Our Missouri
History
About
Discussions on the people, places, and events that have helped to shape the Show-Me State.
Episodes
- Episode 128: The Centrality of Slavery - John Craig Hammonds (Origins, Part 8)
John Craig Hammond, Associate Professor of History at Penn State, joins Sean Rost on the "Our Missouri" podcast to discuss Hammond's book, "The Centrality of Slavery: Empire and Enslavement in Colonial Illinois and Missouri." The discussio…
- Episode 127: Spanish Louisiana - Frances Turnbell (Origins, Part 7)
Frances Turnbell joins Sean Rost on Our Missouri to discuss her book, "Spanish Louisiana: Contest for Borderlands, 1763–1803." Turnbell holds a PhD in History and is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of North Alabama.
- Episode 126: Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park - Rachel Davidson (Origins, Part 6)
Host Sean Rost talks with Rachel Davidson, Superintendent of Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park, about the history and establishment of Missouri's newest national park.
- Episode 125: The Shattered Cross - Linda Carol Jones (Origins, Part 5)
On Our Missouri, host Sean Rost and guest Linda Carol Jones discuss Jones's book, The Shattered Cross: French Catholic Missionaries on the Mississippi River, 1698-1725. Jones is a Professor of Language Specialties at the University of Arka…
- Episode 124: Jolliet & Marquette - Mark Walczynski (Origins, Part 4)
Mark Walczynski, author and historian, joins Our Missouri to discuss his book, "Jolliet and Marquette: A New History of the 1673 Expedition."
- Episode 123: Mound City - Patricia Cleary (Origins, Part 3)
Patricia Cleary, Professor of History at California State University, Long Beach, joins Our Missouri host Sean Rost to discuss her book Mound City: The Place of the Indigenous Past and Present in St. Louis.
- Episode 122: Van Meter State Park - John Hagermann (Origins, Part 2)
John Hagermann discusses Missouri’s American Indian Cultural Center located at Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park. This episode continues the 'Origins' series.
- Episode 121: Indigenous Missourians - Greg Olson (Origins, Part 1)
In the first episode of the "Origins" series, Greg Olson joins host Sean Rost to discuss Olson's book, Indigenous Missourians: Ancient Societies to the Present. The conversation covers the history of Native peoples in Missouri and its rele…
- Episode 120: Devil's Icebox - Anthony Orazio (Cave State, Part 7)
In the final 'Cave State' episode, Anthony Orazio, superintendent of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, speaks with host Sean Rost about the park and its distinct feature, Devil’s Icebox.
- Episode 119: Roaring River State Park - Murphy Kindoll (Cave State, Part 6)
Murphy Kindoll, Natural Resource Ecologist at Missouri State Parks, joins host Sean Rost to discuss Roaring River State Park. This episode is the sixth in the Cave State series.
- Episode 118: Meramec State Park - Ed Schott (Cave State, Part 5)
Sean Rost speaks with Ed Schott, superintendent of Meramec State Park, about Fisher Cave and the park. Schott's background includes experience at other state parks and a degree in forestry.
- Episode 117: Grand Gulf State Park - Nick Kromrie (Cave State, Part 4)
Sean Rost speaks with Nick Kromrie, park superintendent for Grand Gulf State Park, Bryant Creek State Park, and Eleven Point State Park, about Grand Gulf State Park.
- Episode 116: Onondaga Cave State Park - Tasha Gabel (Cave State, Part 2)
Sean Rost speaks with Tasha Gabel, senior naturalist for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, about Onondaga Cave State Park. Gabel holds a degree in wildlife conservation and management from Missouri State University.
- Episode 115: Graham Cave State Park - Alice Johnson (Cave State, Part 2)
Alice Johnson, Superintendent of Graham Cave State Park and the Mid-East Section of the Katy Trail State Park, discusses the unique features of Graham Cave State Park with host Sean Rost in this continuation of the "Cave State" series.
- Episode 114: Ozark Caverns - Guerric Good (Cave State, Part 1)
Host Sean Rost talks with Guerric Good, Interpretive Resource Coordinator at Lake of the Ozarks State Park, about Ozark Caverns as part of a series on Missouri's nickname, "The Cave State."
- Summer Series 2025: National Museum of Transportation - Coby Ellison (All Aboard, Part 5)
Coby Ellison, Museum Curator at the National Museum of Transportation, joins host Sean Rost to discuss the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. This episode is part of the 2025 Summer Series.
- Summer Series 2025: Union Station Kansas City - George Guastello II (All Aboard, Part 4)
Host Sean Rost speaks with George Guastello, President and CEO of Union Station Kansas City, about the landmark as part of the 2025 Summer Series. Guastello has held leadership roles at other Kansas City organizations.
