Hometown History

Como Bluff, Wyoming. There is nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition. It encourages people to do better, and it can lead to innovation. Just like the one between Apple and Microsoft, that has resulted in countless technological advancements for us. Or the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, which has led to major developments in space exploration. But competition can sometimes take a dark turn, evolving into a rivalry.

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Episode 162 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

Hollywood, California. explore one of the most fascinating chapters of American film history, the curse of rebel without a cause. Generally, you would believe a horror film set would leave actors feeling like they've been cursed. But a romantic drama? Well, hold on. In 1955, one of Hollywood's most iconic romance films, Rebel Without a Cause, was released. But it was more than a romance film.

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Episode 161 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 88 (Crescent City, California)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

In 1929, a recovering alcoholic and twice-discharged military veteran named Frank Bruce Robinson made a $2,500 investment that would transform a small Idaho college town into an unlikely center of American religious innovation. From his home in Moscow, Idaho, Robinson launched Psychiana, a mail-order religion that promised followers they could "literally and actually speak to God" through the power of positive affirmation. What began as a bold advertising gambit during the depths of the Great Depression grew into a phenomenon that reached 67 countries, employed over 100 people, and made Moscow's post office relocate to handle up to 60,000 pieces of mail per day. Robinson's "Now God" philosophy rejected traditional concepts of heaven, hell, and salvation, instead teaching that divine power existed in the present moment and could be channeled through mental affirmation to solve immediate problems, from financial struggles to health issues. His 20-lesson correspondence course, costing between $20 and $40, attracted desperate followers seeking hope during America's darkest economic crisis, including high-profile adherents like convicted kidnapper Bruno Hauptmann and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. But Robinson's success came with fierce opposition from local religious groups who vandalized his property, challenged his immigration status, and labeled him a "mail-order prophet." Despite legal battles, threats, and controversy, Psychiana thrived through World War II before finally declining after Robinson's death in 1948, leaving behind a fascinating chapter in American religious history that reveals both the power of hope and the dangers of exploitation during times of crisis.

• 1886-1889: Frank Bruce Robinson born (claimed New York; brother said England), creating later immigration controversy
• 1925: Robinson begins formulating ideas for new religion while living in Portland, Oregon
• 1928: Robinson relocates to Moscow, Idaho, to develop his religious philosophy with more writing time
• 1929: Psychiana officially founded from Robinson's Idaho home with $2,500 investment ($46,000 today)
• 1929 (First Year): Movement reaches 67 countries with 36,000 followers; first ad generates $23,000 profit
• 1933: Robinson purchases printing press to cut costs at $2,000/month, angering local printer George Lampfer
• 1930s: Movement employs 100+ people, becoming largest private employer in Latah County, Idaho
• 1944: Follower testimonials claim miraculous recoveries, including restored hearing
• 1948: Frank Robinson dies; son Alfred attempts to continue movement
• Post-1948: Movement declines due to increased postage rates and reduced public interest

During this period, America experienced the Great Depression (1929-1939) and World War II (1939-1945), creating desperate conditions that fueled demand for Robinson's messages of hope and empowerment.

The Psychiana movement represents a uniquely American phenomenon where entrepreneurial innovation, spiritual seeking, and economic desperation converged during one of the nation's most challenging eras. Robinson's mail-order religion pioneered what would later be recognized as the positive thinking movement and prosperity gospel, ideas that continue to influence American spirituality today. The movement's success reveals how economic crisis creates vulnerability to charismatic leaders offering simple solutions to complex problems, a pattern that has repeated throughout American history. Psychiana's ability to thrive during both the Great Depression and World War II demonstrates the enduring human need for hope during times of uncertainty, regardless of the source. The movement's international reach, spanning 67 countries from a small Idaho college town, showcases how modern communication technology (in this case, the postal system) could democratize religious movements and create new forms of spiritual community that transcended traditional geographic boundaries. Robinson's legacy remains contested: some view him as an opportunistic exploiter who preyed on desperate people, while others see him as a genuine religious innovator who provided comfort and meaning during difficult times. The story raises enduring questions about the relationship between faith and reason, the ethics of religious entrepreneurship, and the responsibility of spiritual leaders to their followers.

• University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives (Psychiana Collection)
• Idaho State Historical Society records on Frank Robinson and Psychiana movement
• Contemporary newspaper accounts from The Moscow Post and regional publications (1929-1948)
• Academic research on American new religious movements and Great Depression-era spirituality
• Historical documentation of mail-order religious movements in early 20th century America

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Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

New York City, New York. You have probably heard the phrase, to pull a crater, but do where it comes from? It basically means to disappear, and it originated from one of the most infamous disappearances in American history. explore the disappearance of Judge Crater, a case of how a man simply vanished from the face of the earth, leaving behind a mystery that has puzzled everyone for decades.

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Episode 159 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

New York City, New York. There are times when global change can impact you in ways you did not expect. Think about how the internet completely revolutionized the way we communicate, shop, and even find love. Or how the smartphone put the world at our fingertips, changing our daily lives in ways we couldn't have imagined. Or recently, how the COVID-19 pandemic changed how we work. These are things you have experienced firsthand, so what it feels like.

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Episode 158 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

Portland, Indiana. It's one of the great literary mysteries in America. My view is that it will remain a tantalizing mystery. These were the words of Don Swain, author of The Assassination of Ambrose Beers, A Love Story. And it is the perfect way to start today's episode. Today, we will be exploring the case of Ambrose Beers, a renowned writer who just vanished without a trace. His last letter hinted he was off to somewhere unknown.

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Episode 157 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 180 (Hagerstown, Indiana)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Here on Hometown History, we've covered our fair share of government projects and cover-ups. Governments are known for their secrets. From covert operations to hidden facilities, they usually keep their most important plans out of public sight. Think about Area 51, long rumored to be the site of UFO research, or the secretive Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb. It's almost like an open secret. We know they exist, but we don't know everything.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Episode 156 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 178 (Gauley Bridge, West Virginia)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

San Francisco, California. When someone shares a secret, it rarely stays quiet. Just like a game of telephone, each person adds their own little extra detail, and the story grows bigger and more exciting with each new version. That is pretty much how rumors work, and it's exactly what happened in this case, too. Back in 1872, a whispered hint about diamonds, hidden somewhere in the American wilderness, started small.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Episode 155 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 88 (Crescent City, California)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

Homestead, Florida. Hidden away in the sunny shores of Florida lies a structure that is both an architectural wander and a mysterious legend. And as you would expect from my episodes, the story behind it is as curious as the structure itself. In today's episode, we are exploring the mystery of the Coral Castle, a castle that was built single-handedly by a man using nothing but homemade tools.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Episode 154 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

Boston, Massachusetts. The British are coming. A cold spring night, a lone rider, and a warning. The rider pushed through the darkness of the night, alerting people of the imminent danger that was about to hit them, and stirring them to action just as the colonies were about to fight for independence. This rider was Paul Revere, a folk hero of the American Revolution, but also the founding father of propaganda.

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WHY THIS MATTERS

Episode 153 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 179 (Gay Head, Massachusetts)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history