Hometown History

By Shane WatersSociety & Culture True Crime History

Hometown History episodes

May 20, 2024 Lewis Howard Latimer: The Genius Behind Edison's Bulb
New York City, New York. We often see some names linger in the shadows of history, hardly making it into the limelight, but quietly crafting the world we live in today. And one such name is Lewis Howard Latimer, a name you might not have heard much, but there is no doubt about the mark his contributions have left. Latimer worked with some of the greatest inventors in history, but never actually properly credited for his work.
TIMELINE
1857: George Latimer vanished after the Dred Scott decision in 1857, a dark period when the Supreme Court ruled that an enslaved man could not sue for his freedom.
1874: The first patent he received was on February 10, 1874, when the U.S. Patent Office granted Latimer and fellow inventor, Charles M. Brown, patent number 147,363, for the design of a toilet.
1876: Latimer took the responsibility seriously, dedicating long hours into the night on February 14th, on February 14th, 1876.
1890: By 1890, Latimer's skills caught the eye of none other than Thomas Edison himself.
1903: Later, in 1903, the Latimer family purchased a house in the mostly white neighborhood of Flushing, Queens.
1922: Latimer then served as Hammer's patent consultant until 1922, when declining health forced his retirement at the age of 74.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of New York City is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.
Episode 142 | 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

