City on the Edge Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ty, Nora and Mike
Today we’re going to be addressing a controversial topic, perhaps one of the most controversial topics: Abortion in our city. To be very clear, we here at CoE are 100% pro-choice and the show today is not a debate about the merits of this necessary medical procedure. Instead, we will be discussing the life experience of an abortion provider who lived and worked here in Albuquerque until her untimely death in 2022. Beyond that, this is a topic that goes hand in hand with other content that may be disturbing for listeners, including sexual assault, institutional racism and political violence. Although we will touch on those subjects, there will be no graphic descriptions of them or any medical procedures in this episode. Still, please listen or don’t listen at your own discretion. Dr. Carmen Landau’s book Un/Harmed is now available for purchase via the website https://www.raisedtype.com/carmens-book.html or through Barnes and Noble’s online store.
We welcome special guests Cody Polston and Jesse Herron to discuss Albuquerque's historic dens of iniquity and vice. Recorded live at the Painted Lady Bed and Brew!
We chat with Alheli Caton-Garcia and Amanda Galleogos from the Southwest Organizing Project, an Albuquerque nonprofit devoted to racial and gender equality and social and economic justice for over 40 years. For more information about the Stop WIPP Forever campaign, check out their website at https://stopforeverwipp.org.
Before the ART Project, before Rapid Ride, before the Railrunner, Albuquerque was a city of trolleys. But, like, where did they go?
Old Town. New Town. A match made in heaven? No. But eventually, it happened and modern Albuquerque was born.
We're not out of ideas! We just decided to grab a handful of files from Mike Smith's big ol' NM history cabinet, choose three at random, and talk about what we find. That's normal! A normal thing to do when you have lots of ideas!
Ty sits down with Amanda Sutton for a preview of Albuquerque's celebration of Route 66's centennial.
For a quarter of a century, early Downtown Albuquerque was bedeviled by an odoriferous presence-- a ditch that ran right through the center of town and became such a hazard that city officials tried to fill it in multiple times, only to be thwarted by one man and his shotgun.
What do Albuquerque's teens think of the city? Mike Smith, in his role as a teacher, assigned his classes to write about their feelings for the city, and how they would improve it. On this week's episode, we share the results.
Over the last 20 years, Albuquerque has lost multiple news sources-- from traditional papers like the Albuquerque Tribune, ad-supported free weeklies like the Alibi or the IQ, and various online sites like the NM Compass. But in the midst of all these failures, one quiet success stands out: the Downtown Albuquerque News. By focusing on an extremely local purview and charging readers a modest subscription fee, DAN has slowly grown a loyal readership and, even better, financial stability. On this episode, Ty sits down with DAN founder Peter Rice to talk about the newsletter's origin, some notable recent stories, and one of Peter's favorite historic Downtown buildings.
Eric Castillo has been conducting free walking tours of Albuquerque's Downtown for two years. I talk to him about the experience and his favorite stories from the area's history.
Sure, we all know about, you know, cowboys and archeologists and Bugs Bunny, but did you know that a house in Albuquerque once played host to one of the most infamous spies of the Manhattan Project era?
100 years ago, an itinerant ox rancher named Mike Smith discovered the Sandia mountains and decided to make a podcast about them. Today, we celebrate that great day with a very self-indulgent ramble session of an episode. We talk City on the Edge history, highs and lows, the Simpsons and whatever else comes to mind over the course of an hour and 40 minutes.
Mike takes us on a deep dive into the history, meaning and mystery of his street in the suburbs.
A two time gold rusher, automobile booster and, well, a racist, DKB Sellers was a man with many facets even before he founded one of the most desirable neighborhoods in modern Albuquerque.
RIP Mannie's. 1965-2020. And RIP to the building, 1940ish-2023.We also talk about the Colour Fence and Leisure Bowl.
Our far-flung correspondent Nora Hickey finds a surprising connection to Albuquerque in her new town: a Madonna of the Trail statue.
Hey, we've come back after a long break! And frankly, we need a refreshing drink of water, preferably from a beautiful, Giardia-free mountain spring. Fortunately, Mike knows where to find them.
