Step beneath the canvas and into a summer storm as host Shane Waters unearths the electrifying true story of June 10, 1897, when a bolt of lightning shattered the Ringling Brothers’ Big Top in Wahpeton, North Dakota. Hear how a day that promised exotic animals, brass‑band parades, and wonder turned to chaos in a heartbeat—claiming two lives, shaking a frontier town, and forging a bond between locals and traveling showfolk that still echoes through the granite “tent‑pole” monument overlooking the prairie cemetery today.

More than a tale of disaster, this episode explores community resilience, the origins of the circus credo “the show must go on,” and the timeless reminder that every hometown holds a story waiting to be unearthed. Perfect for fans of forgotten Americana, circus lore, and true‑history twists, “When Lightning Struck the Big Top” brings 19th‑century North Dakota vividly—and thunderously—to life.

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In the summer of 1944, as a devastating polio outbreak swept across North Carolina, hospitals were overwhelmed and children were dying. But in Hickory, a small city already stretched thin by World War II, something extraordinary happened. In just 54 hours, volunteers built a full-scale emergency hospital from scratch—offering cutting-edge treatment, compassionate care, and hope to hundreds of young patients. In this episode, we tell the true story of the “Miracle of Hickory,” where carpenters, nurses, teachers, and even prisoners came together to battle a deadly disease—and won.

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Nearly every American town has the same heart-in-crisis story: a once-bustling Main Street hollowed out by big-box stores, sprawl, and online shopping. In this episode, Shane zooms out to look at the nationwide Main Street movement—then zooms in on Wabash, Indiana as a living lab that shows what’s possible anywhere. You’ll hear the origin of the National Main Street Center’s “Four-Point Approach,” meet the people who tested it on the ground, and pick up practical lessons you can apply whether you’re in Vermont, Texas, or Alaska.

Featured Cities & Towns

- Wabash, IN

- Madison, IN

- Kansas City, MO

- Fort Wayne, IN

- Richmond, IN

- Indianapolis, IN

- Minneapolis, MN

If you are intersted in learning more about Wabash County, Indiana check out the ThriveIN Wabash County Podcast.

Voices & Contributors

• Kathy La Plante – Vice President of Coordinating Programs, Main Street America
• Steve Downs – Former Executive Director and current Board Member, Downtown Wabash, Inc.
• Kellie Brace – Artist; former downtown business & building owner; co-founder, Wabash First Friday
• Scott Long – Mayor, City of Wabash, Indiana
• Christine Flohr – Executive Director, Visit Wabash County
• Tyler Karst – Former Project Coordinator, Downtown Wabash, Inc.
• Amanda Lopez – President, Transform Consulting Group; Chair, Board of Directors, Downtown Wabash, Inc.
• Kelly Bever – Owner, Downtown Nutrition
• Kelly Thompson – Manager, Modoc’s Market

Links & Resources

• Main Street America: https://www.mainstreet.org
• Downtown Wabash, Inc.: https://downtownwabash.org

Call to Action

- Show Some Main-Street Love: Share your own downtown comeback (or cautionary tale) on Facebook or Instagram with #HometownHistory and tag @‌itshometownhistory so we can highlight your story

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- Support the Mission: Unlock ad-free episodes, bonus interviews, and behind-the-scenes research by joining Apple Podcasts Premium or Patreon

World War trenches, inflatable splints, and airborne operating rooms—this finale races from post-Nightingale training schools to the helicopter pads of today. Host Shane Waters uncovers how pioneers like Mary Seacole, Clara Barton, and Lillian Wald turned wartime chaos into blueprints for public-health nursing; how state licensure and the GI Bill vaulted nursing into universities; and why WWII flight nurses boasted a survival rate above 96 percent Nursing Through The Age…. Along the way, you’ll hear echoes of Indiana classrooms and the professors whose lessons inspired this very series.

• Why Henry Street Settlement became the model for every mobile clinic you’ve ever seen
• How WWI clearing stations invented the “golden hour” trauma concept decades early
• The legislative milestones that protected the title Registered Nurse beginning in 1903
• How WWII flight nurses evacuated 1.2 million soldiers with minimal loss of life
• The post-war surge of nursing degrees funded by the GI Bill and why it still matters today

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Every hometown has a story—sometimes it flies 10,000 feet above a battlefield with a stethoscope in hand.

