Today we talk about another legend in American folklore and try to find the truth and origins behind these larger-than-life tales. On this EP, we are looking into the steel-driving man John Henry. Apart from his folklore fellows, John Henry seems to have been birthed from old songs sung by railroad workers in the late 19th century... but was the subject of their songs, John Henry, an actual person? Quite possibly. Listen to find out more!

Sources:

https://virginiahistory.org/learn/historical-media/steel-drivin-man-john-henry-untold-story-american-legend

https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/18/books/18grim.html

https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2006/qa-with-nelson-beyond-the-myth-of-john-henry.php

https://archive.org/details/steeldrivinmanjo00nels/page/n9/mode/2up?q=prison

Come and Join Chance and me as we go through the stories and tales of Paul Bunyan and his larger-than-life legends. As we sift through the information to find the truth behind the legends, we are sipping through some of Whiskey's greatest legends too. Enjoy the banter and booze, and let us know if you think Paul was FACT or FICTION. Cheers

The stories surrounding Pecos Bill are too good to be true... so are they? I will explore all of that and more as we continue to dissect American Folklore for facts, fiction, and fun! Cheers.

Sources:

Century Magazine Article

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015030934122&view=1up&seq=845

Pecos Bill Video(viewer discretion advised)

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyo5ko

Pecos Bill: An Appraisal

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1497281

Current Folklore Theories

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2739820

In this episode, I am joined by my wonderful friend and fellow history nerd Alycia as we kick off the American Legend Series. A series of shows dedicated to looking into American Legends and seeing if we can find enough evidence to give the big red FACT stamp OR... send back to the story books with the Fiction stamp.

Molly Pitcher was the name given to multiple women throughout the Revolutionary War. We are focusing on the two most prominent characters who may have earned this title. Both women found themselves on the battlefield, both saw their husbands go down, and both took up their spouse's positions and started fighting back. Join us for that story and more!

CORRECTION: In the EP I state that I was in the room when the first women infantry officers were "commissioned" - that is not true. I was in the room when they were "branched" or selected to serve as Infantry officers. I did not edit or remove that statement for transparency. Thank you.

Sources:

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn00065127/1896-07-03/ed-2/seq-6/#date1=1777&index=7&rows=20&words=Corbin+Margaret&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=margaret+corbin&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

Margaret Corbin - https://wams.nyhistory.org/settler-colonialism-and-revolution/the-american-revolution/margaret-corbin/#:~:text=On%20July%206%2C%201779%2C%20Congress,what%20a%20man%20would%20receive.

Molly Pitcher or just a legend?

https://allthingsliberty.com/2013/05/mary-hays-mccauleys-claim-to-fame/

Camp Followers

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/molly-pitcher-most-famous-american-hero-who-never-existed-180977229/

Not Margaret Buried here

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/margaret-corbin-grave-west-point

Who is Molly Pitcher

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1999/summer/pitcher.html#nt1

You heard that right! Aaron Burr, our beloved villain from the musical, once tried to take over a country and start his own nation. Lucky for us there were very few folks who liked him and even fewer folks willing to go down with him. But how did it and what really went down? Let's check it out! Cheers.

From dangerous trips through the catacombs in Italy to epic battles with the Black Knight to fighting Nazis in the deserts of Egypt to riding fake horses powered by coconuts that may or may not have migrated... the stories around the cup that Christ used at the Last Supper OORRR the cup that Joseph of Aramathea used to catch Christ's blood at the cross as he died, have brought about such grand tales, adventures, myths, legends, and some great movies! But is it real? Did it exist? Can it still be found? Or has it already been found and kept safe in a church in Spain... Let's grab some whiskey and "RRRRUUNNN AAAWWWAAAYYY" to see what we can find!

Whiskey: Benchmark Single Barrel

Hi Friends! I have missed you all so much. This is not a typical episode and not launching on a typical day... this is a reintroduction to me and a bit of an explanation for my absence for nearly a year. A LOT has changed! Jesus... so grab a drink and come sit with me and catch up for a few minutes. Regular episodes will launch every other Friday starting on November 11th. Stay Tuned! Cheers.

Greetings friends! In this episode, I sit down and chat about our new backyard and the latest location of the #BOQLC. Battle Creek Michigan has a fun story to tell from the origin of its name to the crowning of its title of "Cereal City USA". The town served as a health and wellness and also concealed a stop along the Underground Railroad. Come with me as I sip some local whiskies and talk about this quaint little city with a big story. Cheers!

Sources:

https://hsbcmi.org/cpage.php?pt=11

https://www.battlecreekmi.gov/377/History

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sojourner-truth

https://www.biography.com/activist/sojourner-truth

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/odyssey/educate/truth.html

https://www.centralparknyc.org/locations/womens-rights-pioneers-monument - the recent monument in NYC's Central Park

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/08/08/542145177/how-the-battling-kellogg-brothers-revolutionized-american-breakfast

https://library.uthscsa.edu/2014/05/dr-john-harvey-kellogg-inventor-of-kelloggs-corn-flakes/

https://www.history.com/the-food-that-built-america-podcast