It was 6 p.m. on the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 16, 1931. Legendary fashion designer Nell Donnelly was headed home from work. Her chauffeur, George Blair, drove Nell’s lime green Lincoln through the streets of downtown Kansas City. When they arrived at her palatial home, George noticed a vehicle blocking the driveway. Two unfamiliar men stood on either side of it. George slammed on the brakes.

In seconds, one of the men charged at him with a gun. Two more men came running. One jumped into the backseat with Nell. The gunman took charge of the vehicle. The other man jumped in on the passenger’s side, effectively trapping George.

Nell screamed. She kicked. She fought. She thought for certain that someone would hear her. They didn’t. America’s best, most successful businesswoman, along with her chauffeur, had just been kidnapped.

“Nelly Gone: KCQ traces the kidnapping of Nell Donnelly,” by Kate Hill for the Kansas City Public Library

The book, “More than Petticoats: Remarkable Missouri Women,” by Elaine Warner

The book, “James A. Reed: Legendary Lawyer; Marplot in the United States Senate,” by J. Michael Cronan

“First A Lady,” by Jennifer Wilding for the Kansas City Star magazine

“Nelly Don’s unexpected legacy,” for the Fashion Conservatory

“Nell Donelly Reed,” Historic Missourians

“Nelly Don’s zero-waste apron design,” run-sew-read

“Nelly Don: Self made in America,” seamwork.com

The book, “The Snatch Racket,” by Carolyn Cox

The book, “The Devil’s Tickets,” by Gary M. Pomerantz

Obituary for George Blair, Kansas City Star, June 10, 1977

“Causes for hate,” The Kansas City American, Dec. 24, 1931

“Mrs. Donnelly is found, safe,” The Kansas City Times, Dec. 18, 1931

“Mrs. Donnelly’s chauffeur tells of the kidnappers’ treatment of them,” The Kansas City Star, Dec. 18, 1931

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Back in 1911, the Mona Lisa didn’t get a lot of attention. Art critics considered it an excellent example of a painting from the renaissance era, but the general public wasn’t nearly so enamored.

That changed in August of that year, when someone plucked it off the wall of the Louvre, busted it out of its glass box and frame, and took off with it.

“Who stole the Mona Lisa?” by Simon Kuper for Slate

“Stolen: How the Mona Lisa became the world’s most famous painting,” by James Zug for Smithsonian Magazine

“Stealing Mona Lisa,” by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler for Vanity Fair

The documentary “Mona Lisa is Missing”

“When Picasso went on trial for stealing the Mona Lisa,” by Ian Shank for Artsy.net

“The man who stole the Mona Lisa,” by Laura Cumming for The Guardian

“The Theft That Made The ‘Mona Lisa’ A Masterpiece,” NPR.org

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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 a dark haired man showed up at the Hotel President one January afternoon in 1935, the hotel staff couldn’t help but take note. He showed up without luggage. He seemed nervous. He said his name was Roland T. Owen and that he was from Los Angeles, but he spoke with a southern accent.

At one point, the hotel maid overheard him speak on the phone with a man named Don. She spotted a note he’d written to a man named Don. Several times, she walked into his room, only to discover him sitting alone in the dark. Once, she discovered that he’d been locked in his room – from the outside.

On the second day of his stay, hotel staff found him alone in his room, badly beaten. He’d been stabbed multiple times. Clothesline had been wrapped around his wrists, ankles and neck. As he clung to life, he refused to name his attackers. After he died, investigators discovered that Roland T. Owen had been an alias. They couldn’t immediately identify the man, but someone seemed to care for him. Someone called the local funeral home, anonymously, to pay for his funeral and burial. A similar call came in to a local florist. The person requested 13 American roses to be sent to Roland T. Owen’s funeral. The card attached read, “Love forever, Louise.”

