Shows
Author ConversationsGeorge Wallace in WisconsinAlabama governor George Wallace ran for president four times between 1964 and 1976. In the Badger State, his campaigns fueled a debate over constitutional principles and values. Wallace weaponized states’ rights, arguing that the federal government should stay out of school segregation, promote law and order, restrict forced busing and reduce burdensome taxation. White working-class Wisconsinites armed themselves with Wallace’s rhetoric, pushing back on changes that threatened the status quo. Civil rights activists and the Black community in Wisconsin armed themselves with a different constitutional principle, equal protection, to push for strong federal protection of their civil rights. This clash of i...
2022-05-3025 minAuthor ConversationsMontpelier TransformedIn 2000, the newly created Montpelier Foundation took over management of the historic home of James Madison with a seemingly insurmountable task before it. The house was no longer recognizable as the home of the Madisons, and most other structures were in poor condition. Within ten years, the foundation overcame numerous hurdles to restore the house and turn Montpelier into a monument to the Father of the Constitution. Over the next decade, the site also became a monument to Montpelier’s enslaved. The buildings in their community next to the Madisons’ home were reconstructed, and award-winning exhibits dramatically illustrate the trag...
2022-03-2126 minAuthor ConversationsGettysburg’s Lost Love StoryUnion general John Reynolds was one of the most beloved and respected military leaders of the Civil War, yet beyond the battlefield, the captivating true story of his secret romance with Catherine “Kate” Mary Hewitt remains etched into his legacy. Clandestinely engaged before John marched off to war, the couple’s love remained a secret. Kate made a poignant “last promise,” a commitment to enter into a religious life if her beloved were to be killed. Tragically, Reynolds lost his life leading troops into action during the opening phases of the Battle of Gettysburg. Within days Kate was embraced by the Rey...
2022-01-2454 minAuthor ConversationsAll Aboard GeorgiaRosalind and Maggie Bunn have recently written a great children’s book which explores the Peach State entitled, All aboard Georgia. In the book A young child rides the train through Georgia's beautiful, historic, and interesting landscapes.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781455626144
2021-11-0314 minAuthor ConversationsHaunted Shenandoah ValleyThe abolitionist John Brown still roams the West Virginia panhandle—and beyond. In Lexington, a statue sheds real tears, mourning Virginians killed in battle. Decades of abuse at a sanatorium unleashed malevolent entities in Staunton. Spirits of Native Americans, Civil War soldiers and children frequent natural springs in Frederick County and caves near Strasburg. Ghosts stay free of charge at the nation’s oldest inn in Middletown, and at the Natural Bridge Hotel, phantom children play in the halls. Visitors from beyond the grave enjoy live performances at several theaters in the region, while spectral soldiers gather for combat in t...
2021-10-1826 minAuthor ConversationsHaunted KernersvilleNestled between Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point, what was once a sleepy little village, just a stop on the Great Wagon Road, became a thriving community in the nineteenth century. Residents have spent lifetimes looking after one another—and sometimes they continue to do so even in death. Does a young soldier haunt the Kernersville Museum, flirting with the women who work there? Learn the truth of the ghost of the old McCuiston House. Local institutions like the P&N Store and Snow’s Diner also claim their share of spooky experiences. Kernersville Museum director Kelly Hargett and local thea...
2021-10-1129 minAuthor ConversationsTexas OblivionOn February 2, 1963, a tanker with thirty-nine men aboard departed Beaumont and never returned. In the mid-spring of 1882, Billy the Kid’s friend, foe and equal escaped Huntsville Penitentiary and vanished. On December 9, 1961, a young boy in Wichita Falls disappeared without a trace. On November 18, 1936, a father and son were swallowed by a “Walled Kingdom.” On December 23, 1974, three girls went to a Fort Worth mall and were never seen or heard from again. This collection explores twenty baffling disappearances that investigators have studied for decades, to no avail. Homicide, patricide, filicide, genocide, devil worship, the Devil’s Triangle, the Devil’s River, t...
2021-10-0429 minAuthor ConversationsA Culinary Tour Through AlabamaOne of the surest ways to connect with the past is to sample what was on its plate. That’s the goal with this gustatory journey through Alabama history. Sweetmeats with the governor’s lonely, oft-depressed wife in 1832 Greensboro. Shrimp and crabmeat casserole at a long-departed preacher’s house at the Gaines Ridge Dinner Club in Camden. Pimento cheese and tea with notes of cinnamon and citrus at the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion in Mobile. Poundcake from Georgia Gilmore’s kitchen in Montgomery, where workaday freedom fighters and luminaries of the civil rights movement sought sustenance. Author Monica Tapper serves up a stick...
2021-09-2734 minAuthor ConversationsEarly Nature Artists in FloridaThese artists were also adventurers!
Florida’s amazing landscapes and fascinating wildlife were sources of inspiration for early naturalists seeking new horizons. Among them was John James Audubon. Elegant herons, acrobatic terns, endearing pelicans and colorful roseate spoonbills all feature among his beloved artwork. But Audubon was not the first nature artist inspired by Florida. Mark Catesby, an English country squire turned adventurer, helped introduce the wonders of Florida to a European audience in the 1700s. And William Bartram, a Pennsylvania Quaker, traveled south to explore the Florida wilderness, where he canoed across a lake full of alli...
2021-09-2028 minAuthor ConversationsPullman: the Man, the Company, the Historical ParkGeorge Pullman’s legacy lies in the town that bears his name. As one of the first thoroughly planned model industrial communities, it was designed to give the comforts of a permanent home to the employees who built America’s most elegant form of overnight railroad travel. But the town was more than just a residential wing of sleeper car manufacturing; its 1894 railroad strike led to the national Labor Day holiday. In the early twentieth century, the Pullman Company became the country’s largest employer of African Americans, who then formed the nation’s first successful Black labor union. Author K...
