The Way it Was: A podpast

On Aug. 24, 1996, the bodies of two unidentified newborn girls were pulled from a river and reservoir about 180 miles apart in Colorado. While not related by blood, their homicide cases remained oddly in step with each other, all the way to the end when genetic genealogy helped close their homicide cases within just months, 23 years later. This is the story of Hope and Faith.

In the span of three months in fall 1924, Nellie Tayloe Ross became a widow, single mother and the first woman elected governor in the United States. But her journey to the Wyoming governor's office and, later, Washington D.C. started well before the 1920s.

He was a father, a farmer, a family man and natural handyman. When he wasn't trimming trees or slinging cement bags in faded overalls, he was decked in a suit and tie - off to another committee meeting or voter registration drive. You've heard his name. You've probably even been to his beloved Fort Collins park. But do you know about the legacy of Lee Martinez?

In the fall of 1918, a mysterious and deadly flu arrived in Fort Collins. The small college town battled the virus with makeshift hospitals, school and business closures and social distancing. But the flu still targeted its young students and soldiers. More than a century later, here's what Colorado learned from the Spanish flu.

For more than 40 years - until 1999 - Poudre Canyon mountain woman Polly Brinkhoff lived without running water, electricity or plumbing. She had a pet mountain lion, kept her food in a cave and once nearly sliced her bunion off with a chainsaw. More than 20 years after her death, Polly's grandson recalls what exactly made her the last of a dying breed and larger than the no-frills life she so proudly clung to.

For more than 40 years - until 1999 - Poudre Canyon mountain woman Polly Brinkhoff lived without running water, electricity or plumbing. She had a pet mountain lion, kept her food in a cave and once nearly sliced her bunion off with a chainsaw. More than 20 years after her death, Polly's grandson recalls what exactly made her the last of a dying breed and larger than the no-frills life she so proudly clung to.

In this special, three-part podcast, Way it Was host Erin Udell digs into Ted Bundy's notorious 1970s killing spree. An estimated 30 women and girls were abducted and murdered by Bundy across four years and six states. But could it have stopped cold in Colorado? Find "Hunted" on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud.

In this special, three-part podcast, Way it Was host Erin Udell digs into Ted Bundy's notorious 1970s killing spree. An estimated 30 women and girls were abducted and murdered by Bundy across four years and six states. But could it have stopped cold in Colorado? Find "Hunted" on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud.

In December 1955, the menacing red phone on Air Force Col. Harry Shoup’s desk rang. But it wasn’t the Pentagon – no four-star general either. It was a tiny voice asking for Santa Claus. What happened next would kick off one of Colorado’s most-beloved Christmas traditions.

In December 1955, the menacing red phone on Air Force Col. Harry Shoup’s desk rang. But it wasn’t the Pentagon – no four-star general either. It was a tiny voice asking for Santa Claus. What happened next would kick off one of Colorado’s most-beloved Christmas traditions.