Family Lore

Remaking The World Jun 24, 2026

David Belden was born into the upper echelons of Moral Re-Armament, a spiritual movement that hoped to save the world. It wasn't until later in his life that David realized he was in a cult.

Father Figure Jun 17, 2026

Acclaimed magazine writer Tom Junod investigates the history of his father, his family, and himself. In the process of writing his memoir - In The Days Of My Youth I Was Told What It Means To Be A Man - he discovers an explanatory secret.

Ann, The Witch Jun 10, 2026

A family discovers an ancestor who was convicted at the Salem Witch Trials. And they take umbrage with the fact that she was never pardoned.

The Pirate Connection Jun 03, 2026

While connecting the dots between her family and the infamous New Orleans pirates, Jean and Pierre Laffite, a self-taught genealogist discovers a family secret. The founder of the Laffite Society has his own secret connection to the pirates.

Portrait of a Lady May 27, 2026

The granddaughter of a prolific Jewish art collector who fled Europe during World War II embarks on a quest to recover the looted art.

Chasing Diamonds May 20, 2026

A Dutch retiree never knew what his father experienced in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. But when he finds his father's journal, he discovers some unfinished business.

The Power of Family Stories May 13, 2026

Author Bruce Feiler discusses the fascinating links between family stories and the elusive concept of happiness.

The Real Rosie May 06, 2026

During World War II, posters featuring a brash and beautiful woman inspired others to take up factory jobs and support America's war effort. "Rosie The Riveter" would become a symbol of American gumption. But was Rosie a real person?

A Texas Feud Apr 29, 2026

A love triangle between ranching families in the Texas Panhandle has fatal consequences. Over a 100 years later, the killer's great-niece revives the story.

The Grandfather of Snowboarding Apr 22, 2026

Did a family man's backyard invention change the world of outdoor sports?

If Mosquito Hawks Can Fly Apr 15, 2026

A Louisiana man born into slavery designs an airship with hopes to take flight. Those plans are interrupted, but maybe not forever.

The Unsinkable Margarita Sames Apr 08, 2026

The margarita is arguably the most famous cocktail in the world. But have you ever stopped to wonder who was the first to make it?

Introducing Family Lore Apr 07, 2026

All families tell stories about themselves. Those stories are passed down, and like an intergenerational game of telephone, the details sometimes change from fact to fiction. But have you ever wondered how much of the lore is actually true?

Welcome to Season 1 of Family Lore, a weekly narrative podcast that celebrates and investigates the tales we hear at home.

Cement City: Episode 10 | A Thousand Pairs of Untied Shoes Nov 06, 2024

Jeanne Marie and Erin are closing in on a year in Donora. At Twinkle Bright Night they face existential questions: Will the new mayor save council? Is the community college going to come? What’s gonna happen to this town, anyway? But first things first: will Jeanne Marie and Erin ever leave?

Cement City: Episode 9 | No Indictments Nov 06, 2024

It’s the general election! Yancey vs. Ed! The future of Donora is on the line, and ballot tampering and election denialism are in the air.

Cement City: Episode 8 | Don’t Bitch About the Smog Oct 30, 2024

Other towns have apples. Or pumpkin festivals. Donora has smog. Mayor Piglet sees this as an opportunity, and Donora is totally transformed — if only for a day.

Cement City: Episode 7 | Make Sure You Take Care of Vicki Oct 23, 2024

Donora to the rescue!... of itself. Jeanne Marie and Erin discover the intricacies of Donora self-provided, self-maintained, totally improvised safety net.

Cement City: Episode 6 | The Island of Donora Oct 16, 2024

There’s trouble everywhere. Jeanne Marie and Erin realize what the town has always known: This town isn’t on anyone’s radar. No one is coming in to help.

Cement City: Episode 5 | Great Societies Crumble from Within Oct 09, 2024

Indictments! Scandal and intrigue! The s***show on council is worse than anyone could have imagined.

Cement City: Episode 4 | Big Day in a Little Town Oct 02, 2024

It’s Election Day. A ragtag group of rookies is promising change and looking for a clean sweep. Jeanne Marie sees a potential hero and falls hard.

Cement City: Episode 3 | The Skeleton Crew Sep 25, 2024

It’s gridlock on council and nothing’s getting done. An upcoming election feels like the only ray of hope.

Cement City: Episode 2 | Just as Good as Ever Sep 18, 2024

Donora has no banks, no gas stations, no schools. Jeanne Marie and Erin discover the one thing that could bring the town back to life.

Cement City: Episode 1 | I’ll Die Here Sep 18, 2024

Jeanne Marie and Erin wander off the highway into Donora, Pa, a dying town with a dark secret. They decide to buy a house. A solid concrete house. In a neighborhood called Cement City.

Introducing Cement City: I Think I Like You Sep 17, 2024

Two journalists stumble into a dying rust belt town with a Smog Museum and a mayor named Piglet… and not a whole lot else. They have one burning question: What’s it like to live here? In a town left for dead. But it’s not dead. Donora, PA will not go down without a fight.

Hope, Through History: Episode 5 | Bloody Sunday: A Battle For Justice Jul 28, 2021

A violent attack on peaceful marchers in Selma, Alabama fuels the fires of progress, leading to a monumental victory for voting rights.

