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History Happened Here
National and global events all happened somewhere, and historical markers mark
Frontiersman, Soldier,
Writer, Astronaut |
the place where many occurred. But the richness of history is in its local details, details that can be insignificant on the global stage: the home of an individual who made a difference; a natural feature, building, byway; or just something interesting that happened nearby. History is not just about the high and mighty.
Markers tell stories and point out facts. There is one at the site the northernmost battle of the U.S. Civil War and another at the southernmost point in the United States (can you guess where?). There is one next to a 17th century Japanese stone lantern symbolizing 20th century peace, and another one less than 20 miles away reminding us of the Nike missile sites that were built the same year the lantern was dedicated. They tell of battles,
Generals Captured in their
Union Suits, Literally! |
massacres and hangings; of humanitarians, educators, and a beloved stagecoach horse; of mountains, lakes, rivers, bridges, roads, and other natural and man-made wonders.
There are countless thousands of great stories marked by markers—and some boring ones too. Some markers simply recite facts while others are insightful, obscure, cryptic, patriotic, fascinating, sad, funny, or just downright bizarre. Many of those markers are on these pages, others are waiting for you to discover and add them to this database.
So hit the road and experience history first-hand yourself. History happened nearby.
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Are You A Collector?
Do you collect historical markers? Would you like to start? If you’re a collector, or want to get started, 
Clara Barton,
Steamboat Gothic
Aficionado |
consider uploading your discoveries to this site. Even if someone else beat you to the submission, you can still add a fresh photo, better directions, or some additional insight into the subject described. What do you get in return? We’ll credit each submission by publishing your name and town on that page, unless, of course, you wish to remain anonymous.
You can add markers yourself. It's easy! Check marker submission guidelines, then click Add A Marker to get started. Adding photos, links and comments is just as easy: go the the marker's page and click on the links at the top or bottom of the page.
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Preservation Writes Us Up
Here is an August 2010 article by Gwendolyn Purdom in Preservation Magazine entitled Leaving Their Mark about the Historical Marker Database and our aim to document every historical marker in North America.
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Most Viewed Markers This Year
| 1 • | Menominee River Marinette, Wisconsin | | 2 • | Fusiliers’ Arch Dublin, Leinster, Ireland | | 3 • | Mc Arthur Well McArthur, Ohio | | 4 • | Cash-Shannon Duel Shannon Hill, South Carolina | | 5 • | Captain Abraham Lincoln Beardstown, Illinois | | 6 • | Shadwell, Birthplace of Thomas Jefferson Shadwell, Virginia | | 7 • | Atomic Bomb Accident at Mars Bluff, March 11, 1958 Florence, South Carolina | | 8 • | Mission San Francisco Solano Sonoma, California | | 9 • | Duffy’s Cut Mass Grave Malvern, Pennsylvania | | 10 • | Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Crow Agency, Montana |
Table composed in 98 ms.
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HMdb.org Cards
HMdb.org 3½" x 2" cards are now available. We’ll mail contributors a dozen or more at no charge. Simply send a note to the editor with a mailing address and state how many you would like. Sign one and put it in your wallet to show you are a contributor to HMdb.org. It might come in handy when someone asks you what you’re doing next to a government installation with a camera. Hand the rest out to friends and curious bystanders. Your note will be discarded after the envelope is addressed.
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Recommend Entire Website
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Or use buttons at the bottom of each marker page to recommend individual markers.
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Marker of the Week | The Natural Tunnel Route Glenita, Virginia
 The verdant green mountains of far southwestern Virginia, sandwiched between Kentucky and Tennessee, are not overrun by tourists because of their remoteness, but are a treasure-trove of both frontier history—Daniel Boone trekked through the Cumberland Gap here—and natural history, such as this 800 foot natural tunnel which gave this railroad a free ride under Purchase Ridge. Previous Markers of the Week.
Article fetched in less than 1 ms. |
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Check out Google’s Field Trip App
Available at no charge for your iPhone or Android smart phone or tablet, it features this database as one of its sources of Historic Places information. Take a look at this video.
