1 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history 2 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: is an open book, all of these amazing tales are 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. The ghosts of our 5 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 1: past often come back to haunt us to teach us 6 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: something about where we've been and where we're going. Navigating 7 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: life is hard enough without being reminded of our past mistakes. 8 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: But that's how we grow and learn, isn't it. Sometimes, though, 9 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: those ghosts return in ways that make us question everything, 10 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: including reality. And on one fateful autumn day, a family 11 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: in Mesa, Arizona, got a shocking visit from their past 12 00:00:54,360 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: that taught them a very valuable lesson drive carefully. Around 13 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: the middle of October of two thousand five, Lorraine Hamburg 14 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: received an envelope in the mail. It was from the 15 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: Mesa Police Department, and inside was a photograph of her husband, James, 16 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: driving himself and her straight through a red light. The 17 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: camera had caught it all, and now missus Hamburg had 18 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: a ticket to deal with. Lorraine called her adult son 19 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: Stephen in a panic that had to be a joke. 20 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,479 Speaker 1: She thought there was no way his father had ran 21 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: that red light. Stephen also knew the ticket was bogus. 22 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: For one, there was no way his father had been 23 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: driving that car. Stephen's wife had borrowed it to run 24 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: errands that day. Furthermore, Lorraine couldn't have been in the 25 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: passenger seat, since she had been at home that week 26 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: recovering from open heart surgery. Lorraine's son, Stephen knew this 27 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: because he had been helping care for her. Stephen told 28 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: his mother not to worry and offered to handle the 29 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: whole ticket situation for her. He marched down to the 30 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: court house and presented all of the fact to Detective 31 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: Terry Dorn, arguing to have the ticket dismissed. The detective 32 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: said she'd consider it, but only after she had conducted 33 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: a thorough investigation. The prevailing theory at the time was 34 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: that the photo had been an old one on file 35 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:19,239 Speaker 1: that had been accidentally mailed to the Hamburgs Police. Forensics 36 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: enhanced the image and quickly saw that that couldn't be 37 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: the case. One look at the background revealed one of 38 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 1: the buildings behind the car hadn't existed before last year. 39 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: The building certificate on file confirmed it. The traffic cam 40 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: was in fact recent if only someone had mentioned something 41 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: to Stephen. Weeks went by and the young Hamburg reached 42 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: out for an update from the police, but he received 43 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: only radio silence. With his mother growing more worried by 44 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: the day, he did what anyone looking to get an 45 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: answer from the government officials would do. He contacted the press. 46 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: Once the story made it into the local paper, things 47 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: moved a lot more quickly. They began questioning the police 48 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: for more information on the case. Could the authorities be 49 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: covering something up? They thought? Might there be a scandal 50 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 1: of foot in Mesa, Arizona? Why, they wondered, weren't they 51 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 1: cooperating with Stephen and his family to get the matter resolved. 52 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: The police asked Stephen for one last piece of evidence 53 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: to clear his parents name. Once he handed it over, 54 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: they had no choice but to dismiss the ticket, even 55 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: though the picture clearly showed his father, James, and his 56 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: mother Lorraine in the car. Ultimately, they realized that there 57 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: was no possible way James Hamburg could have been driving 58 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: that day. It wasn't because Stephen Hamburg's wife claimed that 59 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: she had been using the car when the photo was taken, 60 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: and it wasn't because his mother was on mandatory documented bedrest. 61 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: It was because Stephen had provided something that swayed them completely. 