10,000

Uff Da! It’s the land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota Nice, and lots of history. This is the 10,000 podcast, a show where your hosts will take you on a journey through the histories of the Northstar State. I’m Yanet Tadele, your host for this episode where we travel back in time to 1965 in St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, where a group of women challenged the status quo in sports.

Uff Da! It’s the land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota Nice, and lots of history. This is the 10,000 podcast, a show where your hosts will take you on a journey through the histories of the Northstar State. I’m Apple, your host for this episode where we will be talking about the defeat of Jesse james day!

Bibliography

“Defeat Of Jesse James Days - Bank Raid Re-Enactment Script.” Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce 22 Bridge Square, Northfield, Minnesota 55047.

 Freeland, Tim. “Home Page.” Defeat of Jesse James Days, 23 Sept. 2022, https://www.djjd.org/.

 “How Emotions Affect Learning.” ASCD.

 “James-Younger Gang Bank Raid Primary Source Set: Northfield-Rice County Digital History Collection.” Northfield-Rice County Digital History Collection |, 28 Sept. 2020,.

 “Jesse James' Bank Robberies.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/james-robberies/.

Magelssen, Scott, and Rhona Justice-Malloy. Enacting History, University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa, 2011.

 “Northfield Bank Raid of 1876.” Northfield Bank Raid of 1876 | Minnesota Digital Library

“Norfield History Research Files.” Northfield History Society, Northfield, Minnesota, 1 Mar. 2023.

Press, Pioneer. “Gun Used to Kill Bandit in Famed 1876 Raid Returns to Northfield.” Twin Cities, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2015

Radio, Minnesota Public. “MPR: Following the Trail of Jesse James.” News & Features, 7 Sept. 2001,  

Rizzo, Mary. “History at Work, History as Work: Public History's New Frontier.” American Quarterly, Johns Hopkins University Press, 31 Mar. 2016,

Says, Jacko, et al. “Once a Booming Organization, Jaycees Struggling as Membership Continues to Fade.” Nonprofit Sector News, 29 July 2020, https://nonprofitsectornews.org/2020/06/26/once-a-booming-organization-jaycees-struggling-as-membership-continues-to-fade/.

Tyson, Amy. The Wages of History: Emotional Labor on Public History's Front Lines. University of Massachusetts Press, 2013.

Uff Da! It’s the land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota Nice, and lots of history. This is the 10,000 podcast, a show where your hosts will take you on a journey through the histories of the Northstar State. I’m Sophia, your host for this episode where we will be talking about Henrietta Larson of Ostrander, Minnesota and what it meant to be an educated woman in the first half of the 20th century. 

Bibliography

Hidy, Ralph W., and Muriel E. Hidy. “Henrietta M. Larson: An Appreciation.” Business History Review 36, no. 1 (1962): 3–10.

Lagerquist, DeAne L. “As Sister, Wife, and Mother: Education for Young Norwegian-American Lutheran Women.” Norwegian-American Studies 33 (1992): 99–138.

Carol Jenson. "The Larson Sisters: Three Careers in Contrast," in Barbara Stuhler and Gretchen Kreuter, eds., Women of Minnesota: Selected Biographical Essays (St. Paul, 1977), 301-324. 

Solomon, Barbara Miller. In the Company of Educated Women : a History of Women and Higher Education in America. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985.

Eisenmann, Linda. Higher Education for Women in Postwar America, 1945-1965. Baltimore, Md: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006.

 Nash, Margaret A. Women’s Higher Education in the United States: New Historical Perspectives. New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59084-8.

Jones, Martha S. All Bound up Together the Woman Question in African American Public Culture, 1830-1900. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2007.

Minneapolis Tribune clipping “Ostrander Woman’s Career Reaches From Farm to Top Faculty Rank” by Richard P. Kleeman, n.d. , ACC#3100, “Larson Sisters: Henrietta (1918), Agnes (1916), and Nora (1923)”, Alumni Files, St.Olaf College Archives and Special Collections, St.Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota.

Harvard Magazine “Remember Henrietta Larson” by H. Ronken Lynton ‘41, n.d. , ACC#3100, “Larson Sisters: Henrietta (1918), Agnes (1916), and Nora (1923)”, Alumni Files, St.Olaf College Archives and Special Collections, St.Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota.

Harvard press release “Henrietta Larson, Business Historiam and First Woman Professor at HBS Dies at 88”, 1 September 1983,  ACC#3100, “Larson Sisters: Henrietta (1918), Agnes (1916), and Nora (1923)”, Alumni Files, St.Olaf College Archives and Special Collections, St.Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota.

Intro: Uff Da! It’s the land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota Nice, and lots of history. This is the 10,000 podcast, a show where your host will take you on a journey through the histories of the Northstar State. I’m Coleen, your host for this episode where we will be learning about Northfield’s own St. Olaf College’s ski jump, which stood for nearly 50 years. 

Uff Da! It’s the land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota Nice, and lots of history. This is the 10,000 podcast, a show where your hosts will take you on a journey through the histories of the Northstar State. I’m Nellie Phillips, your host for this episode where we will be talking about the beloved St. Olaf radio station, WCAL.

Bibliography

“A Word From Our Editors…” Manitou Messenger. December 3, 2004. 

