Bob Dylan is largely considered to be one of the greatest musicians and songwriters of all time. In the 1960s, Dylan moved to New York City and spent his life writing and performing music. His music, including top hits like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, is a unique mix of folk, country, and pop music. His lyrics were often calls for social change or protest and helped to fuel many social movements in the 1960s. On October 13th, 2016, the Nobel Prize Committee announced they would be awarding Bob Dylan the Nobel Prize in Literature for his lyricism and new poetic expressions displayed in his music.
While he wasn’t able to attend the award ceremony, he received the prize in a private ceremony where he expressed gratitude and was honored to be recognized in such a monumental way. This award was celebrated by many fans of the arts in the United States, even being the first headline on the Nation/World page of The Cedar Rapids Gazette on October 14th, 2016. They also share a fun fact that I didn’t know; Bob Dylan was the first American to win this award since Toni Morrison won it in 1993!
What would you do if you walked outside and found a meteorite on top of your car? That’s exactly the situation that a family in Peekskill, New York encountered on October 9th, 1992. Meteorites are common, but they are often so small by the time they reach the ground that they do little damage. The Peekskill meteorite is one of the most documented to reach the earth’s surface. Videos and images of the meteorite’s descent were captured from 16 different locations as it headed towards the ground. The Citizen in Auburn, New York published on October 13th, 1992 about the meteorite striking a car, and described that there had been reports of a “lime green fireball in the sky”. Just before 8 pm on October 9th, 1992, the meteorite weighing 26 pounds made contact, but not just with the ground. It also cut through the red Chevy Malibu that was sitting in the driveway of the Knapp family’s house. The car had just been purchased by their 18-year-old daughter, who reported hearing sounds similar to that of a car crash, and had rushed outside to find her car crushed. Originally she believed it had been an act of vandalism before someone pointed out that a rock of that size could not do that much damage from a person alone, and it must have come from outer space. The car and meteorite were eventually sold to scientific experts, and have since traveled the world on display. While the Knapp family lost their newly purchased car, they made the price of it and more back in the sale and forged a place in history for themselves.
The decades following the conclusion of World War 2 brought a new age of scientific discovery and military weaponry. The US had proved that nuclear weapons were possible to create and use in warfare, and many countries saw a need to start creating nuclear weapons of their own. Atomic energy itself was a new invention, only being used near the beginning of World War Two, but had been theorized before its first use. Early atomic and nuclear research was focused on creating a war weapon for the United States under the Manhattan Project. Once proved it was possible, and the United States had displayed their possession of these intensely powerful weapons, other major powers raced to catch up. This led to the creation and operation of nuclear facilities throughout the world, and with the rush to create came accidents.
Nuclear power is quite safe, but only when it’s properly operated and controlled. It is when corners are cut and precautions are not taken that we see nuclear accidents like that of Chernobyl, and the one that happened this week in 1957: the windscale nuclear accident.
The Windscale nuclear reactor facility was located in the northwestern part of England and was created to produce plutonium to be used in military defense. Inside the facility were two nuclear reactors which were gas-cooled and worked to produce the plutonium. On October 8, 1957, a routine heating of the graphite control blocks in the first reactor went awry and caused cartridges full of uranium to rupture, which then released radioactivity and started a fire in the reactor core. This fire burned for over 16 hours before they could put it out, and in the process released tons of radioactive material into the atmosphere.
While this was the most severe nuclear accident in the history of the United Kingdom, its after-effects were nowhere near as drastic as we have seen with accidents like Chernobyl. The reactor in which the fire occurred was sealed off until the UK could deem it no longer hazardous, but the populations in the neighboring areas did not have to evacuate. However, I did learn something interesting from an article in the Robinson Daily News. On September 11, 1958 (just under a year after the accident), they reported that milk produced from cows near the plant following the incident had quickly become dangerously contaminated by the radioactive material. The milk was so contaminated with radioactive iodine that it contained more than the amount known to cause thyroid cancer in children. As a result, the British government confiscated thousands of gallons of milk. The nuclear site was renamed following the accident, but then shortly after shut down and was deemed too dangerous to continue to operate.
