1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to 2 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: the show Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so much 3 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:34,279 Speaker 1: for tuning in. Let's hear it for the legend. Our 4 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: super producer, mister Max Williams. 5 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 2: A free empty fizza. I love. 6 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:41,919 Speaker 3: Sorry, I'm a little early today, I guess get really 7 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 3: excited when we're talking about corn filled flat states. 8 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, it's definitely a trigger for you in a 9 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 2: positive way. 10 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 3: Have an oddly large amount of power in electoral college votes. 11 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 2: Now, its weird. We'll get to it. We'll get to it. 12 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 2: It's it's it's you Ben as well, right. 13 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: Yes, that's our super sir, mister Max Williams. You were 14 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 1: Noel Brown. I am Ben Bullen. We are not currently 15 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: in Nebraska. The transparency invisibility is important for us. Have 16 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: you guys been to Nebraska. 17 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 4: I have been through it, and I think I've mentioned 18 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 4: this on our other podcast stuff. They don't want you 19 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 4: to know that once when I was younger and in 20 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 4: a band, I was traveling through the corn the flat 21 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 4: corn leyden lands of Nebraska, and I swear to you guys, 22 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 4: I saw ufo. 23 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 3: I have never been to Nebraska, but yeah, I mean, 24 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 3: can we just go to Kansas and say we went 25 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 3: to Nebraska. 26 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 1: That's what a lot of people do. I find great, great, 27 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: easy mistake. I find great peace in Nebraska and Kansas 28 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: because with that amount of agriculture, if you get in 29 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: the right spot in the state, it looks like an ocean, 30 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: you know, at the right time of year, and it's 31 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: just beautiful. But like all of the states in the 32 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: US US United, here in this grand experiment, we have 33 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: learned that there are absolutely ridiculous things that have happened 34 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:13,519 Speaker 1: throughout Nebraska's career as a state, and some of them 35 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: are not about corn days. 36 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,679 Speaker 4: Yeah, I was really hoping we were having an exclusively 37 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 4: corn based episode today. So let's talk a bit about 38 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 4: how Nebraska once created multiple counties that didn't actually exist, 39 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 4: some Nebraska's decided, how they really enjoyed carrying barns, and 40 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 4: how the naming of the capitol was a misplaced gambit 41 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 4: gone horribly awry. 42 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: And big shout out at the top two not just 43 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: our research associate Max for this episode, but also shout 44 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: out to Dealena Lefever's l E F E V e 45 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: r s from Only in Your State for two articles 46 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,239 Speaker 1: that informed a lot of our exploration today we talk 47 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: about Braska. One of the most I don't mean this 48 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: in a disparateure way, one of the most funny parts 49 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,639 Speaker 1: of its origin story is it kind of started off 50 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: wrong from the jump. The initial map had six like 51 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: pretty egregious errors. 52 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 4: That's right, and that wasn't uncommon in the founding days 53 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 4: of these United States. But this is a particularly ridiculous example. 54 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 4: So for today's first story of non corn related Nebraska history, 55 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 4: let us venture back to the mid eighteen hundreds and 56 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 4: get a little in the weeds with that initial map 57 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 4: of Nebraska and those six very glaring errors. According to 58 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 4: Joe Carry, an editorial assistant for History Nebraska, youah this 59 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 4: to say. After Nebraska became a territory in eighteen fifty four, 60 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 4: the legislature quickly began organizing counties. Nebraska's original eight counties 61 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 4: had become forty by eighteen sixty one, when the expansion 62 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 4: slowed due to the Civil War. County creation picked up 63 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 4: again following Nebraska's statehood in eighteen sixty seven, and the 64 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 4: map business was competitive as commercial printers strove to keep 65 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 4: up with the changes. Then you want to finish this 66 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 4: one out it's a little bit of a long one, 67 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 4: but I think it's a good context. 68 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, let's tease this out a bit. The quotation continues. 69 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: In mid eighteen sixty seven, the Colton Firm published Colton's 70 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: Township Map of the state of Nebraska, and it showed 71 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: the following counties Lyon, Taylor, Monroe, Harrison, Jackson, and Grant. Collectively, 72 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: these six counties covered almost twenty percent of the state's land. However, 73 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: there was one problem. These counties were not real legal entities. 74 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 1: They had never been established. They just it was kind 75 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 1: of fake it till you make it in the world 76 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: of cartography, and our buddy Joe Carey, who was again 77 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: writing for History Nebraska, is referencing a lot of work 78 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: from a guy named Brian P. Croft in his piece 79 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: Mapping Nebraska eighteen sixty six eighteen seventy one County Boundaries 80 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: Real and imagined. 81 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 5: A little bit of snark in the title there question. 82 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 4: Yeah, and you know they weren't just the Colton's, the 83 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 4: firm that was responsible for this mapping situation. They weren't 84 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 4: just making up boundaries. The map actually follows guidelines of 85 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 4: a bill HR one oh four that did pass in 86 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 4: February of eighteen sixty seven, but then when it was 87 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 4: sent to the Governor, Alvin Sanders for his signature, he 88 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 4: decided to not go through with signing it. This is 89 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 4: what is referred to as a pocket veto, which means 90 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,599 Speaker 4: that legally, the western third of the state of Nebraska 91 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 4: would for the time being remain blank. General Land Office 92 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 4: maps actually don't show the six counties, and there are 93 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 4: no records of them in the office of the County Clerk. 94 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, but here's the thing. 95 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: People like these sorts of sources and map makers often 96 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 1: take a build upon each other's work, right, and there's 97 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 1: nothing wrong with that. They're constantly checking the work of 98 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: others correcting it if they're doing their job right. But 99 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 1: in this case, because the Colton maps were so popular, 100 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 1: other map makers just began to copy them. And the 101 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: more this mistake was repeated, just like the more often 102 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: a big lie is repeated, the more legitimate the counties seemed. 103 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 1: Because someone would say, well, legally, these never happened, And 104 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 1: then it wasn't too long before someone would say, I 105 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: don't care about a pocket veto. I've got three maps 106 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,720 Speaker 1: that say Monroe County is actual facts. 107 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean in the counties. They were not removed 108 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 4: from the maps until eighteen seventy three, and they're referred 109 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 4: to as ghost counties, which I really like it sounds, 110 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 4: especially as we approach spooky season here on Ridiculous History. 111 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 4: They continued because of that kind of game of telephone 112 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 4: or a copy of a copy of a copy situation. 113 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 4: They remained on some of those other maps produced by 114 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 4: map makers who did not get the memo until as 115 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 4: late as eighteen seventy seven. So it really was at 116 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 4: a certain point kind of a mystery as to how 117 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 4: these fake counties began in the first place, and it 118 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 4: was a mystery that wouldn't be solved until Croft discovered 119 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 4: an original manuscript handwritten of that bill HR one oh 120 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 4: four at the Nebraska State Historical Society's Government Records Office. 121 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 4: The NSHS is the official archive of the state of Nebraska, 122 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 4: and they preserve all kinds of official documents relating to 123 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 4: historical legislation. 124 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: This is just very Kafka esque, Joseph Heller esque. But 125 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: you may be saying, come on, guys, that's paperwork. I 126 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: get it, But we're talking about Nebraska, about the people 127 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: on the ground. This is where we're going to explain 128 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: something we mentioned at the very top, which is the 129 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: idea of moving a barn. We've been let's get on 130 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: the ground. This one is sort of corn related. If 131 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: you go to Brian Master from WOWT six news out 132 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: there in Omaha in great work, Yeah, you'll see you'll 133 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: see the following quote. He says, many people still talk 134 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:32,079 Speaker 1: about it the time people once moved a barn. This 135 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: is the time in the nineteen eighties when hundreds of 136 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: volunteers moved a barn by hand. What Yeah, they had cars, 137 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: but they went with their hands. They went with hand 138 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: power over horsepower. You could say nineteen eighty eight was 139 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: a great year for Mike and Karen Austry. A week 140 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: before they got married, the small Nebraska community of Bruno 141 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: celebrated its one hundredth anniversary. Bruno got put on the 142 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: world map that day, said Mike Austreet, and he took 143 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 1: a news crew over to the barn to learn what 144 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: captivated the town. Because you know, one thing I love 145 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: about small towns, especially in the US, is they will 146 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: sometimes out of the blue, just kill it with innovative celebrations. 