Explore every episode of the podcast An Old Timey Podcast

When Kate Townsend arrived in New Orleans in 1857, she was a young, poor, uneducated immigrant. Within just a few years, she opened one of the most luxurious brothels in the country. Her mansion at 40 Basin Street featured opulent, high-end decor. She hired beautiful women and catered to wealthy, well-connected clientele. As Kate’s wealth grew, so did her power. But a troubled relationship with her longtime boyfriend brought about her downfall.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Asbury, Herbert. The French Quarter: An Informal History of the New Orleans Underworld. Basic Books, 2008.
“Brothels of Antebellum New Orleans.” June 23, 2009. https://news.tulane.edu/news/brothels-antebellum-new-orleans.
Gauthreaux, Alan G., and D. G. Hippensteel. Dark Bayou: Infamous Louisiana Homicides. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2016.
New Orleans Republican. “Murder in a Bagnio.” July 31, 1870.
New Orleans States. “Sykes Acquitted.” February 1, 1884.
Tallant, Robert. Ready to Hang; Seven Famous New Orleans Murders. Harper Brothers, 1952. https://archive.org/details/bwb_P9-BJW-162/page/34/mode/2up.
Taylor, Troy. Wicked New Orleans: The Dark Side of the Big Easy. History Press, 2010.
The New Orleans Democrat. “Judge Sheehan Reviving a Long Forgotten City Regulation.” July 10, 1880.
The Times-Democrat. “Sykes Forges His Landlady’s Name.” January 16, 1879.
The Times-Democrat. “The Disturbance at Spanish Fort.” August 10, 1879.
The Times-Picayune. “Civil Courts.” December 13, 1881.
Whittington, Reagan. “Prostitution in New Orleans from 1860 to 1930: Timeline.” Digital and Public History Student Projects, April 23, 2020. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/dighist/7.
Wilhelm, Robert. Queen of the Demimonde. n.d. http://www.murderbygaslight.com/2015/01/queen-of-demimonde.html.

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Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

ABBA became an international sensation when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with their song, “Waterloo.” In the years that followed, they created hit after hit after hit. They toured the globe. But then the band hit hard times. Agnetha and Bjorn divorced. So did Benny and Anni-Frid “Frida.” It seemed like ABBA had permanently fallen apart. But the 90s took a surprising turn for ABBA - and they have been under the Super Trooper lights ever since! 

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kyla pulled from: 

The Story of ABBA by Jan Gradvall
Documentary: The Joy of ABBA
Documentary: ABBA: THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL
WIKIPEDIA
ABBASITE the official website of ABBA
“How ABBA's two marriages and divorces split the group apart for nearly 40 years,” by Tom Eames for People Magazine

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Calling all Dancing Queens! In this two-part series, Kyla Pitts-Zevin (Kristin’s sister & mayor of all of Kristin’s podcasts) tells us about the Swedish pop music group, ABBA. She tells us the band members' surprising backstories and about the iconic Eurovision performance that launched them into stardom.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kyla pulled from: 

The Story of ABBA by Jan Gradvall
Documentary: The Joy of ABBA
Documentary: ABBA: THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL
Wikipedia
ABBASITE the official website of ABBA
“How ABBA's two marriages and divorces split the group apart for nearly 40 years,” by Tom Eames for People Magazine

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

As soon as David Reimer learned the truth, he knew what he wanted to do. He began presenting as a man. He got a new name. He started testosterone therapy. He underwent surgery. But just when it looked like he had a shot at a normal life, he discovered that Dr. John Money had been writing about him for years. Dr. Money had falsely presented David as proof that we are all born gender neutral, and that parents could choose their child’s gender identity, provided they did it early enough.

David knew that what had happened to him was now happening to children all over the world. He decided to put a stop to it.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“The True Story of John/Joan,” by John Colapinto for Rolling Stone 
An episode of PBS NOVA, “Sex: Unknown”
“Intersex,” The Cleveland Clinic
“It’s Intersex Awareness Day. Here Are 5 Myths We Need to Shatter,” Amnesty International
"John William Money, 84, Sexual Identity Researcher, Dies," by Benedict Carey for The New York Times.
"Milton Diamond, Sexologist and Advocate for Intersex Babies, Dies at 90" by Clary Risen for The New York Times.
“David Reimer, 38, Subject of the John/Joan Case, Dies” Associated Press
“Dr. Money and the Boy with No Penis,” BBC
“What were the real reasons behind David Reimer’s suicide?” by John Colapinto for Slate

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

When he was just seven months old, David Reimer became the victim of a botched circumcision. The accident left him without a penis. His parents, Janet and Ron Reimer, were distraught. They wondered what kind of life David would have. Experts told them that there was little to be done. But then one night, they happened to see an interview with the prominent sexologist Dr. John Money. 

Dr. Money was charismatic. He was confident. He was credentialed. He had a theory that we are all born gender neutral, and that you could actually choose a child’s gender, provided you made the switch before the child turned two years old. Janet and Ron Reimer were filled with hope. They wondered if, with Dr. Money’s help, they find the solution to their son’s tragic accident. 

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: 

“The True Story of John/Joan,” by John Colapinto for Rolling Stone 

An episode of PBS NOVA, “Sex: Unknown”

“Intersex,” The Cleveland Clinic

“It’s Intersex Awareness Day. Here Are 5 Myths We Need to Shatter,” Amnesty International

"John William Money, 84, Sexual Identity Researcher, Dies," by Benedict Carey for The New York Times.

"Milton Diamond, Sexologist and Advocate for Intersex Babies, Dies at 90" by Clary Risen for The New York Times.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

You might have thought we couldn’t make it through last week’s episode, but just like Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor, we’re alive, we’re here, and we’re really pissed at you for listening to other podcasts while we were gone.

In this episode, Normie C continues to decipher fact from fiction. Meanwhile, Kristin wonders whether we’ll ever hear more about Michael Shannon’s surfboards.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, we pulled from:
Bay, Michael, dir. Pearl Harbor. Touchstone Pictures, 2001.
Cutrer, Thomas W., and T. Michael Parrish. Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor, and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement. Texas A&M University Press, 2018.
“Doolittle Raid.” http://public1.nhhcaws.local/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1942/halsey-doolittle-raid.html.
Imperial War Museums. The Reason Japan Attacked Pearl Harbor. 2021. 13:52. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so4v_2zq35k.
The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. “US Intelligence Failures at Pearl Harbor.” September 18, 2025. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/us-intelligence-failures-pearl-harbor.
U.S. Department of War. “Pilots Fought Back Heroically Against Pearl Harbor Attack.” https://www.war.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/3973184/pilots-fought-back-heroically-against-pearl-harbor-attack/.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

In this two-part series, we analyze Michael Bay’s 2001 box office smash, Pearl Harbor. Normie C points out historical inaccuracies. Kristin points out cringey dialogue. Above all, we ask ourselves the *important* questions. Questions like: Is Pearl Harbor just Titanic for boys? And, if this film had a $140 million budget, why does Jon Voight’s butt-chin prosthetic look so much like Silly Puddy? Finally, isn’t it cute that we made fun of this movie for being too long, but we couldn’t fit our own analysis into one episode?? 

