Quarter Miles Travel With Annita

Travel With Annita and Friends
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The Adventure begins when you reach into your pocket. Each U.S. Mint Commemorative Quarter design tells a unique story. Each quarter is filled with pride, from hometown heroes to iconic landmarks; wildlife and nature to music and culture. Reach into your pocket and let Quarter Miles Travel take it from there, we’ll turn that quarter into an adventure.

  1. 5d ago

    Ona Judge The Courage of Freedom

    Ona Judge was a woman of courage. She stood strong for her freedom from the most prestigious American family - George and Martha Washington. She escaped and remained free.

    37 min

  2. May 25

    Episode 46: The Liberty Tree Yesterday and Today

    The Liberty Tree Yesterday and Today Long before America became a nation… before there was a Declaration of Independence… before there were fireworks, parades, or even the United States itself… there was a tree. There was The Liberty Tree. Its branches stretched over the streets of Boston like open arms gathering together ordinary people with extraordinary courage. Beneath that tree, colonists whispered dangerous ideas. They gathered in fear, in frustration, and eventually in hope. Hope that freedom could belong not only to kings and wealthy men, but to common people willing to stand together and demand it. The Liberty Tree was more than wood and leaves rooted in the soil of colonial America. To the colonists, it became a living symbol of resistance, unity, and the belief that their voices mattered. Under its shade, the Sons of Liberty organized protests against British rule. Effigies were hung from its branches. Speeches stirred the hearts of the people. Plans were made that would help ignite a revolution. But emotionally, the Liberty Tree represented something even deeper. It reminded people they were not alone. For dock workers, craftsmen, merchants, laborers, free Black colonists, and even the enslaved who heard whispers of liberty carried through Boston’s streets, the tree became a symbol of possibility. A place where courage grew. A place where the idea of freedom took root long before the nation itself did. And even after British soldiers cut the tree down in 1775, they could not destroy what it had already inspired. Because the Liberty Tree had become more than a place. It had become an idea. Today, nearly 250 years later, that same spirit still speaks to us. The belief that communities matter. That ordinary voices can shape history. That liberty requires courage, sacrifice, and people willing to stand together beneath the weight of uncertain times. On this episode of Quarter Miles Travel, we travel back to the roots of the American Revolution to uncover the story of the Liberty Tree… the tree that helped grow a nation. The Liberty Tree came to represent the values that would eventually shape the soul of a nation: freedom, unity, courage, civic responsibility, resistance to injustice, and the belief that ordinary people have the power to shape their own future. Beneath its branches, colonists discovered that liberty was not simply an idea spoken by politicians or written in documents—it was something living, something worth protecting and fighting for together. The tree became a gathering place where voices joined in common purpose, where communities stood against oppression, and where hope grew stronger than fear. Its symbolism inspired a nation to believe that freedom belonged not to a king, but to the people. That government should answer to its citizens. That protest could become patriotism. And that even in uncertain times, unity and courage could grow deep enough to change the course of history. Though the original tree was cut down, the values it represented continued to spread across the colonies like roots beneath the soil—eventually giving rise to the birth of the United States itself. Yes — there were tensions, contradictions, and sometimes open conflict between Black and white colonists during the years leading up to the American Revolution, especially in slaveholding colonies. The revolutionary era was filled with a painful irony: White colonists were demanding liberty from Britain while many continued denying liberty to enslaved Africans. African Americans recognized that contradiction immediately. Some Black people supported the patriot movement and hoped the Revolution would eventually lead to freedom and equality. Others deeply distrusted white revolutionaries and believed British promises of emancipation offered a more realistic path to liberty. So the Revolutionary period was not one unified movement. It was complicated, layered, and often divided along racial and economic lines. Planting a Liberty Tree in Maryland Photo Courtesy of Champ Zumbrun. The Liberty Tree in Maryland Photo courtesy of Champ Zumbrun   Photo courtesy of – The Liberty Tree exhibit at American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, VA   Photo courtesy of – The Liberty Tree exhibit at American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, VA   Our commitment to storytelling –  Our goal is to journey through history in search of the untold and little-known stories — the ones overshadowed by larger narratives, pushed to the margins, or too often silenced and forgotten. We believe history is richest when all voices, experiences, and perspectives are explored with honesty and care. We strive for accuracy, fairness, and thoughtful storytelling in every piece we create. Our work is grounded in research, historical records, oral histories, and cultural context. But we also recognize that history is not always fully preserved in written documents or official accounts. Sometimes it must also be understood through interpretation, lived experience, and the voices that history nearly lost. Our commitment is to share these stories with integrity, insight, curiosity, and respect — bringing the past to life in ways that are meaningful, engaging, and thought-provoking. And because history is always evolving through continued discovery and scholarship, we welcome thoughtful feedback. If you see something that may need correction, additional context, or if you have information that could deepen the story, we invite you to contact us at quartermilestravelshow@gmail.com We value continued learning and will regularly review and update our content to ensure it remains as complete, accurate, and compelling as possible.

