We’ve all heard the story. President William Howard Taft got stuck in the White House bathtub! A bunch of dudes had to yank him out!! They replaced the old bathtub with a new one, BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD FOUR WORKING MEN!!!

…except did he *actually* get stuck in the tub? In this episode, we do a deep dive into how this story got started and how it eventually got stuck in the bathtub of our collective imaginations.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Popular Lore Claims That William Howard Taft Got Stuck in a Bathtub. New Research Sheds Light on the Legend’s Forgotten Origins” by Howard Dorre for Smithsonian
“Taft bathtub is world’s largest,” The Altoona Times, Jan. 27, 1909
“President Taft’s giant, bathtub, Woodrow Wilson’s wife,” by Gwen Bagni and Paul Dubov for The San Francisco Examiner, Jan. 23, 1979
“Chief justice, not president, was William Howard Taft’s dream job,” by Erick Trickey for Smithsonian Magazine
“William Howard Taft is still stuck in the tub,” Alexis Coe by The New York Times
“50 years on the Ol’ Mississip’” by Lewis R. Freeman for American Illustrated Magazine, Volume 107, 1929
“Backstairs at the White House,” by Movie Lovers on YouTube
“Taft stuck in phone booth,” The Jeffersonian, Aug. 1, 1908
“Taft opens great tunnel,” New York Herald, Sept. 24, 1909

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.

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord!

The Great Depression hit James Cash Penney hard. It decimated his finances. It worried him. It humbled him. After some soul searching, he came to realize that he could make a comeback. 

JC Penney the man proved to himself, and the world, that he still had something to offer. But the story didn’t end quite as sweetly for JCPenney the store.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: 

Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993.

Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.

Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950.

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.

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord!

James Cash Penney had an ambitious dream. He wanted to own 50 Golden Rule stores. Over the course of just a few years, he achieved that dream and then some. But tough lessons in his personal life taught him that financial success wasn’t everything. So, he pulled back. He reevaluated his life. He travelled. He sought counsel from his pastor. He even bought a ticket on the Titanic! 

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993.

Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.

Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950.

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.

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord! 

Say what you will about James Cash Penney Jr. Just don’t say he didn’t work his booty off. After he left his hometown, James tried desperately to succeed as a businessman. He found work as a sales person. He bought a struggling butcher shop/bakery. With each effort came failure.

Then he discovered a new kind of business. It was called the Golden Rule Dry Goods Store. The store featured low-priced goods in a clean environment. The store owners treated their customers with respect. James went to the store, hoping to be hired. He knew that if he could get his foot in the door, he’d one day find success.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993.
Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.
Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950.

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.

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord! 

Normie C starts this series with a bold claim: That JCPenney is the best department store ever. This raises a lot of questions. Questions like… Really? Has Norm been to other department stores? Also, really??

In Part 1, Norm loads us up with all the context we’ll ever need about James Cash Penney Jr. A poor farm boy from Missouri, Penney would eventually create a chain of department stores with more than 2,000 locations worldwide. (If you’re able, please listen to this episode while wearing your finest St. John's Bay polo.)

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993.
Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.
Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950.

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.

Mountain climbing was an unusual pastime in the 1920s. It was particularly unusual among women. But Agnes Vaille made a name for herself as a tough, formidable climber. Soon, she found herself setting records. In 1925, she and fellow climber Walter Kiener decided to make history as the first people to climb Longs Peak’s east face in the wintertime. Their friends warned them against the dangerous climb. But Walter and Agnes couldn’t be dissuaded.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Alexander, Ruth M. “The Agnes Vaille Tragedy of 1925: A Turning Point in the History of Longs Peak.” In People and Nature on the Mountaintop: A Resource and Impact Study of Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. Colorado State University, 2010.

American Alpine Institute. “Route Profile: Kiener’s Route.” November 4, 2019. https://www.alpineinstitute.com/route-profile-kiener-s-route/.

Fort Collins Coloradoan. “Sortland’s Body Found Near Hotel.” February 26, 1925.

Jessen, Kenneth. “Tragedy Haunted Longs Peak Climber Walter Kiener.” Loveland Reporter Herald, June 18, 2015. https://archive.is/Im3f1.

Las Vegas Optic. “Many Visit Museum.” June 3, 1914.

“Longs Peak | Colorado Encyclopedia.” https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/longs-peak.

Robertson, Janet. The Magnificent Mountain Women: Adventures in the Colorado Rockies. With Arlene Blum. Bison Books, 2020.

“Roger Wolcott Toll | Colorado Encyclopedia.” https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/roger-wolcott-toll.

Sherman, John Dickinson. “Kiener’s Lookout.” Ashland Pioneer Press, September 18, 1925.

The Houston Chronicle. “Shelter Cabin 13,200 Feet Up on High Peak Is Memorial to Girl.” September 19, 1926.

The Keota News. “Colorado News Notes.” July 5, 1918.

The Orange County Plain Dealer. “Two Girls First to Climb High Peak.” July 31, 1922.

The Record. “Society Personal.” April 22, 1913.

Vaille, Howard T. “Early Years of the Telephone in Colorado.” The Colorado Magazine, August 1928.

