Area 51 History: Secrets Unveiled

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Deep in the Nevada desert, about 180 km north of Las Vegas, lies a military base wrapped in a veil of conspiracy and mystery, known as Area 51. People often wonder what happened there and what purpose it serves today.

Are there aliens in the top-secret military base? Is the government conducting investigation into political forces that threaten our national security? Is it all just disinformation sponsored by the CIA to fool our enemies?

Beginning of the Mystery

In 1954, President Eisenhower signed an executive order for the development of a high-altitude reconnaissance plane called U-2. They needed testing grounds for the new spy plane program. Area 51 in the southern Nevada desert region of the country met all the criteria required for the tests.

As soon as the U-2 took its first test flights in 1955, the first stories and reports of UFOs began to circulate in news and radio reports. Pilots flying in the area reported many of the sightings themselves.

At that time, aircraft flew at an altitude of 10,000 feet maximum, but the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft reached an incredible 40-60,000 feet. Seeing planes traveling at such height and speed led to speculation about otherworldly visitors. These reports helped distract people from the real top-secret activity at the base.

Two Ford Country Sedans served as mobiles, or chase cars who would follow the U-2 during take-off and landing. Reprinted from Area 51.

The Legend of J-Rod

A persistent legend involving Area 51 concerns a supposed “gray” (a term used for an alien archetype described by many as short, gray, and with large eyes) named J-Rod. He allegedly survived a UFO crash in Kingman, Arizona in the early 1950s, and the government took him to Area 51.

Dan Burch, a microbiologist who worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency, first reported the story. Dan stated he worked at Area 51 Groom Lake, the runway section of the base. Dan claimed the government had him take tissue samples from the captured alien. J-Rod and Burch became friends over the course of the two years Dan worked on the project.

J-Rod communicated with Dan through something called “shared consciousness,” telling him many stories about J-Rod’s civilization and past. J-Rod related that his race inhabited Earth thousands of years ago, but they were forced to leave due to global natural catastrophes. He alleged that the “grays” wanted to return to Earth to establish relations with humans and recover some genetic variance through human DNA.

Burch’s story becomes even less credible as he ends his tale by claiming to have saved J-Rod by taking him to Abydos in Egypt and sending J-Rod through a natural “Star Portal.”

Conspiracy Theories and Jesse Ventura

Famous WWF wrestler, actor, author, Navy SEAL, and successful politician, Jesse Ventura, took a keen interest in Area 51 for practical reasons. Every year, hundreds of millions of taxpayer’s monies funds the mysterious events at Area 51, but no one, including politicians, knows what happens there.

Ventura conducted his own investigation. He met with ex-workers and aeronautical engineers who worked at the facility. Ventura reported that Michael Schratt, a former aeronautical engineer at the site, says there are no aliens at the base. He claims Area 51 houses various experimental technologies that are at least 50 years ahead of anything currently in use.

“Things you saw in Star Wars and Star Trek, we’ve been there, done that, and either put it to use or realized it is not worth the effort,” Schratt said.

Schratt describes some of the experimental aircraft as lighter-than-air vehicles called Natural Buoyancy Craft. These crafts, along with the Super Stall and Flux Liner, use naturally-occurring electrical charges and do not require batteries to operate.

Schratt claims the Flux Liner appears similar to craft described in the ancient Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita. According to this engineer, the government uses the belief in UFO phenomena to hide what really transpires at Area 51.

Infamous Facts About the Secret Base

Many believe that the U.S. Government has no qualms about resorting to extreme methods, like kidnapping or even assassination, to protect what goes on at Area 51.

Environmental laws exclude Area 51. Some employees have alleged that the practices at the base caused them to suffer from health issues, but the courts have dismissed the cases based on complicated issues of jurisdiction.

Rumors continue to circulate that anyone who came close to discovering the real purpose of Area 51 died under mysterious circumstances or were persuaded to stay silent, due to threats and pressure from the government.

