Signs of Our Time
Have you ever stopped to read a historical marker as you traveled across the US? Perhaps you’ve wondered if there was more to the story.
This podcast seeks to reveal the story behind the story from America's roadside historical markers. We explore the facts and sometimes quirky and unusual background information making our heritage even more fascinating.
Let me know if you have an unusual historical marker we can explore. americanhistoricalmarkers@gmail.com
Episodes
22 episodes
Episode 22 - The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
There are countless great events across the great states of America. These capture the history and culture of the areas. Some are known only to local inhabitants. But one race is known world wide. It is the Alaskan Idita...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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12:03
Episode 21 - Where The Southern Cross the Dog
Mississippi is known for many things. Perhaps you have something original from Mississippi that is special to you. Many people enjoy blues music which has its roots in Mississippi. In this episode I look at an unusual t...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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6:45
Episode 20 - Father Thomas Frederick Price and the Nazareth Orphanage
We pass by many historical markers without realizing the piece of history commemorated on it. We might even read the marker but miss even more information. Such is the marker in Willmington, North Carolina dedicated to Father Thomas...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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16:48
Episode 19 - The Story of Old Walking Joe
One of the loneliest sounds in the night is a lonesome train whistle. It can bring all kinds of images to mind. In this episode I share a fun and spooky story I wrote for my granddaughters. It’s the story of Old W...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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7:18
Episode 18 - The Tale of Paul Bunyan
Most of us love a good story. And stories of adventure and larger than life characters are most favored. In this episode I share the folk tale of Paul Bunyan and his trusted Babe the blue ox. Paul and Babe are memoriliz...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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7:44
Episode 17 - The First Concrete Mile
When I was a child, we had city streets that were paved but once you left the city you probably found more dirt roads than paved roads. I also remember as a young boy that a lot of dirt roads would be coated with an oil substance to hold ...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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8:19
Episode 16 - The Little Fire Hydrant That Could
Sometimes we overlook the simple things in our lives that protect us. In this episode I want to look at the story behind the story of one such common place fixture throughout the US and other countries throughout the world. It is a ...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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5:50
Episode 15 - Drummer Boy William Horsfall
The highest military award of our nation is the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is awarded for conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty. Those awarded the Medal of Honor are amazing as they put their life aside in ef...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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8:26
Episode 14 - The Rooster Bridge
Many bridges throughout America have fascinating stories about them. Many have historical markers documenting something significant about the bridge. It might be the highest, longest, biggest, or most expensive. Or, something ...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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6:15
Episode 13 - Derwent Farm ~ Former Home of Robert E. Lee
To many, the period of the Civil War from 1861 to 1865 was among the most dangerous times for our nation. The effects of this tragic period in our history are still felt today. Following the civil war, many worked to heal our...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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6:12
Episode 12 - Abraham Lincoln ~ Famous President and Duelist
There are many ways to settle arguments and disagreements. If the situation is strong enough, some in the past would challenge the offender to a fight to the death known as a duel. Generally, duels were between men but there ...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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5:36
Episode 11 - Smokey the Bear
Most of us had favorite cartoon characters as a child, or perhaps a famous or legendary figure. One such famous figure is Smokey the Bear. Almost every child in America knows Smokey and his famous saying "Only you can prefent forres...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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8:20
Episode 10 - Mr. Watson Come Here
You probably know some of the history of telephones. It is quite remarkable how far we've advanced in telecommunications technology. There are several "firsts" in this field. Certainly the first phone call. But what abou...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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9:38
Episode 9 - Historical Marker In My Pocket
We often find heros of our nation on historical markers. Many are well known figures from our nation's past. But sometimes there are some who many may not know about. That's part of the value and excitement of a historical mar...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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8:57
Episode 8 - Exploring Pet Cemeteries
Most of us have had some kind of pet. Maybe a dog, cat, horse, turtle, or even a fish. Back in 1975 some even had pet rocks. I also know a certain granddaughter of mine that has pet snakes and lizards. It truly is a situ...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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5:19
Episode 7 - Harold Bell Wright ~ Famous Author and Preacher
Unknown to many is the story of one of America’s leading authors from the 19th century. His name is Harold Bell Wright. I was introduced to this author’s work when I was a freshman in high school back in the 60’s. I was thrill...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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5:59
Episode 6 - Bradford Smith of Sewah Studios
Sometimes when you look at a job you might wonder who does it. Well, someone has to do it. Jobs don’t just get done on their own. In this episode I answer the question about who makes all these historical markers ...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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32:46
Episode 5 - A Conversation with J.J. Prats of the Historical Marker Database
I’m taking a little bit of a departure from the normal content of this show. Usually we look at a historical marker to see the story behind the story. But this time I’m speaking with a new friend, J.J. Prats. J.F. is the chief edito...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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30:25
Episode 4 - The Great Alaskan Highway
Perhaps you’ve dreamed to taking a long road trip to enjoy magnificent scenes and amazing experiences. On many people’s bucket lists of such a trip is the Great Alaskan Highway, also known as the Alcan Highway. This great high...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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6:26
Episode 3 - Grancer the Dancer
Have you ever loved doing something so much that you would like to do it forever? Well maybe that is exactly what happened in the story of Grancer the Dancer. This character from America's southern history was known for his joy of d...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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4:26
Episode 2 - The First 911 Call
One of the most common elements in American society is the use of the emergency system known as 911. It seems this system is so wide-spread and commonly used that it has always been there. But like everything else, there was a start...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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9:00
Episode 1 - The Story of Daniel Pratt
Nestled approximately 10 miles north of Montgomery Alabama sits a wonderful community named Prattville. It is named after its founder, Daniel Pratt. Daniel Pratt was one of the most influential shapers of industry and life in genera...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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5:27
