
Marilyn Monroe, PT Barnum, American history, and Revolutionary War insights ... Dive deep into the hidden corners of history with mysteries, fascinating inventions, secret military operations, magical islands, ancient trails, forgotten roadways, Native Americans, supernatural activity, UFOs. 20-minute episodes. Memorable stories. Great guests. We present history as it should be – accurate, engaging, and told with a touch of magic. New episodes every Thursday.
Episodes

Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
Who Padlocked the Governor's Door, Barring Him from His Own Office?
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
The election for CT Governor in the late 1800s was too close to call. The divided legislature couldn’t agree on a winner. So, the incumbent stayed on for another term. The Comptroller didn’t like that and took matters into his own hands.

Wednesday Apr 23, 2025
The Slaying of one of the Biggest Robber Barons, Diamond Jim Fisk
Wednesday Apr 23, 2025
Wednesday Apr 23, 2025
Big Jim or Diamond Jim – those were names for the legendary Gilded Age robber baron Jim Fisk. He caused the gold crisis collapse after fooling President Ulysses Grant and stole millions from Cornelius Vanderbilt. A lover’s triangle, at age 37, would lead to his untimely end

Wednesday Apr 16, 2025
His Trove of Letters Document Bloody Civil War Battles, Prisons, and Conditions
Wednesday Apr 16, 2025
Wednesday Apr 16, 2025
Captain Andrew Upson wrote up to 2-letters-a-day from the front lines of the Civil War to his wife and children. The 200+ letters, a rare collection that still exists, paint a vivid picture of life in the war, including as a captive.

Wednesday Apr 09, 2025
He was the Last Person Executed in CT - She Knew Him Best, 'Til the Day He Died
Wednesday Apr 09, 2025
Wednesday Apr 09, 2025
Michael Ross was the last person executed in CT. He raped and murdered 8 women. His doctors said he was mentally ill and shouldn’t have been executed. A journalist got to know him well for his final 10 years and shares her insights.

Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
The Tiny Worm Behind an Enormous Industry
Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
The Cheney brothers invented a process for mastering nature’s magical creation of silk, driving their business to the #1 position globally. They made the parachutes used on D-Day. They also introduced corporate paternalism, providing employees with housing, schools, and more.

Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
John Hancock: The Giant Signature that Fanned the Flames of Revolution
Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
Three families, from the same town. Did they start the American Revolution? John Hancock and his friends (the Adams and Quincy’s) fanned the flames. Hancock, meanwhile, married childhood sweetheart Dolly Quincy, after a love triangle involving Aaron Burr

Wednesday Mar 19, 2025
This Hero Stayed on a Sinking Sub to Save a Man
Wednesday Mar 19, 2025
Wednesday Mar 19, 2025
He could have abandoned ship, just like everyone else. After all, the sub sank in just one minute. Everyone was scrambling. But he didn’t. A fellow submariner was still onboard.

Wednesday Mar 12, 2025
What's Hiding Behind That White Cross on the Hill?
Wednesday Mar 12, 2025
Wednesday Mar 12, 2025
Many people see the large white cross as they drive by, shining atop a hill overlooking the downtown. But not everyone has checked out what's hiding behind it. It's an unusual and unique complex that once drew tens of thousands a year to see it.

Wednesday Mar 05, 2025
Tracking Down the First Christmas Tree
Wednesday Mar 05, 2025
Wednesday Mar 05, 2025
Where was the first Christmas tree? Proof is hard to come by. It seems that Windsor Locks, CT is among the very first – at least in legend; a stone monument lays claim to the first decorated tree in 1777. Researching this case turned up other very interesting side stories: German prisoners-of-war, Native American attacks, and even the Wizard of Oz.

Wednesday Feb 26, 2025
The Illegal Pirate Radio Station at the Largest Rock Concert, Watkins Glen
Wednesday Feb 26, 2025
Wednesday Feb 26, 2025
Watkins Glen; world’s largest concert. 600,000 attendees. Six teenagers broadcast with an illegal pirate radio station they brought to the site, interviewing the Grateful Dead, broadcasting traffic and weather reports, and playing records. Attendees loved it. One of the broadcasters tells the crazy story.