Color painted illustration of Chiquita in a red dress performing a fan dance with off-white cursive text on the bottom

“Chiquita” was the stage name used by Alize Espiridiona Cenda del Castillo. Cenda was born in 1869 with a form of primordial dwarfism, and when full grown only measured 26 inches tall. In her act Chiquita would sing, dance, play instruments, and otherwise charm her audience.In 1901, Chiquita appeared at the Pan-American Fair in Buffalo as, “the Official Mascot of the Exposition,” and driving, “the smallest automobile ever constructed.” At the end of the fair, Cenda eloped with a young man who had been working for her show.

Her manager took her to court for breach of contract, but Chiquita and her husband eventually triumphed, and she was free of her contract. They continued to tour to give performances. It’s not known what became of Chiquita in later years, but it’s believed that the couple moved to Mexico where she may have passed away in 1945.

Color tinted photograph of the performer Chiquita in a blue dress holding a fan and in one hand and flowers in the other, with black cursive text on the bottom

“Chiquita” was the stage name used by Alize Espiridiona Cenda del Castillo. Cenda was born in 1869 with a form of primordial dwarfism, and when full grown only measured 26 inches tall. In her act Chiquita would sing, dance, play instruments, and otherwise charm her audience.In 1901, Chiquita appeared at the Pan-American Fair in Buffalo as, “the Official Mascot of the Exposition,” and driving, “the smallest automobile ever constructed.” At the end of the fair, Cenda eloped with a young man who had been working for her show.

Her manager took her to court for breach of contract, but Chiquita and her husband eventually triumphed, and she was free of her contract. They continued to tour to give performances. It’s not known what became of Chiquita in later years, but it’s believed that the couple moved to Mexico where she may have passed away in 1945.

Yellow background with a simple illustration of a Black woman and a white man embracing and black text above

It wasn’t until 1967 that the United States declared interracial marriage legal, following the Supreme Court decision in the case of Loving v. Virginia. Before this historic win, the civil rights movement raised awareness of inequality, with protesters challenging discriminatory laws. Since then, interracial marriage has increased from 3% in 1967 to 19% as of 2024; there has also been a significant decline in opposition to interracial marriage. In 2022, the United States Congress passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which ensures protections for all forms of marriage. 

Sepia-toned full-body profile portrait photograph of the performer Chiquita with her head turned toward the camera. She is wearing a white dress and has her hair up in a white floral hair piece.

“Chiquita” was the stage name used by Alize Espiridiona Cenda del Castillo. Cenda was born in 1869 with a form of primordial dwarfism, and when full grown only measured 26 inches tall. In her act Chiquita would sing, dance, play instruments, and otherwise charm her audience. In 1901, Chiquita appeared at the Pan-American Fair in Buffalo as, “the Official Mascot of the Exposition,” and driving, “the smallest automobile ever constructed.” At the end of the fair, Cenda eloped with a young man who had been working for her show.

Her manager took her to court for breach of contract, but Chiquita and her husband eventually triumphed, and she was free of her contract. They continued to tour to give performances. It’s not known what became of Chiquita in later years, but it’s believed that the couple moved to Mexico where she may have passed away in 1945.

Illustration of a white swan on a red background. A sprig of leaves with one ripe berry and one un-ripe berry with a swan-like bud is curved into the neck of the swan. 

The design on this button was the logo for the Ocean Spray Cranberry World Museum. Dedicated to educating the visitor on the history and cultivation of cranberries, the museum was located in downtown, Plymouth, Massachusetts. However, the building in which it was housed was sold by Ocean Spray, and the museum moved to the Edaville Theme Park in Lakeville, Massachusetts. From there the trail grows cold.

A museum visitor commented on Roadside America in 2003 that they were able to: “take a picture of a loved one next to the giant cranberry model or the cranberry bog,” and sample Ocean Spray products, “some [of which] are prototypes, not available to the public.” Unfortunately today visitors to Plymouth will have to be satisfied by looking at the Rock.

Red, white, and blue horizontal striped background with white and blue text

Photograph of a half-eaten twinkie on a white background with black text layered on top of the twinkie

The Twinkie is an American packaged sponge cake with cream filling invented in 1930. In November 2012, production was suspended after a union dispute led its former bakery to bankruptcy. In 2004, the brand’s parent company, Interstate Bakeries, filed for bankruptcy protection. Their profits had decreased, which the company credited to increased health consciousness, and which Wall Street credited to corporate strategy and debts. A private equity firm bought half of the stake in the company and renamed it Hostess Brands in 2009. They failed to reach a labor deal with the bakers’ union, which led to the speculation that they would close operations.

A Los Angeles Times report on the aftermath of the public announcement stated that the threat of the Twinkie's demise sparked hoarding of the treat and “shock waves through the country.” Hostess Brands was put up for auction in 2013 and the majority share of the business was bought by two private equity firms for $410 million. Twinkies returned to shelves soon after and the company stabilized. The return of Twinkies was possible through utilizing retailers like Walmart for shipment of goods and, according to The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) president David B. Durkee in 2013, hiring less experienced bakers to avoid union negotiations. 

Red background with black illustration of a man with blue and white highlights in center of button, and black text with white highlights under the image.

High contrast front-facing portrait of Huey Newton with black text above

Huey Percy Newton (1942-1989) was an African American political activist who co-founded the Black Panther Party along with Bobby Seale in 1966. The core mission of the group was to organize the African American community to prevent police abuse and racial discrimination. In 1967, Newton was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the death of a police officer, resulting in 2-15 years in prison. His trial and imprisonment sparked protests which adopted the slogan “Free Huey”. In 1970, the conviction was overturned when it became clear that Newton had acted in self-defense. The image depicted is of Newton wearing a military beret and a shotgun on his side. He is attributed as one of the most important black civil rights leaders in American history.