Our Missouri Podcast

Sure, you think you know about the Ozarks. The home of Branson, the Baldknobbers, and the Beverly Hillbillies…right? Well, in this series, we'll talk about the Ozarks—a region covering roughly half of Missouri—as a cultural identity as well as a physical place. So, come along for a trip to the Ozarks. This episode focuses on Carthage resident Kate Franklin Newton and her efforts as president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) to commission a marble bust in honor of "Missouri's Great Heart," Clara C. Hoffman.

Sure, you think you know about the Ozarks. The home of Branson, the Baldknobbers, and the Beverly Hillbillies…right? Well, in this series, we'll talk about the Ozarks—a region covering roughly half of Missouri—as a cultural identity as well as a physical place. So, come along for a trip to the Ozarks. This episode features a conversation with Sara K. Eskridge about her new book, Rube Tube: CBS and Rural Comedy in the Sixties.

This episode focuses on the aftermath of the Moon Landing and how NASA tried to sustain support for the space program by taking key Apollo 11 artifacts on a cross-country tour.

Episode & Banner Image: Display of moon rocks collecting during NASA Apollo missions at the Missouri State Capitol, 2019 [Courtesy of Sean Rost]

This episode focuses on Walter Cronkite and his rise from a Kansas City Star paperboy to one of the most trusted figures in journalism, especially when it came to all things NASA. We'll also re-live—through the memories of residents across the state—the culmination of the space race and the first steps on the moon.

Episode Image: Print of American flag being planted on the moon, 1969 [Ruby Rose Stauber Photographs (SP0014), SHSMO]

This episode focuses on James S. McDonnell and the inner workings of McDonnell Aircraft during Project Mercury and Project Gemini.

Episode Image: President John F. Kennedy and James S. McDonnell, Jr. inspect a Project Gemini capsule, St. Louis, Missouri, 1962 [McDonnell Space Program in St. Louis Collection (S0759), SHSMO]

This episode focuses on an astronomer—Edwin Hubble—and a mathematician—Dorothy Vaughan—who grew up in Missouri, but later achieved international acclaim in their respective fields.

Episode Image: A group standing near a telescope, 1939 [Arthur Witman Photograph Collection (S0717), SHSMO]

Spring is here. The temperatures are warming up. The trees are green. The wildlife is out. And the state's highways and waterways are calling your name. For many, May marks the start of vacation season. And so, it's time to hit the road and talk about Rolla, Rotoscope, and Route 66. This episode features Katie Seale discussing the upcoming Ozark Pickin' Time Concert as well as some of the unique collections housed at the State Historical Society of Missouri's Rolla Research Center.