From 19th century botanists to elite WWII soldiers, the history of the Sandia Tram takes us to some surprising places.
Some people like tacos. I don't get it. Some people like cults. I'm still not sure why. Some people... well, hardly anybody likes starvation. I get that.
Inspired by the Pride Parade last weekend, Ty looks into the beginnings of the Albuquerque LGBTQ rights movement.
Before the conquistador Juan de Oñate established the first Spanish colonies in New Mexico, another Spaniard attempted to do so. Why did Gaspar Castaño de Sosa fail? And why isn't he remembered today?
In 1933, an Iowa boy left his home and family to seek out his pen pal, who lived at the Pueblo of Santo Domingo.
- In the depths of the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps to both provide relief jobs to unemployed men and improve the nation's historic and natural resources. The men of Camp F8N came from all over the country to live and work in our own Sandia Mountains, and their legacy remains visible today.
An interview with Professor John Gram, author of "Education at the Edge of Empire: Negotiating Pueblo Identity in New Mexico's Indian Boarding Schools.
After talking about his less-savory side, we return to Elfego Baca, this time to tell of his legendary gunfight against a legion of drunken Texans.
A look at some of the more colorful characters from Albuquerque's history, including Elfego Baca, and an interview with local author and ghost hunter (!) Cody Polston
About a half-houri west of Los Lunas, an inscribed stone rests on the side of Hidden Mountain. Could it be evidence that New Mexico was visited by Hebraic tribes in Old Testament times? No. The answer is no.
On February 26, 1986, New Mexico state investigators discovered 150 human skulls in a “hand dug cave” beneath a home in Albuquerque’s North East heights.
A foul-mouthed furniture salesman buys a gold mine in New Mexico. Next thing you know, law enforcement officials are bribed, a man dies under suspicious circumstances and two people mysteriously disappear.
Man, the 80s and 90s were weird. Satan seemed to be lurking behind every pop culture controversy, and everybody's were burning their heavy metal records and D&D books. And Albuquerque wasn't immune to the hysteria.
New Mexico Cult Season continues with Mike Smith's report on the Aggressive Christianity Missionary Training Corps, a group with a military take on the always-impending End of the World.
On our first episode of Cult Season 2021, Nora tells us the strange story of New Mexico's druids. .
A bit of a departure from our normal, historical fare, this episode focuses on cohost Mike Smith's tenure at the scandal plagued (and ultimately shuttered) Brown Mackie for-profit college.
In 1947, the villainous New Mexico Highway Department knocked a 3 million year old landmark and Route 66 icon off of its pedestal. 73 years later, we're upset about it!
We all have bad days, but most of the time they don't involve nuclear weapons. Our guest Roland Pentilla tells about the day Albuquerque came awfully close to nuclear Armageddon, as well as other military aircraft accidents that have been mostly forgotten. This is a long one, but jam packed with fascinating information!
Okay, so we won't be able to show you the interior of this infamous UNM landmark, but we'll delve into its origins, the time it was set on fire 4 times in a single year, and how it served as the home base for a racist reign of terror in the 1960s.
In this first part of our new series, we look back to different protests and periods of activism in Albuquerque's past. This episode features the anti-fascism demonstrations of the 30s and the, uh... anti-gray hat movement at UNM?
I was lucky enough to have a chance to chat with local journalist and author Ashley M. Biggers about her new book, Secret Albuquerque, which details 90 "weird, wonderful and obscure" Albuquerque sites and stories.
We’ve never covered the Westside mass grave in detail at City on the Edge, mainly out of a desire to give it the time and attention it deserves and to do so in a way that doesn’t minimize the victims. In February of this year, however, local journalist Tierna Unruh-Enos launched The Mesa podcast, a series that focuses on the West Side crime site in a way that we never could, with interviews and investigations featuring family members of the victims, police officers who worked on (and are still working on) the case, as well as Tierna’s own experiences as a member of the media during in the time period covering the mass grave’s discovery.
I recently spoke to Tierna about the podcast, as well as what drew her to covering the case in the first place, and how her investigations have changed her view of Albuquerque’s most notorious crime scene.