2021-09-1538 minAuthor ConversationsBig BasinThe epic saga of Big Basin began in the late 1800s, when the surrounding communities saw their once “inexhaustible” redwood forests vanishing. Expanding railways demanded timber as they crisscrossed the nation, but the more redwoods that fell to the woodman’s axe, the greater the effects on the local climate. California’s groundbreaking environmental movement attracted individuals from every walk of life. From the adopted son of a robber baron to a bohemian woman winemaker to a Jesuit priest, resilient campaigners produced an unparalleled model of citizen action. Join author Traci Bliss as she reveals the untold story of a hercul...
2021-08-3036 minAuthor ConversationsVermont's Ebenezer AllenEbenezer Allen was born during political instability and hardships in an unknown frontier. He matured during the tipping point of the American Revolution as an invincible leader who personified patriotism. Unlike his better-known cousins, Ebenezer was a skilled commando and combat veteran in Warner’s Regiment and Herrick’s Rangers. Following the capture of a British rear-guard force in 1777, Captain Allen took leave of his regiment and wrote an emancipation statement for a captured enslaved woman and her child. The document, which he filed with the Bennington town clerk, read, “It is not right in the sight of God to kee...
2021-08-1632 minAuthor ConversationsYoung author Jack Drake and Preston HollowOn this special edition of Author Conversations I speak with 16 year old Jack Drake who has authored his first book with us entitled Preston Hollow.
2021-08-1107 minAuthor ConversationsHidden History of Kentucky Political ScandalsFrom a man who rivals Benedict Arnold and Aaron Burr in treachery to a State Treasurer who absconded with $7 Million in today's money. This book has it all!
Does a Civil War General deserve the moniker "The Butcher of Kentucky"? What does a mysterious blood stain in the U.S. Capitol Building have to do with the Bluegrass State? Listen to this week's episode of Author Conversations to find out!
Click the link below to order your copy of Hidden History of Kentucky Political Scandals.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467145824
2021-08-0945 minAuthor ConversationsArcadia Kids 2021From ghostly tales to joke books with big facts, Arcadia Kids has it all. Nancy Ellwood joins me again to talk about new books from Arcadia Kids and exciting new series that are on the horizon.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Search?searchtext=ghostly%20tales&searchmode=anyword&searchoption=allbooks
2021-08-0325 minAuthor ConversationsGeorge Washington's Long Island Spy Ring
In 1778, two years after the British forced the Continental Army out of New York City, George Washington and his subordinates organized a secret spy network to gather intelligence in Manhattan and Long Island. Known today as the “Culper Spy Ring,” Patriots like Abraham Woodhull and Robert Townsend risked their lives to report on British military operations in the region. Vital reports clandestinely traveled from New York City across the East River to Setauket and were rowed on whaleboats across the Long Island Sound to the Connecticut shore. Using ciphers, codes and invisible ink, the spy ring exposed British plans to atta...
2021-07-1925 minAuthor ConversationsSolving the West Georgia Murder of Gwendolyn MooreOn a sultry August morning in 1970, the battered body of a young woman was hoisted from a dry well just outside Hogansville, Georgia. Author and investigator Clay Bryant was there, witnessing the macabre scene. Then fifteen, Bryant was tagging along with his father, Buddy Bryant, Hogansville chief of police. The victim, Gwendolyn Moore, had been in a violent marriage. That was no secret. But her husband had connections to a political machine that held sway over the Troup County Sheriff’s Office overseeing the case. To the dismay and bafflement of many, no charges were brought. That is, until Br...
2021-07-1256 minAuthor ConversationsLost Colony Murder on the Outer BanksIn the summer of 1967, nineteen-year-old Brenda Joyce Holland disappeared. She was a mountain girl who had come to Manteo to work in the outdoor drama The Lost Colony. Her body was found five days later, floating in the sound. This riveting narrative, built on unique access to the state investigative file and multiple interviews with insiders, searches for the truth of her unsolved murder. This island odyssey of discovery includes séances, a suicide and a supposed shallow grave. Journalist John Railey cuts through the myths and mistakes to finally arrive at the long-hidden truth of what happened to B...
2021-05-2834 minAuthor ConversationsBigfoot in Maine
The dark woods of Maine have been the setting for many eerie and unexplained events, none more captivating than sightings of a giant hominid known as Bigfoot. But what makes this corner of New England such a perfect place for this cryptid to live? Learn about the ecology and geography that support the legend and meet the people forever changed by close encounters with it. From previously unpublished eyewitness accounts to modern-day media portrayals, author and illustrator Michelle Souliere presents this detailed history of the phenomenon and folklore that has lurked in shadows for generations.
https://greenhandbookshop.com/products/preorder-bigfoot-in-maine-by-michelle-souliere-signed...
2021-05-1739 minAuthor ConversationsGeorge Washington's 1791 Southern TourNewly elected president George Washington set out to visit the new nation aware that he was the singular unifying figure in America. The journey's finale was the Southern Tour, starting in March 1791. The long and arduous trek from the capital, Philadelphia, passed through seven states and the future Washington, D.C. But the focus was on Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia. The president kept a rigorous schedule, enduring rugged roads and hazardous water crossings. His highly anticipated arrival in each destination was celebrated with countless teas, parades, dinners and dances. Author Warren Bingham reveals the history and lore of...
