Episodes

  • 61. The Moss Man of Idaho: A 28-Day Hot Spring Nightmare

    61. The Moss Man of Idaho: A 28-Day Hot Spring Nightmare
    Feb 19 2025
    🔥 How does a man end up naked in a hot spring for 28 days?

    In 1984, a man Outside Magazine dubbed “Slim Becker” took an ill-advised winter soak in Idaho’s Frenchman’s Bend Hot Springs. His clothes froze solid, leaving him stuck, exposed, and slowly transforming into Moss Man.

    From hallucinations of wolves to a bizarre town festival in his honor, this story is as absurd as it is unbelievable.

    😱 Did he survive? Did he learn his lesson? And why did a guy on a snowmobile give him a beer instead of helping him out?!

    ⏳ Chapters & Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome to Rainy Day Rabbit Holes – New Format Announcement!
    02:00 - How NOT to enjoy Idaho’s hot springs
    04:10 - The moment Slim realizes he messed up
    06:00 - 28 Days Later: The Moss Man Transformation
    09:12 - A town celebrates his terrible decisions
    12:00 - Final thoughts: Would you do this?

    🎧 Get ad-free episodes & bonus content! Join Patreon or Spreaker Supporter’s Club → rainydayrabbitholes.com/support
    🔗 More weird history: rainydayrabbitholes.com

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    15 mins
  • 60. Sex on the Lewis & Clark Expedition

    60. Sex on the Lewis & Clark Expedition
    Feb 12 2025
    Lewis & Clark: Mapping the West, Bedding the Best

    How the Corps of Discovery paddled their way up Coochie Creek.

    Episode Summary: Think Lewis & Clark were just noble explorers charting the wilderness? Think again. While the Corps of Discovery mapped new lands, they also explored forested ravines (wink wink), spreading their “big medicine” across the continent. From spiritual sex ceremonies to questionable medicine (hello, penis syringes!), this episode uncovers the raunchy reality behind one of America’s greatest expeditions.


    Mentioned in This Episode:
    • Lewis & Clark’s original journals
    • Accounts from the Nez Perce and Mandan tribes
    • The history of syphilis treatments (spoiler: they were horrifying)
    Love the Show? Support Us! 🎧 Get ad-free episodes, bonus content, and exclusive gifts by joining our Patreon or Spreaker Supporters Club! Support us at rainydayrabbitholes.com/support.

    🌎 Explore more wild history at rainydayrabbitholes.com.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-unhinged-rainy-day-rabbit-holes--6271663/support.
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • The Pig Wars: Rainy Day Rewind

    The Pig Wars: Rainy Day Rewind
    Feb 5 2025
    Hogging The Headlines: The Pig Wars


    🐷💥 The dumbest war in Pacific Northwest history started with… a pig? That’s right! The infamous Pig War of the 1800s all began when an American settler shot a British pig on San Juan Island, leading to an international standoff between the U.S. and Britain.
    Spoiler alert: No humans were harmed, but the drama was deliciously absurd.

    Originally recorded as our third episode of the day (when we were well on our way to Tipsy Town), this episode was an instant fan favorite. In this Rainy Day Rewind, we’ve polished it up—shorter, free of swearing, and with 95% fewer drunk mouth noises. But don’t worry, Shea still hilariously mispronounces half the words, and the tangents are just as ridiculous.

    Join us as we relive the outrageous series of events that nearly brought two nations to war over a farm animal. Because, honestly, how much more PNW can you get?

    Join our supporter's club for bonus episodes, ad-free episodes and more! Check out your options at www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/support

    💬 Tell us: What’s the dumbest historical conflict you’ve ever heard of?

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-unhinged-rainy-day-rabbit-holes--6271663/support.
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    58 mins
  • 59. Mayor Stubbs: How a Cat Ruled an Alaskan Town for 20 Years

    59. Mayor Stubbs: How a Cat Ruled an Alaskan Town for 20 Years
    Jan 29 2025
    Join Shea and Jody for a wild ride through Talkeetna, Alaska, where Mayor Stubbs, an orange tabby, ruled with his furry charm for two decades. Learn how this small town’s unconventional politics captured hearts worldwide. Then, laugh along as the duo unpacks the Moose Drop Festival—a quirky event featuring painted moose turds, charity, and a helicopter. From feline mayors to PETA’s hilarious misunderstandings, this episode is packed with whiskered wisdom and Alaskan hijinks.

    Chapters:
    • 00:00 – Intro: Meet Mayor Lynx Monsoon and Rainy Day Rabbit Holes Newsroom.
    • 05:00 – Patron Shout-Out: Celebrating Scott, our Hot Dummy of the Week!
    • 10:00 – Mayor Stubbs: The rise of Talkeetna’s honorary feline mayor.
    • 20:00 – Talkeetna Trivia: Exploring the town’s history and charm.
    • 25:00 – Moose Drop Festival: Painted poop and PETA’s uproar.
    • 28:00 – Alaska’s Weirdness: The Florida Man of the Northwest.

    Love the episode? Get ad-free listening, bonus content, and more by joining our Patreon or Spreaker Supporter’s Club at rainydayrabbitholes.com/support. Explore more episodes and blogs at rainydayrabbitholes.com.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-unhinged-rainy-day-rabbit-holes--6271663/support.
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    29 mins
  • 58. Montana's Real Life Monopoly Men: The Copper Kings

    58. Montana's Real Life Monopoly Men: The Copper Kings
    Jan 22 2025
    What happens when greed, power, and ego collide? Meet Montana’s Copper Kings: the men who turned a mining boom into a chaotic feud that shaped the state forever.

    This episode takes you to the Gilded Age of the late 1800s, where Montana's vast copper reserves became a battleground for four larger-than-life figures. From Clark’s blatant bribery to Hines’ legal loopholes and Daily’s relentless grit, discover the petty feuds and cutthroat tactics that defined the era. Learn how their greed built empires, destroyed lives, and left an environmental mess that persists today. Plus, find out why Anaconda almost became Montana’s capital!

    Chapters:
    • 00:00-02:00 - Welcome Back and Montana Origins
    • 02:01-08:19 - Copper Fever: Why Montana Mattered
    • 08:20-19:50 - The Rise of William A. Clark and Marcus Daly
    • 19:51-28:30 - Hines, Legal Loopholes, and Explosions
    • 28:31-39:30 - The Legacy of the Copper Kings

    Enjoyed the episode? Get ad-free episodes and bonus content at rainydayrabbitholes.com/support. Explore more stories like this at rainydayrabbitholes.com.

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    46 mins
  • 57: Scandalous Love & Suffrage: Free Spirits of the 1860s Pacific Northwest with PNW Haunts & Homicides

    57: Scandalous Love & Suffrage: Free Spirits of the 1860s Pacific Northwest with PNW Haunts & Homicides
    Jan 15 2025
    Free Love & Feminism in 1860s PNW-The Extraordinary Life of Eliza Woodard Hurd DeWolfe

    Uncover the wild story of free love advocate Eliza DeWolfe in 1800s Pacific Northwest. Scandal, feminism, and boldness await! Listen now!

    Ever wondered how free love, feminism, and scandal shaped the 1800s Pacific Northwest? Join Shea and guest Caitlyn from PNW Haunts and Homicides as they dive into the life of Eliza Woodard Hurd DeWolfe. This episode unravels tales of unconventional relationships, daring dress reform, and the enduring fight for women’s suffrage. Packed with humor, history, and heartfelt moments, it’s a wild ride into the past.Discover the roots of the free love movement and its surprising ties to early feminism.
    • Follow the bold actions of Eliza DeWolfe as she challenges 19th-century social norms.
    • Learn how dress reform became a symbol of freedom and suffrage in the Pacific Northwest.
    Chapters & Timestamps:
    • 00:00 - Introduction: Meet Shea from Rainy Day Rabbit Holes and Caitlyn from PNW Haunts and Homicides.
    • 00:10 - Free Love Origins: The surprising history of free love, starting in the 2nd century.
    • 00:33 - Eliza’s Defiance: Riding in bloomers and the "conjugal alliance" scandal.
    • 00:43 - Dress Reform & Suffrage: Eliza’s lasting impact on women’s rights.
    • 00:58 - Final Thoughts & Takeaways: Celebrating Eliza’s legacy.
    For bonus content, ad-free episodes, and other perks, support us on Patreon or Spreaker at rainydayrabbitholes.com/support. Don’t forget to visit our website at rainydayrabbitholes.com! Special thanks to Caitlyn from PNW Haunts and Homicides for joining us and to Bethany Kay Matthews for her invaluable research. Visit pnwhauntsandhomicides.com

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-unhinged-rainy-day-rabbit-holes--6271663/support.
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    48 mins
  • 56. Free Love, Fraud & Sawmills: The Wild Life of Henry Yesler

    56. Free Love, Fraud & Sawmills: The Wild Life of Henry Yesler
    Jan 8 2025
    If you want ad-free episodes, bonus content, free merch, and eternal happiness—because our podcast is a guaranteed mood booster (probably)—please consider subscribing to us either on Patreon or via the Spreaker Supporters Club. Head to rainydayrabbitholes.com/support for more information.

    Discover the outrageous life of Henry Yesler, one of Seattle’s founding fathers! From his free-love lifestyle to wild business schemes, Yesler's story is packed with scandal and surprises. Join Shea and guest Bryon Kershaw (Spirits & Monsters of Old Seattle podcast) for a hilarious and jaw-dropping dive into Seattle history.

    What You’ll Learn:
    • The origins of "Skid Row" and how Yesler reshaped Seattle’s landscape.
    • Yesler’s scandalous lottery and other audacious business ventures.
    • The shocking details of Yesler’s personal life, including his marriage to his cousin.
    Timestamps: 0:36 – Who was Henry Yesler? 5:35 – Seattle’s real seasons—a hilarious breakdown. 22:57 – Yesler’s lottery scheme—and its messy aftermath. 42:14 – Yesler’s eyebrow-raising marriage scandal.

    Don’t miss this deep dive into Seattle’s wild history! Like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments.

    https://www.spiritsandmonsters.com/

    Sources include Sons of the Profits by Bill Speidel and History Link.org, as always! Big thanks to the historians at historylink.org

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-unhinged-rainy-day-rabbit-holes--6271663/support.
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    50 mins
  • 55. Beardgate ’73: How Governor Dan Evans’ Beard Divided Washington

    55. Beardgate ’73: How Governor Dan Evans’ Beard Divided Washington
    Jan 1 2025
    In this whimsical episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, we dive into one of Washington state’s quirkiest political scandals: Beardgate ’73. Governor Dan Evans—known for his sharp mind and clean-cut image—set off a bizarre chain reaction when he grew a beard during a family vacation. While the beard’s time was short-lived, the drama it unleashed was unforgettable.

    From letters comparing him to Rip Van Winkle to accusations of looking like a “wild timber wolf,” Washingtonians didn’t hold back their opinions. But amidst the laughter, we also reflect on Evans’ remarkable legacy as a leader, one whose policies left an enduring impact on the state.

    Be sure to tune in for laughs, insights, and a story that proves even the smallest decisions can make big waves.

    ✨ Website: rainydayrabbitholes.com
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    #RainyDayRabbitHoles #PodcastLife #PodcastEpisode #Beardgate #DanEvans #WashingtonHistory #PoliticalScandals #BeardLove #RetroPolitics #QuirkyHistory #TrueStories #HumorInPolitics #PodcastCommunity #ListenerSupport #IndependentPodcasts

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    43 mins