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[narrator] Abandoned
structures hold the secrets
of America's past.
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00:00:06,896 --> 00:00:13,275
A canyon hides the ruined
dreams of a couple who bet
on America falling.
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00:00:13,275 --> 00:00:16,896
It's really one
of the most legendary
places in Los Angeles.
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00:00:16,896 --> 00:00:22,344
There are many rumors about
what the people who owned
it wanted it to become.
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00:00:22,344 --> 00:00:27,482
[narrator] A ghost town
that offers a rare glimpse
into a celebrated era.
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00:00:27,482 --> 00:00:30,379
[Steve Reyes] And it'd
become an iconic place
to visit, and represents
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00:00:30,379 --> 00:00:32,137
truly Americana at its best.
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00:00:33,827 --> 00:00:36,206
[narrator] And a much
loved tourist attraction
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00:00:36,206 --> 00:00:39,862
where one woman took
on a corrupt institution.
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00:00:39,862 --> 00:00:41,793
[Angela Thomas] The struggles
that she had with the city,
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00:00:41,793 --> 00:00:43,689
and, you know, a lot
of tryin' to fight,
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00:00:43,689 --> 00:00:45,724
but eventually,
it became too much.
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00:00:49,655 --> 00:00:53,931
[narrator] Scattered across
the United States
are abandoned structures.
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00:00:55,275 --> 00:00:58,103
Forgotten ruins of the past.
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00:00:58,103 --> 00:01:02,068
Monuments to a bygone era.
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00:01:02,068 --> 00:01:08,482
Each shines a light
on the story of this land,
and its people.
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00:01:08,482 --> 00:01:12,517
These are the secrets
of Hidden America.
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[narrator] 100 miles
south of Las Vegas,
in the Mojave Desert,
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is a town that helped
turn this vast
continent-spanning land,
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into one unified country.
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[Dr. Philip J. Merrill]
The environment is hot, dry,
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appears to be desolate,
it appears to be harsh.
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00:01:44,620 --> 00:01:48,034
[Dr. Sascha Auerbach]
There's basically a road,
some railroad tracks,
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00:01:48,034 --> 00:01:51,379
and then rising
out of the desert,
this abandoned town.
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[narrator] Many
of the buildings
here are in ruins,
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00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,896
but it's not a scene
of total dereliction.
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[Auerbach] Some
of them look like there's
a little more life to them.
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00:02:05,344 --> 00:02:08,620
So there's more going
on here than first meets
the eye, I think.
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[narrator] One structure
has recently been restored
to its former glory,
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00:02:14,310 --> 00:02:19,862
and is a big hit by those
passing through,
whether by car, or by plane.
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00:02:19,862 --> 00:02:21,689
[Albert Okura] You say,
"Hey, watch people pull over,"
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they see the sign,
they want to take the picture
in front of the sign.
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00:02:24,965 --> 00:02:26,413
All day long this goes on.
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[narrator] The sign is
a symbol of a great
nation building achievement.
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00:02:33,172 --> 00:02:38,000
A triumph that has
been immortalized
in American culture.
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00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,344
It figures in movies,
television shows,
and even songs.
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[Dr. Corina Kwami]
This is something that
shaped the country,
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and made it what it is today.
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00:02:52,862 --> 00:02:57,793
[narrator] Albert Okura,
a well-known restaurant chain
owner in Southern California
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00:02:57,793 --> 00:03:00,655
bought this ghost
town in 2005.
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00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,241
[Okura] The town,
it was pretty much empty.
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00:03:05,241 --> 00:03:09,827
All the buildings had
no electricity, no water,
it was just a shell.
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00:03:12,931 --> 00:03:15,620
[narrator] This is
the town of Amboy,
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00:03:15,620 --> 00:03:19,241
and Albert's restoration work
is putting it back on the map.
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00:03:19,241 --> 00:03:22,413
[Okura] Amboy is looking
more and more famous
all over the world.
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00:03:22,413 --> 00:03:24,103
And everyday
I wake up,
I can't believe
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00:03:24,103 --> 00:03:25,793
the opportunity that's sittin'
right in front of me.
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00:03:27,896 --> 00:03:29,689
[narrator] The reason
for this town's fame
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00:03:29,689 --> 00:03:33,172
begins long before Albert
was on the scene.
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00:03:33,172 --> 00:03:36,103
[Merrill] When you're
exploring the grounds,
you begin to realize
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that this story runs
a lot deeper and a lot further
back than you realize.
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00:03:43,931 --> 00:03:48,379
[narrator] The town was
established in 1883.
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00:03:48,379 --> 00:03:52,724
Evidence of its origin,
is now only noticeable
to the well-trained eye.
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00:03:54,862 --> 00:03:56,517
[Reyes] Typically, when you're
travelling in the desert
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and you see the trees
behind me, they're called
salt cedars.
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00:03:59,310 --> 00:04:04,275
They were usually planted
by homesteaders, and they're
not native to the desert.
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00:04:04,275 --> 00:04:09,931
[narrator] Steve Reyes lives
25 miles south of Amboy,
and is one of the few people
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00:04:09,931 --> 00:04:14,379
who can paint a picture
of the now disappeared
original town.
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00:04:14,379 --> 00:04:16,241
[Reyes] The original
schoolhouse would
have been here,
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00:04:16,241 --> 00:04:19,586
housing for the railroad
workers, there would have
been a store here, as well.
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00:04:22,068 --> 00:04:24,034
[narrator] At first,
the settlement was simply
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00:04:24,034 --> 00:04:27,862
a water and repair stop
for the steam trains.
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00:04:27,862 --> 00:04:33,620
But Amboy's future was about
to dramatically change course
thanks to a new invention,
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00:04:34,689 --> 00:04:36,448
the automobile.
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00:04:36,448 --> 00:04:39,137
[Auerbach] In the early
20th century, a car is really
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00:04:39,137 --> 00:04:41,620
a luxury item
only for the rich.
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00:04:41,620 --> 00:04:46,793
But the manufacturer's
work hard to try to make
them a more affordable item.
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00:04:46,793 --> 00:04:51,206
[narrator] The revolutionary
Ford Model-T arrived in 1908,
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00:04:51,206 --> 00:04:55,344
but good roads still lagged
behind, especially outside
of the cities.
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00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:02,034
[Auerbach] There was really
nothing out here, there was
dirt tracks if you were lucky.
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00:05:02,034 --> 00:05:05,310
But then over time,
these start
to develop into roads.
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00:05:06,965 --> 00:05:09,896
[narrator] In 1912,
for the first time
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00:05:09,896 --> 00:05:15,103
Americans could take
one road from east
coast to west coast.
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00:05:15,103 --> 00:05:19,344
It was called the National
Old Trails Road.
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00:05:19,344 --> 00:05:23,724
It came right through Amboy,
and would irreversibly
change the town.
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00:05:25,793 --> 00:05:28,241
[Reyes] As modern
travel shifted away
from the railroad,
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the residents
and the buildings would've
moved up towards the road.
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00:05:32,862 --> 00:05:36,655
[narrator] The road was now
the focus of life in Amboy,
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00:05:36,655 --> 00:05:40,000
but its love affair
with automobiles
was just getting started.
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00:05:42,103 --> 00:05:45,068
[Merrill] We start off
with the National Old
Trails Road,
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00:05:45,068 --> 00:05:48,172
which is a singular type
of road, east to west,
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00:05:48,172 --> 00:05:52,379
but we're progressing
to a system, a network
of roads.
