History Episodes

In this podcast episode, Megan Felt, the program director at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, shares her involvement with the Irena Sendler project and the mission of the center. Megan discusses her personal connection to the project and how she and her classmates discovered the story of Irena Sendler, who saved over 2,500 Jewish children during the Holocaust. She talks about their research journey, their correspondence with Irina, and the special bond that developed between them. Meg...

Kirk Sharp, the Executive Director of the Gordon Parks Museum, discusses his background and involvement with the museum. He shares becoming the Executive Director and highlights the importance of continuous learning and growth. The conversation then shifts to the impact of Gordon Parks on the community, focusing on his approach to photography and his use of the camera as a weapon against poverty, racism, and discrimination. We also discuss Parks' personal connection to Fort Scott and his accomp...

150 years ago, Susan Blow opened the first public kindergarten in the United States at the Des Peres School in the Carondelet area of St. Louis. Author and historian NiNi Harris and Esley Hamilton, architectural historian and retired preservation historian for Saint Louis County Parks & Recreation discussed their upcoming talk on Susan Blow, the first kindergarten, and the historic Des Peres School. It was the site of the experimental kindergarten class conducted by St. Louisan Susan E. Blow, th...

Dave Lange's second edition of Soccer Made in St. Louis: A History of the Game in America's First Soccer City chronicles the successful drive to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to St. Louis (St. Louis City SC) while chronicling the early history of St. Louis soccer that’s come to light in the past decade. Sourced from more than a hundred sources and interviews with 122 present and former administrators, coaches, owners, and players, Soccer Made in St. Louis is the only history of the spor...

What did you do during the pandemic? Jim Merkel walked the streets of South City in St. Louis and traced the history, hardship, and happiness which make up this part of the city. His book, Walking South City: A Journey through Historic St. Louis Neighborhoods will make you want to follow his footsteps. The book is available at Jim's website and Reedy Press. [00:00] Introduction [01:04] Return to Civility [02:38] Interview with Jim Merkel [19:22] Dred Scott Heritage Foundation [20:21] St. Lo...

The Gateway Arch: An Illustrated Timeline explores the planning, growth, and evolution of St. Louis and its riverfront. St. Louis’ central location has been key to US history, serving as the “Gateway to the West.” Author and architect, John C. Guenther seeks to “connect the dots” of history and take readers through the key events which led to the building of the Gateway Arch, assisted by historic images and primary sources. Enjoy a chronological look at the historic foundations of the Jeffers...

In Chasing Picasso: A True Story of A Daytime Heist on Art Hill, author C. Joan Baker unveils the mysterious history and disappearance of a small Picasso painting from the Saint Louis Art Museum in 1973. The 1906 Rose Period oil painting has not been seen since it disappeared in a clandestine daytime theft and the heist would have been forgotten altogether if it weren’t perhaps for the one curious author, C. Joan Baker who we interview in this edition. She hopes her book will lead to the return ...

Ed Wheatley joins Saint Louis In Tune to discuss his latest book The St. Louis Cardinals - Everything You Need To Know. Ed is a well-known historian of sports specifically baseball in St. Louis which includes both the Cardinals and the Browns. The book can be purchased from Reedy Press or any fine bookstore. Ed will also discuss an upcoming event at the Missouri History Museum entitled St. Louis: Sports Capital USA which will be held on April 27, as well as the current exhibit Rounding the Bases...

[01:50] Return to Civility [02:29] Interview with Michelle Hand Playwright Heidi Schreck’s highly impactful and timely memoir, What the Constitution Means to Me, winner of Best American play, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, opens Max & Louie Productions upcoming 2023 theatrical season, running at The Marcelle Theatre, April 6-23rd in Saint Louis, Missouri. Michelle Hand* (Heidi) recent stage appearances include Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol at The Repertory Theater of St. Louis, S...

Missouri Life Media announces an exclusive showing of Exploring Missouri’s German Heritage, a documentary produced by Missouri Life Media, at the John B Busch Brewery event center in Washington, MO on February 23, 2023. The public is invited to view this 90-minute documentary while being served a four-course meal of German dishes. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Washington Historical Society in honor of the late Washington-area historian Marc Houseman. Learn more...

In More After the Break, Jen Maxfield, an Emmy® Award-winning correspondent for NBC 4 New York, revisits ten memorable stories from her career as a TV news reporter, describing in heart-pounding detail how the events unfolded and revealing what happened after the cameras went away. She introduces readers to unforgettable people who will inspire you with their hopefulness, even when confronting life’s greatest heartbreaks. Returning to find these people years—even decades—after she featured thei...

On December 27, 2011, Russell Faria returned to his Troy, Missouri, home and found his wife, Betsy, dead. She’d been stabbed fifty-five times. First responders concluded that Betsy was dead for hours when Russ discovered her. No blood was found implicating Russ, and surveillance video, receipts, and friends’ testimony all supported his alibi; yet, police and the prosecuting attorney ignored the evidence, and, in their minds, decided Russ was guilty. But prominent defense attorney Joel J. Schwart...