2021-05-0327 minAuthor ConversationsAtlanta's Olympic ResurgenceThe summer of 1996. In nineteen days, six million visitors jostled about in a southern city grappling with white flight, urban decay and the stifling legacy of Jim Crow. Six years earlier, a bold, audacious partnership of a strong mayor, enlightened business leaders and Atlanta’s Black political leadership dared to bid on hosting the 1996 Olympic Games. Unexpectedly, the city won, an achievement that ignited a loose but robust coalition that worked collectively, if sometimes contentiously, to prepare the city and push it forward. This is a story of how once-struggling Atlanta leveraged the benefits of the Centennial Games to be...
2021-04-2626 minAuthor ConversationsFlorida's Historic African American Homes
The state of Florida has a rich history of African Americans who have contributed to the advancement and growth of today. From slaves to millionaires, African Americans from all walks of life resided in cabins, homes, and stately mansions. The lives of millionaires, educators, businessmen, community leaders, and innovators in Florida’s history are explored in each residence. Mary McLeod Bethune, A.L. Lewis, and D.A. Dorsey are a few of the prominent African Americans who not only resided in the state of Florida but also created opportunities for other blacks to further their lives in education and ownership of...
2021-04-1931 minAuthor ConversationsThe Maceos and the Free State of GalvestonThroughout the long and colorful history of Galveston, no name has embodied the “Spirit of the Island” quite like the name Maceo. Two penniless Sicilian immigrants rose from modest beginnings to lead an entire city to prosperity, yet the nature of their industry and its abrupt and embarrassing end resulted in a legacy cloaked in stereotypes and rumor. For nearly forty years, Sam and Rose Maceo ruled a far-reaching underground economy of illegal booze and gambling but used their influence to infuse the “Free State of Galveston” with glamour, fame and fortune—a vision later used as a template for Las Ve...
2021-04-0542 minAuthor ConversationsHistoric Tales of AcadianaA century on, the twisted wreckage from the Ricohoc disaster smolders, passenger trains turned into husks amid predawn fog. Would-be assassins draw straws to determine who will take out Huey Long. And pickers stroll the banks of the Vermilion River during the heyday of the Spanish moss industry, plucking their livelihood from majestic oaks, many of which still stand. This strange country bewilders Vermilion Parish pioneers, and the Olive once again plies the waters of the Mermentau River. Author William Thibodeaux plumbs the record of Southwest Louisiana, breathing fresh life into the fascinating history of Acadiana.
2021-04-0121 minAuthor ConversationsThe Lost Freedmen's Town of Hamburg South CarolinaHamburg is perhaps South Carolina’s most famous ghost town. Founded in 1821, it grew to four thousand residents before transportation advances led to decline. During Reconstruction, recently freed slaves reshaped Hamburg into a freedmen’s village, where residents held local, county and state offices. These gains were wiped away after the Hamburg Massacre in 1876, a watershed event that left seven African Americans dead, most of them executed in cold blood. Yet more than a century after Hamburg, the one white supremacist killed in the melee is canonized by the racially divisive Meriwether Monument in downtown North Augusta. Author Michael Smit...
2021-03-1721 minAuthor ConversationsRailroad History with Thad CarterThad Carter joins me for this episode. Thad is the author of The Railroads of Lake Charles which is available now. This week we talk about Thad's memories of the railroad growing up, the importance of the railroad today and where it may go in the future.
If you would like to purchase Thad's latest book you can do so by clicking the link below:
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467106153
2021-03-0824 minAuthor ConversationsThe Ashland TragedyA true crime story that captured the attention of the nation.
On Christmas Eve 1881, a horrible crime shook the small town of Ashland, Kentucky, and captivated the entire nation. Three children were brutally murdered and their house set ablaze. Nothing in the small town’s past had prepared it for what followed. Three men were convicted of the crimes, and two were sentenced to death. But the murderers were protected by the governor’s untrained militia, which would eventually turn their guns on Ashland’s innocent citizens. Join author H.E. “Joe” Castle as he adds to the work of...
2021-03-0129 minAuthor ConversationsThe Northeast CorridorThe Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington is perhaps the single most significant stretch of railroad in the country, connecting dozens of cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. The line carries thousands of passengers daily on a mix of long-distance, regional, and commuter trains. Before it emerged as a vital stretch of railway, some of the earliest railroads in America created a foundation for the future corridor. They constructed a patchwork of lines that laid the groundwork for the Northeast Corridor of today, which later formed integral portions of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York, New...
2021-02-1532 minAuthor ConversationsRacing in Daytona BeachRacing is more than just turning left. It is about grit and determination. Technology and skill. Author Robert Redd joins me today on this special episode as we get ready for the Daytona 500.
Long before the Speedway was even a glimmer in Bill France Sr.’s eye, racers in Daytona Beach were careening along at the fastest possible clip. Cars were still a novelty in 1903 when Daytona Beach drivers were pushing for land speed records on a track near today’s Granada Avenue beach entrance. A reputation was born here early, drawing racing pioneers like Sara Christian, who f...
2021-02-1134 minAuthor ConversationsThe Arkansas Hitchhike KillerThis week we learn the history of a serial killer who took the lives of over 20 victims yet hardly anyone knows his story or more importantly the story of those who's lives were cut short. Until now. Join me this week as I talk with Janie Jones who is the author of The Arkansas Hitchhike Killer and learn the story of how the nationwide murderer slipped under the radar of true crime writers for so long.
You can purchase this week's title by following the link below: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467148177
2021-02-0834 minAuthor ConversationsThe Civil War Battles of MaconOn this episode we learn the intriguing history of Macon, GA during the Civil War.
