Shows / Strange Country
Strange Country
Welcome to Strange Country, a podcast devoted to bizarre, surreal and extraordinary stories that make America the weird place it is. Co-hosts Kelly and Beth are former newspaper reporters turned school librarians who have always had a soft spot for a good story--the stranger the better. Discover the first woman to survive a barrel ride over Niagara Falls and the man who invented "complex marriage" in one of the most successful utopian experiments. Things get weird pretty quickly around here.
Episodes
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 200: Sante Kimes
Strange County episode 200, everybody! That means, you've likely wasted 199 hours of your life. Why not waste an hour more with today's story of Sante Kimes, a…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 199: Tania Head
Tania Head told others she was on the 78th floor sky lobby when a plane crashed through the windows, nearly killing everyone on impact. Head said she made it…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 198: Fannie Lou Hamer
Britney Spears conservatorship got Kelly and Beth thinking about the ways society tries to clamp down on women's bodies. Because of Kelly's feeblemindedness…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 197: Passing
From slavery through the Civil Rights Movement, passing was one means of avoiding the inequities and injustices of being Black in America. Strange Country…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 196: Ellen and William Craft
Ellen and William Craft, both born into slavery, came up with an ingenious plan to win their freedom in 1848. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 195: Leona Chalmers
Join Beth and Kelly this week as they discuss the best way to smell like a flower…It's our best advice yet. Learn about how women have gone from wool to cotton…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 194: Emperor Norton I
Sometimes you just need to make an announcement in the newspaper declaring yourself Emperor of the U.S. especially if other people don't realize it. That's…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 193: Poppies
Well Dash Hounds you have lovingly stuck with us through one of the shittiest times in history and listened to our tin-can audio, but not today! Beth and Kelly…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 192: Tri-State Crematory
The only two things that are inevitable are death and Strange Country winning all the awards. So with that said, what are your plans? Strange Country co-hosts…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 191: War of the Worlds
On Oct. 30, 1938, Orson Welles broadcast a radio play version of HG Wells War of the Worlds. People didn't realize it wasn't a news broadcast, and mass panic…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 190: Cline Falls Ax Attack
In late June 1977, two Yale students decided to trek across the country following the Bicentennial Path. Only a week in, their trip was cut short when a man…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.189: Bonnie Lee Bakley
Time to reconsider your job and look to marrying someone famous. Or not. Instead you can listen to the sad story about a con woman known by many names, but…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.188: H.H. Holmes
H.H. Holmes carries the distinction of being America's first serial killer, possibly having murder between 20 to 200 people. But like most legends, things…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 187: Minnie Cox
Kelly and Beth have missed you Dear Dash Hounds, but we are back! In this episode you will learn the important story of Minnie Cox, an African American…
Strange CountryStrange Country Epi.186: Julie Monson and Jane Britton
What is about unsolved murders that stay with us? In particular why does the true crime genre skew female? In this episode of Strange Country, co-hosts Beth…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 185: Attempted Coup of Dominica
It is so close to spring break that Kelly and Beth thought a little story about rum, cocaine, and a beautiful Caribbean Island would be timely. Thinking of…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 184: Anthony Gignac
For decades, Anthony Gignac pretended to be Saudi royalty, racking up hotel bills, department store charges, and even swindling Syracuse University out of…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 183: Bobby Dunbar
In 1912, four-year-old Bobby Dunbar went missing on a family vacation only to turn up nine months later in nearby Mississippi. Or did he? Strange Country…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.182: Martha Mitchell
Women have been labeled crazy in an effort to shut them up. In the 1970s, the label stuck to Martha Mitchell. Martha's husband John Mitchell headed up Nixon's…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 181: Eartha Kitt
Kelly and Beth speak our truth each week on Strange Country and it feels so good. It may take us a while, meandering through details of our lives as mothers…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 180: Georgia Guidestones
If you could leave instructions for the survivors of the apocalypse, what would you say? If you need some suggestions, you could always look to the Georgia…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.179: Body Snatchers
In the days before the board game Operation or Play Doh's dentist head, doctors needed something to hone their knowledge of the human anatomy. So they hired…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 178: Woman's Commonweatlh of Belton
Readers and Dash Hounds we are into 2021 and still here as Americans, as women, friends, and your loving weekly podcasters! This week's show highlights the…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 177: Qanon
If you ever encountered someone who told you to "do the research" after that person posted something beyond delusional then you're likely communicating with…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 176: On the Edge
Readers we are reeling, as you probably are, after watching events at our nation's Capitol. So bear with Beth and Kelly because it will take a little time and…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 175: Orgone Energy
Get out your cloudbuster and strap into your orgone accumulator because it's time to talk about the sexual electricity that courses through the sky…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 174: Love Has Won
Don't give up hope! That is the tagline for 2021 and the intention of lovehaswon- a religion that is really a tax-exempt cult currently operating and looking…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep 173: War on Christmas
You better deck the halls with boughs of barbed wire because we are in the midst of war, dash hounds. Trees are being maligned as "holiday trees" and to-go…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.172: 1898 Wilmington Coup
What is about losers and coups? While we battle our current takedown of democracy, residents of Wilmington, N.C, dealt with the real thing in 1898. Angry over…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 171: Teddy's Pet Menagerie