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When war-torn wards near the Bosphorus Strait reeked of sewage and despair, Florence Nightingale arrived with 38 nurses, a ledger, and one stubborn oil-lamp. In today’s Hometown History, Shane Waters traces how Nightingale’s evidence-based reforms—and the parallel heroics of Jamaican-Scottish healer Mary Seacole—drove mortality at Scutari Barracks from 42 percent to just 2 percent, igniting the global movement for professional nursing. You’ll hear midnight whispers among wounded soldiers, discover the first infographic that rocked Britain’s Parliament, and learn how these breakthroughs shaped Indiana’s earliest nurse-training schools.

• Why Nightingale’s coxcomb diagram changed military medicine forever
• The untold story of “Mother Seacole” and her British Hotel on the front lines
• How Victorian sanitation principles reached Wabash County Hospital in 1911
• The data-driven secret behind slashing infection rates—still used today

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4. Share the episode link with one friend who geeks out over medical history—word-of-mouth is our lifeblood!
5. Have a nursing hero in your hometown? Leave Shane a note: [email protected]

Every hometown has a story—sometimes it walks the night shift with a lamp.

Before “nurse” meant respect, it meant desperation. In this opening chapter of our three-part series, host Shane Waters drags us into the overcrowded 19th-century wards where poverty, prejudice, and cholera reigned. Discover why hospitals were once “death houses,” how nurses faced infection rates four times higher than other women, and what drove unlikely heroines like Mary Seacole and Clara Barton to defy stigma and save lives. 

• How religious charity turned into secular hospitals—yet conditions grew worse before they got better
• Why London’s population boom (1801–1841) poured fuel on deadly outbreaks
• The grim statistic that early nurses were four times more likely to die from contagious disease than their peers
• The unsung trailblazers who paved the way for Florence Nightingale—long before the famous lamp appeared

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3. Share this episode with a friend who thinks hospitals have always been sanitary—let’s surprise them together!

Every hometown has a story; sometimes it starts in the shadows of a crowded ward.

In this episode of Hometown History, we explore the chilling and unsolved mystery of the Sodder children, who vanished on Christmas Eve, 1945, after a fire destroyed their home in Fayetteville, West Virginia. Despite the devastation, no remains were ever found, and a series of strange events both before and after the fire have led to decades of speculation. Were the children victims of a tragic accident, or was there something more sinister at play? Join me as we unravel the clues behind this haunting case that has puzzled investigators for over 75 years.

In this episode of Hometown History, we dive into one of the most intense scientific rivalries of the 19th century—the infamous "Bone Wars." Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, two leading paleontologists, began as colleagues but quickly turned into bitter enemies. What started as a competitive pursuit for fossil discoveries spiraled into sabotage, betrayal, and public scandals. Their relentless feud led to the discovery of over 130 new species of dinosaurs, but at the cost of their careers and reputations. Join us as we explore how personal ambition fueled remarkable advancements in paleontology while leaving a legacy of rivalry that still fascinates history lovers today.

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In this episode of Hometown History, we explore the eerie and tragic events surrounding one of Hollywood’s most iconic films, Rebel Without a Cause. While celebrated for its portrayal of youthful rebellion, the film is remembered for more than its performances—it’s also linked to a string of untimely deaths. From James Dean’s fatal car crash to Natalie Wood’s mysterious drowning, and Sal Mineo’s shocking murder, those involved in the movie seemed to face an ill fate. Was it all a tragic coincidence, or could there be something more sinister at play? Join us as we dive into the chilling curse that looms over Rebel Without a Cause, a story as intriguing as the film itself.

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In this episode of Hometown History, we uncover the rise and fall of the Psychiana Movement, one of the most unusual religious movements in American history. Founded in 1929 by Frank Bruce Robinson, a man with a troubled past, Psychiana promised its followers the power to communicate directly with God and harness divine energy through the power of affirmation. This mail-order religion flourished during the Great Depression, offering hope to people during a time of economic despair. But as the movement grew, so did opposition and controversy, leading to Robinson’s deportation and eventual demise. Join us as we explore how Psychiana captured the hearts of thousands and left a lasting impact on America’s religious landscape.

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.