The St Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum will open on November 2! The new 35,000-square-foot building is designed to provide a 21st-century experience with a greatly enhanced space for numerous interactive and experiential learning opportunities; digital and traditional media; workshops, community discussions, and traveling exhibits; survivor galleries; preservation/display of rare and valuable artifacts; and a learning center for school groups. Helen Turner, Director of Education and Interp...

In his new book, Best of the Blues: The Greatest Players in Team History, St. Louis native Dan O’Neill, spotlights the top 25 players in St. Louis Blues history, along with the seasons and circumstances that made them so special. Dan covered the team for more than 30 years at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Readers will find sections about the “Best of the Brief'' and the “Best of the Rest,” those who should be part of the conversation along with a fanciful glossary on the best of everything else ...

Kirkwood is one of St Louis County’s oldest and best-preserved suburbs. It was born as a planned community, laid out in a grid spreading from the Pacific Railroad tracks placed in the 1850s and envisioned as a city escape. Its passion for historic preservation makes nearly every neighborhood a joy to walk through, and Kirkwood: A Walk through History provides the quintessential guide to maximize a stroll through its most interesting spots. Explore Kirkwood’s preserved rail stations, Italianate ...

History comes alive in St. Charles, and according to a longtime resident, history enthusiast, and author Valerie Battle Kienzle, the best way to experience Main Street and nearby areas is on foot. So, grab a pair of comfortable walking shoes, slip this St. Charles walking tour into your backpack or purse, and prepare to be wowed. You will need this to guide you; Main Street St. Charles, MO: A Walk Through History. This is Season 5! For more episodes, go to stlintune.com #stcharlesmo #stcharles #...

In the late 1860s, philanthropist Henry Shaw focused on creating the first large park in St. Louis. His vision was a Victorian showplace full of verdant trees, shading pavilions, and music and cultural amenities. He wanted Tower Grove Park to be used for the enjoyment of all classes in the city. 150 years after its founding, Tower Grove Park continues to fill that role in the lives of St. Louisans and the rest of the region. In Tower Grove Park: Common Ground and Grateful Shade Since 1872, auth...

The Farm Table to The Gilded Table, Sunday, September 25, 2022, is a culinary celebration honoring Ulysses S. Grant’s Bicentennial that will include historically inspired foods, libations, and entertainment at both The Campbell House and White Haven. Guests will move between the two historic sites (White Haven: Ulysses S. Grant home-Campbell House Museum: where Grant was a frequent guest) and will dine on historic recipes given a new twist by local celebrity chefs. Food historian Suzanne Corbet...

Ready to Wear is the story of two wearable industries in St. Louis, Missouri—footwear and garments, alike in their end products but drastically different in their production processes. The book takes a unique look at footwear and clothing through factual narrative, seldom-told stories, and detailed vintage images. Through historical narrative, personal connection, and local lore, Valerie Battle Kienzle transports the reader to the Washington Avenue of yesteryear nicknamed Shoe Street USA—loca...

A coast-to-coast Happy Hour celebrating Women’s Equality Day with special guests representing nearly 3 centuries of the women's movement! Special guests spanning the women's rights movement will join the event! From the 19th century, we'll welcome Coline Jenkins, the great-great-granddaughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Stanton was the primary organizer of the first Woman's Rights Convention held in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York - the event which launched the women's suffrage movement! Tickets ...

Did you know that the first code talkers were utilized near the end of World War I? Drawing on nearly thirty years of research—in U.S. military and Native American archives, surviving accounts from code talkers and their commanding officers, family records, newspaper accounts, and fieldwork in descendant communities—the author explores the origins, use, and legacy of the code talkers. William C. Meadows is a Professor of Anthropology and Native American Studies at Missouri State University in Sp...

“Samarpan” is an artistic rendition of the Indian freedom struggle against British colonial rule. This dance drama has been conceptualized, written, and directed by American-based artist - Mr. Prasanna Kasthuri, the Artistic Director of Soorya Performing Arts in St. Louis. The World Premiere of Samarpan is on Saturday, August 13th, 2022, at Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. Covid precautions and protocols for the performance. ...

The 7th Annual Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis has multiple events planned highlighed by this season's performance of The Rose Tattoo, a not to be missed production of Williams' romantic comedy, seen through the lens of an Italian one-ring circus! The season hosts more about Tennesse Williams and Italy including panel discussions, a film, short plays, and a bocce ball tournament! Executive Artistic Director Carrie Houk, provides key insight into the plans for another successful season! ...

Immortalized by the writing of its most famous resident, Sam Clemens aka Mark Twain, Hannibal is known around the world as much for its history as for the characters it birthed. Enjoy a guided walk through that history in America’s Hometown. You might take the opportunity to trace the paths of the childhood adventures that Mark Twain shared through the stories of Tom and Huck. Or use Hannibal: A Walk through History to carve out your own adventure! Local author and tour director Dea Hoover deft...