The Rainmaker

A catastrophic drought had turn-of-the-century San Diego desperate for solutions. In walked a sewing machine salesman with a plan — but was Hatfield the Rainmaker really responsible for what happened next?  Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!   To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMON GOODS.com/OST   Uncommon Goods: We’re all out of the ordinary. Hosted by Laurah NortonWritten by Maura CurrieResearch by Maura Currie & Melissa GoldEngineered & Produced by Maura CurrieThis episode originally ran as a premium-only episode 83.One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing PodcastWe work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].  Works Cited: Bart Anderson, “The great rain…” the Daily Spectrum, 2005.Tom Tiede, “Rainmaker’s success, lawsuits,” Contra Costa Times, 1978.Amber Kanuckel, “Charles Hatfield: Rainmaker…” Farmers’ Almanac, 2024.Thomas W. Patterson, “Hatfield the Rainmaker,” Journal of San Diego History via San Diego History Center, 1970.Christopher Klein, “When San Diego Hired…” JSTOR Daily, 2015.May Tjoa, “Exhibit at Chula…” NBC San Diego, 2016.NA, “Charles Hatfield: The…” Hidden San Diego, ND. David Emery, “Did San Diego Hire…” Snopes, 2018.Xochitl Rojas-Rocha, “Scientists show ancient…” UC San Diego, 2024.City of San Diego  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Across the United States, there are bridges—bridges usually located in small towns—and are reputed to be haunted. The legends center on desperate mothers, accidents, and even murder . . . and always include a ghostly baby whose cries can be heard by anyone who lingers too long on the bridge.  Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!   Hosted and Written by Laurah NortonResearch by Laurah Norton and Anna Luria Engineered by Rachel Boyd/Southern Gothic media One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing PodcastWe work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Labor Day of 1969, dozens of residents of Berkshire County, MA, experienced the extraordinary—wide spread UFO sightings—and a few even went  further: to the off world.Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.  Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!   Hosted and Written by Laurah NortonResearched by Anna Luria and  Laurah NortonProduced by Maura CurrieEngineered by Brandon SchexnayderThis episode originally ran as main feed episode 83. One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing PodcastWe work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Perhaps the most famous building in the United States, the White House sits in Washington, DC, serving as both symbol, office, and residence . . . and, if the rumors are to be believed, as home to ghosts, too. From the seances of Mary Todd Lincoln to unusually aggressive attacks by a spectral George Washington and a consistently haunted attic, the White House spirits give us plenty of material for examination. Oh, we do love the spooky season!Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.  Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!   Hosted and Written by Laurah NortonResearch by Laurah Norton and Anna Luria Engineered by Rachel Boyd/Southern Gothic media One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing PodcastWe work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A group of Canadian paranormal enthusiasts came together in the ‘70s to make up a ghost story… and then try to bring it to life. And, in a twist that nobody really saw coming, it might’ve worked. But what was Philip, if not a ghost?Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  Hosted by Laurah NortonResearched by Anna Luria and Maura CurrieWritten, Produced and Engineered by Maura CurrieThis episode originally ran as Premium Only episode 48. One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing PodcastWe work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].  Works Cited NA, NT, The Times Colonist, 1976.Claire Huff, “How Philip the…” Philadelphia Inquirer, 1976.Brian Silcock, “100 years of…” The Age, 1983.Living LibrarySRICNA, “Owen, Alan Robert George,” Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, ND.The Philip Experiment  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Halloween month is here, strangers, and we’re diving right into its spooky history with a deep dive into the origins of jack o’lanterns, vegetable lanterns, and, of course, the folktale of Stingy Jack, a man so ornery and crafty that he tricked the Devil himself. Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!   Hosted and Written by Laurah NortonResearch by Laurah Norton and Anna Luria Engineered by Rachel Boyd/Southern Gothic media One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing PodcastWe work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sports fans have superstitions. . . and believe in curses. For Japan’s Hanshin Tigers, a huge win led to their biggest regret: an alleged curse tied to an American fast-food icon from Kentucky.  