Our American Stories
Episodes
"Tie the Knot" & "Black Balled" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 23)
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the Englis...
Danny Wilson—The Soldier Who Was Buried Three Times
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, A favorite listener of the show from Des Moines, Joy Neal Kidney, tells the story of why her uncle, Danny Wi...
Wandering Worker: The American Hobo
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the term "hobo" is often confused with "homeless" or "beggar", but the truth is, wandering through life was ...
"Take the Cake" & "The 3rd Degree" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 22)
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the Englis...
The Queen of the Mountain Moonshiners: The Story of Maggie Bailey
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, she started selling moonshine at 17, and spent the rest of her very long life (she lived to 101) perfecting ...
A Thread Across the Ocean: The Story of the Transatlantic Cable
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, miles and miles of wire placed on ships and thrown into the ocean connected the world like never before and ...
James Madison: Founding Father and Lawgiver
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, President of Hillsdale College, Dr. Larry Arnn, tells the story of our fourth president, James Madison. Supp...
The Story of Bing Crosby and David Bowie's "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth"
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it was one of the oddest and best musical collaborations of the 20th century. Old school pop crooner Bing Cr...
How the Tow Truck Came to Be
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, commitment to serve others better is a hallmark of American life. Add a sensible new design, honest pricing,...
The Gettysburg Soldier Who Received The Medal of Honor 151 Years After His Death
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here's the story of Alanzo Cushing as told by those who fought to have him recognized long after he fell at ...
Were the Irish the First Slaves in America?
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, slavery is one of the oldest profit-making endeavors, and the Irish were a special target for a thousand yea...
"On The Wagon" & "Once In A Blue Moon" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 16)
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the Englis...
Brett Favre on Humility, Aging, and Faith (Pt. 4 of 5)
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, much of what’s known about legendary NFL quarterback Brett Favre has been kept between the goal posts. So ...
A 12-Year-Old Girl's Eight-Hour Car Chase to Get Elvis' Photo at a Gas Station
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a listener from Colorado tells her remarkable Elvis story about the time she met the King not once but twice...
How a UCLA Student in the 70s Saved the Marx Brothers
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Steve Stoliar grew up as the ultimate Marx Brothers fan. Little did he know that he would lead the charge to...
The Story of Secretariat’s Owner, Penny Chenery (As Told by the Director of “Secretariat,” Randall Wallace)
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Randall Wallace is the writer/director of films such as Braveheart, We Were Soldiers, The Man in the Iron Ma...
The First Martyr of the Abolition Movement: 100 Bible Verses That Made America
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you want to know about the history of America, it is imperative that you know the role that the Bible pla...
Prohibition: Smashing Saloons and Breaking Barriers
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, while in modern times, we often view prohibition as a failure and even a misstep by fanatics, it’s far mor...
America Had A President Before George Washington?
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, George Washington was not our first President? Here’s Christopher Klein with the story. Support the show ...
What I Learned From A Dying Patient
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. E. Wesley Ely of Vanderbilt University Medical Center shares intensely meaningful experiences, spiritual...
What Happened to Saturday Morning Cartoons?
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Mark McCray is the author of The Best Saturdays of Our Lives. Here he is to tell us the story of Saturday m...
Snowflake Bentley
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. Jerry Bergman tells the story of a teenage boy who became interested in snow. On January 15, 1885, at 20...
Moral Injury: the Invisible Epidemic Affecting American Veterans
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Major General "Mook" Mukoyama volunteered and served in Korea and Vietnam. In 1986, he became the youngest G...
Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and the Summer of ‘41 (by George Will)
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, George Will tells the story of Ted Williams. He also tells the story of a San Francisco fisherman, Joe DiMag...
Left for Dead: A Soldier's Second Life After Vietnam
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in Vietnam, the armored personnel carrier Jon Hovde was driving hit an anti-tank mine. The 20-year-old soldi...
Indians, a Jew, and a Hotel Partnership
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Leven was President and Chief Operating Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp... one of the great hoteliers o...