Unknown government agents have raided homes and confiscated material of people involved in investigating Area 51. The base has no direct congressional oversight.

Despite the more mundane explanations of secret government experimental aircraft testing, many still believe aliens and UFOs form a part of the work at Area 51.

Who knows? Perhaps someday the government will finally reveal the secrets of one of the most mysterious places on earth.

​America’s Largest Home: History of Biltmore Estate

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Grand estates conjure up romantic images of ornate architecture, garden parties, lavish balls, and perfectly manicured gardens. The Biltmore Estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina is no exception. Encompassing a total area of 8,000 acres, this privately-owned estate, owned by the Vanderbilt family for over 100 years, includes all those features, and more. 

Building a legacy

The name “Biltmore” reflects the family’s Dutch ancestry and the local Asheville rural surroundings — Vanderbilt’s ancestors originated from “Bildt” in Holland.

Originally constructed as a country home by George Vanderbilt, grandson of entrepreneur and industrialist Cornelius Vanderbilt, “The House” is an expansive 250-room French chateau in gothic design. Construction took six years to complete from 1889 to 1895, involving a workforce of around 1,000 people.

The footprint of the house covers the expanse of four football fields. A forerunner for the times, the development included electricity, central heating, running water, and functional bathrooms.

George’s vision of creating a self-sustaining working estate, modeled along the lines of those in Europe, to provide an aristocratic lifestyle and employment for the local community, has continued to the present day.

During the construction of the main house, the large and productive Biltmore Nursery provided revenue from horticulture. The Main Dairy and Horse Barn, built soon after, supported the estate and staff with a working farm while development of the estate continued.

Members of the extended Vanderbilt family and esteemed and noteworthy guests privately enjoyed the opulence of the estate for the first few decades of the early 20th century.

The east elevation of Biltmore Estate in 1910. The grounds of the estate were designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Reprinted from Biltmore Estate by Ellen Erwin Rickman (pg. 32, Arcadia Publishing, 2005).

Following George’s early death at age 51 in 1914, his wife, Edith, sold a large portion of the original landholding to the government — 87,000 acres —  to preserve in a natural forestry state, following his intentions for the acreage. Over the next few years, selected properties were sold from the estate, including the Biltmore Village

With the economic downturn of the Great Depression, George’s daughter, Cornelia, opened the house and grounds to the public for the first time in 1930. This helped generate additional income from tour groups, a practice of many large estates in Europe and England at the time. Closed during World War II, Biltmore’s rooms secretly hid valuable art and portraits for the National Gallery.

From grapevines originally planted on the estate in the early 1970s by George Vanderbilt’s grandson, George Cecil, the Biltmore Estate Wine Company now handcrafts and bottles a range of fine wines.

Wine production began on the estate in the early 1980s, and it regularly receives accolades and awards. Since the early 2000s, new developments on the estate have included hospitality ventures such as Antler Hill Village in 2010 and the Village Hotel, completed in 2015.

The Biltmore estate continues to be a popular tourist attraction, event venue, and productive working estate today.

A Biltmore Christmas

In 1895, George Vanderbilt celebrated the completion of Biltmore’s construction by declaring the house officially open to guests with festivities and ornate decorations on Christmas Eve. The Banquet Hall was the central location for the Vanderbilt family celebrations during the Christmas and New Year periods, with a gigantic Christmas tree and stockings hung from the hearth.

Upholding the precedence of a decadent holiday season set by George Vanderbilt continues to be a feature of the Biltmore estate. Experience Christmas traditions the Vanderbilt way from November to early January and delight in storytelling, singing, candlelight evenings, gingerbread houses, decorative mantels, and festive hearths.

Conservation, Environmentalism and Sustainability

From the very beginning, George Vanderbilt and his landscape architect, Frederick Olmsted – the co-designer of Central Park in New York – planned and planted the Biltmore estate with conservation and regeneration in mind. Care and consideration towards George’s appreciation of the environment and self-sustainability are integral to the running of the estate.

