The Nifty Fifty Show

Some parties are infamous, becoming legends. The Hurricane Party of 1969--while Hurricane Camille roared on shore--is one of those parties. But what really happened in Pass Christian, Mississippi all those years ago? Were there really a bunch of hedonists laughing in the face of death, or just a group of people staying together for company? Find out in this episode how a quest to make a memorial led to the truth of what really happened on the Gulf Coast that fateful night.

The Chicago River pops up in the news every March when it's dyed green. Have you ever wondered why Lake Michigan isn't subsequently green? You'd be forgiven for thinking that the Chicago River emptied in Lake Michigan, but that's not the case anymore. In this episode, I discuss how a group of politicians and engineers got together to pull off the ultimate reverse Uno card on Mother Nature by reversing the Chicago River to solve their sewage woes.

Borders are one of mankind's enduring geographic obsessions. Sometimes, natural features lend a hand to form them...until they decide to switch places overnight like the Missouri River did in 1877, stranding a little part of Iowa on the wrong side of the river. This anomaly eventually landed at the center of three Supreme Court cases, each one attempting to untangle tricky ideas such as avulsion and diversity of citizenship. Welcome to Carter Lake!

Freedom of religion is often touted in the American public arena. But where did it come from? This episode answers that question: Flushing, New York. When Quakers find refuge in a tiny farming village to the east of New York City, Peter Stuyvesant wants nothing to do with them. He gets, however, more than he bargained when many in the town rise up against him. What results is a foundational document that influenced the Constitution, leaving an immense legacy.

The United States is full of small cities, spread out over a vast landscape. One of these towns is Yankton, South Dakota. It's likely that more people look at it from a plane than visit it. However, Yankton is full of surprises. It has two nicknames: the Mother City of the Dakotas and Cement City! Tune in to find out how Bismarck stole the territorial capital, leaving Yankton with a "bitter memory" and how Yankton is connected with some of the great engineering marvels.