Thomas Fitzpatrick stole a plane and landed it on a New York City street—and unbelievably, he did it twice. This true story sounds impossible, but the real events are even more unbelievable than the legend.

In this episode, we dive into one of the wildest real-life stories in American history. A trained pilot, a late-night bar bet, and a decision that would leave New York City stunned—this is the story of Thomas Fitzpatrick, the man who flew a stolen plane into Manhattan not once, but twice, just to prove a point.

What makes this story even more fascinating isn’t just what happened—it’s how it happened. In a time before modern airspace security, Fitzpatrick was able to take off from Teterboro Airport, fly across the Hudson River, and land on a narrow Manhattan street with no clearance, no communication, and no margin for error.

And when people didn’t believe him?

He did it again.

What You’ll Learn:
The true story of Thomas Fitzpatrick and the NYC plane landings
How he stole aircraft from Teterboro Airport
Why Manhattan airspace was so vulnerable in the 1950s
The shocking details behind both landings
The real consequences he faced (and why they were surprisingly light)
How this story reflects a completely different era of aviation security
️ Timestamps:

00:00 – The Night Manhattan Stopped
02:30 – Who Was Thomas Fitzpatrick?
10:15 – The Bar Bet That Started It All
22:40 – Stealing a Plane from Teterboro
38:10 – Flying Into NYC
55:20 – The First Landing
1:10:45 – He Did It Again…
1:30:00 – Consequences & Reality

This is one of those stories that feels made up… until you realize it’s completely real.

If you enjoy true stories, strange history, and unbelievable real-life events, make sure to subscribe for more episodes like this from Yore Town Podcast — Small Towns. Big Stories.

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The Circleville Letters weren’t the first… and they weren’t the last. Long before Ohio’s most infamous mystery, small towns across America were already being torn apart by anonymous poison pen letters exposing secrets, destroying reputations, and leaving lives in ruins.

In this episode of the Yore Town Podcast, we uncover the chilling true story behind anonymous letters that devastated entire communities. These weren’t harmless messages… they revealed real secrets, triggered fear, and in some cases led to death. From early 1900s poison pen cases to the infamous Circleville Letters, this story shows how information alone can become the most dangerous weapon in a small town.

This is more than just true crime… it’s a psychological breakdown of how fear spreads, how trust collapses, and how one unseen person can control an entire town.

What You’ll Learn:
The real history of poison pen letters in America
The truth behind the Circleville Letters mystery
How anonymous messages exposed real affairs and secrets
The psychology of anonymous harassment and control
Why small towns were the perfect target for this kind of terror
How these cases connect to modern-day online anonymity
️ Timestamps:

00:00 The First Letter
03:00 Why Small Towns Were Vulnerable
05:00 Early Poison Pen Cases
07:00 The Circleville Letters Begin
11:00 The Booby Trap Incident
22:00 The Arrest That Didn’t Solve It
27:00 Theories & Unanswered Questions
30:00 The Modern-Day Connection

If you enjoy true crime, unsolved mysteries, and small town stories with big impact, make sure to subscribe to the Yore Town Podcast for more deep dives every week.

New episodes every week.
Small Towns. Big Stories.

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Jamison Family Mystery: A family disappears in Oklahoma, leaving behind $32,000, their phones, and even their dog. The Jamison family disappearance is one of the most bizarre and unsettling true crime cases in modern history.

In 2009, the Jamison family vanished after driving into the mountains of rural Oklahoma. Days later, their truck was found abandoned deep in the woods—wallets, IDs, cell phones, and a large sum of cash still inside. There were no signs of struggle. No clear clues. And no explanation for why they would leave everything behind.

This true crime story quickly became one of the most debated unsolved mysteries in America. From theories of foul play to mental health struggles, and even claims of paranormal activity, the case continues to raise more questions than answers. What really happened to Bobby, Sherilynn, and their daughter Madyson?

In this episode of Yore Town Podcast, we break down the full timeline, analyze the strange evidence, and explore the most compelling theories surrounding the Jamison family disappearance.

