Our American Stories
Episodes
Stepehen Ambrose: 1941 and the Steps Leading Up to the U.S. Entering WWII
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here's Stephen Ambrose telling the story of 1941--the year that would bring America into WWII in December aft...
How The Pilsner Arrived, Survived, and Thrived in America
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Acitelli, author of "Pilsner: How The Beer of Kings Changed The World" tells the story of how an experime...
Bruce Paddock’s Mission: Lowering Drug Prices & Saving Lives
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the untold (and remarkable) story of generic drugs. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/dona...
The Man Who Spent $35MM Fighting A $400k Fake Wine Fraud
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, sometimes it's the principle of the thing. When you experience fraud, you can "wine" about it - or you can ge...
The Legendary Man Known as "Babe"
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the curator of the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum in Baltimore, Maryland (just outside Camden Yards) explain...
The Con Man Who Was Pardoned By Both Abe Lincoln and Jefferson Davis
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story is about a con man who was so good that he got both the Union and the Confederate presidents t...
The Woman Who Voiced Rudolph
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Billie Mae Richards is a Canadian actress best known for voicing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in the 1964 s...
Tom Morton Goes to Marine Boot Camp
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Morton had always wanted to join the military..and finally did after trying out college twice. Here's Tom...
The Man Who Spent His Entire Christmas Fund Building Beds for Needy Children
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Luke Mickelson tells how a meeting in a faith community turned into a Boy Scouts project, a Christmas traditi...
The Making of an American Pantheon: Grant's Tomb
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, presidential historian and author of Grant's Tomb: The Epic Death of Ulysses S. Grant and the Making of an Am...
Hess Trucks, The Holiday Tradition That Started at a Gas Station
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, for nearly 60 years, Hess trucks have brought smiles to children, and adults, up and down the East Coast. The...
The History of Christmas Trees
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, let’s take a listen to The History Guy as he recalls the forgotten history of Christmas trees. Support the ...
The Most Famous Partnership in Showbiz History—The Real Story of Colonel Parker and Elvis Presley
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, get the real story of the most exciting time in 20th-century music - the loyal, riotously successful, often h...
The 1946 Battle of Alcatraz
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy shares the story about an escape attempt in the infamous Alcatraz Federal penitentiary in San...
Dred Scott in Spikes: Curt Flood
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, discrimination in all the basics of life could not deter Curt Flood from excellence in professional baseball ...
Brett Favre on His Miraculous Monday Night Game after His Father Died (Pt. 3)
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, part 3 of our 5-part series we hear Favre get very personal about his miraculous Monday Night Football game i...
Abraham Lincoln: Our First "Wired" President
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, you’ve heard Christopher Klein tell the story of “How Johnny Carson Saved Twister” and how Mark Twain h...
Jim Henson: The Story of the Man Behind the Muppets
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, threatening viewers into buying Wilkins coffee was just one creative way Jim Henson mastered the television m...
Destined For Greatness: The Chuck Long Story
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Chuck Long tells the story of how he came to be Iowa's star quarterback in the 1980's and how he later came t...
Shopping the Wishlists of Children in Need
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jonathan Mattox is co-chairman of The Christmas Store, founded in 1975. Jonathan tells us about this annual e...
The Short, Happy Life of Abraham Lincoln: His Final Days
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Civil War was over, the city of Washington was in celebration, and President Lincoln's life was about to ...
The Origins of America's Religious Liberty...Birthed in Queens, NYC?
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Larry Reed tells the story of the Flushing Remonstrance, an all-important document that helped inform the 1st...
Thomas Bennett: The Man Behind the Winchester Brand
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Bennett was a master salesman and businessman who helped, along with John Moses Browning, create the i...
A Former German Soldier...Who Helped Build America's Arsenal of Democracy In WWII
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Frohlich tells the story of his grandfather, a German-born immigrant who handled warhorses as a World ...