    1h 13m

  3. May 24

    Episode 45: African Americans and The First Memorial Day Celebration

    African Americans and The First Memorial Day Celebration Memorial Day, the USCT, and the Black Americans Who Remembered First Do you know the story of African Americans and The First Memorial Day Celebration. There are some graves America remembers with marble, flags, and ceremony.And then there are others. Graves that began as trenches. Bodies placed quickly into the earth. Names unspoken. Families never notified. No proper prayer. No final honor. No mother, wife, child, or loved one standing close enough to say goodbye. For many Black soldiers who served in the Civil War, death did not always bring dignity. Even after fighting for the Union, even after risking their lives for a country still deciding whether it would recognize their humanity, many were buried without ceremony, without markers, and without the honor they had earned. But history has a way of waiting. It waits beneath the soil. It waits in old newspaper clippings. It waits in family stories passed down when official records fall silent. And in Charleston, South Carolina, in the spring of 1865, newly freed African Americans did something extraordinary. They remembered. They took a place of suffering, a former racetrack turned Confederate prison camp, and transformed it into sacred ground. Today on Quarter Miles Travel, we uncover the overlooked Black history of Memorial Day, the United States Colored Troops, and the freed men, women, and children who insisted that the soldiers who died for Union and liberty would not be forgotten. The Civil War was America’s deadliest conflict. Approximately 620,000 soldiers died, and about two-thirds of those deaths came not from bullets, but from disease. The country was broken. Families were shattered. Towns were emptied of sons. And across the South, the war did more than destroy buildings and battle lines, it shook the foundation of slavery itself. For enslaved people, the Civil War was not simply a war between North and South. It was a war that opened a door. A dangerous door, yes but one that led toward freedom. As Union forces moved through Southern states, enslaved men, women, and children made life-changing decisions. Some fled plantations. Some followed Union troops. Some entered contraband camps. Some joined the army. Some searched for relatives who had been sold away. And some simply tried to survive long enough to see what freedom might become. And then came the United States Colored Troops  – the USCT. Black men enlisted to fight for the Union at a time when the country still refused to treat them as equals. They wore the uniform. They carried the flag. They faced Confederate bullets, disease, discrimination, and the knowledge that if captured, they could be treated far worse than white soldiers. They were fighting for the Union. But they were also fighting for something deeper. They were fighting for freedom with their bodies, their courage, and their names. In Charleston, South Carolina, during the final year of the war, Confederate forces turned the Washington Race Course and Jockey Club into a makeshift prison camp for captured Union soldiers. It had once been a place of leisure and wealth — a racetrack connected to the world of planters and privilege. But during the war, it became a place of suffering. At least 257 Union prisoners died there, many from disease and exposure. Their bodies were buried quickly in unmarked graves near the racetrack. No proper ceremony. No lasting dignity. Just a mass grave behind the grandstands. Then Charleston fell. The Confederate army evacuated the city. And the people who remained included thousands of newly freed African Americans — men, women, and children who understood exactly what those Union soldiers represented. To them, these were not nameless bodies. These were men who had died in a war that helped destroy slavery. So the freed people of Charleston acted. In the days leading up to May 1, 1865, roughly two dozen African American Charlestonians went to the site. They reinterred the bodies. They placed the graves in proper rows. They built a ten-foot-high white fence around the burial ground. Over the entrance, they placed words that still carry power: “Martyrs of the Race Course.” That phrase said everything. Created by a group called Friends of the Martyrs – A group of two dozen recently freed slaves who spent two weeks exhuming and reburying the bodies. And along with a group called the Patriotic Association of Colored Men  They knew these soldiers had not simply died. They had died for something. Both groups helped exhume these brave soldiers and form a committee to honor their service and their lives with ceremony.  On May 1, 1865, about 10,000 people gathered at the old racetrack in Charleston. Most were Black residents, newly freed people,  joined by some white missionaries and teachers. The ceremony began in the morning. Around 3,000 Black schoolchildren marched around the racetrack carrying flowers. Imagine that picture: children, many of them born into slavery, now walking freely, holding roses, singing “John Brown’s Body.” Behind them came adults representing aid societies for freed Black men and women. Black pastors delivered prayers. Spirituals were sung. Sermons were preached. Speeches were given by Union officers, missionaries, and Black ministers. They sang patriotic songs, including “America,” “We’ll Rally Around the Flag,” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Later that afternoon, Black and white Union regiments marched around the graves and performed drills. Among them were members of the famed 54th Massachusetts Infantry, along with the 35th and 104th United States Colored Troops. A celebration of honor – the first Decoration Day, which would later become Memorial Day. The New York Tribune described the tribute as “a procession of friends and mourners as South Carolina and the United States never saw before.” The graves were covered in flowers. The air carried their fragrance. And people wept — not only in grief, but in joy. Because this was more than a funeral. It was a declaration. Freed Black Americans were saying: These men mattered. Their sacrifice mattered. Freedom mattered. Memory mattered. Historian David Blight later wrote that this tribute “gave birth to an American tradition.” In his words, Memorial Day had been founded by African Americans in a ritual of remembrance and consecration. Now, here is where the story turns. Because this extraordinary ceremony — one of the earliest known Memorial Day observances in American history — was nearly erased. For generations, the commonly accepted origin story of Memorial Day centered on General John A. Logan. In 1868, Logan, who led a Union veterans organization, called for Americans to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers on May 30. That national observance at Arlington National Cemetery became known as Decoration Day. That story is important. But it was not the whole story. The Charleston ceremony happened three years earlier. So why didn’t most Americans learn it? Because after Reconstruction ended, white Southerners reclaimed political power and reshaped public memory of the Civil War. The story many wanted to tell focused on reconciliation between white Americans — North and South — while leaving Black Americans and emancipation pushed aside. The role of African Americans in founding an early Memorial Day did not fit that narrative. And so, the memory faded. The racetrack became Hampton Park. The Union soldiers’ remains were later moved to Beaufort National Cemetery. The story of the freed people’s tribute slipped into archives, family memory, and old newspapers. It was not until the late 1990s that historian David Blight found a file labeled “First Decoration Day” while researching at Harvard. Inside were references to newspaper accounts describing the May 1, 1865 ceremony. There it was…. waiting. Proof that Black Americans had helped create one of the nation’s most sacred traditions. To understand why this ceremony matters, we have to understand the USCT. The United States Colored Troops were not side characters in the Civil War. They were central to the Union victory. Nearly 180,000 Black men served in the Union Army, and thousands more served in the Navy. Many were formerly enslaved. Others were free Black men from the North. They fought knowing the risks were enormous. If captured by Confederate forces, Black soldiers could be executed, enslaved, or treated as criminals rather than prisoners of war. And yet they served. They served at Fort Wagner. They served at Port Hudson. They served at Petersburg. They served across the South and beyond. Their families often followed the war in their own way — fleeing plantations, seeking refuge behind Union lines, building schools, churches, and aid communities wherever freedom began to take root. For Black families, military service was not abstract. It was personal. A son joining the USCT might mean the first military uniform ever worn by a man in that family. A husband fighting for the Union might mean a chance at freedom for his wife and children. A father carrying a rifle might mean his children could one day learn to read. That is why burial mattered. That is why flowers mattered. That is why the freed people of Charleston stopped and honored those Union dead. Because they understood the price of freedom better than anyone. Today, travelers can still follow this story. Charleston is not only a city of beautiful architecture and coastal charm. It is also a city where the Civil War began, where slavery shaped wealth, and where newly freed people helped redefine the meaning of American memory. Hampton Park now stands where the Washington Race Course once operated. Beaufort National Cemetery, where the soldiers were later reinterred, remains a place to reflect on sacrifice, service, and the complicated