“The Mystery of Room 1046” John Arthur Horner for KChistory.org

“The Owen Case,” by Martin Cizmar for Kansas City Magazine

“The bizarre murder of Roland T. Owen in the Kansas City Hotel” for historicmysteries.com

“The mystery of what was in the box: Alabama man found dead 83 years ago,” by Leada Gore for Alabama.com

“Birmingham boy victim in ‘rose murder’,” The Birmingham Post, Nov. 2, 1936

“Mystery murder in room 1046,” The Newcastle Sun, May 22, 1943

“Youth killed in hotel here from Birmingham, Ala.,” The Kansas City Times, Nov. 2, 1936

“Owen’ slaying up again,” The Kansas City Star, Aug. 23, 1937

“Room 1046” episode of the Unresolved podcast

“The bizarre murder of Roland T. Owen in the Kansas City Hotel” for historicmysteries.com

“The story of Tom Pendergast,” kcyesterday.com

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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 this final episode of our series on Pocahontas, we see Pocahontas navigate life as a kidnapped young woman. She gets a marriage proposal. She ushers in an era of peace for her people. She gives birth. She’s taken to England. At one point, she tells off that douchelord, John Smith.

Her life story presents challenges for historians, not just because Native American oral history conflicts with English sources, but because she held so many roles in her short life – often at the same time. She was a survivor, a victim, a diplomat, a spy, an adventurer, a mother, a wife, a peacekeeper, an aristocrat, and a curiosity. Through it all, one thing is certain: Pocahontas’s life was remarkably short, but her impact is incalculable.

Custalow, Linwood, and Angela L. Daniel. The True Story of Pocahontas. Fulcrum Publishing, 2007.

“John Rolfe | Historic Jamestowne,” n.d. https://historicjamestowne.org/history/pocahontas/john-rolfe/.

Rountree, Helen C. Pocahontas’s People: The Powhatan Indians of Virginia through Four Centuries. University of Oklahoma Press, 1996.

“Thomas Rolfe | Historic Jamestowne,” n.d. https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/thomas-rolfe.htm.

Townsend, Camilla. Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemna. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004.

Woodward, Grace Steele. Pocahontas. Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1969.

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.

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In this episode, tensions rise and true crime abounds. And, like an old timey episode of Dateline, it starts off peachy keen! Pocahontas married a warrior. She had a child. She lived what seemed to be a happy, normal life. But being the favorite daughter of Chief Wahunsenaca put a target on her back. It wasn’t long before English settlers decided to kidnap her.

Custalow, Linwood, and Angela L. Daniel. The True Story of Pocahontas. Fulcrum Publishing, 2007.

“History Timeline | Historic Jamestowne,” n.d. https://historicjamestowne.org/history/jamestown-timeline/.

“Jane | Historic Jamestowne,” n.d. https://historicjamestowne.org/archaeology/jane/.

“John Rolfe | Historic Jamestowne,” n.d.

“Pocahontas: Her Life and Legend,” n.d. https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/pocahontas-her-life-and-legend.htm.

Townsend, Camilla. Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemna. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004.

Woodward, Grace Steele. Pocahontas. Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1969.

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.

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Chief Wahunsenaca was in a tough spot. English settlers were camped out nearby, desperate for food but heavily armed. He thought he might bring them under his fold by offering them food and community.

To help ensure meetings remained peaceful, he sent his favorite daughter, Pocahontas, as a sign of trust. Over the next year, Pocahontas frequently visited Jamestown. She brought food, taught the settlers her language, and played with the English kids.

Despite this offering, John Smith, the leader of the settlers, wasn’t willing to cede control. He made false promises. He reneged on negotiations. And he even got a lil’ creepy with Pocahontas!

“Captain John Smith - Historic Jamestowne Part of Colonial National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service),” n.d. https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/life-of-john-smith.htm.

Custalow, Linwood, and Angela L. Daniel. The True Story of Pocahontas. Fulcrum Publishing, 2007.