The pedigree of the cattle farmed on the estate trace back to the original herd. The estate also farms, according to Global Animal Partnership guidelines, other livestock such as sheep, pigs, and chickens. Produce and vegetables grown on the working farm supply the estate’s kitchens and restaurants, and it supports the local community by purchasing other products locally.

In 2008, a magnolia tree planted by George and Edith on the birth of their daughter Cornelia in 1900 fell into decay. In its place stands a second-generation magnolia, self-seeded from the original. They recovered wood from the first tree and built gorgeous tabletops for the event rooms on the estate.

The Biltmore estate continues to innovate and receive awards for eco-friendly initiatives such as solar panels. The stunning historical site dedicated six acres to generating electricity, tree protection, and landscape design.

For over a hundred years, the Biltmore continues to set the gold standard for stunning architecture, conservation, and innovative ways to serve the community. The holiday season is the perfect time to enjoy this masterful American estate!

14 Best Small-Town Christmas Celebrations and Light Shows

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Holiday lights, Christmas decorations, and imaginative displays illuminate small downtowns around the country. Many families look forward to driving around town, enjoying holiday music performances and sharing Christmas cheer with their townsfolk.    

These 14 small towns take the Christmas spirit to a new level. Each of these unique Christmas celebrations has something incredible to offer, from dazzling Christmas light displays and horse-drawn parades to costume contests and seasonal shopping markets.

Nevada City Victorian Christmas, Nevada City, CA

Nevada City CA has a long tradition of hosting a 19th-century style Christmas pageant. Residents dress in Victorian outfits and pour into the streets to celebrate the season and shop for unique goodies at the local vendors. You can find items like handmade dolls, pottery, jewelry, Christmas decorations, clothing, and old-fashioned candy.

The Victorian festival features several lights shows as well as live entertainment. Families all over the city, clad in their costumes, take part in carriage rides and gather to meet Father Christmas. The festivities take place on five separate days in December, allowing everyone an opportunity to participate.

The entertainment includes performances by bagpipers, exquisite brass bands, and a slew of Victorian style parade floats and decorations, including gas lamps and Nevada City’s famous Walking Christmas Tree.

Grab some fire-roasted chestnuts and yuletide snacks and celebrate some holiday cheer with your whole family.

Santa Claus Christmas Celebration, Santa Claus, IN

This magical mash of festivities stretches over the course of three weekends in December and includes countless hours of fun for everyone. The extended celebration consists of over 30 different activities catering to children and adults alike. Children enjoy breakfast and dinner with Santa, festive arts and crafts with Mrs. Claus, face painting, Christmas carols, the Festival of Lights, and an annual holiday theatre production at a local school’s auditorium. Adults can celebrate their Christmas cheer during the annual 5k event, the merry wine tasting events, the holiday-themed golf scramble, and much more.

Christmas Town USA Official Lighting Ceremony, McAdenville, NC

Several spirited events take place throughout an extended Thanksgiving-to-Christmas holiday season observed in Christmas Town USA. The town plaza hosts the official lighting ceremony. The local elementary school elects one student to pull the switch, igniting more than 500,000 lights decorating trees, houses, and businesses in happy holiday colors.

The town also holds an annual 5k charity event the Saturday after Thanksgiving, where runners participate in a costume contest, and the race sponsors invite spectators to a holiday-themed post-race party! The party includes Christmas themed music and entertainments as well as yummy seasonal snacks.

The town of McAdenville also hosts an annual Yule Log Parade, a yearly occurrence since 1950. The parade consists of children pulling the Yule log through town on a sled, along with games and other celebratory events. The children drag the Yule Log to Legacy Park, where adults position it in a fire pit built specially for the event and set it on fire.

This event officially opens the beginning of the Christmas Festival, with music, crafts, food, and of course, an appearance by Santa Claus himself.

McAdenville, North Carolina is a small town with a big holiday heart.

