What Happened Here?

In the Season 1 finale, Hannah tells a few stories from one of the most mysterious parts of New England: a vast and isolated forest hiding ghost towns, buried treasure, and missing persons. 

This is the Bennington Triangle of Vermont. What happened here?

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The city of London is home to many a mystery, and the twists and turns of the Spitalfields district is no exception. One house, at 18 Folgate Street, offers visitors the ability to almost literally step back in time. This is Dennis Severs' house.

What Happened Here?

Listen along to find out!

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In rural southern Louisiana, miles from the Gulf of Mexico, a deep saltwater lake exists in unlikely surroundings. But little do many people know the secrets under the surface. This is Lake Peigneur. 

What Happened Here?

Listen along to hear the story of the mysterious Lake Peigneur, which was irreversibly altered only 40 years ago.

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If there's anything we Pennsylvanians love, it's complaining about our roads. From constant construction, to precarious navigation around rugged terrain, to the wear and tear of weather and idiot drivers, the roads of our commonwealth offer much to lament. In today's episode, however, Hannah deep dives into the history of one road PA is actually pretty proud of: the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Not only does this road bear the honor of being America's first superhighway, but it also carries a secret: 13 miles of crumbling highway winding through the Pennsylvania countryside, a section of road which has sat abandoned for over half a century. 

What Happened Here? 

Tune in to find out!

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On a remote highway between the towns of Oil City and Franklin, Pennsylvania, an outdoorsman's camp lies obscured in the thick forest. Here people come to celebrate conservation and outdoor sport, and to pass on skills of life and survival. 

But what one might not know at first glance is that this was once the site of a magnificent amusement park that drew crowds by the ten thousands. 

What Happened Here?

Listen along as Hannah tells the story of Monarch Park, complete with her own experience visiting this fascinating place.

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Today, the North End Waterfront of Boston is a peaceful outdoor recreational space in one of the most historic parts of this legendary city. But just over a hundred years ago, it was the site of one of the most devastating industrial disasters of the 20th century: the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. 

What happened here?

Listen as Hannah tells the story of the Great Molasses Flood, and what it can tell us about the pursuit of human flourishing. 

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On the vast southern coast of Alaska, there's a tiny town that fits under one roof, is only accessible by a tunnel that closes each night, and which was the site of the mysterious disappearance of two politicians. This is Whittier, Alaska.

What happened here?

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Thanks for listening!

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1. Wikipedia (Don't hate me):

You know them: small porcelain figurines in soft colors, large-headed childlike little people with teardrop-shaped dark eyes and sweet tiny-lipped smiles. Sweet, pious, and mawkish, Precious Moments figurines were a mainstay of life in the 1980s and 90s. What you might not know is that just a few miles outside the town of Carthage, Missouri, a 33-acre complex is home to a variety of Precious Moments-themed attractions, including a convention center, mini-mall, and 9,000 square-foot chapel.

Um, What Happened Here?

Listen along as Hannah unpacks the story of the Precious Moments Chapel and Museum. 

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1. Precious Moments Website:

An hour's drive down the Monongahela River from Pittsburgh, a sleepy small town sits forgotten by the world. Few know that this place was once the site of one of the worst environmental pollution disasters of the 20th century, and the catalyst for changing laws and standards in the US. This is Donora, Pennsylvania. But what happened here?

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Where should we go next? Email (whathappenedherepod@gmail.com) or connect on Instagram (@whathappenedhere.pod) to suggest your favorite place!

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The Allegheny National Forest, over 500,000 acres of deep, vibrant green space, covers the upper edge of Pennsylvania, and creates the border of the PA Wilds. This region is one of the least populated places in the eastern US, and has some of the oldest forest growth in North America. But barely a hundred years ago, the land was completely bare. What happened here?

Listen along to hear the story of the Allegheny National Forest, a tale of resilience, sustainability, and peace.

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She's a woman who might not exist, a piece of art and also a tourist trap, with either questionable morals or a pure heart, who stands in a place not where she used to be, celebrating an event that was either a year too early or decades too late. 

This bundle of contradictions is the Molly Malone statue in Dublin, Ireland, and we have to ask: What Happened Here?

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Find me on Insta: @whathappenedhere.pod, or on email: whathappenedherepod@gmail.com, and tell me what place you want to visit next!

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Five hours north of the city of Phoenix, and only a few miles from the town of Chinle, Arizona, a stunning, windswept canyon splits the earth in two. This is Canyon de Chelly, a national monument, a park, a homeland, and an important part of the story of the Navajo Nation. 

Why is this place so significant? What role does it play in the story of Manifest Destiny and Indigenous genocide? What happened here?

Join along to hear the story of this important place. 

Connect with me on Instagram (@whathappenedhere.pod) or via email (whathappenedhere@gmail.com) and let me know what you think of this episode, or to tell me what place you think we should cover next!

Please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts; I really appreciate it!

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A short drive from the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania, a rather unusual monument stands as a testament to the determination and defiance of generations of people in a much-contested land. This is the Hill of Crosses: over 100,000 crosses left by people throughout the centuries as an act of resistance, cultural identity, and hope.

But what exactly is this hill a memorial to? Why was resistance necessary? What happened here?

Follow along as we find out, and explore this fascinating place!

Connect with me on Instagram (@whathappenedhere.pod) or via email (whathappenedhere@gmail.com) and let me know what you think of this episode, or tell me what place you think we should cover next!

Please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts; I really appreciate it!

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At the crossroads of four major Pittsburgh streets, CAP Park connects a bustling downtown with the Hill District, a historically black community touched by stardom, injustice, and urban blight. CAP Park is less than a year old, but it already plays a part in so many stories: from art, music, and culture; to architecture and infrastructure; to systemic racism and failed urban renewal; and a figurative (and literal) circus.

Join me, Hannah Allman Kennedy, as we ask: "What Happened in CAP Park?" 

...but first, "What is CAP Park?"

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