Macon was a cornerstone of the Confederacy’s military-industrial complex. As a transportation hub, the city supplied weapons to the Confederacy, making it a target once the Union pushed into Georgia in 1864. In the course of the war’s last year, Macon faced three separate cavalry assaults. The battles were small in the grand scheme but salient for the combatants and townspeople. Once the war concluded, it was from Macon that cavalry struck out to capture the fugitive Jefferson Davis, allowing the city...
2021-02-0328 minAuthor ConversationsThe Hidden History of Old AtlantaAtlanta has a rich history that goes far beyond a town in flame during the Civil War. Learn about the rich Native American History and how Atlanta's crossroads with ancient trails have been bringing cultures to a point in what is now Georgia for millennia. People from all over the world have helped shape Atlanta into the city it is today.
Order the book by by following the link below:
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467146074
2021-02-0140 minAuthor ConversationsUS Coast Guard AcademyToday I speak with Retired United States Coast Guard Captain Jeffrey Hartman. Join us for the interesting history of the academy and stories from the Captain's career.
The predecessor of the US Coast Guard (USCG) was the Revenue Marine, formed to enforce the customs laws. The officers for the service were drawn from the Merchant Marines, and occasionally the US Navy, and political connections were often more important than competency. To ensure consistent training, the original Revenue Cutter School of Instruction became the US Coast Guard Academy, moving to its present location in New London, Connecticut, in 1932. P...
2020-11-1623 minAuthor ConversationsHaunted PrescottThis week we travel out west to Haunted Prescott, AZ!
When Arizona was created as a U.S. territory in 1864, Prescott became its first capital. Accompanying the city's rich history is an equally dramatic heritage of supernatural manifestations. Visitors report a strange chill in the Palace Restaurant and taps on the shoulder at the Smoki Museum. Lingering spirits crowd famed hotels like the Vendome and the Hassayampa Inn, as well as theaters such as the Elks Opera House and Prescott Center for the Arts. Learn the secrets of Prescott's cemeteries and the truth about the hangings on t...
2020-10-2722 minAuthor ConversationsHaunted CharlestonOn this episode continue our journey into the spooky month of October by exploring Haunted Charleston with author and Tour Guide Ed Macy.
You can book a tour with Ed by visiting his website here: https://edmacytours.com/
2020-10-1923 minAuthor ConversationsHaunted History of Pasco CountyIn a land occupied for thousands of years, mystery and unrest linger. Anguished soldierly figures dot the landscape of Pasco County, from the doomed march of Major Dade and his haunted hill to the ghost of Captain Jeffries standing watch over his homestead in Zephyrhills. A pair of spirits drifts about near a Dade City pond, perhaps the brother and sister cut down during the infamous Bradley Massacre. Echoes of the once rugged frontier rebound from the Ellis-Gillett feud, vigilantism and Sheriff Bart’s justice. Obliterating the mounds of indigenous people cast an ever-present and ominous tone over sacred gr...
2020-10-0830 minAuthor ConversationsGhostly Tales and HistoryToday I am joined by the Director of Children's Books for Arcadia Publishing, Nancy Ellwood to talk about Arcadia Publishing's new Spooky Tales series.
Spooky America is adapted from Arcadia’s bestselling Haunted America series (more than 300 titles strong), and brings you the ghoulishly gruesome, fantastically phantasmal stories of our nation’s undead souls. Rewritten for the middle-grade audience, these terrifically terrifying tales bring local history to life—even if the main players are dead. Ghosts,
hauntings, legends and unexplained phenomena keep readers rapt and celebrate local history and lore.
You can find the books by...
2020-10-0523 minAuthor ConversationsArsenal of History: The Powder Magazine of South CarolinaThe Powder Magazine is South Carolina's oldest public building and today's serves as a museum. The museum's director and author of Arsenal of History, Alan Stello joins me to discuss the site's history and the museums upcoming virtual luncheon series.
You can find out more about the museums Zoom luncheon series by visiting powdermagazine.org/programs
2020-09-2108 minAuthor ConversationsHidden History of Music RowNashville’s Music Row is as complicated as the myths that surround it. And there are plenty, from an adulterous French fur trader to an adventurous antebellum widow, from the early Quonset hut recordings to record labels in glass high-rise towers and from “Your Cheatin’ Heart” to “Strawberry Wine.” Untangle the legendary history with never-before-seen photos of Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Kris Kristofferson and Shel Silverstein and interviews with multi-platinum songwriters and star performers. Authors Brian Allison, Elizabeth Elkins and Vanessa Olivarez dig into the dreamers and the doers, the architects and the madmen, the ghosts and the hit-makers that made th...
2020-09-0231 minAuthor ConversationsThe Revolutionary War in the AdirondacksThis week we focus in on the fascinating history of the Revolutionary War in the Adirondacks.
Much of New York during the Revolutionary era was frontier wilderness, sparsely populated and bitterly divided. Although the only major campaign in the region would end at the Battle of Saratoga, factional raiding parties traversed the mountains and valleys of the Adirondacks throughout the war. Sir Christopher Carleton led groups of Loyalists, Hessians and Iroquois in successful attacks along Lake Champlain, capturing forts and striking fear in local villages. Mohawk war chief Joseph Brant led a motley band of irregulars known...
2020-08-0321 minAuthor ConversationsBizarre BluegrassThis week we explore the Bizzare History of the Bluegrass
State with author Keven McQueen.
From ghost towns to circus performers to mass hysteria, the Bluegrass State is no stranger to the strange. Read stories of famed President Abraham Lincoln you’ve never heard before. Find possible solutions to the mystery of Pearl Bryan’s missing head and decipher the outrageous hoaxes involving an unsolvable puzzle and monkeys trained to perform farm work. Learn about the time when the author wrote to Charles Manson as a joke and Manson wrote back—four times. Join author Keven McQueen as...