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23 min
May 13, 2024 Hollywood's Scandal That Created Movie Censorship
Hollywood, California. The Roaring Twenties was a time of glamour, gossip, and a scandal that rocked Hollywood. A scandal marked by its tragic and sensational nature. It not only revealed the shady side of Hollywood, but also made people think about the necessity of movie censorship. be exploring one of the most scandalous events in Hollywood history, the Fatty Arbuckle scandal of the 1920s.
TIMELINE
1887: Born on March 24, 1887, in Smith Center, Kansas, Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle had a tough start in life.
1921: On Labor Day, September 5th, 1921, Arbuckle decided to take a break from his busy film schedule and headed to San Francisco with his friends Lowell Sherman and Fred Fishback.
1922: The second trial started on January 11th, 1922 with the new jury with the same legal teams and judge.
1932: In 1932 Warner Brothers offered him a chance to star in comedy shorts marking his return to the screen under his own name.
1933: In 1933 a decade after the scandal Arbuckle suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 46 ending a chaotic chapter in Hollywood history.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Hollywood is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.
Episode 141 | 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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
23 min
May 06, 2024 How Charles Brush Illuminated a City and Changed America Forever
Cleveland, Ohio. From the flickering flames of ancient torches, to the gas lamps of the 1800s, humanity has always sought ways to banish the darkness that covers our nights. The 1800s was a time when electricity was a new and mysterious force, and people were still trying to figure out a way to use its power. And this is where an idea was born, one that led to the dream of a future in the glow of electric light. And this was even before Thomas Edison's invention of the lightbulb.
TIMELINE
1802: Now, in 1802, the esteemed Humphrey Davy conducted some experiments at the Royal Institution, creating the most potent electrical battery known at the time.
1867: With his uncle's encouragement, Brush chose the University of Michigan for his higher education, enrolling in the fall of 1867 to study mining engineering.
1876: In 1876, Brush started a new project and ended up securing support from the Wedding Supply Company in Cleveland to design his dynamo.
1879: In 1879, Brush's experiment to light a Cleveland park with arc lighting was a success.
1880: In 1880, Brush traveled to Wabash, Indiana, and was contracted to install a free two-week experiment to light the entire town.
1889: In 1889, Brush Electric Company, a company he started in the year he earned his PhD, was acquired by Thompson-Houston Electric Company.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Cleveland is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.
Episode 140 | 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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
24 min
April 29, 2024 Chicago's Haymarket Affair: The Bloody Birth of May Day
Chicago, Illinois. May Day is a pretty big deal in Europe. And you may have seen the colorful parades and the banners. May Day is all about workers' rights, equality, and social justice. Most of us know that the day exists. But do we really know the truth about May Day? The reason it is celebrated each year. To uncover the truth, we need to step back in time. Our journey begins in the late 19th century, a time period marked by significant social and industrial changes.
TIMELINE
1882: Eventually, between 1882 and 1886, when things had slowed down economically, socialist and anarchist groups became quite active.
1884: The Knights of Labor, a group that didn't support socialism, but did back the idea of an eight-hour workday, grew from 70,000 members in 1884 to over 700,000 by 1886.
1886: As May 1st, 1886 approached, when the demand for an eight-hour workday was just about to become standard, labor unions in the U.S. geared up for a massive general strike.
1889: Now in 1889, AFL President Samuel Gompers informed the World Socialists about their plans and proposed an international fight for a universal eight-hour workday.
1890: By May 1st, 1890, workers agreed to strike for an eight-hour workday.
1893: On June 26th, 1893, the governor, who was himself an immigrant of Germany, decided to pardon Fielden, Neeb, and Schwab, the remaining of the accused.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Chicago is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.
Episode 139 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters
If you liked this: Episode 170 (Ottawa, Illinois)
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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
24 min
April 22, 2024 The Philadelphia Experiment: WWII's Invisibility Hoax
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A stormy night, a top-secret experiment, and a naval destroyer with the power to become invisible. Some mysteries were perhaps never meant to be solved. The disappearance of D.B. Cooper, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Malaysian Flight 370, to name a few. The longer we go without answers to these questions, the more time the public has to come up with conspiracy theories. And there are some truly incredible ones out there.
TIMELINE
1943: The year was 1943, a period overshadowed by the growing intensity of World War II.
1957: The story took an unexpected turn when in 1957, the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research received a package.
1965: In 1965, Vincent Gaddis explored the world of Fortiana with his book Invisible Horizons, True Mysteries of the Sea.
1978: Fast forward to 1978, George E. Simpson and Neil R. Berger, released the novel Thin Air.
1999: Later in April 1999, a reunion of Navy veterans who had served aboard USS Eldridge revealed to a Philadelphia newspaper that their ship had never made port in Philadelphia.
2012: Even as recently as 2012, a film based on the events of the Philadelphia Experiment was released.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Philadelphia is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.
Episode 138 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters
If you liked this: Episode 176 (Erie, Pennsylvania)
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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
28 min
April 15, 2024 The Battle of Alcatraz: Two Days of Violence
San Francisco, California. Alcatraz. We have always seen it portrayed as this mysterious, impenetrable fortress, like in The Rock with Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage, and even in video games like Call of Duty. But there is a lot more to this isolated island prison than meets the eye, or that you can even imagine for that matter.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of San Francisco is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.
Episode 137 | 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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
26 min
April 08, 2024 Anne Bonny and Mary Read: Caribbean's Female Pirates
Nassau, Bahamas. Now, when you hear the word pirate, you might imagine one of two things. Either Jack Sparrow, a swashbuckling hero who loves rum, but arguably not more than he loves the open sea. Or something more dangerous, like Somalian pirates who raid crews and cargo ships. The stories we hear and the movies we watch all paint a very specific picture of pirates. But there's much more to piracy, as evidenced by Anne Bonny and Mary Reed. Unlikely names for the real pirates of the Caribbean.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Nassau is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.
Episode 136 | 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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
22 min
April 01, 2024 Grant's Whiskey Ring: The $3 Million Tax Fraud
Washington, DC. After the Civil War in 1875, America seemed to be moving toward recovery from the trouble of the last few years. Still, hidden in the shadows, there was a plot brewing. A plot involving a secret society, a scandal, and barrels of whiskey. In today's episode, we are exploring an important chapter of U.S. history in the late 18th century, the Whiskey Ring of 1875. This takes us to the city of St.
TIMELINE
1869: In St. Louis, the ring's leader was Missouri revenue collector John McDonald, who was appointed by Ulysses Grant in 1869.
1875: In February 1875, George Fishback, owner of the St. Louis Democrat, proposed a solution.
1876: In June 1876 due to a political fallout.
1877: The Compromise of 1877, which is also known as the Wormley Agreement or the Bargain of 1877, was like an unspoken political arrangement in the United States.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Washington is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.
Episode 135 | 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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
24 min
March 25, 2024 Dayton's Project Blue Book: The UFO Investigation
Dayton, Ohio. It's no secret, or at least I hope it isn't, that the government sometimes hides things from the general public. Whether it's a scandal or a dangerous secret that might jeopardize humanity, there's no end to the events we simply don't get told about in real time. And a shining example of this is Project Blue Book.
TIMELINE
1954: In March 1954, Captain Charles Hardin took the reins, but the 4,602nd Air Intelligence Service Squadron was the main force behind most UFO investigations.
1955: In 1955, the Air Force forcefully shifted Blue Book's focus from investigating UFO reports to minimizing the number of unidentified UFO reports.
1958: Later, in 1958, Lt. Col. Robert Friend took command.
1966: In 1966, a series of UFO sightings triggered a congressional hearing by the House Committee on Armed Services.
2003: In April 2003, the U.S. Air Force stated that there were no immediate plans for official government UFO study programs.
2019: Fast forward to 2019, and Project Blue Book became the inspiration for a drama series airing on the History Channel, aptly titled Project Blue Book.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Dayton is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.
Episode 134 | 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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
28 min
March 18, 2024 San Jose's Mansion Built to Confuse Ghosts
San Jose, California. , and today I have a bizarre one for you. Settle in, and by the time we're done, you will either book your tickets to tour this mansion, or never want to go within 100 feet of it. Lights flicker in the dead of night, casting eerie shadows on a mansion frozen in time. The air hangs heavy with an overworldly stillness, as if the very walls are holding their breath, concealing the mysteries within.
TIMELINE
1840: Sarah Winchester, the widow of William Wirt Winchester, was born around 1840 and lived a life of privilege.
1857: The venture initially struggled and went through reorganization, leading to the establishment of the New Haven Arms Company in 1857, with Oliver Winchester becoming a major investor.
1866: The Winchester Repeating Arms Company started in 1866 in New Haven, Connecticut, and was founded by Oliver Winchester, Sarah's father-in-law.
1881: Now, after her husband William's death in 1881, Sarah inherited a massive fortune of roughly $20 million and half of his weapons manufacturing company.
1896: After 1896, when there was no room left to expand, Sarah started adding floors.
1906: In 1906, part of the mansion suffered some damage after an earthquake.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of San Jose is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.
Episode 133 | 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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
25 min

About Hometown History

From the publisher's feed

Discover forgotten stories from small-town America that never made it into history books. Hometown History is the podcast uncovering hidden American history—overlooked events, local mysteries, and…