Useless Information Podcast

The first of a 3-part series on Le Mars, Iowa from the 1930's. Le Mars was thrust into the national spotlight by the actions of just one man: a successful lawyer named T.M. Zink, who left nearly his entire estate for the establishment of a very unusual library. Listen to this podcast to determine whether Zink was truly mad or simply playing a good practical joke on the world.  Also learn about a man who pushed a heavy cart many mile off course, an artist's model fired for his Van Dyke beard, a waiter who poisoned his customers, and the original title of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Retrosponsor: Vicks VapoRub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was one of the first female doctors in the United States and is the only woman to ever receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, until the government rescinded her award. Also learn about a woman who accidentally served her husband dog food for breakfast, three children found locked in a tool box, who CBS wanted to replace Rod Serling on the Twilight Zone with plus the title that ABC wished to rename the show. Retrosponsor: Ingram's Shaving Cream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between 1942 and 1943 Ralph Marshall Wilby appeared to pull off what appeared to be the perfect crime. An incredible story that has many elements of an international thriller: deception, false identities, international kidnapping, and the drop dead gorgeous woman who brought his capture.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On March 5, 2000, Ines Ramirez Perez went into labor but was unable to get any medical care to help with the delivery. In a panic, Ines concluded that she had no other option than to deliver the baby herself.  She used an ordinary kitchen knife to perform a cesarean on herself. Find out what happened afterward and stories of other self-cesareans.  Also, learn about a toy made from Zectron, a man who had the ultimate solution for a sore throat, a doctor who removed his own appendix, and another man who washed his intestines under the kitchen faucet. Retrosponsor: Hind's Honey and Almond Cream.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in 1911, Wilkes-Barre, PA resident John Jay "Butch" McDevitt won the Democratic Primary for county treasurer. The only problem was that the Democratic Committee didn't want McDevitt on the ballot. Listen to this story to find out how the party got rid of him and how he capitalized on this for the rest of his life. Also, learn about three animals involved in politics and the first time that the red & blue electoral map was used on network television. Retrosponsor: Gracie Allen for President.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Halloween episode. Learn about a reputable California dentist named William Shyne who supposedly gave the children of his neighborhood lollipops and laxative pills for Halloween. Also, learn about a woman arrested for dressing like a man, a man who was arrested after purchasing Halloween candy for his wife, the day Princess Margaret was caught smoking a cigarette, and the best-selling Halloween candy in the United States. Retrosponsor: Rogers Bros. Plated Silverware Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On October 6, 1946 a young woman was arrested in Palisades Park, NJ for refusing to provide a police officer with her name. She had been cooperative in every way but refused to provide that single piece of information. Her story soon became front page news nationwide. Also learn about discontinued Monopoly game tokens, the Hear-See recording system, the introduction of the Radarange, and what was to be called the "Tape Age." Retrosponsor: The American Weekly magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The everything ice cream episode! Learn about an ongoing war between ice cream vendors, which included bombings, gunfire, torching of trucks, and threats. Also, learn about a ban on using glue in ice cream, a pharmacy robbery where one of the bandits served ice cream, and a woman who set up a $20,000 ice cream trust fund. Retrosponsor: Sealtest Ice Cream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in 1935, Yonkers, NY made international news for arresting five NYC women who wore shorts and bandana halters. At one point, the Yonkers' aldermen proposed the building of a fence around the entire Tibbetts Brook Park to keep the undesirable people out. Also, learn about one man's attempt to shut down a nudist colony, two men forced to hike nude for many miles, a topless cellist, and the only company still on the Dow Jones Industrial Average that was on the original list. Retrosponsor: Manischewitz Matzo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In September of 1950, a young woman contacted Miami police to let them know that someone had stolen money from her, money that she had helped to steal from Southern Bell originally. This led to the discovery of a highly unusual theft ring. Also, learn about a boy that was sentenced to three years for stealing a single penny, crooks that stole the wrong box, a man who specialized in stealing cash from pay phones, and which season has the most number of days. Retrosponsor: Remington-Rand Business Machines Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Lyndon Johnson was never one to hold back his words, whether they be good or bad. Listen to this episode to learn what he felt was the ugliest thing that he had ever seen. Also, learn about the original 3 Musketeers Candy Bar, a man who turned blue, a woman offended by a new red, white, & blue girdle, and aluminum swimwear. Retrosponsor: MGM Studios/The Wizard of Oz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The drowning of Brockport, NY resident Maxwell Breeze in the Erie Canal back in 1936 was the basis for one of the most unusual death penalty cases ever. Find out who was placed on trial, the decision handed down by the court, and what happened to the accused murderer in the end.  Also, learn which Beatles' song is the second most covered of all time, a headless rooster named Lazarus, how a family went ape over a monkey up a tree in their backyard, and the death leap of over 1,000 sheep. Retrosponsor: Campana Italian Balm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past, teachers could be fired some of the craziest reasons such as wearing turtleneck sweaters, pantsuits, not going to church, or smoking a cigarette at home. Check out this story to learn about one of the more unusual ways a teacher could be denied a teaching license. Also learn who was the first person on the cover of TV Guide, a teacher fired for being too pretty, others fired for having children, and yet another for refusing to sign a loyalty oath. Retrosponsor: Milk-Bone dog biscuits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Salem Trade School was the worst high school football team in the Boston region back in the 1920's. Any team that played against them was almost guaranteed to win. The Salem Trade team had a big secret and they somehow managed to keep it under wraps for six years. Also learn about the history of peanut butter, the origin of tighty-whiteys, reporters who hated Elvis Presley, reporters who equally hated The Beatles, and a death threat against the Bee Gees. Retrosponsor: Peter Pan Peanut Butter (with Mike Wallace as announcer!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The comical true story of an ordinary house mouse that could sing. Next came a one-year contract with NBC radio and an international contest to find the world's best singing mouse.  Also learn about the man who invented Christmas lights, a boy who received a new leg for Christmas, another boy that traded his prized Christmas gift for a mouse, and woman who saved Christmas for a California family. Retrosponsor: Elgin watches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices