One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries

A catastrophic drought had turn-of-the-century San Diego desperate for solutions. In walked a sewing machine salesman with a plan — but was Hatfield the Rainmaker really responsible for what happened next? 

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Uncommon Goods: We’re all out of the ordinary. 

Hosted by Laurah Norton

Written by Maura Currie

Research by Maura Currie & Melissa Gold<...

Across the United States, there are bridges—bridges usually located in small towns—and are reputed to be haunted. The legends center on desperate mothers, accidents, and even murder . . . and always include a ghostly baby whose cries can be heard by anyone who lingers too long on the bridge. 

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Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Research by Laurah Norton and Anna Luria 

Engineered by Rachel Boyd/Southern Gothic media 

On Labor Day of 1969, dozens of residents of Berkshire County, MA, experienced the extraordinary—wide spread UFO sightings—and a few even went  further: to the off world.

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Perhaps the most famous building in the United States, the White House sits in Washington, DC, serving as both symbol, office, and residence . . . and, if the rumors are to be believed, as home to ghosts, too. From the seances of Mary Todd Lincoln to unusually aggressive attacks by a spectral George Washington and a consistently haunted attic, the White House spirits give us plenty of material for examination. Oh, we do love the spooky season!

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A group of Canadian paranormal enthusiasts came together in the ‘70s to make up a ghost story… and then try to bring it to life. And, in a twist that nobody really saw coming, it might’ve worked. But what was Philip, if not a ghost?

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Halloween month is here, strangers, and we’re diving right into its spooky history with a deep dive into the origins of jack o’lanterns, vegetable lanterns, and, of course, the folktale of Stingy Jack, a man so ornery and crafty that he tricked the Devil himself. 

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Sports fans have superstitions. . . and believe in curses. For Japan’s Hanshin Tigers, a huge win led to their biggest regret: an alleged curse tied to an American fast-food icon from Kentucky.  Be sure to check the link in the show notes for an update!

Update since our original premium release (2022):  https://www.mlb.com/news/the-japanese-team-cursed-by-colonel-sanders

Hosted, written, and researched by Laurah Norton 

Additional research by Bryan Worters

Produced and Engineered by Maura Currie 

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Pennsylvania’s saddest, ugliest, and somehow most adorable cryptid, the squonk,  is here to teach you a valuable lesson. And to melt. There’s that, too. 

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Research by Laurah Norton

Produced by Maura Currie 

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder 

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This episode originally ran on the mainfeed as Episode 98.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained...

Folklore can be fun, can’t it, strangers? It can also be downright terrifying, especially when used to frighten children into being good: everyone from Dolly Parton to Thomas Jefferson seems to have heard of Rawhead Bloody Bones and the cautionary tales of dark woods, drafty attics, and even lakes. But where did all the monstrous behavior begin? We try to find out. 

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Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Research by Laurah...

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the science world was overwhelmed with strange new findings out of Australia. One particular species was assumed to be a hoax… and even when it was established that the platypus was, in fact, real? It didn’t make these strange creatures make more sense.

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Hosted by Laurah Norton

Research by Anna Luria and Maura Currie

Written, Produced and Engineered by Maura Currie

One...

We take a trip with Resurrection Mary, Chicago’s most famous hitchhiking ghost, down Archer Avenue and into the history that surrounds her endless treks to her eternal home: Resurrection Cemetery. As vanishing hitchhikers go, she might just be the most infamous. . . and perhaps the most beloved, too. 

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Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Research by Laurah Norton and Anna Luria 

Engineered by Rachel Boyd/Southern Gothic media 

One Strange Thing...

In January 1996, the small Brazilian city of Varginha became the center of one of the most famous UFO stories in South American history. Multiple witnesses, including three young women, reported seeing a strange creature with a large head and red eyes lurking in the streets, while others claimed the military had captured one or more living beings and recovered a crashed craft. To this day, Varginha is often called the "Brazilian Roswell."

In this special episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes, Vanessa Richardson is joined by Laurah Norton to investigate the Varginha incident. For more, follow...

In the late 19th century, in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, the hodag—a monster that sprung up in the tall tales of local logging camps— made its national  debut when one was supposedly captured alive and put on display at a county fair. We are very sorry we missed it. 

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Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Research by Laurah Norton and Bryan Worters 

Produced by Maura Currie 

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayde...

If you gave us a nickel how many goatmen we’ve covered on this show, we’d have 10 cents; it’s not a lot, but more than one might expect. This time, we’re visiting Maryland to dive into the story of a violent, possibly axe-wielding monster and the Prince George’s County  teenagers and pets it apparently enjoyed terrorizing in Bowie, along Fletchertown Road.

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Hosted and Written  by Laurah Norton

Researched by Anna Luria  and Lau...

