An Old Timey Podcast

When Kate Townsend arrived in New Orleans in 1857, she was a young, poor, uneducated immigrant. Within just a few years, she opened one of the most luxurious brothels in the country. Her mansion at 40 Basin Street featured opulent, high-end decor. She hired beautiful women and catered to wealthy, well-connected clientele. As Kate’s wealth grew, so did her power. But a troubled relationship with her longtime boyfriend brought about her downfall.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Asbury, Herbert. The French Quarter: An Informal History of the New Or...

ABBA became an international sensation when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with their song, “Waterloo.” In the years that followed, they created hit after hit after hit. They toured the globe. But then the band hit hard times. Agnetha and Bjorn divorced. So did Benny and Anni-Frid “Frida.” It seemed like ABBA had permanently fallen apart. But the 90s took a surprising turn for ABBA - and they have been under the Super Trooper lights ever since! 

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kyla pulled from: 

The Story of ABBA by Ja...

Calling all Dancing Queens! In this two-part series, Kyla Pitts-Zevin (Kristin’s sister & mayor of all of Kristin’s podcasts) tells us about the Swedish pop music group, ABBA. She tells us the band members' surprising backstories and about the iconic Eurovision performance that launched them into stardom.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kyla pulled from: 

The Story of ABBA by Jan Gradvall
Documentary: The Joy of ABBA
Documentary: ABBA: THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL
Wikipedia
ABBASITE the official website of ABBA
“How ABBA's two mar...

As soon as David Reimer learned the truth, he knew what he wanted to do. He began presenting as a man. He got a new name. He started testosterone therapy. He underwent surgery. But just when it looked like he had a shot at a normal life, he discovered that Dr. John Money had been writing about him for years. Dr. Money had falsely presented David as proof that we are all born gender neutral, and that parents could choose their child’s gender identity, provided they did it early enough.

David knew that what had happened to...

When he was just seven months old, David Reimer became the victim of a botched circumcision. The accident left him without a penis. His parents, Janet and Ron Reimer, were distraught. They wondered what kind of life David would have. Experts told them that there was little to be done. But then one night, they happened to see an interview with the prominent sexologist Dr. John Money. 

Dr. Money was charismatic. He was confident. He was credentialed. He had a theory that we are all born gender neutral, and that you could actually choose a child’s gen...

You might have thought we couldn’t make it through last week’s episode, but just like Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor, we’re alive, we’re here, and we’re really pissed at you for listening to other podcasts while we were gone.

In this episode, Normie C continues to decipher fact from fiction. Meanwhile, Kristin wonders whether we’ll ever hear more about Michael Shannon’s surfboards.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, we pulled from:
Bay, Michael, dir. Pearl Harbor. Touchstone Pictures, 2001.
Cutrer, Thomas W., and T. Michael...

In this two-part series, we analyze Michael Bay’s 2001 box office smash, Pearl Harbor. Normie C points out historical inaccuracies. Kristin points out cringey dialogue. Above all, we ask ourselves the *important* questions. Questions like: Is Pearl Harbor just Titanic for boys? And, if this film had a $140 million budget, why does Jon Voight’s butt-chin prosthetic look so much like Silly Puddy? Finally, isn’t it cute that we made fun of this movie for being too long, but we couldn’t fit our own analysis into one episode?? 

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources...

On Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked the U.S. Naval Station at Pearl Harbor. During that chaotic scene, a Black sailor named Doris “Dorie” Miller shot down a Japanese plane and saved an untold number of lives. Doris Miller’s actions were particularly heroic, given the fact that the Navy’s racist policies barred him from serving in a combat role. In fact, he’d only been trained to serve food. 

For decades, people have fought for Doris Miller to get the recognition that he deserves. The government has been slow to recognize his heroism. But, a few years ago...

In 1917, Alan Hart became one of the first trans men in the United States to undergo a medically-assisted transition. In the months after his transition, the life he’d envisioned took shape. He got an internship at San Francisco Hospital. He fell in love.

But, when Alan applied for a job at another hospital, a former classmate spotted him. They outed him to his prospective employer. They outed him to his current employer. He was outed via a newspaper. Soon, the story was picked up by wire services.

The experience was traumatic, but Alan held st...

