History Ago Go

Author and historian James B. Mills explains how an Irish lad from New York named Henry McCarty became the legendary Billy the Kid.  He attempts to glean from scarce information to determine where he came from and when the family moved west.  He discusses the relationship Billy developed with John Tunstall and how he was about to move beyond his run ins with the law to become a legitimate rancher before the murder of his employer took the Kid's future.  Billy got involved in a conflict known as the Lincoln County War.  His legend grew when he joined the Regulators after the death Tunstall.  Mills reveals how Billy the Kid developed an extremely strong relationship with the Hispanos in Nuevo Mexico.  He even discusses the rumors that Billy had a way with the ladies.  He details the Kid's escape from jail and the murder of two deputies.  The ensuing manhunt led by Pat Garrett ended when Billy the Kid was killed at Ft. Sumner, New Mexico after refusing to leave the love of his life and disappear to Old Mexico.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Billy the Kid Amber, Bonito Valley Brewing Company of Lincoln, NM
https://www.bonitovalleybrewing.com/

PUBLICATION: Wild West Magazine
https://magazineagent.com-sub.info/Wild-West/Welcome/?gclid=CjwKCAjw_Y_8BRBiEiwA5MCBJjSeN1FyqlJy9sTvb-kSJMFZ4AosbtziE9vjOZiRg_3ElGOBfgTlgRoCzO4QAvD_BwE&utm_expid=.9NfbmhaFSB6Dn5Dj9KgZ9g.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/

Former Mayor Chuck Scholz about the many famous people and celebrities that made their way through the Gem City.  He starts with one of Quincy's native born residents Paul Tibbets who piloted the Enola Gay and the crew that dropped the first atomic bomb.  Chuck talks about the two Supreme Court Justices he had an opportunity to meet as Mayor - Antonin Scalia and Clearance Thomas.  He discusses how several celebrities decide to use the Quincy Airport when refueling, including some that have connections to Quincy such as Stephen Spielberg and John Travolta.  He explains the city's rich baseball tradition and how Yankee great Hank Bauer developed a relationship with a Quincy lady.  He mentions the friends of local baseball legend El Tappe, as well.  He finishes with the story how he met Captain Kangaroo and the impact the CPT had on a local teacher.

Host:  Rob Mellon

GUEST:  Chuck Scholz

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

New York Times bestselling author and historian Rick Perlstein explains in detail the rise of the New Right and conservative movement in American politics in the 1970s.  He covers the election of 1976 and how Gerald Ford struggled to gain footing, Ronald Reagan almost won the Republican nomination, and Jimmy Carter miraculously won the presidency.  He describes how Carter had to deal with a rising tide of conservative sentiment from the evangelicals, tax warriors and neoconservatives from his first day in office in 1977.  Perlstein talks about the myriad of problems that President Carter faced including inflation, stock market lows, foreign policy challenges around the globe, an energy crisis and high unemployment.  He juxtaposes that with the America that Ronald Reagan is promising.  The author explains the failure of the ERA amendment and the "Achilles heal of liberal Democrats".  He includes references to pop culture and how movies from the 1970s provide us a window into American culture.  He concludes with an in-depth discussion on the Election of 1980 and the political ascendancy of Ronald Reagan.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Dead Guy Ale, Rogue Brewery, Newport, Oregon

BOOK:  Reaganland: America's Right Turn 1976-1980
http://www.rickperlstein.net/

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/

Scott Dawson historian from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and author of the book The Lost Colony and Hatteras Island explains how information from the project he is working on uncovered evidence that determined what actually happened to the lost Roanoke colony.  He discusses how the story has developed into a legend and how it found its way into pop culture.  The talks about Sir Walter Raleigh’s preferred relationship with the Queen of England and his initial expedition.  The conversation covers the rise of Spanish power and colonial holdings and the threat to England which prompted a series of expeditions from privateers such as Sir Francis Drake.  The philosophy of Richard Hakluyt is discussed and how it impacted English ambition and colonization. Dawson describes the early foundations of the Roanoke colony and its many problems and challenges.  He goes into detail about the native tribes that were encountered by the English and how they have misinterpreted throughout history.  The author explains how the situation in Roanoke devolved for the English colonists and how that impacted the local tribes.  He explains the arrival of John White and the baptism of Manteo.  Dawson finishes by dispelling myths, putting the legend into context and answering the question – what actually happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke?

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Hazy Little Thing IPA, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, CA and NC

BOOK:  The Lost Colony and Hatteras Island (Scott Dawson)

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Colony-Hatteras-Island/dp/1467144339

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

https://bonesfork.com/

Historian David Harbin discusses the beginning of the Mormons from the Second Great Awakening to the Midwest (3:25).  He provides an overview of the life of Joseph Smith and the founding of a new church (5:50).  He talks about how the Book of Mormon was received and written (6:41).  Harbin explains the problems that developed for Joseph Smith and the move from New York to Kirtland, OH (9:35).  After dividing he followers the Mormons settled in Missouri for the founding of the "New Jerusalem" (15:24).  He talks about the Battle of Crooked Creek and the move out of Missouri including Governor Boggs' extermination order (27:33).  The difficult winter of 1838-1839 for the Mormons was eased with the people of Quincy as the "City of Refuge" born (31:47).  Joseph Smith arrived and moved his followers to a new town - Nauvoo was founded (42:10).  Harbin talks about the political problems for the Mormons and the establishment of the Nauvoo Legion (43:00).  He explains the schism within the LDS church and the anti-Mormon paper the Nauvoo Expositor (57:09).  He details Joseph Smith's arrest and death at Carthage Jail (58:55) which began a series of clashes known as the Mormon War (1:03:05).  He finishes with the Mormon Exodus and the Battle of Nauvoo (1:06:03).