We’ve covered murderous clowns, motel clowns, and . . . honestly, we forget how many iterations have popped up, like jack-in-the-boxes, over the years. But this time, strangers, we’ve got what may be the most unique experience of all: a vintage story that combines UFOs, clownery, a possible robot, children with surprisingly good social skills, and the most unsettling berry-eating experience we’ve ever been exposed to in our five-year tenure. Enjoy. 

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Written...

The lava beds of Central Oregon produced one of the most involved (and fascinating) creature features of the early 20th century: the mythic lava bear. And, of course, all of the humans who argued about it, hunted it, and attempted to have scientific discussions regarding its existence. We sure do love history, strangers. 

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Some say that a werewolf once lived in Georgia -- a young woman, Emily Burts, who was born 20 years before the Civil War. Sound like an unusual set up for a lycanthropic tale? We thought so, too. 

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Hosted,  Written, and Researched by Laurah Norton

Produced by Maura Currie 

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder

This episode originally ran as Episode 87.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the u...

Mercy Brown, Rhode Island vampire—allegedly so—is considered to be the last of the state’s unfortunate focal points in its 19th century vampire panics; but like so many other supernatural superstitions we dig into, there’s much more beneath the surface. The Exeter Vampire panic is more complex, and perhaps distorted, than we’ve been led to believe. . .all through the haze of the horror of the plague of tuberculosis. 

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Hosted and written  by Laurah Norton<...

In rural North Carolina, there’s a circle of earth where nothing grows. It’s been there a long time — and why it exists is down to either the unexplainable… or the satanic. It’s called the Devil’s Tramping, or Tromping Ground. And locals claim there have been all sorts of strange things seen at the site. 

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Hosted by Laurah Norton

Researched Anna Luria and Maura Currie

Produced and writ...

In a dark period of American history, an unexpected hero lifted spirits and predicted the results of horse races. Lady Wonder, a chestnut-brown horse, could do it all: spell, read minds, and see into the future. And people went all in — even when she picked up some unusual extracurriculars. 

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Hosted by Laurah Norton

Researched Anna Luria and Maura Currie

Produced and written by Maura Currie

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder 

This...

Our favorite weird state, West Virginia, is home to one of the most fascinating (and disturbing) paranormal tales in American history: the testimony of a ghost that was discussed during a murder trial. At the turn of the 20th century, a young bride, Elva Zona Heaster Shue, died in what at first seemed to be an accident. Soon, though, someone very close to her was on trial for murder . . . after Zona herself appeared as a ghost, and pointed a spectral finger at the suspect. 

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Anyone plugged into the world of unexplained events and oddities is probably well aware of the Max Headroom broadcast hijacking. But a story that weird is worth diving into — especially since, roughly 40 years later, there’s been no real progress in efforts to c-c-catch those involved. Strange history at its finest! 

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Hosted by Laurah Norton 

Researched by Bryan Worters and Maura Currie

Produced, Written and Engineered by Maura Currie...

A cursed chair in a North Yorkshire pub is said to have killed everyone who has sat in it? It’s something we must explore.  Thomas Busby was hanged for murder in 1702. His cursed chair became one of England's most infamous pieces of haunted furniture, linked to dozens of deaths over three centuries. But the truth of the Busby Stoop Chair may be stranger than any ghost story.

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Hosted and Written  by Laurah Norton

Resea...

A young man from England claims to have incredible paranormal gifts—but can it truly be proven? We all want to be special. . . and some of us even believe we might just have extraordinary powers. But that usually fades as we grow older. But for Matthew Manning, an alleged psychic, ghost whisperer, faith healer, and all-around phenom who came to prominence in the 1970s, international renown may have been the goal. . . though supporters argued he was simply sharing his gifts with the world.

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Harry Houdini spent the last years of his life doing something unexpected for the world's greatest escape artist: relentlessly exposing fraudulent psychic mediums and publicly humiliating his famous friend Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the process. But for all his skepticism, Houdini carried a secret that would define the final chapter of his life. . . and haunt his widow for a decade after his death.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Spaghetti, like money, does not grow on trees. But it turns out that that may not have been common knowledge in ‘50s Britain… and the BBC, after putting together a whimsical April Fools’ segment, suddenly had some explaining to do. We begin our April Fools’ celebration with lots of tricks and fun. Be sure to follow all month!

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Hosted by Laurah Norton

Research by Bryan Worters and Maura Currie

Written...

Chestnut Hill is a desirable neighborhood in the deliciously weird city of Philadelphia. But there’s very, very old American history there, too – so is it all that big a surprise that a mansion there is haunted? The real question is: between the death chair, the ghost boys, and the screaming parrot… who would film a music video there?

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Hosted by Laurah Norton

Researched by Maura Currie and Anna Luria

Written, Produced and En...

