Our American Stories

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Latest Episodes:

99 Reasons a Typewriter Beats a Computer Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, it is hard to imagine now, but there was a time when writing meant sitting in front of a typewriter. Just a keyboard, a ribbon, and a blank sheet of paper. The QWERTY layout, first designed in the nineteenth century, shaped how we still type today.
Our American Stories listener Bert Rosica explains why that old typing machine still holds a certain power and why, in his view, there are 99 reasons a typewriter is better than a computer.

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From Fairly OddParents to Danny Phantom: The Animator Behind the Shows Feb 18, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Butch Hartman shares the story of how one of the most influential animation careers of the 2000s came to be. While millions recognize the shows he created; The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, and more, far fewer know the path that led him there. Hartman tells how his journey took him from the snowy shores of Michigan to the studios of Southern California, and how persistence, faith, and craft shaped a career that defined a generation of television animation.

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When a Messenger Pigeon Stopped Friendly Fire in World War I Feb 18, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, during World War I, carrier pigeons were woven into the U.S. Army’s communication system. When phone lines were cut and runners could not cross open ground, messenger pigeons carried handwritten notes over smoke and shellfire. At one point in the war, an American unit was pinned down by its own artillery. Cut off and taking heavy losses, the men turned to a wounded homing pigeon that had been trained to fly back to its loft. That small bird became their final line of communication.
Frank Blazich of the National Museum of American History tells the tale of how pigeons entered modern military service and how one battered carrier pigeon altered the course of a battlefield in World War I.

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How the Automobile Solved a Problem No One Could Ignore Feb 18, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when the automobile was hailed as an environmental savior. Cities at the turn of the century were suffocating under the burden of their own success. The horse had built them, but it was also destroying them. Streets were thick with waste, and the air carried the scent of disease. Into that chaos rolled the automobile, a machine that seemed to offer a vision of progress that was clean, modern, and under control. Miles C. Collier, founder of the Revs Institute, shares the story.

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What Salmon Fishing Taught Me About Courage Feb 18, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Seaside, Oregon, was a small Pacific Northwest town built on logging and salmon fishing. Karl Marlantes’ grandfather had already survived a logging accident that crushed both his legs before turning fully to commercial salmon fishing. As a gillnetter, he worked the tides with precision, and when Karl was thirteen, he brought him into the family business. Karl, the author of What It Is Like to Go to War and Matterhorn, shares the story of how those summer days changed his life.

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The Intimidator: Dale Earnhardt's Life In The Fast Lane Feb 17, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in NASCAR, some names fade. But Dale Earnhardt does not. Dale Earnhardt Sr. built his reputation one race at a time, driving the black No. 3 and collecting championships like stamps. More than two decades later, Dale Earnhardt remains central to NASCAR’s story. Jay Busbee, author of Earnhardt Nation, shares the tale of how a poor boy from Kannapolis, North Carolina, became “The Intimidator”—auto racing’s greatest legend and an American icon.

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When an Escape Attempt Turned Alcatraz Into a War Zone Feb 17, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Alcatraz: the inescapable prison. Inmates called it “the Rock,” and the distance from Alcatraz to the mainland was enough to make even the most hardened criminals shiver in fear. But in 1946, a group of prisoners attempted the impossible. They overpowered guards inside Alcatraz and tried to break out. The attempt spiraled into what became known as the Battle of Alcatraz, or the Alcatraz Prison Riot of 1946. U.S. Marines were called in to restore order, turning the most notorious prison in the United States into a battlefield. The History Guy shares the story.

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Robert E. Lee’s Quiet Years in the Aftermath of the Civil War Feb 17, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert E. Lee is known for his role during the Civil War, but what about his life afterward? After the Confederate surrender, General Robert E. Lee returned to Virginia and accepted the presidency of a struggling college in Lexington. The aftermath of the Civil War left the South uncertain about its future, and Lee’s final years were spent guiding students rather than commanding troops.
Historian Allen Guelzo shares how this quiet period helped redefine Lee’s legacy and shaped what would later become Washington and Lee University. We’d like to thank the Bill of Rights Institute for allowing us access to this wonderful audio, originally part of their Scholar Talks series on YouTube.

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Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? The Story Behind the Original 1969 Series Feb 17, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the top show of the 60's and 70's started with a simple question: "Scooby-Doo where are you?" The show introduced the Scooby-Doo gang, a group of teenagers and one nervous Great Dane riding around in the Mystery Machine, chasing ghosts that always turned out to be something far more human.
Our own Greg Hengler shares the story of one of the most ironic cartoons of all time.

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Benjamin Franklin: America’s First Known Chess Player Feb 17, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Ben Franklin had more “firsts” than most Americans could dream of. But before he was a statesman, a printer, or the face on the hundred-dollar bill, Benjamin Franklin was a devoted chess player. In fact, Benjamin Franklin’s chess history goes back further than most people realize. He is widely considered America’s first known chess player and the first American to write seriously about the game. Elliott Drago, a historian and editorial officer at the Jack Miller Center, shares the story.

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