Amazing Tales About History
Mike Allen
Marilyn Monroe, PT Barnum, American history, and Revolutionary War insights ... Dive deep into the hidden corners of history with mysteries, fascinating inventions, secret military operations, magical islands, ancient trails, forgotten roadways, Native Americans, supernatural activity, UFOs. 20-minute episodes. Memorable stories. Great guests. We present history as it should be – accurate, engaging, and told with a touch of magic. New episodes every Thursday.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 20, 2022 • 22min
PART 1: Redding’s Favorite Son - Mark Twain
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) spent 25% of his life in Connecticut, including his last two years in Redding. In part one of this two-part series, we'll hear rare stories about those years. Included: the background of his famous house Stormfield and his friend Helen Keller.
Apr 14, 2022 • 26min
The Deadliest Fire in Federal Prison History
July 7, 1977. The deadliest fire at a U.S. federal prison. Five inmates died and 70 were injured when deadly fumes overcame them at night as they were locked in a dormitory at the Danbury, Connecticut Federal Prison. Some of the lucky escapees helped fight the inferno and save their fellow prisoners.
Apr 7, 2022 • 18min
PART 2: There Was Never Anything Quite Like the Great Danbury State Fair
In part two of this two-part series, we hear the inside story of why the Great Danbury State Fair in Connecticut really closed. The backroom deal was heartbreaking for many. A shopping mall would end the longest-running state fair in U.S. history after 122 years - and a key player was not privy to the discussions.
Mar 31, 2022 • 19min
PART 1: There’s Never Been Anything Quite Like The Great Danbury State Fair
It was the longest running state fair in U.S. history. After 112 years, the Great Danbury State Fair closed in the 1980s – to make way for a shopping mall. In part one of this two-part series, we'll hear how this incredible enterprise began.
Mar 24, 2022 • 15min
The Catastrophic Night When Not One, But Two Dams Gave Way
It was a horrific disaster. Two earthen dams, built in the 1800s, collapsed. It sent 140 million gallons of water barreling down into Danbury, Connecticut. The tragic deaths and mind-numbing property damage that it caused devastated the city - and worried reservoir managers nationwide about the safety of relatively new earthen dams.
Mar 16, 2022 • 28min
The Show Must Go On - Even Outdoors
Outdoor theater. Beautiful for the audience. Challenges galore for the staff. One operation has been at it for 37 straight summers. The actors and director share their tales about the challenges, mishaps, and pure satisfaction of outdoor theater.
Mar 10, 2022 • 32min
Keeping The Grange Alive in the 21st Century
They're an institution. Grange Halls are where agricultural communities gather to socialize and swap farming tips. As farming continues to cease in the northeast, the future of The Grange faces challenges. Their evolution into providing broad community support may be the key to their future.
Mar 3, 2022 • 17min
The World is His Oyster
It's been a primary U.S. food source for centuries. Native Americans cultivated the Eastern Oyster from Long Island Sound. European settlers did the same. New Haven, Connecticut was once the Oyster Capital of the World. Today, oyster harvesting is challenged by pollution, but aqua-culture is making inroads.
Feb 24, 2022 • 25min
She Put the Alice in Alice’s Restaurant
Arlo Guthrie's ballad Alice's Restaurant. The anti-Vietnam War folk song focused on a Massachusetts restaurant owner named Alice, and the arrest of Guthrie and a friend for littering after throwing debris from her house in a ravine on Thanksgiving Day. In this episode, an interview with the late Alice Brock.
Feb 17, 2022 • 20min
Hippies, Zealots or Entrepreneurs - The Odd Sandemanian Religion
The Sandemanian religious order was active for 200 years in Europe and the U.S., before going extinct. Congregants were known as “kissites” for their nearly hippie-like practices at services. Yet, they produced many successful businessmen during the 1700-1800s.