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00:05:54,586 --> 00:05:59,724
[narrator] Arriving in 1926,
the United States'
numbered highway system
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00:05:59,724 --> 00:06:04,793
was the beginnings
of the nationwide road
network we recognize today.
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00:06:04,793 --> 00:06:07,034
[Kwami] The road that was
coming past Amboy
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00:06:07,034 --> 00:06:09,482
was reclassified
in this new system,
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00:06:09,482 --> 00:06:13,034
and it would become an icon,
the classic Route 66.
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00:06:15,344 --> 00:06:18,068
[narrator] The increasing
traffic passing through Amboy
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00:06:18,068 --> 00:06:21,137
caught the attention
of a local man
called Roy Crowell.
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[Merrill] Roy was a mechanic
and his wife was a cook.
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00:06:26,758 --> 00:06:32,103
So you put the two together
and you are able to create
a magnificent concept
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00:06:32,103 --> 00:06:36,586
of the gas station, the cafe,
a husband and wife.
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It's just a wonderful
kind of story that
America was built on.
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00:06:40,241 --> 00:06:45,310
These type of hard working
people that could create
something out of nothing.
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00:06:45,310 --> 00:06:49,896
[narrator] Roy and his wife
built the service station
and garage in 1938,
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00:06:49,896 --> 00:06:55,275
and soon realized
there was opportunity
for another business, too.
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[Auerbach] Behind the cafe,
we have quite a large motel,
we have 18 rooms,
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so it tells you how well
this place was doing,
it was booming!
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00:07:04,482 --> 00:07:08,172
[Reyes] It was really a major
thoroughfare of cars going
up and down the highway.
100
00:07:08,172 --> 00:07:10,310
And this being right
in the middle
of Needles and Barstow,
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00:07:10,310 --> 00:07:13,275
it would be the natural place
that people would stop.
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00:07:13,275 --> 00:07:17,586
[narrator] But many people
knew of Amboy because it had
been a stop on a journey
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00:07:17,586 --> 00:07:20,206
triggered by desperation.
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00:07:20,206 --> 00:07:24,758
So Route 66, during the 1930's
we have a common belief that
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00:07:24,758 --> 00:07:28,344
it was this... always this
mode of travel for enjoyment,
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00:07:28,344 --> 00:07:31,482
but really during the Dust
Bowl era, it took kind
of a darker side.
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[narrator] High winds
churned up the bare
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00:07:36,172 --> 00:07:39,310
and over-plowed farmland
in the American prairies
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resulting in years
of severe dust storms.
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00:07:43,586 --> 00:07:47,827
Vast clouds of dust darkened
the sky for days at a time.
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00:07:47,827 --> 00:07:50,793
In many places,
the dust drifted like snow,
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00:07:50,793 --> 00:07:53,172
and residents had
to clear it with shovels.
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00:07:54,931 --> 00:07:59,172
[Auerbach] Route 66 really
offered people a lifeline out
of the Dust Bowl.
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00:07:59,172 --> 00:08:02,068
And in John Steinbeck's famous
novel, The Grapes of Wrath,
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00:08:02,068 --> 00:08:04,172
he even refers
to it as the Mother Road.
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As if it was the absolute
key to survival
for all these people.
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[narrator] Roughly 2.5 million
people left the Dust Bowl
states during the 1930's.
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00:08:16,551 --> 00:08:20,448
It was one
of the largest migrations
in American history.
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00:08:20,448 --> 00:08:22,862
[Reyes] It really changed
the demographics of America,
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00:08:22,862 --> 00:08:25,068
there was a huge
influx of people comin'
into California.
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00:08:26,482 --> 00:08:29,000
[narrator] This steady flow
of westbound motorists
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00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:32,517
turned Amboy
into a major
stopping point.
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00:08:32,517 --> 00:08:37,793
It grew to include three
gas stations, two cafes,
four garages, a post office,
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00:08:37,793 --> 00:08:43,586
a church and a school,
but its real heyday
was just around the corner.
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[Reyes] After World War II,
uh, returning soldiers,
the economy was good,
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00:08:49,758 --> 00:08:52,862
people had expendable
money to purchase cars.
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00:08:52,862 --> 00:08:56,689
There's also associations
that are encouraging people
to travel along Route 66.
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00:08:59,862 --> 00:09:05,344
[narrator] In 1959, Roy passed
his businesses onto
his son-law, Buster Burris,
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00:09:05,344 --> 00:09:08,551
who gave the buildings
a fresh, new look.
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00:09:08,551 --> 00:09:13,379
He also gave the town
its now iconic sign.
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00:09:13,379 --> 00:09:17,793
The sign and the hotel lobby
are really absolute paradigms
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00:09:17,793 --> 00:09:19,551
of the architecture
of the time,
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00:09:19,551 --> 00:09:21,551
this gooey modernism,
as it was called.
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00:09:23,862 --> 00:09:27,448
[narrator] The new
buildings gave Amboy
a different esthetic,
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00:09:27,448 --> 00:09:30,862
but the flow of cars
remained as steady as ever.
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00:09:30,862 --> 00:09:34,172
I was fortunate enough
to interview a California
Highway Patrol officer,
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00:09:34,172 --> 00:09:38,137
and the one thing
he talked a lot about was
how busy the traffic was.
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00:09:38,137 --> 00:09:41,137
It was this major
travel artery through
the desert into California.
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00:09:42,344 --> 00:09:46,310
[narrator] But Amboy's
glory days were numbered.
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[Reyes] It's fascinating
that just overnight,
this town dried up.
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People closed
the gas stations,
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00:09:51,758 --> 00:09:53,827
closed the restaurants,
and they just went away.
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00:10:06,793 --> 00:10:09,655
[narrator] Fed
by the popular Route 66,
Amboy enjoyed
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00:10:09,655 --> 00:10:14,793
a comfortable existence
throughout the middle
of the 20th century,
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00:10:14,793 --> 00:10:17,103
but it all came
to an abrupt end.
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00:10:19,137 --> 00:10:21,344
[Reyes] There was one thing
that changed overnight,
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00:10:21,344 --> 00:10:25,275
that basically shut the town
down, and people moved away,
and walked away
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00:10:25,275 --> 00:10:27,379
from their stores,
locked their doors,
never to come back.
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[Auerbach] The death
knell of this place
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00:10:30,206 --> 00:10:33,172
was the opening
of the new interstate
just north of Amboy
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00:10:33,172 --> 00:10:36,482
that gave a more direct route
from Needles to Barstow.
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00:10:38,379 --> 00:10:41,379
[narrator] After
more than 50 years
on the main route west,
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00:10:42,068 --> 00:10:45,068
Amboy had been bypassed.
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00:10:45,068 --> 00:10:50,275
Starved of cars,
businesses shut,
and the population plummeted.
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00:10:50,275 --> 00:10:53,620
Buster clung
to his investment
until 1995,
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00:10:53,620 --> 00:10:56,793
when he leased his properties
to be used as film sets,
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00:10:56,793 --> 00:11:00,241
before finally selling up
completely in 2000.
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00:11:03,862 --> 00:11:07,413
After decades of neglect,
Amboy has started experiencing
159
00:11:07,413 --> 00:11:10,517
a renaissance, driven
by nostalgia.
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00:11:10,517 --> 00:11:11,758
[Reyes] So through
years, Amboy,
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00:11:11,758 --> 00:11:15,034
really the birth
of it become
a tourist destination,
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00:11:15,034 --> 00:11:17,172
would have been
with the advent
of the internet.
