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    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories

    Have you ever heard of Louis Congo? What about the forgotten Downwinders or The Devil’s Bible? These are just a few examples of people, events, and things from our past that have been lost to time. They’re important in the greater context of our understanding of the world and how our past shaped our present, yet they never made it into history books. In this bi-weekly podcast, freelance journalist, Crystal Ponti, digs up extraordinary excerpts of forgotten history, bringing her passion and love of storytelling to each episode. Recently honored as one of the best history podcasts of 2018 (Uproxx), listeners have likened “Historium Unearthia” to “60 Minutes” and said, “Crystal’s narration is concise and enrapturing, and the production value of her stories holds the audience’s attention like only the best of radio programs. She delivers interesting and entertaining stories from the lost parts of history, and, not only does she unearth them, she brings them to life.”
    enCrystal Ponti37 Episodes

    Episodes (37)

    Episode 16: Unsuspecting Men were "Shanghaied" Through Port Townsend's Secret Underground

    Episode 16: Unsuspecting Men were "Shanghaied" Through Port Townsend's Secret Underground
    At the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the number of skilled and unskilled sailors needed to staff sea-going vessels fell short. Innocent men were forced to serve as seamen under conditions that were little better than serfdom. This cunning practice happened through a secret underground in one part of the Pacific northwest. Have you ever heard of Port Townsend’s history of shanghaiing? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: For this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mark Strecker, author of Shanghaiing Sailors: A Maritime History of Forced Labor, and Norm Stevens, a retired member of the United States Coast Guard, former merchant marine, and community college professor from Port Townsend, Washington. Sources: Shanghaiing Sailors: A Maritime History of Forced Labor, 1849-1915; Strecker, Mark; McFarland; May 27, 2014. Shanghaied!; Neal Keller, David; American Heritage; September 1995; Volume 46; Issue 5. Levy, Maxwell (d. 1931), Port Townsend's Crimper King; Gibson, Elizabeth; HistoryLink.org; December 5, 2006. Shanghaiing Days; Dillon, Richard H.; The Write Thought, Inc.; August 1, 2012. Shanghaiing: How Trickery and Deception Turned Thousands of Unwilling Men Into Sailors; Kaushik; Amusing Planet; April 2018. Shanghaiing; Smith, Georgia; FoundSF; Retrieved June 2018. Shipbuilders, Sea Captains, and Fishermen: The Story of the Schooner Wawona; Follansbee, Joe; iUniverse, Inc.; November 16, 2006. National Registry of Historic Places Inventory - - Nomination Form; National Park Service; United States Department of the Interior; Port Townsend Historic District; 1977. Also Visit: Jefferson County Historical Society The Port Townsend Main Street Program Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enJune 27, 2018
    history
    society
    culture
    maritime
    crimping
    shanghaiing

    Episode 15: This Road-Trippin' Housewife Became First Woman to Drive Across U.S.

    Episode 15: This Road-Trippin' Housewife Became First Woman to Drive Across U.S.
    On June 9, 1909, as rained poured down on New York City, a young, poncho-cloaked woman got behind the wheel of a touring car that was a bit tricky to maneuver. Back then, paved roads were far and few between, and there was no air conditioning or roadside service to save the day. But these minor technicalities didn’t stop this fearless adventurer from making history. Before Amelia Earhart made her legendary flight across the Atlantic, before Naomi James sailed single-handedly around the world, at a time when society was still very much “driven” by men, one road-trippin’ housewife paved the way for women to hit the open road. Her trip would make her the first woman to drive across the United States from coast to coast. Have you ever heard of Alice Ramsey?

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    Credit: For this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tara Hitzig of the Automobile Driving Museum in California, and Emily Anderson who reenacted Ramsey’s trip 100 years after her trailblazing journey. Sources: Who invented the automobile?; Everyday Mysteries; Library of Congress; Science References Services; October 27, 2017. Alice's Drive: Republishing Veil, Duster, and Tire Iron; Alice Ramsey; Patrice Press; 2005. Alice Huyler Ramsey, The 22-year-old housewife who became the first woman to drive across the country; Anna Hider; Chronicles; March 14, 2018. The story of the first cross-country road trip by a woman; Megan Turchi; Boston Globe; June 9, 2015. A Reliable Car and a Woman Who Knows It: The First Coast-To-Coast Auto Trips by Women, 1899-1916; Curt McConnell; McFarland; September 1, 2000. Quote from Alice Ramsey; Ms. Magazine; Matilda Publications; 1975.
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enJune 12, 2018
    history
    society
    culture
    automobiles