Hope, Through History: Episode 4 | Death At Sea Jul 21, 2021

As World War erupts in Europe, President Woodrow Wilson follows public opinion and stays out of the international conflict. But when a merchant ship carrying American passengers is attacked by a German U-boat, the United States begins to emerge from isolation and establishes itself as a source of possibility in the world.

Hope, Through History: Episode 3 | To End A Plague Jul 14, 2021

In the midst of a devastating humanitarian crisis, President George W. Bush announces a bold, international plan to turn the tide against HIV/AIDS.

Hope, Through History: Episode 2 | A New Birth Of Freedom Jul 07, 2021

Abraham Lincoln arrives in Gettysburg to consecrate a battlefield, and to commit America to fulfilling its original promise that all men are created equal.

Hope, Through History: Episode 1 | Slow Walk To War Jun 30, 2021

At the onset of World War II, Franklin Roosevelt contends with a fierce and at times virulent isolationsist movement in America while Winston Churchill pleads with President Roosevelt to join the fight against Axis forces.

Trailer: Hope, Through History, Season Two Jun 28, 2021

Welcome back to a new season of the C13Originals critically acclaimed Hope, Through History documentary limited series. Narrated and written by Pulitzer Prize Winning and Best Selling Historian, Jon Meacham, Season Two explores some of the most historic and trying times in American History, how this nation dealt with the impact of these moments, and how we came through these moments a more unified nation. Season Two, presented by C13Originals, in association with The HISTORY® Channel, will guide you through the Battle of Gettysburg and its impact on the future of the country, the relationship between FDR and Churchill and America’s slow walk to war, the plan for AIDS relief, the sinking of the Lusitania and events impact on the future of America, and Bloody Sunday and the Voting Rights Act. As Winston Churchill once remarked, “The future is unknowable, but the past should give us hope”—the hope that human ingenuity, reason, and character can combine to save us from the abyss and keep us on a path, in another phrase of Churchill’s, to broad, sun-lit uplands. Welcome to Season Two.

Hope, Through History: Episode 5 | The 1918 Influenza Pandemic May 19, 2020

In 1917, as President Woodrow Wilson prepared the nation for World War, an even deadlier crisis was hiding in plain sight. An influenza virus flourished on European battlefields and rapidly spread among civilians, paralyzing the globe with illness and fear. The 1918 flu pandemic serves as a poignant reminder that science, cooperation, transparency and leadership can help clear a path to recovery.

Hope, Through History: Episode 4 | JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis May 12, 2020

It is known as the most dangerous moment in human history. In late October of 1962, American spy planes discovered Soviet missile bases with nuclear capabilities on the island of Cuba. Normalcy was put on indefinite pause as millions of Americans grappled with terrifying idea that at any moment, without warning, their communities and loved ones could be decimated by an atomic bomb. While military leaders and hardliners clamored for aggressive action, it was the patience and poise of a president that saved the world from mass destruction.

Hope, Through History: Episode 3 | The Polio Epidemic May 05, 2020

From the late 19th to mid 20th centuries, the nation lived in fear of the polio virus. Often handicapping or paralyzing its victims, sometimes resulting in death, the disease was made all the more frightening by the fact that it preyed on young children. Generations of Americans were affected by this incurable illness until a brilliant young medical researcher, empowered by the coordinated efforts of public and private institutions, developed a miraculous vaccine. The expert knowledge and first-hand experiences of Walter Isaacson, David Oshinsky and Geoff Ward, assist Jon Meacham in telling a story which begins with debilitating fear and ends with everlasting hope.

Hope, Through History: Episode 2 | Winston Churchill and World War II Apr 28, 2020

In May of 1940, Great Britain was in the crosshairs of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi war machine. As nations on mainland Europe fell prey to fascism, Winston Churchill seized the moment in dramatic fashion, ultimately winning a permanent place in the pantheon of heroic leaders who have single-handedly shifted the course of history. Churchill believed that “the only safe way” forward “was to convince Hitler that he couldn’t beat us.” And the only safe way to do that was to fight on. Accompanied by award-winning authors Erik Larson, Evan Thomas and Andrew Roberts, Jon Meacham revives one of the most consequential days of World War II, and creates a portrait of a man who used courage, candor and cooperation to protect the future of democracy.

Hope, Through History: Episode 1 | FDR and The Great Depression Apr 21, 2020

Following a decade of roaring prosperity in America, something invincible was proving vulnerable. The Great Depression was ravaging the economy and destroying lives, creating a dire need for bold, honest leadership. With the help of Pulitzer Prize-winners Doris Kearns Goodwin and David M. Kennedy, along with Allida Black, the Director of The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Jon Meacham delivers a vivid and intimate look at a President who countered depression with action, and who conquered fear with hope.

Trailer: Hope, Through History Apr 09, 2020

Welcome to Hope, Through History with Jon Meacham. This limited series explores some of the most historic and trying times in American History, and how this nation dealt with these moments, the impact of these moments and how we came through these moments a unified nation. Season One takes a look at critical moments around the 1918 Flu Pandemic, the Great Depression, World War II, the polio epidemic and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

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