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00:11:17,172 --> 00:11:20,448
People from Europe started
rediscovering Route 66,
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00:11:20,448 --> 00:11:22,965
and that's when
it be... really became
a part of Americana.
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00:11:22,965 --> 00:11:24,413
It was very common to see
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00:11:24,413 --> 00:11:29,275
people from France,
from Germany,
to stop here at Amboy.
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00:11:29,275 --> 00:11:33,275
[Auerbach] People used to pull
into Amboy 'cause it was
between here and there.
168
00:11:33,275 --> 00:11:35,689
Now it's become an actual
destination location.
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00:11:37,758 --> 00:11:43,310
[narrator] Albert Okura was
also drawn in by the magic
of Route 66.
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00:11:43,310 --> 00:11:46,482
Baby boomers, my generation,
they got involved
in buyin' hot rods,
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00:11:46,482 --> 00:11:49,034
and... Harley Davidson's,
and they wanted
to ride the route.
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00:11:49,034 --> 00:11:51,413
And so when Amboy
came for sale, I knew
I had to buy it.
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00:11:53,103 --> 00:11:57,655
[narrator] Albert has
restored the gas station,
including its 1970's pumps,
174
00:11:57,655 --> 00:12:01,862
and has plans
for other buildings
on his property, too.
175
00:12:01,862 --> 00:12:06,137
[Okura] We have five bungalow
cabins, ideal for renting
and to stay overnight.
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00:12:06,137 --> 00:12:10,827
We need to get the utilities
in, and I think that's
our goal for this coming year.
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00:12:11,965 --> 00:12:14,517
[narrator] But the big
moment was back in 2019,
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00:12:14,517 --> 00:12:17,344
with the relighting
of the sign.
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00:12:17,344 --> 00:12:20,000
[Okura] When we had
a grand opening, we had
a lotta people fly in,
180
00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,482
and we had up
to 27 planes that day.
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00:12:22,482 --> 00:12:25,068
It got us a lot
of attention,
a lot of press,
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00:12:25,068 --> 00:12:27,793
became the focal point
of everything we do here.
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00:12:27,793 --> 00:12:30,586
It just symbolizes,
it was a whole movement
of the Route 66,
184
00:12:30,586 --> 00:12:32,620
and the whole
restoration thing.
185
00:12:34,896 --> 00:12:39,344
[narrator] Amboy's reawakening
has spawned its own slogan,
186
00:12:39,344 --> 00:12:43,379
"the ghost town
that ain't dead yet."
187
00:12:43,379 --> 00:12:47,689
[Auerbach] Most of the towns
along roads like this
have vanished long ago,
188
00:12:47,689 --> 00:12:52,551
but Amboy gives
us this tantalizing window
into what life was like
189
00:12:52,551 --> 00:12:53,862
when this culture
was at its height.
190
00:13:02,896 --> 00:13:05,103
[narrator] On the edge
of Los Angeles,
191
00:13:05,103 --> 00:13:09,448
lies a sprawling collection
of ruins that shows
how fringe societies
192
00:13:09,448 --> 00:13:12,551
can lurk in the most
unexpected of places.
193
00:13:19,137 --> 00:13:21,758
[Dr. Matthew Green]
It's a beautiful
landscape.
194
00:13:21,758 --> 00:13:24,482
The steep hills
dotted with trees,
195
00:13:24,482 --> 00:13:28,862
quite the contrast
to the never-ending concrete
jungle that is Los Angeles.
196
00:13:30,931 --> 00:13:32,655
[Dr. Kenya Davis-Hayes]
But there's something
surprising here
197
00:13:32,655 --> 00:13:34,724
in this wooded area.
198
00:13:34,724 --> 00:13:36,482
Something that
you wouldn't expect.
199
00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,862
What we see are stairs.
200
00:13:40,862 --> 00:13:45,344
So many stairs climbing,
climbing, climbing everywhere.
201
00:13:46,896 --> 00:13:49,137
[Rob Bell] There are
different pieces
of this puzzle
202
00:13:49,137 --> 00:13:50,689
littered throughout the woods.
203
00:13:52,586 --> 00:13:57,896
[narrator] Years of gossip
have added to the mystery
of this site's true purpose.
204
00:13:57,896 --> 00:14:01,689
[Hadley Meares] There's
so many different stories that
have been told over the years
205
00:14:01,689 --> 00:14:03,586
about what happened here.
206
00:14:03,586 --> 00:14:09,655
But what we actually know
is fascinating, but it's
clearly not the full story.
207
00:14:17,724 --> 00:14:22,551
[narrator] Hadley Meares
started researching the rumors
about this place 20 years ago,
208
00:14:22,551 --> 00:14:27,586
after a hike here left her
with unanswered questions
she found too hard to ignore.
209
00:14:29,379 --> 00:14:32,586
[Meares] This is one
of the two giant,
industrial-sized tanks
210
00:14:32,586 --> 00:14:35,310
that the folks here put up.
211
00:14:35,310 --> 00:14:38,310
They were trying to build
something where they
would have their own fuel,
212
00:14:38,310 --> 00:14:41,068
their own water,
and very little dependence
on the outside world.
213
00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,241
[narrator] Travelling
deeper into the canyon,
214
00:14:47,241 --> 00:14:51,413
one building emerges
from the trees, that is
the biggest hint yet,
215
00:14:51,413 --> 00:14:53,689
as to the scale
of this complex.
216
00:14:55,379 --> 00:14:57,586
[Meares] So this
is the pump house,
217
00:14:57,586 --> 00:15:01,379
and this is where the double
generator was at one point,
218
00:15:01,379 --> 00:15:04,000
and where the water pump,
we believe, was.
219
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:10,034
And as you're walking through
this immense property, you'll
see water pipes everywhere
220
00:15:10,034 --> 00:15:13,379
still lining from different
culverts to the river.
221
00:15:14,965 --> 00:15:18,931
You also see
a leveled out section,
a garden.
222
00:15:20,793 --> 00:15:25,448
[Meares] They were very,
very extensively growing
trees, growing food,
223
00:15:25,448 --> 00:15:29,275
so that they'd
become totally insular
and take care of themselves.
224
00:15:31,655 --> 00:15:35,586
[narrator] The site has become
known as Murphy Ranch.
225
00:15:35,586 --> 00:15:41,241
But this name and the ruins
that remain today, don't
begin to tell the whole story.
226
00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:47,896
[Bell] What we had here
was stage one, effectively,
the infrastructure.
227
00:15:47,896 --> 00:15:52,413
What was planned next would
have been the real deal,
the mansion, itself.
228
00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:55,827
[narrator] The project
was never finished,
229
00:15:55,827 --> 00:15:59,034
but Hadley hunted down
all the existing blueprints,
230
00:15:59,034 --> 00:16:03,275
and discovered
a surprising
level of opulence.
231
00:16:03,275 --> 00:16:07,758
[Meares] Common theme
between all these different
plans is that they're grand.
232
00:16:07,758 --> 00:16:13,862
There's a library,
multiple parlors,
multiple bedrooms,
233
00:16:13,862 --> 00:16:17,310
and it really seems like
a place for a head of state
and their government.
234
00:16:17,310 --> 00:16:19,689
Not a normal, rich
person's mansion.
235
00:16:21,689 --> 00:16:25,551
[narrator] It has been said,
that what the owners
were building here
236
00:16:25,551 --> 00:16:29,310
was to be based
on National
Socialist ideals.