The Festival of Trees, Bedford, VA

The Festival of Trees, a bright, shiny, seasonal event, takes place annually in Bedford, Virginia. Residents sign up to display a decorated Christmas tree in the Bedford Welcome Center during December. Each year, the town chooses a new theme for the festival, and decorate the holiday trees accordingly. Families get to participate in the festivities and pay a small fee to vote for the best-decorated tree.

After the festival, the owners of the winning trees choose the charity to donate the voting fees.

This Festival of Trees, visual fun for the entire family, provides an opportunity for all to participate in the charitable side of the spirit of Christmas.

Smith’s Grove and Lions Club Parade, Smith’s Grove, KY

This annual celebration features the spectacular Lions Club Parade, an event that grandparents, mom, dad, and little ones can enjoy together. The massive parade includes more than 100 different entries each year.
Expect to see several talented marching bands, fire trucks, emergency responders, elected officials, cheerleaders and tumblers, decorated animals, beauty queens, brightly lit floats, and, of course, Santa Claus! The event includes street vendors serving refreshments, festive music, and an entire crowd of people who share your love and enjoyment of Christmas cheer!

Leavenworth Christmas Festival, Leavenworth, WA

Christmas in Leavenworth is no ordinary holiday event. In this historic Washington town, the entire family can enjoy the countless opportunities made available by the community to spread joy and the Christmas spirit. The town has a Nutcracker museum which displays nutcrackers from more than 40 countries around the world. Christmas festivities also include a Lighting Festival, with brilliantly lit trees and decorations. Cheerful marching bands play Christmas carols as well as local talent acts displaying magical holiday cheer. When the parade is over, Santa Claus arrives to join in the festivities, with photo opportunities for children and their families.

Later in the evening, the entire family can enjoy the famous Christmas in the Mountains concert which showcases local talent and encourages the crowds to sing carols along with the bands. For added holiday fun that will keep the whole family active, the local Mission Ridge Ski Lodge opens for the season, and the community partakes in activities such as snowboarding, sledding, sleigh rides, tubing, and snowshoeing.

Shoppers Walk and Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, Prosperity, SC

This small-town event never has a small turn out! Residents of Prosperity, South Carolina eagerly attend the town’s Shopper’s Walk On the first Saturday in December every year. This event allows families to get in the bulk of their holiday shopping early while enjoying the local entertainment and snacks from festive street vendors.

Participating business offer a special Shopper’s Walk retail event full of discounts and sales, making Christmas shopping fun and easy for everyone. The community lines the streets with holiday lights and Christmas cheer, making it more than just a shopping event.

The annual Christmas Tree Lighting celebration also takes place during the Shopper’s Walk event. The town’s Christmas tree, positioned in the Town Square, is lit in the early evening. This ceremony includes holiday-themed carols sung by the local high school chorus, with residents singing along and watching by candlelight.

The Prosperity Christmas Parade takes place on the Sunday following the lighting celebration and the annual shopping. The parade features sparkling floats, clowns, and musical acts, as well as an appearance by Santa. Prosperity, South Carolina hosts an entire month of events that are sure to get the whole family into the Christmas spirit.

Wassail Weekend, Woodstock, VT

Woodstock, Vermont has an intriguing history, which directly relates to its incredible annual Wassail Weekend Christmas celebration. The celebration includes access to the town’s beautiful, historic homes, decorated to match the winter festivities. Residents attend breakfast with Santa Claus, take part in caroling, join to make ornaments, and gather in the streets to experience Woodstock’s horse-drawn Christmas parade. The entire town attends this three-day festival event.

Decorated from top to bottom in shining tinsel and colorful lights, the Billings Farm and Museum, hosts residents and visitors taking part in the seasonal arts and crafts displays, serves delicious festive food and provides a great place to hang out.

The celebration takes place during the second weekend of December every year, and many East Coast residents regard it as one of the best Christmas celebrations in all New England.

The Christmas Lanes Events, Huron, SD

This unique, wintry activity brings the entire community together to share their Christmas cheer. The tradition was started in 1962 when the small community, in the spirit of Christmas, decided to display matching candy cane décor. Today, the community comes still together every year in celebration, and selective neighborhoods craft an annual Christmas theme.

