Welcome to the first annual D.B. Cooper Suspect Awards! In this very real award show, we celebrate a handful of the thin-lipped, military-trained sky divers who *might* be responsible for the only unsolved airplane hijacking in United States history.

Plus: Mistakes of Shame! Kristin mispronounced the name of D.B. Cooper suspect Robert Rackstraw. She called him Robert Rackshaw. As punishment, Kristin will be banned from podcasting for the remainder of 2025.

“As new evidence upends D.B. Cooper case, the (un)usual suspects continue to fuel the legend,” by Douglas Perry for The Oregonian

“Who were the D.B. Cooper suspects? From Rob Rackstraw to Dick Briggs,” by Molli Mitchell for Newsweek

“Five most likely suspects behind iconic D.B. Cooper mystery as net closes in on identifying him,” by Luke Kenton for The Daily Mail

“Suspects in the D.B. Cooper skyjacking – sketches, pictures and comparisons,” by Bruce A. Smith for The Mountain News

“D.B. Cooper letter, newly released by FBI, offers startling coded clue that might reveal skyjacker,” by Douglas Perry for The Oregonian

“‘Charming’ D.B. Cooper suspect Sheridan Peterson dies at 94, spent years dedicated to political causes,” by Douglas Perry for The Oregonian

The book, “Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper,” by Geoffrey Gray

The documentary, “The Mystery of DB Cooper”

“Who was the mysterious hijacker D.B. Cooper?” by Ella Morton for History.com

“D.B. Cooper Hijacking, FBI.gov

“The missing piece of the D.B. Cooper story,” by Andrea Marks for Rolling Stone

“Scientists say they may have new evidence in the D.B. Cooper case,” by Chris Ingalls for USA Today

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

On Thanksgiving Eve, 1971, D.B. Cooper parachuted into the night’s sky with $200k in ransom money. That night, the FBI launched their investigation into his identity and location. They interviewed eyewitnesses. They developed sketches. They searched the airplane for evidence, finding a few hairs, cigarette butts, and a clip-on tie. They analyzed the flight path to determine where he might have landed.

But after searching, and searching, and searching - the mysterious D.B. Cooper was nowhere to be found.

The book, “Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper,” by Geoffrey Gray

The documentary, “DB Cooper: Where are you?!”

The documentary, “The Mystery of DB Cooper”

“Who was the mysterious hijacker D.B. Cooper?” by Ella Morton for History.com

“D.B. Cooper Hijacking, FBI.gov

“The missing piece of the D.B. Cooper story,” by Andrea Marks for Rolling Stone

“Scientists say they may have new evidence in the D.B. Cooper case,” by Chris Ingalls for USA Today

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

This episode kicks off our coverage of the only unsolved airplane hijacking in United States history.

On November 24, 1971, a nondescript man boarded a flight to Seattle. He wore a dark suit. He carried a briefcase. As the plane took off, he told the flight attendants that he had a bomb. He demanded $200,000 in ransom money, plus four parachutes.

The airline, along with federal agents, scrambled to meet his demands. When the plane landed in Seattle, he allowed the passengers to leave. Then the man – who would later be known as D.B. Cooper – instructed the crew to fly him to Mexico. His instructions revealed a high level of knowledge about the Boeing 727 jet. And then? He did the unthinkable. He parachuted out of the plane with the ransom money in tow, never to be heard from again.

The book, “Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper,” by Geoffrey Gray

The documentary, “DB Cooper: Where are you?!”

The documentary, “The Mystery of DB Cooper”

“Who was the mysterious hijacker D.B. Cooper?” by Ella Morton for History.com

“D.B. Cooper Hijacking, FBI.gov

“The missing piece of the D.B. Cooper story,” by Andrea Marks for Rolling Stone

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Spite Houses: The architectural equivalent of a middle finger. They’re structures or dwellings designed specifically to piss someone off. This week, Norm does a deep dive into a truly ridiculous spite house, built and owned by an eccentric millionaire named Joseph Richardson.

It all started when a man made an offer on Joseph’s 5-foot wide, 102-foot deep tract of land in New York City. Joseph was so offended by the man’s (completely reasonable) offer, that he built an odd, skinny structure right next to the man’s beautiful apartment building. And the wildest part of it all? Joseph Richardson lived in his spite house for fifteen years.

Alpern, Andrew. Holdouts!: The Buildings That Got in the Way. McGraw-Hill, 1984.

Documentary History of American Water-Works. “Biography of Joseph Richardson.” http://www.waterworkshistory.us/bio/Richardson/index.htm.