2020-07-2713 minAuthor ConversationsFort Clinch, Fernandina and the Civil WarThis week we discuss a site who's role is not well known but was vital in bringing about an end to the Civil War. The site? Fort Clinch in Fernandina, FL.
Even though Fernandina was tucked away in the far southern reaches of the Confederacy, Fort Clinch had been abandoned to Federal forces by March 1862. It proved a boon to the Union war effort, and the island became a haven for runaway slaves, with many joining the Federal army. The military occupation of this vital seaport helped end the war, and the Reconstruction period that followed bore w...
2020-07-2031 minAuthor ConversationsShark Attacks along the Jersey ShoreAuthors Patricia and Robert Heyer join me this episode to tell us about famous attacks along the Jersey Shore including attacks in the early 1900's that influenced pop culture.
Every summer, thousands flock to the Jersey Shore for its beaches and boardwalks, but lurking in the depths beyond is a historic threat to tranquility. Dozens of shark attacks and interactions have occurred throughout Jersey Shore history that reveal bravery, heartbreak and the hubris of man. A boy paid a gruesome price for teasing a trapped shark in the first recorded attack in 1842. The three bloody attacks of 1960 l...
2020-07-1329 minAuthor ConversationsHidden History of East TexasJoin me this week as I talk with the author of Hidden History of East Texas, Tex Midkiff about Texas Rangers, Big Tex, Shootouts, UFO's and theories around the JFK assassination.
The heritage of East Texas partakes in the same degree of unexpected turns and hidden depths as its backroads and bayous. One line of inquiry meanders into another. Start out searching for La Salle’s grave and end up chasing Spanish gold in Upshur County. From Sam Houston’s Bible to the Longview nightclub that hosted both Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, one tale follows another and int...
2020-07-0620 minAuthor ConversationsJohn F Kennedy from Florida to the MoonIt was September 12, 1962, when Pres. John F. Kennedy delivered a speech at Rice University before nearly 50,000 people. By that time, America had launched but four men into space—the suborbital flights of Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom and the nearly identical three-orbit journeys of John Glenn and Scott Carpenter. Buoyed by the success of those missions and cognizant of the danger that lay ahead, the president rearticulated his vision and reissued his challenge to reach the moon before 1970. "We choose to go to the moon, in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but be...
2020-06-0141 minAuthor ConversationsNASA Space Centers with Cindy MantoThis week we look forward to launching astronauts to space once again from US soil. So what better time to speak with an author of not one but three books regarding NASA testing facilities? Cindy Manto joins me this week as we look to the future while remembering the past.
2020-05-2621 minAuthor ConversationsFlavors Under the Big Sky with Yellow Stone Public Radio's Stella FongWith more than eighty recipes and stunning photography, writer and radio host Stella Fong marries cherished local ingredients with world flavors. Sourced from waterways, mountains, plains and local farmers’ markets, Montana’s resources shine in a diverse array of savory and sweet applications. Dishes like Pheasant Stir-Fry with Black Bean Sauce and Elk Kielbasa with Pomegranate bring international flair to familiar game. Rhubarb Raspberry Polenta Cake and Pavlova Roulade with Sour Cherry Sauce and Toasted Almonds give new life to market and garden staples. And stories of local culinary trailblazers pay tribute to the Treasure State’s abundance. The host o...
2020-05-1825 minAuthor ConversationsPirates and Lost Treasure of Coastal MaineMaine has never been regarded as a pirate haven, but only because witnesses were few and far between. With a rugged coast and more than four thousand offshore islands, Maine’s dark waters attracted sea raiders like Dixie Bull from the 1600s through colonial times. Pirate treasure still awaits discovery in Phippsburg and Machias, and pirate deceit prompted a massacre in ancient Fort Loyall. The infamous Captain Kidd may have prowled the waters off Deer Isle, while farther down the coast a woman and a bloodthirsty band of cutthroats lured ships to disaster at Isles of Shoals. Award-winning investigative jo...
2020-04-2725 minAuthor ConversationsNew Jersey Diners in 3 MinutesAuthor Michael Gabriel talks with us about New Jersey diners.
2020-04-2103 minAuthor ConversationsGotham Baseball, making the greatest all around NYC team.Baseball may be the great American pastime, but in New York, it is a religion. Names like Ruth, Mays, Gehrig, Wright and Robinson live in the hearts and minds of New York fans like apostles. From the street corner to the subway car, debates about which Yankee, Giant, Dodger or Met is better than another have raged on for more than one hundred years. Now, the best of the best are chosen for each position as New York’s all-time greatest team is imagined. Shoo-ins like the Babe and Jackie have their stories told with a fresh perspective. The co...
2020-04-2035 minAuthor ConversationsYour Town or Rather State in 3 Minutes with Vermonter Tim TraversFly Fishing enthusiast Tim Travers joins us for few moments to talk about fly fishing in Vermont.
2020-04-1606 minAuthor ConversationsYour Town in 3 Minutes with Wendy Davis and Nevada CountyWendy Davis Author of Nevada County Wine, joins us to talk about what makes her hometown special.
2020-04-1403 minAuthor ConversationsThe Lost Colony of Roanoke on Hatteras Island!Was the Lost Colony of Roanoke never really lost at all?
The legend of the Lost Colony has been captivating imaginations for nearly a century. When they left Roanoke Island, where did they go? What is the meaning of the mysterious word Croatoan? In the sixteenth century, Croatoan was the name of an island to the south now known as Hatteras. Scholars have long considered the island as one of the colonists’ possible destinations, but only recently has anyone set out to prove it. Archaeologists from the University of Bristol, working with local residents through the Croatoan Ar...