Sometimes as many as 20 neighborhood streets adopt themes such as “Disney Christmas” and “Candy Land” and then light up their yards respectively. The entire community enjoys the magical lights and animated Christmas themes throughout December.

The city of Huron awards a “Clark Grizwald Award” to the best lit residence every year.

Christmas Card Town Celebration, Elkhorn, WI

This festive celebration in small town Elkhorn, Wisconsin provides a weekend of holiday fun for the entire family. The celebration starts with the town Christmas tree lighting ceremony, where Santa Claus gets the honor of turning on the lights for the first time. Afterward, Santa retreats to the public library where boys and girls queue up to tell him their Christmas wishes. The following day Mrs. Claus joins her husband in the Annual Christmas Card Town Parade, which is full of music, lights, and holiday cheer.

The free hot chocolate, cookies, and the cozy small-town feel make Christmas in Elkhorn an extra special event for all attendees.

The town gained its nickname when a New York artist, Cecile Johnson, chose the quaint setting for a series of snowy paintings. Later, a publishing company published a collection of Christmas cards which displayed the paintings. Thus the city earned the label “Christmas Card Town.”

City of Lights Festival, Canton, MS

The City of Lights Festival kicks off the Holiday season in this Mississippi small town every year. Residents from surrounding areas, including Jackson, Mississippi, flock to the scene with their families to spread their holiday cheer. The festival includes a brightly lit town square, displaying over 200,000 twinkling lights. Other activities include a Santa’s Workshop and an opportunity for children to sit on Santa’s lap and spill their holiday wish list.

The City of Lights Festival is jam-packed with festive foods, horse-drawn carriage rides, and children’s crafts and games. Canton’s famous animation museum takes part in the festivities as well, decorating itself with a special collection of lights and colors and allowing free access to the public.

The festival runs through December, ending two days before Christmas. The city turns on the lights every evening at 5 p.m.

Christmas in Zoar, Zoar, OH

The small town of Zoar, Ohio offers a unique old-fashioned Christmas experience that includes classic German Christmas decorations, live musical entertainment, a craft show, seasonal treats, and much more. Zoar’s celebration features a traditional German appearance by Belsnickle and Kris Kind. The town where with blacksmiths and craftsmen toiled and sold their wares relives its old traditions by inviting folk artists and crafters to display their talents and sell homemade goods.

The Christmas celebration takes place over two days. The city encourages residents and visitors to enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides through the brightly lit village streets. The Zoar United Church of Christ holds an open candlelight church service for all.

Following the service, the town lights their Christmas tree at the Historic Zoar Garden. There is a variety of activities for children, making this weekend-long celebration the perfect Christmas outing for the entire family.

Christmas Town, Williamsburg, VA  

Colonial Williamsburg’s Grand Illumination allows participants to travel back in time to experience how the Colonists celebrated the holidays. Events include caroling, concerts and musical performances and storytelling. Enjoy some traditional fayre in their one of the celebrated taverns, and incredible fireworks displays at the Capitol and Governor’s Palace.  

Nearby Busch Gardens’ Christmas Town hosts a Santa’s workshop, and at dusk, the park comes alive with millions of twinkling lights.   

The Polar Express, Saratoga Springs, NY

This charming Victorian town is better known as home to Skidmore College and horse racing, but it transforms to a child’s winter wonderland between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The vintage Saratoga and North Creek Railway operates the popular Polar Express train for excited pajama-clad youngsters who adore the story and want to recreate the experience.

Christmas time brings joy to everybody, but some small towns pull out all the stops when celebrating the holiday. These 14 communities proudly showcase their history and traditions while spreading some holiday cheer through games, entertainment, food and of course dazzling twinkling lights.