147 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: You know, I love going into I travel a lot 148 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: of backroads for different reasons, and I love going to 149 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: you know, just some small town way off the highway 150 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 1: and learning it's like it's you know, Yellow Gord Weekend 151 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 1: or sing or like, who who doesn't love a. 152 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 2: Good bi centennial celebration. 153 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 4: I always think of the incredible faux documentary Waiting for 154 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 4: Guffman and the I believe it's the Sesqua centennial celebration 155 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 4: of the founding of Blaine, Missouri, and all of the 156 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 4: interesting lore that goes along with that. 157 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 2: If you guys haven't seen this Christopher. 158 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 4: Guest film, it is absolutely a delight and kind of 159 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 4: shows that sort of community spirit that you really can 160 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,199 Speaker 4: only find in small towns and the idea of getting, 161 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 4: you know, a small group of folks to band together 162 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 4: to do the impossible. 163 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 2: In the film, it's it involves putting on a play. 164 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 4: In this situation, it literally involves moving a barn physically. 165 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 4: Three hundred and twenty eight people joined forces to move 166 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 4: this barn and it became like it was it was 167 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 4: an event in and of itself. 168 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: Hmm. Yeah, they said, we are in a disaster situation. 169 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:31,599 Speaker 1: This started as a promotion to celebrate the centennial of 170 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: the of Bruno. But on July thirtieth, nineteen eighty eight, 171 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: more than four thousand people stopped by to help out 172 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:44,680 Speaker 1: the family farm because they needed They were worried that 173 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: a flood was coming and they needed to move the 174 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: barn to higher ground. 175 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 4: Of Cording had experienced I believe a good bit of 176 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 4: flooding already, and they were just it was kind of 177 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,679 Speaker 4: like starting to become untenable, so they just needed help. 178 00:10:57,160 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 1: And Karen Austry, the we mentioned earlier, said this is 179 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: something that hadn't been done before. They weren't using machines, 180 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: all manpower. The three hundred and forty four neighbors eventually 181 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: volunteered to move the barn. We're all in because that's 182 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: another beautiful thing about small towns. Neighbors tend to help 183 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: each other more often than they would in a city. 184 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 1: A priest even stop by to bless the project, and 185 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,839 Speaker 1: one of the quotes was for doing something you've never 186 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 1: done before, you better be praying. 187 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 2: I can get behind that. 188 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 4: And the number of volunteers fluctuates a little bit depending 189 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 4: on the source. We've got three hundred and twenty eight 190 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 4: in one source and three hundred and forty four on another, 191 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 4: so just you know, about a dozen or so off, 192 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 4: but we do know there were more than three hundred 193 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 4: Bruno neighbors, the joined forces and arms, I guess to 194 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 4: do this kindness for the Austrians. Mike Austrey's father, Hermann Austrie, 195 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 4: served as I guess, the foreman in the situation, shouting 196 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 4: through a bullhorn to kind of coordinate the movements of 197 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 4: all of these folks, and each lift and each step 198 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 4: over the course of the one hundred and fifteen foot 199 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 4: journey were coordinated and called out like you know, I 200 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 4: guess the guy calling the square dance or whatever. And 201 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 4: it was a success. They successfully abandoned together and moved 202 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 4: this barn to higher grounds to save the Austri's family 203 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 4: farm from flooding. 204 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 2: My Gostria was thrilled. He's quoted as saying it worked. 205 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 2: It worked. 206 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:40,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, And he is the guy who had been kind 207 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: of a head producer for this. He actually constructed his 208 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,839 Speaker 1: health the handles that everybody used and moving this barn, 209 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,599 Speaker 1: and a lot of people expected it to collapse just 210 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: because barns are not Barnes are known for a lot 211 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: of things, but none of those things are their mobility. 