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. This story originally appeared as Premium-only Episode 43.

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Researched by Anna Luria and Laurah Norton

Produced and Engineered by Maura Currie

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com.

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Works Cited

Robert Bordner, “The Peninsula Python. . .” The Atlantic, 1945.

Albert C. Andrews, “Keep the Kids. . .” The Plain Dealer, 1994.

Gina Mace, “Legend of the Peninsula. . .” The Akron Beacon Journal, 2015.

Ken Zapinski, “Mystery Python Once. . “ The Plain Dealer, 1994.

N/A, UP, “Big Python on. . .” The Lexington Herald-Leader, 1944.

N/A, “Posses Formed for. . “ The Coshocton Tribune, 1944.

N/A, “Peninsula’s Publicist Sticks. . .” The Akron Beacon Journal, 1944.

N/A, AP, “Peninsula Python Still. . .” The Journal Herald, 1944.

N/A, UP, “Snake Hunters Alter. . .” The News-Journal, 1944.

N/A, “Peninsula’s Python Sighted. . “ The Akron Beacon Journal, 1944.

N/A, “Python Gets Around. .” The Akron Beacon Journal, 1944.

N/A, “Where’s the Python? “ The Akron Beacon Journal, 1944.

N/A, “Peninsula Python Visits. . .” The Troy Daily News, 1944.

N/A, “Robert Bordner Obituary,” The Akron Beacon Journal, 1974.

Boston Township Official Website

“Helltown, Ohio.” Atlas Obscura

“Boston Mils, Hell Town.” The Ghosts of Ohio.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Researched by Anna Luria and Laurah Norton

Engineered and Produced by Southern Gothic Media/Rachel Boyd

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com.

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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:

Christopher Mother, "Forget Santa and..." The Boston Globe, 2022.

NA, "Its Satan's..." Daily Star, 2021.

NA, "We wish you a..." Daily Star, 2019.

Danny Lewis, "Each Christmas, Iceland's..." Smithsonian Magazine, 2016.

Sue Weaver, "The Yule Goat," Hachette Book Group, ND.

Lauren Oster, "Meet the Yule..." Travel Channel, 2019.

Regína Hrönn Ragnarsdóttir, "Grýla and Leppalúði..." Guide To Iceland, ND.

NA, "All welcome when..." Reykjavik.is, 2024 (TRANSLATED)

Haukur S. Magnússon, "The Christmas Cat," The Reykjavik Grapevine, 2008.

Dustin Jones, "You've heard of Santa..." NPR, 2023.

Áki Guðni Karlsson, "The Yule Cat," University of Iceland/Icelandic Folklore, 2020.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. This originally ran as Episode 81.

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com or click the link below to get started. https://advertising.libsyn.com/OneStrangeThing

2025 All Rights Reserved One Strange Thing Podcast & The Fall Line Podcast LLC

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 been one of America's more unlikely Christmas spectacles; but who are they, and why are they so determined to light up the lonely landscape?

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Researched by Bryan Worters and Laurah Norton

Engineered and Produced by Maura Currie

Christmas Tree update: https://www.kjzz.org/kjzz-news/2024-12-05/arizonas-i-17-mystery-tree-is-gone-the-state-balladeer-hopes-the-christmas-tradition-will-return

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com or click the link below to get started. https://advertising.libsyn.com/OneStrangeThing

2025 All Rights Reserved One Strange Thing Podcast & The Fall Line Podcast LLC

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.

Hosted by Laurah Norton

Research by Maura Currie and Anna Luria

Written and Produced by Maura Currie

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com or click the link below to get started. https://advertising.libsyn.com/OneStrangeThing

2025 All Rights Reserved One Strange Thing Podcast & The Fall Line Podcast LLC

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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/AS_OST

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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? This episode was originally released as Premium Episode 62.

Hosted by Laurah Norton

Research by Anna Luria and Maura Currie

Written, Engineered & Produced by Maura Currie

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com or click the link below to get started. https://advertising.libsyn.com/OneStrangeThing

2025 All Rights Reserved One Strange Thing Podcast & The Fall Line Podcast LLC

Works Cited

Robert Cottrell, "Cicada 3301: The Internet…" BBC, 2013.

Chris Bell, "The Internet mystery that…" The Telegraph, 2013.

Chris Bell, "RIDDLE ME THIS: The…" National Post, 2013.

Kim Nursall, "Looking for the…" Toronto Star, 2014.

Chris Bell, "Internet puzzle with cult…" National Star, 2014.

Kim Nursall, "The hunt continues…" Toronto Star, 2014.

NA, "Want to be a spy?" Evening Standard, 2014.

Mike Rothschild, "Who is QAnon…" Daily Dot, 2018.

Inae Oh, "Anti-Abortion hackers claim…" Mother Jones, 2015.

N/A, "PDI advierte sobre nueva…" Los Andes Online, 2012.

3301 on PasteBin

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.