237
00:16:31,758 --> 00:16:34,344
[Bell] Some say this was
meant to be a headquarters
238
00:16:34,344 --> 00:16:36,413
for the Nazis out
on the west coast.
239
00:16:36,413 --> 00:16:38,724
Some kind of Nazi White House.
240
00:16:52,827 --> 00:16:55,862
[narrator] Scant ruins remain
at Murphy Ranch.
241
00:16:55,862 --> 00:16:59,000
The lack of evidence
fueling the legends.
242
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:04,103
But in 1975, an affidavit
from a man called Dr. Vincent,
243
00:17:04,103 --> 00:17:06,310
shone significant light
on the mystery.
244
00:17:08,793 --> 00:17:12,413
[Meares] That one piece
of paper which I have
in my possession,
245
00:17:12,413 --> 00:17:16,379
is really where this entire
legend comes from.
246
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:23,000
[Davis-Hayes] For years,
there have been rumors
about this property.
247
00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:27,655
But when Dr. Vincent decided
he that he was interested
in buying this estate
248
00:17:27,655 --> 00:17:34,379
he had to listen to the story,
and the owners of the property
had quite the story to tell.
249
00:17:36,965 --> 00:17:41,103
[Meares] There used
to be a weird steel
garage right here,
250
00:17:41,103 --> 00:17:45,862
and in this garage
a couple lived, named
Norman and Winona Stephens,
251
00:17:45,862 --> 00:17:49,137
and they owned all
of this property.
252
00:17:49,137 --> 00:17:51,034
And it was in that garage,
253
00:17:51,034 --> 00:17:55,344
Dr. Vincent initially heard
what they had planned
to do with it.
254
00:17:57,689 --> 00:18:01,448
[narrator] Norman and Winona
Stephens' rumored
connection to Nazism,
255
00:18:01,448 --> 00:18:06,275
grew from a relationship
they had with a persuasive
man, called Herr Schmidt.
256
00:18:08,689 --> 00:18:12,448
[Green] Herr Schmidt is
rather a mysterious
and elusive character.
257
00:18:12,448 --> 00:18:15,103
We hardly know
anything about
him at all.
258
00:18:15,103 --> 00:18:17,620
There's just one article
from the LA Times,
259
00:18:17,620 --> 00:18:24,379
uh, that reports that he was
wanted by Naval Intelligence,
and ultimately rounded up.
260
00:18:24,379 --> 00:18:27,551
[narrator] But it wasn't
Mr. Schmidt's
nefarious activities
261
00:18:27,551 --> 00:18:29,827
that drew in the couple.
262
00:18:29,827 --> 00:18:32,448
[Meares] Winona claimed
that she had long been interested,
263
00:18:32,448 --> 00:18:35,689
basically, in the occult,
and paranormal thoughts.
264
00:18:37,896 --> 00:18:42,517
He kind of convinced
them both that he had these
powers to see into the future.
265
00:18:44,103 --> 00:18:49,413
That they needed to build
a self-sustaining,
basically, utopian colony
266
00:18:49,413 --> 00:18:52,586
based on National
Socialist ideas,
267
00:18:52,586 --> 00:18:56,758
and that they needed to do
it quickly because America
was about to collapse.
268
00:18:59,310 --> 00:19:02,310
[narrator] If Dr. Vincent's
account is true,
269
00:19:02,310 --> 00:19:06,931
hidden somewhere
within this canyon,
a Nazi stronghold was planned
270
00:19:06,931 --> 00:19:10,034
in preparation of Hitler
overthrowing America.
271
00:19:14,137 --> 00:19:18,862
[Davis-Hayes] Something that's
not really discussed often
in the history of Los Angeles
272
00:19:18,862 --> 00:19:24,379
is that there was
a real history of Nazi
supporters within this area.
273
00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:27,551
[Bell] From a Nazi
perspective,
274
00:19:27,551 --> 00:19:30,620
something that LA had going
for it was its ports.
275
00:19:30,620 --> 00:19:37,241
It wasn't monitored,
so it was an easy access point
for propaganda materials.
276
00:19:37,241 --> 00:19:41,241
[narrator] The affidavit
alludes to the Stephens'
connection to Nazism,
277
00:19:41,241 --> 00:19:45,724
using it's alternative name,
National Socialism.
278
00:19:45,724 --> 00:19:51,275
But there are also
other stories that add
weight to this claim.
279
00:19:51,275 --> 00:19:56,689
There are rumors floating
around that neighbors saw
some of these American Nazis.
280
00:19:56,689 --> 00:20:01,137
So-called Silver Shirts,
doing paramilitary
maneuvers in the gardens,
281
00:20:01,137 --> 00:20:04,000
and marching up the stairs.
282
00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:09,310
[Meares] We also know
now that there were reports
to government officials
283
00:20:09,310 --> 00:20:15,379
in Los Angeles, who were
involved in uprooting Nazis
who were imbedded in LA,
284
00:20:15,379 --> 00:20:19,137
that there was a mansion
planned to be built
285
00:20:19,137 --> 00:20:22,655
in this area
for fascist leaders.
286
00:20:22,655 --> 00:20:26,379
So there was some basis
for all of these rumors.
287
00:20:27,344 --> 00:20:29,034
[narrator] Meanwhile,
in Europe,
288
00:20:29,034 --> 00:20:33,551
the rise of Nazism would
result in full-blown war.
289
00:20:33,551 --> 00:20:36,931
America initially resisted
calls to join the fight.
290
00:20:36,931 --> 00:20:39,103
But their reluctance
would not last.
291
00:20:40,103 --> 00:20:43,310
In December of 1941,
everything changed
292
00:20:43,310 --> 00:20:45,931
with the attack
on Pearl Harbor.
293
00:20:45,931 --> 00:20:49,344
[narrator] This was also
a pivotal moment
for Murphy Branch.
294
00:20:51,034 --> 00:20:54,413
[Green] America was very much
entering into the war
295
00:20:54,413 --> 00:20:57,379
and anything that has any
kind of allegiance whatsoever
296
00:20:57,379 --> 00:21:01,034
with Germany or Nazism
is completely outlawed,
297
00:21:01,034 --> 00:21:04,379
at which point somewhere
like this would have been,
298
00:21:04,379 --> 00:21:07,206
overnight, rendered
entirely illegal.
299
00:21:07,206 --> 00:21:11,310
[Meares] We know that
the Stephens stopped
paying architects in 1941
300
00:21:11,310 --> 00:21:14,068
because all available
architectural plans
301
00:21:14,068 --> 00:21:15,827
cease after that date.
302
00:21:15,827 --> 00:21:18,655
Whatever was going on here,
they were probably
303
00:21:18,655 --> 00:21:22,551
under enormous pressure
to stop what they were doing.
304
00:21:22,551 --> 00:21:24,827
[narrator] Herr Schmidt
was slow to react
305
00:21:24,827 --> 00:21:27,172
and ended up paying
a heavy price.
306
00:21:29,034 --> 00:21:32,103
Herr Schmidt was arrested
for hiding shortwave
307
00:21:32,103 --> 00:21:34,413
radio equipment
on the property
308
00:21:34,413 --> 00:21:37,206
and allegedly died in prison.
309
00:21:39,310 --> 00:21:41,896
[narrator] The Stephens
stayed on at Murphy Ranch,
310
00:21:41,896 --> 00:21:44,068
but never built anything more.