212 00:12:58,160 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 5: And so. 213 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: People were probably taking some bets on the side. 214 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, there was money change in hand, and Mike 215 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 4: was like, where's my. 216 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 2: Piece of the action? 217 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 5: Right right? 218 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: Mike said, those who are waiting for failure that day 219 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 1: ended up losing cash. I could see money passing back 220 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 1: and forth behind me. Can I have my cut? 221 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 5: I said? 222 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 1: There were a lot of lost bets that day. The Barn, 223 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: as we're kind of establishing, belonged to Mike's parents, Herman 224 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 1: and Donna Austry. They're in a farm just north of 225 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 1: town when this happens, and they are keeping the faith. 226 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: Herman Austrey is one hundred percent in his interviews, he's 227 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: one hundred percent sure this will work. And he has 228 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: a bit of a Noah esque trait to him because 229 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: he is considering the successful movement of the barn a 230 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:52,839 Speaker 1: matter of faith. And he's in these quotations pointing out 231 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: the sky saying I have faith in our maker. And 232 00:13:56,559 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 1: the one thing that didn't go right for them, the 233 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: one thing there's still a little bit miffed about is 234 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:05,680 Speaker 1: that the Guinness Book of World Records wasn't as impressed 235 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: as they were. 236 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,439 Speaker 4: Well, I think that's a real shame they did submit 237 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 4: this for a Guinness record. Packet of information surrounding this 238 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 4: feat was submitted to Guinness Book of World Records, along 239 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 4: with verification from Nebraska's Division of Weights and Measures, which 240 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 4: I love, you know, to confirm that this was in 241 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 4: fact all done with human muscle. 242 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 2: However, it was rejected. 243 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 4: The deputy editor of Guinness told them barn moving was 244 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 4: quote not an activity which has shown itself to be 245 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:43,680 Speaker 4: of widespread interest. What have you seen some of the 246 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 4: things that get Guinness records? 247 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 1: Also, do you know the history of Guinness records. It's 248 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: all about for people. It's complete. It was originally completely 249 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: made for people who are getting sauced at bars to 250 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:59,360 Speaker 1: be able to prove their side of trivial arguments. 251 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, but the idea of the necessity for widespread interest 252 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 2: is bonkers to me. I mean, isn't there a guy 253 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 2: who holds the world record for like juggling apples while 254 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 2: taking a bite of each apple the most? I mean, 255 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 2: like it's all so niche Also, yeah, what's the deal? 256 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: Maybe a different era in the Guinness regime because they 257 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: do have a lot more specificity in world records and 258 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: they'll let you do things like person who has the 259 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: most world records as a world record, so they'll get 260 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: meta with it. 261 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 5: I don't know they got rob is all I'm saying. 262 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, a team Austria on this one. I mean moving 263 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 1: a two twenty thousand pound bar and one hundred and 264 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: fifteen feet is pretty impressive. And look they did this 265 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: not once but twice. The family raised the bar again 266 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 1: just a year later to add a block to the 267 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: base and this was a way easier operation because he 268 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: just had to lift it up. You didn't have to 269 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: actually move it around. It's cool, though it's such a 270 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: a community building exercise. In some ways it reminds me 271 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 1: of well, of course barn raising right in some communities. 272 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 1: It also reminds me of the thing that kids used 273 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: to do in gym class where you have the big 274 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: parachute and you, oh of course raise it up together 275 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: and then you run under it. 276 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 2: And it's almost meant to be like a team building exers. 277 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 2: That's what I'm your children. Yeah it is, No, it's funny. 278 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 4: Never quite thought of it like that, but we should 279 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 4: probably mention the obvious here. They were corn farmers. Yes, 280 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 4: that that is what makes it semi corn related. 281 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 2: We do have a corn content. 