    17 min

  4. May 2

    Episode 44: Yellowstone National Park Bison and Wolves

    Episode 44: Yellowstone National Park Bison and Wolves 2010 America The Beautiful Quarters Coin Yellowstone Wyoming Uncirculated Reverse “Reach into your pocket… pull out a quarter… and let it take you somewhere unexpected.” Today… that quarter takes us to a place where the earth still breathes. Where steam rises from the ground…as if the land itself is telling a story. Where rivers carve through valleys unchanged by time…and where wildlife moves not for us…but as it always has. This is Yellowstone. A place that doesn’t ask to be understood— only respected. A place where you don’t just visit…You feel. Stand still for a moment in Yellowstone… and you begin to notice things differently. The quiet isn’t empty. It’s full. The ground beneath you isn’t still. It’s alive. And the distance between you and the horizon… feels just a little bit wider than anywhere else. And somehow… all of that is captured on something small enough to hold in your hand. The Yellowstone National Park Quarter. A single moment— Old Faithful rising into the sky… and a bison standing steady in the foreground. Geothermal wonder… and iconic wildlife… Existing side by side in one image. But Yellowstone is more than a beautiful place. It’s an idea. In 1872, under President Ulysses S. Grant, Yellowstone became the first national park in the United States— And the first in the world. At a time when land was something to be claimed, used, and developed…this was something entirely different. A decision to protect. To preserve. To say that this land— with all of its power, beauty, and life— Would belong to everyone. And more importantly… would be protected for those who had not yet seen it. And that decision… is why we can still stand here today. Still watch the geysers rise. Still see the bison move across the land. Still experience a place where nature leads. In this episode of Quarter Miles Travel, we’re going deeper into Yellowstone— Exploring the land… the wildlife… and the stories that continue to shape one of America’s most enduring places.