311
00:21:44,068 --> 00:21:47,000
The few existing structures
in surrounding land
312
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:50,482
were later sold to be used
as an artist's retreat.
313
00:21:56,034 --> 00:21:59,137
LA's Murphy Ranch
is a confusing collection
314
00:21:59,137 --> 00:22:02,655
of ruins, rumors,
and hard-to-link facts
315
00:22:02,655 --> 00:22:07,000
that will always be open
to interpretation.
316
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:10,689
[Bell] This is the city
of make believe.
317
00:22:10,689 --> 00:22:15,689
But the question is,
is this just another of
Hollywood's fantasy tales?
318
00:22:17,241 --> 00:22:20,172
[Meares] What exactly
the Stephen's aims were,
319
00:22:20,172 --> 00:22:24,103
what really happened on
this land during the 1930s,
320
00:22:24,103 --> 00:22:26,551
who else was actually
even here
321
00:22:26,551 --> 00:22:28,517
is a totally mystery.
322
00:22:28,517 --> 00:22:31,172
I don't think we're ever gonna
know what actually happened.
323
00:22:39,068 --> 00:22:41,793
[narrator] At the heart
of America's Rust Belt,
324
00:22:41,793 --> 00:22:44,034
within the city limits
of Detroit,
325
00:22:44,034 --> 00:22:46,620
is a monument to betrayal.
326
00:22:52,689 --> 00:22:55,241
[Meigs] We're on an island
in the Detroit River
327
00:22:55,241 --> 00:22:58,931
just a little upstream from
the city center.
328
00:22:58,931 --> 00:23:01,965
Parts of it are well-tended.
We have parks,
329
00:23:01,965 --> 00:23:04,413
places for swimming
and picnics.
330
00:23:04,413 --> 00:23:08,517
[Bell] It feels like
the perfect place to come
and enjoy nature.
331
00:23:08,517 --> 00:23:12,724
So, why are large parts of it
completely disused?
332
00:23:13,655 --> 00:23:16,137
[narrator] This is Belle Isle
333
00:23:16,137 --> 00:23:19,758
and at its center
is a dilapidated collection
334
00:23:19,758 --> 00:23:22,517
of structures walled off
from the rest.
335
00:23:24,310 --> 00:23:30,241
[Meigs] Behind the fence is
a complex of wooden ruins
336
00:23:30,241 --> 00:23:34,034
that look like something
from a completely different
time and place.
337
00:23:36,068 --> 00:23:37,206
[Bell] In some of
the structures,
338
00:23:37,206 --> 00:23:41,034
you can make out these old,
rusting cages,
339
00:23:41,034 --> 00:23:44,793
some with their doors just
hanging open.
340
00:23:44,793 --> 00:23:47,172
It's enough to send shivers
up your spine.
341
00:23:49,034 --> 00:23:51,344
[narrator] This enclosed
compound played
342
00:23:51,344 --> 00:23:58,344
a significant role in one of
Detroit's most notorious
corruption scandals.
343
00:23:58,344 --> 00:24:01,793
[Bell] There were
darker forces at play
behind the scenes
344
00:24:01,793 --> 00:24:04,275
that no one
could have predicted.
345
00:24:04,275 --> 00:24:08,137
This really was
a hero to zero story.
346
00:24:09,448 --> 00:24:12,206
[Thomas] Basically, he was
taking advantage of the city.
347
00:24:12,206 --> 00:24:15,000
So many people are still upset
about what he did to Detroit.
348
00:24:28,551 --> 00:24:31,103
[narrator] On an island
in the Detroit River,
349
00:24:31,103 --> 00:24:35,068
is a site who's glory days
are firmly in the past.
350
00:24:35,931 --> 00:24:38,103
[Thomas] It feels surreal.
351
00:24:38,103 --> 00:24:41,965
It's been almost 30 years
since I've been inside
of the gates here.
352
00:24:41,965 --> 00:24:43,965
When I was here
in the early 80s,
353
00:24:43,965 --> 00:24:46,896
I never envisioned
this would happen.
354
00:24:48,413 --> 00:24:52,379
[narrator] Angela
Lugo-Thomas knows
this place better than most.
355
00:24:52,379 --> 00:24:54,586
She worked here
during its heyday.
356
00:24:56,448 --> 00:25:01,034
A lot of people
got their first jobs
working in this space.
357
00:25:01,034 --> 00:25:04,068
So, I did concessions
and I sold souvenirs.
358
00:25:04,068 --> 00:25:07,551
But one of my favorite
things to do was making
the cotton candy.
359
00:25:07,551 --> 00:25:09,758
'Cause we used
the old style cotton candy
360
00:25:09,758 --> 00:25:12,000
where you had
a big silver bowl and you just
361
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,862
and you just go around
with a stick until you get it
to a certain size.
362
00:25:14,862 --> 00:25:18,172
It's just one of those
first memories that
you never forget.
363
00:25:19,689 --> 00:25:23,793
[narrator] Its story begins
almost 100 years earlier
364
00:25:23,793 --> 00:25:27,448
at a time when Detroit
was on the up.
365
00:25:29,241 --> 00:25:33,137
The first structures
were erected here in 1895
366
00:25:33,137 --> 00:25:37,896
just as Detroit was emerging
as one of America's
most prominent cities.
367
00:25:39,172 --> 00:25:42,137
[Meigs] Detroit was
a booming industrial city
368
00:25:42,137 --> 00:25:48,586
with factories
and immigrants and a very
fast-growing economy.
369
00:25:48,586 --> 00:25:51,931
[narrator] With repetitive
jobs and cramped, urban
living conditions,
370
00:25:51,931 --> 00:25:54,206
the burgeoning work force
was in need
371
00:25:54,206 --> 00:25:57,586
of an all-together different
form of entertainment.
372
00:25:57,586 --> 00:26:02,724
They found it here,
at the Belle Isle Zoo.
373
00:26:02,724 --> 00:26:04,965
These factory workers
and their families,
374
00:26:04,965 --> 00:26:08,448
they didn't have the money to
travel far outside the city.
375
00:26:08,448 --> 00:26:11,103
So, the idea they could
go to a beautiful island
376
00:26:11,103 --> 00:26:14,172
and stroll among these exotic
creatures at a zoo,
377
00:26:14,172 --> 00:26:17,172
that must have just been
delightful for them.
378
00:26:17,172 --> 00:26:20,137
[Lucy Jane Santos]
By 1909 they had
over 150 animals,
379
00:26:20,137 --> 00:26:22,241
including bears, kangaroos
and monkeys.
380
00:26:23,482 --> 00:26:25,620
[narrator] As Detroit's
fortunes soared,
381
00:26:25,620 --> 00:26:27,448
so, too, did the zoo's.
382
00:26:28,896 --> 00:26:32,275
But, as industry began
to lead the motor city
383
00:26:32,275 --> 00:26:34,206
in the second half
of the century,
384
00:26:34,206 --> 00:26:36,862
the number of patrons
to the zoo dwindled.
385
00:26:39,137 --> 00:26:44,344
After the 1950s,
Detroit's population began
to decrease rapidly.
386
00:26:44,344 --> 00:26:48,275
The city lost nearly
40% of its residents
387
00:26:48,275 --> 00:26:51,586
between 1950 and 1980.
388
00:26:51,586 --> 00:26:53,655
This spelt real
bad news for the zoo.
389
00:26:55,758 --> 00:26:57,862
[narrator] With gate
receipts diminishing,
390
00:26:57,862 --> 00:27:00,758
and the city's finances
in turmoil,
391
00:27:00,758 --> 00:27:04,310
the Belle Isle Zoo
looks set to close.