Jason Sautel
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jason Sautel shares his story from his book The Rescuer: One Firefighter's Story of Courage, Darkness and the...
Rattlesnakes and Vinegar: A Journey to the General Store
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Cecil Wax grew up in a different age. Listen to his and his brother's journey into town which will transport ...
Cy Walter: The Art Tatum of Cocktail Pianists
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our storyteller's father was more than a virtuoso of the American Songbook. He was a circumspect, gentle, and...
The Pretty Big Deal in West Mineral, Kansas
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Joe Manns tells the story of Big Brutus, an absolutely massive piece of mining equipment in West Mineral, Kan...
The Battle of Monocacy, The Union Loss That Saved Washington, D.C.
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on July 9, 1864, the Union army suffered a loss... that just so happened to save the United States and help s...
Liquor and The Law: Taking a Bottle of Wine to the Supreme Court
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Tennessee officials told Doug and Mary Ketchum they couldn't run their liquor store in Memphis, they too...
My Coming of Agency Moment: Staying in My School
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ian Rowe took full responsibility for what he believed was right. He sized up the assumption that his public ...
The Vincent van Gogh of Acting? HINT: He Played "Fredo"
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s a well-known bit of movie trivia that all 5 films in which actor John Cazale appeared were nominated f...
50 Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy—The Plow, Barbed Wire, and Google Search
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tim Harford, author of the bestselling book 50 Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy, shares the storie...
Zuzu’s “Wonderful Life”: The Story of Karolyn Grimes
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our next storyteller has the privilege of being in one of the most beloved movies of all time (It's a Wonderf...
The Woman Who Wrote "Mary Had A Little Lamb" Is the Godmother of Thanksgiving?
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thanksgiving used to be one of many days—"If you planned your itinerary carefully, you could have a good Th...
The Great Thanksgiving Cranberry Scare of 1959
24 Nov 2023
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 w...
The Real Story of the First Thanksgiving
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thanksgiving is the only American holiday that has actually remained relatively innocent—it’s not somethi...
The Real Story of the First Thanksgiving
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thanksgiving is the only American holiday that has actually remained relatively innocent—it’s not somethi...
They Call Her "The Stomach"
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Lindsey Gallant tells her story of when she was challenged to an eating contest by a boy at her church. Suppo...
How a Master Chef Lost the Thanksgiving Turkey
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, according to the National Turkey Federation, each year Americans gobble down on 46 million turkeys for Thanks...
The Great Thanksgiving Cranberry Scare of 1959
23 Nov 2023
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 w...
My First Job: Being Groucho Marx's Assistant
22 Nov 2023
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… so...
Thanksgiving With Bosnian Refugees In Iowa
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Joy Neal Kidney shares the story of two unforgettable Thanksgivings with Bosnian refugees. Support the show (...
"You're Getting Shot At"—The Story of My First Combat Mission in Afghanistan
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Peter Braxton brings an eye-opening perspective on service to America in war-torn skies. Support the show (ht...
"A Dark Horse" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions
22 Nov 2023
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 English...
Yogi Berra, an American Success Story (by George Will)
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, "I never said most of the things I said." ... Well, even if that's so, Yogi Berra's quotes are just the entré...
They Call Her "The Stomach"
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Lindsey Gallant tells her story of when she was challenged to an eating contest by a boy at her church. Suppo...
Sarah Josepha Hale: The Godmother of Thanksgiving
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, "If you planned your itinerary carefully, you could have a good Thanksgiving dinner every day between Electio...
How the "Master Chef" Lost The Thanksgiving Turkey
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, according to the National Turkey Federation, each year Americans gobble down on 46 million turkeys for Thanks...
The Great Thanksgiving Cranberry Scare of 1959
21 Nov 2023
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 w...
The First Thanksgiving: The Real Story
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thanksgiving is the only American holiday that has actually remained relatively innocent—it’s not somethi...