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Markers Recently Added
| May 23 • | The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Lackawana, New York | | May 23 • | Our Lady of Victory Basilica Lackawana, New York | | May 23 • | In Memory of Millard Fillmore Buffalo, New York | | May 23 • | Red Jacket Buffalo, New York | | May 23 • | Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Buffalo, New York | | May 23 • | Brigadier General Albert James Myer Buffalo, New York | | May 23 • | Ebenezer Walden Buffalo, New York | | May 23 • | Albert James Myer, M.D. Buffalo, New York | | May 23 • | Crossroads Create Community Washington, Washington, DC | | May 23 • | Cimarron Hotel Cimarron, Kansas | | May 23 • | S. S. James Oglethorpe and the Battle of the Atlantic Savannah, Georgia | | May 22 • | Hermann Monument New Ulm, Minnesota | | May 22 • | School Days Washington, Washington, DC | | May 22 • | French's Hollow Guilderland, New York | | May 22 • | Schoolcraft House Guilderland, New York |
All markers added in the last week, in the last 30 days.Table composed in 4 ms.
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Take a Tour of the Database
Click on the three dots under the Search button at the top of the right hand margin. Repeat. Every time you click, you will be shown a different marker at random.
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HMdb Goes Mobile
On your cell phone’s browser. When you’re out and about use your cell phone or PDA to find out what markers are near you. More info.
In your GPS unit. Does your GPS device support GPX files? You can download the locations of historical markers into your GPS unit with these files. Push the right buttons and your GPS will tell you when a marker is near; or tell you how to get to them. Some units will also display the text of the marker. GPX Download index. Or get a TomTom POI file.
There’s an app for that. Google's “Field Trip” for iPhone and Android has tapped the Historical Marker Database as one of its Historic Places sources. Drive or walk past a historical marker and the application will show you a “card” with the text and photos from this website. It will read the text outloud to you if you configure it right. It is available for download at no charge. More info at fieldtripper.com.
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Keep An Eye on Those Markers
Enter your town in the Search by Place search box on the More Search Options (or use the County list) to get a list of markers near where you live and work.
Keep an eye out for them when you're out on the road. You would be surprised how many disappear in the course of a year.
To report a missing marker, use the “Correct This Page” link on the marker’s page and scroll down to the “Is Marker Missing?” section. A photo of the stump, hole in the ground, or place where the marker was is necessary for proof. Also, please take a few minutes and inform your local historical society.
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Recently Modified Marker Entries | | May 23 • | “Worsell Mannor” Warwick, Maryland | | May 23 • | The Jacob Kime Farm Gettysburg, Pennsylvania | | May 22 • | The Sacred Area Megiddo, Haifa District, Israel | | May 21 • | Santa Anita During World War II Arcadia, California | | May 21 • | 446th Bomb Group Pooler, Georgia | | May 20 • | Santa Fe Trail Howell, Kansas | | May 20 • | The Worst Piece of Road Howell, Kansas | | May 19 • | Commanding Officer's Quarters Fort Dodge, Kansas | | May 19 • | Sutler Store Fort Dodge, Kansas | | May 19 • | Samoa Cookhouse Circa 1893 Samoa, California | | Table composed in 8 ms. |
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Google Maps Links
Markers in this database have links to Google maps pinpointing their location.
HINT: Click on the Satellite button in the upper right of the maps to switch to a satellite image of the ground at that location. Once you do that you may be able to zoom in further using the Plus and Minus buttons on the left side of the map.
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HMdb Featured on Broadcast
Ted Landphair does two-minute stories on Americana for Voice of America radio, broadcast at various times over VOA’s English language service. Listen to this one, first broadcast February 20, 2008, entitled “Lots More People Can Now Read Those Roadside Signs.” Here is the transcript.
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NOTICE
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Do you have some history that you want to publish on the Internet? HMdb.org can provide hosting space at HistoryArchives.org at no charge. What you want to publish does not have to be related to a historical marker. For more information, contact an editor.
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