One of the most devastating incidents in Chicago’s history is the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The origin of the fire remains a mystery, but the damage of it left a lasting mark on the story of Chicago. During the mid and late 19th century, Chicago’s population continued to grow rapidly. Due to this growth, more and more buildings were constructed, and neighborhoods became congested. Most buildings at this time were made of wood, and highly flammable. Fires were not uncommon but had never been a problem of this magnitude before.
On October 8th, 1871, a fire broke out on the west side of the city. Weeks of dry weather conditions provided ample fuel for the fire to grow, and the local fire department had been depleted of many of its resources fighting a fire the night before. These caused delays in the reaction to the fire and gave it plenty of time to grow. Winds quickly spread the flames throughout the city, burning block to block in the city. This fire continued to grow for days, until it was finally put out on October 10th with the help of rain and the Chicago River separating the other side of the city.
In the Clark County Herald, on October 13th, 1871, they published the headline “CHICAGO IN ASHES”, sharing that the “once proud city of Chicago which one week ago was the glory of the citizens of Illinois, now lies in ashes”. They provided a play-by-play of how the fire progressed, which is very similar to the current agreed-upon sequence of events we have put together with more research. It’s interesting to see how the story developed over time, and how the initial assumption can change as we gain more knowledge.
This fire is one of the most famous in American history for the sheer amount of damage it caused, and the way the city of Chicago rebuilt after. The fire killed around 300 people and injured or displaced countless more. Over a third of the city was destroyed, causing $200 million in damages (nearly $5.7 billion in 2024). Many were left homeless and hopeless, but a group of architects took it upon themselves to rebuild the city, and they did so quite fast. Because of their efforts, and that of countless others, the city of Chicago was able to bounce back quickly and grow into one of the largest cities in the United States.
It’s stories like this from history that inspire me when we come upon great disasters. Time and time again, we face devastating destruction and find ourselves having to regroup and start over again. But the great thing about humanity is we don’t do it alone, and we have the spirit to come back better than before. Advantage Archives is here to support our partners through the devastation of Hurricane Helene and is ready to help you preserve your history through these challenges. For more information about preserving your collections and disaster recovery, check out this article that includes our recommendations for both disaster preparation and recovery.
Explore the “Read All About It” archives to read stories that spotlight our partners and their communities, announcements from our team, updates on current projects, and so much more. Discover articles about engagement, outreach, primary sources, community, digitization, education, and other topics of interest. Delve into the happenings in this week in history and take a deep dive into the events and people who helped shape our communities, our nation, and the world.
Hear Ye, Hear Ye, READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Advantage Archives works to build strong, community-based partnerships to provide free online access to local history, making it discoverable and easily accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time, on any device. This allows communities to understand and connect to their past in a meaningful way. Through the Community History Archive search platform, we provide the community with the means to explore, discover, learn from, connect with, and share the stories of the people, places, and events that shaped their community.
The Community History Archives are intended to serve as a “portal to the past”, allowing local primary source documents to give an accounting of history as told by the individuals that witnessed it. Advantage Archives guiding principals center around building strong community-based partnerships, which is why we enter into them with the intent of shouldering our fair share, and taking the burden off of the community for the ongoing costs associated with storage, hosting, development, and maintenance of the Community’s History Archive. We are an active participant in the community’s efforts to make their collective history more accessible. The Community History Archives are maintained for free by Advantage and do not require a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or any other ongoing costs or expenses to the institution or members of the community.
If you would like to see more local history online, please contact your local library, newspaper publisher, genealogical society, historical society, or educational institution, and encourage them to learn more about creating a Community History Archive or have them contact Advantage Archives at (855) 303-2727