 Blodgett, Steve. “Appellate court rejects attempt to overturn sale of WCAL.” Manitou Messenger. December 30, 2009. 

 “Brief Overview.” SaveWCAL, March 7, 2009.

 Gage, Amy. “FCC approves sale of WCAL to Minnesota Public Radio.” Manitou Messenger. November 15, 2004.  

 Gage, Amy. “Faculty Members to Get Additional Raise along with Cost-of-Living Increase.” Manitou Messenger. August 1, 2005.

Gage, Amy. “St. Olaf College reaches agreement to sell WCAL to Minnesota Public Radio.”  Manitou Messenger. August 10, 2004. 

Heltsley, Emelie, Jean Mullins. “SaveWCAL Stays Strong.” Manitou Messenger. October 15, 

2004. 

Roberts, Kate. “WCAL: The Nation's First Public Radio Station.” Essay. In Minnesota 150: The People, Places, and Things That Shape Our State, 180–80. Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2007. 

Schroeder, Carl. “Save WCAL.” Manitou Messenger. September 17, 2004.

Slotten, Hugh Richard. "Radio's Hidden Voice: Noncommercial Broadcasting, Extension Education, and State Universities during the 1920s." Technology and Culture 49, no. 1  (2008): 1-20.

Shaw, Joseph M. History of St. Olaf College, 1874-1974. Northfield, Minn: St. Olaf College Press, 1974. 

Walker, Jesse. “The FCC’s Wars.” Rebels on the Air : An Alternative History of Radio in  America. New York: New York University Press, 2001. Accessed March 2, 2023. 

By Sydney Hitchcock

Transcript:  

Sydney: Not many people when asked about the War of 1812 could tell you why the war was fought, who was involved, or about any of the key battles. Some may recall that the White House was burned and that at some point in our country’s history the lyrics to the Star-Spangled Banner must have been written, but few could tell you that both of these events occurred during this War. The War of 1812 was the United States of America’s first chance to flex its newly independent muscles. Tired of being pushed around by the British in the Atlantic and to the North, the United States wanted to make it clear - the British were no longer welcome on their soil. It is no surprise that most people who are not historians have never learned about the Battle of Lake Erie, which is known as the turning point of the War of 1812. Fought between the British and the U.S. over control of Lake Erie, this battle was the first major naval victory the U.S. had ever won against the Royal Navy. Control of Lake Erie meant the U.S. no longer had to fear invasion by British forces from the North and could prevent the British from penetrating the ever-expanding middle of the country. This gave the U.S. more control over communication and trade during the remainder of the war, which allowed an eventual victory. Take that King George, this will teach you not to mess with an independent country – you power hungry tyrant! My name is Sydney Hitchcock and I will be your host for today’s Hurstories podcast on the Battle of Lake Erie.  

Sydney: The Battle of Lake Erie began at daybreak the morning of September 10th, 1813. The battle took place between the United States Navy, under the command of Captain Oliver Hazard Perry and the British Royal Navy, under the command of Captain Robert H. Barclay. The two fleets met in Put-In-Bay Ohio, where the battle was fought.

Sydney: That morning, the American fleet which consisted of nine vessels in total and 416 crew members fit for duty set sail towards the approaching six British vessels. Perry commanded a squadron that consisted of three Brigs, the Lawrence, the Niagara, and the Caledonia, five schooners the Ariel, Scorpion, Somers, Porcupine, and Tigress, and one sloop called the Trippe. The British squadron was made up of six vessels, two ships the Detroit and Queen Charlotte, one brig the Hunter, two schooners the Lady Prevost and Chippeway, and one sloop the Little Belt.[1] Despite the United States having more ships,  the British had the advantage of having more experienced commanders.[2] Barclay who was commander of the Detroit had the best guns, which were more accurate when hitting their target.[3] During this period the strength of the Royal Navy was known throughout the world. Their experience having been perfected over centuries spent colonizing foreign lands and controlling overseas trade routes.

Sydney: Before the battle began Perry’s, strategy was to pair each of his vessels to a British ship; for example, the brig Niagara was supposed to mainly fight against Britain’s Queen Charlotte. Depending on Barclay’s tactical formation, Perry would change the American battle line so his ships would stay with the ships he had assigned them to fight against.[4]

Man voice: “At daylight discovered the Enemy’s fleet in the NW. Made the signal immediately to the Squadron to get underway-“[5].

Sydney: As the fleets sailed towards each other the Detroit was the first to fire, shooting a long 24 which missed Perry’s advancing ships. Their second fire was more successful than the first, hitting its mark which was Perry’s brig, the Lawrence. The Lawrence in response fired her long 12’s and carronades at the British fleet but was unsuccessful in hitting her intended targets. [6] Naval vessels during this period were outfitted with different types of cannons, which were mounted on their decks and poked out of windows that looked like eyes on the sides of the ship so that they could fire cannon balls toward their enemies. The “longs” were more slender cannons, and shot different weight cannon balls like 12 and 24 pounds, but were not very accurate. The carronades were squat and able to shoot heavier cannon balls capable of doing more damage because they were more accurate.  (maybe dramatic pause)

