It was unspeakable. Unthinkable. In 1927, a school board member set off a series of explosions that killed 38 children, 6 adults, and injured at least 58 others. That act of domestic terrorism became known as the Bath School disaster. It rocked the small farming community of Bath Township, Michigan, and left people wondering how a seemingly “normal” man like Andrew Kehoe could have done something so terrible.

Bath School Museum. Bath School Museum. https://bathschoolmuseum.org/.

Bernstein, A. Bath Massacre: America’s First School Bombing; The University of Michigan Press: Ann Arbor, 2009.

Schechter, H. Maniac: The Bath School Disaster and the Birth of the Modern Mass Killer; Little A: New York, 2021.

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In the late 70s, disco was everywhere. Songs like “Disco Inferno,” “I Will Survive” and “Brick House” topped the charts. Disco had been created and embraced by Black people, Latino people, LGBT+ people, and women. It was fun and funky. It was freeing and empowering.

…but *some* folks didn’t like having disco balls shoved in their faces. So, when a 24-year-old Chicago shock jock began hosting “death to disco” rallies at local bars, he developed a loyal following of young, disgruntled dudes. The shock jock’s popularity soon caught the eye of the Chicago White Sox. They needed to sell tickets for an upcoming doubleheader. What if they ran a “Disco Demolition Night” promotion? It would be totally fun! Things definitely wouldn’t get out of hand!

The documentary, “The Saint of Second Chances”

The documentary, “The War on Disco”

“When ‘Disco Sucks!’ echoed around the world,” by Tony Scalafani for Today.com

“Disco demolition: Bell-bottoms be gone!” by Andy Behrens for ESPNChicago.com

“We rock ‘n’ rollers will resist – and we will triumph!” by Kirstin Butler for PBS.org

“Forty years later, disagreement about disco demolition night,” by Gary Waleik for WBUR.org

“Baseball’s showman,” by Nick Acocella for ESPN.com

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In 1981, American Airlines offered an incredible deal. For just $250k, people could purchase a lifetime pass that entitled them to unlimited first class travel, anywhere the airline flew, for the rest of their lives. People could also purchase a companion pass that would allow anyone to fly with them.

They called it the AAirpass. It didn’t take long for the airline to discover that they’d priced the AAirpass too low. Way too low.

“The frequent fliers who flew too much,” by Ken Bensinger for the Los Angeles Times

“My father had a lifelong ticket to fly anywhere. Then they took it away,” by Caroline Rothstein for Narratively

“The rise and demise of the AAirpass, American Airlines’ $250k lifetime ticket,” by Zachary Crockett for thehustle.co

“‘Free’quent flier has wings clipped after American Airlines takes away his unlimited pass,” by Kate Briquelet, for the New York Post

“Extreme frequent fliers sue American Airlines over loss of unlimited lifetime ticket,” by Erin McLaughlin for ABC News

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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.

Here’s a true story: In 1848, an iron rod shot through a man’s head. It smashed up under his cheekbone and came out the top of his skull.

Ready for the wild part? Despite the fact that the iron rod destroyed much of his brain’s left frontal lobe, he survived. Phineas Gage’s story baffled the medical community. His injury became one of the most talked-about medical events of the 19th century.

Caulfield, Margo. “Cavendish Historical Society News: Phineas Gage Walking Tour.” Cavendish Historical Society News (blog), May 16, 2013. https://cavendishhistoricalsocietynews.blogspot.com/2013/05/phineas-gage-walking-tour.html.

MacMillan, Malcom. An Odd Kind of Fame: Stories of Phineas Gage. MIT Press, 2002. “

The Case of Phineas Gage (1823 - 1860) · Beyond the Bone Box,” n.d. https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/exhibits/show/beyond-the-bone-box/the-case-of-phineas-gage.

The University of Akron, Ohio. “Anniversary at Cavendish,” n.d. https://www.uakron.edu/gage/anniversary.dot.

Twomey, Steve. “Phineas Gage: Neuroscience’s Most Famous Patient.” Smithsonian Magazine, n.d. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/phineas-gage-neurosciences-most-famous-patient-11390067/.

