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 still echoes through the granite “tent‑pole” monument overlooking the prairie cemetery today.

More than a tale of disaster, this episode explores community resilience, the origins of the circus credo “the show must go on,” and the timeless reminder that every hometown holds a story waiting to be unearthed. Perfect for fans of forgotten Americana, circus lore, and true‑history twists, “When Lightning Struck the Big Top” brings 19th‑century North Dakota vividly—and thunderously—to life.

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