Morning on the Murray Morgan

Second in a set of essays about one of Tacoma, Washington’s abandoned bridges.
Ramps to Nowhere
by S.T. Lile
 
In an apparently continuing effort to gentrify Dock Street and the Thea Foss Waterway, they’ve improved the sidewalks all the way to the base of the 11th Street/Murray Morgan Bridge. They’re wider. There are bolt-studded concrete stumps where streetlights [...]

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Morning on the Murray Morgan

First in a set of essays about one of Tacoma, Washington’s abandoned bridges.
Snow and Wings: Mystery on the 11th Street Bridge
by S.T. Lile
 
Finally, it was the wings—wing after torn wing—that made me look up. When I walk, I usually look down. Down at the new paving in front of my apartment building, down at the [...]

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Tools of the History Trade (Part II)

Excerpted from my book History Lab To Go!, published in 2002 by the Washington State Historical Society. 
The last three “tools” in the “seven concepts, seven tools” of historical inquiry scheme are People, Books & Periodicals, and Electronic Media. Here’s the lowdown. 
People—Oral histories, letters, memoirs, diaries, journals, and expert advice all fall within the people tool. [...]

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Tools of the History Trade (Part I)

Excerpted and updated from my book History Lab To Go! published in 2002 by the ever-so-forward-thinking Washington State Historical Society.
What are the Tools of the History Trade? In short, the “Tools” are sources of historical evidence. Each artifact, image, map, book or periodical, personal account, recording and ephemeral item is a piece to the puzzle [...]

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Egyptian Tombs as Objects: The Thebian Mapping Project

Have you ever wondered what the inside of an ancient Egyptian tomb looks like? If so, you need you check out the Thebian Mapping Project web site at http://www.thebanmappingproject.com.
Thebes is the ancient name for modern-day Luxor (Al Uqsur in local and Google terms) which sits on the east bank of the Nile River far south of [...]

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Historical Fiction Writers Check This Out

I’ve just finished watching a great video of a program held at the Getty Villa in Los Angeles featuring the historical fiction writers Steven Saylor and Steven Pressfield. Titled “Writing Historical Fiction: The Ancient World in Modern Literature,” the program was moderated by journalist Patt Morrison. In the introduction, Morrison makes a great observation about [...]

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Coming soon…

Object inquiries and secret resources to help solve the history mysteries in your life. Whether you’re a writer, illustrator, museum professional, educator, or student, you might just find this blog helpful and occasionally entertaining. But be warned, I’m not a daily blogger (I’m aiming for twice a week), I’m weirdly random about the things that [...]

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