Medal of Honor: Michael J. Madden

Michael Madden, Medal of Honor, Mount Calvary Cemetery, Harrisburg The Medal of Honor symbolizes the ideals of patriotism, courage, sacrifice, and integrity and is the highest award presented for military valor in action. Those recipients have shown bravery in combat, going above and beyond the call of duty, risking – and often sacrificing – their … Continue reading Medal of Honor: Michael J. Madden

Wreck of the Cleveland and Cincinnati Express

Memorial to the wreck's Unknown Dead, Paxtang Cemetery. Insert: top of the memorial In all the times I have passed through Harrisburg, I've made very few stops at the cemeteries to visit the graves of community members buried there. On this particular trip I was detouring from my journey to visit a memorial within the … Continue reading Wreck of the Cleveland and Cincinnati Express

Unsolved: The Murder of Charles Hykes

Map of the murder scene, The Harrisburg Telegraph, March 4, 1929 In many places, it is recorded that murder cases never go cold. Despite these claims being used and repeated by authorities, the truth is many of them do go cold. As the years pass, murder cases tend to disappear from the newspapers and eventually … Continue reading Unsolved: The Murder of Charles Hykes

Fort Couch

In the distance, there was a storm brewing, both figuratively and literally. Standing on the breastworks overlooking Harrisburg, Camp Hill, Lemoyne, and Mechanicsburg, I could see the storm in the distance. The storm that brought me here was an approaching battle as the Confederate army advanced northward into Pennsylvania. However, another storm – a physical … Continue reading Fort Couch

Amanda Straw and The Dance of Eternal Spring

The Dance of Eternal Spring, Italian Lake, Harrisburg The sun had barely risen in the sky when I arrived at the small cemetery resting in the shadow of the Blue Mountain. I crossed the damp grass to the clump of trees a couple yards off the road to the ancient cemetery hidden in the grove. … Continue reading Amanda Straw and The Dance of Eternal Spring