Sydney: As the battle progressed, the Lawrence continued to take the majority of the hits from the enemy, while Perry’s other Brig the Niagara commanded by Captain Jesse D. Elliott, stayed out of fighting range. The Niagara only shot long range shots towards its assigned ship the Queen Charlotte, refusing to come closer. Confused by this tactic and unable to get into range to hit the Niagara, the Queen Charlotte turned her focus to helping the Detroit battle the Lawrence. The Lawrence was now taking an even larger number of shots and still had yet to hit the British forces. It took the Lawrence twenty minutes until it successfully hit one of the British vessels.[7] Not known for their maneuverability, it often took hours for the captains to get these vessels into good positions to fight. This was often made even more difficult by weather conditions. You can only imagine how chaotic this scene must have been and how fearful you would be if you were a soldier on one of these ships. Fighting vessels bobbing around like bath toys on the lake, huge explosions accompanied by bursts of fire and loud noises, as cannon balls either connected with a target – not necessarily the one they were aiming at – or landed with loud splashes in the water around the battle.

Sydney: By 12:20 the Lawrence had moved into close proximity of the British vessels fighting in closer range. Despite having Commander Oliver Perry as their captain, the Lawrence could not make up for the fact the American crews were less experienced than the British. Because of their inexperience they overloaded their carronades sometimes causing them to overheat or burst. Too much weight on one side of the ship would also cause the ship to become off balance, meaning its cannon’s aim would become even less accurate. At the end of the battle line, long range action took place between the Somers, Tigress, Porcupine, and Trippe all on the American side, while the Lady Prevost fought against them on the British side. The Lady Prevost was suffering a great amount of damage from the long guns of the American forces, causing her to fall leeward. Supporting the Lawrence at the front of the battle was the Scorpion, Ariel, and Caledonia fighting in close quarters with the Detroit, Queen Charlotte, Hunter, and Chippeway. Both sides were taking heavy hits and great losses. The Lawrence took the most number of hits and lost over four fifths of its crew, being either wounded or killed.[8]

Male voice: “every brace and bowline was shot away, and the brig almost completely dismantled; her hull was shattered to pieces, many shot going completely through it, and the guns on the engaged side were by degrees all dismounted”.[9]

Sydney: Yet, Commander Perry refused to surrender, determined to win against the British and take control of Lake Erie.

Sydney: Noticing that the Niagara had yet to engage in the fight and was practically unharmed, Perry decided to abandon the Lawrence and use the Niagara as his relief ship.[10] Before leaving the Lawrence, Perry took down his private flag which read Don’t Give up the Ship, which he took with him onto the Niagara.[11] The Niagara had yet to fire her carronades, so Perry sent Elliott back to bring up the three schooners and turned the Niagara towards the British fleets.[12]

Sydney: At 2:45 the schooners that Perry had sent Elliott back to bring up had caught up with the Niagara and together the vessels broke through Barclay’s line.[13] As the Niagara sailed passed the Lady Prevost, captain Perry witnessed the crew of the Lady Prevost run below deck from fear of the Niagara, while their brave commander Lieutenant Buchan remained on deck. He had been shot through the face, Perry seeing this immediately ceased fire at the Lady Prevost.[14]  

Sydney: The Detroit and Queen Charlotte by this point had very little left to fight against the practically new Niagara. On the opposite side of the Niagara the America’s Caledonia and schooners fired at the other sides of the Detroit and Queen Charlotte.[15]

Sydney: By 3pm with nothing else that they could do, the British raised their flag and surrendered to Perry. The Chippeway and Little Belt began to flee the battle but were captured by the Trippe and Scorpion forcing them to surrender as well, ending the battle of Lake Erie.[16]

Sydney: That evening Perry would write one of the most famous lines from the Battle of Lake Erie in his after-action report:

Male Voice: “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”[17] 

Bibliography

Dudley, William S. The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History. Edited by Dean C Allard . Vol. 2. Washington, D.C. , Washington, D.C. : Naval Historical Center Department of the Navy , 1992.

History.com Editors. “The Star-Spangled Banner.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, September 28, 2017. https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/the-star-spangled-banner.

Roosevelt, Theodore. The Naval War of 1812. United States: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1882.

Skaggs, David Curtis. “Creating Small Unit Cohesion: Oliver Hazard Perry at the Battle of Lake Erie.” Armed Forces & Society (0095327X) 23, no. 4 (Summer 1997): 635–68. doi:10.1177/0095327X9702300406.

Taylor, William V. “Sloop of War Lawrence Journal.” July 31, 1813 and September 1813. Erie Maritime Museum.

Transcribed from The Weekly Messenger. Vol. 3.  No. 29. Friday, May 6, 1814. Boston. published by James Cutler.

[1] Theodore Roosevelt, The Naval War of 1812 or The History of the United States Navy During the Last War with Great Britain (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1882), 260-261.

[2] David Curtis Skaggs, “Creating Small Unit Cohesion: Oliver Hazard Perry at the Battle of Lake Erie,” Armed Forces & Society (0095327X) 23, no. 4 (Summer 1997): 635–68. doi:10.1177/0095327X9702300406.

[3]. Theodore Roosevelt, The Naval War of 1812 or The History of the United States Navy During the Last War with Great Britain, 264.

[4] David Curtis Skaggs, “Creating Small Unit Cohesion: Oliver Hazard Perry at the Battle of Lake Erie”.

[5] William V, Taylor, “Sloop of War Lawrence Journal,” July 31, 1813 and September 1813, Erie Maritime Museum.