2020-04-1327 minAuthor ConversationsYour Town in 3 Minutes: Santa Cruz CountyAuthor of Lost Restaurants of Santa Cruz County, Liz Pollock joins us to let us know about her hometown.
2020-04-0903 minAuthor ConversationsYour Town in 3 Minutes: Author Tim CarrollAuthor Tim Carrol takes 3 minutes to tell us about his town, Akron, OH.
2020-04-0703 minAuthor ConversationsAbandoned Northwest FloridaKnown as a top tourist destination due to its white sand beaches and emerald waters, Northwest Florida is a place for sun, sand, and swimming, as well as springs and cave systems millions of years old. Along with the natural beauty of this area lies the abandoned, forgotten, and left behind. From buildings to boats and planes, Northwest Florida has a lot to offer the urban explorer.Whether it's a building that housed one of the fastest growing sports in the country or the dark history of a conspiracy uncovered after decades, Northwest Florida combines the beautiful and the...
2020-04-0619 minAuthor ConversationsLower Missouri River History in 3 MinutesHusband and wife author team Jim and Vicki Erwin join us again to give us a bit more history about life along the Lower Missouri River.
Vicki Berger Erwin has written twenty-nine books in varied genres: picture books, middle-grade mysteries and novels, local histories and true crime. Her husband, James W. Erwin, has written only four previous books, three on the Civil War in Missouri and a history of St. Charles, Missouri. They owned a bookstore in St. Charles for eight years before they retired. Vicki and Jim met in the Ellis Library at the University of Missouri–Col...
2020-04-0204 minAuthor ConversationsSmall Town Memories with Tom PolandAuthor Tom Poland tells us about what life was like growing up in a small Georgia town and how life there hasn't changed too much.
Tom Poland grew up in Lincoln County, Georgia, and graduated from the University of Georgia with degrees in journalism and education. He taught at the University of Georgia, Columbia College and the University of South Carolina. He writes about nature and the South and its people, traditions and lifestyles. His work appears in books and magazines, journals and newspapers throughout the South. He’s a member of the South Carolina Humanities Speaker’s Bur...
2020-03-3107 minAuthor ConversationsConfederate General Stephen ElliotFrom the Battle of Port Royal, to Defending Fort Sumter, to the Crater at Petersburg General Stephen Elliot was there.
General Stephen Elliott rose from captain of a militia artillery battery to command of an infantry brigade. His early war reputation as a daring raider and superb artilleryman grew to true hero status through his exemplary service at Fort Sumter. Handpicked to defend Sumter to the last extremity, Elliott performed so well that his Yankee foes saluted him by dipping the Union flag in recognition of his courage and steadfastness. Wounded on five separate occasions, Elliott exemplified c...
2020-03-3027 minAuthor ConversationsYour Town in 3 Minutes: Napa ValleyAuthor Alexandria Brown takes us to the Napa Valley today.
2020-03-2603 minAuthor ConversationsYour Town in 3 MinutesIntroducing "Your Town in 3 Minutes"
During this time we all need a reminder of the incredible places we call home. We have asked authors to tell us in 3 minutes (or around 3 minutes) what makes their hometown, county or state, so special.
What binds us all together is community. From the local bookstore, to the local parks, to our favorite eateries. Even though the majority of us now find ourselves isolated we are all a community of history lovers.
2020-03-2503 minAuthor ConversationsWorld War II Political CartoonsAkron Beacon Journal cartoonist Web Brown was one of the best political cartoonists in America during World War II. After serving in the Spanish-American War, Brown returned to the States and began a forty-six-year career lasting from 1899 through 1945. Before and during the Second World War, Brown’s cartoons lampooned Hitler, Mussolini and Japan with a strong sense of justice, humor and history. Featured six days a week in the Journal, his work boosted morale at home and lifted the spirits of soldiers overseas. Compiling more than two hundred of Brown’s best cartoons, Akron native and author Tim Carroll reca...
2020-03-2325 minAuthor ConversationsThe Battle for Civil War MissouriToday I am honored to be joined by retired Lt. Col Joseph W. McCorskie who’s new book The War for Missouri 1861-1862 will be available beginning April 27, 2020.
Missouri was filled with bitter sentiment over the Civil War. Governor Claiborne Jackson had a plan to seize the St. Louis Arsenal and arm a pro-secessionist force. Former governor and Mexican-American War hero Sterling Price commanded the Missouri State Guard charged to protect the state from Federal troops. The disagreements led to ten military actions, causing hundreds of casualties before First Bull Run in the East. The state guard gar...
2020-03-1643 minAuthor ConversationsLost and Underwater Towns of North GeorgiaThey are the sites that capture our imaginations as we try to imagine life in a place that seems devoid of life. These are lost towns or maybe you call them ghost towns. However, there is life when you look. Especially in Georgia's ghost towns where kudzu reclaims structures and animals make nests or fish now inhabit remains of buildings of towns now under man made lakes. Lisa Russel will be our guide into what happened to these town of Georgia’s past. Lisa not only tells us of the fates of these towns but of their interesting pasts.
2020-03-0943 minAuthor ConversationsSteamboat Disasters of the Lower Missouri RiverThis week I speak with another husband and wife team, Vicki and James Erwin.
During the nineteenth century, more than three hundred boats met their end in the steamboat graveyard that was the Lower Missouri River, from Omaha to its mouth. Although derided as little more than an “orderly pile of kindling,” steamboats were, in fact, technological marvels superbly adapted to the river’s conditions. Their light superstructure and long, wide, flat hulls powered by high-pressure engines drew so little water that they could cruise on “a heavy dew” even when fully loaded. But these same characteristics made them s...
