The Show-Me Podcast

In 1973 a movie hit theaters that scared audiences like no horror movie that came before it had. This movie drew large crowds and even won two Academy Awards while being nominated in another 8 categories. This film would also become the first horror movie to be nominated for best picture, which is saying something as horror movies have been around for practically as long as the motion picture industry has existed. This movie that we are talking about is of course, The Exorcist, a film that centers around the demonic possession of a 12 year old girl, and the religious struggle of good versus evil in an attempt to free the child from the control of a devilish entity. The screenplay for The Exorcist was written by William Peter Blatty, who based the screenplay off of his successful novel of the same name, and while the story presented in the book and film are fictional, they are based off true events, events that tie a tale of demonic possession and battles against darkness that took place in Missouri. Join us in this episode as we look at demons, a struggle of good against evil, and a basis behind a Hollywood horror classic, and how they became a part of… The Show-Me.

As we explored in our very first episode, the death of one’s child can cause them to do something that they otherwise may not have done. In the case of Dr. Joseph Nash McDowell, that would result in conducting experiments on the body of his daughter to preserve her from decay, and providing imaginative inspiration for a young Mark Twain. In this episode, we will explore another man who lost his daughter, and the actions that he would take in the wake of her death, leading ultimately to a curse being placed on his family. Join us in this episode as we look at curses, slavery, and a heavy dose of myth that makes for a perfect Halloween-themed tale, and how they became a part… of the Show-Me.

In 1969, two music festivals made history, but for very different reasons. In Bethel, New York, Woodstock became a cultural legacy of peace, love, and music. On the West Coast, at Altamont, later that year, The Rolling Stones would lead their answer to the Hippies in New York with their own concert, one that would end in tragedy and death. These two music festivals both had very different feels to them, but they both had one thing in common, a lack of any real law enforcement. The music seemed to make the people free, for better or worse, and to varying degrees of success. Sure, Woodstock had some bad acid going around, but it is typically remembered as an overwhelmingly positive call for the hippie movement of the day. Altamont, not so much. And while these concerts are still remembered today, there is a third music festival, the last of these concerts that sought freedom of expression through music and from the law. Join us in this episode as we look at sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and how they became a part… of the Show-Me.

It was the fall of 1899, and Frankie Baker had her man. She was in love and she was in deep. She had her youth, she had her looks, and most importantly, she had her man. It seemed like a romantic and fortunate future lay ahead and all she had to do was reach out and grasp it. The universe was in her reach… but fate was about to challenge the young woman in multiple ways. Join us in this episode as we look at romance gone wrong, hollywood, the music business and the life-long effects of a brief moment of a single day… and how they became a part… of the show-me.

Just a few short miles south of Branson lies a feature that has nothing to do with the famed tourist attractions music, shows, and theatrical performances that has brought so much attention to this small corner of the Ozarks. This feature, a cluster of elephant rocks, or large boulders of sandstone that survived the erosion of soil around them, saw performances that had nothing to do with country or bluegrass music. No, this outcropping of sandstone was the theater for a depraved bushwacker, thief, and killer, whose gang used the rocky formation to ambush travellers and soldiers during the first half of the war between the states. Following the death of the villainous madman, this formation would be rumored to hold the treasures and ill gotten gains that the killer had acquired in his heists and would become a favorite location for Ozark treasure hunters. Join us as we examine Murder Rock, Alf Bolin, and the legends surrounding the man and his treasure, and how they became a part… of the Show-Me.

It was the spring of 1941 and William Huffman, the reverend of Redstar Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau, was relaxing before turning in for the night. Around 9:30 that evening, the telephone rang, with the voice on the other end asking the reverend to come a short distance out of town to perform the last rites at the site of a plane crash. A car pulled into his driveway shortly afterwards to chauffeur the reverend to the scene of the disaster, and upon his arrival at the crash site, the Reverend Huffman would be thrust into a situation that would remain hidden from popular culture for another 50 years. Join us in this episode as we look at religious ritual, aircraft disasters, and untold secrets that wouldn’t come to light until decades later, and how they became a part of… the Show-Me.

Missouri has a long list of famous outlaws and criminals, but none more famous than Jesse James. Jesse James has been portrayed as a hero and a villain in popular culture over the last one hundred and 30 plus years since his death at the hands of Robert Ford. He has been depicted as both a robin hood-like figure, and a violent thug, he has been featured in numerous biographic pictures as well as fictional tales that use the outlaw’s name and likeness to expand on the mythos of the famed Missouri criminal. But before the motion pictures expanded the legacy, fictional or real, of the daring guerilla and robber, the myths and legends surrounding James began in the newspapers and rumor mills that surrounded the man in his very lifetime. Join us in this episode as we examine Jesse James, his legendary actions, mythical meetings, and criminal cheatings, and trying to separate fact from myth, and how they became a part… of the Show-me.

It’s common knowledge that Jefferson City is the capital of Missouri, but it may not be so common, especially to those outside of the state, to know that Jefferson City was not always the Capital. Even to those who live in the Show-Me state, it may come as a surprise that the Capital City almost was placed elsewhere, saw competiton from other cities who wished to lure the title away, and even had a competing capital city claiming to be the true government of the state. Jefferson City would continue to triumph over the challenges brought to the seat of government that were placed before it, no matter what manner that challenge would bring. It had some close calls, but would continue to hold its grasp as the center of the State’s political power. Join us in this episode as we examine building sites, fires, competition, warfare, and more, and how they became a part… of the Show-me.

The belief that the number 13 is an unlucky one stretches back hundreds, if not thousands of years. Some say that the unlucky or diabolic nature of the number stretches back to the downfall of the Knights Templar on Friday the 13th, in October of 1307. Others say that 13 became reviled as it represented Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ. Regardless of the origin of this unlucky number, we have reached our 13th episode of the Show-Me, so it seems only fitting to explore a story that features an abundance of horrible luck, darkness, and a convergence of history and myth that ultimately has inspired urban legends and spine-chilling stories. Join us in this episode as we examine family secrets, suds, lavish lifestyles, and ill-fated losses… and how they became a part… of the Show-Me.

On the morning of June 17th, machine gun fire ripped through the air in Kansas City, sparking tragedy, legend, and an aftermath of not only rumor and suspicion, but in an incredibly perceptible difference in federal law enforcement. Join us in this episode as we look at Public Enemies, G-Men, and a shoot-out that made national headlines, and how they became a part… of the show me.