Well, we're all stuck inside due to coronavirus, so why not take a look back at the 1918 flu and how it affected Albuquerque and New Mexico?
One of the most well-preserved ghost towns near Albuquerque is the coal-mining village of Hagan.
One of the most iconic images of the American west is the ghost town, and New Mexico has more than it's fair share of these collections of abandoned buildings and dusty reminders of lives long gone. If you do any research on New Mexico ghost towns, you're bound to find yourself checking out the City of Dust blog (at cityofdust.blogspot.com)--and facebook page, where explorer and author John Mulhouse chronicles his many expeditions to these mostly forgotten sites.
I spoke with John by phone recently, and delved into where his love for ghost towns comes from, strange encounters he's had while exploring them, and his upcoming book, Abandoned New Mexico: Ghost Towns, Endangered Architecture and Hidden History, due to be released in June of this year.
Nora is leaving! Why? Because of football, dammit. So we hang out with her for a while and reminiscence about her favorite episodes and how much we're going to miss her. :( :( :(
New Mexico is filled with places you can't go. Our pal, Regis Lacher, talks about a few of them.
It's a very merry City on the Edgemas as we talk about luminarias and whether or not they are actually farolitos. Also, the Bugg Lights and biscochitos (which ARE interesting, MIKE.)
In an Anytown, USA/City on the Edge mashup, we check out Cedar Crest New Mexico with Ty Bannerman, Courtney FitzGerald and Mike Smith.
CoE talks to storyteller Joe Hayes, whose retelling of New Mexico legends and folktales has delighted audiences for nearly four decades.
We travel back in time to the Albuquerque of 110 years ago and find a world of mail scams, abortion pills and quack treatment for hemorrhoids.
Visible from Albuquerque, but a world away, Sierra Ladrones is home to the ghosts of bandits, mysterious spirits and rumors of buried treasure.
Hey, this episode is available on our brand new youtube channel at bit.ly/cityontheedge! We chat with chile historian and author Dave DeWitt about the history and biology of green chile. Also, we find out a bit about Home Movie Day from our friends at Modern Albuquerque and Basement Films.
We talk to Albuquerque the Magazine assistant editor Taylor Hood about his research into various historic homes in Albuquerque, from a bed & breakfast where spies passed secrets to the Soviet government, to a home built for the New Mexico governor when residents were sure that Albuquerque would be the state capital. We also delve into what happens when a persistent legend is false, but gets printed as fact.
We follow the lives of several women who traveled on El Camino Real, the royal road that ran from Mexico City to Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico.
Did infamous Chicago gangster Al Capone spend time in the mountains of New Mexico? If he did, was he "hiding out?" We look into the persistent legends and try to find the truth.
We chat with Albuquerque poet Hakim Bellamy and photographer Justin Thor Simenson about their new book, We Are Neighbors, which explores an Albuquerque neighborhood through image and fiction.
We talk about the most famous WWII correspondent you've never heard of: Ernie Pyle. A beloved journalist who wrote about America's everyday stories before he went to war, Ernie Pyle's fame skyrocketed when he began covering the Western Front. So what's the Albuquerque connection? Listen and find out!
We talk to poet and artist Amaris Ketcham about her interactive map of Albuquerque's literary landscape (poeticroutes.com).
This episode, we look into Skyline Drive, an almost-was paved road that would have run down the face of Sandia if it hadn’t been stopped by environmentalists.
CoE talks to New Mexico Political Report Environmental Correspondent Laura Paskus about the water issues affecting our city and state.
It's Halloween, so we visit some Albuquerque graveyards and tell stories from cemeteries. Spooky!
We go into the history of the Albuquerque Indian School, featuring interviews with historian Joe Sabatini and Rachel Moore, educational curator at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.
We chat with Albuquerque native, journalist and author Rachel Syme--whose work can be found in the New Yorker, New York Times and other major publications--about how the rest of the world views Albuquerque and the impact of Breaking Bad.