392
00:27:05,620 --> 00:27:09,655
Until an ambitious restoration
project turned the tide.
393
00:27:10,689 --> 00:27:13,344
Lions and tigers
and bears, oh my!
394
00:27:13,344 --> 00:27:16,310
Welcome to the open of the
Detroit Belle Isle Zoo.
395
00:27:16,310 --> 00:27:20,137
The zoo was revived
in the 1980s with a,
kind of, African theme.
396
00:27:20,137 --> 00:27:22,482
They called it "Safariland."
397
00:27:22,482 --> 00:27:25,758
They built these structures
that were
398
00:27:25,758 --> 00:27:30,724
kind of informed by an idea
of African architecture.
399
00:27:30,724 --> 00:27:35,241
[narrator] The rejuvenated zoo
was a big hit with the public.
400
00:27:35,241 --> 00:27:37,655
[Thomas] Oh, they loved
the zoo. I mean,
401
00:27:37,655 --> 00:27:41,310
a lot of people,
it was their first time
going to see animals.
402
00:27:41,310 --> 00:27:43,310
You know, a lot of
the children had some of
403
00:27:43,310 --> 00:27:45,482
their first school trips
here in this space.
404
00:27:47,241 --> 00:27:50,413
[Santos] A new area was added
to the zoo in 1980.
405
00:27:50,413 --> 00:27:52,724
It was essentially
an elevated board walk
406
00:27:52,724 --> 00:27:54,793
with the animals
fenced in at ground level.
407
00:27:58,137 --> 00:28:00,689
[narrator] The renovation
was spearheaded by
408
00:28:00,689 --> 00:28:04,034
a new zoo director,
Khadejah Shelby.
409
00:28:05,379 --> 00:28:07,379
Under the stewardship
of Khadejah,
410
00:28:07,379 --> 00:28:12,206
the zoo bucked the trend of
Detroit's declining fortunes.
411
00:28:12,206 --> 00:28:15,344
She was a real force
in the city at the time.
412
00:28:15,344 --> 00:28:19,655
And she was also
the nation's first African
American zoo director.
413
00:28:21,310 --> 00:28:25,034
[narrator] Angela had VIP
access to the new facilities
414
00:28:25,034 --> 00:28:28,965
as Khadejah
was her grandmother.
415
00:28:28,965 --> 00:28:32,275
When I came here,
I came with my grandmother.
416
00:28:32,275 --> 00:28:35,000
As soon as she was spotted
at the bridge at Belle Isle,
417
00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:37,862
someone would radio in
to let everyone else know
418
00:28:37,862 --> 00:28:41,551
that Miss Shelby has arrived
and to get everything
ready and prepared.
419
00:28:41,551 --> 00:28:44,379
She had everyone
on their pins and needles
420
00:28:44,379 --> 00:28:46,379
because they knew
that she expected excellence.
421
00:28:47,862 --> 00:28:51,310
[Meigs] But even as
the zoo was revived,
422
00:28:51,310 --> 00:28:55,517
Detroit's fortunes
continued to go downhill.
423
00:28:55,517 --> 00:28:59,310
[narrator] Eventually,
even Khadejah's supreme
efforts were not enough.
424
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,379
There was a time when this
place was funded very well.
425
00:29:03,379 --> 00:29:05,931
And then, of course,
like everything else,
426
00:29:05,931 --> 00:29:07,241
funding goes away.
427
00:29:07,241 --> 00:29:09,482
And it's always
difficult for my grandmother
428
00:29:09,482 --> 00:29:12,862
to do a lot of the programing
that she was used to doing.
429
00:29:12,862 --> 00:29:16,172
Sometimes they didn't have
the right people
to take care of the animals.
430
00:29:16,172 --> 00:29:19,034
So, it became
a point in time when
431
00:29:19,034 --> 00:29:22,137
you would go to the zoo
and you really didn't
see a lot of animals.
432
00:29:23,793 --> 00:29:28,724
[narrator] And in 1994,
with a change to
administration in city hall,
433
00:29:28,724 --> 00:29:30,862
she was removed from her post.
434
00:29:32,965 --> 00:29:35,793
[Thomas] It was hard
for her to see this zoo,
435
00:29:35,793 --> 00:29:38,655
which was her baby, kind of,
you know, deteriorate.
436
00:29:38,655 --> 00:29:40,965
And so that was sad to watch.
437
00:29:40,965 --> 00:29:44,931
The spirit of this place
changed after she
was not here anymore.
438
00:29:46,206 --> 00:29:48,793
[narrator] Eight years later,
the zoo closed.
439
00:29:48,793 --> 00:29:51,965
But former director Khadejah
didn't give up.
440
00:29:51,965 --> 00:29:55,827
She joined a campaign aimed
at raising the $700,000
441
00:29:55,827 --> 00:29:57,862
needed to reopen the gates.
442
00:29:57,862 --> 00:30:00,551
And with another
new mayor in city hall,
443
00:30:00,551 --> 00:30:02,344
things were looking up.
444
00:30:04,862 --> 00:30:09,448
[Bell] In 2002,
Kwame Kilpatrick
became mayor of Detroit,
445
00:30:09,448 --> 00:30:14,379
sweeping into office
on a tremendous wave
of positivity and hope.
446
00:30:16,172 --> 00:30:18,137
[Santos] He was known
as the "hip-hop mayor."
447
00:30:18,137 --> 00:30:21,137
Not only was he young, but he
was tall, he was handsome.
448
00:30:21,137 --> 00:30:23,620
And he promised very exciting
times for Detroit.
449
00:30:24,827 --> 00:30:29,655
The city was ecstatic to see
him become mayor.
450
00:30:29,655 --> 00:30:33,655
[narrator] At the same time,
Khadejah's fund raising
had been a success.
451
00:30:34,827 --> 00:30:37,310
And with Mayor Kilpatrick
pledging his support
452
00:30:37,310 --> 00:30:40,931
for the reopening of the zoo,
victory was at hand.
453
00:30:41,965 --> 00:30:46,965
But things didn't play out
as expected.
454
00:30:46,965 --> 00:30:50,655
The rug was completely
pulled out from under
the campaigners.
455
00:31:04,068 --> 00:31:08,206
[narrator] In 2002, a new
mayor arrived in Detroit
456
00:31:08,206 --> 00:31:12,379
and brought with him
fresh impetus to resurrect
the shuttered Belle Isle Zoo.
457
00:31:14,689 --> 00:31:17,172
Money was raised for the zoo
and it looked like
458
00:31:17,172 --> 00:31:19,034
it was going to get
a second chance.
459
00:31:20,344 --> 00:31:24,103
But then, nothing happened.
460
00:31:24,103 --> 00:31:27,896
[narrator] Detroiters
were waiting for
construction to begin,
461
00:31:27,896 --> 00:31:32,482
which it did, but on
the other side of the island.
462
00:31:32,482 --> 00:31:37,965
Mayor Kilpatrick,
he did a little switcheroo
on people, because
463
00:31:37,965 --> 00:31:40,758
instead of reopening
and fixing this space up,
464
00:31:40,758 --> 00:31:44,310
he ended up, then, pouring
that money into a new facility
465
00:31:44,310 --> 00:31:46,034
that's on the east side
of the island
466
00:31:46,034 --> 00:31:47,689
called the Belle
Isle Nature Center.
467
00:31:48,517 --> 00:31:50,379
A lot of people felt duped.
