Sideshow 10: Monster Medicine

The French, Spanish, and the Americans believed that heading west was a divine calling. This is the story of when beliefs cross the line into territory more dangerous than the land itself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

The Gold Rush became a beacon of hope for many. They headed West to seek their fortunes. But Americans weren’t the only ones looking for a better life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

We didn’t become fascinated with the Wild West until Hollywood gave us gunfights at high noon and heroic outlaws. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

On this episode of Our American Stories, Chuck Long tells the story of how he came to be Iowa's star quarterback in the 1980's and how he later came to like coaching more than playing. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for pri ... Show More

It's not a story of a person with a childhood dream of pursuing a career that wasn't available to them. Dr. Blackwell had no interest in medicine as a child. But she paved the way for women who came after her and changed the face of medicine in the U.S. Read the show notes for th ... Show More

Bloodsucking fiends appear in the folklore of every culture on the planet. But for some, they were more than just horror stories. Today’s story comes from early 18th-century Europe. A doctor tries in vain to save lives, while a monster waits in the shadows… determined to see him ... Show More

On this episode of Our American Stories, straight out of a Horatio Alger novel, the Silver Kings (John Mackay, James Fair, William O'Brien, and James Flood) epitomized the rags-to-riches American dream story. Roger McGrath tells the story of the richest mineral discovery in Ameri ... Show More

On this episode of Our American Stories, Kentucky journalist Sam Terry tells the story of William King Solomon, a gravedigger who may have saved the town of Lexington during the Cholera epidemic of 1833; and TJ Stiles tells the humble story of Cornelius Vanderbilt and how he beca ... Show More

On this episode of Our American Stories, to some they were heroes stealing from banks that had foreclosed on them during the Great Depression. To others, they were outlaws and murderers... but when the Barrow gang rolled into the small town of Dexter, Iowa, they were initially st ... Show More

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dennis Peterson shares the story of his maternal grandmother's hands which revealed a lot about her. Audie Murphy's story is one of the quintessential American stories; yet, chances are, many Americans have never even heard of his name.  S ... Show More

In the 19th century news spread of an unfortunate man who was born with an evil second face on the back of his head that spoke to him. The real story is that people keep falling for it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

For centuries, cultures around the world have told tales of "wild men" lurking in the woods, and reports of these creatures continue in the modern day. So what exactly is Bigfoot? Join the guys as they interview David Bakara, the creator of Expedition: Bigfoot, to learn more abou ... Show More

On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Kengor, PoliSci professor at Grove City College, brings us the details of the devastating nature of an attack the U.S. government chose to keep details hidden about; Donald Sturm tells the story of how his parents did everything they ... Show More