The latest episode of CITY ON THE EDGE is about a 1940 concert deep underground in the San Pedro Mine, near Albuquerque, featuring the first symphony orchestra ever conducted by a woman, and funded by a tycoon who built the Empire State Building and tried to overthrow the government with a secret corporate coup. Check it out!
In 1955, a passenger airplane flew into the west face of the Sandia Mountains. We know how it happened, but why is an enduring mystery. This episode, Mike, Nora and Ty discuss the details of this infamous part of New Mexico history.
Part 2 of our look at the history of a forgotten town in the Manzano mountains. With the demise of the original village of Ojo Sabino, the area takes on a new identity as a silver fox fur farm. Also, a listener asked us about a weird noise in the Sandia mountains, so we give it our best shot to provide an explanation.
During World War II, nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans were put into internment camps due to American racism and fears of espionage. Several of those camps were in New Mexico, and this week we look at a disturbing shooting that occurred at Camp Lordsburg.
We chat with Albuquerque beer maven Chris Jackson about the history of brewing in our fair city. Be warned! This was a live show with a particularly rowdy crowd!
For this live show, we joined up with Marya Errin Jones to take a look at Black history in New Mexico. We discuss Esteban, perhaps the first non-native person in the New Mexico territory, African American cowboys in the territory and, of course, the Buffalo soldiers. We also delve into some uniquely Albuquerquean stories, including how the civil rights struggle kicked off in our city.
On this 76th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we are honoring some lesser known stories connected to both the War in the Pacific and Albuquerque. First up, our correspondent Roland Pentilla tells us about the time a Japanese submarine was the "guest of honor" in an Albuquerque parade and how Clyde Tingley may have swiped a bit of it for his own collection. Next, we look at the incredible career of the USS New Mexico, which survived three kamikaze attacks and went on to face its final battle in Newark Bay. Also: For this week's musician profile, we chat with hip hop artist Aay-C.
We tackle one of the big Albuquerque history subjects: the Alvarado Hotel. For over 60 years, this Harvey House served as the jewel of Albuquerque's Downtown, until it was torn down by short-sighted developers in the 1970s. We look at the history behind this long-lamented landmark. We also launch a new segment where we talk to local musicians about their Albuquerque experience! First up: Chicharra!
A few miles east of Albuquerque, there's a community with a strange name in no known language. What's the deal with Zuzax, anyway? Mike Smith digs into the history of this one-time roadside attraction.
Some towns die on their own. Others are killed. Mike Smith tells the story of one of the latter, the Sandia mountain community of Tejon, NM.
Live at the 2017 Mini Maker Faire! We talk with organizer Wendi Flybutter, Bernalillo County Seed Librarian Brita Sauer and Q-Lab techno-wizard Adric Menning about what, exactly, a “maker” is and how the DIY lifestyle helps to build community in Albuquerque.
Look, there's no doubt about it: Crime in Albuquerque is on the rise. But what kind of crime? And why? And what can we do about it? We talk to Albuquerque Journal crime reporter Elise Kaplan about just what the heck is going on.
For all of one month in 1862, Old Town Albuquerque was a part of the Confederate States of America. We tell this story, and then trace out the trajectory of the ill fated New Mexico campaign, led by the notoriously drunken General Henry Hopkins Sibley.
Here's a bit of trivia for you: Did you know that until 1949, Old Town wasn't actually a part of the city of Albuquerque? We tell the story behind this surprising fact, discuss the Little Beaver parade in Dulce, NM, and ponder the significance of the Raccoonpocalpyse.
Anyone who’s seen the classic film A Christmas story has heard of the Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time, but how many of you know that Albuquerque was home to Red Ryder’s creator, Fred Harman? And that there was a theme park dedicated to Red Ryder’s Native side-kick Little Beaver right at the entrance to Tijeras Canyon?
Today, we’re going to be talking about Red Ryder, Fred Harman and Little Beaver Town with local historian Roland Penttila and the man who performed as Little Beaver himself at the theme park, Troy Vicenti. Not only that, but Fred Harman’s grandson Rick Harman drops by as a surprise guest!
