Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, Bill Corum, author of  The Ultimate Pardon , shares his incredible story of redemption and explains how he went from being a feared enforcer in the Kansas City underworld to becoming a free man and a prison minister on a mission. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)   Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/do...

On this episode of Our American, there is no Burger King in Mattoon, Illinois. There isn’t even a Burger King within 20 miles of the small town. The reason? A small burger joint known as  the  Burger King took the national brand to court... and won. Chris Suerdieck, a curator at the Mattoon History Center, shares the story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/dona...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2021, former Negro Leagues baseball player Buck O'Neil was finally inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame—years after being rejected, to the surprise of his friends, by just one vote. Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, tells the story of how Buck handled that loss, in Bob's words, "like...

On this episode of Our American Stories, our regular contributor from South Carolina, Dennis Peterson, shares the story of Dicey Langston, an American Revolutionary War heroine who, at the age of 15, saved her family and fellow patriots from one of the most notorious gangs of Loyalist outlaws of the time: the so-called "Bloody Scouts." Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Candy corn. Black licorice. Circus peanuts. Chances are, you have a strong opinion about one or all of these three candies. For some, they're a nostalgic treat... for others, they belong in the trash. But chances are, you've never thought about how they came to be. Here to tell the story of America's three most controversial candies is a man simply known as...

On this episode of Our American Stories, armed with only a walking cane and a pistol, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the son of the former president, stormed the beaches of Normandy at an age when most men were thinking about retirement. He had a lot to live up to, and despite his privileged upbringing, he succeeded in making a name for himself much like his father. Craig Du Mez, president of the Gratefu...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1974, Patricia Hearst, heiress to the William Randolph Hearst newspaper empire, was abducted by an American far-left militant organization. But in a shocking turn of events, she eventually joined their cause. Here’s the remarkable story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)   Support the show: https://www.ouramericanst...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early 1980s, Brig and Jon Sorber, then high school students in Lansing, Michigan, started a local moving service using an old, beat-up pickup truck. They called it Two Men and a Truck—and their mom drew the original stick-figure logo. When the boys left for college, she took over the business, incorporated it, and—using the meager $350 pr...

On this episode of Our American Stories, JD Phillips (a.k.a. The Appalachian Storyteller) shares the true story of Ches McCartney—a man who traversed the United States in a ramshackle wagon drawn by, of all things, a herd of goats. His mission? To spread the word of God—and have a few adventures (and misadventures) along the way. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/do...

On this episode of Our American Stories, for our regularly occurring Final Thoughts  series,  Our American Stories  listener and regular contributor, Bill Bryk, gives us a tour of his local cemetery in Antrim, New Hampshire, painting a vivid picture of the people buried there and the lives they lived well. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)   Support...

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Robert Fox's last recorded words, radioed from his hideout in the besieged Italian mountain village of Sommocolonia, were:  "Fire it! There's more of them than there are of us. Give them hell!"  Seconds later, Allied artillery rained down on both him and the advancing German troops. For his heroic actions, First Lt. Fox was posthumously award...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Gatling hoped that the tremendous power of his new Civil War weapon would discourage large-scale battles and reveal the true folly of war. Here to share the story is Ashley Hlebinsky, one of the nation's foremost firearms experts and former curator of the Cody Firearms Museum.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) &nbsp...

On this episode of Our American Stories, John D. Rockefeller had a highly unusual childhood. His father, known as “Devil Bill,” was a smooth-talking snake oil salesman, while his mother was a devout and disciplined Christian who taught John to work hard, save diligently, and give generously to charity. Often demonized as a so-called Robber Baron, Rockefeller reshaped America by buildin...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Scott Shane shares the true story of Thomas Smallwood, a man born into slavery who became one of the first to write about and name the “Underground Railroad.” Risking everything, Smallwood teamed up with white abolitionist Charles Torrey to help enslaved families escape from Washington, D.C., and Maryland, openl...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph shares a vivid story about how he helped the women living on L.A.'s notorious Skid Row. 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,  Witness:  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, Mike Leven was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp.—one of the greatest hoteliers of all time and a legend in the business. He’s also what you might call a “wise man.” In this story, Mike shares what he learned from an uncaring law professor. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)...

On this episode of Our American Stories,  Witness: A True Story of Soviet Spies in America and the Trial That Captivated the Nation  is one of the best-selling books in the United States during the 20th century, yet it is almost unknown to most Americans today. Greg Forster, on behalf of the Acton Institute, is here to tell the story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com...

On this episode of Our American Stories, since its founding in 1972, Nike has employed nearly half a million people, but only four have outlasted Steve Bence. Bence was a University of Oregon track athlete, a teammate of the legendary Steve Prefontaine, and an early insider at Nike. He’s also the author of 1972: Pre, UO Track, Nike Shoes, and My Life with Them All . Today, he shares his rema...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Todd Lincoln, the only one of Abraham Lincoln’s four sons to survive into adulthood, is often overshadowed by his legendary father. Yet Robert led a remarkable life of his own, serving as U.S. Secretary of War, Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and president of the Pullman Company. The History Guy shares his story. Support the show ( https://ww...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Slavery is one of the oldest profit-making endeavors in human history, and for over a thousand years, the Irish were a frequent target. Colin D. Heaton, a military veteran and host of the YouTube channel Forgotten History, shares the story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)   Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories....

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Leven was President and Chief Operating Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp, and one of the greatest hoteliers of all time, and a legend in the industry. He’s also what you’d call a “wise man.” Today, Mike shares how he learned the importance of putting his customers in charge. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/d...

On this episode of Our American Stories, fantasy football is now a $13 billion industry with over 29 million Americans playing every year, but it didn’t start that way. Peter Funt, author of Inside Fantasy Football , shares the surprising origin story of how a group of Oakland Raiders fans upset about how bad their team was invented a game in their basement that became a nationwide obsession...

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—this time exploring the phrase “propose a toast” and others. His book,  Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases , uncovers the quirky roots behind the words...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Doug White shares his harrowing story of survival and raw determination after the pilot of the private plane he was on died mid-flight, leaving him suddenly in control of a King Air 200—and responsible for the lives of his wife and two daughters on board. The event would later go on to inspire the film  On a Wing and a Prayer. Support the show (...