Decades before the term “transgender” was coined, Alan Hart became one of the first trans men in the United States to undergo a medically-assisted transition.

In part one of this two-part series, we delve into Alan’s life before he transitioned.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Trailblazing transgender doctor saved countless lives,” by Leo DeLuca for Scientific American
“Homo-sexuality and its treatment,” by J. Allen Gilbert for the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
“Alan Hart” by Morgen Young for Oregon Encyclopedia
“This Kansas-born tra...

Poor ol’ William Henry Harrison. The dude has the odd distinction of giving the longest inauguration speech in American history, followed by the shortest presidency in American history. 

You might be familiar with the story: He gave a speech with no coat on, and as a result, caught pneumonia and died. But… was it really pneumonia that killed him?  

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: 
“Did William Henry Harrison really die of pneumonia?” by Jay Serafino for Mental Floss
“What really killed Willliam Henry Harrison?” by Jane McHugh...

Join us on a perilous journey as Kristin discovers that the presidential fun facts she loves are ALL LIES. In this week’s episode, we’ll examine the myth that George Washington wore wooden dentures. As it turns out, our first president didn’t wake up every day and put wooden dentures into his big wet mouth! The real story is much more horrifying.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: 
“George Washington’s Dentures: Disability, Deception and the Republican Body,” by Jennifer Van Horn for Early American Studies
“George Wa...

Welcome back to the final episode in our two-part series on Wallis Simpson! In this episode, Kyla Pitts-Zevin (Kristin’s sister & mayor of all of Kristin’s podcasts) gives us a lesson on how to tell a story concisely. (Did you know that you could tell a person’s life story in less than seven parts? News to us!)

Last week we learned about Wallis Simpson’s early life and first two marriages. In this episode, she meets King Edward VIII. Their love affair leads to a constitutional crisis that changes the course of history. Oh, and look out...

In this *very special* two-part series, Kyla Pitts-Zevin (Kristin’s sister & mayor of all of Kristin’s podcasts) tells us about an extraordinarily complicated woman. Wallis Simpson is best known for her relationship with King Edward VIII. When he announced his intention to marry the American divorcee, a constitutional crisis erupted that led to his abdication of the throne.

The abdication altered the course of history. People had plenty to say about Wallis Simpson, the new Duchess of Windsor. But what was her deal, really? In part one, we explore her early life and her first two marr...

By Friday, February 13th, 1925, rescue workers were getting close to Floyd Collins, who lay trapped deep down in Sand Cave. Above ground, crowds gathered and prayed for Floyd. Reporters questioned state officials for any updates. Photographers readied their cameras around the rescue shaft, hoping to capture the big moment. 

By that point, Floyd Collins had been stuck for two weeks. Rescuers were confident they would find him. They just didn’t know if they’d find him alive.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: 

“Charles Lindberg...

Reporters swarmed. Crowds gathered. State officials arrived on scene. People were hungry for information about the trapped cave explorer, Floyd Collins. They wanted to rescue the man trapped 55 feet below the earth’s surface. But a collapse halted any further attempts through Sand Cave.

Locals and state experts disagreed on the best path forward. And as they argued, hope dwindled.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Collins, Homer, and John Lehrberger. The Life and Death of Floyd Collins. Cave Books, 2001.
Kem, David Randolph. The Kentucky Ca...

In the dead of Winter, 1925, cave explorer Floyd Collins crawled, wiggled, and wormed 55 feet below the surface of a sandhole. He was on the hunt for a magnificent cave. But when his lantern began to flicker, he turned back. He re-entered the narrow passageway. In the confusion of darkness, he kicked a protruding rock. When he did, a boulder dropped on his leg. Dirt and debris buried him.

Floyd Collins was trapped, 55 feet underground, in the complete dark. All he could do was scream and hope that someone would come to his rescue.

Remember, kids...

Floyd Collins had a dream. He dreamt that one day, he’d emerge victorious in the Kentucky Cave Wars. In that era, people made easy money turning beautiful, awe-inspiring caves into tourist destinations. The tough part was *finding* the cave. Finding a cave took months of dangerous, exhausting work, but Floyd Collins was up to the task.