How Patrick Henry Saved America From Its First Civil War
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, George Washington led America's army to independence. He needed help to avoid leading it into our first civil...
Karl Marlantes: Turning Ghosts into Ancestors
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Vietnam Veteran and best-selling author Karl Marlantes shares his story of war, memory, and loss. Support the...
Elvis and the Colonel Meet Greg
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, doing maintenance in mansions, you could meet anyone, talk about anything - even find your career as an agent...
My Life After Firefighting
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, James, a retired fire captain, shares his story of firefighting and the emotions that come along with it. Sup...
The South Didn't Always Appreciate Its Greatest Writer: The Story of William Faulkner
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, William Faulkner grew up in Oxford, Mississippi (where we broadcast), and did what few authors dared to do --...
A Listener's Story: The Atomic Marine
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Muniz tells the story of his boss who participated in atomic bomb testing in Nevada in the 1950's. Su...
How An Ex-Slave and His White Abolitionist-Sidekick Rescued Slaves, Taunted Slavers, and Gave The "Underground Railroad" It's Name
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here to tell the story is Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist, Scott Shane. Shane is the author of "...
The Family The Size Of A Baseball Team
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Bohlender family have 10 children, 6 of which are adopted. Here's the story of their journey and how they...
Before Mary Kay, There Was Madam C.J. Walker—The First Self-Made Female Millionaire
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, born on land of the former plantation where her parents were enslaved, Madam C.J. Walker married young, had a...
How George Washington Surprised the British Army, the Hessians, and the World on Christmas 1776
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College, tells the story of how George Washington turned the tides of ...
Nellie Bly's Record-Breaking Trip Around the World
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Nellie Bly was a writer, industrialist, inventor, and a charity worker who was widely known for her record-br...
A Listener's Story: Uncle Bud's Last Days
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, listener and regular contributor Brent Timmons tells the story of spending time with his Uncle Bud in the fin...
Pepsi Had the 6th Largest Navy in the World?
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, as odd it may seem, the History Guy tells the story of how Pepsi came to own a fleet of Soviet naval ships. S...
Paul Revere's Ride
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in this dramatic reading, American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalized Old North Church and Paul Rev...
My Life After "19 Kids and Counting"—As Told by Jill Duggar and Her Husband Derick
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jill Duggar and her husband Derick are here to share their story—the unedited truth—behind TLC’s hit te...
The Constitution's First Test—Washington's First Term: The Story of America [Ep. 14]
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the new Constitution was an experiment—a unplayed sheet of music— and we wouldn't know what it would look...
A One Man (Abridged) History of the Big Apple
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you’re curious enough, the familiar can become fascinating. Bill Bryk briefly recounts how New York City...
Lesson Learned: Clean Hog Manure Off Boots Before Going to School
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Scott Jones, author of Growing Up Rural, shares the story of one of the most embarrassing moments of his ti...
The Unlikely Story of The Godfather: How The Greatest Film Ever Made Came to Be
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the director was a renegade filmmaker who'd never made a profitable picture. The producer was hired because h...
“Peter Out” and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 17)
15 Nov 2023
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 English...
The B-25 In My Dad's Backyard
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Wally Soplata tells the story of his eccentric union carpenter father who collected rare and vintage WWII air...
The Story Behind The Navy's Motto: Don't Give Up the Ship
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the War of 1812 is fairly called the Second American Revolution. When American sailors were being forced into...
The Hairdresser Who Helped Convert The Druglord/Dictator Manuel Noriega
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, she didn't have any idea that her customer that day was the Panamanian dictator's daughter. Support the show ...
Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Johnny Cash is an American original. And this story is an insider’s look at the man whose music sprang from...
Surviving Hanoi: Larry Spencer's Story
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Larry Spencer tells the story of being one of the first POW's of the Vietnam war and surviving until war's en...
A Medal of Honor Recipient Through The Eyes of His Father
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Monti, father of Medal of Honor recipient Jared Monti, tells his son's story. Support the show (https://...
