Best Crystal Ponti Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 34: The Government Program that Imprisoned "Promiscuous" Women 29:28

4+ y ago29:28

29:28

In the United States, the war against women took a particularly dark and secretive turn in the early 1900s—around the start of World War I. Under a government-sponsored “social hygiene” campaign, to protect newly recruited soldiers, tens of thousands of women were arrested on “suspicion” of having a venereal disease. Sex workers were the prime targ…

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Episode 33: This Influential Female Author and Anthropologist Blazed a Trail for Women 40:04

5y ago40:04

40:04

This trailblazer became the most successful and significant black woman writer of the first half of the 20th century. In the 1970s, during the second wave of feminism, Alice Walker helped revive interest in this pioneer’s writings, bringing them back to public attention. Have you ever heard of Zora Neale Hurston? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: It was a deep …

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Episode 32: This Strange Civil Disturbance Changed How Americans Study Medicine 42:21

5y ago42:21

42:21

In the US, doctors are held in high esteem. But that wasn’t always the case. There was time when the medical field was riddled with controversy and public scrutiny. Tensions between the world of medicine and society reached a boiling point in New York City during April of 1788, when resurrection, the common practice of grave robbing, came under scr…

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Episode 31: Before Modern Medicine, These Female Healers Cured What Ailed 33:51

5+ y ago33:51

33:51

In the days before modern medicine, the sick, injured, and expecting often relied on community healers to perform the services of doctors and midwives. Women largely fulfilled these roles. Whether their practices were rooted in scripture, nature, or common sense, there’s no denying their quintessential place in the history of medicine. Have you eve…

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Episode 30: The Mysterious Life and Supposed Murder of Vincent van Gogh 47:36

5+ y ago47:36

47:36

On July 27, 1890, a painter sustained a single gunshot wound to the abdomen and died a few days later. This infamous event has carried through time as a suicide. After his death, the deceased became one of history’s most iconic and celebrated artists. Yet, we are only now learning the truth about his life and untimely death. Have you ever heard of …

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Episode 29: All You've Needed to Know and Then Some Since 1818 23:06

5+ y ago23:06

23:06

Throughout history there have been countless methods for forecasting the weather. In 1818, David Young, a poet and an astronomer from Morristown, New Jersey, launched a publication that would help take the guesswork out of this tricky task...and then some. Have you ever heard of the Farmers’ Almanac? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: Peter Geiger, publisher and…

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Episode 28: A Doctor Claimed the Springs Could Cure in This Lost Missouri Town 26:18

5+ y ago26:18

26:18

Greene County, Missouri was once home to many bustling communities that slowly withered away. One town had quite an intriguing story. There it was said the springs could cure; that a bit of heaven had fallen to earth. A respected doctor even banked his future on the town’s medicinal wonders. Have you ever heard of the lost town of Bethesda? DOWNLOA…

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Episode 27: The Flying Santas Who Airdrop Christmas Cheer to America’s Lighthouse Keepers 18:16

5+ y ago18:16

18:16

In the 1920s, one aviation pioneer launched a thank-you project for the families that keep coastal ships safe. He propelled a goodwill tradition that’s lasted longer than he ever imagined. One that has lasted to this day… Have you ever heard of the Flying Santas? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: I’d like to give a huge thanks to the Friends of Flying Santa for…

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Episode 26: This Double-Crossing General Deceived America and Walked Away 37:54

5+ y ago37:54

37:54

After the Revolutionary War, at a pivotal moment when Washington and Spain were fighting for control of North America, one American war hero deflected from honor and signed a secret allegiance with Spain. President Theodore Roosevelt said, "In all our history, there is no more despicable character.” Have you ever heard of James Wilkinson? DOWNLOAD …

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Bonus Episode: A Thanksgiving Ghost Story 15:06

