Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories , we learn about "The Back Story" of Jersey Mike's Subs, with founder Peter Cancro and his remarkable journey. 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 , when Lincoln was asked on a questionaire to describe his education he only wrote one word: defective. That didn't stop him from becoming one of the premiere thinkers of his time however. David Kent , author of Lincoln Lincoln: The Fire of Genius , tells the story of how Lincoln overcame poverty and rural isolation to reach those heights.  Support the show...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Richard Muniz tells a story that one of his friends told him on a coffee incident that took place on the USS Enterpise. 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 was never supposed to be them...but through an extraordinary chain of events, Lt. Bill Owen's crew managed to become the first B-17 crew to drop bombs in the heart of the Third Reich. John O'Neil, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, tells the story as his father, the tail and waist gunner on the B-17,...

On this episode of Our American Stories , the NFL team in Buffalo, New York, was named after him. But if you caught Paul Newman’s Cody in Robert Altman’s 1976 film, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, you might think Cody was a drunk, a coward, a liar and a con man. Here to tell the real story is Roger McGrath . Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.o...

On this episode of Our American Stories , seen through the eyes of four generations of a firefighter family, Five Floors Up the story of the modern New York City Fire Department. From the days just after the horse-drawn firetruck, to the devastation of the 1970s when the Bronx was Burning, to the unspeakable tragedy of 9/11, to the culture-busting department of today, a Feehan has worn the shoulde...

On this episode of Our American Stories , many people know John Smith as the man who was saved by Pocahontas . But what you may not know is that he led a life full of adventure. Here to tell the story is Juliana Rogers, author of Captain John Smith: American Hero . Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudi...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Francis “Frank” Scott Key was not someone you would have picked to write our national anthem… but he did and right after one of America’s great military victories. 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 , Josh and Lauren Manning needed a grand change in life...and they found the opportunity at Noel Community Baptist Church in Noel, Missouri...where and influx of immigrants and refugees necessitated a lot of adaptation, understanding, and a few translators in the church. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://w...

On this episode of Our American Stories , it was never supposed to be them...but through an extraordinary chain of events, Lt. Bill Owen's crew managed to become the first B-17 crew to drop bombs in the heart of the Third Reich. John O'Neil, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, tells the story as his father, the tail and waist gunner on the B-17,...

On this episode of Our American Stories , the NFL team in Buffalo, New York, was named after him. But if you caught Paul Newman’s Cody in Robert Altman’s 1976 film, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, you might think Cody was a drunk, a coward, a liar and a con man. Here to tell the real story is Roger McGrath . Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.o...

On this episode of Our American Stories , seen through the eyes of four generations of a firefighter family, Five Floors Up the story of the modern New York City Fire Department. From the days just after the horse-drawn fire truck, to the devastation of the 1970s when the Bronx was Burning, to the unspeakable tragedy of 9/11, to the culture-busting department of today, a Feehan has worn the should...

On this episode of Our American Stories , for Chad and Jess Schumacher, life seemed to be going really well and as "according to plan" as life could... and then life took a number of sharp and unexpected turns. What resulted shaped their family and career for the next decade. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate Se...

On this episode of Our American Stories , During the Revolutionary War Esther Reed decided the Patriot troops needed a morale boost. Reed, along with other Patriot Women began a campaign to raise money for the cause. When she brought her idea to General Washington, he had another idea of what she should do with the money.  Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the sh...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Dustin Tomlinson tells the story of how he discovered arm wrestling and decided to take his skill off of the hood of a truck and into the competative arena. 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 , Lee Habeeb tells the story of how "Georgia On My Mind" came to be, and how it became a song the world would come to know and love. 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 , Lowell Lytle has been one of the privileged few who has seen Titanic first-hand. Lowell has played the part of Captain Smith at Titanic events all over the globe and has been entertaining guests at the Titanic Museum for more than fifteen years. He is also the author of the inspiring read, Diving Into The Deep. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstor...

On this episode of Our American Stories , barcodes, on most products properly called a UPC, or “Universal Product Code,” are a necessity for everyday life. 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.

On this episode of Our American Stories , historian John Steele Gordon tells the story of how the telegraph went from Samuel Morse to winning WWI and how one man spearheaded the effort to connect America to Great Britain and, in doing so, the rest of the world. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.co...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Barry Levenson went from arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court to having the world's largest collection of mustard....and writing a few books about the stuff as well. 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 , murder and mayhem ran unchecked in the town of Yankee Hill....things were a mess, and they needed a real life good guy to save them.  Thankfully, Willie Kennard was that man. Richard Muniz tells the story of Colorado's first black lawman. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donat...

On this episode of Our American Stories , PEZ had great success where it was invented, but changed its course drastically after initially failing in America. Shawn Peterson shares the story of how this manual candy dispenser came to be. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

On this episode of Our American Stories , George Washington is remembered in our history books, our nation's capital, and the values Americans still esteem today. He can often seem more marble than mortal. Woody Holton brings us the story of Washington wasn't always the man we celebrate today... as well as how he became the hero we know him as. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Daryn Glassbrook of the Mobile Medical Museum tells the story of the iron lung, a device used to keep people with advanced polio alive in the first half of the 20th century. 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 ,   grabbing a basket while grocery shopping may seem second nature today, but the idea was once groundbreaking. And that was far from the only thing that changed when Piggly Wiggly—the first modern American supermarket—opened over 100 years ago. Mike Freeman is the author of Clarence Saunders & the Founding of Piggly Wiggly: The Rise and Fall of a Memph...