Pokémon Go players stumble on hidden history

PROVIDENCE (US): Historical markers have long dotted the landscape, often barely noticed by passers-by until they became treasure-filled stops this month on the Pokemon Go trail. Players hunting for fictional creatures on their smartphones are now visiting real-life memorial landmarks, ranging from a Civil War battlefield in Chancellorsville, Virginia, to a Hells Angels clubhouse on New Zealand’s North Island.

Some don’t bother to linger at these Pokéstops, staying just long enough to stock up on the virtual balls they’ll use to capture the next Pokémon.

But for others, the GPS-powered “augmented reality” game is heightening awareness of history.

“Before I was going from Point A to Point B, but now I’m learning things,” said 15-year-old Jaiden Cruz as he walked by a plaque in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, marking where Abraham Lincoln spoke at an old railroad hall in 1860.

Before Cruz arrived, another player dropped a “lure module” that attracts Pokémon to the site.

The 380-year-old city abounds with Pokéstops, including the nation’s oldest Baptist church, and a stone marking where French troops camped during the Revolutionary War. “You learn about your surroundings,” said 59-year-old Cheryl DiMarzio, who ventured into an urban park to capture some purple rodent Rattatas.