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Announcements

Introducing Premium Membership

Dear readers, thank you for enjoying my blog, my writing, and my photography all these years. Since 2006, and perhaps even before that, you’ve followed my adventures through many changes. I have many interests, and over the years my content has constantly evolved and grown as my interests have grown, and I appreciate you sticking with me through it all.

Don’t worry, none of that is going away, but with all the changes in my life, my growing family and other obligations, I just don’t have the free time anymore to write so many articles and take so many photos just for the fun of it. The only way I can continue to travel, write, and bring you quality content on a weekly basis is to start earning money from it. Ads and book sales just aren’t cutting it anymore. Thankfully, WordPress has introduced a new subscription feature.

Will everything on my website get hidden behind a paywall? No! I hate paywalls, and I’m sure you do too. I plan to continue offering a lot of free content on this website. However, longer articles requiring extensive time to write and research will only be available to subscribers. Some of my archived posts will only be available to subscribers, and I plan to offer bonus content like videos and exclusive photos in the future.

How much will all this cost? Not much. $3.99 a month, barely the cost of a cup of coffee at Starbucks. But your subscription will help me continue writing, researching, and traveling to provide the unique content you love. You can sign up today by using the buttons below. This secure transaction is processed by Stripe.

Thank you for your continued patronage, readership, and support all these years. I look forward to continue writing about the subjects we all love for years to come.

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Announcements Roadside America

Photo Included in the Fall Issue of the Society for Commercial Archeology Journal

It was an honor to have one of my photos included in the fall 2020 Society for Commercial Archeology Journal! It helped to illustrate an article on Flame Signs by Debra Jane Seltzer. (The neon sign is from Fire Equipment Headquarters, 64 Marshall Street in Rochester, New York)

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Announcements

Where to Order Tales of Coles County

Legends live right outside your door!

The 6th and final edition of Tales of Coles County, Illinois is finally here! If you already own a previous edition, or are hearing about it for the first time, this is the one to buy! 232 pages of hidden history, ghost stories, legends, and lore from one of the most fascinating areas of the state!

Where to order:

Tales of Coles County, Illinois is divided into three parts: Tales, Legends and Lore, and Hidden History.

‘Tales’ takes an entertaining look at local history through vivid historical fiction. When four students from Eastern Illinois University are stranded during a violent storm, they seek shelter with an elderly couple who give them more than they bargain for. After one night, the four will never look at Coles County the same way. With each story, they learn more about the place they’ve come to call home. The Second Battle of the Ambraw, the Charleston Riot of 1864, the Coles County Poor Farm, events surrounding the Airtight Bridge Murder, and the Blair Hall Fire of 2004, all are told.

In ‘Legends and Lore’, Michael Kleen reveals over a dozen hidden stories from the from the area’s past and present, including ghost stories, folk tales, and other legends and lore. When did a poltergeist terrorize one rural family in Pleasant Grove Township? What is the real story behind the “Mad Gasser of Mattoon”? Why do they call one stretch of road “Dead Man’s Curve”? The answers to these questions and more can be found in this definitive volume.

‘Hidden History’ examines events some believe are better left unremembered. What is the history of Coles County’s ghost towns? What were some of its most infamous murders? What happened in the Tornado of 1917? Never-before published information about Mattoon’s battle with Prohibition and even a local chapter of the KKK is inside.

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Announcements Video

Less than 24 Hours Remain to Pre-Order Tales of Coles County!

Lock in your 10% discount and get the book early by preordering before midnight tonight (September 30th)! The new edition of Tales of Coles County is chock full of new content and you won’t want to miss it. Why wait until tomorrow and pay full price? Click the link below to order!

I’m no longer accepting pre-orders because the book has officially been released! Order it today on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and GooglePlay.

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Announcements

Less than Three Days Remain to Pre-Order Tales of Coles County

Pre-order the sixth and final edition of Tales of Coles County, Illinois by September 30th and save 10%!

Whether you’ll be picking up this book for the first time or you already own an older version, you won’t want to miss this sixth and final edition! The original stories have been completely revised and updated. New stories, more history, one hundred additional pages, five brand new illustrations by Katie Conrad, a comprehensive bibliography, and over a dozen new photos await you inside.

This edition also includes a foreword by local genealogist Ann Winkler Hinrichs and an index.

I’m no longer accepting pre-orders because the book has officially been released! Order it today on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and GooglePlay.

Categories
Announcements

New Edition of Tales of Coles County Ready for Pre-Orders!

Pre-ordering for the sixth and final edition of Tales of Coles County, Illinois is now available.

Own a previous edition? You won’t want to miss this! The original stories have been completely revised and updated. This edition also includes an index and a foreword by local genealogist Ann Winkler Hinrichs.

One hundred additional pages, five brand new illustrations by Katie Conrad, comprehensive bibliography, and over a dozen new photos await you inside.

I’m no longer accepting pre-orders because the book has officially been released! Order it today on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and GooglePlay.

Categories
Announcements Video

Tales of Coles County Sixth Edition Unboxing

The proof copy of Tales of Coles County’s sixth edition is here! Let’s see it for the first time together as I do an unboxing video.

The book has officially been released! Order it today on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and GooglePlay.