We discuss how mini-golf started because women weren't allowed to play regular golf, the miniature golf boom during the Great Depression, and how mini-golf got its's bad-boy reputation. Support America The Bizarre: https://www.patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: “How Did Sports Begin? A Look At The Origins Of Man At Play” by Rudolph Brasch “Club History” by St. Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club “The Origin of Miniature Golf and ‘Thistle Dhu’” by Chris Boznos “Birthplace of Miniature Golf in Chatta...
Jan 16, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Fritz Kuhn created and led the German American Bund, using Nazi symbology and methods to form his political party in the United States. On February 20, 1939, Kuhn and 22,000 Bund members held a Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden. Night At The Garden: https://anightatthegarden.com/ Support: https://www.patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: “Total Espionage” by Curt Riess “The Pledge of Allegiance” an article on USHistory.org “When Nazis Filled Madison Square Garden” by Gordon F. Sander “America...
Jan 09, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 14
We discuss Dr. Lytle S. Adams, a dentist and part-time inventor that was inspired by his New Mexico vacation to use bats in his revenge plot against Japan for Pearl Harbor. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: “Bat Bomb: World War II’s Other Secret Weapon” by Jack Couffer “Old, Weird Tech: The Bat Bombs of World War II” by Alexis C. Madrigal “’Bat Bombs’: WWII’s Project X-Ray” by Allan T. Duffin “The Bat Bombers” by C.V. Glines “A Batman to the Rescue” by Dr. Patrick ...
Jan 02, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 13
We discuss the origins of snake oil, how it was brought to America by Chinese Immigrants in the 1800's, and then how snake oil tradesmen created their own concoctions. Support: https://www.patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: “Chinese in the Post-Civil War South: A People Without History” by Lucy M. Cohen “The Chinese-American Heritage” by David M. Brownstone “The Use of Black Powder Nitroglycerine on the Transcontinental Railroad” from the Transcontinental Railroad resources from the Linda Ha...
Dec 26, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Jordan and Jeremy discuss the history of West Point and what happened when the cadets couldn't hold their egg nog. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: “When Eggnog Sparked a Riot at West Point” by Christopher Klein “A Brief History of West Point” by the United States Military Academy “Egg Nog: It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone Starts a Holiday Riot” by Natasha Geiling “The Eggnog Riot” by Michelle Legro “The Eggnog Riot” by Carol S. Funck “U.S. Military Academy Es...
Dec 19, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 11
We talk about the history of how alcatraz went from just and island, to a military prison, to a federal prison, and then a cultural center for native americans that established an occupation on the island. Support: https://www.patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: “Alcatraz Origins” by the Federal Bureau of Prisons “The Rock” Volume I by the Improvement Fund, Pacific Branch United States Disciplinary Barracks “Alcatraz-World War II in the San Francisco Bay Area: A National Register of Historic ...
Dec 12, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Jordan and Jeremy discuss the Honey War, the civil war between the state of Missouri and the territory of Iowa, all because a surveyor got a little sloppy while determining the border between the two. Support: https://www.patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: “The Honey War” by Craig Hill “One Sloppy Land Surveyor Almost Caused a War Between Missouri and Iowa” by Sarah Laskow “What Are The Differences Between True North, Grid North, and Magnetic North?” by John Miaschi “The History of Missouri”...
Dec 05, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Happy Thanksgiving! Welcome to our first Thanksgiving episode. This week, Jordan and Jeremy talk about the history of the presidential turkey pardon and Rebecca, the raccoon that President Calvin Coolidge pardoned from his Thanksgiving table. Support: https://www.patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: "Where Pardoned Turkeys Go To Die” by Dan Merica “The Thanksgiving Raccoon That Became A Presidential pet” by Christopher Klein “The Turkey: An American Story” by Andrew F. Smith “Calvin Coolidge R...
Nov 28, 2019•28 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Warren G. Harding is consistently rated as one of America's worst presidents. Why? Jordan and Jeremy discuss Harding's life including presidential scandals and his many, many affairs. Support us at: https://www.patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: “A President of the Peephole” by Carl Sferrazza Anthony “The Most Scandalous President” by Carl Sferrazza Anthony “Warren G. Harding” by John W. Dean “The Strange Death of Warren G. Harding” by Dr. Howard Markel “The Ohio Gang” by Tom Lutz “Hidden Hi...
Nov 21, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Jordan and Jeremy Rausch talk about when the Baltimore Colts left Baltimore under the cover of night and became the Indianapolis Colts the next morning. Support the Podcast: Patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: "The Birth of the National Football League" by Christopher Klein "The NFL-AFL Merger and the Birth of the Super Bowl" by Jim Weathersby "Kiss 'em Goodbye: An ESPN Treasury of Failed, Forgotten, and Departed Teams" by Dennis Purdy "A Mad, Mad, Mad Super Bowl" by Bill McGrane "Colts Win '...
Nov 14, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Jordan Rausch describes the time that America tried to both bomb the moon and then store nuclear weapons on the moon. Support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: “This is the Story of How America Once Thought About Nuking the Moon” by Robin Andrews The Unclassified Project Horizon Report by the United States Army HistoryChannel.com article “The Space Race” NASA’s website article “Brief History of Rockets” “Hidden History: Project Horizon, the American Military Base ...
Nov 07, 2019•44 min•Season 1Ep. 5
With an impeachment inquiry ongoing and the length of Trump's presidency in question, we ask ourselves, what would a Mike Pence presidency look like? This week, we dive into Pence's life and imagine what an America under President Pence might be like. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/americathebizarre Sources: “Mike Pence: Everything You Need to Know” by Ines De La Cuetara and Chris Good “Trump’s VP: 11 Things to Know About Mike Pence” by the Indy Star “God’s Plan for Mike Pence” by McKay C...
Oct 31, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 4
The modern Olympics started in 1896 and St. Louis held the third Olympic games in 1904 concurrently with the World Fair and it was a hot mess. Sources: “Much Wenlock” by Ben Johnson “8 Unusual Facts about the 1904 St. Louis Olympics” by Evan Andrews Britannica “St. Louis 1904 Olympic Games” “Remembering the Anthropology Days at the 1904 Olympics” by Nate Dimeo “The 1904 Olympic Marathon May Have Been the Strangest Ever” by Karen Abbott
Oct 24, 2019•44 min•Season 1Ep. 3
What would you say is one of the most polarizing political conversations of today? Climate change?Abortion? The wall? “The Wall” has been a major talking point for President Trump and one of his favorite go-to chants at rallies. Trump most recently made headlines for diverting billions of dollars intended for military construction projects in order to finance this wall. But Americans didn’t always care so much about Mexicans crossing the border. Both sides used to cross willy nilly without much ...
Oct 24, 2019•22 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Jordan Rausch explores the history of JFK and his white house drug dealer Dr. Max Jacobson aka Dr. Feelgood. JFK grew up sickly and in pain. By the time that he was campaigning for president, he could barely manage the fatigue and muscle pain that plagued him daily. Dr. Max Jacobson offers JFK a mysterious drug concoction. The Secret Service and Robert Kennedy are very suspicious of Jacobson, but JFK keeps him close by in case the need of another shot arrives. Sources: The New York Post "The Ken...
Sep 06, 2019•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1
