Constitution of the united States of America

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of...

Emancipation Proclamation by Historical Document

By the President of the United States of America:   A PROCLAMATIONWhereas on the 22nd day of September, A.D. 1862, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the...

Fly it proudly and properly

By Roger Meyer Issue #130 • July/August, 2011 Since September 11, 2001, more Americans are displaying the national flag. Our flag gives us a sense of unity and purpose as a nation. Old Glory represents our...

The summer of ’35

By John Graesch Issue #64 • July/August, 2000 Sixty five years ago I was living in that part of Seattle, Washington, known as South Park. Few places had as much natural beauty as "The Park" as...

Feeling nostalgic? Now you’ll rave! Here’s the story of Burma Shave.

By Martin Waterman Issue #37 • January/February, 1996 I can remember taking a trip as a child and seeing my first Burma Shave signs. Technically speaking, after 1963 all the 7,000 or so sets of signs...

the gee-whiz! page: Animals, humans, extraterrestrials, and tools

By O. E. MacDougal Issue #154 • July/August, 2015 There was a time when it was thought that a defining difference between humans and animals was: we use tools, they don't. But, in the last few...

Biological and chemical weapons through history

By John Silveira Issue #81 • May/June, 2003 The weather here on the coast of Oregon is nice almost all year-round, and there almost always seems to be some kind of fishing—salmon or winter steelhead running...

Remembering what grandma used

By Marjorie Burris Issue #57 • May/June, 1999 My grandmother, Mary Etta Dillman Graham, was one of those frontier women who took life as it came; extremely practical, resourceful and inventive, she was always, always ready...

Oregon Trail preparedness: What supplies did the settlers carry?

By Don Lewis Issue #176 • April/May/June, 2019 The year was 1834, a year that didn’t really stand out as all that particularly important in American history. But like any other year, it had its share...

Quilts — Masterpieces of the heart and windows into women’s history

By Marlene Parkin Issue #22 • July/August, 1993 Many of the quilts of yesterday took a lifetime to make. Perhaps the mystical part of quilts—the aspect that makes them almost human—is the countless hours of work...

Was the first government gun confiscation attempt foiled by an unsung colonial heroine?

By John Silveira Issue #119 • September/October, 2009 Gun control people don't seem to get just how deeply etched into the American psyche gun ownership goes and that the resistance to being disarmed by their own...

Grandpa’s justice

By Tom Kovach Issue #65 • September/October, 2000 Having the best vegetable garden in the village might put food on the table and make some money at the market, but it also can cause some problems....

The time-travel ad

By John Silveira Issue #125 • September/October, 2010 It's become a minor Internet phenomenon. The ad reads: It's also been read by Jay Leno on his late night TV show, on National Public Radio more than once...

Habeeb Salloum — Poet, Traveler, Recipe Writer

Habeeb Salloum, 95, a poet, world traveler, linguist, and author of recipe books on Middle Eastern cuisine, has written recipe articles for Backwoods Home Magazine for 19 years. The son of Syrian immigrant farmers,...

James Polk — A model for modern presidents

By John Silveira Issue #32 • March/April, 1995 It was snowing and three of us were up at the office. Dave Duffy, the fellow who publishes BHM, and I were trying to get some work done...

George Washington Carver — He wrote the book on self-reliance

By John Silveira Issue #31 • January/February, 1995 "What were you listening to when I got to your house? Sounded nice. I don't think I've ever heard it before." O.E. MacDougal looked at me from across the...