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, we pulled from:
Baldwin, Tess E. “The Park Avenue Tunnel Wreck of 1902.” Discovering NYC, January 9, 2025. https://discovering.nyc/the-park-avenue-tunnel-wreck-of-1902/.
Bay, Michael, dir. Pearl Harbor. Touchstone Pictures, 2001.
Cutrer, Thomas W., and T. Michael Parrish. Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor, and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement. Texas A&M University Press, 2018.
Default. “Huff-Daland Duster 1925-ca.1948.” Accessed September 21, 2026. https://deltamuseum.org/research/history/aircraft/crop-dusters/crop-dusters/huff-daland-duster-1925-ca.1948.
Imperial War Museums. The Reason Japan Attacked Pearl Harbor. 2021. 13:52. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so4v_2zq35k.
Kan, Kenneth C. First in the Air: The Eagle Squadrons of World War II. Air Force History and Museums Program, 2007.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked the U.S. Naval Station at Pearl Harbor. During that chaotic scene, a Black sailor named Doris “Dorie” Miller shot down a Japanese plane and saved an untold number of lives. Doris Miller’s actions were particularly heroic, given the fact that the Navy’s racist policies barred him from serving in a combat role. In fact, he’d only been trained to serve food. 

For decades, people have fought for Doris Miller to get the recognition that he deserves. The government has been slow to recognize his heroism. But, a few years ago, the acting Secretary of the Navy announced that a future aircraft carrier would be named the USS Doris Miller (CVN-81). Last month, CNN reported that the White House might rescind that decision – opting to name it the USS Donald Trump instead. Needless to say, Normie C had some thoughts about that.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: 

Britzky, Haley, and Pamela Brown. “Exclusive: Navy Weighs Renaming Carrier Slated to Honor Black War Hero, Potentially Switching It to Trump.” CNN, August 20, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/20/politics/navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-black-war-hero-to-trump.

CBS Sunday Morning. Aircraft Carrier to Be Named after Pearl Harbor Hero. 2020. 07:05. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPIHx_fik-0.

Cutrer, Thomas W., and T. Michael Parrish. Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor, and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement. Texas A&M University Press, 2018.

Dudley, Margaret. “The Unforeseen Legacy of Doris Miller.” National Museum of the Pacific War, October 26, 2023. https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/learn/articles/the-unforeseen-legacy-of-doris-miller.

English, Molly. “Trump Says ‘Nobody Will’ Build Monuments for Him Once He’s Gone.” KTEN, September 4, 2026. https://www.kten.com/news/politics/trump-says-nobody-will-build-monuments-for-him-once-he-s-gone/article_c5df451c-87aa-5e20-94a4-af52c1035877.html.

Forbes Breaking News. “It Caused A Lot Of Concerns”: Relative Reacts To Navy Mulling Rename USS Doris Miller To USS Trump. 2026. 04:28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6Q_z1t-lis.

Naval History and Heritage Command. “The Sinking of USS Liscome Bay.” November 24, 2014. https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nnam/education/articles/history-up-close/the-sinking-of-uss-liscome-bay.html.

NBC News. “Pentagon Restores Histories of Navajo Code Talkers, Other Native Veterans after Public Outcry.” March 20, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pentagon-restores-histories-navajo-code-talkers-native-veterans-public-rcna197215.

The National Medal of Honor Museum. “The Medal.” https://mohmuseum.org/medal-recipients/learn-about-the-medal.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

In 1917, Alan Hart became one of the first trans men in the United States to undergo a medically-assisted transition. In the months after his transition, the life he’d envisioned took shape. He got an internship at San Francisco Hospital. He fell in love.

But, when Alan applied for a job at another hospital, a former classmate spotted him. They outed him to his prospective employer. They outed him to his current employer. He was outed via a newspaper. Soon, the story was picked up by wire services.

The experience was traumatic, but Alan held steady. In time, he established himself as a trailblazing trans doctor.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Trailblazing transgender doctor saved countless lives,” by Leo DeLuca for Scientific American
“Homo-sexuality and its treatment,” by J. Allen Gilbert for the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
“Alan Hart” by Morgen Young for Oregon Encyclopedia
“This Kansas-born transgender doctor made a lifesaving tuberculosis breakthrough,” by Jacob Smollen for KCUR
“Alan L. Hart: An innovative pioneer in radiology and transgender rights,” by Athena Reich and Katharine A. Colbert for PubMed Central
“Dr. A. Lucille Hart wore male attire,” The Capital Journal, Feb. 1918
“Intern unmasked as girl graduate of Oregon school,” The Oregon Daily Journal, Feb. 1918
“Dr. Hart does work in male attire,” Albany Democrat, Feb, 1918
“Dr. Hart explains change to male attire,” Albany Democrat, March 1918
“Mrs. Robert Bamford dies at age of 78,” Albany Democrat-Herald, Feb. 1921
“R.A. Bamford, aged 88, dies, pioneer of 61,” Albany Democrat-Herald July 1924
“Manifesting Manhood: Dr. Alan Hart’s transformation and the embodiment of sex in early 20th century sexology,” by Colin P. Close

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Decades before the term “transgender” was coined, Alan Hart became one of the first trans men in the United States to undergo a medically-assisted transition.

In part one of this two-part series, we delve into Alan’s life before he transitioned.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Trailblazing transgender doctor saved countless lives,” by Leo DeLuca for Scientific American
“Homo-sexuality and its treatment,” by J. Allen Gilbert for the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
“Alan Hart” by Morgen Young for Oregon Encyclopedia
“This Kansas-born transgender doctor made a lifesaving tuberculosis breakthrough,” by Jacob Smollen for KCUR
“Alan L. Hart: An innovative pioneer in radiology and transgender rights,” by Athena Reich and Katharine A. Colbert for PubMed Central
“Dr. A. Lucille Hart wore male attire,” The Capital Journal, Feb. 1918
“Intern unmasked as girl graduate of Oregon school,” The Oregon Daily Journal, Feb. 1918
“Dr. Hart does work in male attire,” Albany Democrat, Feb, 1918
“Dr. Hart explains change to male attire,” Albany Democrat, March 1918
“Mrs. Robert Bamford dies at age of 78,” Albany Democrat-Herald, Feb. 1921
“R.A. Bamford, aged 88, dies, pioneer of 61,” Albany Democrat-Herald July 1924
“Manifesting Manhood: Dr. Alan Hart’s transformation and the embodiment of sex in early 20th century sexology,” by Colin P. Close

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Poor ol’ William Henry Harrison. The dude has the odd distinction of giving the longest inauguration speech in American history, followed by the shortest presidency in American history. 

You might be familiar with the story: He gave a speech with no coat on, and as a result, caught pneumonia and died. But… was it really pneumonia that killed him?  

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: 
“Did William Henry Harrison really die of pneumonia?” by Jay Serafino for Mental Floss
“What really killed Willliam Henry Harrison?” by Jane McHugh and Philip A. Mackowiak for the New York Times
“What killed William Henry Harrison?” The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
“William Henry Harrison” history.com
“In 1841, pneumonia killed the president in 31 days. His doctors were accused of incompetence.” by Ronald G. Shafer for The Washington Post
“‘His Accidency’: The first president to die in office and the constitutional confusion that followed,” by Ronald G. Shafer for The Washington Post
“Did William Henry Harrison really die from pneumonia?” by Christopher Klein for History.com
“Zachary Taylor did not die of arsenic poisoning, tests indicate,” by Eric Harrison for the Los Angeles Times
“Verdict In: 12th president was not assassinated,” by Michel Marriott for The New York Times

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Join us on a perilous journey as Kristin discovers that the presidential fun facts she loves are ALL LIES. In this week’s episode, we’ll examine the myth that George Washington wore wooden dentures. As it turns out, our first president didn’t wake up every day and put wooden dentures into his big wet mouth! The real story is much more horrifying.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: 
“George Washington’s Dentures: Disability, Deception and the Republican Body,” by Jennifer Van Horn for Early American Studies
“George Washington didn’t have wooden teeth – they were ivory,” by Colin Schultz for Smithsonian Magazine
“The private life of George Washington’s slaves,” by Mary V. Thompson for Frontline
“Did George Washington have wooden teeth?” by David Emery for Snopes.com
“George Washington’s false teeth not wooden,” Associated Press
“George Washington and teeth from enslaved people,” mountvernon.org
“A history of Washington’s dental troubles,” mountvernon.org
“Cherry tree myth,” mountvernon.org

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Welcome back to the final episode in our two-part series on Wallis Simpson! In this episode, Kyla Pitts-Zevin (Kristin’s sister & mayor of all of Kristin’s podcasts) gives us a lesson on how to tell a story concisely. (Did you know that you could tell a person’s life story in less than seven parts? News to us!)