282 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: And if this feels too much like a tease of 283 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: the corn cob, don't worry. You can check out stuff 284 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: they don't want you to know. We have an episode 285 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: about how corn got into everything in America. It's a 286 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 1: little bit of a different vibe. But that'll that'll, that'll 287 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: feed your corn craving. If you want to know Horn 288 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: about corn. We know you crave corn. We know you 289 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: crave corn. We also well, at least we hope that 290 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 1: you have some questions about names of towns in Nebraska, 291 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: particularly the capital, which is named after that Lincoln, you know, 292 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: the famous amateur wrestler, Abraham Lincoln. 293 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 2: But a good reach on him. 294 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:14,400 Speaker 5: He had a good reach. 295 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 1: He also jumped out of windows to avoid voting, which 296 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:18,120 Speaker 1: I don't remember. 297 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 4: Do you think he did like a commando role when 298 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,399 Speaker 4: he landed after jumping through the window and that stood 299 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:24,879 Speaker 4: up and just sauntered away. 300 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 5: I hope. So he always struck me. His spry especially 301 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:28,159 Speaker 5: very much day. 302 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:31,160 Speaker 4: It's a good word for Lincoln, old spry abe Lincoln. 303 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 4: But yeah, named after him, but not in the way 304 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 4: you might think. At least three dozen counties, towns, and 305 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 4: cities are named after this amateur wrestler, sprightly, young upstart. But, 306 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 4: as Jordan Pascal writes for the Lincoln Journal Star, while 307 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 4: most places were named to honor one of the country's 308 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 4: most revered presidents, Lincoln, Nebraska had a bit more of 309 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 4: a backhanded way of honoring and heavy italics quotation fingers him. 310 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 4: In fact, there were some ballot icians who attempted to 311 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:05,880 Speaker 4: use Lincoln's name as a way to dissuade constituents from. 312 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 2: Moving the capital from Omaha. 313 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:12,600 Speaker 4: So it was like a political play capitalizing on people's 314 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:14,960 Speaker 4: dislike of Lincoln in that part of the country, because 315 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 4: he certainly was a divisive figure well despite being known 316 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 4: as a great unifier, there's no question he rubbed some 317 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 4: folks the wrong way. And Omaha, by the way, had 318 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 4: been the territorial government seat since eighteen fifty four. 319 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: Right, so at this time things are in flux as 320 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: they're figuring out modern state borders and statehood. We go 321 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 1: to the governor of the territorial area at this time, 322 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 1: Thomas Cumming. He hailed from Council Bluffs, Iowa, just across 323 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,400 Speaker 1: the Missouri River from Omaha, and he was a huge 324 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:51,479 Speaker 1: proponent of keeping the capital in Omaha, but nearly twice 325 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 1: the number of people lived south of the Platte River, 326 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:59,200 Speaker 1: and they all generally thought the capital should be closer 327 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 1: to the center of the population, right, build the build 328 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:05,439 Speaker 1: the capital where the most people are, right, or at 329 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 1: least make it central to them. Yeah, it makes sense. 330 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,440 Speaker 1: And so the folks south of the Platte River are 331 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: getting increasingly livid because they're saying, we're not being treated fairly, 332 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:20,439 Speaker 1: We're not getting proper representation in the legislature. So for 333 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,919 Speaker 1: more than a decade, for thirteen years, folks were beefed 334 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: up over the location of the capital. And in eighteen 335 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: sixty seven, just like they're just like their later Nebraska 336 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 1: residents would do. In eighteen sixty seven, a group said, well, 337 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: let's move the capital. 338 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:40,159 Speaker 2: What is it? 339 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 5: But another barn I. 340 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 4: Always wonder, man, I mean, is it just like kind 341 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 4: of like I don't know, bragging rights as to what 342 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 4: city is the capital, or they're like, maybe there's economic concerns. 343 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 2: I guess they think, yeah, that probably makes the most sense. 344 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:58,159 Speaker 1: I think it's it's economic. It'll often come to a 345 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 1: constituency wearing the the sheep skin of you know, local 346 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: pride or historical significance. But usually when you get to 347 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:10,680 Speaker 1: the back rooms, they're talking money. 348 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 2: They're talking money, they're talking power. 349 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 4: Because if anytime there's a place that's the seat of government, 350 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 4: I imagine that local politicians are going to wield a little 351 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 4: bit more, you know, say. 352 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 2: In the way things go down in the state. 