    Episode 14: The Dark Legend of the Devil's Bible

    Episode 14: The Dark Legend of the Devil's Bible
    Centuries before the devil reached mainstream popularity, at a time when he was eternally feared and considered a looming threat on humanity, he made a strange appearance in a remarkable book. Have you ever heard of the Devil’s Bible? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: For this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Hugh Houghton, a professor of New Testament textual scholarship at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, and author and theologian Robin Nettelhorst, who currently serves as the president of Quartz Hill School of Theology where he teaches about the Bible and Biblical Languages. Sources: Copycat: The Life of a Medieval Scribe; Danièle Cybulskie; Medievalists.net; June 19, 2014. Satanic Figures Across Multiple Religions; Catherine Beyer; ThoughtCo.; June 21, 2017. Life in a Medieval Monastery; Mount Angel Abbey; Saint Benedict, Oregon; Retrieved May 2018. Monks in the Middle Ages; Simon Newman; The Finer Times; Retrieved May 2018. Codex Gigas; National Library of Sweden; Retrieved April/May 2018.
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enMay 30, 2018
    history
    religion
    society
    culture
    bible
    devil

    Episode 13: A Hidden World Runs Rampant Under St. Louis

    Episode 13: A Hidden World Runs Rampant Under St. Louis
    There’s a hidden world running rampant under the streets of St. Louis. Buried deep within the earth, it’s so secret even residents of the Gateway City have no idea it exists. Carved by Mother Nature, this majestic limestone wonderland has provided shelter to Native Americans and Civil War soldiers, helped the brewing industry prosper, and allowed more than one local to escape and have a good time. Have you ever heard of the caves of St. Louis?

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    Credit: For this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Donnie Keck, a resident of St. Louis, Andrew Wanko, a public historian at the Missouri Historical Society, and Jeff Crews, a geologist at the Missouri Geological Survey. I’m deeply thankful for their wonderful insight and generosity of time. Sources: Lost Caves of St. Louis; Rother, Charlotte; Rother, Hubert; Virginia Publishing; October 1996. Missouri Caves in History and Legend; Weaver, H. Dwight; University of Missouri; February 1, 2008. The Cherokee Cave & Museum of Natural History; Chatillon- DeMenil Mansion; Retrieved April 2018. Past meets present in hidden world under St. Louis streets; Lippman, Rachel; St. Louis Public Radio; April 20, 2012. What was “Lemp’s Cave” really like?; Naffziger, Chris; St. Louis Magazine; August 23, 2017. St. Louis Beer History: Underground Beginnings; Lisa Grimm; Serious Eats; February 2012. The Geologic Column of Missouri; Missouri Department of Natural Resources; Volume 2, Issue 2; Winter 2008. Bones in the Brewery: A Paleontologist's Rendezvous with History and Prehistory in St. Louis; Simpson, George Gaylord; Natural History; Vol. 55, No. 6; June 1946. Missouri at the World’s Fair: An Official Catalogue; Cox, James; Missouri World’s Fair Commission; 1904. Images Courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society: Cliff Cave Picnic Party at Entrance
    Cliff Cave
    Uhrig's Cave Beer Garden

    English’s Cave

    http://mohistory.org/collections/item/resource:84590

    Cherokee Cave

    http://mohistory.org/collections/item/resource:155135

    The Lemp Brewery

    http://mohistory.org/collections/item/resource:141725

    …and a bunch of guys standing around a giant nasty sinkhole, which is basically a cave that collapsed.

    http://mohistory.org/collections/item/resource:152111

    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enMay 16, 2018
    history
    society
    culture
    beer
    prohibition

