That Time a Baboon Worked for the Railroad
When a horrific accident left railroad signalman James Wide without the use of his legs, he was desperate to maintain his livelihood -- an effort that may well have been futile were it not for a chanc...
16 Nov 202133min
Austin and the Texas Archives War
After its formation in 1836, the new Republic of Texas had some problems -- multiple people wanted the capital in different places. The Republic's archives were seen as a stamp of legitimacy to any ci...
11 Nov 202137min
King for a Week: The Strange Story of Otto I
For most people, the old saying "it's good to be king" is just a cool phrase -- but for magician and noted spinner of tall tales Otto Witte, this sounded like an idea to take literally. In today's epi...
10 Nov 202138min
The Bloody Tale of the Sausage War
The Battle of Varolampi Pond has another, less formal name: the Sausage War. Don't let the funny moniker fool you -- the 1939 conflict between Finland and Russia remains one of the most brutal moments...
4 Nov 202140min
Modern Thanksgiving, Part Two: Sarah Josepha Hale Finally Gets Her Wish
As the Civil War broke out, Sarah Josepha Hale found politicians were, understandably, more occupied with country-wide chaos than the creation of a national, unified Thanksgiving. After the close of t...
2 Nov 202138min
Modern Thanksgiving, Part One: A Culture War
Today Thanksgiving is considered a largely innocuous holiday, centered on food and family. In the US, people across the country get together on the same Thursday in November every year, breaking bread...
28 Okt 202133min
How Haunted Houses Became A Thing
Haunted houses are a big deal in the United States -- like Spirit stores, they seem to spring up every October -- but whence did they originate? When did people start paying to be scared? Learn more ...
27 Okt 202146min
New England versus Vampires, Part Two: Desperation and Desecration
In part two of this two-part series, Ben is joined once again with guest host Alex Williams to explore the harrowing tale of the New England Vampire Panic, tracing how increasingly desperate communiti...
21 Okt 202135min
