1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales are right there on display, just 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: If you were lucky enough to spend your entire childhood 7 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 1: in one home, it can be hard to say goodbye 8 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: to it. You make so many memories there and spend 9 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: so many years analyzing every nook and cranny that it 10 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 1: almost becomes like a member of the family. But time 11 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: moves on, children grow up and move away, and parents 12 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: often need to downsize. Most of the time. Some parents 13 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: just can't let go, though, and they hold onto their 14 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: homes at all costs. Now, we've talked on the show 15 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: before about how the state of Michigan traded the city 16 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: of Toledo in order to gain its Upper Peninsula in 17 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 1: eighteen thirty six. This concluded the so called Toledo War, 18 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: and it proved to be an even trade. As the 19 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: mineral wealth of the Upper Peninsula seemed to be virtually endless. 20 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,479 Speaker 1: No one took better advantage of this than a man 21 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: named John M. Longear. John was an incredibly hard worker, 22 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: and he spent his youth surveying the peninsula for signs 23 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: of minerals. In the eighteen seventies, he surveyed multiple mountain 24 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: ranges on behalf of various mining companies, producing some of 25 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: the first maps of the region and helping to open 26 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: several mines. In the eighteen eighties, he went into business 27 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: for himself, opening even more mines and shipping millions of 28 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: tons of ore. With generational wealth now secured, John built 29 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: his family a large mansion on a bluff overlooking Lake Superior. 30 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: And I mean it was massive, with sixty five rooms 31 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: that took up an entire city block. There were whole 32 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: rooms dedicated to different activities, whether it was bowling, billiards, piano, 33 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: you name it. And of course there was a giant 34 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: lake at the foot of the cliff if anyone ever 35 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: wanted to go swimming or boating. It was a magical 36 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: place for John's children to grow up in. They lived 37 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: there in luxury for most of their childhoods, but then 38 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: in nineteen hundred, at the turn of the century, everything changed. 39 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: Tragedy struck that year when John's nineteen year old son, Howard, 40 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: drowned in Lake Superior. There are always dangers on the 41 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 1: Great Lakes, even for someone who grew up on them. 42 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: Strong winds and current can end the life of any swimmer. 43 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: John and his wife were understandably devastated. Their serene existence 44 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: had been completely destroyed by the worst thing that can 45 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: befall apparent. John's wife thought to ease the pain by 46 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: reaching out to the city of Marquette, hoping that she 47 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: could build a park on the shore of the lake 48 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,399 Speaker 1: and dedicate it to her son. But the city had 49 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: other plans. A new railroad was being built through town, 50 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: and it was going to pass right beneath the long 51 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: Year home where they wanted to build the memorial to 52 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: their son. So not only would they not get their memorial, 53 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: but their tranquil, scenic view would now be marred by 54 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: a noisy train. There was a good argument to be 55 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: had on both sides. The city would benefit from the train, 56 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: and it was probably not reasonable for the long Years 57 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: to expect the whole town to bend to their whims. 58 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: But their mansion was the jewel of the city. Even 59 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: if it wasn't being respected, and so after mulling it 60 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: over and discussing with his family, John decided that it 61 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: was time for them to move on from the peninsula 62 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: where he had made his fortune. The only problem was 63 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: he couldn't sell the house. Few could afford it, and 64 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: with the train going in, fewer still would be willing 65 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: to buy it from him, And so John embarked on 66 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: an incredible endeavor. Working with an architect, he had his 67 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: home disassembled brick by brick, with each piece carefully wrapped 68 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: in cloth and straw and loaded onto a train. One 69 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: hundred and ninety cars of that train were filled with 70 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: pieces of the Long Year mansion and transported many miles 71 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: to Brookline, Massachusetts. The more populous area would be a 72 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: good place for the long Years to start over. They'd 73 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: have each other and their home to remember Howard by, 74 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: but no longer have to face the lake that took 75 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: his life. In truth, the new home ended up being 76 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: much larger than the first. By the time he was finished, 77 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: John had doubled the mansion size. Not that they needed 78 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 1: the extra space, mind you, but the family was able 79 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: to spread out more on the new land and add 80 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 1: some incredible landscaping that remains to this day. Now only 81 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: the mansion has been expanded into condominiums so that more 82 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,679 Speaker 1: than one family can make use of the space. Looking back, 83 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 1: I think it's clear that the reconstruction of the Long 84 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 1: Year Mansion might have been Michigan's loss, but it was 85 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: certainly Massachusetts gain. The summer of eighteen eighty six was 86 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: a pivotal time for Canada. The country was still relatively young, 87 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: having been founded in eighteen sixty seven, and it was 88 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: still undergoing several growing pains. One of those was the 89 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:12,160 Speaker 1: exhaustive construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the first track 90 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: that would connect one end of Canada to the other. 