• 1 hour 45 minutes
    102: I've Got A Bridge To Sell You

    George C. Parker was an infamous con man. He sold the Brooklyn Bridge countless times. He sold Ulysses S. Grant’s tomb. He sold Madison Square Garden. He sold the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He even sold the Statue of Liberty! Most often, the victims of his schemes were new immigrants who didn’t speak English and were unfamiliar with America’s public property laws. 

    …but… was George C. Parker truly the prolific scammer he claimed to be? The internet sure thinks so! Normie C begs to differ.

    Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: 

    Asbury Park Press. “Capt. Parker Held For Extradition.” June 30, 1928.

    Asbury Park Press. “Parker, Famous ‘Seller,’ Seized Here, Gets Life.” December 18, 1928.

    Asbury Park Press. “Parker, Noted Confidence Man, Is Arrested Here.” June 29, 1928.

    Brooklyn Daily Times. “Famous ‘Con’ Man Starts as ‘Lifer.’” November 23, 1928.

    Brooklyn Daily Times. “Smartest Bunco Salesman Faces Life Term If Convicted.” July 8, 1928.

    Brooklyn Eagle. “Albert Murch Dies.” August 11, 1931.

    Brooklyn Eagle. “Brooklyn Bridge’s ‘Seller’ Sent to Sing Sing For Life.” November 23, 1928.

    Brown, Peter Jensen. “Bridges, Bunco and Basso - a Gullible History of Selling the Brooklyn Bridge.” Early Sports and Pop Culture History Blog, October 1, 2020. https://esnpc.blogspot.com/2020/10/bridges-bunco-and-basso-gullible.html.

    Cohen, Gabriel. “For You, Half Price - The New York Times.” The New York Times, November 27, 2005. https://archive.is/5GeA4.

    Courier-Post. “Bunco Prince Faces Life For $150 Deal.” July 9, 1928.

    Daily News. “Con Man Uses Love Notes To Gag Dupes.” July 8, 1928.

    Detroit Free Press. “Selling Brooklyn Bridge.” November 23, 1928.

    Ellery Queen Magazine. “Stranger Than Fiction.” November 2022. https://www.elleryqueenmysterymagazine.com/the-crime-scene/stranger-than-fiction-november-2022/.

    Find a Grave. “‘Capt.’ George C. Parker (1860-1937).” https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229047420/george_c-parker.

    HISTORY, dir. Modern Marvels: Building the Brooklyn Bridge (S2, E20) | Full Episode | History. Modern Marvels. 2023. 46:00. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I-JFnbJ19U.

    HowStuffWorks. “Meet the Conman Who Sold the Brooklyn Bridge — Many Times Over.” July 26, 2022. https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/conman-sold-brooklyn-bridge.htm.

    IrishCentral.Com. “The Man Who ‘Sold’ The Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and Ulysses Grant’s Tomb.” February 25, 2026. https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/man-sold-brooklyn-bridge-statue-of-liberty.

    Lincoln Journal Star. “Bridge ‘Seller’ Is Caught in Law’s Net.” December 11, 1928.

    Marysville Journal-Tribune. “Man Who ‘Sold’ Brooklyn Bridge Again in Jail; Other Old-Time Crooks Come to Grief In New York.” December 1, 1928.

    Mimi Matthews. “The 19th Century Confidence Man.” June 20, 2016. https://www.mimimatthews.com/2016/06/20/the-19th-century-confidence-man/.

    Minium, Alice. “The Untold Truth Of 19th-Century Conman George C. Parker.” Grunge, April 4, 2022. https://www.grunge.com/820192/the-untold-truth-of-19th-century-conman-george-c-parker/.

    Naked History. “The Man Who Sold the Brooklyn Bridge.” https://web.archive.org/web/20190718114933/https://www.historynaked.com/man-sold-brooklyn-bridge/.

    NYC Walks. “The Brooklyn Bridge — ‘If You Believe That, I Have a Bridge in Brooklyn to Sell to You.’” https://nycwalks.com/blog/the-brooklyn-bridge-if-you-believe-that-i-have-a-bridge-in-brooklyn-to-sell-to-you/.

