American Countryside

You’ve most likely never heard his name, but you’ve likely heard his music.  His family tried to dissuade him from majoring in music, but it turned out this small town musician hit it big with a new movie company... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many people like to be patriotic and support our troops.  This small town went well above and beyond, helping over 1.5 million soldiers all with volunteer labor and food... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was a farm kid who discovered one of the most distant objects in our solar system.  And recently, his ashes were sent to that speck of light he discovered way back in 1930... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This business is about a century and a half old and has been housed in the same building since before the 1900s.  It remains a draw for locals and visitors alike here along Main Street in Victoria, Texas... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When this immigrant came to America he was looking for a job as a stone mason.  He ended up founding the oldest one of this type of business in the state of Texas... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the kind of place kids would love to climb around, on and through.  It’s also a place that tells an important part of America’s industrial age... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s hard to imagine today’s largest city in Alabama didn’t even exist at the time of the Civil War.  However, in the years following that conflict, factors converged to spur quick growth... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cliché says, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”  Two pictures of Emmett Kelly said much about the man, and the story behind those photographs is still remembered today... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you go to a circus you’ll probably see some clowns.  Most clowns smile and laugh.  This one did the opposite.  He never smiled and his routine became a headliner for some of the biggest shows in the world... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot of kids love the circus.  Maybe some imagine joining the circus one day.  This kid did just that and his story is one that touched many lives... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There have long been tensions between the U.S. and the middle east…but Chuck Scott believes today’s challenges stem from an incident decades ago…an ordeal in which he was held captive... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the Iranian hostage situation began…most of those Americans held would have told you the conflict would have lasted a week at most…but in the end, the ordeal would stretch for well over a year.  We visit with one of those men who spent 444 days as a prisoner... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Considering world events, I thought it might be interesting to take a look back at an interview I did about twenty years ago with Chuck Scott.  Chuck had made several trips to the Middle East, but a new assignment in Tehran in 1979 impacted his life forever... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He is the biggest of his kind and you certainly won’t miss him if you drive into Audubon, Iowa.  He’s been in the movies and even an answer on Jeopardy... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some call this place the home of the generals.  It’s a fitting title because during the U.S. Civil War, nine generals all hailed from this one fairly small town... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The name of a town can sometimes tell you a lot about its history.  That’s the case for a place in the northwestern corner of Illinois, the name of which tells you what they were digging up... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When this man left town, to most, he was just a man who just rented a home and worked in a business here.  When he returned here about five years later the citizens purchased his family a home... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Near Granite Falls, Minnesota you’ll find a small airport with a remarkable collection of aircraft.  They represent a collection of planes that flew during World War II, one of the very few such collections you’ll find anywhere in the country... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fagan family had an important link to the events of World War II.  One of their family members had stormed the beaches of Normandy and returned home to raise a family and build a business.  What that family did in his honor is something many people come see today... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a large painting hanging in the historical society museum in Montpelier, Ohio depicting the role three gentlemen had in thwarting Benedict Arnold’s plan to betray his country.  So why does such a picture hang here, hundreds of miles from where the event took place? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The term is used countless times each winter yet most of us don’t know where it originated.  It turns out the man who invented the phrase had plenty of experience with it... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Along the New York – Connecticut border you’ll find a statue in tribute to Sybil Ludington.  Perhaps you’ve not heard of her, but the daring ride was similar to that of Paul Revere, yet the story went unnoticed for decades... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’ve probably heard of Paul Revere’s ride that took place in April of 1775 to warn citizens of soldiers advancing into the countryside.  But do you know the story of another ride that took place nearly two years to the day later... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He said it was perhaps the greatest moment of his life.  So what was it that made Colonel Sanders shed a tear?  It was a unique set of circumstances one Fall day in 1975... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve all seen the image of Colonel Sanders on the many restaurants that are his legacy.  Now image you had the chance to eat at the same table as him and trade stories... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.