- Summer Series 2025: Mob Rule in the Ozarks - Kenneth C. Barnes (All Aboard, Part 3)
Host Sean Rost speaks with historian Kenneth C. Barnes about Barnes's new book, Mob Rule in the Ozarks: The Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad Strike, 1921-1923. The discussion covers the events of the strike.
- Summer Series 2025: Louis Houck - Joel P. Rhodes (All Aboard, Part 2)
This episode of Our Missouri features Joel P. Rhodes discussing his book, "A Missouri Railroad Pioneer: The Life of Louis Houck." Rhodes, the executive director of the State Historical Society of Missouri, delves into the life of Louis Hou…
- Summer Series 2025: The Durham Museum - Kyle Chattleton (All Aboard, Part 1)
This episode of Our Missouri
- Episode 113: The Volunteer State - Jennifer C. Core (State History, Part 7)
Host Sean Rost talks with Jennifer C. Core, executive director of the Tennessee Historical Society, about the history and culture of Tennessee. Core, a folklorist and educator, shares insights on the Volunteer State, including its needlewo…
- Episode 112: The Bluegrass State - Scott Alvey (State History, Part 6)
Scott Alvey, executive director of the Kentucky Historical Society, joins host Sean Rost to discuss the history and culture of Kentucky. The episode touches on Missouri
- Episode 111: The Land of Lincoln - William Furry (State History, Part 5)
In this episode of Our Missouri, host Sean Rost talks with William Furry, executive director of the Illinois State Historical Society. They discuss the history, culture, and historical organizations of Illinois, also known as the Land of L…
- Episode 110: The Hawkeye State - Kelsey Berryhill (State History, Part 4)
In Our Missouri Episode 110, host Sean Rost speaks with Kelsey Berryhill, State Government Records Archivist at the State Archives of Iowa. They discuss the history of the Hawkeye State, Iowa.
- Episode 109: The Natural State - Patrick G. Williams (State History, Part 3)
Patrick G. Williams, Secretary-Treasurer of the Arkansas Historical Association, joins host Sean Rost on Our Missouri to discuss Arkansas history and culture. The episode also touches on Missouri
- Episode 108: The Sooner State - Trait Thompson (State History, Part 2)
Host Sean Rost talks with Trait Thompson, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, about Oklahoma's history and culture. This episode continues the State History series for Our Missouri, focusing on the Sooner State.
- Episode 107: The Sunflower State - Sarah Bell (State History, Part 1)
In this episode of Our Missouri, host Sean Rost talks with Sarah Bell, Director of the Kansas Museum of History, about the history and culture of the Sunflower State. Bell shares insights from her academic background and work at the museum.
- Episode 106: Interstate '85 - Marshall Garvey (Covering the Bases, Part 7)
Host Sean Rost speaks with writer and historical consultant Marshall Garvey about his book, “Interstate ’85: The Royals, the Cardinals, and the Show-Me World Series,” which covers the 1985 baseball season.
- Episode 105: John Donaldson - Peter Gorton (Covering the Bases, Part 6)
This episode of Our Missouri features Sean Rost and Negro Leagues Historian Pete Gorton discussing the baseball career of John Donaldson. They also cover the John Donaldson Network's efforts to research and document African American baseba…
- Episode 104: Beyond the Box Score - Bridget Haney/Zack Palitzsch (Covering the Bases, Part 5)
Bridget Haney and Zack Palitzsch discuss the creation of the "Covering the Bases: The Evolution of Baseball in Missouri" exhibit. They highlight favorite sections and oral history clips from baseball legends within the State Historical Soc…
- Episode 103: Baseball During World War I - Jim Leeke (Covering the Bases, Part 4)
Jim Leeke, author of "Ballplayers in the Great War," discusses his research on Major League Baseball and its players during World War I with host Sean Rost.
- Episode 102: From Little Leagues to Major Leagues - Ed Wheatley (Covering the Bases, Part 3)
Ed Wheatley, president of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society and author, discusses his book "Baseball in St. Louis: From Little Leagues to Major Leagues" in this episode of Our Missouri. The discussion is a throwback to the 2020 "Meet…
- Episode 101: Big Cat - Jerry Grillo (Covering the Bases, Part 2)
In "Episode 101: Big Cat - Jerry Grillo (Covering the Bases, Part 2)," host Sean Rost interviews Jerry Grillo about his biography of baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Mize. Grillo, a science writer and freelancer, previously authored "The Musi…
- Episode 100: Suds Series - J. Daniel (Covering the Bases, Part 1)
Host Sean Rost interviews J. Daniel about his book "Suds Series: Baseball, Beer Wars, and the Summer of ’82" as part of a series on Missouri's baseball history, coinciding with the "Covering the Bases" exhibit.