[6] Theodore Roosevelt, The Naval War of 1812, 263.

[7] Theodore Roosevelt, The Naval War of 1812, 263.

[8] Theodore Roosevelt, The Naval War of 1812, 263-265.

[9] Theodore Roosevelt, The Naval War of 1812, 265-266.

[10] Theodore Roosevelt, The Naval War of 1812, 266.

[11] William V, Taylor, “Sloop of War Lawrence Journal.”

[12] Theodore Roosevelt, The Naval War of 1812, 266.

[13] Theodore Roosevelt, The Naval War of 1812, 267.

[14] The Weekly Messenger, Vol. 3, No. 29. 

[15] Theodore Roosevelt, The Naval War of 1812, 267.

[16] Theodore Roosevelt, The Naval War of 1812, 267.

[17] William S. Dudley, The Navy War of 1812: A Documentary History, Edited by Dean C Allard, Vol. 2. Washington, D.C. , Washington, D.C. : Naval Historical Center Department of the Navy , 1992.

By Rebekah Prather

Sources

Lisa Thompson, “Rhodes Granted Parole in Infant Death Case.” GoErie.com, October 1, 2015. https://www.goerie.com/article/20151001/NEWS/610151934.

Superior Court of Pennsylvania. COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellee v. Teri RHODES, Appellant. No. 143 WDA 2009., December 31, 2009.

Nancy Grace, “Nancy Grace”, CNN, Aired September 20, 2007.

Beyer, Kristen, Shannon McAuliffe Mack, and Joy Lynn Shelton. “Investigative Analysis of Neonaticide: An Exploratory Study.” Criminal Justice and Behavior 35, no. 4 (April 2008): 522–35.

Raymond Pierotti, "Infanticide Versus Adoption: An Intergenerational Conflict." The American Naturalist 138, no. 5 (1991): 140-158. Accessed January 29, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/2462512.

By Kayla Rieck

Transcript:

[Woman 1]: 911, what’s your emergency?

[Woman 2]: We’ve been robbed.

[Woman 1]: Okay, stay on the line.

[Woman 2]: Okay.

[Woman 1]: Is anyone hurt?

[Woman 2]: No.

[Police Siren droning on]

You’re listening to Hurstories. A podcast about Western Pennsylvanian history. Created by the digital history students at Mercyhurst University.

Hello everyone, my name is Kayla Rieck and you are listening an episode of Hurstories – a podcast created by Mercyhurst students – and today you will be listening to one of the weirdest things to happen to Erie. This is the story of Brian Wells, more famously known as the Pizza Bomber.

August 28th, 2003 – Brian Wells is killed.

Part one: The phone call.

At roughly 1:30pm, Mamma Mia’s receives a phone call. The owner, Mr. Tony Ditomo, first picked up the call, but couldn’t understand who was talking, so he handed the phone to Brian Well who proceeded to write his own directions. Two sausage and pepperoni pizzas were to be delivered to 8631 Peach Street, the location of a WSEE-TV transmitting tower as the end of a long, dirt road. Upon arriving to the address, there was a struggle, and by the time Wells left the premises he had a live bomb collared around his neck. Wells received 9 pages of hand-written, rambling instructions and a cane adapted to be a loaded shotgun (instructions included of course). While Wells claimed it was a group of black men that jumped him and forced him to complete these tasks, interviews by law enforcement had Floyd Stockton sweating, claiming to be the one who strapped the bomb to Wells. To this day, these details are still very muddy, and no one really knows who put this collar on Wells.

Part two: The Scavenger hunt.

“Bomb Hostage, you are to go to PNC bank at Summit Town Centre on Peach St. Quietly give the following demand notes to a receptionist or bank manager. Do not cause alarm. Get retired money and deliver to a specified location by following notes that you will collect as you race against time. Each note leads to the next note and key until finished. You will collect several keys and a combination to remove bomb. After, police won’t charge you because you were a hostage.”[1]

This is the beginning paragraph of the crudely written instructions Wells was given by a group calling themselves The Troubleshooters commanding him to rob a bank, the PNC bank on Peach street to be specific. They were mapped out in a scavenger hunt style, listing strictly timed tasks that would help him collect keys that would delay the bomb’s detonation until he found the final key which would defuse the bomb. He was told he only had 55 minutes until detonation. With 25 minutes travel time, he had a safety margin of less than 10 minutes, the remaining time, 20 minutes, were to be used to “retrieve and obey their instructions.” Additional time could be gained by finding keys, but he isn’t told how much. To ensure Wells was following their instructions the writer made him aware that they would be following his moves in 3 cars to make sure he obeyed their requests. They would be scanning police radio frequencies, calls, and driving around to make sure they stayed away. If Wells alerted the police to what happened, they told him plain and simple: “you will be destroyed”.

“You must deliver money alone. You must return all weapons/notes to us. Turn yourself in to bank and police after we release you to safety,” and in all capital letters at the end of the first page, “ACT NOW, THINK LATER OR YOU WILL DIE!”

Part 3: PROCEED NOW.