    1h 25m

  5. Apr 25

    Episode 43: Florida State Quarter – Three Woman Change Space Exploration

    Episode 43:  Florida State Quarter Three Woman Change Space Exploration Photo courtesy U.S. Mint – Florida State Quarters Coin Florida State Quarter US Mint release in 2004 features stories and history. Let’s start with- “Space… the last frontier.” A place that has always called to us—quietly, persistently—asking us to look up and wonder what lies beyond. It is the great unknown… vast, silent, and infinite. And yet, it feels deeply personal. Because space isn’t just about distance or discovery— it’s about possibility. It’s about curiosity. It’s about the human desire to go further than we’ve ever gone before… and to understand our place in something far greater than ourselves.” Three women have reach beyond the bound of earth and traveled among the stars and today we say their names and we share their stories.  Today… a quarter helps us tell that story – a quarter takes us to Florida. To the Space Coast. To Kennedy Space Center. To a place where history doesn’t sit still—it launches. But this isn’t just a story about rockets. It’s about people. It’s about possibility. And it’s about three women who helped redefine who gets to go to space. We’ll start with the coin. The Florida State Quarter, released in 2004, tells its own story. On the reverse side, you’ll find: A space shuttle launching into the sky A Spanish galleon, representing early exploration And the words: “Gateway to Discovery” And that phrase, Gateway to Discovery, isn’t just poetic. It’s literal. Because right here… in Cape Canaveral… Florida became the launch point for America’s journey into space. That shuttle on the coin? It represents decades of innovation, ambition, and risk. But what the coin doesn’t show— is who was onboard. To understand the full story, you have to stand on the ground where it happened. Kennedy Space Center is where America’s boldest dreams took flight. It began in 1958, when NASA was created. On the 29th of July 1958 President Dwight Eisenhower signed the bill that established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. On the 1st of  October 1958 NASA began operations to perform civilian research related to space flight and aeronautics. On the 25th  May 1961 President John F. Kennedy announced his ambitious goal of sending an American to the moon before the end of the decade. Just three years later, after NASA was created President Kenney made a promise that would define a generation: To land a man on the moon, and bring him home safely, before the decade was out. To make that promise real, NASA needed a launch site that could support something never done before. So they built it. More than 80,000 acres. Massive launch pads. The towering Vehicle Assembly Building—still one of the largest structures in the world. From here: Apollo 8 became the first mission to leave Earth’s orbit Apollo 11 launched toward the moon And the space shuttle era redefined space travel This place is more than history—it’s momentum. But for a long time…the people who made that history all looked the same. Well…. That is …Until they didn’t. Enter Sally Ride. Born in California in 1951, she wasn’t just brilliant, she was driven. A physicist. A scholar. A top-ranked tennis player. And in 1977, she saw something that changed her life—a small newspaper ad from NASA. They were recruiting astronauts. She applied that day. Out of more than 8,000 applicants, she was selected. June 18, 1983. Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle Challenger lifts off. And with it, Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space. At just 32 years old. She wasn’t a passenger. She was a mission specialist. She: Operated the shuttle’s robotic arm Deployed satellites Conducted scientific experiments But the media? They asked about makeup. About emotions. About motherhood. And Sally handled it with quiet strength. She once said: “Everybody wanted to know about what kind of makeup I was taking up,” Ride said. “They didn’t care about how well-prepared I was to operate the arm or deploy communications satellites.” Sally Ride didn’t just go to space, she made it possible for others to follow. She flew again. She investigated the Challenger disaster. She became a professor. She created programs encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers. In 1984, Ride went to space again for NASA mission STS-41G. This time, another female astronaut, Kathryn Sullivan, was on board the shuttle with her. This was the first time two women were in space together, and Sullivan became the first American woman to perform a spacewalk. We say Kathryn’s name too.  Sally was there  making history again.  You may have heard this before – sounding bold and proud – Americans saying – Ride, Sally, ride and that she did. ……She changed the narrative. Fast forward nearly four decades. In 2022, another barrier falls. Nicole Mann, a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, becomes the first Native American woman in space. She launches aboard a SpaceX Crew mission, a sign of a new era in space travel. But her journey started long before that. She was: A U.S. Marine Corps colonel A combat pilot An engineer She flew over 2,500 hours in an aircraft before ever going to space. And when she finally did,,,,,she carried more than her own achievement. She carried representation. She once said her mission was about showing Native children that they belong in every space, even one beyond Earth. And before Nicole Mann…there was Dr. Mae Jemison. In 1992, she became the first Black woman in space aboard the shuttle Endeavour. Mae Jemison wasn’t just an astronaut. She was: A medical doctor An engineer A Peace Corps physician A trained dancer She refused to be defined by one path. Jemison didn’t just break barriers— she expanded what was possible. She brought culture, creativity, and intellect into a space that had often been rigid. She famously said: “Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination.” And she lived that truth. When you visit Kennedy Space Center today…You’ll see rockets. You’ll see spacecraft. You’ll see history. But if you look deeper— you’ll see something else. You’ll see change. You’ll see how access expanded. How voices grew louder. How representation shifted. So the next time you hold that Florida quarter… and you see that shuttle lifting into the sky…Remember—It carried more than astronauts. It carried history. It carried change. It carried possibility. So when we say or hear –  Space—the last frontier. What we are really saying is …. It’s where curiosity meets courage…where questions become journeys… and where the limits of Earth give way to the possibilities of the universe. For as long as we’ve been here, we’ve looked up—wondering what lies beyond. And in that moment of wonder… we begin to understand something powerful: that exploration isn’t just about reaching space… it’s about expanding who we are.”** From the founding of a nation to the launching of a spacecraft, the American story has always been one of exploration. And as we celebrate America’s history and accomplishments, we begin to see that the journey forward isn’t just measured in miles or missions… It’s measured in inclusion. In opportunity. And in the courage to make space—for everyone. As we reflect on these journeys—Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, Nicole Mann—we begin to see something larger taking shape. Not just individual accomplishments…but a broader story of progress. And as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the space program stands as one of the clearest reflections of who we are as a nation, and who we are becoming. From the earliest days of independence, America has defined itself by exploration—first across land, then across oceans, and eventually beyond the boundaries of Earth itself. The space program is a natural continuation of that spirit. It represents innovation, courage, and the willingness to pursue what has never been done before. But like the nation itself, the space program has evolved. In its early years, not everyone had a seat at the table. Over time, that changed—and that change made the program stronger. Women have been central to that transformation. From Sally Ride breaking barriers as the first American woman in space… to Mae Jemison expanding what representation looks like… to Nicole Mann carrying her heritage into orbit— Women have helped reshape not just who goes to space… but what space exploration means. And as we look toward America’s 250th anniversary, the space program offers more than a history lesson—it offers a roadmap. A reminder that progress requires inclusion. That innovation thrives on diversity. And that the future is built when more voices are part of the journey. Because in many ways… the next frontier isn’t just space— It’s who we invite to explore it. And when you stand at Kennedy Space Center today…looking out across those launch pads… You begin to understand—this story….. our story…..is still being written. Sally Ride, Nicole Mann, Mae Jemison – we say their names and we tell their stories.   Astronaut Sally Ride passed away on July 23rd 2012 – Following her death, it was revealed she was the first known LGBTQ astronaut. Her legacy lives on. She will always be remembered for her advocacy of STEM education ……inspiring young women to study and seek careers in Science.   Today Astronauts Mae Jemison and Nicole Mann continue their work to inspire and engage in who has a place in space – both on earth and beyond.   Mae Jemicson, she founded the Jemison Group, after her space flight.  …..focusing on developing technologies for the developing world.. truly a way for inclusion… Jemison also appeared on Star Trek: The Nex

