Our American Stories
Episodes
The Big Four and the Transcontinental Railroad
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the story of the men known as “The Big Four,” who incorporated the Central Pacific Railroad and h...
The Story of How "Women and Children First" Came to Be
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the History Guy remembers the Birkenhead Disaster and explains where the protocol "women and children first" ...
Pilot Dies, Passenger Lands Plane—with His Family on Board
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the motion picture On a Wing and a Prayer (the perfect Easter movie inspired by a remarkable true story lands...
The "Chairman Of The Board": The Story of B.B. King
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, he came up out of the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta and into the bright lights of the stage worldwid...
Pathway to God: 2,000 Miles on the Appalachian Trail
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Carter Momsen-Hudson wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail for understanding - of the accomplishment, of the p...
The Woman Who Sneaked Into George Washington's Army
11 Apr 2023
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 P...
A Young Lady's Run-In with Frank Sinatra
11 Apr 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...
The Surprising Story of the DiMaggio Brothers
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Clavin shares some great stories of Joltin' Joe, Dom, and Vince from his book, The DiMaggios: Three Broth...
This Man Grows Pumpkins That Weigh a TON
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2017, Rhode Islander, Joe Jutras, broke the record for the largest giant green squash ever grown coming in...
The Greatest Showman: The Story of P.T. Barnum
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in a big and memorable way, PT Barnum changed how all Americans lived. Our movies, television, and whole ente...
The Stories Behind Our Easter Traditions
09 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, bestselling author Ace Collins is here to reveal the events and backgrounds that shaped the best-loved custom...
Ryan Stewart: Overcoming Addiction by Letting Others Help Me
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ryan Stewart struggled with addiction for a majority of his life, and it was only through the help of others ...
Easter with My Grandson: The Best Day Ever
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes to us from a listener, Paul Bauer—a regular contributor out of the Great White North, ...
Her Career is a Tribute to Her Great Uncle, A D-Day Hero
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Heather McPherson is the Curator of History at the South Carolina Military Museum. Here's her story about how...
Curls
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Winter Prosapio of Texas shares a story about motherhood. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories....
The Stories Behind Our Easter Traditions
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, bestselling author Ace Collins is here to reveal the events and backgrounds that shaped the best-loved custom...
I Could've Gone Either Way: Why I Chose to Become a Police Officer
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jeff Shaw shares his story of being lost in his career path, becoming a police officer, and the years of emot...
Our Home Became Tidier After Having Four Sons
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Alexandra Frost is the mother of four young, active boys, yet her home is cleaner than it was before she had ...
It Took One Man 7 Years to get his Car Back (From The Government)
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tyson Timbs found out that old habits do indeed die hard when he was arrested and convicted for selling drugs...
Adolph Coors: The German Immigrant Who Brought Us Banquet Beer
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Coors Banquet is an icon in the beer industry and it's story began with a German immigrant living in a Colora...
Empathy is Not Optional: The Story of Mike Leven's Brutal Law Professor
06 Apr 2023
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 of a...
Immigrant Audrey Gruss: “My Story Could Have Only Happened In Good Ole USA”
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Lithuanian American who created the #1 depression research foundation in the country. Support the show (h...
I Paid My Own Child Support
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jason Wolfe's father left his family at the age of 6. Here he is to tell the story of figuring out to be the ...
"Pray for Us!": Father Receives Daughter's Text during Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Kengor's daughters were across the street while a tragedy unfolded at the Tree of Life Synagogue on Octo...
The Story Behind The Story of the Lone Ranger
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty 'Hi-Yo Silver'... it's the story of the L...
She Buried Over 60 Unclaimed People, Including Many Veterans
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Lanae Strovers was given the job of figuring out what to do with unclaimed urns at the funeral home she ...
The Grass and the Furious: Ladies, Start Your Lawnmower Engines!
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Julie Tynmann's here with her story about the greatest show on turf. Support the show (https://www.ouramerica...
In His Father's Village, Nobody Could Read...So He Moved to America and Became an Engineer
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Kevin Samy, the son of Indian-American immigrants who appeared on Forbes' 30 under 30 for law & policy in...
The Short Lived, Yet Memorable, Story of The Pony Express
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Pony Express is synonymous with speed, endurance, and the American spirit to just get things done. While ...
A Baby Boomer’s Battle with Insanity and Fitness
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul, our regular contributor from Minnesota, is here to tell us his weight-loss resolution story. Support th...
Brett Favre on Tough Love, Parenting, and Telling the Truth
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in Part 2 of our 5-part series, Greg Hengler sits down with Brett Favre where the legendary NFL quarterback g...
The Secret History Inside of Cracker Barrel
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, with its classic “old country” theme, Cracker Barrel has been an American favorite for many decades. But ...
"I Worked Out of Workaholism… And My Life Is Working Better"
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Steve Trice, the founder of Jasco Products, on serving his employees and a higher calling than money. Support...
The Whittaker Chambers Story: From Soviet Spy to American Cold War Hero
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the book Witness: A True Story of Soviet Spies in America and the Trial That Captivated the Nation is one of ...
