How Curious

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How did one Oklahoma family help 250 Vietnamese refugees to start over after the fall of Saigon? Aug 25, 2026

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In 1975, as Saigon fell and tens of thousands of Vietnamese fled, a family in the small western Oklahoma town of Clinton opened their doors - and their community - to help resettle around 250 refugees.In this episode of How Curious, Rachel Hopkin visits the store still run by one of those original arrivals and hears firsthand accounts of the extraordinary welcome, the culture shocks, and the hard work of starting over, in what's been described as one of the most successful group resettlement efforts in the United States.

How did a Route 66 lunch fiasco turn into an Oklahoma franchised food sensation? Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

What happens when an Oklahoma picnic basket flies across a car floor on Route 66? You get Chicken in the Rough — Oklahoma’s original franchised menu item.

Who was once known as the Good Angel of Oklahoma? Jun 30, 2026

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Discover the remarkable Kate Barnard — the fiery “Good Angel of Oklahoma.” Before women could vote, she became the state’s first woman elected to statewide office, fiercely battling child labor, prison cruelty, mistreatment of the mentally ill, and corruption involving Native American lands.Small in stature but unstoppable in spirit, this trailblazing reformer’s passionate fight for the vulnerable made her a national sensation.A story of courage and conviction from Oklahoma’s Progressive Era. Don’t miss this episode of How Curious.Connie Cronley's biography of Kate Barnard is titled "A Life on Fire: Oklahoma's Kate Barnard" and is published by the University of Oklahoma Press.

How come a Hollywood stunt pilot acquired 475 Oklahoma airplanes in a day? May 26, 2026

Show notes

In 1945, the U.S. government chose Searcy Field in Stillwater, Oklahoma, for a unique experiment: selling 475 surplus World War II combat aircraft in one giant field sale rather than scrapping them.This episode of How Curious tells the remarkable story of how a Hollywood stunt pilot became the winning bidder — and what he did with the planes afterward!

What goes down at the Medieval Fair of Norman? Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

This year, the Medieval Fair of Norman celebrated its 50th iteration. What began as a small event of the University of Oklahoma's Norman campus has carved a niche into the city's life over the past five decades. Now located at Reaves Park south of the campus, it features a blend of education, entertainment, and commerce, with scores of vendors present for the event. How Curious host Rachel Hopkin visits the Fair to find out what goes on there and what makes it so popular.

What has made the Coleman Theatre Beautiful? Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

This month’s How Curious episode covers the dazzling history of Miami, Oklahoma’s Coleman Theatre Beautiful — from its whirlwind 1929 construction to its vaudeville heyday, near‑loss, and remarkable community-led restoration. Join Rachel Hopkin as she explores the people, performances, and passions that kept this beloved Route 66 treasure alive.

What goes on at WildCare Oklahoma? Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

WildCare Oklahoma in Noble is one of the nation’s largest wildlife rehabilitation centers. In this month’s How Curious, host Rachel Hopkin visits WildCare to find out how it got started, how it operates and how it manages to do the work it does, rehabbing thousands of injured or orphaned animals every year so that they can get back to their wild lives.

What does Moore-Lindsay House reveal about life in the once young city of Norman, Oklahoma? Dec 30, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, How Curious host Rachel Hopkin visits the Moore-Lindsay Historical House Museum in Norman, Oklahoma. The first glimmerings of Norman as a named place began with a government survey team, then grew as it became a stop on the railroad. Then came the 1889 land run which turned Norman into a city virtually overnight. Ten years later, the Moore-Lindsay House was built. Rachel explores what the house - plus what is known about its early residents - tell us about life in the young city well over a century ago.

Why were Oklahoma Citians subjected to multiple sonic booms daily for months in 1964? Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

This month's How Curious dives into the story of what happened when Oklahoma City became the location of a bold experiment concerning sonic booms — a moment when science collided with everyday life. Through historical detail and voices from those who lived it, this episode looks at why the city became a testing ground, the surprising ripple effects on homes and businesses, and the larger questions it raised about progress and public trust.

Why is Guthrie's Stone Lion Inn considered Oklahoma's most haunted property? Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

This month’s How Curious episode has a Halloween theme as our intrepid host Rachel Hopkin dares to venture into one of Oklahoma’s reputedly most haunted properties.

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