Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories , Billie Mae Richards is a Canadian actress best known for voicing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in the 1964 stop-motion television classic. The special first aired on December 6, 1964, on NBC. Here’s Billie Mae to share her story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See om...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Johnny Cash is an American original. And this story is an insider’s look at the man whose music sprang from the way he lived. Greg Laurie is here to tell the story from his recent book/documentary, Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.c...

On this episode of Our American Stories , did you know that author-illustrators Hans and Margret Rey fled Nazi-occupied France on handmade bicycles with the manuscript to the first Curious George book among their meager possessions? Louise Borden is here to tell the story. She is the author of The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey. Support the show...

On this episode of Our American Stories , J.D. Wininger , owner of the Cross-Dubya Ranch, tells the story of a man named John who kept to himself most of the time. J.D. lent him a helping hand, and in the end, Mr. John helped him just as much. 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 , on April 18th, 1912, New York Harbor was packed with reporters, onlookers, and family members of those who had been on the RMS Titanic who didn't know whether or not their loved ones had made it. All of them were waiting on the Carpathia, a ship that had mattered very little up to this point. At the front of the crowd was Guglielmo Marconi , the inventor o...

On this episode of Our American Stories , for our "Faith in Action" series, we hear from a wise leader out of Memphis, the son of Holiday Inn's founder. 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 , the fascinating subject of 14-year-old Max Grinstein's winning paper at the National History Day competition! 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 , at a time when women were only expected to fire up the oven, Annie Oakley fired her way to fame as the world’s greatest sharpshooter. In her personal life she was a sharpshooter as well. She was devoted to her marriage and to her faith. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate...

On this episode of Our American Stories , where would our photos go if our house were to be hit by a tornado? The answer is everywhere. But for Thad Beeler's neighbors, that question wasn't a hypothetical...it was grounded in harsh reality after the deadly May 2011 Joplin Tornado...and Thad decided to do something about it. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the s...

On this episode of Our American Stories , when the Brits and the U.S. decided to form the first allied command in history in order to defeat Nazi Germany (and not the Japanese who just bombed Pearl Harbor), why was their first ground battle (Operation Torch) against France in North Africa? Here’s the great Stephen Ambrose with the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Edie Hand was always told by her mother that she was strong... but strength isn't always enough. 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 , we listen to Richard Garey, Mark Twain aficionado, talk about the gateway to the West, Hannibal. This town spared Mark Twain from nothing, exposing him to poverty, death, racism, and the ability to make decisions for himself. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystu...

On this episode of Our American Stories , “The Nostalgia Awakens" is an exhibit featuring EVERY action figure toy made by Kenner from 1978-1985 based on the original three Star Wars movies. The Star Wars toys on display are from Jarrod Roll, enthusiast and museum curator from Wisconsin, and he's here to share the story of how Star Wars toys revolutionized movie merchandising, licensing, and even h...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Bob Drury and Tom Clavin have finally given the little-known Red Cloud the recognition he deserves and share with us the story from their New York Times bestseller,  The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, an American Legend . Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstori...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Steve Trice , the founder of Jasco Products, on serving his employees and a higher calling than money. 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 , Dr. Martin Couney carried a secret with him, but the results are unimpeachable. It was Coney Island in the early 1900’s. Beyond the Four-Legged Woman, the sword swallowers, and “Lionel the Lion-Faced Man,” was an entirely different exhibit: rows of tiny, premature human babies living in glass incubators. Here to tell the story is Dawn Raffel , author of  T...

On this episode of Our American Stories , we learn how Delta Airlines and Coca-Cola relate. What exactly is Georgia Green? How did a syrup that was originally sold as a patent medicine end up as the South's greatest export in the post-Civil War economy? Larry Jorgensen, author of The Coca Cola Trail and The Return to the Coca Cola Trail  answers these questions in our latest story on America's fav...

On this episode of Our American Stories , we learn about the Brooklyn Bridge, with its unprecedented length and two stately towers, was dubbed the “eighth wonder of the world.” The connection it provided between the massive population centers of Brooklyn and Manhattan changed the course of New York City forever. Here's the History Guy  with the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstori...

On this episode of Our American Stories , while many know the shows created by one of the 2000s most influential artists, not many people know the man behind the drawing board. Meet Butch Hartman , creator of Fairly Odd Parents, Danny Phantom, and so much more and hear how he went from the snowy shores of Michigan to the sunny coast of SoCal. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/do...

On this episode of Our American Stories , we learned how Major Buang-Ly worked as a pilot with the United States military during the Vietnam War. When the U.S. began evacuating South Vietnam, Major Buang-Ly knew he had to get his family out. Historian, Hill Goodspeed, from the Naval Aviation Museum brings us this amazing story of a father doing whatever he could to save his family. Support the sho...

On this episode of Our American Stories , we hear how on March 4, 2022, Milton James passed away far too young, at only 58 years old. Two of his colleagues from  FNC , a great homegrown company, pay tribute to the man that they, and many others, loved.  Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listen...

On this episode of Our American Stories , we learn how Indiana got its nickname as “The Hoosier State.” And how did people from Indiana come to be called “Hoosiers”? Here to answer these questions and tell the story is Dr. Stephen Flick, head of the Christian Heritage Fellowship . Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/dona...

On this episode of Our American Stories , on May 18, 1896, the decision on a case brought before the Supreme Court would solidify segregation for over five and a half decades. Homer Plessy's descendant, Keith Plessy , tells us the story of the Plessy v. Ferguson case, as well as what he and Judge Ferguson's descendant are doing about it now. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/don...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Randi Wilson is a 28 year old New mother in Charlotte, North Carolina. For nearly 10 years, she struggled with a severe eating disorder that affected her heart and left her apparently infertile. Listen to hear Randi's amazing testimony and the hope that carried her through all of her struggles. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) S...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Laura Treppendahl’s life was one worth remembering. After being killed in a drunk driving accident, Laura’s family told the judge that they completely forgave the young man who hit her. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...