Last week we learned about Wallis Simpson’s early life and first two marriages. In this episode, she meets King Edward VIII. Their love affair leads to a constitutional crisis that changes the course of history. Oh, and look out for Nazis.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kyla pulled from:
That Woman: The life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor by Anne Sebba
Countdown to Abdication: A Very Royal Crisis, BBC Documentary
Duchess of Windsor: The Woman Who Stole a King’s Heart, Documentary
Wikipedia
Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor by Andrew Lownie
Disbelief from Family of Simpson’s Lover, BBC

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

In this *very special* two-part series, Kyla Pitts-Zevin (Kristin’s sister & mayor of all of Kristin’s podcasts) tells us about an extraordinarily complicated woman. Wallis Simpson is best known for her relationship with King Edward VIII. When he announced his intention to marry the American divorcee, a constitutional crisis erupted that led to his abdication of the throne.

The abdication altered the course of history. People had plenty to say about Wallis Simpson, the new Duchess of Windsor. But what was her deal, really? In part one, we explore her early life and her first two marriages.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kyla pulled from:
“That Woman: The life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor,” by Anne Sebba
“Countdown to Abdication: A Very Royal Crisis,” BBC documentary
“Duchess of Windsor: The Woman Who Stole a King’s Heart,” documentary
Wikipedia
“Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor,” by Andrew Lownie
“Disbelief from Family of Simpson’s Lover,” BBC

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

By Friday, February 13th, 1925, rescue workers were getting close to Floyd Collins, who lay trapped deep down in Sand Cave. Above ground, crowds gathered and prayed for Floyd. Reporters questioned state officials for any updates. Photographers readied their cameras around the rescue shaft, hoping to capture the big moment. 

By that point, Floyd Collins had been stuck for two weeks. Rescuers were confident they would find him. They just didn’t know if they’d find him alive.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: 

“Charles Lindbergh – No Fan Of The American Press – Sound Familiar?” Mr. Magazine, September 5, 2019. https://mrmagazine.me/2019/09/05/charles-lindbergh-no-fan-of-the-american-press-sound-familiar-a-mr-magazine-blast-from-the-past-circa-may-1954/.

Collins, Homer, and John Lehrberger. The Life and Death of Floyd Collins. Cave Books, 2001.

“Fingerprints and Bloodstains.” Kentucky Cop Stories, January 29, 2022. https://kentuckycopstories.wordpress.com/2022/01/29/fingerprints-and-bloodstains-louisville-ky/.

Kem, David Randolph. The Kentucky Cave Wars: The Century That Shaped Mammoth Cave National Park. David Randolph Kem, 2014.

Murray, Robert K., and Roger W. Brucker. Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins. University Press of Kentucky, 1982. https://archive.org/details/trappedstoryofst0000murr.

Reilly, Lucas. “The 1925 Cave Rescue That Captivated the Nation.” Mental Floss, July 13, 2018. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/544782/1925-cave-rescue-that-captivated-the-united-states-floyd-collins.

Theiss, Nancy. “1936 Murder Case Still Resonates in La Grange.” Courier-Journal, June 2, 2026. https://archive.is/vPbAz.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Reporters swarmed. Crowds gathered. State officials arrived on scene. People were hungry for information about the trapped cave explorer, Floyd Collins. They wanted to rescue the man trapped 55 feet below the earth’s surface. But a collapse halted any further attempts through Sand Cave.

Locals and state experts disagreed on the best path forward. And as they argued, hope dwindled.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Collins, Homer, and John Lehrberger. The Life and Death of Floyd Collins. Cave Books, 2001.
Kem, David Randolph. The Kentucky Cave Wars: The Century That Shaped Mammoth Cave National Park. David Randolph Kem, 2014.
Murray, Robert K., and Roger W. Brucker. Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins. University Press of Kentucky, 1982. https://archive.org/details/trappedstoryofst0000murr.
Reilly, Lucas. “The 1925 Cave Rescue That Captivated the Nation.” Mental Floss, July 13, 2018. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/544782/1925-cave-rescue-that-captivated-the-united-states-floyd-collins.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

In the dead of Winter, 1925, cave explorer Floyd Collins crawled, wiggled, and wormed 55 feet below the surface of a sandhole. He was on the hunt for a magnificent cave. But when his lantern began to flicker, he turned back. He re-entered the narrow passageway. In the confusion of darkness, he kicked a protruding rock. When he did, a boulder dropped on his leg. Dirt and debris buried him.

Floyd Collins was trapped, 55 feet underground, in the complete dark. All he could do was scream and hope that someone would come to his rescue.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Collins, Homer, and John Lehrberger. The Life and Death of Floyd Collins. Cave Books, 2001.
Kem, David Randolph. The Kentucky Cave Wars: The Century That Shaped Mammoth Cave National Park. David Randolph Kem, 2014.
Murray, Robert K., and Roger W. Brucker. Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins. University Press of Kentucky, 1982. https://archive.org/details/trappedstoryofst0000murr.
Reilly, Lucas. “The 1925 Cave Rescue That Captivated the Nation.” Mental Floss, July 13, 2018. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/544782/1925-cave-rescue-that-captivated-the-united-states-floyd-collins.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Floyd Collins had a dream. He dreamt that one day, he’d emerge victorious in the Kentucky Cave Wars. In that era, people made easy money turning beautiful, awe-inspiring caves into tourist destinations. The tough part was *finding* the cave. Finding a cave took months of dangerous, exhausting work, but Floyd Collins was up to the task.

In January of 1925, he felt certain that he was digging his way toward a magnificent one. Then he got stuck.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: 

Collins, Homer, and John Lehrberger. The Life and Death of Floyd Collins. Cave Books, 2001.

David R. Kem. “The Kentucky Cave Wars.” The Kentucky Cave Wars, July 5, 2025. https://kentuckycavewars.wordpress.com/.

“George Morrison (U.S. National Park Service).” https://www.nps.gov/people/george-morrison.htm.

Kem, David Randolph. The Kentucky Cave Wars: The Century That Shaped Mammoth Cave National Park. David Randolph Kem, 2014.

Murray, Robert K., and Roger W. Brucker. Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins. University Press of Kentucky, 1982. https://archive.org/details/trappedstoryofst0000murr.

Reilly, Lucas. “The 1925 Cave Rescue That Captivated the Nation.” Mental Floss, July 13, 2018. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/544782/1925-cave-rescue-that-captivated-the-united-states-floyd-collins.

“Stephen Bishop (U.S. National Park Service).” https://www.nps.gov/people/stephen-bishop.htm.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

We’ve all heard the story. President William Howard Taft got stuck in the White House bathtub! A bunch of dudes had to yank him out!! They replaced the old bathtub with a new one, BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD FOUR WORKING MEN!!!

…except did he *actually* get stuck in the tub? In this episode, we do a deep dive into how this story got started and how it eventually got stuck in the bathtub of our collective imaginations.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Popular Lore Claims That William Howard Taft Got Stuck in a Bathtub. New Research Sheds Light on the Legend’s Forgotten Origins” by Howard Dorre for Smithsonian
“Taft bathtub is world’s largest,” The Altoona Times, Jan. 27, 1909
“President Taft’s giant, bathtub, Woodrow Wilson’s wife,” by Gwen Bagni and Paul Dubov for The San Francisco Examiner, Jan. 23, 1979
“Chief justice, not president, was William Howard Taft’s dream job,” by Erick Trickey for Smithsonian Magazine
“William Howard Taft is still stuck in the tub,” Alexis Coe by The New York Times
“50 years on the Ol’ Mississip’” by Lewis R. Freeman for American Illustrated Magazine, Volume 107, 1929
“Backstairs at the White House,” by Movie Lovers on YouTube
“Taft stuck in phone booth,” The Jeffersonian, Aug. 1, 1908
“Taft opens great tunnel,” New York Herald, Sept. 24, 1909

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord!

