Episodes
23: Dear H.H. Holmes, Part 1
Could this be the first Chicago victim of infamous serial killer H.H. Holmes? In Chicago on a cold November morning in 1888, the body of a young lady is found in a lake with her throat slit. The story of …
22: Black Like Me
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup that white performers have used throughout history to portray, and demean, black people. The dark substance white performers would put on their faces was typically shoe polish, grease ...
21: Monopoly
Have you ever heard of The Landlord's Game, created by Elizabeth Magie? Well if you haven't, you certainly aren't alone. Elizabeth Magie's creation looked like Monopoly, but it was anti-Monopoly - more accurately, it's the or...
20: The Cadaver Synod
World history is filled with strange occurrences, from deadly fashion trends to wars fought on baseless grounds. However, none are as weird as the Cadaver Synod, which saw the decaying corpse of a pope being screamed at for h...
19: Abraham Lincoln's Springfield Home
The centerpiece of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site is the former home of our 16th president, where he lived with his young family for seventeen years. After moving to the White House in 1861, Abraham and Mary kept thi...
18: April Fools' Day
The first of April is widely regarded as an unofficial holiday reserved for pranks and hoaxes that seem too ridiculous to be believed yet are surprisingly enough to fool several hundreds of people. The pages of history are li...
17: Liberty's First Crisis
When the founding fathers of the United States began adding amendments to the U.S. Constitution to help secure rights and safeguard a free society, the first thing they focused on was the most fundamental: free speech.Autho C...
16: Benjamin Franklin and the Bald Eagle
I think since the very beginning, America has struggled with the question of whether it was a turkey or an eagle. Visit us online at itshometownhistory.comEpisode Sponsors:Get key nutrients without the B.S. - Get 10% off your...
15: The Two-Party System
Those of you who have listened to my podcasts over the past few years will know how I feel about the discipline of history. It’s been one of the great joys in my life and I believe it’s made me …
14: Black Powder Explosions
If you lived outside the town of Wilmington, Delaware during the 19th century you probably found yourself, at some point during the week, sitting at the Burning Rag Inn, downing a glass of lukewarm ale. You’d be there with fr...
13: Misfits, Part 5: Hetty Green
Nicknamed the Witch of Wall Street, Hetty Green was an American businesswoman and financier known as the richest woman in America during the late 19th century. She was known for her wealth and was named by the Guinness Book o...
12: Misfits, Part 4: Diogenes
The 4th person we are highlighting in our misfits series is Diogenes the Cynic, known more commonly as Diogenes. He was born in Sinope (modern day Turkey) around 404BC (or 412BC, its not exactly clear) and died at Corinth in …
11: Misfits, Part 3: George Dibbern
Born in 1889, George Dibbern was an author, adventurer, and sailor-philosopher. He was a free thinker, self-declared citizen of the world and is our 3rd Misfits in our series.Visit us online at itshometownhistory.comEpisode S...
10: Misfits, Part 2: Tarrare
Tarrare was born in 1772 in rural France. He was born hungry, and seemingly that hunger never went away. This 2nd episode in our Misfits series is focused on one of history's most fascinating people - a man noted for …
09: Misfits, Part 1: Emperor Norton
Introducing Part 1 of our Misfits mini-series. Joshua Norton proclaimed himself "Norton I, Emperor of the United States" in 1859 from his home in San Francisco, California. If you've never heard of the only US Emperor, let u...
08: Islands of Michigan, Part 6: Belle Isle
Belle Isle is a 982-acre island park located immediately east of Detroit, Michigan, in the Detroit River. Connected to Detroit by the MacArthur Bridge, Belle Isle is the larked city-owned island park in the United States. Epi...
07: Islands of Michigan, Part 5: The Manitou Islands
North and South Manitou Island can be found around 14 miles northwest of the Michigan mainland in Lake Michigan. The islands are very rich in history and are part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Episode Sponsor...
06: Islands of Michigan, Part 4: Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is a 4.35 square mile island located in Lake Huron between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. Based on a former trading post, Fort Mackinac was constructed on the island by the British during the American ...
05: Islands of Michigan, Part 3: The Fox Islands and the Children of …
The Fox Islands consist of the North Fox and South Fox islands, in Lake Michigan. North Fox Island was once home to a pornography mill, the details are darker than you can imagine. This episode is narrated by Nina Innsted …
04: Islands of Michigan, Part 2: High Island and the House of Virgins
High Island is an island in Lake Michigan and is part of the Beaver Island archipelago. It was the home of a timber-cutting and truck farm operation from 1912-1927 ran by the House of David. And... it is presumably still …
03: Islands of Michigan, Part 1: Beaver Island and the Last American …
Every king in American history has been assassinated in the harbor of St. James, Michigan. And also born in the tiny town of Scipio, New York. And married to five women. And every king has owned a personal cannon and …
02: The Real Dorothy & The Wizard of Oz
Have you ever wondered who the character Dorothy was based on in The Wizard of Oz? Well, I think I found her. And I believe much more than the character was based on her tragic young life. Let me explain... …
01: The First Electrically Lighted City
"From the towering dome of the Courthouse at 8 p.m. on March 31, 1880, burst a flood of lights that made world history. Wabash had a population of 320. Over 10,000 people witnessed the event. For a mile around, houses …