    18 min

  6. Apr 2

    Episode 42: Cumberland Island Salt Marshes and African American History

    Photo: U.S. Mint Episode 42: Cumberland Island Salt Marshes and African American History Cumberland Island, located about 15 miles southeast of Kingsland, is the largest public barrier island off the coast of Georgia. And, Cumberland Island Salt Marshes and African American History is where located throughout the island.  Accessible only by ferry, the Cumberland Island National Seashore (the name given to the area after being acquired by the National Parks Service in 1972). Many groups have occupied the island over its 4000-year history, from the Timucoan tribe that first inhabited the island to the Spanish who built missions there and the British occupied it Spanish Florida By 1860, over 500 enslaved people lived on the island, outnumbering white inhabitants by a ratio of seven to one.  At its peak, the largest plantation, Stafford Plantation  held 348 subjugated Africans and African Americans working over 4,200 acres of land, spanning one-third of the island. The island had fifteen plantations and small farms involved in its chattel slavery system. Many enslaved Africans were imported from present-day Senegal, Gambia, and Sierra Leone, including people from the Fula, Igbo, Gola, Malinke, Bambara, and Serer tribes who resided on the continent’s Western Coast. They were not randomly chosen as the demand for enslaved African labor with rice-growing expertise increased, over 13,000 Africans arrived from the “Rice Coast” and “Grain Coast” regions, bringing their sophisticated knowledge of rice and grain harvesting in both lowland and upland regions. This matters enormously: these were not people stripped entirely of knowledge and culture. They arrived as experts and the marshes of Cumberland Island looked, ecologically, very much like home. Cumberland Island’s enslaved people worked largely on a task system, which meant that they were responsible to complete a certain task rather than work certain hours. This is crucial to understanding daily life on the island’s marshes and fields. When the assigned task was complete typically around 2 o’clock in the afternoon the enslaved populations had what their enslavers called “free time” to manage their private vegetable and herb gardens behind their cabins, hunt, trap and fish, tend to the sick or infirm, practice private forms of worship, or assist extended family members. The salt marshes were central to this survival economy. The enslaved Africans typically ate corn and sometimes pork rations provided by the plantation owner but often supplemented their meals with fish, wild animals, oysters, and clams for survival.  The marsh was not just a workplace, it was a pantry, a pharmacy (marsh plants had medicinal uses rooted in West African herbal knowledge), and a space of relative autonomy. These difficult working conditions sometimes resulted in spinal injuries from rice cultivation, pulmonary illness, rheumatism, foot rot caused by standing in high water levels, and even death. An archaeological dig near the Dungeness slave quarters has yielded a glimpse into daily life. Along with pieces of iron skillets, glass, clay pipe segments and pottery, bones from small mammals, birds, turtles, frogs and fish were uncovered.  This tells us that people were fishing, hunting, and cooking their own supplemental food, building a domestic life in the margins the system allowed them. The enslaved Africans on Stafford Plantation lived in eighteen cabin sites, with several chimney ruins still intact today. They routinely used tabby, a durable construction material made from sand, lime, and oyster shells common to the Lowcountry, to construct their chimneys and fireplaces.  Even their building materials came from the marsh. The isolation of Cumberland Island, the very thing that made it so brutally efficient as a plantation system, paradoxically preserved something extraordinary. The Gullah-Geechee culture that resulted in enslaved communities on Georgia’s coast was a result of the retention of many aspects of African culture and language. The isolated nature of Georgia’s barrier islands also resulted in distinctive slave management practices. Many traditions of the Gullah and Geechee culture were passed from one generation to the next through language, agriculture, and spirituality. The sweetgrass baskets, the ring shout spiritual songs, the creole Gullah language itself, all of it survived because the islands were isolated enough that the people could hold onto it. Since speaking in their native African tongue was typically forbidden, Gullah Geechee allowed enslaved people at least one small act of freedom, communicating with each other, in words and song, in a way which was accepted yet not understood by their masters. One of the most powerful stories connected to Cumberland Island happened during the War of 1812. In 1815, British troops took over Cumberland Island and all its plantations, offering