A Museum Dedicated to Southern Jewish Heritage
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jane Leavey and Sandy Berman tell the story of the museum they created—The Breman Museum—and tell some st...
Hollywood Goes to War: Wild Bill Wellman
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here to tell another "Hollywood Goes to War" story is Roger McGrath. McGrath is the author of Gunfighters, Hi...
A Change in Seasons: Caring for Her Father the Way he Once Cared for Her
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Debra Freeberg joins us with part of a beautiful and heartwarming story she wrote about caring for her father...
"Fearless Freddie" Warder
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, America is great because of the men that make it up. And America won the Second World War because of men like...
How Piggly Wiggly Created the Modern Supermarket
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Clarence Saunders revolutionized the way people shopped. He developed “self-service” grocery shopping in ...
My Family Spent 4 Months Playing Battleship in a Cornfield
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the story itself is the stuff of legends...a sunken steamboat, buried treasure, and the drive of a group of A...
2x Oscar Nominee Volunteers for WWII at 37: The Story of Robert Montgomery
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Montgomery was one of the first movie stars to volunteer for service in World War II and when Dwight D...
A Bible Reading 200,000 Miles From Earth
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the crew of Apollo 8 and Steve Kates tell the story of their Christmas time mission to the moon... and the re...
The Untold Stories of Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax" and "The Grinch"
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. Seuss was raised as a Lutheran and had a strong religious background. His books often included strong mor...
The World's First Action Figure Museum
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Kevin Stark of The Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, tells the story of his museum, and...
Wandering Worker: The American Hobo
29 Mar 2023
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 what th...
The WWII Tragedy America Chose to Forget
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, because of the devastating nature of the attack, the U.S. government chose to keep the details of this attack...
Jim Thorpe: All-American, Native American
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2000, a poll was conducted by ABC Sports recognizing the Greatest Athlete of the Twentieth Century. The wi...
I Came to New York City Dead: The Story of Sarah Gonzalez's Redemption
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, coping with the loss of her father as a child, total rebellion could not stop God from pursuing Sarah Gonzale...
Triumph and Disaster: The Life of Rudyard Kipling
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the life of the youngest-ever winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, Rudyard Kipling, was filled with trag...
Eli Whitney and His Fake Interchangeable Gun Parts Demo
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Apple founder Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone to the public in 2007, he used multiple iPhones. If o...
Phillis Wheatley: The Enslaved Poet Who Met with George Washington AND the King of England
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Phillis Wheatley, the first published black poet, has the remarkable distinction of being invited to meet wit...
Thomas Hudner: The MOH Recipient Who Crashed His Plane On Purpose To Get To His Downed Wingman
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it might seem like an April Fool’s joke: The Navy commissioned its newest destroyer on April 1, 2017, and n...
The Truth Behind the “Cursed” Millionaire Heiress, Sarah Winchester
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sarah Winchester was a woman of independence, drive, and courage who lives on in legend. And the mansion she ...
“Peeping Tom” and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 14)
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here again with his reoccurring series is Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Curious Origins of Every...
Rebirth of a Legend: The Untold Story of Steve McQueen
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, we are about to hear the untold story of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen, born on This Day in History in 1930,...
From At-Risk Youth to Gentlemen: Reclaiming the Youth of the Mississippi Delta
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Marks Youth Outreach is a nonprofit organization that all started through the work of a few men in Quitman Co...
"Nest Egg & No Dice" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 15)
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here again with his reoccurring series is Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Curious Origins of Every...
Doc Holliday: Outlaw Gentlemen, Shady Ladies, and Tombstone
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, much of what America and the world knows about Doc Holliday comes from movies and television. But historians ...
George Will on Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and the Summer of ‘41
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, George Will tells the story of Ted Williams and the son of a San Francisco fisherman, his “Streak,” and s...
Hollywood Goes to War: George O'Brien
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, George O'Brien was a Hollywood star, but he left the fame and fortune to fight for his country in WWI, WWII, ...
From Crack Addict to Inventor and CEO of “My Pillow”
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the inventor and CEO of “My Pillow” is here to tell the improbable tale of how a small-town guy with a dr...
Last Men Out of Vietnam: Evacuating Saigon
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in a thrilling, moment-by-moment narrative based on a wealth of recently declassified documents and in-depth ...
I Picked Up "Tex" Watson Hitchhiking AFTER the Manson Murders
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, following the Charles Manson murders, Manson's lead henchman, Tex Watson, stayed in Los Angeles for almost tw...
The 1946 Battle of Alcatraz
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on this day in History in 1963, Alcatraz closed... The History Guy shares the story about an escape attempt i...
Crazy Beautiful: The Story of a 5-Star Steakhouse CEO and an NFL Linebacker
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Britney Ruby Miller is CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment where she leads a team of more than 500 employ...
Cyntoia Brown: A Teen's Murder Sentence and Second Chances
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when the hashtag #FreeCyntoiaBrown went viral in 2018, Cyntoia Brown was the most popular inmate in the world...
How 2 Engineers Created the Highest-Rated Gag Gift on Amazon
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, since the company’s inception in 2005, Liquid A** has been a popular product amongst pranksters across the ...
