logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2018
34m 39s

Weird People Who Built Weird Things

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Simeon Ellerton spent years building a house out of stones he found and carried home, one by one. Rejected by his one true love, Edward Leeskalnin spent decades erecting a bizarre monument for her, built of giant coral stones in Florida. But what exactly motivated these guys? How did they stick with their strange obsessions, and what mysteries surround them in the modern day? Tune in to learn more.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
CLASSIC: Castle Itter: When Germans and Americans Joined Forces in World War II
With one notable exception, American and German forces were bitterly opposed to one another during World War II -- that exception? The Battle of Castle Itter. Tune in to learn more about the strange sequence of events that led both the US and the Germany army to team up for a res ... Show More
25m 5s
Oct 29
The Rasputin Episode, Part Two: A Death and Mysterious Rumors
As Grigori Rasputin manipulated his way into the upper reaches of the aristocracy, he gained great influence over the Emperor's family, who were convinced that only Rasputin could save their hemophiliac son. Yet even Rasputin's powerful patrons could not shield him from a growing ... Show More
53m 27s
Oct 27
The Rasputin Episode, Part One: A Young Mystic On The Rise
While Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin would later become one of the most infamous figures in modern Russian history, he came from incredibly humble origins -- which he would later embellish in his quest for more prominence and power. In the first part of this special two-part anniver ... Show More
44m 10s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2020
CLASSIC: The Mystery of Coral Castle
<p>After being jilted a day before his wedding and narrowly surviving tuberculosis, Latvian immigrant Edward Leedskalnin spent almost 30 years building Coral Castle out of huge blocks of stone. But how did he make it, and why wouldn't he allow anyone to watch him at work? Join Be ... Show More
15m 46s
Sep 2019
The Georgia Guidestones Pt. 2
For nearly four decades, locals and tourists have wondered at the purpose behind the bizarre granite slabs that sit on a hill in Elbert County, Georgia. Though they may just be the passion project of an eccentric rich man, the instructions that are inscribed on the slabs hint at ... Show More
42m 38s
Nov 2021
Open Water
tail spinning
10m 29s
Jun 2023
THINGS HIDDEN 124: The Stones the Builders Rejected
David Gornoski and Surit Dasgupta explore the stone motifs found throughout the Bible and what they reveal about the state of human societies. What were the ancient Israelites doing that made God mad? What do we make of the contrast between David vs. Goliath and Jesus saving the ... Show More
1h 33m
Nov 2024
Stonehenge
For centuries, a mysterious stone structure has captured the imagination of travelers, historians, and dreamers alike: Stonehenge. Shrouded in legend and steeped in ancient mystery, this iconic monument has stood the test of time. But who built it, and why? What secrets do its st ... Show More
44m 7s
Jun 2022
Keep the Tip
Let's discuss some rather curious people and their unusual creations.Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes!: https://www.patreon.com/grimandmildSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
10m 31s
Dec 2024
Vol 4 Ep 84 - Easter Island
1200 - 1722 - Understanding the hazy origins of a society isolated in the Pacific Ocean and their motivations and capabilities for creating some of the most iconic stone statues in the history of humankind. 
39m 7s
Sep 2019
The Georgia Guidestones
A bizarre monument made of granite and bearing a list of instructions for humanity’s survival exists on a hill in Georgia. While these Guidestones may just be an eccentric project of an anonymous man with too much time and money, there has long been a theory that they actually li ... Show More
44m 9s
Oct 2021
Rock Star
tail spinning
10m 5s