freedom to the enslaved by joining British forces or boarding British ships as free persons headed for British colonies. Over 1,500 formerly enslaved people who made it to Cumberland Island from across the coastal region sought freedom by boarding British ships to Bermuda, Trinidad, and Halifax in Nova Scotia. In the 1890s, “The Settlement” was established at the north end of the island as a residential area for Black workers as Georgia passed laws requiring racial segregation of housing and public facilities. The First African Baptist Church, established in The Settlement in 1893, is one of the few remaining structures of this community, and is famously the church where John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette married in 1996. Settlement residents made a living in a variety of capacities: as employees for Hotel Cumberland, servants for wealthy island residents, and working for various timber operations. What happened in those marshes was not just labor, it was the creation of an entire civilization under conditions of profound cruelty. The enslaved people of Cumberland Island built the island’s wealth, fed themselves from its waters, preserved their language and spiritual traditions in the spaces the task system accidentally created, and ultimately chose freedom the moment it was offered. Their descendants built a church that still stands. Their culture, Gullah-Geechee is one of the most distinctive and living African American cultural traditions in the United States. The marshes of Cumberland Island are not empty. They are full of that history, for anyone who knows how to listen. Cumberland is nearly uninhabited, with the exception of around 40 islanders, generational landowners with a small number of private residences on the island. These are primarily Carnegie family descendants who retained lifetime estate rights when the island became a National Seashore in 1972. The most visible permanent resident community is centered around Greyfield Inn,  the only hotel on the island, still owned and operated by Carnegie descendants, where a small staff also lives year-round. Their Gullah-speaking descendants lie buried in a small cemetery at Cumberland’s North End, and a Baptist church built by descendants still stands. So the spiritual presence of the formerly enslaved community endures on the island, even if their living community no longer does. The National Park Service also maintains a small year-round staff on the island, and the NPS restricts access to 300 people on the island at a time, and campers are allowed to stay no more than seven nights. This is one of the most haunting and historically significant things on the entire island and most visitors never find it. Today all that remains of the Stafford Plantation is a complex of 26 hearth-and-chimney ruins, which are the most visible remnants of the slave quarters. The chimneys are constructed of tabby and fired red clay bricks, with conditions ranging from complete ruin and rubble to fair, standing structures that are deteriorating and unstable. All that remains of Stafford’s house is a ruin known as “The Chimneys”  a series of 24 hearth-and-chimney structures representing Stafford’s enslaved people’s housing, about one kilometer east of the main house. The structures, arranged in two parallel rows in the “Slave Quarter,” were where the enslaved cooked, lived, slept, and ate.  The wood of the actual cabin walls is long gone, rotted or burned, but the tabby and brick chimneys the enslaved people built with their own hands from oyster shells and sand still stand in three parallel rows in the forest, like a row of silent witnesses. There is also a striking detail in the NPS historical records: two chimneys with their fireplaces facing each other indicate the probable location of the hospital, a common structure found among slave quarters. Even the medical care of enslaved people is readable in the landscape. The near-destruction of The Chimneys is its own story. At one point, the lessee of the plantation threatened to remove the chimney ruins. The NPS stopped him. There have been no further issues. They were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, and stabilization work began in 2004. Three ways to learn more about Cumberland’s history: 1. The Chimneys at Stafford Plantation, the slave quarter ruins, standing in the forest. Accessible by hiking or biking from the Sea Camp dock, though remote. Not on the standard day-visitor route — you need to seek it out. 2. First African Baptist Church at The Settlement,  this humble one-room church was established in 1893 by African American residents of the island and their families. Some of the founders were born into slavery and emancipated following the Civil War. The church served as a free place of worship and community center for the North end community. It is 14 miles north of the Sea Camp dock, so the NPS recommends visiting only as part of the Lands & Legacies Tour. 3. The Settlem