Find a Grave. “Joseph C. Richardson (1814-1897).” https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58229813/joseph_c-richardson.

Miller, Tom. “The Lost 1882 ‘Spite House’ -- No. 1218 Lexington Avenue.” Daytonian in Manhattan, August 27, 2012. https://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-lost-1882-spite-house-no-1215.html.

New York Architecture. “New York Architecture Images - Spite House.” February 1, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120201111125/http://www.nyc-architecture.com/GON/GON005.htm.

New York Daily Herald. “Corporate Elections.” April 8, 1873.

New York Daily Herald. “Marriages and Deaths.” July 14, 1872.

New York Daily Herald. “The City Railroad Bills.” February 12, 1873.

New York Herald. “Financial and Commercial.” March 12, 1874.

New York Herald. “Railroads in Utah.” January 27, 1875.

New York Herald. “‘Uncle Ben’ Richardson Dead.” February 22, 1889.

New York Times. “Calls Them Embezzlers.” March 20, 1895.

New York Times. “Joseph Richardson Dead.” June 9, 1897.

New York Times. “Joseph Richardson Dying.” April 16, 1897.

New York Times. “Meeting of the Directors of the Union Pacific Railroad.” March 7, 1873.

New York Times. “Mr Richardson’s Faculty.” June 14, 1897.

New York Times. “Mr. Richardson’s Funeral.” June 12, 1897.

New York Times. “Richardson Will Contest.” November 18, 1897.

New York Times. “Richardson’s Money Gone.” December 23, 1897.

New York Times. “Spite House Case Dismissed.” November 1, 1900.

New York Times. “Stormy Railroad Meeting.” October 19, 1877.

New York Times. “Struck in the Tunnel.” August 21, 1888.

New York Tribune. “Evicted, Goes to Country.” August 21, 1910.

New York Tribune. “Rapid Transit Schemes.” September 22, 1875.

The Universe of Discourse. “The Spite House.” https://blog.plover.com/tech/spite-house.html.

The World. “Strange Heirs of Joseph Richardson.” June 13, 1897.

Utah Rails.Net. “The History of Utah’s Railroads, 1869-1883.” https://utahrails.net/reeder/reeder-chap6.php.

Valentine’s Manual of Old New York. The Chauncey Holt Company, 1921.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

It had been exhausting. It had been challenging. But Emma Gatewood refused to give up on her dream to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. So? She kept going. As she hiked, media outlets chronicled her journey. They dubbed her Grandma Gatewood. When she finished, Emma became the first woman to solo thru-hike the 2,168 mile Appalachian Trail. But Grandma Gatewood’s hiking days were far from finished.

Brown, Andrew. “Skyline Trail from Maine to Georgia.” National Geographic, August 1949.

Huston, Peter, dir. Trail Magic: The Grandma Gatewood Story. 2015. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/237744.

Montgomery, Ben. Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail. Chicago Review Press, 2016.

New York Times. “Overlooked No More: Emma Gatewood, First Woman to Conquer the Appalachian Trail Alone.” October 7, 2021. https://archive.is/kp2au.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Emma Gatewood was embarrassed. Her first attempt at solo hiking the Appalachian Trail had been a disaster. But she was nothing if not determined. So, Emma tried again. On her second attempt, the 67-year-old grandmother was better prepared. Although the trail proved challenging, she kept going. Soon, the media took notice. If she completed the 2,000+ mile hike, Emma Gatewood (aka Grandma Gatewood) would become the first woman to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.

Brown, Andrew. “Skyline Trail from Maine to Georgia.” National Geographic, August 1949.

Huston, Peter, dir. Trail Magic: The Grandma Gatewood Story. 2015. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/237744.

Montgomery, Ben. Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail. Chicago Review Press, 2016.

New York Times. “Overlooked No More: Emma Gatewood, First Woman to Conquer the Appalachian Trail Alone.” October 7, 2021. https://archive.is/kp2au.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

When Emma Gatewood set off on the Appalachian Trail, she didn’t look like much of a hiker. She was 67 years old. She wore a pair of Keds. She had no training. But she figured that wouldn’t matter. An article in National Geographic magazine claimed that anyone in “normal good health” could hike the 2,169-mile trail. The article was misleading, but Emma persevered. In 1955, “Grandma Gatewood” became the first woman to complete a solo hike of the Appalachian Trail. 

In this episode, we learn what Emma overcame, including domestic violence and sexual abuse, before she set foot on the trail. 

Brown, Andrew. “Skyline Trail from Maine to Georgia.” National Geographic, August 1949.

Huston, Peter, dir. Trail Magic: The Grandma Gatewood Story. 2015. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/237744.