    Episode 12: The Forgotten "Downwinders" of America's Nuclear Testing Program

    Episode 12: The Forgotten "Downwinders" of America's Nuclear Testing Program
    The United States conducted its last nuclear test on September 23, 1992 at the Nevada Test Site, just 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. By official count, more than one thousand tests were performed between 1945 and 1992. History depicts these tests as having taken place in the center of a vast, uninhabited plain. But as explosions filled the skyline and ashen fallout settled over the land like a dusting of snow, people who lived downwind were often exposed to radiation and radioactive debris. We’ve since heard about the scientists, government employees, homesteaders, and ranchers. In the shadows, there's another pocket of victims… Have you ever heard of the forgotten downwinders? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: This episode would not have been possible without the relentless dedication and advocacy of Ian Zabarte, Principal Man for the Western Bands of the Shoshone Nation, secretary of the Native American Action Council, and a member of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Yucca Mountain Licensing Support Network, Advisory Review Panel. I also want to give a special thanks to author and historian Sarah Alisabeth Fox. Sources: Downwind: A People’s History of the Nuclear West; Sarah Alisabeth Fox; Bison Books, November 2014. The Tainted Desert: Environmental and Social Ruin in the American West; Valerie L. Kuletz; Routledge; April 29, 2016. The Light of Trinity; Wellerstein, Alex; The New Yorker; July 16, 2015. Nuclear Testing and Natives People; Patricia George and Abel Russ; Reimagine; Retrieved April 2018. History; Atomic Heritage Foundation; Retrieved April 2018. The Sale of Yucca Mountain Was an Attack; Ian Zabarte; Indian Country Today; October 2, 2015. Native Americans Bear the Nuclear Burden; Andreas Knudsen; Republic of Lakotah; April 20, 2010. Nuclear Risk Management for Native Communities; George Perkins Marsh Institute; Clark University; Retrieved March 2018. Downwinders: Survivors losing hope of compensation; Hubble Ray Smith; DailyMiner; January 17, 2018. US nuclear tests killed far more civilians than we knew; Tim Fernholz; Quartz; December 21, 2017. Survivors of America’s first atomic bomb test want their place in history; Kelsey D. Atherton; Popular Science; May 1, 2017. American Indians accuse NRC of ‘environmental racism’; Keith Rogers; Las Vegas Review-Journal; September 26, 2015. A Soil Contamination Survey of Timbisha Shoshone Tribal Lands Within Close Proximity to the Nevada Test Site; Bobb, Bonnie Dr.; Clark University; Retrieved March 2018. In the Shadow of the Mushroom Cloud: Nuclear Testing, Radioactive Fallout and Damage to U.S. Agriculture; Meyers, Keith; September 1, 2017.
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enApril 27, 2018
    history
    politics
    society
    culture
    nativeamericanhistory

    Episode 11: Funeral Games Were Once an Olympics-Style Celebration of Death

    Episode 11: Funeral Games Were Once an Olympics-Style Celebration of Death
    Death is a topic that makes most of us uncomfortable. But back in ancient times, some civilizations not only embraced death, they honored the recently deceased with athletic competitions and contests. Have you ever heard of the funeral games? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: I’d like to give a special thanks to Dave Lunt, a history professor at Southern Utah University who specializes in ancient sports and politics, and Todd Hara, a mortician and co-author of the critically acclaimed books Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt and Over Our Dead Bodies: Undertakers Lift the Lid. Sources: Athletics in the Ancient World; E. Norman Gardiner; Dover Publications; 2002. Iliad book 23; Homer. Gladiators: Violence and Spectacle in Ancient Rome; Roger Dunkle; Amazon Digital Services LLC; September 13, 2013. Aeneid book 5; Publius Vergilius Maro. The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion, The Dying God; Sir James George Frazer; Macmillan; 1912. The Flaming Arrow of Classical Education: Funeral Games in the Aeneid as Symbol and Hope; David Wright; Circe Institute; August 12, 2013. Comet of 44 B.C. and Caesar’s Funeral Games; A. Lewis Licht and John T. Ramsey; Scholars Press; February 1, 1997.
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enApril 11, 2018
    history
    society
    culture
    death
    ancienthistory