The Great Depression hit James Cash Penney hard. It decimated his finances. It worried him. It humbled him. After some soul searching, he came to realize that he could make a comeback. 

JC Penney the man proved to himself, and the world, that he still had something to offer. But the story didn’t end quite as sweetly for JCPenney the store.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: 

Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993.

Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.

Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord!

James Cash Penney had an ambitious dream. He wanted to own 50 Golden Rule stores. Over the course of just a few years, he achieved that dream and then some. But tough lessons in his personal life taught him that financial success wasn’t everything. So, he pulled back. He reevaluated his life. He travelled. He sought counsel from his pastor. He even bought a ticket on the Titanic! 

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993.

Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.

Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord! 

Say what you will about James Cash Penney Jr. Just don’t say he didn’t work his booty off. After he left his hometown, James tried desperately to succeed as a businessman. He found work as a sales person. He bought a struggling butcher shop/bakery. With each effort came failure.

Then he discovered a new kind of business. It was called the Golden Rule Dry Goods Store. The store featured low-priced goods in a clean environment. The store owners treated their customers with respect. James went to the store, hoping to be hired. He knew that if he could get his foot in the door, he’d one day find success.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993.
Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.
Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord! 

Normie C starts this series with a bold claim: That JCPenney is the best department store ever. This raises a lot of questions. Questions like… Really? Has Norm been to other department stores? Also, really??

In Part 1, Norm loads us up with all the context we’ll ever need about James Cash Penney Jr. A poor farm boy from Missouri, Penney would eventually create a chain of department stores with more than 2,000 locations worldwide. (If you’re able, please listen to this episode while wearing your finest St. John's Bay polo.)

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993.
Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.
Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Mountain climbing was an unusual pastime in the 1920s. It was particularly unusual among women. But Agnes Vaille made a name for herself as a tough, formidable climber. Soon, she found herself setting records. In 1925, she and fellow climber Walter Kiener decided to make history as the first people to climb Longs Peak’s east face in the wintertime. Their friends warned them against the dangerous climb. But Walter and Agnes couldn’t be dissuaded.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Alexander, Ruth M. “The Agnes Vaille Tragedy of 1925: A Turning Point in the History of Longs Peak.” In People and Nature on the Mountaintop: A Resource and Impact Study of Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. Colorado State University, 2010.

American Alpine Institute. “Route Profile: Kiener’s Route.” November 4, 2019. https://www.alpineinstitute.com/route-profile-kiener-s-route/.

Fort Collins Coloradoan. “Sortland’s Body Found Near Hotel.” February 26, 1925.

Jessen, Kenneth. “Tragedy Haunted Longs Peak Climber Walter Kiener.” Loveland Reporter Herald, June 18, 2015. https://archive.is/Im3f1.

Las Vegas Optic. “Many Visit Museum.” June 3, 1914.

“Longs Peak | Colorado Encyclopedia.” https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/longs-peak.

Robertson, Janet. The Magnificent Mountain Women: Adventures in the Colorado Rockies. With Arlene Blum. Bison Books, 2020.

“Roger Wolcott Toll | Colorado Encyclopedia.” https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/roger-wolcott-toll.

Sherman, John Dickinson. “Kiener’s Lookout.” Ashland Pioneer Press, September 18, 1925.

The Houston Chronicle. “Shelter Cabin 13,200 Feet Up on High Peak Is Memorial to Girl.” September 19, 1926.

The Keota News. “Colorado News Notes.” July 5, 1918.

The Orange County Plain Dealer. “Two Girls First to Climb High Peak.” July 31, 1922.

The Record. “Society Personal.” April 22, 1913.

Vaille, Howard T. “Early Years of the Telephone in Colorado.” The Colorado Magazine, August 1928.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Bless you, dear listener! You could have spent your day surfing the net and in doing so, turned a blind eye to this episode, But instead, you’re sitting there, like the cat got your tongue, about to listen to a very special episode of an Old Timey Podcast!

We predict that at the end of this episode, you’ll say I wish Kristin would have spilled the beans on other idioms and their origin stories! In fact, I’d pay through the nose to hear more of these delightful tales, but alas, she must have had a deadline to meet.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“The origins of 21 common phrases,” by Nicholas C. Rossis for StoryEmpire.com
“7 everyday English idioms and where they come from,” by Kate Lohnes for Britannica
“The real stories behind 7 everyday expressions,” by Megan Willett-Wei for Business Insider
“Admiral Nelson’s defiance inspired the saying ‘to turn a blind eye,” by Cecilia Bogaard for AncientOrigins.net
“Central New York woman becomes a ‘Final Jeopardy!’ answer,” by Geoff Herbert for The Post-Standard
“Internet group honors pioneering CNY librarian,” by Marnie Eisenstadt for The Post-Standard
“The curious – and creepy – origins of ‘cat got  your tongue?’” for History.com
“A reporter said ‘screw the pooch’ on Face The Nation. Where does that phrase come from?” by Ben Zimmer for Slate.com
“Buried Alive: Inside the 19th century panic over premature burial,” by Christopher Klein for History.com
“I just learned why we say ‘spill the beans’ and I would never have guessed,” by Amy Glover for Huffpost
“Why pay through the nose?” by Anatoly Liberman for OUPblog
“It’s the bee’s knees; or, the entomology and etymology of ‘the bee’s knees’,” by Mike Cassidy for The Marietta Traveler
“This legendary bartender served Hemingway and aided the resistance against the nazis,” by Alexis Ferenczi for Vice.com
“Why do we say ‘bless you’ when someone sneezes?” by Barbara Mikkelson for Snopes.com

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

The Presidential Fitness Test has been a gym class staple for decades. Generations of Americans have performed pull-ups, sit-ups, mile runs and flexibility tests under the watchful eye of their sweaty peers. In the end, a select group of kids were given the coveted Presidential Physical Fitness Award.

At the time, it all seemed *so important*! But was it, actually? Whose idea was it? And did it accomplish what it set out to do?

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:

“A brief history of the bizarre and sadistic Presidential Fitness Test,” by Phil Edwards for Vox
“Tools of the trade: The Presidential Physical Fitness test,” by Elissa Nadworny for NPR
“The report that shocked the president,” by Robert Boyle for Sports Illustrated
“The soft American,” by John F. Kennedy for Sports Illustrated
“The origins of the Presidential Fitness Test,” by Vince Guerrieri for Mental Floss
“Remember running the mile in school? The Presidential Fitness Test is coming back,” by Rachel Treisman for NPR
“The first 50 years, 1956-2006,” by Julie Sturgeon and Janice Meer for the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
“The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and the Systematisation of Children’s Play in America,” by Matthew T. Bowers and Thomas M. Hunt for the International Journal of the History of Sport
“Exercise pioneer Bonnie Prudden dies at 97,” by Kimberly Matas for the Arizona Daily Star

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

George C. Parker was an infamous con man. He sold the Brooklyn Bridge countless times. He sold Ulysses S. Grant’s tomb. He sold Madison Square Garden. He sold the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He even sold the Statue of Liberty! Most often, the victims of his schemes were new immigrants who didn’t speak English and were unfamiliar with America’s public property laws. 

…but… was George C. Parker truly the prolific scammer he claimed to be? The internet sure thinks so! Normie C begs to differ.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: 

Asbury Park Press. “Capt. Parker Held For Extradition.” June 30, 1928.