5+ y ago15:06

15:06

For years, on Thanksgiving, one former railroad worker from Pennsylvania told his family a chilling tale. Well, they thought it was a tale—a grandiose and macabre account almost certainly rooted in fiction. Yet, as the story traveled through generations, the family would discover that some ghosts lead to the truth; that some of our darkest secrets …

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Episode 25: Utah's Forgotten National Park is Rich in History and the Unexplained 56:27

5+ y ago56:27

56:27

In the heart of southeast Utah, water and gravity have sculpted one forgotten national park into a rugged landscape. Rich in human history and natural beauty, this vast and untamed terrain is also an epicenter of legend and lore. Have you ever heard of Canyonlands National Park? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: For this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking …

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Bonus Halloween Episode: A New England Ghost Story 16:00

5+ y ago16:00

16:00

“So full of artless jealousy is guilt, it spills itself in fearing to be spilt,” wrote Shakespeare in his famous play Hamlet. Perhaps, in the spectrum of human emotions, there is no deeper feeling than guilt. This strong emotional reaction manifests when we believe—or when we come to realize—that we’ve done something wrong or violated some universa…

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Episode 24: Decades Before Lizzie Borden Gained Notoriety, This Woman was Dubbed the "Witch of Staten Island" 33:26

5+ y ago33:26

33:26

On Christmas night in 1843, a horrific crime rattled Staten Island. Within days, suspicion attached itself to one woman. Decades before Lizzie Borden gained notoriety, this young woman was accused of a horrific crime and dubbed the "Witch of Staten Island." Have you ever heard of Polly Bodine? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: For this episode, I had the pleasu…

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Episode 23: Before Chatty Cathy, Edison Gave Us the Ultimate Creepy Doll 53:53

5+ y ago53:53

53:53

Before Chatty Cathy made us flinch, the Wizard of Menlo Park not only perfected the lightbulb, he also gave us a creepy humanoid with a nightmarish shrill. Have you ever heard of Thomas Edison’s talking dolls? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: For this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Israel, the director and general editor of the Thomas A. Edi…

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Episode 22: Black Wall Street was Obliterated During 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre 1:12:11

5+ y ago1:12:11

1:12:11

In 1921, a white mob entered an affluent district known as Black Wall Street. They opened fire into crowds of innocent people, burned homes and businesses to the ground, and forced countless others to flee. For decades, the attack was hidden from textbooks and even oral histories. Have you ever heard of the Tulsa Race Massacre? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit:…

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Episode 21: Dracula's Best Friend was a Fierce Warrior with an Impressive Library 1:00:31

5+ y ago1:00:31

1:00:31

In the Late Middle Ages, the Kingdom of Hungary rose from the ashes, leaving behind a dismal episode in Hungarian history. The mid-15th century soon marked the nation’s Golden Age. At the height of its prosperity, a revered ruler, hailed the Raven King, commanded an eminent presence on the European stage. But, in the end, it wasn’t his conquests or…

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Episode 20: A Great Molasses Flood Swept Through Boston in 1919 49:31

6y ago49:31

49:31

Slow as molasses in January is a common American idiom for something that is painfully slow. The history of this expression dates to the turn of the twentieth century and to one very specific event. On an unseasonably warm winter day in 1919, only a few weeks into the new year, Boston, Massachusetts suffered one of history's strangest disasters. Ha…

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Episode 19: These Events of 1811 and 1812 Caused Series of Strange Phenomena 37:04

6y ago37:04

37:04

A series of unexpected events in 1811 and 1812 caused some strange phenomena and gave birth to countless legends. Sand volcanoes. The Mississippi running backward. Miles-long chasms opening in the earth. But only some of these weird occurrences are the truth. Have you ever heard of the New Madrid earthquakes? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: For this episode, …

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Episode 18: The Myth of Maine's Red Paint People 44:18