Strange Country Readers: always and forever you know we are here for you, especially in this time of universal sadness. But sadly you cannot pet us. Actually…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 170: Facilitated Communication
In the early '90s, facilitated communication was the big breakthrough. It was finally a way for nonverbal people to communicate their innermost thoughts while…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.169: Mollie Fancher
Happy Turkey Lurkey Day Dash Hounds! Beth and Kelly hope you are just as miserable as they are eating your meal alone in a closet this Covidsgiving. Or not at…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.168: Anthony Godby Johnson
Hey Dash Hounds, it might be helpful to grab a pen, some paper, some alcohol as Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly take you on the winding, confusing tale…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 167: Project Fantasia
In ep. 167 of Strange Country, we learn the answer to: What does the fox say? Well, not really, but cohosts Beth and Kelly talk about the Office of Strategic…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 166: Vampire Cult Killings
This Strange Country episode doesn't suck. And that is the solid comedy gold to expect as you listen to Beth and Kelly try not to talk about the election that…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 165: Spooky Stacks
In today's episode, Strange Country cohosts Beth and Kelly unmask Melvil "John" Dewey, question whether or not they are actually ghosts making a ghost podcast…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 164: Slender Man
Slender Man was a boogyman birthed on the Internet. It was a crowd-sourced story, brought to life by wikis and youtube. But two 12-year-old girls took the…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 163: The Crescent and The Cecil hotels
Many hotels boast their ghosts, but for these two hotels, reality is scarier than the supernatural. Join Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly as they talk…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 162: Witches Bitches
Something is brewing this October, and it is Kelly and Beth getting witchy--or not. The reality is, Beth does not fully believe in witches. Kelly is on the…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep 161: Patriotic Education
Get out your flag and wrap yourself in it because it's time for a little patriotic education. Donald Trump's desire to rewrite history is just a rehash of the…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.160: Surviving a Pandemic
Heya there Dear Dash Hounds. Are you taking your daily dose of bleach? If you paused on that suggestion on how to survive this terrible pandemic of 2020, you…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 159: Minik Wallace
You know how things are terrible? Well this should give you comfort--things have always been terrible. Settle in, dear dash hounds, as Beth and Kelly share the…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 158: Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart's disappearance is one of the greatest mysteries of the century. Listen today Dash Hounds as Beth and Kelly dive into who this tousled-hair…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep 157: John Murray Spear
You may not have heard of John Murray Spear, but he ran with cool kids like Frederick Douglass and Victoria Woodhull, preaching for equality and against…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.156: Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping
It's hard to imagine a more beloved figure than Charles Lindbergh (pre-1939) so when his baby was kidnapped, it was like everybody's baby had been abducted…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.155: Word of Faith Fellowship
Are you inflicted by a Strange Country demon? If so, this episode will provide the cure you need, a cure as beautiful as a hot dog stuck into a clam. Strange…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 154: J. Marion Sims
Dear Readers and Dashhounds, if you have ever suffered from VVF, we are so very sorry and are thankful you live in this Er-ah. But the history that led up to…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.153: Kentucky Meat Shower
Hold on, chicken littles, the sky isn't falling. It's just some pieces of meat. Wait--what? In 1876, pieces of beef fell from the Kentucky sky leaving some to…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.152: John Todd
Listen up, dear dash hounds, your reptilian overlords Beth and Kelly have an odd tale about the Illuminati, witchcraft, the apocalypse, and eternal damnation…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 151: Wanda Holloway
Sometimes we are so invested in our children's lives that we don't make the best choices. Like, say, listen to Betsy DeVos about reopening schools normally…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.150: Synanon
If you're like us, you likely never heard of Synanon, but its tactics live on in "tough-love" drug rehabilitation programs. Synanon was founded in 1958 by…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 149: Annie Londonberry
Are you feeling a little trapped in your life these days? Surprisingly, Kelly and Beth are as well because masks and limited travel are your best bet at…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.148: Eugenics, Part II
One way to get rid of people was to petition to have them declared feeble-minded and locked away. That's what happened to 17-year-old Carrie Buck in 1924…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 147: Eugenics, Part I
Not too long ago, America's elite thought they could stamp out the bad genes by closing our borders and sterilizing some people. This was the era--Er-ahh--of…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 146: Legionnaires Disease
As if it returning to work during a pandemic isn't worrisome enough, your building may be teeming with Legionella bacteria due to the stagnant water. Strange…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 145: Emmett Till
Well Dash Hounds, it just keeps happening. We think maybe telling the stories of the past each week will enlighten us to become better humans. But really our…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 144: Shark Attacks of 1916
As beaches open up for the summer, remember there's more than COVID-19 to worry about. No, actually, that should be the main thing to worry about. Oh and sun…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 143: Sidney Gottlieb
Is this a giant CIA experiment where we've all been dosed with a substance to make us think there's a pandemic? Sadly no, but in the 1950s, in an attempt to…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep. 142: The Cutter Incident
This week we will scare the shit out of you. Ah Dash Hounds, if our stories of strange, ghostly things never made your shoulder hair stand up, how about the…
Strange CountryStrange Country Ep.141: Don't Drink Bleach
Don't drink bleach. That seems obvious like along the lines of don't go swimming when there's lightning or run for president when you have no interest in…