Karl Marlantes: Why I Chose to Go to Vietnam
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the late 1960s, Karl Marlantes was presented with a choice. Serve in a war that he saw as unjust, desert t...
George Washington: America's First True Superhero
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Vince Benedetto delivers the awe-inspiring story of our first president. Support the show (https://www.ourame...
A Listener's Story About a Humble Local Hero -- Her Uncle
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Joy Neal Kidney shares her uncle, Donald Wilson's, war story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstorie...
The First Thanksgiving: The Real Story
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thanksgiving is the only American holiday that has actually remained relatively innocent—it’s not somethi...
We're Holding Our Own: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, as big freighters go, she was bigger than most with a crew and captain well seasoned...but on November 10th, ...
The Story of How Jackie Kennedy Saved New York's Grand Central Station
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, before she was an iconic First Lady, Jackie Kennedy was a born-and-raised New Yorker. By 1975—when she sett...
She Gave Up Touring With Katy Perry to Serve God
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, after much searching and suffering, a new opportunity arose that beggared belief - but led to something truly...
The TV Show That's Taking Over the World: The Chosen
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Hollywood giants are ramping up new "faith arms" - and this tectonic shift has begun with an amazing success ...
My Mom Told Me Not to Come Home Until I Had My 1st Job
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our own Russ Jones shares perhaps the best single thing his mom ever told him! Support the show (https://ww...
The Greatest Showman: The Story of PT Barnum
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in a big and memorable way PT Barnum changed how all Americans lived. He gave them something to talk about an...
A Divorced Father Living with His Marine Son
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if Bob McLalan knew his father would be living with him for 18 months, he would have thrown him out that firs...
From Exploitation to Exultation: Escaping the Sex Industry
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, as a young woman seemingly trapped in the commercial sex industry, Harmony Dust Grillo's struggle continued u...
“Black Harry” Hoosier: The Story Behind Indiana’s Namesake
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, how did Indiana get its nickname “The Hoosier State?” And how did people from Indiana come to be called “...
Into the Union: How Texas Joined The United States
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here to tell the second part of his Texas anthropology series is Monte Monroe, the Texas State Historian. Tod...
The Story of How The Bill of Rights Came to Be: The Story of America [Ep. 13]
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, we often forget that the Bill of Rights came after the Constitution came into effect. Here to tell the stor...
The Sleeping Sentinel Who Received the Death Penalty, But Was Saved By President Lincoln
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Civil War soldier, William Scott, fell asleep at his post, at the time a transgression that was punishabl...
Hedy Lamarr: The 40’s “Bombshell” Actress Behind GPS, WIFI, and Bluetooth
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Hedy Lamarr set a high standard for more than screen performance. She negotiated for fair contract terms - an...
John Clem, Civil War Boy Soldier
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here to tell the story of John Lincoln Clem—the youngest non-commissioned officer in Army history—is Kris...
City Grazing: Land Management Powered by Goats
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Genevieve Church, the third "Goat Lady of San Francisco", is executive director of City Grazing. Listen to he...
A Young Lady's Run-in with Frank Sinatra
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Colorado listener Patty Kingsbaker shares this "knock out" Frank Sinatra story. Support the show (https://www...
Nancy Kelsey: California's 1st Female Pioneer Arrives Barefoot and Pregnant and Becomes the "Betsy Ross of CA"
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when the lure of a new life on the farthest edge of the frontier beckoned to Ben Kelsey, Nancy was determined...
An Air Force Pilot's Post-Retirement Career Dilemma: A Job at a Big Bank or the Pilot of Air Force 2
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on the morning of September 11, 2001, Peter Braxton was the first military pilot in the air over the burning ...
The Story of the Greatest Walk-On in College Football History
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Brandon Burlsworth walked on at The University of Arkansas with little chance of ever securing a starting job...