353 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: And you think legislative arguments can get in the halls 354 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:31,719 Speaker 1: of power can get weird nowadays. Folks, during the last 355 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: territorial legislature, people were arguing so intently about this that 356 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: they started like flexing their guns. 357 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,360 Speaker 2: At each other fisticuffs. Yeah, and just say, oh, that's 358 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 2: a great point. 359 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 5: Why don't you say it again? 360 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,239 Speaker 4: And folks living south of the Platte River who are 361 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 4: referred to as platters or south platters, because again there 362 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 4: was this kind of othering, this sort of like us 363 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 4: in them mentality, they talked about literally seating and joining 364 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 4: Kansas instead, So they're talking about the seating joining Kansas. 365 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 4: When the issue came to a vote, there was not 366 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 4: a whole lot of protest for removal from the Northerners 367 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 4: except for one senator, one loan senator in Oma. 368 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,919 Speaker 1: Yes, and here we introduce J. N. H. Patrick you know, 369 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 1: I'm torn about this, but I always I know this 370 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:35,439 Speaker 1: is dumb, but I always found it kind of cool 371 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,119 Speaker 1: when people have instead of a first name, they just 372 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:39,360 Speaker 1: have three initials. 373 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 2: Three is a bit much for me. 374 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 5: Two. 375 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 2: I like three. I don't know, it feels a little pretentious. 376 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:46,879 Speaker 5: That is four for me. 377 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: Three, but four four is like, at some point you 378 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:51,679 Speaker 1: need to make better choices. 379 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 2: Agree to disagree. 380 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 5: I love it. 381 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 2: That's very true. It is classic. That did, no question 382 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:56,879 Speaker 2: about it. It's as a matter of like what the 383 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 2: threshold is for you, We'll just. 384 00:21:58,240 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 5: Call it Patrick, Senator Patrick. 385 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:04,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, he says, all right, I'm going to make one 386 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: last hail Mary to keep the capital in my city. 387 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,160 Speaker 1: I'm going to propose a different name for the new 388 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:14,399 Speaker 1: seat of government. The legislatures at the time, the groundswell 389 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:17,959 Speaker 1: of popular support was to build this new capital and 390 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 1: call it, in a burst of creativity, Capital City. But 391 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: Patrick raises a point I kind of agree with. He 392 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 1: says that name is trash. He specifically says it is 393 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: quote inexplicably clumsy and ugly. We should change the name 394 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: to Lincoln after you know that president who just died. 395 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:42,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, he did, in fact do that. He thought that 396 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 4: the promoter of the bill for a new capital, a 397 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 4: Senator Mills Reeves of Nebraska City, might take issue with 398 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:56,520 Speaker 4: that because of his status as a former slaveholder and 399 00:22:56,680 --> 00:23:00,360 Speaker 4: a big time opponent of old honest Abe. He thought 400 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 4: this would rattle him and cause him to oppose his 401 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 4: own bill, because racists are kind of single issue people 402 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,880 Speaker 4: at certain points of the arguments, you know what I mean. 403 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, And the assumption here, the calculus makes sense. He 404 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: assumes that this guy Reeves will from Nebraska City, will 405 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: hate Lincoln so so much that he will oppose his 406 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 1: own bill, because Reeves was on record as having dislike 407 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 1: the name of Lincoln more than Satan himself, according to 408 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:37,520 Speaker 1: people who hung out with Reeves. But there's a surprise. 409 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 1: Things did not go the way our buddy, Senator Patrick 410 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: planned Reeves said, I'm not offended, you know what, I think. 411 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:49,040 Speaker 1: It's a great idea. Thanks Pat. And the bill passed. 412 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 1: So they took the village of Lancaster, which had been 413 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 1: founded fairly recently at that time, in eighteen fifty six. 414 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 1: They said, this will be the new capital. We'll rename 415 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 1: it Lincoln. If you go to folk like historian Jim 416 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: McKee you'll hear the following quote. It's definitely a unique situation. 417 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: Everyone assumes it was a great honor, but it was 418 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:12,840 Speaker 1: a political trick that backfired. If you ask one thousand people, 419 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 1: they'll all say it's named in honor of Lincoln. But 420 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:17,879 Speaker 1: that is only half the truth. 