The Show-Me Podcast

A look at the Western Engineer, Stephen Long, and the Yellowstone Expedition.

When it comes to names, the Show-Me state has a tendency to choose some rather unique handles to use for the various locales throughout Missouri. This should come as no surprise as we derive names from english, french, german, and native american words as just as a few sources. Throw in some unusual pronunciation and local dialect and things can get interesting real fast. What do you expect though when the citizens of our fair state can’t even agree if our state is called MIssouri or Missourah. At least both sides of that argument can agree that the third attempted pronunciation of Miss-ouri was ridiculous. And while the debate over the pronunciation of our state name persists, the pronunciation of certain locals does not, odd as those names maybe. Join us in this episode as we look at some locales with some of the oddest names in Missouri, and how they became a part of… the Show-Me.

When one thinks of Native American raids on white settlers, they typically imagine Hollywood scenarios of Indian warriors ambushing cowboys and caravans of covered wagons.. They may think of early colonial times when the threat of attack from tribes such as the Pequot was a real possibility. After all, the indigenous peoples of the Americas had devastating interactions with the Europeans who came to the new world. They found their territory, cultural distinctions, and entire ways of life challenged and under attack. As the people of the small settlement of Cote Sans Dessein could attest to, Indian raids were not just limited to the early colonists or the tribes of the plains and southwest who saw an increase in white settlers as gold booms and homesteading increased. For the people of this small settlement in modern-day Callaway County, they would find themselves under a frightful attack, and would find deliverance in an unusual way. Join us as we examine Cote Sans Dessein, Native Americans, French Settlers, and hostilities, and how they became a part… of the Show-Me.

The 1984 comedy classic Ghostbusters opens with a scene featuring Bill Murray’s character, Peter Venkeman, conducting an experiment to test psychic powers at New York’s Columbia University. While this scene is played for laughs, it holds a factual background, as the CIA began experimenting with psychic warfare and espionage techniques through the Stargate Project beginning in the early 1970’s at Stanford University. Stanford University and the Central Intelligence Agency would not be the only ones to investigate and test the realms of the human mind and the paranormal, as their inspiration stemmed from the Cold War and Russia’s attempts to develop psychic spies. Even members of the private sector would find themselves involved in the testing of PSI powers, as can be seen in the experiments that began in 1979 at St. Louis’ Washington University. Join us as we look at psychic shenanigans, telekinetic testings, and how these supernatural superpowers are a part of… the Show-Me.

When I was in the 11th grade, one of our required courses for the year was an American literature course. On the first day of this class, our teacher, a Mr. David Lineberry, bragged that he did not have to send a student to the office or give a detention in over three years. Being the dedicated student that I am, I of course rose to the occasion and broke that streak, receiving detention before the end of the 1st quarter. Although I broke his streak, Mr. Lineberry didn’t hold a grudge, but he did require us to read Stephen Crane’s Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage. As our class finished this story of symbolism, impressionism, and personal conflicts of heroism and cowardice, Mr. Lineberry lead us out of the classroom and to a nearby park, showing us the remains of trenches dug into the trees and off the beaten path. As we examined the trenches, Mr. Lineberry told us his own story about local history, that of the “battle that never was.” A story of Sterling Price’s 1864 Missouri Campaign, and how he led his forces to Jefferson City to retake the capital city for the Confederacy. Many of my fellow students and I were engrossed in his tale, being largely unfamiliar with it, and it is a story that deserves to be retold. Join us as we discuss Sterling Price, Civil War battles, an embarrassing twist for the Confederates, and how they became a part… of the Show-Me.

When one thinks of the Wild West, they usually think of places like Lincoln County, New Mexico, Tombstone, Arizona, or Deadwood, South Dakota. They don’t usually think of Missouri, considering it to be the mid-west, instead of the gateway to the west. For much of the 19th century however, Missouri was the west, and many names that passed into the myths and histories of the wild west have connections with our state. Jesse James was a Missouri native, Ike Clanton was born in Callaway County, and Wyatt Earp began his checkered career as a lawman in Lamar. But there was another man whose name and legend would grow in the annals of the American West, a man who inspired the high-noon duels of Hollywood westerns, enjoyed and encouraged the ever-growing myths invoked in dime novels about him, and a man who still appears from time to time in pop-culture and finds portrayal in modern mediums, and that man would begin to make a name for himself… in the Show-Me.

Buried treasure. We’ve all heard tales of stolen riches buried by thieves and cutthroats, killers who made off with their loot only to hide it away for a later time. Whenever most think of buried treasure however, they think of pirates who sailed the seven seas. Missouri is, of course, nowhere near an ocean, but that doesn’t stop us from having our own tales of buried treasure While there were certainly small pirate crews along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, there were also bandits and bushwhackers, bank robbers and highwaymen, along with thieves, miners, and conquistadors who found themselves in distress throughout the state, and all of them have tales about their ill-gotten gains being buried. In this episode, we are going to examine some of the most interesting myths and legends that surround just a few of these treasures. Join us as we discuss treasures that may be buried away and hidden, in the Show-Me.

Join us as we look into the life of Marion Hedgspeth, the debonair bandit, and he became a part of the Show Me.

Shirley Andrews discusses the life of her mother, Irma Craig, a rider of the Orphan Trains

Join us as we look into the history of the Orphan Trains and how they brought thousands of children to Missouri