Asbury Park Press. “Parker, Famous ‘Seller,’ Seized Here, Gets Life.” December 18, 1928.

Asbury Park Press. “Parker, Noted Confidence Man, Is Arrested Here.” June 29, 1928.

Brooklyn Daily Times. “Famous ‘Con’ Man Starts as ‘Lifer.’” November 23, 1928.

Brooklyn Daily Times. “Smartest Bunco Salesman Faces Life Term If Convicted.” July 8, 1928.

Brooklyn Eagle. “Albert Murch Dies.” August 11, 1931.

Brooklyn Eagle. “Brooklyn Bridge’s ‘Seller’ Sent to Sing Sing For Life.” November 23, 1928.

Brown, Peter Jensen. “Bridges, Bunco and Basso - a Gullible History of Selling the Brooklyn Bridge.” Early Sports and Pop Culture History Blog, October 1, 2020. https://esnpc.blogspot.com/2020/10/bridges-bunco-and-basso-gullible.html.

Cohen, Gabriel. “For You, Half Price - The New York Times.” The New York Times, November 27, 2005. https://archive.is/5GeA4.

Courier-Post. “Bunco Prince Faces Life For $150 Deal.” July 9, 1928.

Daily News. “Con Man Uses Love Notes To Gag Dupes.” July 8, 1928.

Detroit Free Press. “Selling Brooklyn Bridge.” November 23, 1928.

Ellery Queen Magazine. “Stranger Than Fiction.” November 2022. https://www.elleryqueenmysterymagazine.com/the-crime-scene/stranger-than-fiction-november-2022/.

Find a Grave. “‘Capt.’ George C. Parker (1860-1937).” https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229047420/george_c-parker.

HISTORY, dir. Modern Marvels: Building the Brooklyn Bridge (S2, E20) | Full Episode | History. Modern Marvels. 2023. 46:00. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I-JFnbJ19U.

HowStuffWorks. “Meet the Conman Who Sold the Brooklyn Bridge — Many Times Over.” July 26, 2022. https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/conman-sold-brooklyn-bridge.htm.

IrishCentral.Com. “The Man Who ‘Sold’ The Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and Ulysses Grant’s Tomb.” February 25, 2026. https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/man-sold-brooklyn-bridge-statue-of-liberty.

Lincoln Journal Star. “Bridge ‘Seller’ Is Caught in Law’s Net.” December 11, 1928.

Marysville Journal-Tribune. “Man Who ‘Sold’ Brooklyn Bridge Again in Jail; Other Old-Time Crooks Come to Grief In New York.” December 1, 1928.

Mimi Matthews. “The 19th Century Confidence Man.” June 20, 2016. https://www.mimimatthews.com/2016/06/20/the-19th-century-confidence-man/.

Minium, Alice. “The Untold Truth Of 19th-Century Conman George C. Parker.” Grunge, April 4, 2022. https://www.grunge.com/820192/the-untold-truth-of-19th-century-conman-george-c-parker/.

Naked History. “The Man Who Sold the Brooklyn Bridge.” https://web.archive.org/web/20190718114933/https://www.historynaked.com/man-sold-brooklyn-bridge/.

NYC Walks. “The Brooklyn Bridge — ‘If You Believe That, I Have a Bridge in Brooklyn to Sell to You.’” https://nycwalks.com/blog/the-brooklyn-bridge-if-you-believe-that-i-have-a-bridge-in-brooklyn-to-sell-to-you/.

Racing Nellie Bly. “Con Artist George Parker Sold Brooklyn Bridge And Famous Monuments.” Accessed April 24, 2026. https://racingnelliebly.com/strange_times/con-artist-george-parker-sold-brooklyn-bridge/.

Sifakis, Carl. Hoaxes and Scams: A Compendium of Deceptions, Ruses, and Swindles. Facts on File, 1993.

“Sing Sing Prison Admission Registers, 1865-1939.” n.d. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8922/.

The Brooklyn Citizen. “Man, Suing State, Charged With Forging Contracts.” September 18, 1930.

The Brooklyn Citizen. “News of the Day.” July 18, 1892.

The Brooklyn Citizen. “Nothing Heard of Criminal Who Skipped Jail.” January 3, 1906.

The Brooklyn Citizen. “Old Offender Once Again in Toils of Law.” July 7, 1928.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. “Once Sold Brooklyn Bridge And Lots in City Hall Park, Rest of Life May Be In Jail.” July 8, 1928.

The Brooklyn Daily Times. “Roamer, 58, Is Given Life For Forgery.” December 17, 1928.

The Houston Post. “Selling Brooklyn Bridge.” December 26, 1928.

The Mayfield Messenger. “Con Man Who ‘Sold’ Brooklyn Bridge Gets Life in Prison.” December 18, 1928.

The Miami Herald. “Dean of Slickers Given Life Term.” December 18, 1928.

The News Journal. “Former Resident of Shore Gets Life Term.” December 18, 1928.

The Saginaw News. “His Wasted Sales Talent.” July 10, 1928.

The Washington Post. “Life for Brooklyn Bridge Swindler.” December 18, 1928.

Times Union. “Big Claimant Against State Recognized by Judge Conway.” September 18, 1930.

Times Union. “Lifer Recalls Nervy Escape.” November 23, 1928.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Garrett Morgan was a prolific inventor. He invented the gas mask. The three-way traffic light. The self-extinguishing cigarette. He even created a hair care line. But, as a Black man, he had to be creative in how he presented his inventions to the public. He knew that some people would refuse to buy his invention if they discovered that it had been invented by a Black man.

So? Sometimes he hired white actors to play the role of Garrett Morgan. Sometimes he posed as his own assistant. In short, he did what he had to do to get people to take his inventions seriously.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: 
“Overcoming discrimination by consumers during the age of segregation: The example of Garrett Morgan,” by Lisa D. Cook for Business History Review 
“Guardian of the public safety: Garrett A. Morgan and the Lake Erie Crib Disaster” by William M King for the Journal of Negro History
“Garrett Morgan,” National Inventors Hall of Fame
“Garrett Morgan,” Encyclopedia.com
“Of courage and caution,” United States Patent and Trademark Office
“Black inventor Garrett Morgan saved countless lives with gas mask and improved traffic lights,” Scientific American
“Gas mask inventor dim memory here,” by Jim Strang for The Plain Dealer
“Wakeman Country Club” Green Book Cleveland
“Garrett Morgan,” Biography.com

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Nintendo couldn’t believe their luck. Their latest arcade game, Donkey Kong, had become a surprise hit. But then Universal, one of the largest media companies in the world, came knocking. They claimed that Donkey Kong infringed on their King Kong trademark. Even worse? They were ready to go to war.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Audureau, William. The History of Mario. Pix’n Love, 2014.

Internet Archive. “Universal v. Nintendo Court Documents.” 2026. https://archive.org/details/universal-v-nintendo-court-documents.

Sheff, David. Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children. Random House, Inc., 1993.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Nintendo was in trouble. It was 1980, and they’d just poured a ton of money into an arcade game they’d hoped would be a hit. They called it Radar Scope. It was a massive flop. In a panic, the company rushed to create a new game that they hoped would make good use out of all their unsold Radar Scope arcade cabinets. That game – Donkey Kong – took the world by storm.

Nintendo basked in the success of their new game. They had no idea that a massive lawsuit was headed their way.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Audureau, William. The History of Mario. Pix’n Love, 2014.

Internet Archive. “Universal v. Nintendo Court Documents.” 2026. https://archive.org/details/universal-v-nintendo-court-documents.