62 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: His father's death certificate, James Hamburg, you see, had been 63 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: dead for five years. Canada is home to numerous idyllic 64 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 1: towns and villages, each boasting their own unique landmarks and 65 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: features that make them hard to not fall in love with. 66 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 1: The small mining town of flynn Flon was named after 67 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: a character in a turn of the century science fiction 68 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 1: novel and holds an annual trout festival each July. Ontario's 69 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 1: Port Hope makes visitors feel as though they've been traveling 70 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: back in time to the nineteenth century, and Hudson in 71 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: Quebec is a haven for artists and crafters along with 72 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: the vibrant local theater scene. And then there's Minnawonka Landing, 73 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 1: located in Canada's Banff National Park. Minnawonka Landing is one 74 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: of the oldest settlements in Alberta. Nestled within the snow 75 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies along the shores of 76 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: Lake Minawanka, the town can trace its history back thousands 77 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: of years. Archaeologists have found arrowheads, tools and other artifacts 78 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: left behind by the town's Aboriginal ancestors. Minnawaka Landing and 79 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: it's thirteen mile long lake have become a draw for 80 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 1: tourists and outdoor enthusiasts looking for an escape from their 81 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: busy city dwelling lives. That all started in the late 82 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,840 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds, when visitors to the lake saw an opportunity 83 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: to cultivate the beautiful, unkept wilderness surround it into something lucrative. 84 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: The local city folk and Calgary often came to Lake 85 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: Minawanka to view the splendor of the rocky mountains and 86 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: to swim in its cool crystalline waters. Without a place 87 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,919 Speaker 1: to stay, however, their trips were limited unless they felt 88 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,840 Speaker 1: like camping over for the night. After the first hotel 89 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: went up, it didn't take long for others to capitalize 90 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: on the town's potential. People moved in and built cottages. 91 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: They started small businesses and restaurants, peppering the land with commerce, 92 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: all framed by nature's majestic beauty. Soon, the hard working 93 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: people of Calgary had a place to stay and food 94 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: to enjoy, allowing them to plan trips to the growing 95 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: resort town. However, Minawonka Landing still resided within the borders 96 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: of a Canadian National Park. The Park Service wanted to 97 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: improve the lake shoreline and reduce the surrounding water levels, 98 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 1: so they built a dam in Almost twenty years later, 99 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: a second dam was installed as a way to store 100 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: water in case of a drought. It wasn't until the 101 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: start of World War Two when Minawonka Landing was truly 102 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: put to the test. As North America entered the fight, 103 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: resources such as rubber and tin became as valuable as gold, 104 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: and so did something else. Power. The meager power being 105 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:54,039 Speaker 1: supplied to Minawonka Landing was enough for a hotel and 106 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 1: some shops, but it couldn't sustain the rapidly growing cities nearby, 107 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: so a power plant was constructed, as well as a 108 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: third hydro electric dam. The effects were disastrous for this 109 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: small resort town. The dam and the plant were loud 110 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: and disrupted the picturesque tranquility that everyone had come to expect. 111 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 1: As a result, shop owners closed their businesses, people moved away, 112 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: leaving behind a village lost industry, lost to time. You 113 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: can still see Minawonka Landing today. It's right where they 114 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: left it. About seventy miles west of Calgary. It's a 115 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: ghost town now, and its historical significance has made it 116 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: even more of a tourist attraction than it was when 117 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: it was inhabited in thriving. Just make sure you pack 118 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: your scuba gear when you visit. You see Minawonka landing 119 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: can't be accessed by car or train, and a boat 120 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: will only take you so far. To see the town today, 121 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: you'll need to dive thirty ft below the surface of 122 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: the lake. It's all still there, the hotel, the cottages, 123 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: the sidewalks, and the shops and all are mostly intact. 124 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: Some of the homes still have their windows in place too. 125 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: It all happened by design. In order for the damned 126 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: to function properly. During the war, the town at its 127 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: base had to be flooded, But the water that fills 128 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: the lake happens to come from Glacier's up north, and 129 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: that icy flow has kept the town preserved all these 130 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: years later. Sometimes the most interesting sites to see are 131 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: often right there in front of you. Just be sure 132 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: not to forget to take a peek below the surface. 133 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet 134 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn 135 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. 136 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: The show was created by me Aaron Manky in partnership 137 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: with how Stuff Works. I make another award winning show 138 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show, 139 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 1: and you can learn all about it over at the 140 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: World of Lore dot com. And until next time, stay curious. 141 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: H