    Episode 10: In 1648, this Trailblazing Feminist Demanded Her Right to Vote

    Episode 10: In 1648, this Trailblazing Feminist Demanded Her Right to Vote
    Outside of the home, Colonial America was a man’s world. Women were mostly excluded from power in the church and could not take part in town meetings, which meant they could not vote. But one woman defied the norms. Have you ever heard of Margaret Brent? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: A huge thanks to Dr. Henry Miller, historical archaeologist and Director of Research at Historic St. Mary’s in Maryland, Julie Dolan, professor of political science specializing in women and politics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Lily Read, a Member of the Watertown School Committee in Massachusetts. Parts of this episode first appeared on Narratively. Sources: Margaret Brent; Exploring Maryland’s Roots: Library; Maryland Public Television; Retrieved February 2018. Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival and Freedom in a New World; Dorothy A. Mays; ABC-CLIO; November 23, 2004. Margaret Brent; Maryland History Leaflet No. 1; State of Maryland; Retrieved February 2018. History; Visit St. Mary’s; St. Mary's County Division of Tourism; Retrieved March 2018. 5 Margaret Brent honorees helped level the playing field for women lawyers; Terry Carter; American Bar Association; August 7, 2016. Profiles in Colonial History; Aleck Loker; Solitude Press, July 10, 2009. Margaret Brent – A Brief History; Lois Green Carr; State of Maryland; February 7, 2002. Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly January 1637/8-September 1664 Volume 1, Page 215; Maryland State Archives; October 31, 2014.
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enMarch 26, 2018
    history
    society
    culture
    womenshistory
    colonialamerica

    Episode 9: Fifty Years Before the Salem Trials, Colonists Executed This Accused Witch

    Episode 9: Fifty Years Before the Salem Trials, Colonists Executed This Accused Witch
    Although the origin of witchcraft remains unknown, from a colonial perspective it was carried to the New World from England. The colony's English settlers brought with them a strong belief in Satan’s power and a deep hostility toward those who did not strictly conform to the community’s harsh social and personal norms. While Salem, Massachusetts often stands out as ground zero, the witch purge began decades earlier in 1647. Women, of course, were disproportionately targeted. Nearly fifty years before the famous Salem witch trials, a young Connecticut woman was accused of witchcraft and hanged. She was the first of many, but her story has been forgotten. Have you ever heard of Alice Young? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: A huge thanks to authors Beth Caruso and Katherine Spada who helped resurrect both Alice’s story and the broader history of Connecticut’s witch trials. Their tireless work is helping to clear the name of Alice Young and the other victims. I’d also like to thank Morgan Kelsey, a 10th generation granddaughter of Young, and Peg Aloi, a media scholar, a practicing witch, and an author dedicated to exploring and discussing all things witchy and pagan in contemporary media. Please visit the Connecticut Witch Memorial Facebook page to learn more about the efforts to erect a memorial in the honor of those who were wrongfully accused and convicted of witchcraft in Connecticut. You can also mail a donation to: CT. Witch Memorial, PO Box 185001, Hamden, CT. 06518. Sources: One of Windsor; Beth Caruso; Lady Slipper Press; October 29, 2015. Days to the Gallows; Katherine Spada Basto; Amazon Digital Services LLC; December 19, 2016. Colonial America; American’s Library; Retrieved February 2018. Witchcraft in Connecticut; Andy Piascik; Connecticut Humanities; Retrieved February 2018. The Witchcraft Delusion in Colonial Connecticut, 1647-1697; John M. Taylor; Grafton Press; 1908. Witchcraft Prosecution: Chasing the Devil in Connecticut; R.G. Tomlinson; Picton Press; 2012. New England’s Other Witch-Hunt: The Hartford Witch-Hunt of the 1660s and Changing Patterns in Witchcraft Prosecution; Walter William Woodward; OAH Magazine of History; 2003. Matthew Grant Diary; Connecticut State Library; Digital Archive; Retrieved March 2018. Witchcraft in Salem; USHistory.org; Independence Hall Association; Retrieved February 2018. Why Are Women Really Accused of Witchcraft?; Ruth Mace, Professor of Anthropology, University College London; LiveScience; January 11, 2018. In Frightening Times, Witchcraft Rediscovers Its Political Roots; Peg Aloi; The Establishment; May 21, 2017.
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enMarch 13, 2018
    history
    society
    culture
    witchcraft
    colonialamerica

    Episode 8: A Mysterious Underwater Graveyard Lies at the Bottom of Florida's Lake Okeechobee

    Episode 8: A Mysterious Underwater Graveyard Lies at the Bottom of Florida's Lake Okeechobee
    Lake Okeechobee, also known as Florida's Inland Sea, or as the locals like to call it, Lake O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida and the third largest freshwater lake wholly within the country. Resting at the northern edge of the Everglades and rimming the western edge of Palm Beach County, the lake is a remnant of the prehistoric Pamlico Sea and appropriately carries the Seminole word for “big water.” Although it’s a major tourist destination and a favorite among those who live in the area, most people have no idea what lingers below the surface of this majestic lake. Have you ever heard of the mysteries surrounding Lake Okeechobee?