Sheff, David. Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children. Random House, Inc., 1993.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Hachi was just a puppy when he was adopted by a professor at Tokyo Imperial University. The two bonded instantly. Every day, Hachi greeted Professor Hidesaburo Ueno at the Shibuya Train Station as he came home from work. The pair would walk home together. But when the professor suddenly died, Hachi’s loyalty didn’t. For years, Hachi still went to the train station, waiting for the professor to return.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Fritz, Robb. “History’s a Bitch: A Dog Walk Through Time: Wait for Me.” McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, February 7, 2012. https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/wait-for-me.

Itoh, Mayumi. Hachi: The Truth of The Life and Legend of the Most Famous Dog in Japan. Self Published, 2013.

MC. “Hachiko’s Droopy Ear.” The House of Two Bows, March 3, 2011. https://shibasenji.wordpress.com/tag/saito-hirokichi/.

Perkins School for the Blind. “Helen Keller: A Life with Dogs.” June 24, 2016. https://www.perkins.org/helen-keller-a-life-with-dogs/.

Skabelund, Aaron. “Fascism’s Furry Friends: Dogs, National Identity, and Purity of Blood in 1930s Japan.” In The Culture of Japanese Fascism, edited by Alan Tansman, Rey Chow, Harry Harootunian, and Masao Miyoshi. Duke University Press, 2009. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781478090885-008/html.

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Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

By the mid-1800’s, the River Thames was essentially a massive sewer. People poured their waste into it. They also drank from it. That combination resulted in thousands of deaths. People weren’t sure what caused the deaths, but in the summer of 1858, when the temperatures rose and the water levels dropped, London stunk to high heaven.

It took a lot of money, creativity, and an incredible act of civil engineering from Sir Joseph Bazalgette to fix the Great Stink.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Ackroyd, Peter. London Under: The Secret History Beneath the Streets. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2012.

“Cesspools and Sewers: Toilets in Dirty Old London.” Yale University Press, November 19, 2014. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2014/11/19/cesspools-and-sewers-toilets-in-dirty-old-london/.

“Cholera in Victorian London | Science Museum.” https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/medicine/cholera-victorian-london.

Contagion - CURIOSity Digital Exhibits. “Cholera Epidemics in the 19th Century.” March 26, 2020. https://curiosity.lib.harvard.edu/contagion/feature/cholera-epidemics-in-the-19th-century.

Halliday, Stephen. The Great Stink of London: Sir Joseph Bazalgette and the Cleansing of the Victorian Metropolis. The History Press, 2020.

Historic UK. “The Victorian Workhouse.” https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Victorian-Workhouse/.

“Joseph Bazalgette | The History of London.” December 21, 2024. https://www.thehistoryoflondon.co.uk/joseph-bazalgette/.

“The Great Stink | The History of London.” January 20, 2025. https://www.thehistoryoflondon.co.uk/the-great-stink/.

The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered, dir. History and Sewage: The Great Stink of 1858. 2018. 11:44. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD7nRrSH_VE.

“The Smithsonian and the 19th Century Guano Trade: This Poop Is Crap.” May 25, 2017. https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/smithsonian-and-19th-century-guano-trade-poop-crap.

Tulchinsky, Theodore H. “John Snow, Cholera, the Broad Street Pump; Waterborne Diseases Then and Now.” Case Studies in Public Health, 2018, 77–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804571-8.00017-2.

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Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Prepare for battle – a cookie battle, that is! Back in the early 1900s, two brothers invented a game changing cookie. It consisted of two crisp chocolate wafers, stuck together with a vanilla cream filling. It was delicious! It was fancy! They called it… Hydrox.

Years later, Nabisco created their own knockoff version of Hydrox. They called it the Oreo. For decades, Hydrox was the undisputed king of chocolate sandwich cookies. But in time, the tables turned.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Business 2.0. “Oreos to Hydrox: Resistance Is Futile.” February 20, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020220054213/http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,4537,FF.html.

Cahn, William. Out of the Cracker Barrel: The Nabisco Story From Animal Crackers to Zuzus. Simon & Schuster, 1969.

CBC Radio. “The Best-Selling Cookie in the World Is a Copycat Brand.” January 11, 2024. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/the-best-selling-cookie-in-the-world-is-a-copycat-brand-1.7080582.

CBS, dir. Hydrox Cookies Turn 100. 2008. 03:16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbFiS-1fhiM.

Chenab Gourmet. “Crackers Through the Ages.” November 18, 2024. https://www.chenabgourmet.com/crackers-through-the-ages-discover-the-gourmet-secrets-that-will-transform-your-snack-game/.

Elmwood Cemetery. “Jacob Loose.” https://elmwoodcemeterykc.org/resident/jacob-loose/.

Jewish Action. “Paving the Way for Women’s Leadership: The OU Women’s Branch.” June 12, 2018. https://jewishaction.com/religion/women/paving-way-womens-leadership-ou-womens-branch/.

Kansas City Journal. “JL Loose Dies in Summer Home.” September 19, 1923.

Kansas City Journal. “Loose-Wiles New Brands Now Ready For Delivery.” November 9, 1902.

Kansas City Star. “Death of Joseph S. Loose.” n.d.

Kansas City Star. “The Cracker Trust Buys Another Kansas City Plant - An Independent Combine?” May 20, 1902.

Kansas City Star. “Who’s Who in Kansas City.” December 24, 1922.

Kansas City Times. “Lock Horns With a Trust.” May 1, 1902.

Loose Mansion. “History of Loose Mansion.” https://loosemansion.com/history/.

Los Angeles Times. “Granny Goose Parent Thinks Chips Go Well With Sunshine Biscuits.” February 10, 1988. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-10-fi-28222-story.html.

Martin, Mackenzie. “Remember Hydrox? Kansas City Created the Original Oreo Cookie.” KCUR - Kansas City News and NPR, March 6, 2024. https://www.kcur.org/history/2024-03-06/remember-hydrox-kansas-city-created-the-original-oreo-cookie.

News-Press NOW. “Soggy Cracker House Needs Some Help.” April 15, 2008. https://www.newspressnow.com/news/soggy-cracker-house-needs-some-help/article_df129ed7-c42d-5179-b43b-7de4822332b6.html.

NPR. “Episode 652: The Hydrox Resurrection.” September 18, 2015. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/09/18/441546748/episode-652-the-hydrox-resurrection.

NYC EATS. “Adolphus Green.” https://www.newyorkcity-eats.com/adolphus-green.

Serious Eats. “How Oreos Got Their Name: The Rise of an American Icon.” https://www.seriouseats.com/history-of-oreos-bravetart-cookbook.

The Pendergast Years. “Jacob L. and Ella C. Loose.” https://pendergastkc.org/articles/jacob-l-and-ella-c-loose.

The Springfield Daily News (The Republican). “Hydrox Advertisement.” February 2, 1926.

The Topeka Daily Capital. “Home of Sunshine Biscuit All That Name Suggests.” October 24, 1917.

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Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

As his trial drew closer, Charles Guiteau became more delusional. He wrote demanding letters to the new president, Chester A. Arthur. He announced plans to run for president himself. He got the word out that he was looking for love — the love of a wealthy, Christian woman under 30, that is!

He wasn’t worried about what the future held. He was certain that, if he did go on trial for murder, he’d be surrounded by the country’s best criminal defense attorneys.