This week we're sharing a special episode from Blood Will Tell, a gripping new podcast you won't want to miss.

When a birthday party in suburban San Jose turns deadly, 18-year-old identical twins Trung and Anh are arrested for suspected murder. But when an eyewitness misidentifies the brothers in a lineup, one twin spends nearly two years in jail — and the wrong one. How could one brother let his twin take the fall? And why would the other sacrifice his freedom for a crime he didn't commit?

Listen to more episodes of Blood Will Tell at...

In 1897, a Little Rock businessman claimed he tracked down and killed a 20-foot dragon-like creature with tusks, webbed feet, and a taste for human flesh in the caves of Searcy County, Arkansas. He even had a photograph. The tale of the Ozark Gowrow didn't end in 1897 — this cryptid legend took on a life of its own in mountain folklore and monster sightings across Arkansas.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

...

We’ve told a blob story before – but the story that unfolded in Oakville, Washington in the mid-90s deserves its own telling. These blobs rained down from the sky and caused pretty severe impacts on the ground… and you guessed it: the jury’s still out on what, exactly, splatted down on Oakville. Was it aliens? Monsters straight out of a horror movie? Or just weird, weird rain?

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysterie...

Back in 1971, the small town of Delphos, Kansas became a vital point on the map of the United States’ most important UFO encounters; it’s a mystery that brings together some of ufology’s most famous researchers, fascinating physical proof, and a farm family left with concerning evidence of alien visitation on their property.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source f...

Back in the summer of 1944, the tiny village of Peninsula, Ohio, was surprised to find itself under the spell of a very large—and out of place—serpent.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

This story originally appear...

The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas bills itself as "America's Most Haunted Hotel"— complete with ghost tours, Victorian spirits, and enough paranormal activity to employ a full-time ghost-tour manager. But when guests started mysteriously fainting during tours? Well. The hotel’s history revealed itself to be darker than a few unsettled spirits in the guest rooms.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a cura...

Your holiday fun is here: for the first time on the main feed, we present The Yule Cat (premium episode 68). The holiday season has its fair share of critters, cryptids, and lore. Some of it is meant to frighten children into good behavior. In Iceland, the Yule Cat falls into the latter camp — but is a giant, child-eating cat monster actually as old, or as frightening, as it sounds?

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling my...

Your holiday fun is here: for the first time on the main feed, we present The Yule Cat (premium episode 68).  The holiday season has its fair share of critters, cryptids, and lore. Some of it is meant to frighten children into good behavior. In Iceland, the Yule Cat falls into the latter camp — but is a giant, child-eating cat monster actually as old, or as frightening, as it sounds?

Hosted by Laurah Norton

Research by Melissa Gold and Maura Currie

Written, Engineered & Produced by Maura Currie

Works Cited...

It's a very One Strange Thing Holiday as we count down to the season with re-releases of some of our favorite episodes--and a special treat awaits at the end. For two hundred years, a very famous poem has heralded the holiday season, and for some, the arrival of Santa Claus—but perhaps less known is the mystery it brings along with it. Whether you know it as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" or "A Visit from St. Nicholas," there's more to this one than mice and stockings and ho ho ho.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries ex...

It's a very One Strange Thing Holiday as we count down to the season with re-releases of some of our favorite episodes--and a special treat awaits at the end. It's become a holiday tradition for us to tell you this one, strangers. . . though locals tell us that things have changed with the tree (see link below). Still, we enjoy the story: Episode 34—The Elves.

Arizona might not seem like the typical setting for holiday magic, but for decades, some mysterious local "elves" have turned a spherical, scrubby-looking desert juniper out on I-17 into what has to have be...

It's a very One Strange Thing Holiday as we count down to the season with re-releases of some of our favorite episodes--and a special treat awaits at the end. This week, it's Episode 79--The Angel. A cemetery in Iowa City is famous, not really for anyone laid to rest there, but for a statue. The Black Angel is mysterious and otherworldly — and her metamorphosis, both physical and in legend, leaves us with a lot of questions.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to...

On May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys were brutally murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas. The tiny local police department launches an investigation but finds little physical evidence to lead them to a suspect. Eventually, outside pressure pushes them to charge someone with the killings, whether or not the evidence supports their conclusions.

American Scandal takes you deep into the heart of America's dark side to look at what drives someone to break the rules and what happens when they're caught. Listen to American Scandal: The West Memphis Three: [LINK]

One Strange Thing: https://Wondery.fm...

In 2012, a corner of the internet was lit ablaze by a series of puzzles and codes… posted by a mysterious entity with an unclear agenda. What was Cicada 3301, and what were they recruiting for? And why, so many years later, do we seem to have less information than we started with?

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented haun...