We've got lots of excuses for being slow in getting the next episode out (Nora got married!) but rather than bore you with them, we're sharing the first episode of a NEW podcast by City on the Edge productions: Anytown, USA. Each episode, Ty Bannerman and his wife Courtney FitzGerald check out a random location in the USA and try to find the most interesting stories they can about it. If you like what you here, subscribe on iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-anytown-usa-podcast
Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul have done more than any other pop-culture phenomenon to bring Albuquerque's unique city-scape to the eyes of the world. But is the Albuquerque portrayed in these shows accurate? What do they get right and wrong about our city? We talk to Bryan of the podcast It's Saul Goodman about his impressions of Albuquerque as seen on the show, as well as an in-depth conversation with Gabriel Hesch and Jonathan Baca from Breaking Math regarding their experiences growing up in the city.
In this bonus episode, we talk to historian, author and archivist Mo Palmer about the role of tuberculosis in shaping Albuquerque. Nora delves into the origin of Hanta virus in the Southwest. Also, Mike saw some roadrunners.
Our most disgusting episode yet! Ty and Nora discuss the history of smallpox in the New Mexico and early methods of inoculation against it. Also, a man got his hands nailed to a tree and the Pit has yet another new name.
In 1866, Dr. W. T. Strachan of Albuquerque claimed to find the remains of a 40' giant in the Sandia Mountains. This week, we tell Strachan's story, as well as that of other "enormous" discoveries in North America, including the Cardiff Giant.
It's baseball season! This episode we are joined by Ryan Swanson, author of the book When Baseball Went White, to talk about baseball history in Burque! We also investigate how the Albuquerque Dukes, a team that's been defunct for 17 years, has become seemingly more popular than ever.
This week, City on the Edge starts off with the strange, short tale of Shia Labeouf's #hewillnotdivideus project, but then gets into the world of biking in our lovely city. We chat with poet Don McIver about living a car-free life, discover the first recorded bike theft in Albuquerque and tell some of the sad stories behind the Ghost Bike project.
In this Sunshine Week special live episode, we talk to journalists Julie Ann Grimm of the Santa Fe Reporter, Jeff Proctor of New Mexico In Depth, and Laura Paskus and Joey Peters of the New Mexico Political Report about why open access to government information is so important.
In this special bonus episode, we chat with the Pajama Men (Shenoah Allen and Mark Chavez) about their award winning absurdist comedy show (which the Guardian once called the Velvet Underground of comedy) and their Albuquerque roots.
We're back! This episode, we discuss the surprising impact that a terrible disease had on the history of Albuquerque. We also touch on the bubonic plague, the illness that ravaged Europe and still reappears in New Mexico from time to time.
Ty, Mike and Nora discuss the various ways Albuquerque has entered into the viral sphere, from women's soccer brutality to the first gay, er, blind mountain climber. We also interview Lauren Poole, who created the viral video "Shit Burqueños Say."
We take a reddit user’s question about what might be making her dog bark very seriously. Could it be an invisible witch? A mischievous duende? A grotesque earth baby? Or some other supernatural entity out of New Mexico folklore?
This episode has everything: Monkeys (well, apes) going into space, feral monkeys living in desert caves, monkeys flying mini-airplanes through mushroom clouds, and even a monkey crashing a UFO in the wilds of Arizona. And even more surprising? They all have a New Mexico connection.
Our first live show! Mike and Ty talk about the 6 miles of tunnels beneath UNM, the secrets of the Estufa (a building no woman has ever set foot in) and a Vietnam War protest where 11 demonstrators were bayoneted by the National Guard. Check out the slides we mention at http://www.cityontheedgepodcast.com/blog/2016/9/26/show-notes-episode-18-secret-unm
Each and everyone of us has access to a “secret” Albuquerque experience. The very fact of approximately 1 million unique minds living in the metro area means that there are 1 million unique and inaccessible points of view and thus, 1 million secret versions of our city. What are the Albuquerques that we wish we could access, but can’t? We talk about Ghufoor, a forgotten pueblo buried in a subdivision, abandoned nuclear storage areas and history itself as a sort of secret.