    20 min

  7. Mar 23

    Episode 41: Harriet Tubman Woman of Courage

    Harriet Tubman Woman of Courage Harriet Tubman: Conductor, Soldier, Humanitarian A Life of Freedom, Courage, and Purpose Photo: U.S. Mint Harriet Tubman Woman of Courage – Today, we journey through one of the most powerful stories in American history, a story of courage, determination, and an unshakable belief in freedom. It’s the story of Harriet Tubman. A woman born into slavery… who would go on to lead others to freedom, serve her country in war, and spend her life caring for those in need. Her story so often is centered around her work on the Underground Railroad. While this courageous commitment to freedom is one that is truly her legacy – there so much more to the women once called “Moses” or “the Moses of her people”. This nickname was given to her because, the remarkable journeys she made leading enslaved people to freedom via the Underground Railroad, never losing a “passenger” during her rescue missions. But there is more and – Today….we say her name and we tell her story.   Her extraordinary life is honored through the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Program, issued by the United States Mint—a collection of coins that tells her story through three defining chapters of her life. Chapter One: The Conductor Harriet Tubman was born around 1822 on a plantation in Maryland. Her birth name was Araminta “Minty” Ross. From the very beginning, her life was marked by hardship, danger, and resilience. But even in those early years, there was something within her, something strong and unyielding. A determination. A belief in freedom. In 1849, Harriet Tubman made a decision that would change not only her life, but the lives of countless others. She escaped slavery. Traveling under the cover of darkness, guided by the North Star and the hidden network known as the Underground Railroad, she made her way to freedom in Pennsylvania. For many, that would have been enough. But not for Harriet Tubman. She went back. Not once. Not twice. But 13 times. Over the next decade, she returned to Maryland again and again, risking her life each time, to guide others to freedom. She personally led about 70 people to safety. And provided instructions that helped another 70 people escape on their own. She later said something that still echoes through history: “I never lost a passenger.” The silver dollar in the commemorative coin series honors this chapter of her life—her work as a conductor, guiding people out of bondage and into freedom. Chapter Two: The Soldier When the American Civil War began, Harriet Tubman stepped forward. In 1862, she joined the Union Army. She began as a nurse, caring for wounded soldiers. But Harriet Tubman was never meant to stay in just one role. She became a scout. A spy. A leader. She used her knowledge of the land, her courage, and her ability to move quietly and strategically to gather intelligence for the Union Army. And then came one of the most remarkable moments of her life. The Combahee River Raid. Harriet Tubman became the first woman in American history to lead an armed military expedition. Under her leadership, Union forces traveled along the Combahee River in South Carolina. That mission resulted in the freedom of more than 700 enslaved people. Seven hundred lives changed in one night. The half dollar coin in the commemorative series represents this chapter, her service during the Civil War. Her courage. Her leadership. Her unwavering commitment to freedom. Chapter Three: A Life of Service After the war, Harriet Tubman could have chosen to rest. She had done more than most could ever imagine. But once again, she chose service. She settled in Auburn, where she would spend the remaining 54 years of her life. And there, she continued her work. She supported newly freed men and women trying to build new lives. She cared for the elderly. She opened her home to those who had nowhere else to go. Later in life, she established what would become the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, a place where people could live with dignity and care. But she didn’t stop there. Harriet Tubman also became a powerful voice for women. She traveled and spoke at gatherings supporting women’s suffrage, advocating for the right of women to vote. She spoke about civil rights. She spoke about equality. She spoke about access to healthcare. Her work was never limited to one group of people. She believed in freedom for everyone. The $5 gold coin in the commemorative series represents this final chapter of her life. A life dedicated not just to freedom—but to humanity. The Meaning Behind the Coins Each coin tells part of her story: The silver dollar reflects her work on the Underground Railroad The half dollar represents her Civil War service The $5 gold coin honors her later years in Auburn, caring for others and advocating for justice Together, they form a portrait of a life lived with purpose. A life that never turned away from the fight for freedom. Harriet Tubman’s story is not just about the past. It’s about courage. It’s about purpose. It’s about what one person can do, when they refuse to accept the world as it is and instead work to change it. She walked into danger so others could walk into freedom. She stood in spaces where she was not expected, and led anyway. She gave her life to something greater than herself. And even today, her story asks us a quiet question. What will we do with the freedom we have? Because history is not just something we remember. It’s something we continue. And sometimes… it’s carried forward in the smallest of ways. Even in something as simple as a coin. And that’s today’s journey. Photos: Commemorative Coins Each photo:  U.S. Mint Photos from Auburn and Cayuga County Harriet Tubman’s Home for Aged Harriet Tubman’s New York Home – Auburn, NY Quilt with Harriet’s image in the Cayuga Tourism Center Cayuga Tourism Center Mural in downtown Auburn Tourism Office Statue in downtown Auburn U.S. Mint video – Harriet Tubman Commemorative Coins Act Our commitment to storytelling –  Our goal is to journey through history in search of the untold and little-known stories — the ones overshadowed by larger narratives, pushed to the margins, or too often silenced and forgotten. We believe history is richest when all voices, experiences, and perspectives are explored with honesty and care. We strive for accuracy, fairness, and thoughtful storytelling in every piece we create. Our work is grounded in research, historical records, oral histories, and cultural context. But we also recognize that history is not always fully preserved in written documents or official accounts. Sometimes it must also be understood through interpretation, lived experience, and the voices that history nearly lost. Our commitment is to share these stories with integrity, insight, curiosity, and respect — bringing the past to life in ways that are meaningful, engaging, and thought-provoking. And because history is always evolving through continued discovery and scholarship, we welcome thoughtful feedback. If you see something that may need correction, additional context, or if you have information that could deepen the story, we invite you to contact us at quartermilestravelshow@gmail.com We value continued learning and will regularly review and update our content to ensure it remains as complete, accurate, and compelling as possible.

