The Riverlands

A Riverlands Halloween! Nov 01, 2023

Happy Halloween, Friends! It's time for our annual Riverlands tradition of Halloween Ghost Stories! This episode features stories from paranormal investigators from all corners of the Riverlands. We hope you enjoy!

The Strange Case of the Cape Girardeau UFO Crash Apr 21, 2023

It seems that nearly everyone has heard of the UFO incident in Roswell, NM, but did you know there is a very similar story from The Riverlands? Six years before Roswell, Cape Girardeau, Missouri was at the center of a very strange UFO tale. We hope you enjoy the story! Thanks for listening!

It Came from the River Mar 11, 2023

Tonight's episode starts with a hoax. For at least a short time in the early 1970s, the hoax caused a media frenzy to descend upon a small backroad looking for a monster that would become known as The Cole Hollow Monster. The fact the Cole Hollow Monster was a hoax has been well documented, but when you dig a little deeper into the legends of something strange lurking along the banks of the Illinois River, one has to wonder could there be something more at the heart of the story. Thanks for listening! Our musical guest for this episode is West End Junction!

The Haunting of Dogface Bridge Feb 02, 2023

Along a forgotten backroad in Northwestern Indiana is an old, rusted truss bridge that spans a tributary of the Kankakee River. The bridge is overgrown with brush and on the verge of collapse. It's known officially as Old County Bridge 99, but locals call it a Dogface Bridge after the woman/dog hybrid creature that's said to haunt the bridge. Join us as we dig deeper into the Haunting of Dogface Bridge!

The Christmas Gift Dec 23, 2022

Happy holidays from all of us here at the Riverlands Podcast! Join us tonight for a dark Christmas story from Mcleansboro, Illinois on this episode. It’s the story of a murderer, a botched hanging, a sympathetic hangman and a very special Christmas gift. Thanks for listening! Our musical guest for this episode is Claire Jackson. Be sure to check out her youtube channel!

The Miles Mausoleum Dec 02, 2022

Tucked into a bluff, high above the Mississippi valley in Monroe county, Illinois Miles Mausoleum is full of mystique, extravagance and ultimately, tragedy. Perched on Eagle Cliff, the gleaning white marble building can be seen for miles from the American Bottoms below, which adds to its mystery and cements its place in local legend. It was built by a man seeking fortune and a place in history, like so many who come to the Riverlands. It’s quite a beautiful place with amazing views and of course– it’s said to be extremely haunted. It’s not surprising, the cemetery has seen over a 100 years of destructive vandalism and even an alleged attempt to raise Mr. Miles from the dead by cultists. We hope you enjoy this local legend! Thanks for listening! Our musical guest for this episode is Ella Gibson with her demo "Wrong Generation". Be sure to check Ella out!

Our Favorite Strange Tales from the Riverlands Oct 31, 2022

Happy Halloween, friends! Tonight's episode is a collection of some of our favorite spooky stories and lore from around the Riverlands. We have tales of ghosts in libraries and cemeteries, strange creatures and haunted roads. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do! We hope you have a fun and safe Halloween! This episode features music by Insectarium. You can find more of their music on Bandcamp and Youtube!

Strange Tales from The Riverlands Oct 16, 2022

Spooky season is upon us, so you know what that means: The Riverlands Podcast is kicking off Season 3 with our annual Halloween Show! This episode is packed with stories of high strangeness from every corner of the Riverlands told by the experiencers in their own voices. We hope you enjoy these encounters with the strange and the unknown!

Bonus: The Ancient Goodest Girl Aug 26, 2022

In honor of National Dog Day, we have a bonus episode for you about humanity's best friend. We hope you enjoy it! If you'd like more information about the story featured in this episode or our musical guest, check out our shownotes at riverlandspodcast.com

Exploring The Riverbend with Exspiravit Paranormal Society Aug 18, 2022

In our Season 2 finale, we continue our 10 Questions with...Paranormal Investigators series with Exspiravit Paranormal Society from the Quad Cities area of the Riverlands. In this episode, we share tales about the strange places and dark history in the shared region between Iowa and Illinois at the confluence of the Rock River and the Mississippi. Thanks for listening! We will be back in October with more tales of dark history and high strangeness from the Riverlands and more interviews with those who investigate the paranormal in Season 3! This episode's musical guest is 33 on the Needle from Alton, Illinois.

At The Crossroads with Hugh DeNeal Jul 04, 2022

It's time for the annual Riverlands Musical Episode! On a snowy evening in February, we had the pleasure to talk with Riverlands singer/songwriter Hugh DeNeal. Hugh is an absolute legend in the Riverlands musical community with a unique style all to himself. Hugh and his legendary southern Illinois band, the Woodbox Gang, have an electric style of bluegrass that has been described as "Insurgent Americana", though the band preferred the term "Trashcan Americana". Hugh's unique storytelling style through his music make him a perfect Riverlands musical guest. Enjoy!