That didn’t happen. Instead, his long-suffering brother-in-law, Charles Scoville, stepped in. Charles Scoville was a patent attorney from Illinois. He knew he might not be able to stop the government from giving an insane man the death penalty, but he’d sure as hell try.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
“Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org
“‘As a Matter of Fact, I Presume I Shall Live to be President’”: A Brief Biographical Sketch of Garfield’s Assassin” from the National Park Service
The Federal Judicial Center document, “United States v. Guiteau: Assassination and Insanity in Gilded Age America,” by Winston Bowman for the Federal Judicial Center
The article, “The Trial of Charles Guiteau,” by Douglas O. Linder for Famous-trials.com

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Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Mere minutes after the shooting, a doctor arrived on the scene. Using his ungloved, unwashed fingers, he dug into President James Garfield’s bullet wound. The doctor hoped to retrieve the bullet. That would prove a common theme in the president’s medical care. As James Garfield struggled to survive, doctors obsessed over retrieving the bullet. They subjected him to daily examinations — always with unsanitized tools and unwashed hands. Those examinations caused him tremendous suffering. They ultimately killed him.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
“Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org
“‘As a Matter of Fact, I Presume I Shall Live to be President’”: A Brief Biographical Sketch of Garfield’s Assassin” from the National Park Service
“Assassination and Insanity in Gilded Age America,” by Winston Bowman

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Charles Guiteau was seething. He’d convinced himself that he deserved a political appointment. When he didn’t get one, he placed the blame squarely on President James Garfield’s shoulders.

James Garfield was a liar. A cheat. The country would be better off without him!

Over time, Charles convinced himself that God wanted him to assassinate the president. So? He bought a gun. He tracked the president’s movements. He shot the President in cold blood.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
“Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org
“‘As a Matter of Fact, I Presume I Shall Live to be President’”: A Brief Biographical Sketch of Garfield’s Assassin” from the National Park Service
“Assassination and Insanity in Gilded Age America,” by Winston Bowman

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

When James Garfield won the presidential election, Charles Guiteau was ecstatic. He was certain that he’d played a major role in Garfield’s victory. So, fueled by delusion, Charles Guiteau began hounding James Garfield for a political appointment.

Meanwhile, New York Senator and political boss Roscoe Conkling threw a temper tantrum. James Garfield had the tenacity to fill his cabinet with members of his *own* choosing. That made Roscoe mad. So? He hatched a plan. A very stupid plan.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
“Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org
“‘As a Matter of Fact, I Presume I Shall Live to be President’”: A Brief Biographical Sketch of Garfield’s Assassin” from the National Park Service
“Secret Service fast facts,” CNN Editorial Research

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

It was the summer of 1880, and Charles Guiteau didn’t have much going for him. He was unemployed. He had very little money. He had no relationships. His family members feared he was insane.

But Charles didn’t see himself that way. He thought he was destined for greatness. He’d convinced himself that he was an excellent public speaker with an eye for politics. So? He dedicated himself to James Garfield’s presidential campaign.

In less than a year, he’d assassinate the president of the United States.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
“Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org
“‘As a Matter of Fact, I Presume I Shall Live to be President’”: A Brief Biographical Sketch of Garfield’s Assassin” from the National Park Service
“The Oneida Community,” by John H. Martin for the Crooked Lake Review
“John Humphrey Noyes,” for Britannica

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Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

As James Garfield’s surprise presidential campaign got underway, he knew he didn’t have it in the bag. The Republican party was divided. The Democratic party was united. And there was some weirdo third-party candidate campaigning for an 8-hour workday. *I guess people don’t wanna work anymore!?*

The fact that many members of his party — including his own vice president — were, at best, mildly enthusiastic about his candidacy made his road to victory even less likely. And yet? A strange little man named Charles Guiteau campaigned hard for Garfield. He was convinced that he’d be rewarded for his efforts.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
“Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

James A. Garfield was a remarkable man. He was an academic. A Union war hero. A family man. And in 1880? He *accidentally* became the Republican nominee for president. In this episode, you’ll get a boatload of context about 1880s politics (omg, are you still reading?), and you’ll learn how a man oops-fudge-striped his way into the presidency.

In the weeks to come, we’ll cover his presidency, his assassination, and the legacy he left behind.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
“Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

John Colt never denied killing Samuel Adams. As the murder trial wrapped up, the defense argued that John Colt never planned to kill Samuel Adams. He’d acted in self defense. In the finale of this series, the jury returns their verdict. John Colt faces the aftermath.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Dunphy, Thomas. Remarkable Trials of All Countries. Diossy & Company, 1870.
Edwards, William. The Story of Colt’s Revolver. Stackpole Co, 1953.
Phelps, M. Devil’’s Right Hand: The Tragic Story of the Colt Family Curse. Lyons Press, 2013.
Schechter, Harold. Killer Colt: Murder, Disgrace, and the Making of an American Legend. 1st ed. Open Road Integrated Media, Inc, 2010.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

When John Colt went on trial for the murder of Samuel Adams, it felt like all of New York was watching. The media shared inflammatory, and often inaccurate stories about the defendant. The public clamored for more. Courtroom antics ranged from theatrical to downright gross. John Colt sat at the center of it all, shielded by a defense team that argued he hadn’t murdered Samuel Adams. He’d simply been defending himself.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Dunphy, Thomas. Remarkable Trials of All Countries. Diossy & Company, 1870.
Edwards, William. The Story of Colt’s Revolver. Stackpole Co, 1953.
Phelps, M. Devil’’s Right Hand: The Tragic Story of the Colt Family Curse. Lyons Press, 2013.
Schechter, Harold. Killer Colt: Murder, Disgrace, and the Making of an American Legend. 1st ed. Open Road Integrated Media, Inc, 2010.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Samuel Adams (no, not *that* Samuel Adams) was nowhere to be found. His friends and family were alarmed. They feared that the respected small business owner had met a violent end.

Meanwhile, across town, John Caldwell Colt was up to no good. He tried to cover his tracks, but the man in the office next door was onto him. 

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Crain, Caleb. “What Was the (New) York Shilling?” Steamboats Are Ruining Everything, February 11, 2020.https://steamthing.com/2020/02/what-was-the-new-york-shilling.html.
Dunphy, Thomas. Remarkable Trials of All Countries. Diossy & Company, 1870.
Edwards, William. The Story of Colt’s Revolver. Stackpole Co, 1953.
Phelps, M. Devil’’s Right Hand: The Tragic Story of the Colt Family Curse. Lyons Press, 2013.
Schechter, Harold. Killer Colt: Murder, Disgrace, and the Making of an American Legend. 1st ed. Open Road Integrated Media, Inc, 2010.
Vangermeersch, Richard. “The Life and Writings of John C. Colt (1810-1842).” University of Rhode Island, 2010.

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Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

On a sunny fall day in 1841, New York City officials boarded a ship in search of a crate. Crew members found it buried deep in the cargo hold. The odor coming from within it was unbearable.

Inside, they discovered the decomposing body of half-naked man, covered in salt. Authorities identified the body as Samuel Adams (No, not that Samuel Adams.)

Who could have done such a thing? There was no need to ponder that question. Authorities had already arrested their prime suspect, John Caldwell Colt. John was an author and expert on bookkeeping. He was also the older brother of Samuel Colt, the inventor of the Colt Revolver.

In this episode, Normie C hits us with all the context we’ll need to understand this gruesome murder and the bizarre trial that followed.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Dunphy, Thomas. Remarkable Trials of All Countries. Diossy & Company, 1870.

Edwards, William. The Story of Colt’s Revolver. Stackpole Co, 1953.

Phelps, M. Devil’’s Right Hand: The Tragic Story of the Colt Family Curse. Lyons Press, 2013.

Schechter, Harold. Killer Colt: Murder, Disgrace, and the Making of an American Legend. 1st ed. Open Road Integrated Media, Inc, 2010.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Welcome to the first annual D.B. Cooper Suspect Awards! In this very real award show, we celebrate a handful of the thin-lipped, military-trained sky divers who *might* be responsible for the only unsolved airplane hijacking in United States history.