468
00:31:50,379 --> 00:31:55,275
They were very upset
because he did not
follow through on the promise.
469
00:31:55,275 --> 00:32:01,034
[narrator] And Kilpatrick's
misdeeds went far beyond
broken promises.
470
00:32:01,034 --> 00:32:06,620
It soon came to light that
he was involved in a massive
corruption scandal.
471
00:32:06,620 --> 00:32:10,793
It involved kickbacks
from contractors
working for the city.
472
00:32:12,931 --> 00:32:16,241
Suddenly, the whole
dirty mess was exposed.
473
00:32:16,241 --> 00:32:19,586
This was corruption
at the highest level.
474
00:32:21,551 --> 00:32:27,827
[narrator] In 2013,
Kilpatrick was convicted on 24
federal corruption charges
475
00:32:27,827 --> 00:32:31,172
and condemned
to 28 years in prison.
476
00:32:31,172 --> 00:32:35,931
But, in 2021, his sentence
was commuted by
477
00:32:35,931 --> 00:32:40,551
President Donald Trump
on his last day in office.
478
00:32:40,551 --> 00:32:44,448
He's out now, but yeah,
he's definitely left
a scar on the city
479
00:32:44,448 --> 00:32:47,034
that I'm not sure a lot
of people are gonna get over.
480
00:32:54,241 --> 00:32:58,034
[narrator] Although it's
unlikely the Belle Isle Zoo
will open again,
481
00:32:58,034 --> 00:33:03,068
Angela is hopeful
the space can be
reimagined in another form.
482
00:33:03,068 --> 00:33:07,517
Whether it's a nature preserve
or maybe paintball, you know,
483
00:33:07,517 --> 00:33:09,275
a maze or whatever, you know,
484
00:33:09,275 --> 00:33:12,137
just utilize the space
because it is a big space
485
00:33:12,137 --> 00:33:15,551
to just have vacant
and nobody using it.
486
00:33:15,551 --> 00:33:17,655
[Meigs] As part
of its revival,
487
00:33:17,655 --> 00:33:20,000
Detroit is rediscovering
its waterfront.
488
00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:22,379
I suspect that within
a few years we'll see
489
00:33:22,379 --> 00:33:24,724
this restored into
a beautiful place
490
00:33:24,724 --> 00:33:26,793
to visit and a resource for
the people of Detroit.
491
00:33:33,655 --> 00:33:39,344
[narrator] In South Carolina,
two empty buildings
mark how one city
492
00:33:39,344 --> 00:33:42,965
changed the course
of American history, twice.
493
00:33:47,172 --> 00:33:49,413
[Corina Kwami] We're right
in the heart of one
of the busiest cites
494
00:33:49,413 --> 00:33:51,758
on the southeast coast
of the United States.
495
00:33:51,758 --> 00:33:54,448
We're in Charleston.
496
00:33:54,448 --> 00:33:59,241
[narrator] In the suburbs
is a complex that was built
in a time of crisis.
497
00:34:01,344 --> 00:34:03,103
[Merrill] It's a weird,
eerie feeling
498
00:34:03,103 --> 00:34:06,586
when you look at the inside
of this large building.
499
00:34:06,586 --> 00:34:09,896
And, as they say,
if the walls could talk,
we might be in trouble.
500
00:34:11,241 --> 00:34:12,379
[narrator] And on
the waterfront,
501
00:34:12,379 --> 00:34:16,344
a building that was once
the beating heart of the city.
502
00:34:16,344 --> 00:34:20,586
Oh, this is one of those
places that very few people
know much about,
503
00:34:20,586 --> 00:34:25,793
but is really critical
to the history of Charleston.
504
00:34:25,793 --> 00:34:30,413
[narrator] These two buildings
tell the story of how
Charleston found redemption,
505
00:34:30,413 --> 00:34:34,517
and in doing so, helped give
rise to modern America.
506
00:34:42,655 --> 00:34:46,689
Don Campagna has lived
in Charleston his entire life.
507
00:34:46,689 --> 00:34:50,103
He was a child when
he first saw this building.
508
00:34:53,034 --> 00:34:57,344
[Campagna] This building
was designed to create
in the citizens
509
00:34:57,344 --> 00:35:01,034
a feeling of appreciation
for the beauty around them.
510
00:35:02,896 --> 00:35:06,896
If you're not impressed
by this size and this scale,
511
00:35:06,896 --> 00:35:09,275
I don't know what it'll take
to move your heart.
512
00:35:10,689 --> 00:35:13,241
[Sascha Auerbach] It's made of
this beautiful blond brick,
513
00:35:13,241 --> 00:35:16,310
built to look good,
not just be functional.
514
00:35:17,931 --> 00:35:20,862
[narrator] This part of
the structure is now empty.
515
00:35:20,862 --> 00:35:23,413
But clues
to its function remain.
516
00:35:24,551 --> 00:35:26,655
[Auerbach] It's a huge
empty space,
517
00:35:26,655 --> 00:35:28,448
but down by one of those
banks of rubble,
518
00:35:28,448 --> 00:35:31,206
you can see flowing water.
519
00:35:31,206 --> 00:35:35,275
[narrator] Water plays
an important role in
the story of this building.
520
00:35:35,275 --> 00:35:38,448
Its history goes back
over 100 years
521
00:35:38,448 --> 00:35:42,793
to when Charleston
was one of the wealthiest
port cities in America.
522
00:35:44,275 --> 00:35:49,000
Its prosperity ended
when the country
was thrown into civil war.
523
00:35:52,344 --> 00:35:55,103
[Kwami] Charleston
played a major role
during the Civil War
524
00:35:55,103 --> 00:35:59,310
and it was a pivotal city
in the fight between the Union
and the Confederate armies.
525
00:35:59,310 --> 00:36:00,931
[narrator] By the end
of the conflict,
526
00:36:00,931 --> 00:36:04,689
Charleston was left in ruins
by the Union army.
527
00:36:04,689 --> 00:36:06,551
[Campagna]
The city was destroyed.
528
00:36:06,551 --> 00:36:08,724
Absolutely decimated.
529
00:36:08,724 --> 00:36:11,103
It wasn't just
a military conflagration,
530
00:36:11,103 --> 00:36:14,310
it was, uh, civilians
suffering as well.
531
00:36:14,310 --> 00:36:18,034
[narrator] For decades,
Charleston was a shadow
of its former self.
532
00:36:20,137 --> 00:36:24,344
But in 1901, Congress gave
the city a second chance
533
00:36:24,344 --> 00:36:28,551
by constructing a complex
that would help transform
the US Navy.
534
00:36:42,655 --> 00:36:46,655
[narrator] In 1901, work began
on an engineering project
535
00:36:46,655 --> 00:36:49,241
to revitalize the city
of Charleston.
536
00:36:49,241 --> 00:36:53,275
They built
the Charleston Navy Yard.
537
00:36:53,275 --> 00:36:56,103
The Navy built one of
the largest dry docks
538
00:36:56,103 --> 00:36:59,862
on the entire Eastern Seaboard
right here in Charleston.
539
00:36:59,862 --> 00:37:03,827
The shipyard focused mainly
on the resupply and the repair
540
00:37:03,827 --> 00:37:07,172
of ships that were
already in the fleet.
541
00:37:07,172 --> 00:37:12,172
[narrator] The shipyard had
a dry dock, crane, water pumps
and management buildings,
542
00:37:12,172 --> 00:37:14,413
creating thousands
of new jobs.