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    Credit: This episode would not have been complete without the brilliant insight of Chris Davenport, Palm Beach County’s Historic Preservation Officer and Archaeologist. I also spoke with Victor Thompson, a Professor of Archaeology and the Director of the Center for Archaeological Sciences at the University of Georgia, and Matt Colvin, an anthropologist and doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia. Both have worked extensively at Fort Center, an archaeological site in Glades County, Florida, just a few miles northwest of Lake Okeechobee. Sources: Lake Okeechobee; Fodors; Retrieved February 2018. Lake Okeechobee; The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica; Encyclopedia Britannica; Retrieved February 2018. Most People Have No Idea There’s An Underwater Ghost Town Hiding In Florida; Marisa Roman; Only In Your State; January 11, 2018. Florida's Water: A Fragile Resource in a Vulnerable State; Tom Swihart; RFF Press, 2011. Archaic; Illinois State Museum; Retrieved February 2018. Seminoles and Miccosukees; Palm Beach County History Online; Retrieved February 2018. Lake Okeechobee Watery Graves; Weird U.S.; Retrieved February 2018. Florida Drought Exposes Old Debris in Lake Okeechobee; Associated Press; June 5, 2007. The Native American History of Florida’s Lake Okeechobee Basin; Dennis N. Partridge; Access Geneaology; September 21, 2016. PHOTO: Representation, not an actual depiction of Florida, Lake Okeechobee, or the human remains found at the bottom of the lake
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enFebruary 28, 2018
    history
    society
    culture
    florida
    nativeamericanhistory

    Episode 7: If the Bermuda Triangle is a Mystery, the Bridgewater Triangle is an Epic Conundrum of the Unexplained

    Episode 7: If the Bermuda Triangle is a Mystery, the Bridgewater Triangle is an Epic Conundrum of the Unexplained
    Just 30 miles south of Boston lies the mysterious "Bridgewater Triangle," a 200-square mile "vortex" that has been rumored to be both haunted and cursed. Although skeptics shrug off the unexplainable, the bloody and disturbing history of this part of Massachusetts might make you question what’s real and what’s false. Have you ever heard of the Bridgewater Triangle?

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    Credit: This episode would not have been complete without the brilliant insight of Jeff Belanger one of the most visible paranormal researchers today. He’s also the Emmy-nominated host, writer, and producer of the New England Legends series which debuted on PBS in October of 2013, and the weekly New England Legends Podcast. I also spoke with Christopher Balzano, a writer, researcher, folklorist, and host of the podcast Tripping on Legends. He also appeared in the The Bridgewater Triangle documentary alongside Loren Coleman and Jeff Belanger. Watch it free (with Prime) on Amazon. Sources: Ghosts of the Bridgewater Triangle; Christopher Balzano; Schiffer Pub Ltd; September 28, 2008. UFO FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Roswell, Aliens, Whirling Discs, and Flying Saucers; David J. Hogan; Backbeat Books; September 1, 2016. The History of King Philip’s War; Rebecca Beatrice Brooks; The History of Massachusetts Blog; May 31, 2017. The Reader’s Companion to American History; Eric Foner and John A. Garraty; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company; October 21, 1991. Weird New England; Joseph A. Citro; Sterling; September 25, 2005. Hockomock Swamp ACEC; Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Retrieved January 2018. The Bridgewater Triangle; Christopher W. Pittman; Cellar Walls; 2008. The Bridgewater Triangle; Paranormal Encyclopedia; Retrieved January 2018. UFOs Spotted in Bridgewater NJ and Bridgewater MA; Paul Seaburn; Mysterious Universe; December 8, 2015. ‘Bridgewater Triangle’ film cites litany of mysteries; Taryn Plumb; Boston Globe; May 4, 2014. The Bridgewater Triangle: Massachusetts' paranormal vortex; Destination Strange; Roadtrippers; September 19, 2016. PHOTO: Representation, not an actual depiction of the Bridgewater Triangle or Massachusetts
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enFebruary 14, 2018
    history
    society
    culture
    paranormal
    lore

    Episode 6: Meet the Notorious, Yet Politically Significant, Black and Native American Outlaws Omitted from Old West History

    Episode 6: Meet the Notorious, Yet Politically Significant, Black and Native American Outlaws Omitted from Old West History
    While the ballads of gun-slinging outlaws like Jesse James and Billy the Kid play on, there’s another Old West gang that has been largely forgotten. This group of young boys – black, Native American, or of mixed-race – emerged from the shadows in a politically charged, yet severely flawed, rebellion. Have you ever heard of the Rufus Buck Gang?

