.C.; a watch that may have belonged to gambler-gunman Doc Holliday; and stock certificates possibly signed by black nationalist Marcus Garvey.
Grace Kelly Automobile; Illicit P.O.W. Photos; Mystery Motorcycle
Puzzles involve a car that may be the one driven by Grace Kelly in “To Catch a Thief”; possible Civil War POW photographs; and a 1914 motorcycle that might have been used in WWI France.
Lou Gehrig Autograph; Cleveland Electric Car; Philadelphia Freedom Paper
A baseball ticket possibly signed by Lou Gehrig on the day of his farewell speech; an electric streetcar from Cleveland; and a document that may have granted freedom to a slave.
Superman Sketch; Lost Musical Treasure; Rebel Whiskey Flask
A Superman sketch apparently signed by the comic strip's creators; a metal master used to press records in the 1920s and '30s; and a whiskey flask that may date to the time of George Washington.
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