- Summer Series 2024: Unexplained in the Archives (Missouri Mysteries, Part 4)
This episode of Our Missouri
- Summer Series 2024: Piedmont Lights (Missouri Mysteries, Part 3)
This episode of Our Missouri
- Summer Series 2024: Blue Pyramid in Phelps County (Missouri Mysteries, Part 2)
This episode of Our Missouri continues the Summer Series with Part 2 of Missouri Mysteries, focusing on a mysterious blue pyramid in Phelps County and the individual responsible for its creation. Hosts Kathleen Seale and Haley Frizzle-Gree…
- Summer Series 2024: Strangest of All (Missouri Mysteries, Part 1)
Our Missouri's Summer Series 2024 features ghost stories, beginning with Haley Frizzle-Green sharing the tale of Frank Edwards and 'Strangest of All'. Kathleen Seale and Haley Frizzle-Green are the guest hosts for this four-part summer ser…
- Episode 99: Sudden Deaths in St. Louis - Sarah Lirley (On the Bookshelf, Part 9)
Sean Rost talks with Sarah Lirley, author of "Sudden Deaths in St. Louis: Coroner Bias in the Gilded Age," for the final episode of the On the Bookshelf series. Lirley is an associate professor of history.
- Episode 98: Broadcasting the Ozarks - Kitty Ledbetter (On the Bookshelf, Part 8)
In this episode of Our Missouri, Kitty Ledbetter, professor emerita of English at Texas State University, discusses her book "Broadcasting the Ozarks: Si Siman and Country Music at the Crossroads."
- Episode 97: Men of No Reputation - Kimberly Harper (On the Bookshelf, Part 7)
In this episode of Our Missouri, Kimberly Harper discusses her book "Men of No Reputation: Robert Boatright, the Buckfoot Gang, and the Fleecing of Middle America."
- Episode 96: Ozark Voices - Alex Primm (On the Bookshelf, Part 6)
This episode features Alex Primm discussing his book "Ozark Voices: Oral Histories from the Heartland," which compiles oral histories from the Missouri Ozarks. Primm also shares insights from his extensive career documenting the region and…
- Episode 95: Fighting for a Free Missouri - Sydney J. Norton (On the Bookshelf, Part 5)
Sydney J. Norton, an independent scholar and educator, joins host Sean Rost to discuss her book, "Fighting for a Free Missouri: German Immigrants, African Americans, and the Issue of Slavery." The conversation touches on her research and r…
- Episode 94: Oracle of Lost Causes - Matthew Christopher Hulbert (On the Bookshelf, Part 4)
Matthew Christopher Hulbert joins host Sean Rost to discuss Hulbert's new book, Oracle of Lost Causes: John Newman Edwards and His Never-Ending Civil War. Hulbert is an Associate Professor of History at Hampden-Sydney College.
- Episode 93: Newspaperwoman of the Ozarks - Susan Croce Kelly (On the Bookshelf, Part 3)
Susan Croce Kelly, managing editor of OzarksWatch Magazine, returns to Our Missouri to discuss her book about Lucile Morris Upton. This episode is Part 3 of the 'On the Bookshelf' series.
- Episode 92: John Bradbury & "My Own Commander" - Katie Seale/John Brenner (On the Bookshelf, Part 2)
In this episode of Our Missouri, host Sean Rost speaks with SHSMO colleagues Kathleen Seale and John Brenner. They share memories of the late John Bradbury and discuss his book, "
- Episode 91: A Man by Any Other Name - Joseph Beilein, Jr. (On the Bookshelf, Part 1)
Joseph Beilein Jr., an associate professor of history, discusses his new book, "A Man by Any Other Name: William Clark Quantrill and the Search for American Manhood." The episode is the first in the "On the Bookshelf" series.
- Episode 90: Ted & Pat Jones - Sean Rost (Historic Missourians, Part 7)
Host Sean Rost concludes the Historic Missourians series, focusing on philanthropists and conservationists Edward "Ted" Jones and Hilda "Pat" Jones. The episode features information and an image of the Joneses at their home in Williamsburg…
- Episode 89: Charles & Elizabeth Schwartz - Elizabeth Engel (Historic Missourians, Part 6)
In this episode of Our Missouri, senior archivist Elizabeth Engel discusses her Historic Missourians biography of artists and conservationists Charles and Elizabeth Schwartz with host Sean Rost.
- Episode 88: Dewey Short - Hali Allen (Historic Missourians, Part 5)
Host Sean Rost speaks with SHSMO archivist Hali Allen about her Historic Missourians biography of Dewey Short, known as the "Orator of the Ozarks."