With notes to give to the receptionist, bank manager, and the police in hand as well as instructions for each stop of this gross goose chase, Wells enters the bank. His first instructions read as follows:

“1) take the following demands to PNC bank and get $250,00.00. Instruct bank managers to help or else everyone will be killed. Enforce demands with your weapon and bomb. 2) Put $250,00.00 in black garbage bag. Leave your driver’s license at the bank and promise to return. Then return money to us by following a course of instructions. You will receive further instructions as you proceed.”

Brian entered the bank around 2:30pm, following his instructions, he stood in line for a second before he decided to go around to give the teller the demand note. The teller’s face most likely drained of color as she read her instructions, meanwhile Wells was calmly reaching into the basket of lollipops on the counter:

“RECEPTIONIST. Do not cause panic or many people will be killed. Sounding any alarm will interrupt this action and guarantee injuries and death. Involving authorities at this point will get this hostage and other people killed. Immediately, without causing alarm, you must contact the bank manager. The bomb hostage must accompany you. Give manager the following demands.”

After this there is a paragraph explaining the bomb and Wells’ instructions, reminding them that no money meant he gets no keys. The bank manager is told to: 1) ensure all people are remaining quiet and calm, and to prevent anyone from using outside contact, especially to the police, 2) close the bank with all people remaining inside, and 3) act fast or the hostage’s time will run out and that the bomb may detonated if the police are seen. The writer goes on to describe what will happen if they are met with resistance. They will not only detonate the bomb, but there will also be further means of retaliation.

From here, the manger is given two options - just in case they don’t have $250,000.00 laying around. Plan A is $150,000.00, 50s and 20s only but 50s are preferred. This plan only prevents the bomb to save the hostage, but it does not prevent retaliation. Plan B, which is weirdly the actual demand, $250,000.00 with a limit of $100k in 100s to be accepted. This would prevent both the bomb detonating and the retaliation, this plan, in their words, “guarantees everyone’s safety”.

The bank manager, unable to open the safe during this time crunch, was only able to give Wells what was in the drawers which added up to roughly $8,000 – a miniscule amount compared to what The Troubleshooters were asking. A witness reported that Wells “walked out of the bank like Charlie Chaplin, swinging the bag and cane gun” in his hands. 

Part 4: McDonald’s.

“Exit the bank with the money and go to the McDonald’s restaurant. Get out of the car and go to the small sign reading drive thru/open 24 hours. In the flower bed by the sign there is a rock with a note taped to the bottom. It has your next instructions.”

To get his next note, Wells stopped at McDonald’s after he left the bank and retrieved it from a flower bed outside before getting back into his vehicle and proceeding to head south on Route 19/Peach Street like instructed. Little did he know, in less than 300 feet he would be pulled over in the Eyeglass World parking lot by countless police units.

Part 5: Everything goes wrong.

“POLICE. You may still save Bomb-hostage. To do so, all police vehicles/aircraft must stand down and assemble all units at the specified location. Country fair and Eyeglass World parking lots. No lights, vehicles face away from the road. Light 3 flares and place next to fire hydrant at Eyeglass World to indicate full cooperation. Stop no traffic in Erie County during this time. All other units must gather at this location. For every 15 units we count we will spare one retaliation target. You can be sure it is in our best interests to act upon and maintain future credibility regarding these matters.”

At roughly 3pm, Morgan, an officer responding to the commotion, said, “We got him out of the car and handcuffed him. And Brian said something about a bomb.”[2] Another officer cut parts of Wells’ shirt away o reveal what he confirmed as an actual bomb. The police proceed to sit him down and isolate him. Wells, remaining calm, asked them to remove the cuffs, and asked why they weren’t helping him remove the collar. With the bomb squad over ten miles away, and a traffic problem slowly getting worse due to the closing of Peach Street (though it was specifically outlined in the notes that the police received to NOT shut down traffic), the police on scene were left with very little options.

Wells asked the police if maybe they could find the keys before the bomb went off, but, sadly, it was too late. Seconds after, the collar started to beep, changing Brian’s demeanor from calm, to panicked. At 3:18pm, 3 minutes before the bomb squad arrived, he states that he doesn’t think he has a lot of time when the beeping starts accelerating before the long-awaited explosion occurs.

Part 6: The Aftermath.

With a portion of the collar still attached around his neck, the bomb squad examined his body and his car to search for more explosive devices. Investigators later attempted to complete the route the troubleshooters told Wells to follow and could not complete it. No matter how successful Brian was, how fast he drove, or how seamlessly the plan was carried out, his captors knew all along that Brian wouldn’t make it out alive.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Hurstories and supporting the students here at Mercyhurst University. I hope you have a good day, and never get forced to rob a bank.

[1] Harris, Chris. “After Robbing a Bank Wearing a Bomb, a Pizza Guy Was Told to Go on a Scavenger Hunt to Save Himself.” People.com, May 22, 2018. https://people.com/crime/evil-genius-read-handwritten-instructions-pizza-bomber-brian-wells/.

[2] Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist. Duplass Brothers Productions, 2018. https://www.netflix.com/title/80158319.

