Part 1 - Madam C.J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove; December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919) was an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. She is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America.  (Multiple s

How have I never heard of Robert Smalls?I’m betting you haven’t either. Smalls was an antebellum slave and real-life action hero who fought without permission in the Civil War and pulled off one of the most daring heists in American military history.Suppo

Does Blonde hair make you dumb? No, seriously does it? Let’s track the history of this stereotype and find out if it’s true.Visit us online at itshometownhistory.comEpisode Sponsors:Get 25% off your Liquid IV at Liquidiv.com and use code HOMETOWN at check

This is the 2nd half of our Dear H.H. Holmes episode. Meet Almeda Huiet, of Wabash County, Indiana. Possibly the first Chicago victim of infamous serial killer H.H. Holmes. Visit us online at itshometownhistory.comSupport our show by becoming a Patron! Ep

Could this be the first Chicago victim of infamous serial killer H.H. Holmes? In Chicago on a cold November morning in 1888, the body of a young lady is found in a lake with her throat slit. The story of this young lady, and her untimely death, was quickl

Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup that white performers have used throughout history to portray, and demean, black people. The dark substance white performers would put on their faces was typically shoe polish, grease paint, or burnt cork, and the

Have you ever heard of The Landlord's Game, created by Elizabeth Magie? Well if you haven't, you certainly aren't alone. Elizabeth Magie's creation looked like Monopoly, but it was anti-Monopoly - more accurately, it's the origina

World history is filled with strange occurrences, from deadly fashion trends to wars fought on baseless grounds. However, none are as weird as the Cadaver Synod, which saw the decaying corpse of a pope being screamed at for hours on end by one of his succ

The centerpiece of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site is the former home of our 16th president, where he lived with his young family for seventeen years. After moving to the White House in 1861, Abraham and Mary kept this as a rental with plans of re

The first of April is widely regarded as an unofficial holiday reserved for pranks and hoaxes that seem too ridiculous to be believed yet are surprisingly enough to fool several hundreds of people. The pages of history are littered with such incidents, fr