Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories , on March 22, 2011 Joplin, Missouri, took a direct hit from the costliest tornado in American history. Though the scar remains, Joplin has recovered in truly amazing ways. Former KSNF Channel 16 Weatherman Jerimiah Cook and reporter Gretchen Bolander tell the story of love, and loss, in Joplin. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Su...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, tells the story of a man who became bigger than the game he played—and only thew fastballs...the Midnight Creeper, the Bat Dodger, and the Jump Ball...the list goes on. The astounding thing, though, is that he did this every day for five decades with no relief pitcher. Support the show (https://...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Batman is a household name. His list of comic issues, let alone live-action movies, animated films, and TV shows, video games, you name it, is nothing short of astounding… but this wasn’t always the case. Andrew Farago, Curator at the Cartoon Art Museum and author of  Batman: The Definitive History of the Dark Knight in Comics, Film, and Beyond,  is here t...

On this episode of Our American Stories , for a time, a near-mint Colt Walker held the distinction of being the most expensive gun ever sold after it was auctioned for $1.8 million in 2018. Here to tell the story of the legendary Colt Walker revolver is Logan Metesh. Logan founded and runs High Caliber History LLC and has more than a decade of experience working for the Smithsonian Institution and...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Hear the answer from Paul Blavin, a man who had this cause put on his heart and wasted no time responding to it. You’ll hear the story of how he went from workaholism on Wall Street to retiring to do the kind of work that he felt could truly make a difference. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ourame...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Iris Jamal Dunkle tells the story of Charmian Kittridge London in the first full length Biography written about her, entitled  Charmian Kittredge London: Trailblazer, Author, Adventurer. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Winston Churchill was at a low point in his career when he delivered his famous "Iron Curtain" speech at a small college in Missouri. Dr. Larry P. Arnn, President of Hillsdale College, tells the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Nicholas Smith, author of Kicks: The Great American Story of Sneakers, takes us for a journey through American history... through the lens of the sneaker! Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories , Kara Dixon Vuic tells this remarkable story of service. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories , it's a family story, a business story, and a regional story; It's the story of how the Goo Goo cluster became the official candy of Nashville! Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories , Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language. The book is Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See...

On this episode of Our American Stories , authors Bob Drury and Tom Clavin give Chief Red Cloud the recognition he deserves, sharing the story from their New York Times bestseller. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories , Kent Nerburn, author of Letters To My Son...shares the story of a harrowing journey into Alaska, and the lessons he learned along the way. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories , Dominique Rivera eulogizes her husband, Detective Jason Rivera, with raw emotion and compelling everyday detail. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories , Halloween expert Lisa Morton is going to be unpacking the history of the Halloween Haunted House which is directly tied into today’s practice of Trick-or-Treating. Lisa’s the author of Trick Or Treat: A History of Halloween. By the turn of the 20th century Halloween in America was nothing more than a day of pranking—kind of like April Fools Day. Support th...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Lincoln is one of the greatest leaders in US history, but prior to his being elected the 16th President of the United States, he used his skills as a wrestler to win approval from the masses. Here to tell the story is wrestling historian, Mike Chapman. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericansto...

On this episode of Our American Stories , on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, FDR's speechwriting team wasn't in Washington. Roosevelt, with the help of a few aids, penned the most important speech of his Presidency, and one of the most important speeches in American history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate...

On this episode of Our American Stories , the story of Richard King and his "King Ranch" has much to tell us about America. Here is the pulse of the national epic of cattle and cowboys, ranchers and horses, a vast fortune created out of the oldest source of wealth there is, land and cattle. Roger McGrath brings us the story along with William Yancey from Texas A&M University, Kingsville. Suppo...

On this episode of Our American Stories , a listener, Paul Bauer, tells the story of his prayer to be as tall as his very big brother, "Moose." Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories , why do we participate in these strange celebrations every Halloween? Lesley Bannatyne is the author of  Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History,  and Lisa Morton is the author of  Trick Or Treat: A History of Halloween. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See o...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Boston’s Fort Warren housed Confederate POWs during the Civil War, but it was no Andersonville. Only 13 Confederate prisoners out of the more than 2,000 rebels who were imprisoned within its walls died during the Civil War. That was thanks in large part to the fort’s commander, Justin Dimick. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Sup...

On this episode of Our American Stories , our next story comes to us from a listener in West Virginia. Here’s Joe Quinn with his story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories , if you want to know about the history of America, it is imperative that you know the role that the Bible played in shaping our country. Our Founding Fathers—both Christian and non-Christian—were heavily influenced by the Bible. Here to share another story is Robert Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America. Support the show (https://www.ourameri...

On this episode of Our American Stories , next we have a story about one of the biggest scandals in college basketball history—along with one of its biggest turnarounds. Here to tell the story is one of the members of that Baylor basketball team, Matt Sayman, author of The Leftovers: Baylor, Betrayal, and Beyond. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https:...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Richard “Dick” Bong was a hero in an era of heroes. Here’s the History Guy with the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.