91 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: Prime Minister Sir John A. McDonald had long wanted to 92 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: travel across the country by rail, and for the first 93 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: time such a thing was possible. The plan was for 94 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: the Prime Minister, his wife, and several dignitaries to take 95 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 1: a train all the way from Ottawa to Granville, going west. 96 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: It was functionally a pr tour. The Prime Minister would 97 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 1: stop along the route and take credit for the new 98 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: marvel of the railway. So what could possibly go wrong? Well, 99 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 1: Lady Agnes MacDonald, the Prime Minister's wife, soon found out 100 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: what the problem would be as they left Ottawa. Staring 101 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: out at the scenery from the comfort of a luxurious 102 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 1: box car would get very dull, very fast. Prairies all 103 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: looked the same from there, and her husband seemed perfectly 104 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: content to read the entire time. This would not do 105 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 1: for Lady Agnes. She left their car and started to 106 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 1: wander the length of the train, eventually finding herself at 107 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: the locomotive engine with the engineer and the fireman. The 108 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: two were bemused to see her there, but when asked 109 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: to explain how they kept the engine running, they complied, 110 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 1: showing Lady Agnes the ins and outs of running a 111 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: steam engine. She asked them if she could blow the 112 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: whistle at the next crossing, and they gave her permission, 113 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 1: and she eagerly did so several times, annoying her husband 114 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: all the way back in the coach. He knew that 115 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: she was getting restless, but would much preferred if she 116 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: would just content herself to enjoy the view quietly as 117 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: they went. She conceded to coming back to their coach, 118 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: watching the Rockies roll by in perfect comfort, but soon 119 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: after she had a better idea. When the train stopped 120 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: at Lake Louise. Lady Agnes got out and took a 121 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: look at the front of the locomotive itself. She eyed 122 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: the large pointed structure at the front of the train, 123 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: known as the cow catcher, and asked the superintendent if 124 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: she could ride up there instead of back in the 125 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: stuffy old coach. Her husband was not keen on the idea, 126 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: but he could not dissuade her. The Superintendent, perhaps to 127 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: assuage the Prime Minister's fears, decided that he would ride 128 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: beside her. The two of them fixed seats to the 129 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: cow catcher, and the train set off again, and Lady 130 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: Agnes was delighted by her new vantage points riding through 131 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: the gorgeous Canadian wilderness with the wind in her hair. 132 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: It was so much more involving than staring through it 133 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: all through a pane of glass. At one of the 134 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: subsequent stops, her husband walked up there to check on her, 135 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: and she dared him to ride alongside him. To the 136 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: shock of everyone around, he said he would. He rode 137 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: up front with her until the next stop, at which 138 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: points he retired to their private car once again. Lady Agnes, however, 139 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: was not done. She rode the rest of the trip 140 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: on the front of the train all the way from 141 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: Calgary to Granville. By the end of the trip, everyone 142 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: would be in awe of her, and they took a 143 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: photograph of the front of the train with Lady Agnes 144 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: still sat upon the cowketcher and her chair. She would 145 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: later reflect on her own fearlessness in her diary, writing 146 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: and I quote, I did not think of the danger. 147 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:11,119 Speaker 1: My mind was not on the precarious post I had 148 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: because I could gaze at the glaciers, the shadows playing 149 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: on the distant peaks, the hundreds of rainbows made by 150 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 1: the foaming, dashing river. I laughed out loud on that cowcatcher. 151 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: It was so delightful. Most people love to travel, although 152 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: to be fair, riding on the cowcatcher at the front 153 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: of a train might not be most people's first choice, 154 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: but Lady Agnes viewed things differently. It seems that some 155 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: people will do anything for a front row seat. I 156 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 1: hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. 157 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about 158 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 1: the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show 159 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: was created by me Aaron Mankey in partnership with how 160 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 1: Stuff Works, I make another award winning show called Lore, 161 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,680 Speaker 1: which is a podcast, book series, and television show and 162 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: you can learn all about it over at Theworldoflore dot com. 163 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: And until next time, stay curious.