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- Of Rails & Sails is a one-hour docudrama about the extraordinary life and times of Arthur Curtis James, a relatively unknown railroad baron, prominent and intrepid yachtsman, generous philanthropist, avant garde socialite and secret philanderer, who was one of the ten richest men in America in the 1920s and 30s, owning one-seventh of all the railroad track in the United States. Unlike his contemporaries - Vanderbilt, Morgan, Rockefeller - Arthur Curtiss James is not a household name. Arthur was a private man who did business quietly, efficiently, and smartly. His far-reaching, enormous philanthropic activities were done without fanfare, often anonymously. Yet he is an exemplar of privileged life during the Golden Age. He was the last great railroad developer, building the final and most complete transcontinental railroad system in America. He was also an extraordinary yachtsman who owned and sailed three of the great, legendary yachts of the time - over a quarter of a million lifetime nautical miles! His main residence was Beacon Hill House, a 33-acre estate in Newport, Rhode Island, but he owned expansive mansions in Manhattan and Tarrytown, New York, and in Coconut Grove, Florida. By all accounts he was a likable, reasonable gentleman of good humor. He was a patron of art and culture, and a generous benefactor to those in need. He was adventurous and fun loving - perhaps a little too fun loving, as whispered rumors of his infidelity and womanizing were not uncommon amongst the employees living on his estate. One such insinuation cost a close relative her inheritance. Drawing on the remarkable likeness of actor James Horning as Arthur, and Johnny Day as his friend Peter (and the film's narrator), Of Rails & Sails tells the story of this remarkable man, who died in 1941 but whose footprint still looms large today.
- Saving Places is a one-hour documentary that follows the intrepid crews and passionate volunteers of HistoriCorps, a small but mighty non-profit organization, through an entire season of challenging work preserving and restoring over a dozen highly-threatened, historically-significant buildings on public lands. From fire towers, ranger cabins and mining complexes to humble slave dwellings, iconic lodges, and legendary ranches - these structures all tell a vivid story about our past, and when preserved may help teach us about our future. In its first nine seasons HistoriCorps has engaged 3,300 volunteers, veterans, students and youth corps and logged over 150,000 hours to save 281 historic sites in 29 states. But this effort represents only the tip of the iceberg. A recent audit by several U.S. agencies puts the number of already decaying, seriously threatened structures at an astonishing 30,000 - most of which will never be preserved due to the lack of funding or manpower. It is an inexcusable loss of history. By definition, many of these structures are in remote, difficult to access locations, and are sometimes even under Wilderness Area restrictions, which don't allow for the use of power tools or motorized transportation. Combine those challenges with high altitude, volatile weather conditions, dangerous animals and unskilled volunteer work crews - and it can all add up to very compelling storytelling. Restorations featured in the film include: Hahn's Peak Fire Lookout Tower in the Medicine Bow / Routt National Forest , Rourke Ranch in the Comanche National Grasslands , Skinner Cabin in Colorado National Monument, Ute Ulay Mining Complex in Hinsdale County and the Buffalo Peaks Ranch in South Park - all in Colorado Simpson Lake Lodge in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness Area and the Bar BC Ranch in Grand Teton National Park - in Wyoming Thunderbird Barn in Canyon de Chelly National Monument - Arizona Jackson Lake Stone Ranger Cabin in Angeles National Forest - California Smarts Mountain Fire Lookout Tower on the Appalachian Trail in White Mountains National Forest - New Hampshire Forest Lodge on Lake Namakagon in the Chaquamegon-Nicolet National Forest - Wisconsin George Washington Carver Schoolhouse - Neosho, Missouri Hebo Lake Community Kitchen in the Siuslaw National Forest - Oregon. Kirkwood Museum in Hell's Canyon on the Snake River - Idaho