10 Questions with…The Screaming Ghost Girls May 26, 2022

Our next entry into our 10 Questions with Paranormal Investigator interview series features Michelle and Rebecca from the Screaming Ghost Girls. What started out as a ghost hunt as part of a girls weekend getaway quickly morphed into a full blown adventure for Michelle and Rebecca. They're hilarious, they know their history and we think you're really going to enjoy our interview with The Screaming Ghost Girls!

10 Questions with…Parallax Paranormal May 02, 2022

This episode is the first in our “10 Questions with…” series. In this version of the series, we’re featuring conversations with Paranormal Investigation groups from all corners of the Riverlands. In this episode, we sit down with Shannon, Nick, Jason and Ryan, 4 out of the 5 members of Parallax Paranormal. Parallax Paranormal utilizes technology to try to capture evidence of paranormal activity and offer their investigative services free of charge to clients. Parallax Paranormal were really awesome to talk with and we hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did!

Coming Soon: 10 Questions with…Paranormal Investigators Apr 19, 2022

Introducing a Riverlands side series: 10 Questions with....where we interview groups and people from the Riverlands. We aren’t sure where this series will take us, but for now, we are starting with several paranormal investigator groups from across the Riverlands. Though not paranormal investigators ourselves, we’ve always been fascinated with those who dare to venture a little further into the unknown. So, join us over the next few months for some wild tales as we discuss what draws these groups to investigate the paranormal and their investigation methodology. We can't wait for you to hear their stories!

Jesse’s Story Mar 12, 2022

Tonight's episode is an addendum to our previous episode, Guided by the Spirit. Our guest Jesse shares his brush with the CSA with us. We hope you enjoy Jesse's story. Thanks for listening!

Guided by the Spirit Feb 02, 2022

Tonight's episode is an origin story of sorts- a self-proclaimed hero's descent into villainhood. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. This is a story about Jim, a man who was lead by the spirits of the Riverlands on a journey that ultimately ended in terrorism and murder. Jim was a preacher who founded a survivalist Christian community deep in the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks. Jim's sermons became increasingly paranoid and foretold the decline of civilization. What began as a community of the lost and idealistic, eventually evolved into an extremist paramilitary organization that dissolved after a multi-day standoff with the U.S. government. You can find more information in our show notes! Thanks for listening!

A Very Riverlands Holiday Special Dec 21, 2021

Happy Holidays! This year, we're continuing The Riverlands tradition of Christmas ghost stories. In this special episode we chat with Jonathan, the city planner for Hillsboro, Illinois. Jonathan shares our interest in history and high strangeness and recently started a ghost walk for downtown Hillsboro. We talk about Jonathan's favorite local ghost stories and Hillsboro's revitalization over the past 10 years. Thanks for listening! We will see you in the new year!

The Space Penguins of Tuscumbia Nov 20, 2021

In central Missouri, just east of the Lake of the Ozarks, is a town of 200 people called Tuscumbia. By all accounts, Tuscumbia is a small, quiet river town. But in some corners of internet, Tuscumbia is legendary. This is because, on a chilly February morning in 1967, a farmer named Claude Edwards said he spotted something strange on his way to tend to his cows, sparking a story that would become known as The Space Penguins of Tuscumbia. Thanks for listening!

The Riverlands Halloween Special Part 2 Oct 31, 2021

Happy Halloween! We've got a bunch more spooky stories for you. Hope you enjoy them! Thanks for listening!

The Riverlands Halloween Special Part 1 Oct 15, 2021

We're back! We're kicking off Season 2 with a two part series in celebration of the Halloween season! While researching stories for Season 2, we came across many stories of high strangeness from across the Riverlands. We're really excited to share these stories with you! Each story is told by those who experienced them, in their own voices. We hope you enjoy them! Happy Halloween!

The Coming of the Nightriders Aug 06, 2021

In the Season 1 finale, we bring you part two of the story of Reelfoot Lake. What began as a series of protests against a wealthy businessman blocking local access to drain and log the lake, quickly morphed into something much darker and violent. We hope you enjoy the story of the Nightriders of Reelfoot Lake!

What’s Buried Beneath: The New Madrid Quake Jun 10, 2021

In Northwest Tennessee, just across the Mississippi river from New Madrid, Missouri is a flooded cypress forest called Reelfoot lake. Spanning 15,000 acres, this shallow, peaceful lake is a birding and fishing paradise. But despite it's placid waters, Reelfoot Lake and the region it inhabits has a grim history starting with it's violent creation as a result of the New Madrid Earthquake. In this first episode of a two part series, we tell the story of one of the largest earthquakes in recorded US history and how it changed the geography of the Riverlands.