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.

Bless you, dear listener! You could have spent your day surfing the net and in doing so, turned a blind eye to this episode, But instead, you’re sitting there, like the cat got your tongue, about to listen to a very special episode of an Old Timey Podcast!

We predict that at the end of this episode, you’ll say I wish Kristin would have spilled the beans on other idioms and their origin stories! In fact, I’d pay through the nose to hear more of these delightful tales, but alas, she must have had a deadline to meet.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“The origins of 21 common phrases,” by Nicholas C. Rossis for StoryEmpire.com
“7 everyday English idioms and where they come from,” by Kate Lohnes for Britannica
“The real stories behind 7 everyday expressions,” by Megan Willett-Wei for Business Insider
“Admiral Nelson’s defiance inspired the saying ‘to turn a blind eye,” by Cecilia Bogaard for AncientOrigins.net
“Central New York woman becomes a ‘Final Jeopardy!’ answer,” by Geoff Herbert for The Post-Standard
“Internet group honors pioneering CNY librarian,” by Marnie Eisenstadt for The Post-Standard
“The curious – and creepy – origins of ‘cat got  your tongue?’” for History.com
“A reporter said ‘screw the pooch’ on Face The Nation. Where does that phrase come from?” by Ben Zimmer for Slate.com
“Buried Alive: Inside the 19th century panic over premature burial,” by Christopher Klein for History.com
“I just learned why we say ‘spill the beans’ and I would never have guessed,” by Amy Glover for Huffpost
“Why pay through the nose?” by Anatoly Liberman for OUPblog
“It’s the bee’s knees; or, the entomology and etymology of ‘the bee’s knees’,” by Mike Cassidy for The Marietta Traveler
“This legendary bartender served Hemingway and aided the resistance against the nazis,” by Alexis Ferenczi for Vice.com
“Why do we say ‘bless you’ when someone sneezes?” by Barbara Mikkelson for Snopes.com

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.

The Presidential Fitness Test has been a gym class staple for decades. Generations of Americans have performed pull-ups, sit-ups, mile runs and flexibility tests under the watchful eye of their sweaty peers. In the end, a select group of kids were given the coveted Presidential Physical Fitness Award.

At the time, it all seemed *so important*! But was it, actually? Whose idea was it? And did it accomplish what it set out to do?

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:

“A brief history of the bizarre and sadistic Presidential Fitness Test,” by Phil Edwards for Vox
“Tools of the trade: The Presidential Physical Fitness test,” by Elissa Nadworny for NPR
“The report that shocked the president,” by Robert Boyle for Sports Illustrated
“The soft American,” by John F. Kennedy for Sports Illustrated
“The origins of the Presidential Fitness Test,” by Vince Guerrieri for Mental Floss
“Remember running the mile in school? The Presidential Fitness Test is coming back,” by Rachel Treisman for NPR
“The first 50 years, 1956-2006,” by Julie Sturgeon and Janice Meer for the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
“The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and the Systematisation of Children’s Play in America,” by Matthew T. Bowers and Thomas M. Hunt for the International Journal of the History of Sport
“Exercise pioneer Bonnie Prudden dies at 97,” by Kimberly Matas for the Arizona Daily Star

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.

George C. Parker was an infamous con man. He sold the Brooklyn Bridge countless times. He sold Ulysses S. Grant’s tomb. He sold Madison Square Garden. He sold the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He even sold the Statue of Liberty! Most often, the victims of his schemes were new immigrants who didn’t speak English and were unfamiliar with America’s public property laws. 

…but… was George C. Parker truly the prolific scammer he claimed to be? The internet sure thinks so! Normie C begs to differ.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: 

Asbury Park Press. “Capt. Parker Held For Extradition.” June 30, 1928.

Asbury Park Press. “Parker, Famous ‘Seller,’ Seized Here, Gets Life.” December 18, 1928.

Asbury Park Press. “Parker, Noted Confidence Man, Is Arrested Here.” June 29, 1928.

Brooklyn Daily Times. “Famous ‘Con’ Man Starts as ‘Lifer.’” November 23, 1928.

Brooklyn Daily Times. “Smartest Bunco Salesman Faces Life Term If Convicted.” July 8, 1928.

Brooklyn Eagle. “Albert Murch Dies.” August 11, 1931.

Brooklyn Eagle. “Brooklyn Bridge’s ‘Seller’ Sent to Sing Sing For Life.” November 23, 1928.

Brown, Peter Jensen. “Bridges, Bunco and Basso - a Gullible History of Selling the Brooklyn Bridge.” Early Sports and Pop Culture History Blog, October 1, 2020. https://esnpc.blogspot.com/2020/10/bridges-bunco-and-basso-gullible.html.

Cohen, Gabriel. “For You, Half Price - The New York Times.” The New York Times, November 27, 2005. https://archive.is/5GeA4.

Courier-Post. “Bunco Prince Faces Life For $150 Deal.” July 9, 1928.

Daily News. “Con Man Uses Love Notes To Gag Dupes.” July 8, 1928.

Detroit Free Press. “Selling Brooklyn Bridge.” November 23, 1928.