Written and researched by Adam Macrino

[Evening News Inspired Music Intro written and recorded by Adam Macrino]

Newscaster Voice: Hello everyone, and welcome to Hurststories. My name is Nathan de Panda. On this edition of Hurststories we bring you a story out of the town of Erie, Pennsylvania. On the night of Saturday, July 9th, 1898, the sleepy town was brought to life with the whoops and hollers of Cowboys and Natives as Buffalo Bill Cody and his Congress of Rough Riders paraded into town. The members of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show were greeted by the citizens of Erie, who lined the streets, as the long caravan of performers made their way into the town. This was one of 7 times that Buffalo Bill and his Rough Riders brought their skill to showcase to the town of Erie. Here to bring you more details is Hurststories correspondent, Brian Pedactor.[1]

Narrator Voice: Thank you, Nathan. To understand what a spectacle this would have been for the citizens of the day, we at Hurststories want to familiarize the audience with the man called Buffalo Bill. Before obtaining the infamous nickname, William Frederick Cody, was born in Scott County, Iowa, in 1846. He migrated west with his father, where the young Cody was witness to an awful altercation between his father and a mob of pro-slavery sympathizers. An argument escalated out of control, resulting in the mortal wounding of Cody’s father. The London Times reported in William Cody’s obituary that when this occurred, “Young Cody turned to the assailant saying, ‘You have killed my father. When I’m a man I’ll Kill You.’”[2]

[Announcement Chime]

Public Service Announcement: Hurststories would like to take this opportunity to condemn revenge killing. We are a Catholic University and would not support revenge killing even to avenge our own father.

[Ending Announcement Chime]

Narrator: Cody relocated during the gold rush of the 1860’s but did not strike it rich. Instead he obtained a job as a package runner for the Pony Express. This was an extremely dangerous occupation due to the lawlessness of the West. Bandits would ambush package carriers during their trek, stealing the valuable parcels that they were carrying. It was this job that taught William Cody what it took to live out on the trails of the Wild West. Eventually, Cody would take on a job as a scout for a trapping expedition. It was during this expedition that William Cody was credited with killing his first bear. It is also during this expedition that Cody had an encounter with a Native that ended with violence.  The Native was killed, and Cody was adorned with the name “Boy Indian Slayer.” [3]

[Announcement Chime]

Public Service Announcement: Hurststories would like to take another moment to acknowledge the awful treatment that the Native Americans received, and if there was a way to go back and time and prevent that from happening, we at Hurstories would certainly do so. This has been another Hurststories Condemnation Moment.

[End Announcement Chime]

Narrator: During the Civil War, Cody joined up with the US Army. His reputation as a skilled horseman was confirmed as Cody ascended thru the ranks of the 5th Cavalry, achieving the rank of Chief Scout. Cody continued serving in the US Army after the War, earning the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars.  The rapid expansion of the railroad systems created a great demand for food supplies to feed the giant workforce that a project of that magnitude required. Contracts were offered from these railroad companies to anyone who could provide enough food to meet the demand.[4]

Narrator: This will be how William Frederick Cody obtains his nom de guerre, Buff-

Newscaster: Eh, Adam, what is that, nom de gur?

Narrator: yes, it means a nickname.

Newscaster: no no no, none of that

Narrator: Ok, okay, this will be how William Frederick Cody gets his sobriquet, Buffalo Bil

Newscaster: What! Now what is that?

Narrator: Sobriquet, it’s synonymous with nick-name

Newscaster: Listen buddy, no one’s ‘gonna know what these words mean. You sound condescending. Honestly your whole tone is coming off as condescending.

Narrator: Wow, I didn’t know. I'm sorry. I just, wanted to spice it up, ya know. Put some pep on it.

[Sad Music]

Newscaster: Listen, I was kind of hard on you, go ahead, you can put a little pep on it. Just a little.

Narrator: Ok, So, This will be how William Frederick Cody, the famed adventurer from Scott County Iowa, the man who slayed a bear with his own hands, the man who as a boy was called Boy Indian Slayer, for this next coming tale will be how that man will obtain his eternal cognomen, Buffalo Bill.

Newscaster: At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

[Announcement Chime]

Public Service Announcement: Sorry us again, We at Hurststories would like to take a moment to condemn the last thirty seconds of the podcast. It was far too silly and we promise not to do it again. This has been another, Hurststories Condemnation Moment.

 [Ending Announcement Chime}

Narrator: Right, So William Cody accepts the contract for supplying the Kansas Pacific Railway with meat for its employees while the railroad line is being constructed. Cody’s hunting prowess was forever immortalized in the fitting moniker, “Buffalo Bill”, as Cody killed 4,820 buffalo in 18 months.

Newscaster: Now That is how he obtained his nickname. But why was he known to all Americans at that time and able to travel from town to town performing his little show for everyone.

Narrator: These shows were not little, they very impressive. They were advertised as, “the most intensely interesting and strangest entertainment ever... dreamed of.” and, “...a mirror of heroic manhood.”

Newscaster: Well.

Narrator: Buffalo Bill’s shows would include luminaries from the American West. Sharpshooter married couple Annie Oakley and Frank Butler dazzled audiences with their feats of marks-person-ship. Sitting Bull with 20 members of his tribe joined the show for a time. Buffalo Bill’s show lasted for so many years that he had a rotating cast of the who’s who from the American West joining for brief stints as they pleased. Calamity Jane told tales of the past, Wild Bill Hickok, who was prone to bouts of stage fright, once shot at the spotlight operator for focusing the spotlight on the bashful performer during an early show. Native Americans were an integral part of the experience. Although they often portrayed the villain in re-enactments, famous Native Americans like Sitting Bull participated in these shows and this allowed them the ability to showcase their customs and way of life to interested audiences all over the world.  In fact, performers from all over the world were featured. One advertisement featured in the Erie Herald for a show in July of 1901 promises Cossacks, Boers, Beodouins and Britons, all wearing the uniform or dress of the nation or tribe from which they represent. These shows were living museums. They were very well attended because they showcased a lifestyle that was ceasing to exist. By the end of Buffalo Bill’s entertainment career, you could argue that it had disappeared. [5]

Newscaster: No, I think we have done enough arguing today. And one thing we can all agree on here at Hurstories is, those Erie citizens certainly were entertained anytime Buffalo Bill came to town. 