6y ago44:18

44:18

In 1892, Charles C. Willoughby became the first archaeologist to excavate sites in Maine that contained powdered red ochre and artifacts in clusters that he interpreted as graves. His discovery led to an assumption that would later be proven wrong. Have you ever heard of the myth of the Red Paint People? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: For this episode, I had…

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Episode 17: This Great Warrior Escaped Slavery and Established America's First Free Black Community 54:44

6y ago54:44

54:44

More than a century before the United States was even formed, some African slaves escaped forced servitude and formed the first free black community in the nation. The enclave was founded and led by an extraordinary military commander who has never received proper acknowledgment in history books. He gave the lost hope, the fledgling refuge, and the…

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Episode 16: Unsuspecting Men were "Shanghaied" Through Port Townsend's Secret Underground 1:00:41

6y ago1:00:41

1:00:41

At the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the number of skilled and unskilled sailors needed to staff sea-going vessels fell short. Innocent men were forced to serve as seamen under conditions that were little better than serfdom. This cunning practice happened through a secret underground in one part of the Pacific northwest. Hav…

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Episode 15: This Road-Trippin' Housewife Became First Woman to Drive Across U.S. 48:04

6y ago48:04

48:04

On June 9, 1909, as rained poured down on New York City, a young, poncho-cloaked woman got behind the wheel of a touring car that was a bit tricky to maneuver. Back then, paved roads were far and few between, and there was no air conditioning or roadside service to save the day. But these minor technicalities didn’t stop this fearless adventurer fr…

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Episode 14: The Dark Legend of the Devil's Bible 33:49

6y ago33:49

33:49

Centuries before the devil reached mainstream popularity, at a time when he was eternally feared and considered a looming threat on humanity, he made a strange appearance in a remarkable book. Have you ever heard of the Devil’s Bible? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: For this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Hugh Houghton, a professor of New Te…

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Episode 13: A Hidden World Runs Rampant Under St. Louis 48:36

6y ago48:36

48:36

There’s a hidden world running rampant under the streets of St. Louis. Buried deep within the earth, it’s so secret even residents of the Gateway City have no idea it exists. Carved by Mother Nature, this majestic limestone wonderland has provided shelter to Native Americans and Civil War soldiers, helped the brewing industry prosper, and allowed m…

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Episode 12: The Forgotten "Downwinders" of America's Nuclear Testing Program 1:02:23

6y ago1:02:23

1:02:23

The United States conducted its last nuclear test on September 23, 1992 at the Nevada Test Site, just 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. By official count, more than one thousand tests were performed between 1945 and 1992. History depicts these tests as having taken place in the center of a vast, uninhabited plain. But as explosions filled the skylin…

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Episode 11: Funeral Games Were Once an Olympics-Style Celebration of Death 40:05

6y ago40:05

40:05

Death is a topic that makes most of us uncomfortable. But back in ancient times, some civilizations not only embraced death, they honored the recently deceased with athletic competitions and contests. Have you ever heard of the funeral games? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: I’d like to give a special thanks to Dave Lunt, a history professor at Southern Utah U…

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Episode 10: In 1648, this Trailblazing Feminist Demanded Her Right to Vote 35:54

6y ago35:54

35:54

Outside of the home, Colonial America was a man’s world. Women were mostly excluded from power in the church and could not take part in town meetings, which meant they could not vote. But one woman defied the norms. Have you ever heard of Margaret Brent? DOWNLOAD NOW Credit: A huge thanks to Dr. Henry Miller, historical archaeologist and Director o…

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Episode 9: Fifty Years Before the Salem Trials, Colonists Executed This Accused Witch 52:35

6y ago52:35

52:35

Although the origin of witchcraft remains unknown, from a colonial perspective it was carried to the New World from England. The colony's English settlers brought with them a strong belief in Satan’s power and a deep hostility toward those who did not strictly conform to the community’s harsh social and personal norms. While Salem, Massachusetts of…

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Episode 8: A Mysterious Underwater Graveyard Lies at the Bottom of Florida's Lake Okeechobee 31:48

