It’s History

The North River Tunnels are a pair of rail tunnels carrying Amtrak and New Jersey Transit lines under the Hudson River between Weehawken, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan. Constructed in 1910, they remain a critical travel option for commuters on NJ Transit and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. The tunnels are active—allowing about 24 crossings per hour each way and operating near capacity during peak hours. The tubes run parallel with centers separated by 37 feet; the two tracks fan out to 21 tracks just west of Penn Station.

Chapters
00:00 - Why the North River Tunnels are a critical travel option for commuters
01:11 - The origin of the name “North River”
02:08 - Why crossing the Hudson River proved to be an obstacle
03:11 - Albert Gallatin’s report of proposed locations for transportation of national importance
04:29 - PRR & The Long Island Rail Road Company develop the New York Tunnel Extension Project
04:52 - The North River Tunnels awarded to O'Rourke Engineering Construction Company
06:16 - The issue of “The Behavior of the Subaqueous Tunnels”
10:17 - Incorporation of additional cast-iron plates in the North River Tunnel
11:26 - The North River Tunnel opening in 1910
12:54 - The ARC program designed to restore public transportation in NYC
14:33 - How Superstorm Sandy damaged the North River Tunnels
15:53 - The Hudson Tunnel Project to rehabilitate the North River Tunnels

Credits
Scriptwriter — Camrin Dekis
Editor — Kamil Krawiec
Host — Ryan Socash

#NorthRiverTunnels #HudsonRiver #PennStation #Amtrak #NewJerseyTransit #InfrastructureHistory
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IT’S HISTORY — Weekly tales of American urban decay, presented by Ryan Socash.

The Embarcadero Freeway (State Route 480) was a double-decked elevated highway in San Francisco built in the 1950s. Running along the waterfront from the Bay Bridge to northern neighborhoods, it was criticized for cutting the city off from its historic waterfront and obstructing views. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the freeway, public sentiment favored demolition rather than repair. Its removal in the early 1990s transformed the Embarcadero into a pedestrian-friendly boulevard, reconnecting the city with the waterfront and sparking redevelopment.

Some media elements in this video are used under the fair use provisions of U.S. copyright law (Title 17, Section 107) for purposes of commentary, criticism, and education. Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only, reflecting the appropriate time frame and content.

Credits
- Scriptwriter: Ryan Socash
- Editor: Karolina Szwata
- Host: Ryan Socash
- Music/Sound Design: Dave Daddario
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Rockefeller Center is one of New York’s most iconic landmarks—but it began as a planned new home for the Metropolitan Opera. After the stock market crash the project collapsed, leaving John D. Rockefeller Jr. with a six‑million‑square‑foot lease. In the depths of the Great Depression he instead built an audacious complex of office towers, broadcast studios, and underground infrastructure that reshaped Midtown Manhattan. This episode of IT’S HISTORY — weekly tales of American urban decay — uncovers how that gamble became a new blueprint for urban America.

Scriptwriter: Ryan Socash
Editor: Karolina Szwata
Host: Ryan Socash
Music / Sound Design: Dave Daddario

#RockefellerCenter #NYChistory #ItsHistory
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Discover the history of Washington, D.C.’s little-known Senate subway — a secret underground rail system connecting the U.S. Capitol to nearby Senate office buildings. Built over a century ago to streamline travel for senators, the system evolved from an open-air electric trolley to modern underground cars. The video explores why the subway was built, how it changed over time, and why it’s still used by senators today despite being rarely seen by the public.

Credits:
Scriptwriter – Wyatt Catucci
Editor – Karolina Szwata
Host – Ryan Socash
Music/Sound Design – Dave Daddario

#SenateSubway #WashingtonDC #USCapitol
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Imagine a place where sunlight barely penetrates and walls isolate souls. ADX Florence, known as "The Alcatraz of the Rockies," is America's most secure supermax prison, designed for near-total isolation and housing terrorists, cartel leaders, and serial killers. This video traces ADX Florence’s history from its inception in 1994, examines its role as a model of extreme incarceration, profiles notorious inmates including Theodore Kaczynski, Ramzi Yousef, and Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, explores the psychological impact of prolonged isolation, and discusses the ethical debates surrounding the facility and why it remains off-limits to the public.

#ADXFlorence #SupermaxPrison #AmericanHistory
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