421 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:20,719 Speaker 4: And I mean, to be fair, it's not like they 422 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 4: named it Lincoln sucks or something, you know. I mean, 423 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 4: in history will look at it as having been named 424 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 4: after Lincoln as an honor, because why wouldn't it have been? 425 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 4: And it doesn't really read as a dish and unless 426 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:37,719 Speaker 4: you were really into the minutia of this or know 427 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 4: what the purpose was, and it sort of becomes irrelevant 428 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 4: after a time. 429 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 2: But as that sure, why they didn't ever bother changing. 430 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: It's still better than Capital City. What what a bad name? 431 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:52,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, sounds like the name of like some generic Washington 432 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 4: DC and like a RPG game of some kind. 433 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,200 Speaker 1: It's yeah, It's like if if I were making an 434 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 1: album and I I called my band band and I 435 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:04,920 Speaker 1: called my album album. 436 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 2: Right, Well, actually, yeah, oh you think that would work? No, 437 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 2: it depends. 438 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 4: I mean, there is a band called Girls whose first 439 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:15,400 Speaker 4: album is called album, and then there's the bands, and there, 440 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:17,400 Speaker 4: of course there's the bands. But the problem with things 441 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:19,399 Speaker 4: like that is you can really only do it once, 442 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 4: you know, and then it just becomes like, yeah, you wouldn't. 443 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 5: Be down with Capital City too. 444 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: I'm glad they cut this off at the pass or 445 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 1: nipped it in the bud. 446 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:33,080 Speaker 4: So I teased another story about folks disagreeing and it 447 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 4: caused them some maybe redrawing of boundaries, or at least 448 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 4: the potential for that. 449 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 2: Why don't we move on to the story of. 450 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,320 Speaker 4: The Nebraska city that hated each other so much that 451 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 4: they ceased being a city. 452 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 2: How does that even happen? 453 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:52,639 Speaker 1: Yeah, so we'll go to a city called Seneca, Nebraska, 454 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: the Thomas County town of Seneca. According to our pals again, 455 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: Delana Lefever's was in corporate in eighteen eighty eight, but 456 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: quite recently it dissolved. In twenty fourteen, the entire city 457 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:11,680 Speaker 1: broke up because of a year of violent disputes and acrimony. 458 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,640 Speaker 1: You think your HOA is a problem folks? This they 459 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 1: got nothing on this. As a matter of fact, don't 460 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,920 Speaker 1: tell your hoa about this story because we don't want, 461 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: you know, we don't want to encourage this behavior. 462 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 4: No, we certainly don't. And this was at least the 463 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:30,919 Speaker 4: initial disagreements. One of several involved horses, the idea of 464 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 4: keeping horses in town limits. There is apparently an ordinance 465 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 4: that prevented. 466 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 1: That, and so it's yeah, it's an unincorporated community. Now 467 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 1: if you look over it at stats, it's classified as 468 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:50,360 Speaker 1: a village. But it's very important to remember this community, 469 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 1: like so many other communities in the Great Interior of 470 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: the United States, has been in a population declined for 471 00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: a while. So we say the entire city breaking up, 472 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: we're talking about thirty people. 473 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 5: Now. 474 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 1: It was thirty three a few years back, and now 475 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: it's down to thirty. They were on the way down 476 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:13,920 Speaker 1: already because of the closing of infrastructure like the railroad roundhouse. 477 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: And we do know the median age of people in 478 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:22,159 Speaker 1: town was around fifty five, a little north of fifty 479 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 1: five years old. There are there were only three residents 480 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 1: under the age of eighteen and twenty ten. So if 481 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:31,560 Speaker 1: you look at the details, this starts to sound a 482 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:35,400 Speaker 1: lot less like, you know, a huge city of thousands 483 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: of people breaking up, and a little more like thirty 484 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:42,119 Speaker 1: people who decided not to get along. 485 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, but I mean, you know, the age thing. I 486 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 4: guess makes sense. This seems like a pretty old school dispute, like. 487 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 5: We put my horse. 