In January of 1925, he felt certain that he was digging his way toward a magnificent one. Then he got stuck.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: 

Collins, Homer, and...

We’ve all heard the story. President William Howard Taft got stuck in the White House bathtub! A bunch of dudes had to yank him out!! They replaced the old bathtub with a new one, BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD FOUR WORKING MEN!!!

…except did he *actually* get stuck in the tub? In this episode, we do a deep dive into how this story got started and how it eventually got stuck in the bathtub of our collective imaginations.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Popular Lore Claims...

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord!

The Great Depression hit James Cash Penney hard. It decimated his fi...

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord!

James Cash Penney had an ambitious dream. He wanted to own 50...

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord! 

Say what you will about James Cash Penney Jr. Just don’t s...

Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.

And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord! 

Normie C starts this series with a bold claim: That JCPenne...

Mountain climbing was an unusual pastime in the 1920s. It was particularly unusual among women. But Agnes Vaille made a name for herself as a tough, formidable climber. Soon, she found herself setting records. In 1925, she and fellow climber Walter Kiener decided to make history as the first people to climb Longs Peak’s east face in the wintertime. Their friends warned them against the dangerous climb. But Walter and Agnes couldn’t be dissuaded.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Alexander, Ruth M. “The Agnes Vaille Traged...

Bless you, dear listener! You could have spent your day surfing the net and in doing so, turned a blind eye to this episode, But instead, you’re sitting there, like the cat got your tongue, about to listen to a very special episode of an Old Timey Podcast!

We predict that at the end of this episode, you’ll say I wish Kristin would have spilled the beans on other idioms and their origin stories! In fact, I’d pay through the nose to hear more of these delightful tales, but alas, she must have had a dead...

The Presidential Fitness Test has been a gym class staple for decades. Generations of Americans have performed pull-ups, sit-ups, mile runs and flexibility tests under the watchful eye of their sweaty peers. In the end, a select group of kids were given the coveted Presidential Physical Fitness Award.

At the time, it all seemed *so important*! But was it, actually? Whose idea was it? And did it accomplish what it set out to do?

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:

“A brief history of the bi...

George C. Parker was an infamous con man. He sold the Brooklyn Bridge countless times. He sold Ulysses S. Grant’s tomb. He sold Madison Square Garden. He sold the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He even sold the Statue of Liberty! Most often, the victims of his schemes were new immigrants who didn’t speak English and were unfamiliar with America’s public property laws. 

…but… was George C. Parker truly the prolific scammer he claimed to be? The internet sure thinks so! Normie C begs to differ.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! Fo...

Garrett Morgan was a prolific inventor. He invented the gas mask. The three-way traffic light. The self-extinguishing cigarette. He even created a hair care line. But, as a Black man, he had to be creative in how he presented his inventions to the public. He knew that some people would refuse to buy his invention if they discovered that it had been invented by a Black man.

So? Sometimes he hired white actors to play the role of Garrett Morgan. Sometimes he posed as his own assistant. In short, he did what he had to do to...

Nintendo couldn’t believe their luck. Their latest arcade game, Donkey Kong, had become a surprise hit. But then Universal, one of the largest media companies in the world, came knocking. They claimed that Donkey Kong infringed on their King Kong trademark. Even worse? They were ready to go to war.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Audureau, William. The History of Mario. Pix’n Love, 2014.

Internet Archive. “Universal v. Nintendo Court Documents.” 2026. https://archive.org/details/universal-v-nintendo-court-documents.

Sheff, David. Game Over: How Nintendo...

Nintendo was in trouble. It was 1980, and they’d just poured a ton of money into an arcade game they’d hoped would be a hit. They called it Radar Scope. It was a massive flop. In a panic, the company rushed to create a new game that they hoped would make good use out of all their unsold Radar Scope arcade cabinets. That game – Donkey Kong – took the world by storm.

Nintendo basked in the success of their new game. They had no idea that a massive lawsuit was headed their way.

Remember, kids, history...

Hachi was just a puppy when he was adopted by a professor at Tokyo Imperial University. The two bonded instantly. Every day, Hachi greeted Professor Hidesaburo Ueno at the Shibuya Train Station as he came home from work. The pair would walk home together. But when the professor suddenly died, Hachi’s loyalty didn’t. For years, Hachi still went to the train station, waiting for the professor to return.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Fritz, Robb. “History’s a Bitch: A Dog Walk Through Time: Wait for...

