Search Results
Workers Complete Hoosac Tunnel
Workers Complete Hoosac Tunnel
On this day in 1874, workers in the small western Massachusetts town of Florida finished the Hoosac Tunnel, bringing to completion one of the world's most ambitious engineering projects. The Hoosac Mountain Range had long...
Erastus Bigelow Dies
Erastus Bigelow Dies
On this day in 1879, Erastus Bigelow, the father of the modern carpet industry, died in Boston. Born in West Boylston, Bigelow and his brother followed their father into the textile business. After several inventions...
Henrietta Leavitt Buried in Cambridge
Henrietta Leavitt Buried in Cambridge
On this day in 1921, Henrietta Leavitt, a scientist at the Harvard Observatory, was buried in Cambridge. Her premature death cut short a brilliant career as an astronomer. In the late nineteenth century, observatory director...
The Great Republic Burns
The Great Republic Burns
On this day in 1853, the Great Republic burned to the waterline in New York harbor the day before she was to set sail on her maiden voyage. Built by Donald McKay, the man most...