Be sure to check the link in the show notes for an update!Update since our original premium release (2022):  https://www.mlb.com/news/the-japanese-team-cursed-by-colonel-sandersHosted, written, and researched by Laurah Norton Additional research by Bryan WortersProduced and Engineered by Maura Currie  Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. And when Quince asks where you heard about them, let them know it was [Say your show name]. It’s the best way to support the show.Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!   This episode was originally released as Premium Episode 24.One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing PodcastWe work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].  Works Cited Trevor Raichura, The Hanshin Tigers English News,  The Hanshin Tigers. Ron Jenkins,  “Missing Colonel Sanders. . .”  The Oklahoman, 2009.N/A, AP, “Colonel Sanders Pulled. . .” The Salt Lake City Tribune, 2009. Ken Belson, “Japan’s Tigers defy past. . .” The International Herald Tribune, 2003.N/A, “Bass Hopes Soaked. . .” The Lawton Constitution, 2009.Steven Stark “Japan’s Tigers Dispel. . .” The Gazette, 2003. N/A, France Press Agency AFP “Japan Baseball Fans. . .”  2009 Staff, “Japanese Baseball Fans Hope. . .” The Guardian, 2009.Jim Armstrong, “Licking the Colonel” The National Post, 2009. N/A, “The Curse of the Colonel” Global Post Asia, 2009.N/A. “Twins Draft Hurler. . .” The Star Tribune, 1972.Janice Tay, “Breaking the Curse. . .” The Straits Times, 2009.N/A, “Hanshin Tigers,” Japanball.Robert Siegel, “An End to. . .” All Things Considered, NPR, 2009.N/A, “Baseball: Struggling Tigers. . .” Agence France Presse, 2009.Jay Alabaster, “Colonel Sanders Rescued. . .” Associated Press International, 2009. Danglickman, “Is this the End. . .” Baseball Continuum, 2014.Jim Armstrong, “Long Wait Over. . .” Associated Press International, 2003.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pennsylvania’s saddest, ugliest, and somehow most adorable cryptid, the squonk,  is here to teach you a valuable lesson. And to melt. There’s that, too. Hosted and Written by Laurah NortonResearch by Laurah NortonProduced by Maura Currie Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!   This episode originally ran on the mainfeed as Episode 98.One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing PodcastWe work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Folklore can be fun, can’t it, strangers? It can also be downright terrifying, especially when used to frighten children into being good: everyone from Dolly Parton to Thomas Jefferson seems to have heard of Rawhead Bloody Bones and the cautionary tales of dark woods, drafty attics, and even lakes. But where did all the monstrous behavior begin? We try to find out. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!   Hosted and Written by Laurah NortonResearch by Laurah Norton and Anna Luria Engineered by Rachel Boyd/Southern Gothic media One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing PodcastWe work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the science world was overwhelmed with strange new findings out of Australia. One particular species was assumed to be a hoax… and even when it was established that the platypus was, in fact, real? It didn’t make these strange creatures make more sense.Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  Hosted by Laurah NortonResearch by Anna Luria and Maura CurrieWritten, Produced and Engineered by Maura CurrieOne Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.This episode was originally released  as Premium Episode 54.Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing PodcastWe work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].  Works Cited George Shaw, “The Duck-Billed Platypus,” The Naturalist’s Miscellany, 1798.NA, “Scientists Trying to Save…” The Washington Herald, 1928.Abby Ohlheiser, “The platypus is so weird…” the Washington Post, 2015.Natalie Zarrelli, “Why 19th-century naturalists…” Atlas Obscura, 2016.Brian K. Hall, “The paradoxical platypus,” Bioscience, 1999.Willey Ley, “Bring our private files…” Star Tribune, 1948.James MacDonald, “The platypus is even weirder…” JSTOR Daily, 2018.Gilad Bino et al, “The platypus: evolutionary…” Journal of Mammalogy, 2019.Stephen C. George, “When scientists believed the adorable…” Discover Magazine, 2023.NA, “The lying stones of…” Geological Society of London, 2017.Jessica Leigh Hester, “The beautiful complexity of…” Atlas Obscura, 2018.Annetta Black, “Objects of Intrigue: Fiji…” Atlas Obscura, 2013.Douglas Main, “We knew platypuses…” National Geographic, 2020.John Yoon, “What scientists learned from…” the New York Times, 2024.Mindy Weisberger, “Platypuses glow an eerie…” LiveScience, 2020.Lucie Cutting, “Woman spurred by platypus…” ABC, 2023.Platypus  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.