It is crazy to think about how with no internet, TV, and other means of communication.... you had to "see to believe". People starting a rumor about 112 degrees and then folks just starting a migration to see if it's true.
Such a different world. Like when entire towns would gather around a housefire because well, it was going to be the most interesting thing you'd see if a long time and if you were curious what a housefire looked like, that was how you saw it. No google image search, lol.