    Racing Nellie Bly. “Con Artist George Parker Sold Brooklyn Bridge And Famous Monuments.” Accessed April 24, 2026. https://racingnelliebly.com/strange_times/con-artist-george-parker-sold-brooklyn-bridge/.

    Sifakis, Carl. Hoaxes and Scams: A Compendium of Deceptions, Ruses, and Swindles. Facts on File, 1993.

    “Sing Sing Prison Admission Registers, 1865-1939.” n.d. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8922/.

    The Brooklyn Citizen. “Man, Suing State, Charged With Forging Contracts.” September 18, 1930.

    The Brooklyn Citizen. “News of the Day.” July 18, 1892.

    The Brooklyn Citizen. “Nothing Heard of Criminal Who Skipped Jail.” January 3, 1906.

    The Brooklyn Citizen. “Old Offender Once Again in Toils of Law.” July 7, 1928.

    The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. “Once Sold Brooklyn Bridge And Lots in City Hall Park, Rest of Life May Be In Jail.” July 8, 1928.

    The Brooklyn Daily Times. “Roamer, 58, Is Given Life For Forgery.” December 17, 1928.

    The Houston Post. “Selling Brooklyn Bridge.” December 26, 1928.

    The Mayfield Messenger. “Con Man Who ‘Sold’ Brooklyn Bridge Gets Life in Prison.” December 18, 1928.

    The Miami Herald. “Dean of Slickers Given Life Term.” December 18, 1928.

    The News Journal. “Former Resident of Shore Gets Life Term.” December 18, 1928.

    The Saginaw News. “His Wasted Sales Talent.” July 10, 1928.

    The Washington Post. “Life for Brooklyn Bridge Swindler.” December 18, 1928.

    Times Union. “Big Claimant Against State Recognized by Judge Conway.” September 18, 1930.

    Times Union. “Lifer Recalls Nervy Escape.” November 23, 1928.

    Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

    6 May 2026, 11:30 am
  • 1 hour 22 minutes
    101: How a Prolific Black Inventor Hid his Race

    Garrett Morgan was a prolific inventor. He invented the gas mask. The three-way traffic light. The self-extinguishing cigarette. He even created a hair care line. But, as a Black man, he had to be creative in how he presented his inventions to the public. He knew that some people would refuse to buy his invention if they discovered that it had been invented by a Black man.

    So? Sometimes he hired white actors to play the role of Garrett Morgan. Sometimes he posed as his own assistant. In short, he did what he had to do to get people to take his inventions seriously.

    Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: 
    “Overcoming discrimination by consumers during the age of segregation: The example of Garrett Morgan,” by Lisa D. Cook for Business History Review 
    “Guardian of the public safety: Garrett A. Morgan and the Lake Erie Crib Disaster” by William M King for the Journal of Negro History
    “Garrett Morgan,” National Inventors Hall of Fame
    “Garrett Morgan,” Encyclopedia.com
    “Of courage and caution,” United States Patent and Trademark Office
    “Black inventor Garrett Morgan saved countless lives with gas mask and improved traffic lights,” Scientific American
    “Gas mask inventor dim memory here,” by Jim Strang for The Plain Dealer
    “Wakeman Country Club” Green Book Cleveland
    “Garrett Morgan,” Biography.com

    Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

    29 April 2026, 11:30 am
  • 1 hour 22 minutes
    100: Universal Sues Nintendo (Part 2)

    Nintendo couldn’t believe their luck. Their latest arcade game, Donkey Kong, had become a surprise hit. But then Universal, one of the largest media companies in the world, came knocking. They claimed that Donkey Kong infringed on their King Kong trademark. Even worse? They were ready to go to war.

    Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

    Audureau, William. The History of Mario. Pix’n Love, 2014.

    Internet Archive. “Universal v. Nintendo Court Documents.” 2026. https://archive.org/details/universal-v-nintendo-court-documents.

    Sheff, David. Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children. Random House, Inc., 1993.

    Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

    22 April 2026, 11:30 am
  • 1 hour 18 minutes
    99: The Story of Donkey Kong (Part 1)

    Nintendo was in trouble. It was 1980, and they’d just poured a ton of money into an arcade game they’d hoped would be a hit. They called it Radar Scope. It was a massive flop. In a panic, the company rushed to create a new game that they hoped would make good use out of all their unsold Radar Scope arcade cabinets. That game – Donkey Kong – took the world by storm.

    Nintendo basked in the success of their new game. They had no idea that a massive lawsuit was headed their way.

    Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

    Audureau, William. The History of Mario. Pix’n Love, 2014.

    Internet Archive. “Universal v. Nintendo Court Documents.” 2026. https://archive.org/details/universal-v-nintendo-court-documents.

    Sheff, David. Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children. Random House, Inc., 1993.

    Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

    15 April 2026, 12:12 pm
  • 1 hour 31 minutes
    98: Hachi: The Most Loyal Dog

    Hachi was just a puppy when he was adopted by a professor at Tokyo Imperial University. The two bonded instantly. Every day, Hachi greeted Professor Hidesaburo Ueno at the Shibuya Train Station as he came home from work. The pair would walk home together. But when the professor suddenly died, Hachi’s loyalty didn’t. For years, Hachi still went to the train station, waiting for the professor to return.

    Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

    Fritz, Robb. “History’s a Bitch: A Dog Walk Through Time: Wait for Me.” McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, February 7, 2012. https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/wait-for-me.

    Itoh, Mayumi. Hachi: The Truth of The Life and Legend of the Most Famous Dog in Japan. Self Published, 2013.

    MC. “Hachiko’s Droopy Ear.” The House of Two Bows, March 3, 2011. https://shibasenji.wordpress.com/tag/saito-hirokichi/.

    Perkins School for the Blind. “Helen Keller: A Life with Dogs.” June 24, 2016. https://www.perkins.org/helen-keller-a-life-with-dogs/.

    Skabelund, Aaron. “Fascism’s Furry Friends: Dogs, National Identity, and Purity of Blood in 1930s Japan.” In The Culture of Japanese Fascism, edited by Alan Tansman, Rey Chow, Harry Harootunian, and Masao Miyoshi. Duke University Press, 2009. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781478090885-008/html.

    Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

    8 April 2026, 11:30 am
  • 1 hour 32 minutes
    97: The Great Stink of 1858

    By the mid-1800’s, the River Thames was essentially a massive sewer. People poured their waste into it. They also drank from it. That combination resulted in thousands of deaths. People weren’t sure what caused the deaths, but in the summer of 1858, when the temperatures rose and the water levels dropped, London stunk to high heaven.

    It took a lot of money, creativity, and an incredible act of civil engineering from Sir Joseph Bazalgette to fix the Great Stink.

    Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

    Ackroyd, Peter. London Under: The Secret History Beneath the Streets. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2012.

    “Cesspools and Sewers: Toilets in Dirty Old London.” Yale University Press, November 19, 2014. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2014/11/19/cesspools-and-sewers-toilets-in-dirty-old-london/.

    “Cholera in Victorian London | Science Museum.” https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/medicine/cholera-victorian-london.

    Contagion - CURIOSity Digital Exhibits. “Cholera Epidemics in the 19th Century.” March 26, 2020. https://curiosity.lib.harvard.edu/contagion/feature/cholera-epidemics-in-the-19th-century.

    Halliday, Stephen. The Great Stink of London: Sir Joseph Bazalgette and the Cleansing of the Victorian Metropolis. The History Press, 2020.

    Historic UK. “The Victorian Workhouse.” https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Victorian-Workhouse/.

    “Joseph Bazalgette | The History of London.” December 21, 2024. https://www.thehistoryoflondon.co.uk/joseph-bazalgette/.

    “The Great Stink | The History of London.” January 20, 2025. https://www.thehistoryoflondon.co.uk/the-great-stink/.

    The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered, dir. History and Sewage: The Great Stink of 1858. 2018. 11:44. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD7nRrSH_VE.