“History Timeline | Historic Jamestowne,” n.d. https://historicjamestowne.org/history/jamestown-timeline/.

Townsend, Camilla. Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemna. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004.

Woodward, Grace Steele. Pocahontas. Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1969.

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 the English popped up on the shore of the “New World,” they were in rough shape. They didn’t have much food, knew next to nothing about their surroundings, and had a boatload of diseases. The English also brought with them an interesting worldview. They figured that Native Americans would be thrilled to: Give them food, work for them, change religions, and one day pay taxes to the King.

They thought wrong.

Custalow, Linwood, and Angela L. Daniel. The True Story of Pocahontas. Fulcrum Publishing, 2007.

“The Lost Colony - Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service),” n.d. https://www.nps.gov/fora/learn/historyculture/the-lost-colony.htm.

“The Virginia Company of London - Historic Jamestowne Part of Colonial National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service),” n.d. https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/the-virginia-company-of-london.htm.

Townsend, Camilla. Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemna. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004.

Woodward, Grace Steele. Pocahontas. Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1969.

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.

Over the years, Pocahontas’ life story has become distorted, sensationalized and mythologized. Hell, it even got turned into an exceptionally crappy Disney movie! In this series, Norm separates fact from fiction as he delves into the complicated, fascinating life of Pocahontas.

Custalow, Linwood, and Angela L. Daniel. The True Story of Pocahontas. Fulcrum Publishing, 2007.

Henricus. “Making a House a Home in Powhatan Indian Communities,” January 31, 2020. https://henricus.org/2020/01/31/making-a-house-a-home-in-powhatan-indian-communities/.

Townsend, Camilla. Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemna. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004.

Woodward, Grace Steele. Pocahontas. Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1969.

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.

Teri Horton didn’t mince words. The $5 thrift store painting she’d picked up for a friend was ugly. Very ugly. It wasn’t even what she’d call art. It looked like blobs and sprays of paint flung willy-nilly on a massive canvas. So, when Teri’s friend didn’t want the painting, Teri wasn’t offended. But Teri was sure surprised when an art teacher told her she might have purchased a genuine Jackson Pollock painting.

Teri’s response was quick. “Who the f*** is Jackson Pollock?”

The documentary, “Who the #$and% is Jackson Pollock?”

“The Case for Jackson Pollock,” by PBS Digital Studios

“The Mark of a Masterpiece” by David Grann for the New Yorker

“Jackson Pollock: Demystifying America’s Most Influential Painter,” by The Conspiracy of Art YouTube channel

“$50-million question,” by Louise Baring for The National Post

“‘Ugly’ painting’s creator still disputed; now artists claim it,” by Kristina Sauerwein for The Los Angeles Times

“A thrift-shop Jackson Pollock masterpiece?” 60 Minutes

“‘Bakersfield Mist’ pits art misfit against art maven,” by Barbara Yoresh for the Indian River Press Journal

“Costa Mesa woman known for the fight to authenticate a possible Jackson Pollock painting dies without selling it,” by Susan Hoffman for the Daily Pilot

“After 25 years, Costa Mesa woman still holding out for a ‘fair price,’” for the Daily Pilot

Frances Perkins wasn’t just the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. She was also America’s longest serving Secretary of Labor. The only thing that overshadows her status as a trailblazer is what she accomplished in office. She’s the reason we have Social Security. She led the fight to end child labor, to establish a minimum wage and to create the 40-hour work week. She tried to establish universal health care… but hey, she was only human.

Ready for the sad part? She did all of that while under constant personal attacks. Her political opponents tried to impeach her. They spread a rumor that she hadn’t been born in America. Hmm… does any of that sound familiar? Ya know what Paula Abdul says… two steps forward and two steps back…

The documentary, “Summoned: Frances Perkins and the General Welfare.”

The book, “The Woman Behind the New Deal,” by Kirstin Downey

The Frances Perkins Center website

“Frances Perkins” entry on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Website

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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.