The Man Who Witnessed the Assassination of Abe Lincoln
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ford's Theater re-enactor Mike Robinson tells the full unknown story through the eyes of AC Richards, Washing...
Candyman: The Story of Jelly Belly Founder, David Klein
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the amazing true story of David Klein, an eccentric candy inventor from Los Angeles, who is the creat...
Forgiving My Worthless Father
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Leslie Leyland Fields tells us about the heart-breaking relationship between her and her father. And it's not...
"How Old Would You Be If You Didn't Know How Old You Were?" The Life of Satchel Paige
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, tells the story of a m...
Batman Through the Years
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Batman is a household name. His list of comic issues, let alone live action movies, animated films and tv sho...
A Brief History of St. Patrick's Day
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, buried beneath the St. Patrick’s Day symbols of shamrocks, leprechauns, and green beer, lies the story of a...
Busy Mother of Six Befriends Retired Cop
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Heidi Viars shares about how her life changed when she began showing some neighborly kindness to a grumpy old...
The Duke: The Life of Duke Ellington w/ Terry Teachout
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, some believe he was the most important composer of the 20th century, in or out of jazz. Terry Teachout, one o...
The "10 Cent Beer Night"
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on June 4, 1974, in Cleveland, trouble was a brewin', the bleachers were loaded, and there was a distinct buz...
How Horses Healed and Saved Not One Life But Two
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dawn Newlan suffered from PTSD after witnessing her husband's suicide. William Lambert suffered from survivor...
I Was Bored in Grad School-So I Joined the Navy
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of Hank Brown, the Senator who began his career as a forward air controller in the Vietnam War. Sup...
Cattle King, Richard King: Real-Life John Wayne and Rhett Butler
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the cattle kings of the Old West carved empires out of the wilderness. They were larger than life characters—...
Salmon and Salt: Fishing With My Grandfather
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Karl Marlantes, veteran and author of What It Is Like to Go to War and Matterhorn, tells the story of partaki...
Destined for Greatness: The Chuck Long Story
15 Mar 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...
Sgt. Stubby: The Most Decorated Dog of WWI
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jeremy Swick of the College Football Hall of Fame recounts the remarkable story of the street dog turned sold...
A Sister's Love and Loss of Three Brothers
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Edie Hand tells us the story of her brothers, the Blackburn boys, and the tragedy that struck not once, but t...
My Mother Worked Miracles During the Holocaust
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the late Judah Samet tells the harrowing story of how he and his family managed to survive the Holocaust. ...
How An Iowa Waitress Became an Officer's Wife in Texas
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Joy Neal Kidney share's her mother's story about how she became the wife of an officer's wife during World Wa...
The Obituary of a Man who Escaped Stalin and Hitler
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Alex Berezow tells us the story of his grandfather Dimitri, the real-life, "Most Interesting Man In the World...
Ken Kendrick: The Small Town West Virginian With a World Series Ring
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the remarkable life story of Ken Kendrick, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ principal owner and general managing p...
The Story of the Sneaker: A Walk Through American History
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Nicholas Smith, author of Kicks: The Great American Story of Sneakers, takes us for a journey through America...
Founding Father Benjamin Rush: Father of Psychiatry, the Army Medical Corps, and Veterinary Care
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. Benjamin Rush is America’s forgotten Founding Father; perhaps it’s because many historians don’t kn...
The Man Who Spent $35MM Fighting A $400k Fake Wine Fraud
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and America’s Cup winner Bill Koch doesn’t like being cheated. The latest e...
The Harriet Tubman Story
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Harriet Tubman is one of the giants of American history—a fearless visionary who led scores of her fellow s...
Vietnam Special Forces Vet on the "Privileges of War"
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1968, Tom Ross was the intelligence and operations officer of a unique Special Forces “A” Detachment i...
The Man Who Milks Snakes for a Living
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, at the age of 6, Nathaniel Frank became intrigued with reptiles and dreamt of working with them one day. Toda...
"On The Wagon & Once In A Blue Moon" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 16)
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here again with his reoccurring series is Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Curious Origins of Every...
The WWII Story of a Black Man Who Rescued White Seamen by Swimming 6 Hours in Shark-Infested Waters
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Bruce Wigo—the former CEO of the International Swimming Hall of Fame—is here to share a story of an unkno...
Ex-Slave Joins Union Army and Becomes the 1st Black Medal of Honor Recipient
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the story of Army Sgt. William H. Carney, who became the first Black American to have earned the Meda...
Lightning in a Bottle: The Early Years of Coke
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, why were Coke bottles green? How do Delta Airlines and Coca Cola relate? How did a syrup that was originally ...
George Will: Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and the Summer of ‘41
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, George Will tells the story of Ted Williams and the son of a San Francisco fisherman, his “Streak,” and s...
Hear From One of Only 200 North Korean Escapees to America
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Yeonmi Park was born in 1993 and in 2007 fled from North Korea with her family to China and settled in South ...
My Father’s Super-Secret Double Life as a Nuclear Missile Savant
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, for 50 years, John Clauson's father was a simple "salesman," that is, until—nearing his deathbed—he revea...