2020-03-0219 minAuthor ConversationsUncovering the Truth Behind the Yellow Rose of TexasThe legend of the Yellow Rose of Texas holds an indisputable place in Lone Star culture, tethered to a familiar song that has served as a Civil War marching tune, a pop chart staple and a halftime anthem. Almost two centuries of Texas mythmaking successfully muddled fact with fable in song. The true story of Emily D. West remains mired in dispute and unrecognizable beneath the manipulative tales that grew up around it. The complete truth may never be recovered, but author Lora-Marie Bernard seeks an honest account honoring the grit and determination that brought a free black woman...
2020-02-2445 minAuthor ConversationsThe Battle of Guilford CourthouseThis week we go back to the Revolutionary War and look at the events that led to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and with author John Maas.
Around the North Carolina village of Guilford Courthouse in the late winter of 1781, two weary armies clashed on a cold, wet afternoon. American forces under Nathanael Greene engaged Lord Cornwallis’s British army in a bitter two-hour battle of the Revolutionary War. The frightful contest at Guilford was a severe conflict in which troops made repeated use of their flintlock muskets, steel bayonets and dragoon swords in hand-to-hand fighting that kill...
2020-02-1744 minAuthor ConversationsA Tour on the Underground Railroad Along the Ohio RiverRunning for 664 miles along Kentucky's border, the Ohio River provided a remarkable opportunity for the enslaved to escape to free soil in Indiana and Ohio. The river beckoned fugitive slave Henry Bibb onto a steamboat at Madison, Indiana, headed to Cincinnati, where he discovered the Underground Railroad. Upriver from Cincinnati, a lantern signal high on a hill from the Rankin House in Ripley, Ohio, stirred others to flee for freedom. These stories and more along the borderland of the Ohio River also served as the setting for Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, which became an inspiration of...
2020-02-1033 minAuthor ConversationsUnknown, Fun and Weird HistoryOn this special episode I am joined by husband and wife authors Wil Elrick and Kelly Kazek. Between the two of them they have written about forgotten history that affected the nation, weird facts and strange stories. From a maritime disaster with a loss of life on par with the Titanic which took place on the Mississippi River to a man simply vanishing from his farm in Alabama this episode has it all.
2020-02-0730 minAuthor ConversationsWicked St. AugustineWhen Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St. Augustine in 1565, his New World survival kit included gambling, liquor and ladies for hire. For the next four hundred years, these three industries were vital in keeping the city financially afloat. With the cooperation of law enforcement and politicians, St. Augustine’s madams, bootleggers and high-rollers created a veritable Riviera where tourists, especially the wealthy, could indulge in almost every vice and still bring the family along for a wholesome vacation picking oranges and gawking at alligators. Join historian Ann Colby’s tour of spots not on the standard tourist map to...
2020-02-0334 minAuthor ConversationsAbandoned Places With Jay FarrellEver driven by, walked by or flown over an abandoned building or house and wondered what the inside looked like? Do you see a haunting beauty in the decay? Jay Farrell does and he joins me this week to talk about exploring abandoned places throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi.
2020-01-2722 minAuthor ConversationsHidden History of Mobile It was an unlikely place for a city, scourged by disease-ridden mosquitos and pummeled by hurricanes. But for more than three hundred years, Mobile has thrived on the unlikely and endured the unimaginable. Mobilians love their gumbo but are likely unaware that it was first served up here by women sent from France to foster population growth. Times were once so dire for free blacks that a shocking number petitioned the courts to become slaves. The city witnessed the first operational submarine, the first Mardi Gras celebration and the last major battle of the Civil War. Author Joe Cuhaj n...
2020-01-2020 minAuthor ConversationsNew Castle Pennsylvania's Kadunce MurdersOn this episode I speak with author Dale Perelman.
In the summer of 1978, a mother and her four-year-old were stabbed to death in the quiet town of New Castle. Police suspected the husband, Lou Kadunce, but were unable to find either a weapon or a motive. Sitting in a Lawrence County jail in 1981, convicted serial killer Michael Atkinson accused Frank Costal—a carny, petty thief and Satanist—of having an affair with the Kadunce husband and participating in the murder. A series of intense trials ensued as Costal was convicted of the homicides and a jury found the h...
2020-01-1332 minAuthor ConversationsEdgar Allan Poe, Pirates and Charleston, SC!We are back for a new year and with a new theme song!
What do Edgar Allan Poe and Pirates have in common? The city of Charleston, SC obviously. This week author Chris Downey is my guest as we speak about what brought Edgar Allan Poe to Charleston which is the subject of his latest book. We also delve into the Golden Age of Piracy. A subject about which Chris is not a stranger having already published two books on the matter
2020-01-0625 minAuthor ConversationsHoliday NostalgiaThis week we speak with the "King of Nostalgia" Tim Hollis. Tim has a museum attached to his house in Alabama full of collectibles and has written multiple books about roadside attractions, amusement parks of by gone eras, and the way things used to be in yesteryears. Who better to talk about to about Christmas and the Holidays of days gone by?
2019-12-0925 minAuthor ConversationsThe Infamous Whiskey Row of the Wild WestTake a trip back in time to the wild west and Prescott, Arizona's Whiskey Row!
2019-12-0200 minAuthor ConversationsThis week in History 11.24-11.30Little known bits of history for the week of November 24, 2019 to November 30, 2019.
2019-11-2704 minAuthor ConversationsMurder in Chisago CountyA mother and her young children are found dead in a burning home and the husband is no where to be found in this true crime story from the 1930's.