    43 min

  8. Mar 22

    Episode 40: The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion

    The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Quarter Miles Travel –  where the adventure begins when you reach into your pocket. Today, we’re not just traveling across miles… we’re traveling across time. Back to World War II. A time when the world was at war… and millions of American soldiers were stationed far from home. Letters — simple letters — became lifelines. Messages from mothers, fathers, wives, sweethearts, children. Words of love, hope, and connection.  And letters from soldiers back to their families.   But here’s the problem…Those letters weren’t getting through. Yet, called to create a solution were the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion History has not shared their journey… but today we say their names and share their story.  Warehouses in Europe were stacked floor to ceiling with undelivered mail — millions of pieces. Some estimates say over 17 million letters and packages, sitting in cold, dark buildings… waiting. And morale? It was dropping. Because when you’re fighting a war, sometimes the most powerful thing you can receive… is a reminder of home. So the military made a decision. Send in a unit to fix it. Not just any unit… But the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion:  the only all-Black, all-female unit deployed overseas during World War II. They were known as the Six Triple Eight. And their mission? Clear the backlog. Deliver the mail. Restore morale. Simple on paper. But nothing about what they faced… was simple. The women of the 6888 trained at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. They were disciplined. Organized. Ready. But when they arrived in Birmingham, England, what they walked into… was overwhelming. Imagine this: Cold warehouses. Poor lighting. Rats running through piles of mail. Packages stacked higher than a person could reach. No system. No order. Just chaos. And remember — many of these letters didn’t even have full names. Just things like: “Junior” “Buster” “Red” No addresses. No unit numbers. Just hope… written on paper. The military expected it would take six months to sort through everything. Six months. But the women of the 6888 had a motto:  “No mail, low morale.” They knew what was at stake. So they got to work. They created a system from scratch. Card catalogs with over 7 million names. Cross-referencing units, nicknames, serial numbers. Working in three shifts  24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No breaks in mission. No slowing down. And they didn’t just meet expectations. They exceeded them. They cleared the entire backlog in three months. Half the expected time. Let that sink in. Three months to do what was supposed to take six. And then? They were sent to Rouen, France… where another backlog waited. And once again… they delivered Efficient. Focused. Unstoppable. Now let’s be clear. They weren’t just sorting mail. They were delivering: A mother’s voice A child’s drawing A letter from home that said, “We’re waiting for you” They were restoring morale. They were keeping connections alive. And in a war… that matters. Because soldiers fight differently when they know someone is thinking about them. The women of the 6888 understood that. They didn’t need headlines. They didn’t need recognition. They just needed to get the job done. And they did. And then the war ended. The women of the 6888 returned home. And like many Black service members at the time…They came back to a country that did not fully recognize what they had done. No parades. No widespread celebration. Their story… quietly set aside. For decades. But here’s the thing about real impact…It doesn’t disappear. It waits to be rediscovered. In recent years, their story has finally begun to receive the recognition it deserves. The 6888 was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal — one of the highest civilian honors in the United States. A long overdue acknowledgment. Their legacy now lives on in: Museums Military memorials Historical archives And most importantly…In the stories we continue to tell.The women of the Six Triple Eight didn’t ask for attention. They showed up. They worked. They delivered. And in doing so… they made history. So the next time you think about World War II… remember this: Victory wasn’t just won on the battlefield. Sometimes…It was delivered in a letter. FOLLOWING THE 6888 IN THE UNITED STATES  Now we’ve just heard the powerful story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion — the Six Triple Eight. But here’s the thing I love…This isn’t just history you hear. It’s history you can visit. So let’s talk about where you can go to connect with their story right here in the United States.  STOP ONE: FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS This is where it all began. Fort Leavenworth is where the women of the 6888 trained before heading overseas. Walking these grounds, you’re standing where they prepared for one of the most important logistical missions of World War II. Now, while parts of the base are active military, there are areas open to the public — and nearby museums that help tell the broader story of military leadership and service. This is your starting point. Where discipline met purpose.  STOP TWO: WASHINGTON, D.C. / ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Next, head to the nation’s capital — because this is where their legacy is finally being recognized. At the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, located at Arlington National Cemetery, you’ll find exhibits honoring women who served — including the 6888. This is a powerful stop. Quiet. Reflective. The kind of place where you pause… and take it all in. Because for years, their story was overlooked — and now, it’s finally being told.  STOP THREE: NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM – NEW ORLEANS If you really want to understand the scale of what they accomplished, the National WWII Museum in New Orleans is a must. This is one of the most comprehensive World War II museums in the country — and it provides critical context about African American service members, women in uniform, and the global scope of the war. This stop gives you the big picture — and shows just how vital their mission really was. OPTIONAL EXTENSION: COMMUNITY & LEGACY EVENTS Across the country, you’ll also find: Traveling exhibits Historical markers Community commemorations Because their story is still being uncovered… and shared.   So if you’re ready to walk in the footsteps of the Six Triple Eight — from Kansas to Washington, D.C., to New Orleans — these are the places where their story comes to life. And trust me…It’s one thing to hear about history. It’s another thing to stand where it happened. Because these aren’t just destinations…They’re stories waiting for you to experience.

    13 min
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About

The Adventure begins when you reach into your pocket. Each U.S. Mint Commemorative Quarter design tells a unique story. Each quarter is filled with pride, from hometown heroes to iconic landmarks; wildlife and nature to music and culture. Reach into your pocket and let Quarter Miles Travel take it from there, we’ll turn that quarter into an adventure.

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  • Creator
    Travel With Annita and Friends
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Quarter Miles Travel 2021
  • Show Website
    Quarter Miles Travel With Annita

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