Within The Realm

It's our 100th episode and that's a big deal. A lot can happen over the course of 100 episodes. Join me for a retrospective of what I have learned through the the process of researching, producing and promoting that …

Before he was on the Five Dollar Bill, before his words were memorized by schoolchildren through the decades and before he was hailed as the Great …

Magic as a tornado precaution? Tiny Wakita, Ok was blown away in the 1996 Blockbuster Twister but a spell by an Old Cherokee has kept the place tornado free since 1893. withinpodcast.com

A special thanks to storm chaser …

This week I let a friend tell the story of his parent's whirlwind wedding that involved a ring locked away in a bank vault, a Billy Graham Crusade …

We've all sung it, the second most played Christmas song of all time, but few know the story behind Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer. From a random …

A tale with a lost opportunity for a college education, a one-way ticket to Flagstaff, Az. and the fate of a planet! Hear the amazing and inspiring  …

Thanksgiving is about family and blessings. Here's a tale from my youth about one of the greatest men I ever knew and the blessing he was to me. This …

Every region of the country has it's take on place names. In Oklahoma, it's a safe bet that our unusual place names had their start as a word in a Native language. Tahlequah, the Capital of the Cherokee Nation, is such …

This is the story of my Great Grandma's casting of her first ballot in 1920. We've come a long way, but sometimes, it seems, not far enough. Listen …

A story from my misspent youth in the wilds of the Cherokee Nation. Pre-cable TV fun for us was driving the backroads and finding ways to scare our classmates. One surefire place to this end was a remote, lonely stretch …

In Kansas City, you might encounter an intrepid group of Urban Hikers checking out art, nature or historic sights around the City. UrbanHikesKC, very much like our show, strive to illuminate things overlooked but worth …

The first woman to hold statewide office in Oklahoma years before she could vote, Kate Barnard, using her tireless activism and dedication to duty, …

Charles Parrott was a lot of things, a husband and father, farmer, rodeo rider and one of the most prolific bank robbers in the second half of the …

Even out here in the Ozarks, in the Cherokee Nation, we have a connection to Queen Elizabeth, but it's a connection that goes back years, long before the United States, the Trail of Tears or the coronation of the Queen …

It was in 1921 when a young commercial artist had a dream of creating an animation studio  in Kansas City. He did just that before going bankrupt and befriending a mouse that frequented his drawing table. A one way …

There are plenty of ghost stories in the Ozarks, but Sean Fitzgibbon's graphic novel, a history really. provides the story of what is said to be the …

The role of Lt. Uhura, communications officer for the Starship Enterprize, made Nichelle Nichols an icon and made an indelible marknot only on Earth …

From Within The Realm to the Sea of Tranquility! Friend of the podcast Dewayne Knott spins his tale of his life-long interaction with the space program. From exotic locations such as an Iowa cornfield, a San Antonio …

Twelfth Street and Vine may be Kansas City's most famous intersection thanks to the song Penned by Lieber and Stoller. Problem is, it's not there any …

Ed Hicks had seen the telephone demonstrated at the St. Louis Exhibition and in 1885 concocted the plan to connect The Cherokee Capital of Tahlequah with the new bustling City of Muskogee by phone line. Traditional …

Jack McLemore was my 9th Grade Science teacher. He had been nick-named Happy Jack by the older boys because, they claimed, he only smiled when …

In this encore episode of Within The Realm we revisit the Great American Desert, a place no longer on the map but Central to the development of the United States as we know it today. withinpodcast.com  …

Fayetteville, Arkansas has been home to Levon Helm, Ronnie Hawkins and the Cate Brothers. It's a place of inspiration for a young musician. The musical heritage goes way, way back and owes a debt to the World's Greatest …

This past Easter Sunday was Louise Carson's 90th Birthday. On the occasion of her birthday, we revisit our conversation with her about being my kindergarten teacher and what it took (and still takes) to get the job done …

The location was a quiet schoolhouse on Peacheater Creek in the Old Cherokee Nation, but it became the site of the largest non-military battle in the …

It's been a long time since I introduced this show to the public and I know that not many heard that first episode (thank goodness!) So, now is just as good a time as any to make a reintroduction into what I'm trying to …

Has your life ever been changed by a chance meeting? Mine has, in a brief encounter with Writer Jerry Ellis over three decades ago. He uttered a few words to me that changed the way I saw the world and myself in it. …

Educating a half-wild kid with a poor outlook on the whole affair was the task at hand for Grade School Principal Ellis DeWeese. Dedicated to …

Sometimes a book has a great impact on us, but how grateful would you be to learn how the story almost never was? Here's the story of such a book and …

What do you do when you literally find a skeleton in your closet? Kansas City Artist Jeff Becker tells the story of George, the resident skeleton of the former Odd Fellows Lodge he had purchased. A tale with twists, …

My grandmothers communicated lessons and values through stories, stories that stay with you. From stories from the Bible (King James version only!) …

