JoCoYo

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(The Rest is still) Unwritten Mar 02, 2026

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Step onto the muddy banks of Moores Creek in 1776, where the fate of North Carolina—and the fledgling American Revolution—hangs in the balance. In this episode, we follow Colonel John Smith as he leads Patriot militia into one of the first decisive battles of the war: the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge. From midnight marches across rain‑soaked fields to the thunder of loyalist Highlanders charging through the dark, this is the story of nerve, strategy, and a bridge that changed a continent's history.

Easy Street Mar 01, 2026

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Strap in for the story of Easy Street Drag Strip, where Johnston County’s red clay meets American speed. We trace Korean War veteran Charles Tart’s journey from Army half‑tracks to Newton Grove farmland, where in 1957 he built Eastern North Carolina’s first drag strip from scratch. From moonshine‑chasing sheriffs to flathead Fords under homemade Christmas lights, this is the roar that turned backroads into racing history.

Last Train to Clarksville Feb 27, 2026

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It's March 2, 1933, and a U.S. Senator fresh off busting the Teapot Dome scandal—America's biggest political corruption case—is secretly honeymooning with a glamorous Cuban widow when his train suddenly stops between Wilson and Rocky Mount. He doesn't get back on. In this episode of JoCoYo, we ride the rails with Thomas J. Walsh from Montana mines to Havana romance, through poisoning rumors and political enemies, to his mysterious final stop just 40 miles from Benson—where a political titan met eternity and Johnston County entered the history books.

Carolina in my Mind Feb 26, 2026

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A Scottish orphan sails from the Highlands to New Bern in the 1780s, builds a waterfront empire, and watches Union soldiers occupy his elegant mansion during the Civil War.

Fast forward two centuries—what if one of his descendants became the voice that taught America to dream of Carolina? In this episode of JoCoYo, we trace a 250-year family journey from New Bern’s wharves to Chapel Hill’s piney woods, culminating in a shocking musical revelation that connects coastal commerce to Piedmont poetry—and North Carolina's red clay to an anthem we all know by heart.

Mule Train Feb 25, 2026

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Picture this: it’s 1932 in Selma, North Carolina. Gas is too expensive, cars are parked and useless, and farmers are hitching their mules to stripped-down Fords and rolling them straight through town—on purpose. They’re not just getting to town; they’re mocking the president and about to change history.

Young Sheldon and the Bohemian Girl Jan 23, 2024

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Find me someone that does not like the TV show Young Sheldon… Actually, don’t. I don’t want to meet that person. It seems like a stretch, but there’s so much of a connection to eastern North Carolina, including Johnston county. Makes me love the show even more.

Sitting on the Dock of the Bays Jan 23, 2024

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I absolutely love it when we uncover almost uniquely geological marvels that exist under our feet, and in our backyard. Johnston County, and East, North Carolina, are home to thousands of lakes. You’ve never seen them, you say? You would know if we had thousands of lakes? Well, let’s take a trip.

Plan 9 May 02, 2023

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No one would ever accuse central North Carolina of being a hotbed of science-fiction history. Yet, here we are.

Super Freak Apr 10, 2023

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There’s a place in Johnston County that’s older than the hills… Quite literally. It is completely out of place and a freak of nature.

Tall Oak Tree Mar 27, 2023

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This is the case where a tree likely change the course not just American, but also world history. In 1844, Henry Clay of Kentucky, sat under an oak tree in Raleigh and wrote a letter.

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