Episodes
Grandma Gatewood Takes One Hell of a Walk (Part 1)
When Emma Gatewood set off on the Appalachian Trail, she didnāt look like much of a hiker. She was 67 years old. She wore a pair of Keds. She had no training. But she figured that wouldnāt matter. An article in National Geographic magazine ā¦
The Ann & Abby Feud Goes Intergenerational (Part 4)
In the final episode of our series on Ann Landers and Dear Abby, the feud reached new heights when Abby fell victim to a āgotchaā moment on Charlie Rose. (Who woulda guessed?) Afterward, she agreed to an interview with Ladiesā Home Journal.ā¦
Bad Blood: Ann Landers, Dear Abby Feud Goes Public (Part 3)
For a few years, the feud between twin sisters Ann Landers and Dear Abby was an industry secret. That changed in 1958, when Life Magazine printed a story that exposed the rivalry. In the article, Abby shared stories that werenāt hers to telā¦
Advice Column Rivals: Dear Abby and Ann Landers (Part 2)
Ann Landers was thrilled. Sheād just landed a job as the new syndicated advice columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Her new role gave Ann something to call her own. Then, just three months later, her twin sister Abby shared some news. Sheādā¦
Family Feud: Dear Abby vs. Ann Landers (Part 1)
For decades, Dear Abby and Ann Landers were the undisputed queens of advice columns. They had millions of loyal readers. They were celebrated public figures. Their columns stood out for being sassy, sharp, and at times, shockingly progressiā¦
The Pet Rock: A Fad is Born (Patreon Bonus)
Wipe your slate clean of everything you *think* you know about the pet rock. Youāll marble (err, marvel) over its true history! Its inventor, Gary Dahl, thought heād created a novelty gift that was set in stone. Imagine his surprise when thā¦
Last Man Standing: Hiroo Onoda Finally Surrenders (Part 3)
It took countless efforts and nearly three decades to convince Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda that World War II was over. When those efforts finally paid off, Hiroo Onoda went home to Japan. He received a heroās welcome. But did he deserve iā¦
Hiroo Onoda Fights a Non-Existent War (Part 2)
World War II was over. (Really. Truly.) But a group of Japanese soldiers stationed on Lubang Island in the Philippines werenāt convinced. They didnāt believe that Japan had surrendered. So they kept fighting. They terrorized locals. They evā¦
The Japanese Soldier Who Refused to Surrender (Part 1)
As a second lieutenant in the Japanese Army, Hiroo Onoda took his job seriously. Heād been ordered to lead guerilla warfare missions on Lubang Island in the Philippines. He was told to never surrender. And when he received word that World Wā¦
Judgement Day for the Donner Party (Part 5)
In the finale of our series on The Donner Party, rescue groups head off for Truckee Lake and Alder Creek, hoping to save as many survivors as they could. For many members of The Donner Party, the rescue crews came too late. Some had died. Oā¦
The Donner Party Resorts to Cannibalism (Part 4)
By the winter of 1846, the Donner Party found themselves in the exact scenario theyād been dreading. They were trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, pummeled by snowstorms. Their food supply dwindled. They knew that if they stayed put, thā¦
The Donner Party Falls Apart (Part 3)
By the time they realized what theyād done, it was too late. Hastings Cutoff turned out to not be much of a cutoff at all. In fact, it was more time consuming and taxing than the regular California Trail. As a result, members of the Donner ā¦
Warnings and Lies: The Deception of the Donner Party (Part 2)
The Donner Party was at a crossroads. Theyād made good progress on their journey to California, but they were still about a week behind schedule. Lansford Hastingās new shortcut appealed to the worried group. But an experienced explorer warā¦
The Donner Party: An American Tragedy (Part 1)
This episode kicks off our coverage of an infamous American tragedy ā the Donner Party. In the mid-1800ās, a group that would later be known as the Donner Party set out West in search of a better life. The California and Oregon Trails wereā¦
The Bath School Disaster (Part 2)
To this day, the Bath School Disaster of 1927 remains the deadliest mass murder in a school in American history, yet it isnāt often discussed. In this episode, Norm covers May 18, 1927, when school board member Andrew Kehoe set off a seriā¦
The Bath School Disaster (Part 1)
It was unspeakable. Unthinkable. In 1927, a school board member set off a series of explosions that killed 38 children, 6 adults, and injured at least 58 others. That act of domestic terrorism became known as the Bath School disaster. It roā¦
Disco Demolition Night Didnāt Stop the Boogie
In the late 70s, disco was everywhere. Songs like āDisco Inferno,ā āI Will Surviveā and āBrick Houseā topped the charts. Disco had been created and embraced by Black people, Latino people, LGBT+ people, and women. It was fun and funky. It wā¦
AAirpass: American Airlinesā Best Worst Idea
In 1981, American Airlines offered an incredible deal. For just $250k, people could purchase a lifetime pass that entitled them to unlimited first class travel, anywhere the airline flew, for the rest of their lives. People could also purchā¦
An Iron Rod Through the Head (Patreon Bonus)
Hereās a true story: In 1848, an iron rod shot through a manās head. It smashed up under his cheekbone and came out the top of his skull. Ready for the wild part? Despite the fact that the iron rod destroyed much of his brainās left frontā¦
