Our American Stories

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Latest Episodes:

The Family Who Called the New York Public Library Home Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the New York Public Library opened its doors in 1911, one family already called it home. John Fiedler, the building’s first superintendent, moved in with his wife, Cornelia, and their two sons while the library was still under construction. Their apartment sat on the mezzanine level overlooking Bryant Park, and it was there that their daughter, Viviani, was born in 1917. The Fiedler children grew up surrounded by marble halls and endless stacks of books. They played baseball inside the library, sliding across the floors and using books for bases. Author Kristin O’Donnell Tubb brings their remarkable story to life, preserving a forgotten chapter in the history of the New York Public Library.

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The Funeral Parlor Secret That Stayed Buried Nov 03, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, it started as a snowed-in night behind a funeral parlor and ended with a mystery worthy of a campfire story. Our American Stories listener Tom Ryan shares the tale of his grandmother, a quick-witted mortician who faced down an escaped convict, a closed casket, and a secret that stayed buried for years.

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Stories Etched in Stone: Remembering Lives in a New Hampshire Cemetery Nov 03, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in Antrim, New Hampshire, every grave tells part of the town’s story. Bill Bryk, a listener and regular contributor to Our American Stories, takes a thoughtful walk through his local cemetery, where the names carved in stone recall centuries of life, loss, and memory.

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The One-Ton Pumpkin: How a Rhode Island Grower Broke a World Record Nov 03, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2017, Rhode Island grower Joe Jutras set a world record with a green squash weighing 2,118 pounds, earning a place among the largest fruits and vegetables ever grown. Reaching that milestone took years of experimenting with soil science and meticulous care from planting to harvest. Joe explains how patience, timing, and an understanding of growth cycles can turn an ordinary garden into a contender for the world’s biggest fruit.

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Did Lizzie Borden Get Away with Murder? The True Story Behind Fall River’s Unsolved Mystery Nov 03, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1892, the quiet town of Fall River, Massachusetts, became the scene of one of America’s most famous unsolved murder mysteries. Andrew and Abby Borden were found brutally killed with an axe, and suspicion quickly turned to Andrew’s daughter, Lizzie. What followed was a trial that transfixed the nation, blending questions of class, gender, and justice into a public spectacle that blurred the line between truth and myth. More than a century later, the mystery endures. Historian and author Cara Robertson, writer of The Trial of Lizzie Borden, revisits the Borden murders to untangle fact from folklore. Did Lizzie Borden get away with murder, or has history turned her into one of its most enduring legends?

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Sunday Mornings with Big Mitch: Ep. 2 Nov 02, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories host Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel Rutledge, an inmate serving life in Alabama, over the phone about life, faith, and redemption behind bars. This is the second installment of our ongoing series with him.

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Sunday Mornings with Big Mitch: Ep. 3 Nov 02, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories' host, Lee Habeeb, speaks with Mitchel Rutledge, an inmate serving life in Alabama, over the phone about life, faith, and redemption behind bars. This is the third installment of our ongoing series with him.

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Holding Alana: One Mother’s Story of Love, Loss, and Healing Oct 31, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, no one prepares for the silence that follows birth. For Samantha Durante Banerjee, that silence carried both devastation and grace. Her daughter, Alana, was stillborn, and in the hours that followed, Samantha experienced the depth of grief that comes after stillbirth — but also the rare beauty of finally holding her baby. Through grief and healing, she learned that sorrow can live alongside joy. Samantha’s story is a reminder that grieving parents don’t stop being parents — and that even in loss, the love remains.

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When a Bathroom Drug Deal Was Interrupted by Jesus Oct 31, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, it started in a bathroom, where a man trapped in addiction waited to make another bad decision. Pastor Greg Laurie didn’t know what he was walking into—only that something told him to go. Inside, he found a man on the edge: tired, angry, and ready to give up. Instead of turning away, Greg spoke about grace, and in that small, stained room, something began to shift.

The encounter led to a renewed faith and a brand-new life rebuilt from the ruins of substance abuse. Pastor Greg joins us to tell the story.

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The Battle of Midway: America’s Turning Point in World War II Oct 31, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in the summer of 1942, the war in the Pacific was slipping away. Japan’s navy dominated the ocean, and the United States was still reeling from Pearl Harbor. Then came Midway. What began as a desperate gamble became one of the most astonishing turnarounds in World War II. American intelligence cracked Japan’s code, and the battle was on. America's victory at Midway Atoll shifted the balance of the war and restored the country’s confidence when it needed it most. Schoolteacher Anne Clare tells the story of the battle that turned fear into resolve and marked the beginning of America’s comeback.

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