Bonus: American Spiritualism May 21, 2021

Katherine from the Mourning Society of St. Louis returns to discuss the history of American Spiritualism and the group's upcoming event on the topic. Spiritualism was a religious movement that became popular during the Victorian era, and centered around the belief in the existence of the human spirit beyond the grave and the ability of some to communicate with these spirits. We hope you enjoy learning about spiritualism as much as we did!

Summoning Demons of the Past May 01, 2021

In this musical episode of the Riverlands we speak to musician Stace England, a singer/song writer from Southern Illinois, about his writing process and why he chooses to tell these stories. Stace's ability to capture a story and atmosphere into song drew us to him and his music. During our discussion, we realized we were all chasing the same stories and the same monsters. We hope you enjoy this episode! Be sure to check out more of Stace's music on youtube or Spotify!

Bonus: Chasing Strangeness Apr 20, 2021

Richard joins us to share his first hand accounts of high strangeness in Western Illinois. He shares stories about the Argyle Monster, Sasquatch and something....even stranger. We hope you enjoy his stories as much as we did! Thanks for listening! The photos mentioned in this episode can be found in our show notes.

The Archivist: Conversations with Dr. Lorenzen Apr 01, 2021

Dr. Michael Lorenzen joined us from Western Illinois University to discuss his research into the bigfoot phenomenon in Western Illinois. Dr. Lorenzen emphasizes the importance of primary sources in his research and is dedicated to documenting them. He shares his research philosophy with us, insights into good research practices and several historical accounts from Western Illinois. You can find the resources Dr. Lorenzen shared with us in our show notes.

The Ozarks UFO Messiah Mar 01, 2021

Our story in this episode originates straight from out of the tent revivals of old, and ends with a pyramid built deep in the Ozark hills. This story has it all: UFOs. Nazis. Sex. Murder. The death of a wealthy widow at the Yahweh City Commune in Phelps County, Missouri kicked off a series of events that caused a whole scheme to unravel. A scheme of a man who promised salvation from an impeding nuclear holocaust via thousands of UFOs, if you could pay for it. Joseph Jeffers was the self proclaimed Messiah of the Yahweh cult and founder of Yahweh City. This is his story.

Bonus: Creature from Big Muddy Documentary Feb 23, 2021

In this bonus episode, we sit down with Joe Tury of RedRoom Creative Media to discuss his latest documentary, Creature from Big Muddy: An Illinois Bigfoot Legend. The Creature from Big Muddy explores the legendary Big Muddy Monster that lurks around the town of Murphysboro, Illinois. The lore of the Big Muddy Monster centers around a series of alleged Sasquatch or Bigfoot sightings in and around the Murphysboro area, particularly near the Big Muddy river. You can find more information about the documentary in our show notes.

The Mourning Society of St. Louis Feb 01, 2021

This episode features a discussion with Katherine from the Mourning Society of St. Louis about historical mourning, death culture and funeral customs. The Mourning Society of St. Louis is a civilian reenactment group that brings historical funerals to life as public educational events. The group hosts several events throughout the year and if you’re interested, you can find more information at mourningsociety.com or on social media. We were especially excited to learn more about the Mourning Society because they are the only reenactment group of their kind, located right here in the Riverlands. We hope you learn as much as we did!

Winter Ghost Stories Jan 01, 2021

In the spirit of the holidays, we thought we’d resurrect the long lost tradition of telling ghost stories during the Christmas season. In this episode, our guest, Zach, tells the story about a haunted house where he and his roommates lived during college. It’s quite an eerie tale and we hope you enjoy it!

The Drowned Fortress Dec 01, 2020

This is the story of Fort Bellefontaine, the first US military post west of the Mississippi. Two hundred years ago, it was the last outpost of civilization before heading into the newly purchased Louisiana territory. The fort was witness to many pivotal historic moments in the early days of the United States and host to several famous American explorers. Within twenty years of its establishment, the fort was abandoned. Now, Fort Bellefontaine lies drowned beneath the Missouri River, existing only in memory.

Hounds in the Dark Oct 31, 2020

Two eerie tales from the lonely roads of the Riverlands. A hunter comes face to face with the unexpected and an antique photograph makes its presence known.

The Riverlands: An Introduction Oct 29, 2020

We will be your guides along the backroads and waterways of forgotten America. Through aging coal towns and ancient sloughs. Down moonlit gravel roads and into the dark corners of the midwest. This is a place we like to call The Riverlands. The Riverlands are a shadowy liminal space. A dark and forgotten stretch of geography.

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