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    Credits: Thank you to novelist Leonce Gaiter for bringing the Rufus Buck story to light. I’d also like to thank Stephen Aron, a professor at UCLA and specialist in frontier, borderland, and western American history, and Arthur Lurigio, a professor of psychology and criminal justice at Loyola University Chicago. Sources: Indian Outlaws Taken, San Francisco Call, August 12, 1895. The Rampage of the Rufus Buck Gang, Craig Lambert, Harvard Magazine, March-April 2012. I Dreamt I Was in Heaven - The Rampage of the Rufus Buck Gang, Leonce Gaiter, Legba Books, August 5, 2011. Violence and Innocence Love and Betrayal Butchery and Grace, Leonce Gaiter, 2011. Forgotten Outlaw Rufus Buck Had a Dream, ICMN Staff, Indian Country Today, July 27, 2017. Rufus Buck Gang: A Time to Die, Juliet Galonska, National Park Service, February 1995. Rufus Buck Gang, Robert W. Boyle, Old West Daily Reader, Retrieved December 2017. The Rampage of the Rufus Buck Gang of 1895, Jae Jones, Black Then, July 16, 2017. Rufus Buck Gang, The Spell of the West, Retrieved December 2017. Buck Gang, The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Linda D. Wilson, Oklahoma Historical Society, Retrieved December 2017. PHOTO: Rufus Buck Gang, Artist/Photographer unknown, Public Domain
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enJanuary 31, 2018
    history
    society
    culture
    outlaws
    oldwest
    americanwest

    Episode 5: About that Time Kissing Was Outlawed in Canoes on Boston’s Charles River

    Episode 5: About that Time Kissing Was Outlawed in Canoes on Boston’s Charles River
    Long before Fats Domino found his thrill on Blueberry Hill or making out in the backseat of a station wagon on Lover’s Lane was hip, young couples took to the water. But they weren’t out there for a midnight swim. They didn’t make a splash or even get wet. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, canoes provided a private escape. Canoodling went on for years in the Boston area. Then, someone let the cat out of the bag, and the innocence of love turned into the scandal of the century. Have you ever heard about the time Boston banned kissing in canoes?

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    Credits: For this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Cathy Hurst, a writer and professor who transcribed and annotated a 1905 family diary set in the Boston area, and Clara Silverstein, the Community Engagement Manager for Historic Newton. I’m also grateful to Marcel Danesi, a professor of Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Toronto and author of the book The History of the Kiss, who spoke to the past, present, and, hopefully, future of the kiss. Sources: Love Boats: The Delightfully Sinful History of Canoes, Hunter Oatman-Stanford, Collector’s Weekly, July 5, 2012. The Charles River: in the Right Place at the Right Time, Historic Newton, City of Newton, retrieved January 2018. Kissing in Canoes, Catherine Hurst, Dateline: Boston 1905, July 29, 2008. The Charles River Canoe Craze and Massachusetts’ ‘War on Osculation’, New England Historical Society, August 2014. Revolt at Riverside: Victorian Virtue and the Charles River Canoeing Controversy, 1903-1905, Thomas A. McMullin, The New England Quarterly, September 2000. Boston: A Guide Book, Edwin Monroe Bacon, Ginn & Company Publishers, 1903. "Down by the Riverside" in Historic Auburndale, Robert F. Pollock, a booklet published by the Auburndale Community Association, revised edition 1996.
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enJanuary 13, 2018
    history
    society
    culture
    boston
    romance

    Episode 4: Vermont’s Legendary Wampahoofus Circled the Green Mountains Long Before Bigfoot or Yeti

    Episode 4: Vermont’s Legendary Wampahoofus Circled the Green Mountains Long Before Bigfoot or Yeti

    Deep in the Green Mountains of Vermont, history runs as rich as the pristine waters that ebb and flow between the rocky peaks. Many stories have originated from within this lush countryside. Some accounts are true. Others came to life in the imaginations of restless souls. Long before Bigfoot and Yeti became well-known in Western popular culture, another legendary creature was said to roam the hilly woods of the Green Mountain state. Have you ever heard of the wampahoofus?