488 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:52,360 Speaker 2: Wow, Well, well yeah, were they for it or against it? 489 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 2: Like which side? 490 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:53,399 Speaker 5: You know? 491 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:56,119 Speaker 4: I've got to know more and I actually I'm very 492 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 4: excited to check out this radio Lab episode all about it, 493 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:01,919 Speaker 4: and you too. I guess the last one for today 494 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 4: is I had no idea there was once a volcano. 495 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 4: According to the National Park Service, in Nebraska, on August 496 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,159 Speaker 4: twenty fourth, eighteen oh four, Clark of Lewis and Clark 497 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:16,399 Speaker 4: Fame explored the one hundred and eighty or one hundred 498 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 4: and ninety foot bluff along the west side of the 499 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 4: Missouri River and wrote, those bluffs appear to have been 500 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:27,200 Speaker 4: laterly on fire, and at this time is too hot 501 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 4: for a man to bare his hand in the. 502 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 2: Earth at any depth. 503 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 4: Gress appearance of coal, an immense quantity of cabalt, or 504 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 4: a crystallized substance which answers its description is on the 505 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 4: face of the bluff, so basically he's describing a sulfuric 506 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 4: smell and like deposits of a volcanic type rock. 507 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:56,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, and later later explorers would wonder if This was 508 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 1: indeed of volcano folks like Nicolette, just one initial away 509 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 1: from genius. 510 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 5: There. 511 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: Jan theorized that the decomposition of beds of iron pirates 512 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: pyrites in contact with water created heat that was capable 513 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: of igniting other combustible stuff. But again, the name stuck, 514 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: you know, and sometimes the names persist longer than the facts. 515 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: So by the late eighteen hundreds, this bluff was known 516 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 1: as the Ionia Volcano, named after the nearby town of Ionia. 517 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 1: And that's a cool claim to fame for them. 518 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:34,800 Speaker 2: It's pretty cool. 519 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 4: I guess you know, when you actually call something a 520 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 4: volcano the Ionia volcano, that's a little bit misleading. 521 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 2: I maybe would have named it something for more like 522 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:44,960 Speaker 2: Ionia volcano rock. 523 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 5: You know, Yeah, I hear you. 524 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 1: For the accuracy, I would keep the phrase Ionia volcano 525 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 1: and just redefine it as a weird euphemism for. 526 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 2: Something I like that. 527 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, the old Ionia volcano, if you know what I mean, 528 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 1: because ad if you know what I mean at the 529 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 1: end of any sentence makes stuff sound so bizarre. 530 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:05,520 Speaker 2: Oh, no question about it. 531 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:09,440 Speaker 4: But unfortunately, if you went to this spot today, you're 532 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:11,400 Speaker 4: not going to see anything like this because in eighteen 533 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 4: seventy eight, the Missouri River flooded and the bluff in 534 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:20,080 Speaker 4: question was submerged and parts of the quote unquote volcano 535 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 4: fell into the river, never to be seen again. The 536 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 4: same flood also damaged the town that it was named after, Ionia, 537 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,320 Speaker 4: which was later unfortunately completely abandoned. 538 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:35,760 Speaker 1: However, we are not abandoning you, fellow ridiculous historians. There's 539 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,479 Speaker 1: much more to get to about Nebraska, perhaps for a 540 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: future episode of whoopsal Tangents. For now, we are going 541 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: to continue our journey. Thank you so much to you 542 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: folks for tuning in and joining us. Thanks, of course 543 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: also to our research associate and super producer mister Max Williams. 544 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 2: That's right, Alex Williams, who produced this theme. 545 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:01,480 Speaker 4: Eves, Jeffcoates, and Christopher Hasiota here in spirit. 546 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:03,240 Speaker 5: Aj Bahamas Jacobs. 547 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: The singular man that I go to for any explanation 548 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: about the Constitution, Sorry, scotis also Rachel big Spinach Lance, 549 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 1: who is eternally gracious when I ask her dumb questions 550 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:18,880 Speaker 1: about underwater explosions. 551 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 2: We got to get her back on the show. Also Hughes. 552 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:24,240 Speaker 2: Thanks to Jonathan Strickland, the quist. 553 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 5: Who will be here to the show. 554 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:29,240 Speaker 1: Ye speaking speaking of weird, I wonder if is he 555 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 1: the kind of guy that would help us move a barn. 556 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 2: I think you would. We'll see you next time, folks. 557 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 4: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 558 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 4: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.