Mapstronaut Bonus: Recent Episodes
Baker
Mapstronaut started as a YouTube channel focusing on Arkansas history and culture. This podcast will explore some of those topics more in depth and some topics that are not well-suited to YouTube videos.
On March 21, 1952, a tornado outbreak struck the southern United States and no state was struck quite as hard as Arkansas, where 112 people were reported dead and hundreds more injured. Especially devastated was the White County town of Judsonia. On today's episode, we look back on that day and the people who faced the terrible twilight.
When talking about the history of Chinese immigrants in the United States, one doesn't often think about Southern states like Arkansas. However, Chinese-Americans had a significant impact on this region, especially the Mississippi Delta. Today, we'll take a look at that impact.
How's that for an oxymoron?
In this episode, I'll discuss the different styles of modern architecture as well as famous architects with ties to Arkansas and examples of those architectural styles from around the state. I'll also touch on why it is so important and so difficult to preserve buildings from this era of construction.
This is a companion episode for a video coming soon to the Mapstronaut YouTube channel, so be sure to take a look at that if you have the opportunity.
The snowfall of January 1918 would set records that would take more than a century to break or match, but just how did a state that averages only about six inches of snow each year manage to have two to three feet of snow in just one month? We'll be looking into some of the conditions that allowed for this unusual winter as well as the impacts that it had on the state on this week's episode of Mapstronaut Bonus.
While none of the big bowl games you saw on TV this year took place in Arkansas, that doesn't mean that the state has no experience in that field. As a matter of fact, Arkansas has hosted several bowl games. It's just that none of the big ones ever managed to stick.
Today we'll take a look at the history of those games that Arkansas hosted and I'll try not to get too distracted by the NCAA Championships on mute in the background.
In 1971, the largest civil engineering feat of the US Army Corps of Engineers was completed, a project which turned one of the largest rivers in the United States into a commercially navigable waterway. Today, that system is responsible for transporting over a billion dollars worth of commodities, preventing millions of dollars of flood damage, and providing essential connection from seaports to cities in the middle of the continent. Join me today to learn about the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System and why it might be one of the most economically significant construction projects in Arkansas history.
With the worst drought in Arkansas history serving to compound the hardships of the Great Depression, it was only a matter of time before people reached a breaking point.
Enter: England, Arkansas; January 3, 1931.
The events of this day in this small Arkansas town would lead to nationwide change and help usher in a social and economic revolution to bring the country from the depths of Depression.
The Mississippi Flyway is one of four migration routes used by North American waterfowl each year. In this episode, learn how this route brings millions of birds and millions of dollars into Arkansas every year.
On the fourth week of Native American History Month, I talk about the cultures of the Mississippian Period.
The cultures I discuss today were encountered by the expedition of Hernando de Soto, the first European to visit the area that is today the state of Arkansas, which means that they are the earliest recorded Arkansans.
They've got some interesting stories and they left behind some really intriguing artifacts.
Check out this week's episode to learn more.
There was a lot going on in Arkansas during the Woodland Period-- including the construction of some truly monumental sites. But what were the people like back then? And what was life like in Arkansas over 1000 years ago?
This week on Mapstronaut Bonus, I'll be talking about something that I literally talk about pretty much every day, but this time it's special because I'll be talking about it with all of you.
The period after the Paleoindian Period is known as the Archaic Period and it was a period of immense amounts of development. Technology and culture was basically revolutionized during this time period, paving the way for some even more impressive things to come.
Also, I edited and posted this at, like, 2 in the morning. So my sincerest apologies if there are weird cuts or things of that nature. I seriously think I fell asleep at one point while in the middle of editing.
Indigenous peoples have inhabited the area now known as Arkansas for thousands of years. On this week's episode, we take a look at the first period of human settlement in the state with the various cultures of the Paleoindian Period.
Listen this week and learn about the some of the important archaeological finds in Arkansas that date back to this time period. Also, learn something about Arkansas that most people in the state likely have never ever heard.
In 1971, a southwest Arkansas man claimed to have been attacked by a man-like beast standing 7 feet tall.
From this story came a media frenzy, three arrests, a series of B-movies, and a convenience store made to look like a sasquatch is holding up the sign.
But just what is the real story of the Fouke Monster?
We take a look at it today on Mapstronaut Bonus.
Also, at one point, I mess up and say "brown bear" instead of "black bear", but I edited this at 2:30 a.m., so we're all just going to have to live with it, okay? I'm sorry.
The White River Monster is no doubt one of the quintessential monster legends from Arkansas, but do you know the whole story? Does anyone? And just what is the monster really?
All of these things will be discussed in an episode that was researched for two weeks, then written, recorded, edited, and posted over the course of five hours in the middle of the night less than seven hours before this episode went up.