    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enJanuary 03, 2018
    history
    society
    culture
    lore
    folklore

    Episode 3: World War II’s Rumor Clinics Dispelled the Scuttlebutt and Tale Tales

    Episode 3: World War II’s Rumor Clinics Dispelled the Scuttlebutt and Tale Tales

    Rumors, like most forms of gossip, are usually rooted in half-truths and outright falsities. Yet, during World War II, these insatiable tidbits of hearsay threatened to undermine civilian morale and even cause unrest within the military community when they nearly spiraled out of control. A network of “morale wardens” tracked down the latest scuttlebutt, and helped refute these tall tales. Have you ever heard of the World War II rumor clinics?

    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enDecember 18, 2017
    history
    politics
    society
    culture

    Episode 2: Step Inside Madam Fan Jones' Bawdy Blue House of 19th Century Pleasure

    Episode 2: Step Inside Madam Fan Jones' Bawdy Blue House of 19th Century Pleasure
    There was once a stretch of land so wicked and rowdy, it became known as the Devil’s Half Acre of Bangor, Maine. Historians affectionately refer to this legendary destination of merriment and mayhem as Satan’s playground – a place where loggers, sailors, and other workingmen gathered to spend their hard-earned cash on whiskey and women. When Maine became the first state to pass Prohibition in 1851, supporters dreamed of a pine-strewn moral haven. But one freethinking former seamstress had other ideas. Have you ever heard of Fan Jones? DOWNLOAD NOW Credits: This story was originally published on Narratively, a site where human stories are boldly told. Again, I must give a huge round of applause to my editors Brendan Spiegel and Mike Stahl who helped bring Fan back to life – in a well-deserved positive light. A special thanks to Monique Bouchard who spent countless hours researching Fan Jones and leading Bangor, Maine’s walking tour of Devil’s Half Acre for several summers. She spent days in the scorching heat dressed as the infamous madam, teaching tourists not only of Jone’s business affairs, but also of her humanity. Also, a huge thanks to Bella Arsenic who is working hard to help destigmatize an industry plagued by misconceptions and myths. Sources: Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History, Jack S. Blocker and David M. Fahey, December 17, 2003. Throwback Thursday: Maine Becomes the First State to Outlaw Alcohol, Madeline Bilis, Boston Magazine, June 2, 2016. The Maine Liquor Law: Origin, History, and Results, Henry Stephen Clubb, 1856. Fan Jones, The Madame Who Reigned Over the Devil’s Half Acre in Bangor, New England Historical Society, updated 2017. Where was the Devil’s Half Acre?, Wayne E. Reilly, Bangor Daily News, September 16, 2012. Penobscot Marine Museum, Nineteenth Century Industries: Lumber, 2012. Tall Trees, Tough Men, Robert E. Pike, 1967. Rivers of Fortune, Bill Caldwell, October 28, 2014. Rogues, Rascals, and Other Villainous Mainers, Trudy Irene Scee, November 7, 2014. Maine’s Golden Road: A Memoir, John Gould, August 17, 1995. Tour the Devil’s Half Acre with Bangor’s infamous madam, Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News, August 2, 2015.
    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enDecember 04, 2017
    history
    culture
    maine
    prohibition

    Episode 1: The Former Slave Who Became an Executioner

    Episode 1: The Former Slave Who Became an Executioner

    Death is a part of life that makes most of us… uncomfortable. But there are many faces of death – some more troubling than others. Take, for example, executions. Imagine being the individual tasked with the job of death. Right or wrong, however moral or unjust, the history of execution dates to the earliest footprints of time. One of the most unusual, yet forgotten accounts, is of a former slave who became an executioner. Have you ever heard of Louis Congo?

     

    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enNovember 16, 2017
    history
    culture
    deathpenalty
    capitalpunishment

    Coming Soon: Historium Unearthia

    Coming Soon: Historium Unearthia

    Freelance journalist and lifelong history sleuth, Crystal Ponti, introduces Historium Unearthia - a podcast celebrating history's lost and untold stories… the ones overshadowed by the more memorable and talked about events, people, and "things" from our past. But these are no ordinary stories. These are the weird, the macabre, the unbelievable. The stories that make your heart race and your mind spin. They’re the kind of stories that leave you stunned and amazed and questioning everything you thought you knew about our history. Join her next month as she unveils the very first episode of Historium Unearthia. In the meantime, please subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts and visit the website at historiumunearthia.com to receive notifications of new episodes.

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    Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories
    enOctober 22, 2017
    history
    world
    society
    culture
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