5 Top Thanksgiving Events in America

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America has been celebrating Thanksgiving for a really long time – almost 400 years, to be exact. However, we’ve hardly been celebrating it the exact same way over all that time. The Pilgrims of Plymouth celebrated by putting aside differences with the indigenous people of the regions and partaking in the bounty of their first successful harvest together. Many aspects of this first celebration have remained firmly in place – like the mouthwateringly decadent dinners that are near universal – but a lot has changed over the years as well.

Various regions and communities have also developed their own unique ways of making Thanksgiving their very own, especially when it comes to special events. Here we’ll take a closer look at some of the absolute best and most noteworthy.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan

A picture from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Reprinted from Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

When it comes to Thanksgiving Day events that are considered absolute musts for nearly every American, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is at the top of the list for millions of Americans. First established in 1924, it’s the oldest parade of its kind in the entire country. Like many long-standing Thanksgiving traditions, it’s also evolved quite a bit since those first early days.

The first Macy’s parade featured real live animals borrowed from New York’s own Central Park Zoo. However, the animals would eventually be replaced by the colorful, whimsical balloons that are the event’s signature today. Today, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade not only attracts millions of attendees, but finds its way into roughly 50 million additional homes each year via broadcast television.

America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration

If you figured that Plymouth, Massachusetts – the official birthplace of Thanksgiving – would have a special way of celebrating the holiday, you’d absolutely be right. America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration takes place on the third weekend of November each and every year.

Festivities include everything from historical reenactments, to themed concerts, to parades. There’s even a food festival where Thanksgiving lovers can sample traditional New England seasonal fare at its finest. Explore military encampments, shop the harvest market, and more

Black Friday at Mall of America

For millions of Americans, a turkey dinner with all the trimmings is only part of what goes into a Thanksgiving weekend well spent. For those people, getting their holiday shopping season off to a good start on Black Friday is an absolute must. However, there’s Black Friday shopping … and then there’s Black Friday shopping at Minnesota’s iconic Mall of America.

Mall of America features over 500 different shops, as well as a massive selection of services and amenities. However, Black Friday shopping here is not for the faint of heart. Be prepared to fight massive crowds and hundreds of overzealous shoppers for first crack at all those sweet, sweet door-buster deals.

Detroit’s Annual Turkey Trot

Activity-conscious people that are eager to work off a few of those extra helpings as soon as possible love nothing more than a good turkey trot, and Detroit features one of the very best out there. Not only is it ahead of the game for its comprehensive collection of road race offerings, but it comes attached to fun of the type you might not expect. (Its annual costume contest is a great example.)

Marathon enthusiasts and spectators alike can look forward to a variety of different events, including the Mashed Potato Mile, the 10K Turkey Trot, and the 5K Stuffing Trot. (The Mashed Potato Mile is suitable for even senior citizens and children.) Once the runs are all over, people gather in downtown Detroit for some early shopping, as well as a peep at the city’s amazing America’s Thanksgiving Parade.

McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago

Macy’s may boast the best-known branded Thanksgiving parade out there, but it’s far from the only one. If you live anywhere near Chicago, you’ll definitely want to check out the McDonald’s parade.

The McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a local staple since it was first established in 1934. Attendees can look forward to seeing Ronald McDonald, Santa Claus, and a cast of thousands walking the streets and bringing smiles to over 400,000 people early Thanksgiving morning.

Of course, these are just a few of the many Thanksgiving-tide events that represent wonderful ways to kick off the holiday season in style and which are well worth traveling for. 

Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Chesapeake Oysters

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1. They are the same species as oysters from New York, Maine, Florida and Louisiana.

That’s right! Crassostrea virginica, the eastern Oyster is not only native to the Chesapeake Bay but way beyond- all the way up to Nova Scotia and down to the Gulf of Mexico. They have regional flavor distinctions, but every native oyster on the Eastern Seaboard is exactly the same biologically. Crassostrea virginica oyster beds near Tom’s Cove, Virginia.

2. There are male oysters and female oysters, but they can swap genders.

To increase their chances of successfully spawning, oysters have a unique adaptation— they can change sex at will. Described by oyster biologist Trevor Kincaid as, “Strictly a case of Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde,” this versatility means the oyster population always a balance of enough males and females to ensure a healthy spat set. Most oysters start their lives out as males but become females by their second year.

