Hometown History

Welcome to Hometown History, where the forgotten past comes alive. Our mission? To unearth the hidden gems of history that do not make it into the textbooks. Whether it's a local legend that's been overlooked, a historical event that shaped a small town, or a mysterious occurrence lost in the annals of time, we dig deep to bring you the untold stories that deserve to be heard.

Tune in as we travel back in time, uncovering the history you thought you knew and introducing you to the stories you never knew existed. Let's rewrite history, one hometown at a time.

Recent Episodes

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Dec. 2, 2025

Wheeling, West Virginia: When Steel Workers Became Radio Stars

The Story In the depths of the Great Depression, when unemployment in West Virginia topped 25% and families struggled to afford even basic necessities, something remarkable happened in Wheeling. Steel workers—machinists, cran...

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Nov. 25, 2025

Erie, Pennsylvania: The Wall of Water That Killed 36

On August 3, 1915, a wall of water tore through downtown Erie, Pennsylvania, at twenty-five miles per hour, destroying three hundred buildings and killing thirty-six to forty people in the city's deadliest disaster. The Mill ...

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Nov. 18, 2025

Athens, Tennessee: The 1946 GI Rebellion and the Limits of Armed Reform

On the night of August 1, 1946, hundreds of World War II veterans laid siege to the McMinn County jail in Athens, Tennessee. Armed with rifles, Thompson submachine guns, and dynamite, they surrounded the brick building where ...

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Nov. 11, 2025

Osage County, Oklahoma: The Oil Murders That Created the FBI

The Wealthiest People Per Capita in the World Were Being Murdered for Their Money. In the early 1920s, members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma drove Pierce-Arrow automobiles, built terra-cotta mansions, and employed white cha...

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Nov. 4, 2025

Kalaupapa, Hawai'i: The Saint of Exiles and Hansen's Disease Colony

Between 1866 and 1969, the Kingdom and later State of Hawai'i sent over eight thousand people diagnosed with Hansen's disease—then known as leprosy—to permanent exile on the Kalaupapa peninsula on the island of Moloka'i. This...

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Oct. 28, 2025

Africatown: The Last Slave Ship Survivors Who Built a Town

How survivors of America's last slave ship founded their own town in 1860s Alabama, creating a self-governed community that preserved African traditions against impossible odds and left a legacy still alive today.

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Reviews

Fascinating stories!

"I love these wonderful stories of history. Everything Shane does is perfection, and this is no exception. Thank you for your detailed research & for sharing the history behind these locations."

lindy luvs music | Jan. 15, 2023

Made me cry

"There’s a Gus Grissom high school in Buffalo New York, but while I knew how he died, I never knew how he lived. I am glad I wasn’t driving as I usually am when I listen to the podcasts or I would hav…"

Ruth Dempsey | July 13, 2023

Thank you!

"More clean history content for us nerds with children. Thank you for sharing and supporting local history."

batpigmom | Aug. 25, 2023

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Related Shows

Hometown History

Recent Episodes

Wheeling, West Virginia: When Steel Workers Became Radio Stars

Erie, Pennsylvania: The Wall of Water That Killed 36

Athens, Tennessee: The 1946 GI Rebellion and the Limits of Armed Reform

Osage County, Oklahoma: The Oil Murders That Created the FBI

Kalaupapa, Hawai'i: The Saint of Exiles and Hansen's Disease Colony

Africatown: The Last Slave Ship Survivors Who Built a Town

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