6y ago31:48

31:48

Lake Okeechobee, also known as Florida's Inland Sea, or as the locals like to call it, Lake O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida and the third largest freshwater lake wholly within the country. Resting at the northern edge of the Everglades and rimming the western edge of Palm Beach County, the lake is a remnant of the prehisto…

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Episode 7: If the Bermuda Triangle is a Mystery, the Bridgewater Triangle is an Epic Conundrum of the Unexplained 47:30

6+ y ago47:30

47:30

Just 30 miles south of Boston lies the mysterious "Bridgewater Triangle," a 200-square mile "vortex" that has been rumored to be both haunted and cursed. Although skeptics shrug off the unexplainable, the bloody and disturbing history of this part of Massachusetts might make you question what’s real and what’s false. Have you ever heard of the Brid…

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Episode 6: Meet the Notorious, Yet Politically Significant, Black and Native American Outlaws Omitted from Old West History 56:26

6+ y ago56:26

56:26

While the ballads of gun-slinging outlaws like Jesse James and Billy the Kid play on, there’s another Old West gang that has been largely forgotten. This group of young boys – black, Native American, or of mixed-race – emerged from the shadows in a politically charged, yet severely flawed, rebellion. Have you ever heard of the Rufus Buck Gang? DOWN…

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Episode 5: About that Time Kissing Was Outlawed in Canoes on Boston’s Charles River 42:03

6+ y ago42:03

42:03

Long before Fats Domino found his thrill on Blueberry Hill or making out in the backseat of a station wagon on Lover’s Lane was hip, young couples took to the water. But they weren’t out there for a midnight swim. They didn’t make a splash or even get wet. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, canoes provided a private escape. Canoodling went on for y…

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Episode 4: Vermont’s Legendary Wampahoofus Circled the Green Mountains Long Before Bigfoot or Yeti 40:18

6+ y ago40:18

40:18

Deep in the Green Mountains of Vermont, history runs as rich as the pristine waters that ebb and flow between the rocky peaks. Many stories have originated from within this lush countryside. Some accounts are true. Others came to life in the imaginations of restless souls. Long before Bigfoot and Yeti became well-known in Western popular culture, a…

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Episode 3: World War II’s Rumor Clinics Dispelled the Scuttlebutt and Tale Tales 35:10

6+ y ago35:10

35:10

Rumors, like most forms of gossip, are usually rooted in half-truths and outright falsities. Yet, during World War II, these insatiable tidbits of hearsay threatened to undermine civilian morale and even cause unrest within the military community when they nearly spiraled out of control. A network of “morale wardens” tracked down the latest scuttle…

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Episode 2: Step Inside Madam Fan Jones' Bawdy Blue House of 19th Century Pleasure 39:42

6+ y ago39:42

39:42

There was once a stretch of land so wicked and rowdy, it became known as the Devil’s Half Acre of Bangor, Maine. Historians affectionately refer to this legendary destination of merriment and mayhem as Satan’s playground – a place where loggers, sailors, and other workingmen gathered to spend their hard-earned cash on whiskey and women. When Maine …

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Episode 1: The Former Slave Who Became an Executioner 31:52

6+ y ago31:52

31:52

Death is a part of life that makes most of us… uncomfortable. But there are many faces of death – some more troubling than others. Take, for example, executions. Imagine being the individual tasked with the job of death. Right or wrong, however moral or unjust, the history of execution dates to the earliest footprints of time. One of the most unusu…

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Coming Soon: Historium Unearthia 4:10

6+ y ago4:10

4:10

Freelance journalist and lifelong history sleuth, Crystal Ponti, introduces Historium Unearthia - a podcast celebrating history's lost and untold stories… the ones overshadowed by the more memorable and talked about events, people, and "things" from our past. But these are no ordinary stories. These are the weird, the macabre, the unbelievable. The…

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Crystal Ponti Podcasts

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