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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 • | Atomic Bomb Accident at Mars Bluff, March 11, 1958 Florence, South Carolina | | 2 • | Mission San Francisco Solano Sonoma, California | | 3 • | Harriet Tubman Bucktown, Maryland | | 4 • | Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Crow Agency, Montana | | 5 • | The Masterson House Carrollton, Kentucky | | 6 • | Rosewood, Florida Rosewood, Florida | | 7 • | Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa San Luis Obispo, California | | 8 • | Lasting Friendship Fredericksburg, Texas | | 9 • | Windlass Hill Pioneer Homestead Lewellen, Nebraska | | 10 • | Old Fort Sumner and “Billy the Kid’s” Grave Fort Sumner, New Mexico |
Table composed in 66 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 | Grand Procrastination Monterey, California
 The bronze plaque pictured here would not qualify for entry into the database. But the plaque explaining why it took 47 years after it was cast to get it mounted does. It’s a marker about a marker with the self-deprecating humor characteristic of E Clampus Vitus, the organization that erected them. Correspondent Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California, added it to the database a few weeks ago. Previous Markers of the Week.
Article fetched in 2 ms. |
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Markers Recently Added
| May 19 • | Bowdoin College World War Memorial Brunswick, Maine | | May 19 • | The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Under the Title of the Immaculate Conception Annapolis, Maryland | | May 19 • | Robinson Gate Brunswick, Maine | | May 19 • | Thomaston Historical Timeline Thomaston, Maine | | May 19 • | James B. Gordon Wilkesboro, North Carolina | | May 19 • | Stoneman's Raid Wilkesboro, North Carolina | | May 19 • | The Oates Building Lakeland, Florida | | May 19 • | Plant City High School Plant City, Florida | | May 19 • | Palonis Park Tampa, Florida | | May 19 • | Clarkdale Mill Village Historic District Clarkdale, Georgia | | May 19 • | Fighting for Trenton Trenton, Tennessee | | May 19 • | Colonel Thomas W. Ferebee Mocksville, North Carolina | | May 19 • | Elgin National Watch Company Elgin, Illinois | | May 19 • | Elgin Road Races Elgin, Illinois | | May 19 • | Burial Site of Josette Beaubien Franklin Park, Illinois |
All markers added yesterday, in the last week, in the last 30 days.Table composed in 6 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 smartphone or tablet. When you’re out and about simply use your device’s browser. Click on Markers Near You (below the Search button) to see what's around.
On your cell phone’s browser. Use an scaled-down version of HMdb.org on 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.
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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 19 • | The Mormon Battalion Santo Domingo Pueblo, New Mexico | | May 19 • | Center Methodist Church Oakway, South Carolina | | May 19 • | Historic Savage Mill Savage, Maryland | | May 19 • | Grand Procrastination Monterey, California | | May 19 • | A Year to Remember in Watsonville Watsonville, California | | May 19 • | 2nd Cavalry Division at Fort Clark Brackettville, Texas | | May 19 • | Sugar Loaf Mountain Stronghold, Maryland | | May 19 • | Battle of Hitchity Cusseta, Georgia | | May 19 • | Lincoln Funeral Train St. Paris, Ohio | | May 19 • | 1873 Infantry Barracks Brackettville, Texas | | Table composed in 4 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 illustrated 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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