My Great Aunt proudly displayed an aluminum Christmas Tree in her front window for many years, much to the chagrin of my more traditional relatives. I thought it was great until those shiny trees soon fell out of …

During his lifetime, Will Rogers spoke up for the common man and often, in a good natured way, provided the voice for those unheard to those in the halls of power. He is still keeping an eye on the people in Congress …

One hundred years ago or so, George W. Carver enlisted college boys from the South to assist him in spreading his message, not just about farming …

There is a lonely stretch of road in our neck of the woods, the scariest spot in the County, called Beaver Gap. The superstitions of both the Native Americans and the hillbillies of the area fueled the stories of less …

200 years ago, in the wilds of the then American frontier, Sequoyah, the Cherokee Cadmus, introduced his writing system to the members of his tribe that had moved west to escape the influence of the white man. Some …

A tale with a lost opportunity for a college education, a one-way train ride and the fate of a planet! Hear the amazing story of Kansas Astronomer …

Sometimes we forget how truly important seemingly ordinary things are to our own story. Hear how one small town rallied to save, of all things, a …

Two Kansas University Journalism students, suffering from a bad case of Senioritis and struggling through  their classes during the pandemic had a final assignment before graduation. After beginning work on their task, …

Before the mouse, long before the Magic Kingdom, the cradle of the Golden Age of Animation was launched in Kansas City. The Laugh-O-grams studio was …

The Ozark Mountains are dotted with odd-looking houses built during the Great Depression. When I was a kid, they served as a reminder of our "hillbilly" past and, compared to the new fangled pre-fab homes, they were out …

A stormy evening that presents a less than ideal recording environment turns into a little chat with the host about the show, where it came from ad …

There's a lot of talk about vaccines these days, but at one time the effort to end the scourge of polio through Dr. Salk's vaccine was focused on an …

A childhood interest in how arrowheads were made, blossomed into the mastery of the almost lost art of flint knapping for Vyrl Keeter. His pursuit of the craft led to his designation as a Cherokee National Treasure. In …

Now that we can see light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, it's time for a review. What's the take away from our experience?

We look at the arenas …

The song is significant enough to make the list of important recording in US history and a blacklist in Nazi Germany, but the road to cherished American classic was a long and unlikely one for the spiritual "Swing Low, …

With the closure of anything that would draw a crowd, local music and comedy venues fell silent as the pandemic spread. Even after the worst is over, …

Late in 2020, Major League Baseball recognized several of the Negro Leagues that thrived from 1920 until the sport was integrated as their own. Now these overlooked athletes' stats will be included in the records of …

"It seemed like a mountain we could climb" said Aaron Eubanks of the idea to build custom guitars that emerged during a game of cards. And climb they …

Hear the tale of my brief but tumultuous days as a Santa-ophile. Published in hopes to explain why I'm more of a Scrooge than a Bob Cratchit. My …

Maintaining a emotional balance has proven to be extra difficult in recent months. Mental health counselor Josh Cress joins us to discuss emotional …

A couple of years ago I did an episode about my hometown's oldest business, Fletcher Hardware. Today the store is gone, but in it's place is Fletcher …

On this 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, I bring you the story of my Great-grandmother, Mona Perkins and her first experience with the ballot box. She was a young upstart, her independence scandalized the small …

In the election of 1972, 18 year-olds were allowed the vote for the first time. We speak to a friend, Randy Pease, then an Indiana college student …

Kate Barnard was elected to statewide office in Oklahoma before she could vote for herself. She was a young, progressive reformer applying her vision …

Erskine Wood and Sara Bard Field were introduced by none other than Clarence Darrow as progressives that should know each other. They both …

Louise Carson was a first time teacher, tasked with teaching 60 5 year-olds with no curriculum and little direction on a daily basis. She was my …

In this episode we discuss primary sources with Dr. Megan Kate Nelson and their importance to the book The Three Cornered War. Dr. Nelson explains how letters, reports and other narratives from the time, Civil War Era …

When Austin's South X Southwest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many up and coming artists lost some great opportunities to further their careers. Two enterprising guys from the Kansas City music scene …

A conversation with a licensed counselor about dealing with our emotions and mental health during this challenging time of COVID-19, quarantine and …

We heard from Hannah Pithers a few months ago, emerging from a months long bout with Crohns, IBS and Colitis to find a  return to the life she loved. …

The American Civil War is a much studied subject. Dr. Megan Kate Nelson visits with me about her new book "The Three Cornered War," a look at the …

Tim O'Brien of O'Brien Communications and the Shaping Opinion podcast shares 5 tips to help us get through the COVID-19 and CoronaVirus crisis. 