We explore several Albuquerque-area Route 66 sites, including the KiMo Theatre, De Anza Lodge, El Vado Motel and the Oasis. Also, we try to figure what the deal is with the Albuquerque Rapid Transit system: will it kill 66 or save it?
Mike and Ty are joined by writer/poet Nora Hickey to discuss Route 66 history in Albuquerque. Nora interviews author David Dunaway about the significance of the Mother Road.
The Albuquerque Police Department has faced its share of controversies over the years, culminating in an investigation by the Department of Justice which released its findings in 2014. In this episode, we sit down with New Mexico In Depth reporter Jeff Proctor and get up to speed on the origin of the controversies and where things stand now. Also, Mike shares an article he wrote from the front-lines of the anti-police brutality protests of 2014.
We talk about Albuquerque's very first lawman, Milton Yarberry, who assumed the office in 1881 and was hanged in 1883. We also look into the correct pronunciation of "Tiguex" and horrifying bugs in the Albuquerque area.
We get geeky and delve into Albuquerque's imagined future via the work of sci-fi authors like Jack Williamson. Will Burque ever be the capitol of a vast space empire? Will denizens of our fair city someday blow up the moon? Tune in and find out!
We also discuss the recent fire at the Desert Sands Motel and its surprising connection the so-called "Toy Box Killer."
In this follow up to our Hobo Hank episode, we chat with Destiny Wrestling commissioner Adam Merrick about the history of the sport in the Duke City. We also discuss the state of the Bernalillo jail circa 1882, and finish up with an awesome rendition of the song "California Lady" performed by Lady Uranium.
We delve into the strange and wonderful world of indy wrestling and talk to one of the local babyfaced heroes, Hobo Hank.
BONUS EPISODE! Mike and Ty talk about the history of Albuquerque's development, and a crime connected to the Hoffmantown Shopping Center. Also, a roller coaster on Sandia Crest?
Mike dives deep into the banality of his current job in a piece about maintaining your sanity in the office place. Also, we talk chupacabras, tumbleweed tornadoes and other peculiarities of the Soutwhest.
In this special bonus episode, Mike and Ty continue their discussion on Frank Hibben and Sandia Cave. Also, we have some exciting announcements!
In 1934, an archaeologist from the University of New Mexico excavated a cave near Albuquerque and found evidence of human inhabitation going back to 25,000 BCE, far earlier than any other known human settlement in the Americas. So how come hardly anyone has heard of it?
In 1967, a young woman in Española, NM sent David Bowie his first piece of fan mail from America. Now, almost 50 years later and after Bowie's passing, we speak to Sandra Dodd about her letter and how fragile and beautiful a brief connection with another human being can be.
We talk about the 1970s sci-fi schlockfest Track of the Moonbeast, filmed in Albuquerque and written by Batman co-creator Bill Finger.
We talk with local poet Marie Landau about what it's like to experience Albuquerque as a newcomer, dispel some common myths and consider some reasons that new Albuquerque residents might have trouble adjusting.
This week, we are joined by Genevieve Garcia de Mueller, co-host of the Dead Things podcast. We discuss communes in New Mexico and the strange dark story of a man who believed he was the reincarnation of Ulysses S. Grant.
Mike and Ty talk about the End of the World as seen from Albuquerque. Ty goes to a doomsday preppers trade show and talks to a guy who sells marsupials to ex-soldiers.
We continue our discussion of the murder of journalist Carl Taylor, talk about the rites and history of the Penitentes, and Ty sings a song.
In 1936, a journalist was gunned down in San Antonio, NM, just a few miles from Albuquerque. Who did it? His houseboy? Unknown assailants? Or representatives of the Penitentes, an unofficial Catholic sect the journalist was investigating and that was known for its acts of flesh mortification and violence?
A new podcast delving into the history and identity of a Soutwhestern city—Albuquerque, NM. In this episode, hosts Mike Smith and Ty Bannerman tell some ghost stories including the story of Mrs. M at the Albuquerque Press Club and Bobby Darnall, the boy who is said to haunt the KiMo Theatre.