The USS Lexington: The Oldest Working Carrier in the Navy
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our regular contributor, Anne Clare, tells the story of a unique aircraft carrier, the USS Lexington. Suppor...
The World's First Action Figure Museum
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em - you've just got to love them. Here is a story of a unique American dream - and unexpect...
A Teen Remembers Her Hero Father Killed In The Line of Duty
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Shelby Houston, 18, delivered a sermon for her father—Richard Houston, a 21-year TX cop—killed in the l...
The Improbable Story of How the Wright Brothers Changed World History
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, much was at stake in this first race to space. Nations and top scientists across the globe pursued the elusi...
Abigail Adams and Her 7-Year-Old Son John Quincy Witnessed First-hand The Battle of Bunker Hill: 100 Bible Verses That Made America
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you want to know about the history of America, it is imperative that you know the role that the Bible pla...
Café du Monde
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, travel to New Orleans to hear the rich story of a world-famous coffee and beignets destination. Support the ...
To Mow or Not to Mow: The History of Lawn Care
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy tells the story of how lawn care came to be. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstori...
The Woman Who Snuck Into George Washington's Army
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Deborah Sampson became a hero of the American Revolution when she disguised herself as a man and joined the ...
A Surprise Gift From a Late Wife to Her Widowed Husband
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom and Lillian Lyons married in 1946. They lived a long and loving life raising a family on the south side ...
A Grave Escape
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, as if spending the night in a funeral parlor wasn't scary enough! Tom Ryan brings us a chilling tale from th...
Brett Favre (Pt. 5 of 5): Playing in Green Bay, Rehab, and the Shocking Thing That Happened to Him Twice—Which Nobody Ever Knew!
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, much of what’s known about legendary NFL quarterback Brett Favre has been kept between the goal posts. So ...
The Day a Soviet Nuclear Attack Submarine Rammed an American Aircraft Carrier
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1984, during a period of Cold War tension, a Soviet submarine collided with a United States aircraft carr...
A Listener Recounts Spotting Satellites In The Sky With His Father in The Mountains of New Mexico
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Muniz tells the story of his first time seeing a satellite in the sky during a trip into the mountai...
A Museum Dedicated to Southern Jewish Heritage
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a visitor to this museum today would never guess that it began with a single closet of donated records - tru...
The Unlikely Story of How "Georgia on My Mind" Came To Be
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Lee Habeeb tells the story of how "Georgia on My Mind" came to be, and how it became a song the world would ...
Robert Redford's "Jeremiah Johnson”: The Real Story of a Hollywood Mountain Man
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the lore and legend of the American Mountain Man is a story that seems to only grow with time. In 2015, Leon...
“Nest Egg” & "No Dice" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 15)
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the Englis...
How A Losing Football Team Brought a Family Together
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Nancy Ball shares a story she wrote, “Being an Ole Miss Fan Is, in and of Itself, a Lesson in Humility.”...
Hollywood Goes To War: Henry Fonda
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s time for another one of Roger McGrath’s “Hollywood Goes To War” stories. Here’s the story of ...
Paychex Founder: No One Was Serving Small Businesses... So I Did!
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Golisano and his team serve over 680,000 businesses with payroll, HR, and benefits support. Support the ...
Beauty in Brokenness: A Couple that Rebuilt their Marriage... and Now Dilapidated Cities
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, meet John and Ashely Marsh. Amidst addiction, infidelity, divorce, pending bankruptcy, and suicidal thoughts...
Her Mother Always Told Her She Was Strong... But Strength Isn't Always Enough
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Edie Hand was always told by her mother that she was strong... but strength isn't always enough. Support the...
Ruger Firearms: The Story of a Great American Company
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ruger is the biggest gun manufacturer in the U.S., and it’s not by accident. Here to tell this story is Lo...
Reconnecting With My Absent Father Who Was Presumed Dead
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, meet Ron Brown, a man who grew up in a rough area of Chicago, was practically abandoned by his father, and w...