Average college student by day, but he also doubles as Kansas City's youngest working comedian. What drives someone to face the greatest fear, that …

Oklahoma has the dubious honor of sending the first certifiably insane person to Congress. Manuel Herrick served one term in Congress (1921-1923), but was able to stir up a lifetime of trouble in that two years. From …

Carbonated drinks in glass bottles are making a comeback. There was a time these "pop" bottles could be returned to grocery stores for a few cents …

We often hear complaints about the lack of community in our country, from a lack of diversity to simply not knowing your neighbors. Could the design …

Memories of loved ones too soon gone are kept alive through stories, stories that tell who they were and who they still are. Recently, I gave an …

It is one of the most recognizable songs the world over, but few know about it's start as a country music tear-jerker, and fewer still know about it's rocky road before it became renown. "You Are My Sunshine," even with …

Halloween is usually all fun and games...until you have something to prove. For my brother, it was unseating the reigning costume contest champion at the annual Halloween get-together. For me, it became a day of seeing …

On February 27, 1914, Westville businessman PJ Dore was killed by Tandy Folsom. It's the stuff of local legend, but it serves as an illustration for …

David Crockett (he never signed his name Davy Crockett) cut quite a figure in history. He was known as a frontiersman, a bear hunter, an Indian …

Recently America...and the world...celebrated the 50th Anniversary of men landing on the moon. In this episode we discuss the space program with a couple of friends of mine who can provide a unique perspective on the …

Punk Rock is more than music. It's a movement, "A thing you are," says one of our contributors to today's episode. Although it's seen as movement for young people, there are plenty that hang on to the philosophies and …

With no formal education and not speaking English, Sequoyah developed a writing system for the Cherokees that helped preserve their language and …

Once a barrier to the westward expansion of the United States now just a reference on aged maps, the Great American Desert played a pivotal role in …

Join us on this episode as friends from Within The Realm share Words of Wisdom that they have applied to their lives. A revealing look into the …

There's a renewed interest in Judge Isaac Parker, Fort Smith's famed Hangin' Judge. Join us for an encore presentation of one of our earlier episodes about the fascinating life of Isaac Parker before he was the "Law …

We speak with Dr. Rick Farmer, a political Scientist who has done work in the area of legislative term limits. We discuss the pros and cons of this …

"I believe we were put here to do hard things," says Nikki, a Mom of two little girls and an avid runner. Recently, she took took up a new challenge that tested both the Mom and the runner in her. Listen in to an …

Arthur was a mover and shaker. He was an innovator in the advertisement and insurance businesses, making a comfortable living for himself. He had a …

Every Monday night, some of Kansas City's best songwriters gather at a little place called the RINO for an Open Mic Night called Song Lab. Now into it's second year, Song Lab has become a supportive community for the …

With Dewayne, It's a passion! He collects whiskeys of the world, not for the buzz, but for the camaraderie of liked minded souls that enjoy a good …

What Cheese Steak is to Philadelphia, so is Spaghetti Red to Joplin, Missouri. You really haven't experienced that neck of the Ozarks without …

Our trailer, just a little sampling of what you're going to get when you enter the Realm!

Lorenzo Dow Fuller, Jr. was a pioneer in the early days of television, but his parents were Pioneers in their own right. His father was a traveling …

When I was a kid growing up in the foothills of the Ozarks there wasn't a lot of excitement, but that changed the summer I turned nine. The filming of "Where The Red Fern Grows" had come to town with all the glitz and …

Nowadays a trip to the hardware store is a trip to a brightly colored big box. There was a time when such a trip was to a downtown shop full of …

Earlier in this season we met Hannah Pithers, a young personal trainer with a big health issue , Crohn's Disease, in "Hannah's Story: The Big Comeback." In the course of the interview, I learned that I had two great …

It was the edge of the United States, closer to Spanish territory than the nearest military installation of the United States. William Lovely had been placed as agent to the Cherokees in the West, tasked with ending the …

Will Rogers, Oklahoma’s favorite son, worked his way from failed rancher to Wild West show performer to the highest paid performer in Hollywood. His …

One of the most-heard comments at showings of his work by Indian artist Bobby C. Martin is "But you don't look Indian..." The theme of much of Bobby's work centers around the subject of Indian identity - in fact, his …

Someone has to keep the family stories alive...Are you the Keeper of the Stories? Listen in as host Steve Garrett discusses the importance of maintaining the family stories and tells one from his own family that was …

Check out the adventures of Courtney Ann Hall as she goes from novice songwriter to recording artist in the span of one year.

Val Anderson claims to be a quiet person who just wants to take pictures. She's pretty good at it and finds herself lending her talent to various groups, like Honor Flight Kansas City, a non-profit that provides a …

Just in time for Halloween! A story of a hunt for Bigfoot in the hills of Oklahoma with an excitable teenage boy and a reluctant local editor.

Emily was the quintessential Midwestern girl until she took a trip to Europe, met a guy, fell in love and got married. She now lives in a small village in the German countryside, but her adventurous spirit led her to …

Listen to Hannah's inspirational story. A young personal trainer who helped others get fit began having health issues of her own,,,and they kept getting worse! Her journey through dealing with Crohn's Disease and …

Emily has been participating in the Highland Games for longer than she didn't. For her it's a family tradition, but she's not leaving the accolades …

We interview a couple of Superfans of the CBS reality show Survivor, about their attachment to the show and what it has taught them.