Back in their day, the seven Sutherland sisters were a household name. They were celebrated for their outrageously long, thick hair. For years, audiences gathered ‘round to watch the sisters undo their updos. Audiences gasped as the sisters’ hair tumbled, in unison, to the floor. Soon, money poured in. The sisters spent every cent of it.

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

“How 7 sisters made a fortune off their Rapunzel-like hair,” by Maria Ricapito for Atlas Obscura

“Untangling the tale of the seven Sutherland sisters and their 37 feet of hair,” by Lisa Hix for Collectors Weekly

“Introducing the amazing seven Sutherland sisters,” by Brandon Stickney for sideshowworld.com

“Tressed for success,” by Dianne L. Sammarco and Kathleen L. Rounds for The Buffalo News

“The Seven Sutherland Sisters,” by Dianne L. Sammarco and Kathleen L. Rounds for newengland.com

“Hocus Pocus – Untangling the Sutherland Sisters,” by Linda Secca Spina for lindaseccaspina.wordpress.com

“Showplace of the countryside was the seven sisters’ mansion,” by Arch Merrill for The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

“The amazing seven Sutherland sisters,” by Ferdinand Meyer V for peachridgeglass.com

“Show and Tell: Seven Sutherland sisters’ hair grower,” by Stassa Edwards for Mental Floss

Alan Abel was driving down a Texas highway when traffic came to a sudden stop. As it turned out, a herd of cattle was crossing the road. How annoying! Then – shock of all shocks – a cow and a bull started mating, right there, in the middle of the road, IN FRONT OF GOD AND EVERYBODY.

Some motorists giggled. Some averted their eyes. Some were shocked. 

Alan couldn’t believe what was happening. Didn’t those animals have any decency? Didn’t they have any common sense? Someone needed to create some rules! The way Alan saw it, the world would be a much better place if we started putting clothing on animals.

“Society for indecency to naked animals,” NPR.org

“Alan Abel, history’s greatest hoaxer,” by Jake Rossen for Mental Floss

“The fine art of hoaxing,” by Dave Von Drehle for The Arizona Republic

The documentary, “Abel Raises Cain”

“College may ban animal nudity,” by Andrew T. Weil for The Harvard Crimson

“The campaign to make ‘indecent’ animals wear clothing,” by Zachary Crockett for Priceonomics.com

“Underwear for Horses? A hoax, cemented in print,” The New York Times

The album, “Inside SINA”

“10 questions for the best prankster ever,” by Nicole Tourtelot for Esquire

“The more you weigh, the more you pay,” by Joshua Foer for Esquire

Picture it. Ontario. 1953. It was Robert and Phyllis Kearns’ wedding night. Bob did his best to open the champagne, but the cork shot out and smacked him square in the eye. He screamed! Phyllis screamed! There was blood everywhere!

Bob ultimately went blind in that eye, but the experience got him thinking about eyes and how they work. So, years later, when he was driving in the rain and his one-speed windshield wipers went too fast for the sprinkle, he thought to himself, “I wish windshield wipers worked more like an eyelid.” And since Bob had a PhD in mechanical engineering, he immediately got to work on the first intermittent windshield wiper. Things went great for a minute! …and then they got terrible.

“The flash of genius,” by John Seabrook for The New Yorker

“Inventor Winning Long Legal Battle With Auto Maker : Patents: Robert Kearns developed the intermittent windshield wiper more than 20 years ago. He claims the car companies stole his idea.” by James Risen for the Los Angeles Times

“An obsession with justice and auto parts,” by Michael Cieply for The New York Times

“Accomplished, frustrated inventor dies,” by Matt Schudel for the Washington Post

“The epic, decades-long battle between Ford and a small-time inventor,” by Zachary Crockett for The Hustle

“Wiper man Robert Kearns won his patent fight with Ford, but that didn’t mean he was out of the woods,” by Ken Gross for People.com

“Alabama woman stuck in NYC traffic in 1902 invented the windshield wiper,” by Joe Palca for NPR

“Who made that windshield wiper?” by Dashka Slater for The New York Times Magazine

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.

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.

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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!

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.

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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.

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.

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.