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Coors Edge Non-Alcoholic, Golden, Colorado

MUSIC: Bones Fork

Dr. Paul Polgar explains how the nation moved from very limited anti-slavery sentiment before the 1760s to a more vibrant anti-slavery posture in the 1780s and 1790s.  He describes the difference between those who were against the Atlantic slave trade and those that had moral and economic arguments to end slavery.  The talk covers early manumission laws and how the political creed of the American Revolution had an impact on the anti-slavery movement.  Dr. Polgar is an expert on the 1790 Congressional debate on slavery and race.  He explains the petitions that were brought by the Pennsylvania Abolition Society and the Quakers.  He covers the pro-slavery argument of those in the states more dependent on slavery such as South Carolina and Georgia.  Polgar includes an explanation of the role some of the Founding Fathers played in the early debate to end slavery to include Franklin, Hamilton and Washington.  He finishes with a discussion on how the later abolition societies benefited from the early arguments and work of the individuals in the Revolutionary period.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Goose Oktoberfest, Goose Island Beer Company

BOOK:  Standard-Bearers of Equality: America's First Abolition Movement
https://www.amazon.com/Standard-Bearers-Equality-Abolition-Published-University/dp/1469653931

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/

Former Mayor Chuck Scholz tells the interesting story of the birth of Mountain Dew and the connection the inventor has to Quincy.  The story goes back to the city's founder John Wood and the German immigrants that made the treacherous journey across the Atlantic to the Midwest.  He was even able to work in a connection to Father Tolton.  He ties it all back to his family's connection to the world famous soda.  Enjoy the story and the vintage Mountain Dew advertisements.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

GUEST:  Chuck Scholz

Historian and prolific author Dr. Andrew Burstein discusses the book, he co-authored with Dr. Nancy Isenberg, on John Adams and John Quincy Adams.  He describes the problems that both Adams had with the two-party system that developed in the early days of the Republic.  He details the historic events that John Adams and John Quincy Adams were involved in and how that impacted their philosophy.  Dr. Burstein explains the fear JA and JQA had with the development of the cult of personality surrounding Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Andrew Jackson which they considered a real threat to American democracy.  He describes the challenges that both John Adams and John Quincy Adams had as president and the combative political environment that developed.  He finishes with a perspective on the basic principles that defined Adamsian Democracy.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Sam 76', Samuel Adams, Boston, MA

BOOK:  The Problem of Democracy: The Presidents Adams Confront the Cult of Personality
https://www.amazon.com/Problem-Democracy-Presidents-Confront-Personality/dp/0525557504

MUSIC: Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/

Dr. Christopher McDonald discusses the innovations and developments of the bolt action infantry rifles of World War I.  He explains the difficulties the British had in South Africa and the Americans had during the Spanish-American War when confronted with entrenched soldiers armed with Mauser rifles.  He details the importance of smokeless powers and magazine weapons.  McDonald covers the development of the Pattern 1913 Enfield for the British and the M1903 Springfield for the American Army.  He discusses the production challenges after the war broke out and the contracts for the American companies Winchester, Remington, and Remington Eddystone to produce the British Pattern 1914.  The United States had production challenges with the M1903 as well which led to the modification of the Pattern 1914 to create the M1917 Enfield for the U.S. Army.  He touches on the controversy over which rifle Sergeant Alvin York used during his famous engagement, which was captured in the 1941 film Sergeant York starring Gary Cooper.  Dr. McDonald finishes talking about the rifle developments during the period between WWI and WWII and what happened to the thousands of weapons left over after WWI ended.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Bass and Company Pale Ale

BOOK:  Three Lying or Four Sitting - From the Front in a Ford: WWI Letters of Kent Dunlap Hagler

https://www.amazon.com/Three-Lying-Four-Sitting-Letters/dp/193613201X

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

https://bonesfork.com/

Terrell Dempsey tells the untold story of Mark Twain and the slave culture in Missouri that helped shape him.  The discussion focuses on slavery in Hannibal and northeast Missouri where Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) grew up.  The "accidental historian" describes the nature of slavery in Hannibal as well as the small anti-slavery groups that developed across the river in Quincy, Illinois.  The talk covers the preacher David Nelson and how he was driven out of Missouri to establish the Mission Institute in Quincy.  Nelson impacted the lives of Elijah Lovejoy and Dr. Richard Eells.  Dempsey covers the case of abolitionists Thompson, Work and Burr and their failed attempt at rescuing blacks from slavery.  The conversation covers the religious changes in America and how those changes had an effect on slavery in America.  Terrell discusses John Marshall Clemens the father of Samuel Clemens and his views on slavery.  He describes the horrors of slavery and explains how myths about slaves developed.  He covers some individual events like the murders in Marion County by the slave Ben, which perpetuated stereotypes and increased fear in the white citizenry.  The conversation ends by discussing how slave culture formed Mark Twain and influence his writing, and finishes with Samuel Clemens's action at the beginning of the Civil War.

HOST: Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW: Tom Sawyer Blonde Ale (Mark Twain Brewing Company, Hannibal, MO) 
http://marktwainbrewery.com/

BOOK:  Searching for Jim: Slavery in Sam Clemens's World
https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Jim-Slavery-Clemenss-Circle/dp/0826215939

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/