The Story of a Miracle from the Man who Brought Us the World's Hottest Pepper
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, “Smokin” Ed Currie is an American chili pepper breeder who is the founder and president of the PuckerBut...
The South Vietnamese Pilot Who Stole a Plane to Save His Family
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Major Buang-Ly worked as a pilot with the United States military during the Vietnam War. When the US began e...
A Brief History of Toilet Paper
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, everything you've ever wanted to know, and more, about toilet paper. Here's The History Guy with the story. ...
Accordionist Nancy 3 Hoffman—Yes, That's Her Middle Name—Tells the Story of Her....Umbrella Cover Museum
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, meet Nancy 3 (that's the numeral '3' not the word 'three') Hoffman, an accordionist, world traveler, and own...
She Was Abandoned as a Child... Now She Saves Abandoned Babies
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Monica Kelsey took her own traumatic story and turned it into something truly beautiful. Support the show...
Las Vegas Must See: The Neon Museum
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, executive director of the Neon Museum, Aaron Berger, shares some of the history of Las Vegas and the iconic ...
A Story About Motherhood From Listener Winter Prosapio - "Curls"
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, author and regular contributor of Our American Stories Winter Prosapio shares a story from motherhood and wh...
The Story of the Runaway Slave That Helped End the Fugitive Slave Act
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Fugitive Slave Act made all Americans accomplices in the practice of slavery. This story marks the begin...
How A Mother's Grit Built One of the Worlds Largest Moving Companies—And Led Her Son to God
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Brig Sorber tells the story of Two Men in a Truck—and his remarkable life. Support the show (https://w...
A Police Chaplain Remembers His Mentor... And the Oklahoma City Bombing
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a ministry of presence is what police chaplain service means to Greg Giltner. His response to the terrorist...
Thomas Mundy Peterson: The Story of the 1st Black Voter in the United States
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the story of what happened shortly after the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the United States...
Life Beyond My Wildest Dreams: Professional Dog Walker
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ryan Stewart went most of his life unsure of his purpose... But, there was one thing that kept him going -- ...
Did The Father of The Blues Really Sell His Soul to The Devil?
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, legend has it that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads to learn how to play the guit...
I Lived Through The Depression And Didn't Even Know It
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Donald Sturm tells his story of growing up during The Great Depression without knowing it because of the pow...
ILLEGAL: Shooting Bunnies From A Motorboat
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Winter Prosapio dives into some of the strange laws we have....and why we have them. Support the show (h...
The Story of a Military Man-Turned Missionary Who Carries a Gun... In War-Torn Burma (And Sudan and Iraq)
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, whether armed or unarmed, the medics and defenders of the Free Burma Rangers stand with those trapped in the...
The Story of One of West Point’s Greatest Graduation Speeches—to Graduating Jewish Cadets in 2023
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dara Horn is an accomplished American writer, winning accolades and prizes for her fiction and non-fiction a...
The Story of Charleston: The Way Life Used to Be, And Perhaps, Is Supposed to Be
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tommy Dew’s Walking Tour of Charleston, SC, has been praised and recommended by the likes of The Wall Stre...
President Truman’s Visit to Tiny Dexter, Iowa—And How It Helped Him Win Reelection
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1948 President Harry Truman decided to attend a plowing match in the small town of Dexter, Iowa. It turne...
The Story of Saxsquatch
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Saxsquatch plays music that you might well enjoy - but his family and those closest to him gave him feedback...
How Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece Influenced the Founders
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, what do dead Romans and dead Greeks have to do with America? A lot, actually. Here's Dr. Kenneth Calvert of ...
How George Washington's Bible Survived 9/11: 100 Bible Verses That Made America
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, George Washington’s Bible was on loan to a famous Revolutionary War tavern just blocks from the World Trad...
The Frankie Avalon Story: The Man Who Influenced Music and Film for Three Decades
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, not many teen idols are able to carve a successful career for themselves as they mature, but Frankie Avalon ...
