THE MOST WONDERFUL WONDER

In 1856, two small boys wandered away from their cabin in the wilds of Pennsylvania. For almost two weeks, thousands of volunteers combed …

Yesterday’s local headlines, the daily tragedies and triumphs in American communities large and small, are often trampled in the unrelenting march …

Follow us back in time as we walk the red brick streets of our little Wild West town to a haunted shack by the railroad tracks, the scene of the …

In this episode, we take you to the Texas Hill Country of the 1860s, a perilous place for those who remained loyal to the Union, however secret they tried to keep their allegiance. For many of these unfortunate Union …

As you may know, we’re taking a short production break, but we wanted to mark a very special milestone. The Most Wonderful Wonder is one year old …

Follow us down a dark and deadly stretch of track in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Moonville, Ohio was the scene of countless …

In 1905, the town of Snyder, Oklahoma Territory was leveled by a devastating tornado. Some said the townspeople had brought the destruction upon themselves.

Song: “The Cyclone” by Welcome Little Stranger

Researched, …

Until the early 20th century, the fear of meeting a horrific and painful end accompanied every bite from an animal believed to be rabid. With no …

In 1925, a bitter underground war that raged in central Kentucky claimed a single casualty, captivating the nation and becoming one of the biggest media sensations between the two world wars.

Song: “The Death of Floyd …

Come along as we explore how a Victorian era breakthrough in infant care, combined with a domestic guru’s bad advice, led to the deaths of thousands of innocent babies.

Song: “All Through The Night”, traditional

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Take a trip down memory lane with us as we share ten of our favorite musical moments from The Most Wonderful Wonder.

1. “Ain’t No More Cane on the …

Follow us to the battlefields to uncover the hidden history of the women who fought in the American Civil War.

Song: “Johnny, O Johnny”, traditional

Oh, listen to my story, I’ll tell you no lies
How John Lewis did murder poor little Omie Wise

Follow us 200 years into the past, to a North Carolina …

While recent rumors of a massacre in Bowling Green have been greatly exaggerated, 200 years ago, the brutal honor killing of a politician, which …

Season two of The Most Wonderful Wonder begins with one of our favorite outlaw stories, the twisted tale of Elmer McCurdy, train robber turned …

Leaving Murderous Mary hanging in a Tennessee rail yard, we head to New England to look upon the human curiosity whose exhibition was the first of many hoaxes promoted by the legendary “Prince of Humbugs”, P.T. Barnum.

We leave at 5:00, pulling out of Boston on streetcar 393, bound for east Tennessee where we’ll witness a circus star’s execution.

Songs in this …

Don’t waste any time in mourning. Organize! We set out for Utah by way of the Pacific Northwest in search of Joe Hill’s legacy of resistance through …

Our most recent death-filled trip down the dark alleys of time comes to an end, as all things must, in the highlands of central Mexico where the dead return again and again, sometimes in surprising ways.

Songs in this …

We put on our coats and head to the snowy regions of the North for tales of deadly encounters with packs of bloodthirsty wolves, before climbing the …

Blood marks the spot where we begin our journey in North Carolina. Leaving in a cloud of smoke, we head for a cemetery on the open prairie in search …

In addition to the notorious criminals we profiled in our last episode, Leavenworth’s stone walls once held a murderous king, driven by greed, and …

Cincinnati, Ohio, scene of the infernal machine murders and the demise of Martha, the last passenger pigeon, fades in the rear view mirror as we …

Our species has a terrible propensity for violence. Throughout history, humans have shown surprising ingenuity when it comes to means and methods …

Leaving the border towns, we hop a train with a singing brakeman, take a short detour to Kenya, and visit the world’s fairs before finally landing …

Desperately ill people will pay anything for the promise of restored health, and charlatans have always waited in the wings of history for their chance to cash in. Come along as we tour the bayous of Louisiana, past a …

Leaving the floods behind, we start the second leg of our journey with a pie recipe, take a spin through the superstitions and folklore of the …

Floods, whether an act of God or man, steal one’s security and leave stains on history. From the Appalachians to Boston, and along the banks of the Brazos in East Texas, join Welcome Little Stranger for the first leg of …

Welcome Little Stranger presents an introduction to The Most Wonderful Wonder, with one of our favorite tragic tales, the story of Big Nose George …