Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, Maggie Bailey started selling moonshine in the Appalachian hills at just 17 years old and kept her bootlegging business alive for the better part of a century. Known as the “Queen of the Mountain Moonshiners,” Maggie became a local legend not just for the quality of her shine, but for the way she used her profits. She paid college tuition for lo...

On this episode of Our American Stories, best-selling historian Stephen Ambrose brings the Lewis and Clark Expedition to life in vivid detail, sharing scenes from his acclaimed book Undaunted Courage . He retraces their journey across rivers, mountains, and tribal lands, following the Corps of Discovery from its quiet launch under Thomas Jefferson’s directive to its triumphant arrival at the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, one snowy night in 1984, a fleet of moving trucks pulled away from Baltimore carrying the Colts, their gear, and decades of history. The team was gone just like that. For fans who grew up idolizing Johnny Unitas and wearing the horseshoe with pride, it felt like a piece of the city had been ripped out. We look back at the legacy the Colts built in Baltimore...

On this episode of Our American Stories, most museums exist to showcase the finest achievements in art and culture. The Museum of Bad Art does the opposite. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, MOBA proudly collects paintings that miss the mark so completely they become unforgettable. From A Mariachi in Tiananmen Square  to  Self Portrait as a Bird , the museum celebrates art that tries hard,...

On this episode of Our American Stories, they say “Don’t Mess With Texas,” and Roger Latham proved it. In 1967, this skinny Texan found himself face-to-chest with a six-foot-two barracks bully who had been terrorizing smaller recruits during air traffic control training. What started as a shove turned into a full-blown brawl that ended with one perfect kick and a lesson that woul...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Clara Barton became famous, she was a former teacher who refused to accept the limits placed on women in nineteenth-century America. When the Civil War broke out, she organized supply drives, treated wounded soldiers, and pushed her way onto battlefields where women were not supposed to go. Her work saved countless lives and reshaped battlefield medi...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Andrew Jackson became America’s seventh president, he fought his way into history. Literally. Jackson survived gunshots, brawls, and more than a dozen duels, including one that nearly killed him. But to Jackson, this was all part of the job. Keith Hardison, former director at The Hermitage, explains how the code of honor that shaped dueling cul...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Our American Stories  regular contributor Stephen Rusiniak, a longtime writer and storyteller whose personal essays have become a favorite with listeners, shares the special way he found to honor his mom on his own birthday and why he believes she, not he, deserves all the praise. His story is a heartfelt reflection on gratitude, family, and the quiet...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph recounts how he transformed policing on Los Angeles’ Skid Row by building real community connections rooted in trust, dignity, and compassion. Working daily with the city’s homeless population, Joseph challenged conventional law enforcement approaches and changed public perceptions with one simple but profound phr...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mark Metcalf is forever linked to one of the most memorable characters in comedy history: the rigid and relentless ROTC officer Douglas C. Neidermeyer in the 1978 film  Animal House . Acting opposite John Belushi at the height of his power, Metcalf helped shape a movie that redefined American comedy. But  Animal House  was only the beginning...

On this episode of Our American Stories, after the Civil War, a group of freedmen outside Dallas built a church with help from the man who had once enslaved them. That man also worshiped there. White Rock Chapel would go on to survive a flood, resist segregation, and outlast generations of change. But decades later, it faced a new threat: real estate development. Donald Wesson, along with his fami...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the golden age of late-night television, no seat mattered more than the one across from Johnny Carson. For comedians, musicians, writers, and even politicians, a single appearance could change a career overnight. Mark Malkoff, author of Love Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan's Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend , shares the behind-the-scenes sto...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Roland Bitcon grew up with a father who could repair anything, build everything, and never needed to say much to say a lot. From a childhood on an Iowa farm to a Navy career that spanned decades and oceans, Russell E. Bitcon lived with purpose, humility, and grace. In this story, Roland delivers the eulogy he gave at his father’s funeral, a moving tri...

On this episode of Our American Stories, after the Tate–LaBianca murders, Charles “Tex” Watson vanished—just not right away. For nearly two months, he remained in Los Angeles as the city searched for those responsible. That’s where this story begins. Our American Stories  listener Patty Kingsbaker recounts the day she unknowingly gave a ride to Manson’s mos...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Jackson was a duelist, a slaveholder, and a military hero with a serious temper. He was also the first president to claim the White House as a mandate from the common man. He shattered the political elite, crushed the national bank, and left behind a legacy that is still being debated. Dr. Bradley J. Birzer, author of  In Defense of Andrew Jacks...

On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories  host Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel "Big Mitch" Rutledge, who has spent more than forty years serving a life sentence in Alabama. Each call traces the shape of faith, regret, and forgiveness inside a place built for punishment. This time, Mitch revisits the uncertain two weeks between his sentencing hearing and the j...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1964, Leon Hess set out to give children something fun and affordable at his gas stations—and ended up creating a toy truck that lit up, rolled out, and quickly sold out. Sixty years later, Hess Trucks have become a holiday tradition, with collectors, families, and fans marking each annual release like a mini Christmas of its own. Hess Toy Truck di...

On this episode of Our American Stories, on Christmas Eve 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 became the first humans to orbit the Moon. Joined by astronomer and broadcaster Steve Kates, known as Dr. Sky, they recall the moment the astronauts read from the Book of Genesis, uniting millions of listeners on Earth during a tense and historic holiday season in the midst of the Cold War. Support the show ( http...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Our American Stories  listener and regular contributor Stephen Rusiniak shares the story of the time he worked in a nursing home as a teenager and what happened when Santa made an unexpected visit. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

On this episode of Our American Stories, on Christmas Eve in 1818, in a snow-covered Austrian village, a broken organ forced a last-minute change. What came next was history. Two men—one a priest, the other a schoolteacher—scribbled out a carol for guitar and voice and performed it that night by candlelight. “Silent Night” would go on to become the most beloved Christmas hy...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the chaotic weeks following Hurricane Katrina, John Rogers never planned to become Santa; he simply found himself in a position to help and chose to act. What followed was an unexpected Christmas for children who had lost their homes, their routines, and nearly everything familiar. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, for generations, “White Christmas” has served as the soundtrack to the holiday season. Its lyrics and melody helped define what Christmas sounds like in America, shaping holiday music for decades. Yet the man who wrote it, Irving Berlin, did not celebrate Christmas. He arrived in the United States as a Jewish immigrant from Russia and built his...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Christmas today feels timeless. December 25 arrives with trees, carols, family dinners, and familiar rituals passed down for generations. But in early America, Christmas caused trouble. Celebrations spilled into the streets. Drinking, violence, and disorder followed. Some towns had had enough; they banned Christmas outright. So how did a holiday once viewed...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before  Christmas Under the Stars  became a Hallmark Channel staple, it was a quiet story written by a Chicago-area janitor. By day, Rikk Dunlap fixed leaky faucets and gym bleachers. By night, he wrote fiction, never expecting one of his midnight works to become the hit it is now. Rikk joins us to explain how one Christmas tree lot, one unforgett...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Luke Mickelson, founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, tells how a meeting in his church turned into a Boy Scouts project, a Christmas tradition, and 50,000 free beds for needy families every year. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...