Narrator: Yes, We certainly can. Before we go Nathan, I would like to say some more about Buffalo Bill. You see, contrary to his rough and tumble attitude, Buffalo Bill despised being thought of as a brawler or a ruffian. He fought for justice and righteousness. One time another person named Buffalo Bill was shot by a lawman after stealing the sherrif’s horse in Pensicola, Florida. In response to the publication of this story, Buffalo Bill wrote to the New York Herald, telling them that the person who perpetrated such an act was a person different than himself, telling them “When I die it will be maintaining honor-that which constitutes the safeguard of society, whether it apply to man or to woman.” [6]  There was a nobility and grace that Buffalo Bill seemed to carry himself by. He knew the importance of reputation in these times and was careful to portray himself in an honorable light. That will be all for me. This has been a Hurststories special report.

Newscaster: Excellent work, Brian. Brian Pedactor, everyone. I am Brian De Panda and from all of us here at Hurststories, ad libb’d goodnight.

[Sweet outro music written and recorded by Adam Macrino]

[1] “The Living Heroes of the Romantic Era Buffalo Bill Advertisement”, Erie Evening Herald (Erie, PA), July 2, 1898.

[2]“Death of ‘Buffalo’ Bill.’” 2017. Times, The (United Kingdom), January 28,1917. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.mercyhurst.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=7EH121178931&site=eds-live. 

[3] “Death of ‘Buffalo’ Bill.’” 2017. Times, The (United Kingdom), January 28, 1917. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.mercyhurst.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=7EH121178931&site=eds-live.

[4] “Death of ‘Buffalo’ Bill.’” 2017. Times, The (United Kingdom), January, 28, 1917. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.mercyhurst.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=7EH121178931&site=eds-live.

[5] “Just What It Is Buffalo Bill Advertisement”, Erie Evening Herald (Erie, PA),  June 15, 1901

[6] Sagala, Sandra K. Buffalo Bill on Stage. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2008. Pg. 78.

Written and researched by Ashley Carr

Transcript:

If you’re a young woman from a working class family from New Jersey in the years leading up to the outbreak of the Civil War, chances are, you would feel that growing tension, feel it about to burst, and want to do something about it. But for a woman, who has been told she has no use on the battlefield, and no voice in politics, options are limited.

You could be a nurse, but, if you don’t have the stomach for gore, like Elizabeth Carter didn’t, you take up work on the home front.[1] Elizabeth moved to Erie, Pennsylvania to be a school teacher, working hard so she could send money back to her family in New Jersey, who depended on her. Amid the terror and freedom of being a young woman on her own in the world for the first time, she met the man who would become her husband, and a Brigadier General of the Union Army: Strong Vincent.[2]

A while into their budding relationship, Elizabeth and Strong were walking the streets of Erie together when man cat-called Elizabeth. We don’t know what was said, but we do know that Strong Vincent, her knight in shining wool uniform, punched him. Right in the face.[3]

The name “Strong” was a family surname before it was given to him.[4] But never was there a man more fit for it than Strong Vincent.

[patriotic, uplifting music]

Perhaps because of a powerful sense of patriotism, or perhaps because he was sick of sitting behind a desk at a law firm, Vincent enlisted into the 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment of the Union Army.[5] He and Elizabeth Carter married that same day, he packed his bag, and was gone.[6]

Sending off your brand new husband into what would become the bloodiest war in American history sounds debilitating, life altering, tragic. But, if you come from a working class family, and the men are off at war, you don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself. You keep going.

And so life went on in Erie without Strong Vincent, and the other men of the Pennsylvania 83rd. Elizabeth, now Mrs. Vincent, continued teaching. News of the war and of the daily life of battle trickled in.

Essentially alone once more, Elizabeth again experienced an exhilarating sense of freedom, this time underlined with the kind of dread that only work could distract from. So, she and the other women of Erie worked, volunteering to put together food, supplies, and clothing for the soldiers.[7] There was no reward for this, no glory, no recognition for the sacrifice of daily stability and what little money she and the other women had. But, they did it anyway.

Not long into their marriage, and, into the war, Elizabeth realized she was pregnant. She gave birth, alone, to a daughter, Blanche Strong Vincent, whose names, all three, were of her husband’s family, not her own. And she buried that child after less than a year of life, alone.

Of course, she did have the family of her new husband to keep her company, and the women of her community, but, when the people you most want near you are away, your husband, your own family, the presence of others can do very little.

[transition music]

We don’t have many letters written by Elizabeth or Vincent, but we do have records of what other soldiers wrote home. Some detailed the mundane and trivial of daily life; I got a tear in my uniform, or the sunset was beautiful today. Others were heavier; my friend just died, or I’ve been wounded, or tell the children I love them, though they may never see me again.

