Metropolitan Library System Podcast

In 1964 Oklahoma City was bombarded with sonic booms everyday for months. Ted Hopkins, one of the pilots that flew the jet that created the booms, talks about the sonic boom tests and what it was like to fly over OKC at the speed of sound.

Archivist Scott Grimwood talks about the history of the first hospital in Oklahoma Territory, St. Anthony. If you'd like to contact Mr. Grimwood about more St. Anthony history you can reach him at scott.grimwood@ssmhealth.com  

In this podcast we discuss the little known story of the murder trial of Dr. Richard Thacker.

Historian Michael Williams joins us to tell the story of outlaw/sideshow attraction/mummy Elmer McCurdy.

Historian Michael Williams tells the story of journalist and nature lover Frederick S. Barde.

In this month's podcast historian James Gregory tells the story of Oklahoma vaudeville star Cora Youngblood Corson. It's a tale of tubas, cultural appropriation, and entertainment in vaudeville's heyday. 

When most of us think of witch killings we think of Salem in the 1600s, but did you know that the last witch killings in America were in Oklahoma? Historian John Truden talks with us about Solomon Hotema and the 1899 witch killings in Choctaw country. If you think the podcast is interesting and you'd like to learn more Choctaw history, you can visit https://hinahanta.choctawnation.com

Sitting between two sundown towns in Oklahoma, the Threatt Filling Station was a safe haven for African American travelers on Route 66 during the time of Jim Crow. Cousins Charles and Ed Threatt talk about the filling station and its importance to our state's history.

Historian Erin Brown from the Oklahoma Territorial Museum discusses the lives of two women involved in early Oklahoma politics, writer of the state constitution May Peebles, and the first woman elected to state office, Kate Barnard.

Since Halloween is coming up, we decided to get a little creepy and look at some of the famous final resting places of Oklahomans, both in and out of Oklahoma. Historian Dale Ingram talks with us about the graves of Will Rogers, Woody Guthrie, and more.

Historian John Truden talks about the American Indian Movement and its history in Oklahoma. For more information  you can read Mr. Truden's article on the topic here https://newprairiepress.org/ojrrp/vol15/iss3/1/

Freedom Oklahoma's Allie Shin and City Councilperson James Cooper talk about the history of the LGBTQ+ community in Oklahoma City and the city's Pride celebration.

In this month's podcast we hear the story of the arrest of Oklahoma City gay rights activist Paul Thompson and his fight in court.

For the third interview in our series about the history of the Oklahoma City National Memorial we talked with bombing survivor Richard Williams. Mr. Williams served many roles in the creation of the memorial over the years following the bombing. He spoke with us about what it was like working toward creating and eventually opening the memorial.

For the second in our series of interviews about the history of the Oklahoma City National Memorial we talked to attorney Bob Johnson. Mr. Johnson began working on the memorial only days after the bombing and helped lead the city with the creation of the memorial and museum .

As this month marks the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, we thought it might be interesting to look at the history of the Oklahoma City National Memorial, so we spoke with three people involved in the creation of the memorial. The first in this series is an interview with Ron Norick, mayor of Oklahoma City at the time of the bombing.

In this month's podcast we talk about the state wedding between Oklahoma and Indian Territories, and we explore the marriage of Governor E.W. Marland and his wife/daughter Lydie.

This month's podcast tells the story of how the Oklahoma City Zoo used the Christmas song "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" to help get Matilda the hippo. 

Did you know that central Oklahoma has its own Christmas music courtesy of a local jeweler? On this podcast we explore the central Oklahoma phenomenon that is the BC Clark Christmas Jingle. 

In this month's podcast we explore the past, present, and future of education among Native Americans in Oklahoma with the Cherokee Immersion school in Tahlequah, Sovereign Community School in Oklahoma City, and more.

Marnie Vinge of the Eerie Okie podcast ( https://eerieokie.com ) joins us this month to talk about a few historical places around downtown OKC that may or may not be inhabited by a supernatural presence. We also hear from Elizabeth Macias from the haunted Paramount Room ( http://www.theparamountroom.com ) and author/OKC ghost expert Jeff Provine ( https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJeffProvine/ )

Have you noticed all the construction around the Oklahoma state capitol lately and wondered what's going on? On this month's podcast we talk Oklahoma Capitol history and future with State Capitol Restoration Project manager Trait Thompson, and Director of the Sate Arts Council Amber Sharples

Ever wonder how Oklahoma got a Broadway song as its state song? Our team of experts tell the story of Oklahoma's state songs from the prairies of Oklahoma to the stages of New York theater.

One July night in 1933 George "Machine Gun" Kelly came to Oklahoma City and kidnapped a wealthy oilman named Charles Urschel in a caper that would ultimately be Kelly's ticket to Alcatraz. Kent Frates, writer, historian, and the nephew of Charles Urschel sat down with us to tell the tale of one Depression era gangster, and the oilman that lead the FBI to his capture.

Ward 2 city councilman James Cooper, the first openly LGBT member of Oklahoma City's city council, talks about the history and struggles of the LGBT+ community in OKC.