Investigations

Map

The History Detectives have traveled the length and breadth of the country, delving into family legends, local folklore and stories behind potentially extraordinary objects in everyday American homes, cities and small towns.

Browse the investigations on the map and see what we've revealed in your local area.

If you've got an object that you think may have played a starring role in American history, let us know.

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Techniques Genealogy - Glossary A list of useful words to know when using genealogy.
Investigations Marshall House Flag Did this piece of fabric come from a flag that cost a Union colonel his life?
Investigations Revolutionary War Poem How did this poem, written by an American prisoner in England in 1780 end up in Oregon 200 years later?
Techniques Case File: Mystery Moran How to know if unwanted 'junk' is a hidden treasure.
Investigations Fillmore Pardon Did President Fillmore pardon a Native American convicted of murder?
Investigations Quaker Map Did this faded map once guide slaves to freedom on the underground railroad?
Techniques Oral History Learn how to record oral or spoken history.
Techniques Case File: A Soldier's Fortune Find out how this historian used archives when investigating his family's history.
Investigations Bill Picket Saddle Did this saddle ride into cowboy history with one of rodeo's most daring innovators?
Techniques Case File: WWII Find out how this historian researched a relative.
Investigations Black Tom Shell Is this shell from a devastating act of foreign sabotage on American soil?
Techniques Tracking People Learn how to research a person using public records.
Techniques Building Background Discover more about a building's history.
Techniques Case File: Hidden Meanings Finding out more about the author of a diary.
Investigations Napolean's Sword Did Napoleon bestow this sword as a gift to a brave ancestor of a St. Martinville family?
Investigations Copperhead Cane How did this cane inspire a fiery political movement that threatened Lincoln's presidency?
Techniques Analyzing Art - Checklist A printable 'To Do' list for analyzing art.
Investigations Drone Propellor Could this propellor have powered a top secret weapon that transformed modern warfare?
Investigations Lincoln Forgery Could this piece of sheet music have come from Abraham Lincoln's private collection?
Techniques Weapon Dating Determining the age of a weapon.
Techniques Property Search How to carry out a property search.
Techniques Appraisal Glossary A List of useful words and phrases for Appraising.
Investigations Amelia Earhart Plane Was this piece of metal ripped from one of the most famous missing planes in history?
Investigations Howard Hughes Invention Was this oil drilling device really a Howard Hughes invention?
Investigations Doc Holliday's Watch Was this watch a gift from the fearless frontier lawman Wyatt Earp to the gambler Doc Holliday?
Investigations Howard Hughes Crash Was this the instrument that chartered Howard Hughes' near fatal plunge into Beverly Hills?
Techniques Timber Dating Using ring sequences or radiocarbon dating.
Techniques Case File: Marriage Of Convenience How to discover things you didn't know about people.
Investigations Lost Musical Treasure Are these fragments of a lost moment in American musical history?
Investigations Kittery Telescope What can this telescope reveal about America’s earliest struggles for independence?
Investigations WWI Chemical Warfare Map Could this map be an authentic relic from a critical WWI battle?
Techniques Paper Analysis Learn how to analyze paper to determine its age and origin.
Techniques Geological Analysis Learn how to identify probable age and origin of ceramic, stone and tile objects
Investigations Sears Home Might an Ohio couple's residence be a long-forgotten Sears home?
Techniques Census Information How to use census records in your investigation.
Techniques Military History - WWII Learn how to research a WWII veteran’s military record.

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