Day Brightener – From Days Of Yore

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Victorian house being moved with the use of horses. San Francisco, 1908
Rural mail delivery 1914

Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis in 1872


This is Two Guns, Arizona, a historic ghost town along Route 66 with a dark and mysterious past. The top image shows Two Guns in its prime during the early-to-mid 20th century when it served as a bustling roadside attraction, complete with a Texaco gas station, trading post, and a zoo run by the infamous “Chief” Henry Miller. The bottom image reveals the present-day ruins of the site, now abandoned and left to the elements.
Two Guns is infamous for its connection to the Apache Death Cave, where, according to legend, Navajo warriors trapped and killed a group of Apaches in 1878. The land has since been rumored to be cursed, as multiple business ventures at the site have mysteriously failed. Today, Two Guns stands as an eerie relic of Arizona’s past, attracting urban explorers and ghost hunters intrigued by its haunted history.
Menu from the New Madison. New York in 1960.
From the New York Public Library
This was Las Vegas in 1947.
In 1937, a man walked down the streets of Freer, Texas, carrying a revolver on his waist, a scene that might seem out of place today but was not uncommon during that time. The early 20th century, especially in rural areas like Freer, was marked by a strong sense of personal responsibility for self-defense. Firearms were an integral part of daily life, often carried by men as a tool of protection, hunting, or as a symbol of independence. The presence of such weaponry on public streets was not viewed with alarm but rather as a practical part of life in a frontier-like environment.
Freer, located in South Texas, was a small town where lawlessness and the presence of criminal activity were concerns, particularly during the Great Depression. The revolver, often holstered at the waist, represented both a physical means of protection and a social norm. Guns were also a common sight among ranchers, cowboys, and lawmen who frequented the region. In many ways, this reflected the broader culture of the American West, where firearms were embedded in the identity of the people.
While today’s world is far removed from the circumstances of 1937 Texas, this moment in history serves as a reminder of how times have changed. The image of a man with a revolver walking casually down a quiet street is a snapshot of a different era, when life was often shaped by survival, self-reliance, and the rugged landscapes of the American Southwest.

Continental DC7 Cabin (1960’s)
Located on the side of Cleopatra Hill. Known as the “Wickedest Town in the West,” Jerome’s economy was driven by the copper mines operated by the United Verde Copper Company. During this period, the town’s population swelled to over 10,000 residents, comprised of miners, their families, and a host of businesses that catered to their needs. The Great Depression, however, took its toll on the mining industry, leading to layoffs and economic hardship for many residents. Despite the economic challenges, Jerome remained a bustling community with a reputation for rowdiness, marked by numerous saloons, gambling halls, and brothels. The town’s landscape was dominated by the massive open-pit copper mine, which continued to extract valuable ore. By the end of the decade, the mining operations began to decline significantly, foreshadowing the ghost town status that Jerome would eventually acquire in the mid-20th century. Nevertheless, the 1930s were a defining era for Jerome, showcasing both the prosperity and the hardships that came with its mining boomboom

A Train stuck just west of Minneapolis during the 1965 St. Patrick’s Day Blizzard.
Street Cars in Minneapolis

Nicollet Avenue at night at Christmas, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1937 from Hennepin History Museum.

Streetcar in Minneapolis in 1954 – Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

Lake Calhoun in 1912
Original source not identified.
Pan Am dinner service aboard a Boeing 747SP upper deck. These were really the good old days.

In 1892, four Texas Rangers stood still just long enough to be captured in a rare and haunting photograph—but what if this moment wasn’t as simple as it seems? You won’t believe what historians have recently uncovered about this image. Their faces are stoic, their gear rugged, their mission supposedly just—but there’s something suspicious in the way they look at the camera, as if they knew this photo would survive long after the truth was buried.

This wasn’t just another day on the frontier. At a time when the Wild West was being tamed and lawlessness was being rewritten by those with power, these four men rode into a chapter of history drenched in secrets. Who were they really protecting? And who decided what justice looked like? The deeper you look into their eyes, the more questions emerge—questions about hidden agendas, vanished enemies, and a justice system written in gunpowder and grit.

Preserved by the Institute of Texan Cultures, this mysterious image has reemerged—and not everyone’s happy about it. Why now? What secrets does it threaten to expose? Some say this photo holds the key to a truth long kept silent by dusty archives and selective memory. Scroll carefully… because once you start pulling on this thread, the entire story of the Texas Rangers might begin to unravel.

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