3. Baby oysters are called ‘spat.’

While it sounds like the past tense of ‘to spit,’ ‘spat’ refers to a juvenile oyster that has grown out of its free-floating larval state, when it is known as a ‘veliger.’ Once veligers develop a small ‘foot’ and attach to a hard surface (normally the shell of another oyster), they are then known as spat, and won’t move again for the rest of their lives.

 4. Chesapeake oysters produce pearls.

Almost all oyster species do. But typically, pearls— which are the product of an oyster coating an irritant with layers of nacre— look like the environment surrounding the pearl-producing oyster. In the brackish and algae-rich waters of the Chesapeake Bay, usually that means pearls that are brownish, greenish or just plain ugly.

5. People killed each other in order to get access to Chesapeake oysters.

In the late 1800’s, technology and transportation combined with an increase in demand lead to the great Chesapeake Oyster Boom. This period, which only lasted 20 years, inspired thousands of men to take to the water to harvest Bay oysters. These newcomers were usually on large sailboats known as skipjacks that used large tools to harvest millions of oysters. So much money was a stake that lawlessness prevailed— skipjack captains and crew got in gun battles with the regulating state Oyster Navy, took shots at oyster harvesters using old-fashioned attached rakes (called ‘tongs’), and the oyster tongers armed themselves and fought back. It was almost total anarchy that only ended when the oyster population started to decline at the turn of the century.

6. Raw oysters are often alive when you eat them.

If they’re fresh, they might still even have a heartbeat. Raw oysters are living organisms, and when kept cold, they can survive for several days out of the water. If the idea of eating something alive bothers you, just steam them instead. Once the shells pop open, you know they’re ready to eat.

7. Chesapeake oysters grow in reefs.

Unlike cartoons, oysters don’t really lie on their side in the sand. They grow attached to each other, one generation after another, ideally close to the top of the water. In this way over thousands of years, oysters made reefs miles wide and miles long. Before mass harvesting methods, oyster reefs were so enormous, they were actual impediments to navigation in the Chesapeake Bay. A Swiss visitor to the Chesapeake, Francis Louis Michel, remarked in 1702 that, “The abundance of oysters in incredible. There are whole banks of them so that ships must avoid them.  A sloop, which was to land us at Kingscreek, struck an oyster bed, where we had to wait two hours for the tide.”

8. Oysters have clear blood.

The liquid inside an oyster, known as the oyster’s ‘liquor,’ is savored by oyster aficionados, who relish its briny taste. However, this is often a mixture of water and, when shucked, an oyster’s blood, which is totally clear. So if knowing they were alive didn’t kill your appetite, this might.

9. Chesapeake farmed oysters are more likely sterile than not.

Known as ‘triploids,’ these sterile oysters have three chromosomes instead of the two found in normally-reproducing oysters. Triploids are used in Bat oyster farms— especially in Virginia— because they are more disease-resistant. Two oyster parasites that are harmless to humans but deadly to oysters, MSX and Dermo, have ravaged wild oyster populations in the Chesapeake. Unlike reproducing or ‘diploid’ oysters, triploids never experience the vulnerable weak period after spawning. Instead, they grow faster and make it to market before impacted by disease. For this reason, many oyster farms now use solely triploid oysters— better living through science!

10. There are more varieties of Chesapeake oysters than ever before.

Thanks to the growth of aquaculture, Chesapeake Bay oysters are now being produced by hundreds of oyster farms, each with its own brand of oysters. From Shooting Points to Pleasure House, each brand can offer up a slightly different tasting experience. Known as an oyster’s ‘merroir’ (like wine’s ‘terroir’) this distillation of an oyster’s environment can vary greatly depending on the location of the oyster farm— an oyster grown in a saltier part of the Bay might be very briny, while an oyster from north on the Bay might be much sweeter. Oysters that develop near marshes might take on an earthy note, while oysters grown near a cliff or rocky shoreline might have a more mineral finish. Try them all and find your favorite!