[sad music]

Two years into the war, Strong Vincent had been in and out of battle, and moved up the ranks to Lieutenant Colonel.[8] The infamous battle of Gettysburg loomed around the corner. At 26, Vincent had none of the youthful misconceptions of immortality left in him. In one letter to Elizabeth, just before Gettysburg, he wrote, “If I fall, remember you have given your husband to the most righteous cause that ever widowed a woman.”[9]

[“oh shit this is getting real” music]

What can you do when your husband tells you he might die? When you live in a world where you are nothing without your husband? When your only child died within a year of birth, your family cannot financially support you, and you are hundreds of miles away from being able to physically put your body in anyone else’s place?

You wait. You wait, and you pray, and you busy yourself with work. You try not to allow yourself to think of what you fear might happen, what you don’t dare to imagine, and what happens anyway.

Because the pain of being the one left behind is demanded of you. You must suffer gracefully, for surely others have suffered more in the name of your country.

Elizabeth didn’t know what happened in that fateful battle until days later, when she received word that her husband, fiery Strong Vincent, Colonel and commander of the brigade, had been mortally wounded in Gettysburg, had been shot just after giving a rallying speech to his men, standing on top of a rock.[10]

Elizabeth pieced together the story bit by bit.

Strong Vincent had intercepted an order that otherwise would have gone unfulfilled. His men had been marching for days to offer their support in the battle, many going long hours, and even days, without sleep, shoes torn to pieces, and precious little ammo left. The order Vincent intercepted was from Union General Meade, commanding another battalion to cover one crucial hill called Little Round Top. What the messenger and Meade did not know, though, is that that commander was not there yet to receive the order.

In one of Vincent’s most famous moments, he said, “I will take the responsibility of taking my brigade there.”

This hill, if surrendered to the Confederate Army, would have given a vantage point from which they could gun down the entirety of the Union’s forces. This was a matter of life and death, not just for Vincent and his men, but for the ideal of a free nation.[11]

His last words, just after he was shot, were “Don’t give an inch”.[12] And his men didn’t. The battle was won, and Vincent was moved to a hospital where he was treated for several days.

Union General Meade sent a telegraph to President Lincoln, petitioning him to promote Vincent to Brigadier General for his heroism at Little Round Top in Gettysburg.[13]Lincoln granted this request, and there is debate about whether Strong Vincent was conscious at the time his promotion was announced. He died soon after.

[funeral-ish music]

To have buried a child and been widowed by the age of 24 is a tragedy few can imagine, and even fewer can endure. After the death of Strong Vincent in the battle of Gettysburg, historians don’t seem to have paid attention to Elizabeth, but her life did go on. Her husband’s service had bought her some social and financial security.

She lived, fulfilling the dream of the Union, peacefully existing in a nation of states that were once again united. Strong Vincent never got to see that. But Elizabeth did, and she lived it, for the both of them, and for their child who never got to grow up to see the reunited nation her father defended.

Elizabeth Carter Vincent lived until 1914. [14] She is buried next to Strong Vincent and their child in the Erie Cemetery, where to this day visitors place pennies on their headstones, Lincoln-side up, in remembrance of Strong Vincent’s sacrifice.[15]

[music]

The last line of a poem by Wilfred Owen reads “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori”, which translates “It is sweet and honorable to die for your country.”[16] But, what we forget so often about so many wars is that it is sweet and honorable to live for your country, too.

[end credits music]

This episode of Hurstories was researched and produced by me, Ashley Carr. A special thanks to the Mercyhurst University Digital Storytelling class and Dr. Averill Earls for research and editing assistance.

[1]Nina Silber, Daughters of the Union: Northern Women Fight the Civil War. Cambridge Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2005, page 75.

[2] Michael Schellhammer, The 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteersin the Civil War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2003, page 171.

[3]Nina Silber, Daughters of the Union: Northern Women Fight the Civil War. Cambridge Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2005, page 77.

[4] findagrave.com

[5]Michael Schellhammer, The 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteersin the Civil War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2003, page 170.

[6]Michael Schellhammer, The 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteersin the Civil War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2003, page 171.

[7] Stonesifer, Roy P. Brigadier General Strong Vincent A Hero of Gettysburg. Erie, PA: Edinboro University, 1996, page 2.

[8] Michael Schellhammer, The 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteersin the Civil War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2003, page 171.

[9] Stonesifer, Roy P. Brigadier General Strong Vincent A Hero of Gettysburg. Erie, PA: Edinboro University, 1996, page 3.

[10] Stonesifer, Roy P. Brigadier General Strong Vincent A Hero of Gettysburg. Erie, PA: Edinboro University, 1996, page 5.

[11] Michael Schellhammer, The 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteersin the Civil War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2003, page 169.

[12] Stonesifer, Roy P. Brigadier General Strong Vincent A Hero of Gettysburg. Erie, PA: Edinboro University, 1996, page 6.

[13] Stonesifer, Roy P. Brigadier General Strong Vincent A Hero of Gettysburg. Erie, PA: Edinboro University, 1996, page 6.

[14] findagrave.com

[15] Personal experience

[16] Wilfred Owen, “Dulce Et Decorum Est”, Viking Press, 1921.