City on the Edge Podcast

100 years ago, an itinerant ox rancher named Mike Smith discovered the Sandia mountains and decided to make a podcast about them. Today, we celebrate that great day with a very self-indulgent ramble session of an episode. We talk City on the Edge history, highs and lows, the Simpsons and whatever else comes to mind over the course of an hour and 40 minutes.

Mike takes us on a deep dive into the history, meaning and mystery of his street in the suburbs.

A two time gold rusher, automobile booster and, well, a racist, DKB Sellers was a man with many facets even before he founded one of the most desirable neighborhoods in modern Albuquerque.

RIP Mannie's. 1965-2020. And RIP to the building, 1940ish-2023.We also talk about the Colour Fence and Leisure Bowl.

Our far-flung correspondent Nora Hickey finds a surprising connection to Albuquerque in her new town: a Madonna of the Trail statue.

Hey, we've come back after a long break! And frankly, we need a refreshing drink of water, preferably from a beautiful, Giardia-free mountain spring. Fortunately, Mike knows where to find them.

From 19th century botanists to elite WWII soldiers, the history of the Sandia Tram takes us to some surprising places.

Some people like tacos. I don't get it. Some people like cults. I'm still not sure why. Some people... well, hardly anybody likes starvation. I get that.

Inspired by the Pride Parade last weekend, Ty looks into the beginnings of the Albuquerque LGBTQ rights movement.

Before the conquistador Juan de Oñate established the first Spanish colonies in New Mexico, another Spaniard attempted to do so. Why did Gaspar Castaño de Sosa fail? And why isn't he remembered today?

In 1933, an Iowa boy left his home and family to seek out his pen pal, who lived at the Pueblo of Santo Domingo.

89. In the depths of the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps to both provide relief jobs to unemployed men and improve the nation's historic and natural resources. The men of Camp F8N came from all over the country to live and work in our own Sandia Mountains, and their legacy remains visible today.

An interview with Professor John Gram, author of "Education at the Edge of Empire: Negotiating Pueblo Identity in New Mexico's Indian Boarding Schools.

After talking about his less-savory side, we return to Elfego Baca, this time to tell of his legendary gunfight against a legion of drunken Texans.

A look at some of the more colorful characters from Albuquerque's history, including Elfego Baca, and an interview with local author and ghost hunter (!) Cody Polston

About a half-houri west of Los Lunas, an inscribed stone rests on the side of Hidden Mountain. Could it be evidence that New Mexico was visited by Hebraic tribes in Old Testament times? No. The answer is no.

On February 26, 1986, New Mexico state investigators discovered 150 human skulls in a “hand dug cave” beneath a home in Albuquerque’s North East heights.

A foul-mouthed furniture salesman buys a gold mine in New Mexico. Next thing you know, law enforcement officials are bribed, a man dies under suspicious circumstances and two people mysteriously disappear.

Man, the 80s and 90s were weird. Satan seemed to be lurking behind every pop culture controversy, and everybody's were burning their heavy metal records and D&D books. And Albuquerque wasn't immune to the hysteria.

New Mexico Cult Season continues with Mike Smith's report on the Aggressive Christianity Missionary Training Corps, a group with a military take on the always-impending End of the World.

On our first episode of Cult Season 2021, Nora tells us the strange story of New Mexico's druids. .

A bit of a departure from our normal, historical fare, this episode focuses on cohost Mike Smith's tenure at the scandal plagued (and ultimately shuttered) Brown Mackie for-profit college.

Once upon a time, there was a fast food restaurant with a really weird name.

In 1947, the villainous New Mexico Highway Department knocked a 3 million year old landmark and Route 66 icon off of its pedestal. 73 years later, we're upset about it!

We all have bad days, but most of the time they don't involve nuclear weapons. Our guest Roland Pentilla tells about the day Albuquerque came awfully close to nuclear Armageddon, as well as other military aircraft accidents that have been mostly forgotten. This is a long one, but jam packed with fascinating information!