543
00:37:17,103 --> 00:37:20,862
And its beating heart was
a brand new power plant.
544
00:37:22,413 --> 00:37:24,482
[Campagna]
This is industrial size.
545
00:37:24,482 --> 00:37:28,241
You really have to have
something that could generate
546
00:37:28,241 --> 00:37:31,896
the electricity to power
all of that equipment
547
00:37:31,896 --> 00:37:34,793
to build the ships
that you need.
548
00:37:34,793 --> 00:37:38,896
[Kwami] The naval yard
was a catalyst for more
economic activity
549
00:37:38,896 --> 00:37:42,724
because it was
attracting workers from
all over the country.
550
00:37:44,758 --> 00:37:49,517
[narrator] The Charleston Navy
Yard ushered in a new era
of prosperity for the city.
551
00:37:51,620 --> 00:37:56,793
But in 1917, the United States
entered a new conflict
552
00:37:56,793 --> 00:38:01,482
and the yard was about
to play a special roll
in keeping the country safe.
553
00:38:02,689 --> 00:38:04,241
[Campagna] During World War I,
554
00:38:04,241 --> 00:38:06,689
we had pretty much been
a wooden boat navy.
555
00:38:06,689 --> 00:38:12,896
And WWI gave
the United States Navy a new,
steel-hulled fleet.
556
00:38:12,896 --> 00:38:15,517
That was as big a transition
as we're seeing now
557
00:38:15,517 --> 00:38:18,517
between gas engines
and electric cars.
558
00:38:21,103 --> 00:38:24,689
[narrator] The plant powered
the refit of 35 destroyers
559
00:38:24,689 --> 00:38:26,862
and hundreds
of smaller vessels.
560
00:38:26,862 --> 00:38:29,310
It was the start
of what would be come,
561
00:38:29,310 --> 00:38:33,448
the most powerful naval force
the world had ever seen.
562
00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,551
[Campagna] The reason America
is as great as it is
563
00:38:37,551 --> 00:38:39,344
is our maritime culture.
564
00:38:39,344 --> 00:38:42,137
It's the maritime industries
565
00:38:42,137 --> 00:38:47,068
that have made America
the country that it is.
566
00:38:47,068 --> 00:38:51,068
[narrator] Charleston helped
prove that America
was willing and able
567
00:38:51,068 --> 00:38:53,724
to defend itself
on the world stage.
568
00:38:53,724 --> 00:38:58,862
Its new challenge
was to protect the people
who fought for it.
569
00:38:58,862 --> 00:39:01,517
Even though America and
the Allies won World War I,
570
00:39:01,517 --> 00:39:04,862
they only just coped with
the demands put on hospitals
571
00:39:04,862 --> 00:39:07,344
to treat those
injured and hurt.
572
00:39:07,344 --> 00:39:10,758
[narrator] It was said that
the crew of just one destroyer
573
00:39:10,758 --> 00:39:13,517
would fill every hospital bed
in Charleston.
574
00:39:14,965 --> 00:39:17,862
They needed more capacity
and decided to build
575
00:39:17,862 --> 00:39:20,137
a bigger, better
hospital district
576
00:39:20,137 --> 00:39:21,413
right here in Charleston.
577
00:39:22,965 --> 00:39:24,655
[narrator] In the
downtown area
578
00:39:24,655 --> 00:39:29,172
they built the new, 33-acer
Navy Hospital District.
579
00:39:30,482 --> 00:39:32,241
[Campagna] I don't think
there was any question
580
00:39:32,241 --> 00:39:36,620
that, at that point,
the government had
a very strong inkling
581
00:39:36,620 --> 00:39:38,862
that we were likely
to wind up in a war
582
00:39:38,862 --> 00:39:41,517
and that we were
gonna have casualties.
583
00:39:41,517 --> 00:39:43,275
And we had to be prepared.
584
00:39:45,413 --> 00:39:49,241
[narrator] The new facility
was equipped with
an X-ray department,
585
00:39:49,241 --> 00:39:52,931
an operating theater,
and a recreational courtyard
586
00:39:52,931 --> 00:39:55,241
that filled
the building with light.
587
00:39:55,241 --> 00:39:59,724
Charleston was ready
if America was ever thrust
into another war.
588
00:40:00,620 --> 00:40:04,758
And in 1941, it was.
589
00:40:04,758 --> 00:40:08,344
As many as 4,000
wounded soldiers were
treated here every month.
590
00:40:08,344 --> 00:40:11,034
Many of whom were fighting
in Europe and Africa.
591
00:40:12,034 --> 00:40:16,068
[Campagna] There were
75,000 casualties
592
00:40:16,068 --> 00:40:17,517
that came into Charleston.
593
00:40:17,517 --> 00:40:20,586
People that came back
on those hospital ships
594
00:40:20,586 --> 00:40:22,241
were the most
seriously wounded.
595
00:40:22,241 --> 00:40:25,551
The most in desperate
need of care.
596
00:40:26,965 --> 00:40:30,793
[narrator] The Charleston Navy
Hospital was well prepared.
597
00:40:30,793 --> 00:40:34,310
It used pioneering methods
to care for its patients.
598
00:40:36,379 --> 00:40:38,724
The hospital was designed
around the courtyard
599
00:40:38,724 --> 00:40:40,965
with different wings
all around it.
600
00:40:40,965 --> 00:40:42,517
And, actually,
what was revolutionary
601
00:40:42,517 --> 00:40:45,137
about the design,
was that it actually enabled
602
00:40:45,137 --> 00:40:48,827
different wards to treat
specific injuries.
603
00:40:48,827 --> 00:40:52,000
If you had a doctor that was
particularly good at doing
604
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:54,551
repair of legs
or repair of arms,
605
00:40:54,551 --> 00:40:56,482
then it would be nice
for that doctor
606
00:40:56,482 --> 00:40:58,448
to be able to go from
one patient to the next.
607
00:40:58,448 --> 00:41:01,379
It was more efficient
use of the personnel.
608
00:41:03,068 --> 00:41:06,206
[narrator] The new
model of separating
patients into wards
609
00:41:06,206 --> 00:41:09,517
became the basis
of modern clinical care.
610
00:41:11,137 --> 00:41:13,172
After the second World War,
611
00:41:13,172 --> 00:41:16,344
the Navy Hospital District
continued to care
612
00:41:16,344 --> 00:41:19,551
for wounded veterans
for nearly three decades.
613
00:41:21,103 --> 00:41:26,586
In 1996, the aged
navy yard finally closed.
614
00:41:32,793 --> 00:41:36,517
Today, Charleston is a
cultural capital of the South,
615
00:41:36,517 --> 00:41:40,551
its history forged
in three great conflicts.
616
00:41:40,551 --> 00:41:44,689
People like Don Campagna
help keep that history alive.
617
00:41:45,724 --> 00:41:48,655
This needs to be
a monument of sorts
618
00:41:48,655 --> 00:41:53,689
to the memory of the people
who didn't leave here
619
00:41:53,689 --> 00:41:55,000
and the people who did.
620
00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:57,172
Because they both
did their duty.
621
00:41:57,172 --> 00:42:00,413
If we're ever going to tell
the story of that generation,
622
00:42:00,413 --> 00:42:02,172
and their service
and sacrifice,
623
00:42:02,172 --> 00:42:04,275
I can't think of
a better place
624
00:42:04,275 --> 00:42:07,379
than a hospital that made them
well and sent them home.
57993
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