The Margin of Error: 5 Historical Science Misconceptions

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Humans have been making (and breaking) scientific discoveries for centuries. Although many historical discoveries have been proven true in the modern era, there are several scientific theories that have now been debunked. Today, we’re exploring just 5 of the most common misconceptions in science through history!


Humorism

Even foods were involved in humorism – spiced wine was believed to balance out and cure influenza. Reprinted from Pennsylvania Wine: A History by Hudson Cattell & Linda Jones McKee, courtesy of Hudson Cattell (pg. 24, The History Press, 2012).

Long before the development of modern medicine, ancient physicians ascribed to a system called humorism, which claimed that the human body was made up of four “humors,” or fluids, which influenced health and disease. The four humors included blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm, which each corresponded to one of the four personality temperaments. The humor system was adopted by physicians across many societies, including Ancient Greece, Rome, and the Islamic empire, and persisted across Western Medicine well into the 18th century (for example, bloodletting to cure disease was based on the humors). As scientific research and medical knowledge expanded, the theory gradually gave way during the 19th century to modern medicine.

Geocentric Model

One of the most well-known scientific myths, the geocentric model purported that the universe (including the Sun, stars, Moon, and other planets) revolved around Earth. The model dates back to ancient societies, and was supported by great philosophers like Aristotle and Ptolemy. The theory, bolstered by the casual observance that the Sun seemed to revolve around the Earth during the day, persisted despite the existence of the heliocentric theory (of planets revolving around the Sun). Its persistence was largely due to the support of religious sects. However, by the 16th century, many scientists began to accept and spread the heliocentric theory made popular by Copernicus.


Discovery of Electricity

A depiction of Franklin’s famous “kite experiment.” Reprinted from Hidden History of South Jersey: From the Capitol to the Shore by Gordon Bond (pg. 49, The History Press, 2013).

While many small children in America have been taught that the discovery of electricity came from an ill-advised kite flown by Benjamin Franklin in a thunderstorm, electricity with actually a well-known phenomenon by the time Franklin began his own studies. The concept of electricity was first observed in Ancient Egyptian texts, where electric fish were common. However, by 1600, scientist William Gilbert had produce De Magnete, the first study of electricity and magnetism, and which gave electricity its common name. While Franklin may not have discovered electricity, he did produce some of the most prolific work on its study, and coined many of the terms we associate with it today, such as battery, positive and negative charge, and conductor.

Alchemy

Before modern chemistry, many medieval scientists believed in the practice of alchemy, a pseudoscience that attempted to transform matter into other materials. First practiced in Greco-Roman Egypt, the main goal of most alchemists’ was to turn base metals like lead or iron into a precious metal, particularly gold. Alchemists also were concerned with discovering or inventing an elixir of immortality. The practice flourished for hundreds of years, and spread from Africa out to Asia and Europe. Although the science never achieved its lofty goals, and died out during the scientific revolution of the 1700s, it has since been credited as the beginnings of the scientific method and modern experimentation.


Flat Earth

William Glenn Voliva, an evangelist who led the Zionist church during the early 1900s, was a prominent support of Flat Earth theories, even in the early 20th century. Reprinted from Zion by Zion Historical Society (pg. 90, Arcadia Publishing, 2008).

Like the geocentric model, the theory of a flat Earth dates back to antiquity, when many ancient cultures believed the Earth’s shape resembled that of a flat disk. Many of these early beliefs had their root in creation myths – for example, one Homeric account from Ancient Greece said that the earth was a disk floating on the ocean of Okeanos, a mystic being that created both the world and the gods. However, by the 5th century BCE, many philosophers had begun to gather empirical evidence that the world was instead a sphere, and the belief had largely died out in the Western world by the second century BCE. Despite these centuries of evidence, today there are still many who subscribe to the “Flat Earth Society,” claiming the world is in fact on a flat plane.

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