A People's History of Kansas City

By KCUR Studios

The podcast about the everyday heroes, renegades and visionaries who shaped Kansas City and the region. If these stories aren't told, they're in danger of fading into the past. Made by Suzanne Hogan, ... more

4.8

206206 ratings

FAQs about A People's History of Kansas City:

How many episodes does A People's History of Kansas City have?

The podcast currently has 77 episodes available.

Best of A People's History of Kansas City

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Kansas City’s Flood of 1951
A massive flood 75 years ago ravaged Kansas City’s central industrial district and surrounding neighborhoods. The worst natural disaster in city history, the Flood of 1951 caused $12 billion in damages and displaced 750,000 people. KCUR’s Frank Morris and Suzanne Hogan reflect on the devastation and how community recovery efforts transformed the city’s identity.
August 25, 202629min
Number 2: Mariachi Estrella will always be stars
In the late 1970s, a group of musicians in Topeka, Kansas formed what became one of the first all-women mariachi bands in the country. Mariachi Estrella broke down barriers in a male dominated music scene, before a deadly disaster almost ended the group for good. Suzanne Hogan tells how the band’s descendants are ensuring their legacy shines on, decades later.
January 08, 202426min
Number 3: 50 years of Kansas City hip-hop
When hip-hop first hit Kansas City streets, the effect was immediate. The new sound took over record stores, local high schools and underground dance parties. As America celebrates a half century of hip-hop, KCUR’s Lawrence Brooks IV honors Kansas City’s own contributions to the culture.
December 19, 202343min
Number 4: The salad days of Wish-Bone dressing
In 1948, Phillip Sollomi debuted an Italian vinaigrette at his Kansas City fried chicken restaurant, the Wishbone. An immediate hit, the salad dressing formed the foundation for an empire: For 75 years, Wish-Bone Italian dressing has helped bring people together around the dinner table, but few Kansas Citians know their connection to the iconic bottle. KCUR’s Jenny Vergara and Natasha Bailey track down why.
November 22, 202334min
Number 5: The strange case of Mr. Swope and Dr. Hyde
For more than a century, Kansas City has been haunted by the mysterious death of philanthropist Thomas Swope. Suspect number one is his nephew-in-law, Dr. Bennett Hyde, who stood to inherit a sizable portion of the Swope family fortune. But did Hyde really murder Thomas Swope, or was the physician actually the victim of a longstanding family grudge? This question was at the center of one of the most publicized murder trials of the early 20th century. Producer Mackenzie Martin walks host Suzanne Hogan through the evidence of this still-unsolved mystery.
October 25, 202352min