Gerry Preece

Don't Let That One Stoplight Fool You!

Society EN ↓ 32 episodes

30 Fun, Easy, Cambridge-area Stories to Brag About and Impress Your Friends. The Cambridge area has contributed in ways vastly disproportionate to our modest population, and this podcast presents brag-worthy proof. This is a 30-episode podcast; each episode is about 10 minutes; 1 per week for 30 weeks. It's about people and events from our past, people and events that have influenced our community, and in many cases, our country. While most stories are Cambridge-specific (I treat Cambridge, Jackson and White Creek as one place), I also borrow from other close-to-Cambridge communites.

Author

Gerry Preece

Episodes

Live Oak Was a Live Wire (But Not a Saint) 13.06.2025 15:58

They called this Cambridge man "Live Oak". He was a self-made giant of business and a candidate for President of the United States. Learn how Civil War muskets were named for him and how his ship took 30,000 lbs. of gold to the bottom of the Atlantic. Today when in NYC, you can visit the place named for him and walk the bridge he built. Oh yes, Live Oak gives us much to brag about!

Jethro Would Plow All He Could If Jethro Wood Could Plow 06.06.2025 11:24

Episode 5: Jethro Would Plow All He Could If Jethro Wood Could Plow Say what? His invention is on par with Robert Fulton's inventions? More impactful than Eli Whitney's cotton gin? He was a pen pal with Thomas Jefferson? His story became a key reason for U.S. Patent Law? . . . Oh yes, so get your Cambridge-bragging-ears on, come with me and let's "plow" our way through this episode!

“Vly” Like an Eagle – or – “Vly” Me to the Moon 30.05.2025 12:34

Episode 4: “Vly” Like an Eagle – or – “Vly” Me to the Moon Do you know Cambridge produced a titan of the music business, someone the New York Times called "the dean of the American record industry", someone who was honored with a Grammy Trustees Award, someone who discovered and became dear friends with Hank Williams? . . . It all got started when he began plucking on a jaw harp...

He Showed His Mettle and Earned His Medal When He Saved Uncle Billy’s Bacon 23.05.2025 9:32

Episode #3: He Showed His Mettle and Earned His Medal When He Saved Uncle Billy’s Bacon Know someone from the Pacific Northwest? Want to brag to them about how Cambridge impacted their area? We hope to soon visit my wife's family out in Tacoma, Washington. I'm going to have some fun when I get there because I'll absolutely wear them out with this episode and some endless Cambridge-bragging. Tacoma...

Give the Man a Cheesehead Hat! 16.05.2025 6:55

Episode #2: Give the Man a Cheesehead Hat! Hey, if you ever go to Green Bay . . . or maybe if you know somebody from Green Bay . . . or if you ever just watch a Green Bay Packers NFL game on TV . . . well, here's another way to do a little Cambridge-bragging.

Thieves! They Stole Our Lake! 09.05.2025 8:11

Episode #1: Thieves! They Stole our Lake! Cambridge is here on the map. Salem is there. Lauderdale in the middle, right? . . . Right??? And James Lauderdale . . . he's from Cambridge . . . right? I'm confused . . . hey, come along with me because we must get to the bottom of this!

Introduction 09.05.2025 8:00

Welcome to: Don't Let That One Stoplight Fool You! 30 Fun, Easy, Cambridge-area Stories to Brag About and Impress Your Friends. This Introduction explains what this podcast is all about - and why I call it the "Don't Let That One Stoplight Fool You!" podcast. Get ready to learn a bit of local history, to have some fun, and to brag just a bit about Cambridge.