Montgomery, Ben. Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail. Chicago Review Press, 2016.

New York Times. “Overlooked No More: Emma Gatewood, First Woman to Conquer the Appalachian Trail Alone.” October 7, 2021. https://archive.is/kp2au.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

In the final episode of our series on Ann Landers and Dear Abby, the feud reached new heights when Abby fell victim to a “gotcha” moment on Charlie Rose. (Who woulda guessed?) Afterward, she agreed to an interview with Ladies’ Home Journal. In it, she said awful things about Ann. Years later, when Ann died, the feud went intergenerational between the sisters’ two daughters — daughters who became, you guessed it, advice columnists.

The book “Dear Ann, Deary Abby: The Unauthorized Biography of Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren” by Jan Pottker and Bob Speziale

“Twin lovelorn advisers torn asunder by success,” by Paul O’Neil for Life Magazine

The book, “The Best of Ann Landers: Her Favorite Letters of All Time,” by Ann Landers

The book, “The Best of Dear Abby,” by Abigail Van Buren

“Pauline Phillips, better known as ‘Dear Abby,’ dies at 94,” Washington Post

“Ann Landers, advice giver to the millions, is dead at 83,” by Margalit Fox for the New York Times

“The rivalry of Dear Abby and Ann Landers,” by Melissa Baron for BookRiot.com

“Landers’ death renews family feud,” South Florida Sun Sentinel

“Pauline Phillips, longtime Dear Abby advice dies at 94,” by Michael Martinez for CNN

“Columnists/ daughters carry on the feud,” by Beverly Beyette for the Los Angeles Times

“Competition between Iowa sisters who penned Dear Abby, Ann Landers fueled advice columns,” Des Moines Register

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

For a few years, the feud between twin sisters Ann Landers and Dear Abby was an industry secret. That changed in 1958, when Life Magazine printed a story that exposed the rivalry. In the article, Abby shared stories that weren’t hers to tell. She talked about Ann’s nose job. She talked about Ann’s broken engagement.

Abby told the reporter, “I understand why she’s disturbed. She wanted to be the first violin in the school orchestra, but I was. She swore she’d marry a millionaire, but I did.”

From that point on, the sisters’ feud became part of their permanent public narrative.

The book “Dear Ann, Deary Abby: The Unauthorized Biography of Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren” by Jan Pottker and Bob Speziale

“Twin lovelorn advisers torn asunder by success,” by Paul O’Neil for Life Magazine

The book, “The Best of Ann Landers: Her Favorite Letters of All Time,” by Ann Landers

The book, “The Best of Dear Abby,” by Abigail Van Buren

“Pauline Phillips, better known as ‘Dear Abby,’ dies at 94,” Washington Post

“Ann Landers, advice giver to the millions, is dead at 83,” by Margalit Fox for the New York Times

“The rivalry of Dear Abby and Ann Landers,” by Melissa Baron for BookRiot.com

“Landers’ death renews family feud,” South Florida Sun Sentinel

“Pauline Phillips, longtime Dear Abby advice dies at 94,” by Michael Martinez for CNN

“Columnists/ daughters carry on the feud,” by Beverly Beyette for the Los Angeles Times

“Competition between Iowa sisters who penned Dear Abby, Ann Landers fueled advice columns,” Des Moines Register

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Ann Landers was thrilled. She’d just landed a job as the new syndicated advice columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Her new role gave Ann something to call her own. Then, just three months later, her twin sister Abby shared some news. She’d gotten a job as an advice columnist, too.

The book “Dear Ann, Deary Abby: The Unauthorized Biography of Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren” by Jan Pottker and Bob Speziale

“Twin lovelorn advisers torn asunder by success,” by Paul O’Neil for Life Magazine

The book, “The Best of Ann Landers: Her Favorite Letters of All Time,” by Ann Landers

The book, “The Best of Dear Abby,” by Abigail Van Buren

“Pauline Phillips, better known as ‘Dear Abby,’ dies at 94,” Washington Post

“Ann Landers, advice giver to the millions, is dead at 83,” by Margalit Fox for the New York Times

“The rivalry of Dear Abby and Ann Landers,” by Melissa Baron for BookRiot.com

“Landers’ death renews family feud,” South Florida Sun Sentinel

“Pauline Phillips, longtime Dear Abby advice dies at 94,” by Michael Martinez for CNN

“Columnists/ daughters carry on the feud,” by Beverly Beyette for the Los Angeles Times

“Competition between Iowa sisters who penned Dear Abby, Ann Landers fueled advice columns,” Des Moines Register

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.