    “The Smithsonian and the 19th Century Guano Trade: This Poop Is Crap.” May 25, 2017. https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/smithsonian-and-19th-century-guano-trade-poop-crap.

    Tulchinsky, Theodore H. “John Snow, Cholera, the Broad Street Pump; Waterborne Diseases Then and Now.” Case Studies in Public Health, 2018, 77–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804571-8.00017-2.

    Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

    1 April 2026, 11:30 am
  • 1 hour 45 minutes
    96: Snack Attack: Oreo vs. Hydrox

    Prepare for battle – a cookie battle, that is! Back in the early 1900s, two brothers invented a game changing cookie. It consisted of two crisp chocolate wafers, stuck together with a vanilla cream filling. It was delicious! It was fancy! They called it… Hydrox.

    Years later, Nabisco created their own knockoff version of Hydrox. They called it the Oreo. For decades, Hydrox was the undisputed king of chocolate sandwich cookies. But in time, the tables turned.

    Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:

    Business 2.0. “Oreos to Hydrox: Resistance Is Futile.” February 20, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020220054213/http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,4537,FF.html.

    Cahn, William. Out of the Cracker Barrel: The Nabisco Story From Animal Crackers to Zuzus. Simon & Schuster, 1969.

    CBC Radio. “The Best-Selling Cookie in the World Is a Copycat Brand.” January 11, 2024. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/the-best-selling-cookie-in-the-world-is-a-copycat-brand-1.7080582.

    CBS, dir. Hydrox Cookies Turn 100. 2008. 03:16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbFiS-1fhiM.

    Chenab Gourmet. “Crackers Through the Ages.” November 18, 2024. https://www.chenabgourmet.com/crackers-through-the-ages-discover-the-gourmet-secrets-that-will-transform-your-snack-game/.

    Elmwood Cemetery. “Jacob Loose.” https://elmwoodcemeterykc.org/resident/jacob-loose/.

    Jewish Action. “Paving the Way for Women’s Leadership: The OU Women’s Branch.” June 12, 2018. https://jewishaction.com/religion/women/paving-way-womens-leadership-ou-womens-branch/.

    Kansas City Journal. “JL Loose Dies in Summer Home.” September 19, 1923.

    Kansas City Journal. “Loose-Wiles New Brands Now Ready For Delivery.” November 9, 1902.

    Kansas City Star. “Death of Joseph S. Loose.” n.d.

    Kansas City Star. “The Cracker Trust Buys Another Kansas City Plant - An Independent Combine?” May 20, 1902.

    Kansas City Star. “Who’s Who in Kansas City.” December 24, 1922.

    Kansas City Times. “Lock Horns With a Trust.” May 1, 1902.

    Loose Mansion. “History of Loose Mansion.” https://loosemansion.com/history/.

    Los Angeles Times. “Granny Goose Parent Thinks Chips Go Well With Sunshine Biscuits.” February 10, 1988. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-10-fi-28222-story.html.

    Martin, Mackenzie. “Remember Hydrox? Kansas City Created the Original Oreo Cookie.” KCUR - Kansas City News and NPR, March 6, 2024. https://www.kcur.org/history/2024-03-06/remember-hydrox-kansas-city-created-the-original-oreo-cookie.

    News-Press NOW. “Soggy Cracker House Needs Some Help.” April 15, 2008. https://www.newspressnow.com/news/soggy-cracker-house-needs-some-help/article_df129ed7-c42d-5179-b43b-7de4822332b6.html.

    NPR. “Episode 652: The Hydrox Resurrection.” September 18, 2015. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/09/18/441546748/episode-652-the-hydrox-resurrection.

    NYC EATS. “Adolphus Green.” https://www.newyorkcity-eats.com/adolphus-green.

    Serious Eats. “How Oreos Got Their Name: The Rise of an American Icon.” https://www.seriouseats.com/history-of-oreos-bravetart-cookbook.

    The Pendergast Years. “Jacob L. and Ella C. Loose.” https://pendergastkc.org/articles/jacob-l-and-ella-c-loose.

