Hometown History

In 1920s Ottawa, Illinois, hundreds of young “shining women” painted watch dials with radium-laced paint they were told was harmless. Their luminous craft soon became a lethal sentence—and their fight for justice helped forge modern workplace-safety law. Join host Shane Waters as Hometown History uncovers how the Radium Girls’ courage still lights the path toward corporate accountability.

Step beneath the canvas and into a summer storm as host Shane Waters unearths the electrifying true story of June 10, 1897, when a bolt of lightning shattered the Ringling Brothers’ Big Top in Wahpeton, North Dakota. Hear how a day that promised exotic animals, brass‑band parades, and wonder turned to chaos in a heartbeat—claiming two lives, shaking a frontier town, and forging a bond between locals and traveling showfolk that stil...

In the summer of 1944, as a devastating polio outbreak swept across North Carolina, hospitals were overwhelmed and children were dying. But in Hickory, a small city already stretched thin by World War II, something extraordinary happened. In just 54 hours, volunteers built a full-scale emergency hospital from scratch—offering cutting-edge treatment, compassionate care, and hope to hundreds of young patients. In this episode, we tel...

Nearly every American town has the same heart-in-crisis story: a once-bustling Main Street hollowed out by big-box stores, sprawl, and online shopping. In this episode, Shane zooms out to look at the nationwide Main Street movement—then zooms in on Wabash, Indiana as a living lab that shows what’s possible anywhere. You’ll hear the origin of the National Main Street Center’s “Four-Point Approach,” meet the people who tested it on t...

World War trenches, inflatable splints, and airborne operating rooms—this finale races from post-Nightingale training schools to the helicopter pads of today. Host Shane Waters uncovers how pioneers like Mary Seacole, Clara Barton, and Lillian Wald turned wartime chaos into blueprints for public-health nursing; how state licensure and the GI Bill vaulted nursing into universities; and why WWII flight nurses boasted a survival rate ...

When war-torn wards near the Bosphorus Strait reeked of sewage and despair, Florence Nightingale arrived with 38 nurses, a ledger, and one stubborn oil-lamp. In today’s Hometown History, Shane Waters traces how Nightingale’s evidence-based reforms—and the parallel heroics of Jamaican-Scottish healer Mary Seacole—drove mortality at Scutari Barracks from 42 percent to just 2 percent, igniting the global movement for professional nurs...

Before “nurse” meant respect, it meant desperation. In this opening chapter of our three-part series, host Shane Waters drags us into the overcrowded 19th-century wards where poverty, prejudice, and cholera reigned. Discover why hospitals were once “death houses,” how nurses faced infection rates four times higher than other women, and what drove unlikely heroines like Mary Seacole and Clara Barton to defy stigma and save lives. 

In this episode of Hometown History, we explore the chilling and unsolved mystery of the Sodder children, who vanished on Christmas Eve, 1945, after a fire destroyed their home in Fayetteville, West Virginia. Despite the devastation, no remains were ever found, and a series of strange events both before and after the fire have led to decades of speculation. Were the children victims of a tragic accident, or was there something more...

In this episode of Hometown History, we dive into one of the most intense scientific rivalries of the 19th century—the infamous "Bone Wars." Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, two leading paleontologists, began as colleagues but quickly turned into bitter enemies. What started as a competitive pursuit for fossil discoveries spiraled into sabotage, betrayal, and public scandals. Their relentless feud led to the d...

In this episode of Hometown History, we explore the eerie and tragic events surrounding one of Hollywood’s most iconic films, Rebel Without a Cause. While celebrated for its portrayal of youthful rebellion, the film is remembered for more than its performances—it’s also linked to a string of untimely deaths. From James Dean’s fatal car crash to Natalie Wood’s mysterious drowning, and Sal Mineo’s shocking murder, those involved in t...

In this episode of Hometown History, we uncover the rise and fall of the Psychiana Movement, one of the most unusual religious movements in American history. Founded in 1929 by Frank Bruce Robinson, a man with a troubled past, Psychiana promised its followers the power to communicate directly with God and harness divine energy through the power of affirmation. This mail-order religion flourished during the Great Depression, offerin...

In this episode of Hometown History, we uncover the mysterious disappearance of Judge Joseph Force Crater, an event that captured the nation’s attention in 1930 and coined the phrase “to pull a Crater.” Judge Crater’s sudden vanishing after a dinner in New York City sparked one of the most baffling investigations in American history. Was it foul play, a voluntary escape, or something more sinister? Decades of speculation, false lea...

In this episode of Hometown History, we dive into the surprising story of how a monumental achievement in telecommunications catapulted Tiffany & Co. to fame. In 1858, Charles Tiffany seized on the success of the first transatlantic telegraph cable by selling pieces of the cable as souvenirs. What started as a technological milestone turned into a brilliant marketing opportunity that made Tiffany a household name. Join us as we...

In this episode of Hometown History, we delve into one of the most fascinating literary mysteries of the 20th century: the disappearance of Ambrose Bierce. A celebrated writer, Civil War veteran, and the sharp wit behind The Devil’s Dictionary, Bierce vanished without a trace in 1913 while journeying through Mexico during the revolution. Was it a suicide, an execution, or something far more mysterious? With no definitive answer, we...

In this episode of Hometown History, we uncover the incredible story of a secret hidden beneath one of America's most luxurious resorts—the Greenbrier. Nestled in the hills of West Virginia, the Greenbrier has long been a haven for the elite, but during the height of the Cold War, it became the site of a covert government project known as "Project Greek Island." This secret underground bunker, designed to house Congress...

In this intriguing episode of Hometown History, we unravel the tale of one of America’s most audacious cons: The Great Diamond Hoax of 1872. What began as a whispered rumor of hidden diamonds in the vast American wilderness quickly escalated into a full-blown frenzy, drawing in some of the country’s wealthiest and most powerful individuals. Led by two cunning prospectors, this elaborate scam convinced even seasoned investors that t...

In this episode of Hometown History, we delve into the enigma of Coral Castle, a mysterious structure hidden in the sunny shores of Florida. Built single-handedly by Edward Leedskalnin, a man of modest stature, this architectural marvel is composed of massive coral blocks, some weighing as much as thirty tons. How did one man, using only homemade tools, achieve such a feat? Was it a mastery of ancient techniques, magnetic forces, o...

In this episode of Hometown History, we journey into the life of Paul Revere, not just as the legendary rider who warned of the British invasion, but as the Founding Father of Propaganda. Through his craftsmanship and powerful engravings, Revere ignited the revolutionary spirit and unified the colonies against British rule. From his early days as a talented silversmith to his critical role in spreading revolutionary messages, Paul ...

In this chilling episode of Hometown History, we journey back to the fog-laden streets of 1930s Cleveland, where the shadow of the infamous Cleveland Torso Murderer loomed large over the city. From the grim discovery of the first victim on the shores of Lake Erie to the relentless hunt for a killer that left the police baffled and the public in fear, we delve into the gruesome details of a case that remains unsolved to this day. Wi...