2019-11-2525 minAuthor ConversationsThis Week in History 11.17-11.23What do the Railroads have to do with modern time keeping and two presidents who died on the same date 180 years apart.
2019-11-2003 minAuthor ConversationsA Bishop and the Civil WarA Bishop Guides his flock yet ministers to all in Civil War Mississippi.
2019-11-1820 minAuthor ConversationsThis Week in History 11.10.19 to 11.16.19An amphibious landing, a hero's return and one last piece of wisdom.
2019-11-1305 minAuthor ConversationsPirates, Rum Runners and SmugglersThe Gold Coast of Florida is our setting this week for pirate, rum runners, and smuggler tales.
2019-11-1129 minAuthor ConversationsThis Week in History 11.3 - 11.9A famous Pharaoh's tie to a famous TV house and the back story of an infamous Dentist.
2019-11-0604 minAuthor ConversationsThe Surprising Hidden History of the New Hampshire CoastWarring preachers, a Revolutionary War Hero, A Vice President of the United States and so much more in this episode of Author Conversations.
2019-11-0432 minAuthor ConversationsThis Week in History 10.27.19 to 11.2.19In this midweek feature we hit highlights from this week in history. Not everyday is discussed but we do talk about a Rough Rider, a bad Tuesday, a man knocking on a door on October 31st and a man and his new home.
2019-10-3006 minAuthor ConversationsGhosts of Alcatraz and The Queen MaryThis week author Brian Clune Joins me as we learn about the history and ghosts of both Alcatraz and the former ocean liner turned hotel, The Queen Mary.
2019-10-2821 minAuthor ConversationsHaunted TombstoneDo the Earp along with Doc Holliday still fight it out in Tombstone, AZ? On this episode I talk with the author of Haunted Tombstone, Cody Polston.
2019-10-2133 minAuthor ConversationsHaunted History of Washington State with Deb CuyleJoin me this week as a speak with the author of 3 Haunted titles. Explore the haunted history of Washington State.
2019-10-1430 minAuthor ConversationsThe famous case of Moll Dyer, witchcraft and a curse.Get ready for an intense episode! This week I speak with Lynn J. Buonviri the author of Moll Dyer and Other Witch Tales of Southern Maryland.
2019-10-0728 minAuthor ConversationsHaunted lighthouses, bars, museums and everything in between!This week is week one on our journey into the unexplained. Join me as I speak with the authors of Haunted Michigan.
2019-09-3034 minAuthor ConversationsGhosts and HistoryStarting on Monday, September 30th, Author Conversations will feature some of our spookier books up until Halloween.
2019-09-2700 minAuthor ConversationsRevolutionary War Conversation with Robert GeakeJoin me as I have a conversation with Robert Geake. Robert is the author of New England Citizen Soldiers of the Revolutionary War. Personally the Revolutionary War is my favorite period of history and Robert shines light on who these soldiers were, where they came from, where they fought and different types of fighting units.
2019-09-2329 minAuthor ConversationsSean Davis and the History of Wildfire FightingSean Davis joins me on this edition of Author Conversations. Sean is the author of Oregon Wildland Firefighting which is now available. Join us as we explore the history of fighting these devastating disasters.
2019-09-0936 minAuthor ConversationsThe True Story of a mother, a son and the 19th amendmentJoin me this week as I speak with Tyler Boyd who is the author of Tennessee Statesman Harry T Burn. Tyler is the great grand nephew of Harry T Burn who cast the deciding vote which allowed Tennessee to pass the 19th amendment which made women's voting rights law. But there is more to the story including the legendary note from his mother which swayed Harry to vote for the 19th amendment.
2019-08-3028 min
Author ConversationsGeorgia POW Camps in WWIIJoin me as a talk with Jason Wetzel who is the co-author of Georgia POW Camps in World War II.
When we think about the Homefront during WWII we forget or don't know about the prisoner of war camps. Jason clues us in on this often forgotten part of history.
2019-08-2637 min
Author ConversationsNorthern Vermont in the War of 1812Jason Barney joins us for a conversation today as we learn about the causes of the War of 1812, why Northern Vermont was sought after and what role the state played in the war.
2019-08-1938 minAuthor ConversationsNJ Folk Music, Diners and Bicycle Racing with Michael GabrielOn this edition of Author Conversations I speak with Michael Gabriele. Michael and I discuss the history of Folk Music and the Folk Music Revival in New Jersey. We also spend time talking about the History of New Jersey Diners and the people who love them. Michael also discusses the history of bicycle racing as a spectator sport.
2019-08-1235 minAuthor ConversationsAuthor Conversation with Martin TuckerToday I have a conversation with Martin Tucker who is the author of Vietnam Photographs from North Carolina Veterans. These moving photographs are from veterans all over the country who now call North Carolina home. Join me as we take a look at the story of these veterans and what it means to them to be able to share these photographs.
2019-08-0548 minAuthor ConversationsAuthor Conversation with Mark MuncyMark Muncy joins me today for a conversation. Mark is the author of "Eerie Florida", "Freaky Florida" and the upcoming "Creepy Florida". We discuss how learning the folk lore of an area helps in understanding that area's history and we delve into creepy stories from not just Florida but all over the country.
2019-07-291h 01
Author ConversationsAuthor Conversation with Tom PolandJoin me as I speak with author, journalist and photographer Tom Poland. We discuss his books "Classic Carolina Road Trips", "South Carolina Country Roads" and his upcoming book "The Last Sunday Drive". Tom enjoys slowing and taking the roads that were once traveled but now considered roads less traveled.
2019-07-2939 min