Ellery Queen Magazine. “Stranger Than Fiction.” November 2022. https://www.elleryqueenmysterymagazine.com/the-crime-scene/stranger-than-fiction-november-2022/.

Find a Grave. “‘Capt.’ George C. Parker (1860-1937).” https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229047420/george_c-parker.

HISTORY, dir. Modern Marvels: Building the Brooklyn Bridge (S2, E20) | Full Episode | History. Modern Marvels. 2023. 46:00. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I-JFnbJ19U.

HowStuffWorks. “Meet the Conman Who Sold the Brooklyn Bridge — Many Times Over.” July 26, 2022. https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/conman-sold-brooklyn-bridge.htm.

IrishCentral.Com. “The Man Who ‘Sold’ The Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and Ulysses Grant’s Tomb.” February 25, 2026. https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/man-sold-brooklyn-bridge-statue-of-liberty.

Lincoln Journal Star. “Bridge ‘Seller’ Is Caught in Law’s Net.” December 11, 1928.

Marysville Journal-Tribune. “Man Who ‘Sold’ Brooklyn Bridge Again in Jail; Other Old-Time Crooks Come to Grief In New York.” December 1, 1928.

Mimi Matthews. “The 19th Century Confidence Man.” June 20, 2016. https://www.mimimatthews.com/2016/06/20/the-19th-century-confidence-man/.

Minium, Alice. “The Untold Truth Of 19th-Century Conman George C. Parker.” Grunge, April 4, 2022. https://www.grunge.com/820192/the-untold-truth-of-19th-century-conman-george-c-parker/.

Naked History. “The Man Who Sold the Brooklyn Bridge.” https://web.archive.org/web/20190718114933/https://www.historynaked.com/man-sold-brooklyn-bridge/.

NYC Walks. “The Brooklyn Bridge — ‘If You Believe That, I Have a Bridge in Brooklyn to Sell to You.’” https://nycwalks.com/blog/the-brooklyn-bridge-if-you-believe-that-i-have-a-bridge-in-brooklyn-to-sell-to-you/.

Racing Nellie Bly. “Con Artist George Parker Sold Brooklyn Bridge And Famous Monuments.” Accessed April 24, 2026. https://racingnelliebly.com/strange_times/con-artist-george-parker-sold-brooklyn-bridge/.

Sifakis, Carl. Hoaxes and Scams: A Compendium of Deceptions, Ruses, and Swindles. Facts on File, 1993.

“Sing Sing Prison Admission Registers, 1865-1939.” n.d. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8922/.

The Brooklyn Citizen. “Man, Suing State, Charged With Forging Contracts.” September 18, 1930.

The Brooklyn Citizen. “News of the Day.” July 18, 1892.

The Brooklyn Citizen. “Nothing Heard of Criminal Who Skipped Jail.” January 3, 1906.

The Brooklyn Citizen. “Old Offender Once Again in Toils of Law.” July 7, 1928.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. “Once Sold Brooklyn Bridge And Lots in City Hall Park, Rest of Life May Be In Jail.” July 8, 1928.

The Brooklyn Daily Times. “Roamer, 58, Is Given Life For Forgery.” December 17, 1928.

The Houston Post. “Selling Brooklyn Bridge.” December 26, 1928.

The Mayfield Messenger. “Con Man Who ‘Sold’ Brooklyn Bridge Gets Life in Prison.” December 18, 1928.

The Miami Herald. “Dean of Slickers Given Life Term.” December 18, 1928.

The News Journal. “Former Resident of Shore Gets Life Term.” December 18, 1928.

The Saginaw News. “His Wasted Sales Talent.” July 10, 1928.

The Washington Post. “Life for Brooklyn Bridge Swindler.” December 18, 1928.

Times Union. “Big Claimant Against State Recognized by Judge Conway.” September 18, 1930.

Times Union. “Lifer Recalls Nervy Escape.” November 23, 1928.

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.

Garrett Morgan was a prolific inventor. He invented the gas mask. The three-way traffic light. The self-extinguishing cigarette. He even created a hair care line. But, as a Black man, he had to be creative in how he presented his inventions to the public. He knew that some people would refuse to buy his invention if they discovered that it had been invented by a Black man.

So? Sometimes he hired white actors to play the role of Garrett Morgan. Sometimes he posed as his own assistant. In short, he did what he had to do to get people to take his inventions seriously.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: 
“Overcoming discrimination by consumers during the age of segregation: The example of Garrett Morgan,” by Lisa D. Cook for Business History Review 
“Guardian of the public safety: Garrett A. Morgan and the Lake Erie Crib Disaster” by William M King for the Journal of Negro History
“Garrett Morgan,” National Inventors Hall of Fame
“Garrett Morgan,” Encyclopedia.com
“Of courage and caution,” United States Patent and Trademark Office
“Black inventor Garrett Morgan saved countless lives with gas mask and improved traffic lights,” Scientific American
“Gas mask inventor dim memory here,” by Jim Strang for The Plain Dealer
“Wakeman Country Club” Green Book Cleveland
“Garrett Morgan,” Biography.com

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.