Plus: Mistakes of Shame! Kristin mispronounced the name of D.B. Cooper suspect Robert Rackstraw. She called him Robert Rackshaw. As punishment, Kristin will be banned from podcasting for the remainder of 2025.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“As new evidence upends D.B. Cooper case, the (un)usual suspects continue to fuel the legend,” by Douglas Perry for The Oregonian
“Who were the D.B. Cooper suspects? From Rob Rackstraw to Dick Briggs,” by Molli Mitchell for Newsweek
“Five most likely suspects behind iconic D.B. Cooper mystery as net closes in on identifying him,” by Luke Kenton for The Daily Mail
“Suspects in the D.B. Cooper skyjacking – sketches, pictures and comparisons,” by Bruce A. Smith for The Mountain News
“D.B. Cooper letter, newly released by FBI, offers startling coded clue that might reveal skyjacker,” by Douglas Perry for The Oregonian
“‘Charming’ D.B. Cooper suspect Sheridan Peterson dies at 94, spent years dedicated to political causes,” by Douglas Perry for The Oregonian
The book, “Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper,” by Geoffrey Gray
The documentary, “The Mystery of DB Cooper”
“Who was the mysterious hijacker D.B. Cooper?” by Ella Morton for History.com
“D.B. Cooper Hijacking, FBI.gov
“The missing piece of the D.B. Cooper story,” by Andrea Marks for Rolling Stone
“Scientists say they may have new evidence in the D.B. Cooper case,” by Chris Ingalls for USA Today

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

On Thanksgiving Eve, 1971, D.B. Cooper parachuted into the night’s sky with $200k in ransom money. That night, the FBI launched their investigation into his identity and location. They interviewed eyewitnesses. They developed sketches. They searched the airplane for evidence, finding a few hairs, cigarette butts, and a clip-on tie. They analyzed the flight path to determine where he might have landed.

But after searching, and searching, and searching - the mysterious D.B. Cooper was nowhere to be found.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper,” by Geoffrey Gray
The documentary, “DB Cooper: Where are you?!”
The documentary, “The Mystery of DB Cooper”
“Who was the mysterious hijacker D.B. Cooper?” by Ella Morton for History.com
“D.B. Cooper Hijacking, FBI.gov
“The missing piece of the D.B. Cooper story,” by Andrea Marks for Rolling Stone
“Scientists say they may have new evidence in the D.B. Cooper case,” by Chris Ingalls for USA Today

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

This episode kicks off our coverage of the only unsolved airplane hijacking in United States history.

On November 24, 1971, a nondescript man boarded a flight to Seattle. He wore a dark suit. He carried a briefcase. As the plane took off, he told the flight attendants that he had a bomb. He demanded $200,000 in ransom money, plus four parachutes.

The airline, along with federal agents, scrambled to meet his demands. When the plane landed in Seattle, he allowed the passengers to leave. Then the man – who would later be known as D.B. Cooper – instructed the crew to fly him to Mexico. His instructions revealed a high level of knowledge about the Boeing 727 jet. And then? He did the unthinkable. He parachuted out of the plane with the ransom money in tow, never to be heard from again.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper,” by Geoffrey Gray
The documentary, “DB Cooper: Where are you?!”
The documentary, “The Mystery of DB Cooper”
“Who was the mysterious hijacker D.B. Cooper?” by Ella Morton for History.com
“D.B. Cooper Hijacking, FBI.gov
“The missing piece of the D.B. Cooper story,” by Andrea Marks for Rolling Stone

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Spite Houses: The architectural equivalent of a middle finger. They’re structures or dwellings designed specifically to piss someone off. This week, Norm does a deep dive into a truly ridiculous spite house, built and owned by an eccentric millionaire named Joseph Richardson.

It all started when a man made an offer on Joseph’s 5-foot wide, 102-foot deep tract of land in New York City. Joseph was so offended by the man’s (completely reasonable) offer, that he built an odd, skinny structure right next to the man’s beautiful apartment building. And the wildest part of it all? Joseph Richardson lived in his spite house for fifteen years.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Alpern, Andrew. Holdouts!: The Buildings That Got in the Way. McGraw-Hill, 1984.
Documentary History of American Water-Works. “Biography of Joseph Richardson.” http://www.waterworkshistory.us/bio/Richardson/index.htm.
Find a Grave. “Joseph C. Richardson (1814-1897).” https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58229813/joseph_c-richardson.
Miller, Tom. “The Lost 1882 ‘Spite House’ -- No. 1218 Lexington Avenue.” Daytonian in Manhattan, August 27, 2012. https://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-lost-1882-spite-house-no-1215.html.
New York Architecture. “New York Architecture Images - Spite House.” February 1, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120201111125/http://www.nyc-architecture.com/GON/GON005.htm.
New York Daily Herald. “Corporate Elections.” April 8, 1873.
New York Daily Herald. “Marriages and Deaths.” July 14, 1872.
New York Daily Herald. “The City Railroad Bills.” February 12, 1873.
New York Herald. “Financial and Commercial.” March 12, 1874.
New York Herald. “Railroads in Utah.” January 27, 1875.
New York Herald. “‘Uncle Ben’ Richardson Dead.” February 22, 1889.
New York Times. “Calls Them Embezzlers.” March 20, 1895.
New York Times. “Joseph Richardson Dead.” June 9, 1897.
New York Times. “Joseph Richardson Dying.” April 16, 1897.
New York Times. “Meeting of the Directors of the Union Pacific Railroad.” March 7, 1873.
New York Times. “Mr Richardson’s Faculty.” June 14, 1897.
New York Times. “Mr. Richardson’s Funeral.” June 12, 1897.
New York Times. “Richardson Will Contest.” November 18, 1897.
New York Times. “Richardson’s Money Gone.” December 23, 1897.
New York Times. “Spite House Case Dismissed.” November 1, 1900.
New York Times. “Stormy Railroad Meeting.” October 19, 1877.
New York Times. “Struck in the Tunnel.” August 21, 1888.
New York Tribune. “Evicted, Goes to Country.” August 21, 1910.
New York Tribune. “Rapid Transit Schemes.” September 22, 1875.
The Universe of Discourse. “The Spite House.” https://blog.plover.com/tech/spite-house.html.
The World. “Strange Heirs of Joseph Richardson.” June 13, 1897.
Utah Rails.Net. “The History of Utah’s Railroads, 1869-1883.” https://utahrails.net/reeder/reeder-chap6.php.
Valentine’s Manual of Old New York. The Chauncey Holt Company, 1921.

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Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

It had been exhausting. It had been challenging. But Emma Gatewood refused to give up on her dream to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. So? She kept going. As she hiked, media outlets chronicled her journey. They dubbed her Grandma Gatewood. When she finished, Emma became the first woman to solo thru-hike the 2,168 mile Appalachian Trail. But Grandma Gatewood’s hiking days were far from finished.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Brown, Andrew. “Skyline Trail from Maine to Georgia.” National Geographic, August 1949.
Huston, Peter, dir. Trail Magic: The Grandma Gatewood Story. 2015. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/237744.
Montgomery, Ben. Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail. Chicago Review Press, 2016.
New York Times. “Overlooked No More: Emma Gatewood, First Woman to Conquer the Appalachian Trail Alone.” October 7, 2021. https://archive.is/kp2au.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Emma Gatewood was embarrassed. Her first attempt at solo hiking the Appalachian Trail had been a disaster. But she was nothing if not determined. So, Emma tried again. On her second attempt, the 67-year-old grandmother was better prepared. Although the trail proved challenging, she kept going. Soon, the media took notice. If she completed the 2,000+ mile hike, Emma Gatewood (aka Grandma Gatewood) would become the first woman to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Brown, Andrew. “Skyline Trail from Maine to Georgia.” National Geographic, August 1949.
Huston, Peter, dir. Trail Magic: The Grandma Gatewood Story. 2015. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/237744.
Montgomery, Ben. Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail. Chicago Review Press, 2016.
New York Times. “Overlooked No More: Emma Gatewood, First Woman to Conquer the Appalachian Trail Alone.” October 7, 2021. https://archive.is/kp2au.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.