The Story of The Infamous University of Wisconsin Stampede
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when a stadium full of excited sports fans pressed downhill against poor crowd control, tragedy mounted terr...
The Story of the 1st Medal of Honor Recipient (1861)
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1863 Bernard John Dowling Irwin received the first Medal of Honor by date-of-conflict—for his heroism d...
"Long Shot" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the Englis...
The Story of America’s Most Famous Metaphor: “A City Upon A Hill”: 100 Bible Verses That Made America
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you want to know about the history of America, it is imperative that you know the role that the Bible pla...
Kobe Bryant, Remembered
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on February 24th, 2020, more than 20,000 individuals gathered in the Los Angeles Staples Center to remember ...
The Two Men Who Ended Red Light Camera Tickets
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Hugh Eastwood and Bevis Schock are civil rights lawyers in St. Louis. They filed suit in three separate case...
Titanic Thompson: The Greatest Cheat of All Time
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Titanic Thompson led a wild life, always chasing the next big score, including cheating the infamous mobster...
Bankrupt and Dying from Cancer, Ulysses S. Grant Waged His Greatest Battle
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, aided by Mark Twain, the former president and Civil War hero raced to complete a literary masterpiece that s...
From Sea....to a Siberian Gulag: A Listener Recounts Being Captured by The Soviets
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Charles Burrall 'retired' early from his teaching gig and hitchhiked out West in search of adventure, h...
The Story of Chuck Taylor, the Billy Graham of Basketball
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, he wasn't an NBA star: He was a sneaker salesman that helped popularize the sport of basketball, and the sne...
The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt, T.J. Stile...
How Johnny Carson Saved Twister
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Milton Bradley game was about to be pulled from the shelves. Author Christopher Klein tells the story of...
Fannie Farmer: The Mother Of Level Measurements
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, cooking in the late 1800s was unpredictable, tiresome, and difficult. Recipes were passed down in families, ...
The Story of America: The House Divides
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 28th Episode of our Story of America Series with Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, Bill tells ...
Pastor of the Pilgrims, John Robinson: 100 Bible Verses That Made America
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you want to know about the history of America, it is imperative that you know the role that the Bible pla...
My First Job: Being Groucho Marx's Assistant
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in college, Steve Stoliar’s dad wanted him to get a job, but Steve didn’t want to work at Taco Bell… s...
"Fair Game" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the Englis...
Why Cincinnati is Named After George Washington...and a Roman Farmer
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, King George III, upon hearing that George Washington planned to resign from his military commission and retu...
The Unknown Story of the the Greatest Sports Moment of the 20th Century—The 1980 Miracle On Ice
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s known as the greatest sports moment of the 20th Century. But no matter how familiar you are with the ...
Samuel Colt and the Birth of the Revolver
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Phil Anschutz writes in Out Where The West Begins: “Samuel Colt’s life was the American story written ...
My Son Wanted to Be a Green Beret—And Nothing Else
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Bob McLalan, a listener and regular contributor, reflects on the moment his son decided to go to military sc...
Forgiving The Unforgivable: Lisa Romesburg's Story
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Lisa Romesburg, leader of an international ministry, shares her story of overcoming assault and betrayal thr...
The Great Thanksgiving Cranberry Scare of 1959
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, 400 million pounds of cranberries are consumed by Americans each year. Twenty percent of that is during the ...
My Encounter with God... While Piloting a Chopper in Vietnam
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dick Erickson, a Marine helicopter pilot who served in Vietnam, tells the story of the time he lost contact ...
The Story of America: Lincoln's First Inaugural
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 28th episode of our Story of America Series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, tells the stor...
A Wife's Letter of Thanks to Her Husband After Losing Her Baby During Pregnancy
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Megan Bayer shares her touching letter of gratitude and healing to her constant companion through a struggle...
Why Is It Called a Crapper? (And Other Astonishing Facts About Your Toilet)
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our own Greg Hengler, and others, tell the splinter-free story of the toilet—and other toilet accessories....