    The Springfield Daily News (The Republican). “Hydrox Advertisement.” February 2, 1926.

    The Topeka Daily Capital. “Home of Sunshine Biscuit All That Name Suggests.” October 24, 1917.

    Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

    24 March 2026, 11:30 am
  • 1 hour 51 minutes
    95: The Trial of Charles Guiteau (Part 7)

    As his trial drew closer, Charles Guiteau became more delusional. He wrote demanding letters to the new president, Chester A. Arthur. He announced plans to run for president himself. He got the word out that he was looking for love — the love of a wealthy, Christian woman under 30, that is!

    He wasn’t worried about what the future held. He was certain that, if he did go on trial for murder, he’d be surrounded by the country’s best criminal defense attorneys.

    That didn’t happen. Instead, his long-suffering brother-in-law, Charles Scoville, stepped in. Charles Scoville was a patent attorney from Illinois. He knew he might not be able to stop the government from giving an insane man the death penalty, but he’d sure as hell try.

    Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
    The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
    The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
    “Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org
    “‘As a Matter of Fact, I Presume I Shall Live to be President’”: A Brief Biographical Sketch of Garfield’s Assassin” from the National Park Service
    The Federal Judicial Center document, “United States v. Guiteau: Assassination and Insanity in Gilded Age America,” by Winston Bowman for the Federal Judicial Center
    The article, “The Trial of Charles Guiteau,” by Douglas O. Linder for Famous-trials.com

    Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

    18 March 2026, 11:30 am
  • 1 hour 28 minutes
    94: Dirty Doctors: How Infection Killed James Garfield (Part 6)

    Mere minutes after the shooting, a doctor arrived on the scene. Using his ungloved, unwashed fingers, he dug into President James Garfield’s bullet wound. The doctor hoped to retrieve the bullet. That would prove a common theme in the president’s medical care. As James Garfield struggled to survive, doctors obsessed over retrieving the bullet. They subjected him to daily examinations — always with unsanitized tools and unwashed hands. Those examinations caused him tremendous suffering. They ultimately killed him.

    Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
    The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
    The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
    “Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org
    “‘As a Matter of Fact, I Presume I Shall Live to be President’”: A Brief Biographical Sketch of Garfield’s Assassin” from the National Park Service
    “Assassination and Insanity in Gilded Age America,” by Winston Bowman

    Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

    11 March 2026, 11:30 am
  • 1 hour 21 minutes
    93: President Garfield is Shot (Part 5)

    Charles Guiteau was seething. He’d convinced himself that he deserved a political appointment. When he didn’t get one, he placed the blame squarely on President James Garfield’s shoulders.

    James Garfield was a liar. A cheat. The country would be better off without him!

    Over time, Charles convinced himself that God wanted him to assassinate the president. So? He bought a gun. He tracked the president’s movements. He shot the President in cold blood.

    Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
    The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
    The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
    “Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org
    “‘As a Matter of Fact, I Presume I Shall Live to be President’”: A Brief Biographical Sketch of Garfield’s Assassin” from the National Park Service
    “Assassination and Insanity in Gilded Age America,” by Winston Bowman

    Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

    4 March 2026, 12:30 pm
  • 1 hour 27 minutes
    92: The First Lady is Sick… But What About ME? (Part 4)

    When James Garfield won the presidential election, Charles Guiteau was ecstatic. He was certain that he’d played a major role in Garfield’s victory. So, fueled by delusion, Charles Guiteau began hounding James Garfield for a political appointment.

    Meanwhile, New York Senator and political boss Roscoe Conkling threw a temper tantrum. James Garfield had the tenacity to fill his cabinet with members of his *own* choosing. That made Roscoe mad. So? He hatched a plan. A very stupid plan.

    Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
    The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
    The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
    “Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org
    “‘As a Matter of Fact, I Presume I Shall Live to be President’”: A Brief Biographical Sketch of Garfield’s Assassin” from the National Park Service
    “Secret Service fast facts,” CNN Editorial Research

    Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

    25 February 2026, 12:30 pm
  • More Episodes? Get the App