The gowrow and snawfus are two legendary beasts of the Ozark Mountains. Today, I take a look at them and some of the stories behind them. I also talk about rhinos and yokai, so this is definitely a fun episode.
Is there a better way to celebrate Halloween than by telling scary stories? How about learning about some of the history and science behind some of those scary stories-- hey, wait! Don't leave! This is interesting, I promise!
This episode will be discussing the ghost lights that are regularly spotted near the towns of Gurdon and Crossett. What are the legends behind them and is there a scientific explanation for them?
Sound effects: https://freesound.org/s/145622/
https://freesound.org/s/126555/
https://freesound.org/s/466085/
It's time for the final episode of the Mapstronaut Bonus Back to School Special. Today is extra special because I am talking about my alma mater. Also some other schools.
Listen to learn about Central Baptist College, University of the Ozarks, Lyon College, Philander Smith College, and Hendrix College.
(This was supposed to be posted on October 3, 2021, but I must have hit the wrong button like a dummy. Oops.)
For the third episode of the Mapstronaut Bonus Back to School Special, I decided to record with my windows open, so you get to listen to this episode while hearing ambient nature sounds in the background. Also the sounds of my cat being a real problem child.
More importantly, we'll be discussing UAPB, UAFS, UA Little Rock, Henderson State University, and UCA.
Got another batch cooked up and ready for you. So, grab this on your way to the bus stop. It's still back to school month here on Mapstronaut Bonus.
This week, I'm featuring some private religious colleges and universities: John Brown University, Arkansas Baptist College, Harding University, Crowley's Ridge College, Ouachita Baptist University, and Williams Baptist University.
It's that time of year again, folks. The air's eventually going to get cooler (so I've been told), the shaved ice stands are shutting down (booo!), and the kids are going back to school.
So, let's talk about some of those schools. Over the next few weeks, I'll be taking a look at some of the colleges and universities here in Arkansas. This week, I'm featuring some of our most well known institutions for higher learning: the University of Arkansas, Arkansas State University, Arkansas Tech University, Southern Arkansas University, and the University of Arkansas in Monticello.
The Ozarks of northern Arkansas have a culture that sets them apart from the rest of the state and one expression of that culture is through architecture. This month's video explores that expression and looks deeper into just what makes these seemingly simple homes so special.
Also there are Frasier clips. The Frasier clips are also present in the video version of this topic. I will not apologize for my stupid, stupid art.
To see some images of the structures discussed here, check out the companion video on my YouTube channel: Mapstronaut.
Arkansas has long been plagued by difficulties providing quality education to her residents, especially the ones residing in the depths of the mountainous regions of the Ozarks and Ouachitas. In the late 19th and early 20th century, one plan to address these shortcomings were known as mountain mission schools. However, was education all that these schools were trying to instill in the hillfolks or did something more sinister reside in the classrooms? Join Mapstro (and an unfortunately hot mic) to learn more about this often overlooked part of Arkansas history.
*wake up, try again by Barradeen | https://soundcloud.com/barradeen
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In 1984, a young man lay dying of a mysterious disease behind a sealed door in a hospital in Little Rock. No one understood the transmission or details of the disease that he had and most people feared even being in the same room as someone who had it. Then the door opened and a 24-year-old woman walked in. She wasn't a doctor or a nurse, not a researcher or a scientist. Her name was Ruth Coker Burks and this young man would be the first of thousands of AIDS patients that she cared for over the next several years.
This is the story of the more than 40 unclaimed gay men resting beneath Files Cemetery.
This is the story of the woman known as the Cemetery Angel.
This is the story of the AIDS crisis in Arkansas.
Recorded in a food desert in the Arkansas Delta, this episode takes a look at the history of malnutrition in Arkansas and the efforts that have been made (and are still being made) to combat it. Today's episode is brought to you by the word "nixtamalization," a word Mapstro only knows how to pronounce because Alton Brown once said it on an episode of Good Eats.
Since 1908, Arkansas has been represented at almost every Summer Olympics-- and three Winter Games! Today's episode looks into who some of those elite Arkansas athletes were and who you should watch out for this year in Tokyo.
On August 9, 1965, 55 civilian contractors went to work updating and repairing a Titan II missile silo near Searcy, Arkansas. Only two of these workers would come home. What happened in rural White County that claimed the lives of over 50 men?
Summers are already hot enough, but when a stubborn system sets up over the central and southern U.S. in June of 1980, the region is in for a real scorcher. Guess what-- Mapstro talks about the weather on this one.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
The Colbert Raid was the only battle of the American Revolution fought in the area that would one day become the state of Arkansas.
Learn what it was about and see how much Mapstro struggles to pronounce the name "Jacobo Dubreuil" over and over again, despite having repeatedly listened to its pronunciation-- all on this week's episode of Mapstronaut Bonus!
A podcast about Arkansas history, culture, nature, geography, and probably some other stuff, but mostly those things.
Join me, won't you?