The Original Kardashians! (Patreon Bonus)
Back in their day, the seven Sutherland sisters were a household name. They were celebrated for their outrageously long, thick hair. For years, audiences gathered āround to watch the sisters undo their updos. Audiences gasped as the sistersā¦
The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals (Patreon Bonus)
Alan Abel was driving down a Texas highway when traffic came to a sudden stop. As it turned out, a herd of cattle was crossing the road. How annoying! Then ā shock of all shocks ā a cow and a bull started mating, right there, in the middle ā¦
Windshield Wipers! (Patreon Bonus)
Picture it. Ontario. 1953. It was Robert and Phyllis Kearnsā wedding night. Bob did his best to open the champagne, but the cork shot out and smacked him square in the eye. He screamed! Phyllis screamed! There was blood everywhere! Bob ulā¦
JC Penney Loses *Almost* Everything (Part 4)
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, tā¦
JC Penney Becomes Rich *and* Cool (Part 3)
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 wasnāt eveā¦
JC Penney Was a Hustler! (Part 2)
Say what you will about James Cash Penney Jr. Just donāt say he didnāt 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 shopā¦
Is JCPenney the Best Department Store? (Part 1)
Normie C starts this series with a bold claim: That JCPenney is the best department store ever. This raises a lot of questions. Questions likeā¦ Really? Has Norm been to other department stores? Also, really?? In Part 1, Norm loads us up wiā¦
The Creator of Mother's Day Tried to Destroy it
Motherās Day. When Anna Jarvis founded the holiday, she envisioned it as a day for everyone to honor and thank their mothers. She worked tirelessly to promote the holiday. She hoped it would be celebrated around the globe. But after a fewā¦
America Canāt Figure Out Daylight Saving Time (Part 2)
In his final episode on Daylight Saving Time, Norm tells us that America has flip flopped on Daylight Saving Time for decades. We love it! We hate it! We implement it; we rescind it. Will the battle ever end? Probably not! Will Norm surviveā¦
Hello, Sunshine: Why We Have Daylight Saving Time (Part 1)
āOMG, the sun is up! Shouldnāt you be awake, doing productive things?ā ā¦ thatās essentially what Benjamin Franklin shouted when he advocated to change the hours of human activity to take advantage of daylight. That idea later evolved intoā¦
Clevelandās Chaotic 10-Cent Beer Night
In the summer of 1974, the Cleveland Indians had a big problem. Hardly anyone showed up for their games. It was embarrassing! So, the teamās management brainstormed ways to get butts in seats. Ultimately, they opted to host a handful of 10-ā¦
The Great Cobra Scare of 1953
In the year of our Lord 1953, the city of Springfield, Missouri, had a terrible problem. Deadly cobras kept popping up in peopleās yards! What were cobras doing in Missouri? They werenāt native to the area. Who the hell had rolled out the wā¦
DP Dupes Us!
In this *very special* episode of an Old Timey Podcast, we got DPād. Ahem. By that, we mean that Kristinās dad (aka DP) took over. He renamed the podcast. He accused Norm of having a dirty mind. Worst of all, he tricked us. (On our own poā¦
Robert Smalls: An American Hero (Part 5)
The final chapter of Robert Smallsā life was eventful, and, at times, frustrating. He gained and lost government appointments. He won and lost political races. He weathered attacks on his character and attacks on his constituents. Through iā¦
Robert Smalls Battles Bribery Charges (Part 4)
Brace yourselves. This episode is chock-full of post-reconstruction politics. Boy, is it grim! And also a littleā¦ relevant? (Ew!) As South Carolina politics turned on its head, Robert Smalls emerged as one of the few Republican politiciansā¦
Robert Smalls Fights For Equality (Part 3)
After the American Civil War, Robert Smalls navigated the complicated waters of Reconstruction. Black people struggled for basic rights against the White planter class, who refused to accept the end of slavery. In this difficult time, Robā¦
Robert Smalls Fights the Confederacy! (Part 2)
In part two of our series on Robert Smalls, Robert proves that his ballsy escape from slavery was just part of his story. In this episode, Robert builds wealth, becomes the Captain of a Union ship, and helps persuade the government to allowā¦
The Daring Escape of Robert Smalls (Part 1)
As an enslaved man, Robert Smalls had one goal ā to attain freedom for himself and his family. The odds were against him. Heād hoped to buy his wife and children from their enslaver, but saving that amount of money might take a lifetime. Thā¦
The Gay Jesus Movie Hoax
Tāwas an OUTRAGE! An Illinois-based company was working on a film about Jesus Christ. The problem? The film would portray Jesus as a drunk bank robber, a āswinging homosexual,ā and a big fan of Hitler. Oh, and heād also be depicted as havinā¦
Nell Donnelly Reed Conquers All (Part 3)
In the final episode of this series, we hear how it all shakes out. The trials end. The messy love square between the Donnellys and Reeds implodes. Kansas City Mafia boss Johnny Lazia meets his maker. The Donnelly Garment Company thrives, tā¦
The Mafia Rescues Nell Donnelly (Part 2)
James A. Reed was in federal court, about to argue his case, when a call came in from Kansas City. Nell Donnelly had been kidnapped. James panicked. To James, Nell was so much more than a celebrated fashion designer. She was his neighbor. Sā¦