By the mid-1800’s, the River Thames was essentially a massive sewer. People poured their waste into it. They also drank from it. That combination resulted in thousands of deaths. People weren’t sure what caused the deaths, but in the summer of 1858, when the temperatures rose and the water levels dropped, London stunk to high heaven.

It took a lot of money, creativity, and an incredible act of civil engineering from Sir Joseph Bazalgette to fix the Great Stink.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

A...

Prepare for battle – a cookie battle, that is! Back in the early 1900s, two brothers invented a game changing cookie. It consisted of two crisp chocolate wafers, stuck together with a vanilla cream filling. It was delicious! It was fancy! They called it… Hydrox.

Years later, Nabisco created their own knockoff version of Hydrox. They called it the Oreo. For decades, Hydrox was the undisputed king of chocolate sandwich cookies. But in time, the tables turned.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

Business 2.0. “Oreos to Hydrox...

As his trial drew closer, Charles Guiteau became more delusional. He wrote demanding letters to the new president, Chester A. Arthur. He announced plans to run for president himself. He got the word out that he was looking for love — the love of a wealthy, Christian woman under 30, that is!

He wasn’t worried about what the future held. He was certain that, if he did go on trial for murder, he’d be surrounded by the country’s best criminal defense attorneys.

That didn’t happen. Instead, his long-suffering brother-in-law, Charles Scoville, stepped in. Charles Sc...

Mere minutes after the shooting, a doctor arrived on the scene. Using his ungloved, unwashed fingers, he dug into President James Garfield’s bullet wound. The doctor hoped to retrieve the bullet. That would prove a common theme in the president’s medical care. As James Garfield struggled to survive, doctors obsessed over retrieving the bullet. They subjected him to daily examinations — always with unsanitized tools and unwashed hands. Those examinations caused him tremendous suffering. They ultimately killed him.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Destiny of the R...

Charles Guiteau was seething. He’d convinced himself that he deserved a political appointment. When he didn’t get one, he placed the blame squarely on President James Garfield’s shoulders.

James Garfield was a liar. A cheat. The country would be better off without him!

Over time, Charles convinced himself that God wanted him to assassinate the president. So? He bought a gun. He tracked the president’s movements. He shot the President in cold blood.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “D...

When James Garfield won the presidential election, Charles Guiteau was ecstatic. He was certain that he’d played a major role in Garfield’s victory. So, fueled by delusion, Charles Guiteau began hounding James Garfield for a political appointment.

Meanwhile, New York Senator and political boss Roscoe Conkling threw a temper tantrum. James Garfield had the tenacity to fill his cabinet with members of his *own* choosing. That made Roscoe mad. So? He hatched a plan. A very stupid plan.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The...

It was the summer of 1880, and Charles Guiteau didn’t have much going for him. He was unemployed. He had very little money. He had no relationships. His family members feared he was insane.

But Charles didn’t see himself that way. He thought he was destined for greatness. He’d convinced himself that he was an excellent public speaker with an eye for politics. So? He dedicated himself to James Garfield’s presidential campaign.

In less than a year, he’d assassinate the president of the United States.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cit...

As James Garfield’s surprise presidential campaign got underway, he knew he didn’t have it in the bag. The Republican party was divided. The Democratic party was united. And there was some weirdo third-party candidate campaigning for an 8-hour workday. *I guess people don’t wanna work anymore!?*

The fact that many members of his party — including his own vice president — were, at best, mildly enthusiastic about his candidacy made his road to victory even less likely. And yet? A strange little man named Charles Guiteau campaigned hard for Garfield. He was convinced that he’d be rewarded...

James A. Garfield was a remarkable man. He was an academic. A Union war hero. A family man. And in 1880? He *accidentally* became the Republican nominee for president. In this episode, you’ll get a boatload of context about 1880s politics (omg, are you still reading?), and you’ll learn how a man oops-fudge-striped his way into the presidency.

In the weeks to come, we’ll cover his presidency, his assassination, and the legacy he left behind.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Destiny of the R...