What You’ll Learn:

The full timeline of the Jamison family case

What was found inside the abandoned truck

The eerie surveillance footage before they vanished

Key evidence that doesn’t add up

The most popular theories (and why none fully fit)

What investigators believe may have happened

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to the mysterious case of the Jamison family
00:33 - Setting the scene: the quiet town in Oklahoma
01:02 - The hosts discuss recent weather and updates on their podcast
02:26 - Introduction of the new YouTube channel and potential content ideas
03:54 - Highlighting the local businesses and products, including Livbearded
04:56 - The importance of community and local brands
05:53 - Remembering Chuck Norris and the world’s fascination with legends
06:29 - Overview of the Jamison family background and initial observations
06:58 - How to pronounce Ufala, Oklahoma
07:17 - The seemingly peaceful town with underlying tensions
08:14 - Bobby’s past accident and family struggles
09:09 - Domestic issues and unsettling household reports
09:38 - Interview with local neighbor "Luther" about the town’s vibe
10:13 - The family's last known movements and mysterious footage
11:27 - The police find the abandoned truck and equipped clues
12:25 - Family’s alleged haunted house and spiritual distress
12:54 - Debating mental health versus supernatural causes
13:43 - The family’s sudden departure toward the mountains
14:13 - Eerie footage of the family packing the truck in a trance-like state
15:39 - The abandoned truck’s contents and their significance
16:28 - The dog Maisie left starving in the vehicle, adding to the mystery
17:40 - No signs of struggle, no footprints, no clues – a real cold case
18:29 - Theories of alien abduction and paranormal involvement
19:02 - The discovery of human remains in 2013, less than 3 miles away
19:59 - Decomposition and unresolved cause of death
20:33 - The possibility of supernatural or extraterrestrial explanations
21:02 - Common hypotheses: murder-suicide, getting lost, drug involvement
22:41 - The difficulty in reconciling the evidence
23:41 - Exploring the hypothesis of drug-related involvement and mental health
25:10 - The influence of perceived paranormal activity
26:15 - Conversation with "Luther" about the case's unresolved mysteries
27:49 - Final theories: mental health crises, paranormal possession, and criminal activity
29:00 - Reflecting on what really happened to the Jamison family
29:32 - Audience engagement: inviting theories and comments
30:02 - Closing remarks and upcoming episodes

If you enjoy deep dives into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and small town stories, make sure to subscribe to Yore Town Podcast for more episodes just like this.

Hit subscribe, drop your theory in the comments, and let’s figure this out together.

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The Mad Gasser of Mattoon terrified a small Illinois town in 1944, and no one was ever caught. In this episode of the Yorktown Podcast, we dig into one of the strangest small town mysteries in American history: a phantom attacker who may or may not have existed, a town gripped by wartime fear, and a story that still has no clean answer.

What you'll learn in this episode:
• The original Mad Gasser of Mattoon incident reports from August–September 1944
• Why wartime paranoia and mass hysteria may have fueled the Mattoon gas attacks
• The real symptoms reported by victims, paralysis, throat irritation, nausea
• Industrial chemical fumes as a possible explanation for the mystery gas
• The psychology of mass hysteria and how panic spreads in small towns
• Whether a real gasser was stalking the streets or the town convinced itself
• The unsolved mystery of who, or what, caused the Mattoon Illinois gas attacks

Chapters:

00:00 — Cold open: Aline Kearney's terrifying night
02:27 — Introduction + what is the Yorktown Podcast
04:52 — 1944 wartime context: why fear was already everywhere
07:16 — The first gas attack reports in Mattoon, Illinois
09:38 — The shadow figure: who was the Mad Gasser?
12:01 — Air conditioning tangent (it's educational, we promise)
14:12 — Part 2: police investigation + zero physical evidence
16:36 — Victim symptoms and what doctors actually found
18:43 — Industrial chemical fumes theory: could carbon tetrachloride explain it?
20:45 — The mass hysteria theory: Donald Johnson's research
23:09 — Three theories, one verdict
25:31 — The Mad Gasser disappears — and the mystery never does

The Yore Town Podcast covers small towns with big stories, real history, unsolved mysteries, and the strange events that shaped everyday American life. If you're into true history, local legends, and the kind of stories that make you go "wait, that actually happened?" you're in the right place.

Subscribe so you don't miss the next small town mystery
What do YOU think happened in Mattoon? Drop your theory in the comments.
️ Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you listen.

#MadGasser #MattoonIllinois #SmallTownMystery #TrueHistory #YorktownPodcast #MassHysteria #1944 #UnsolvedMystery

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The Donora Smog Disaster of 1948 remains one of the deadliest air pollution disasters in American history. In the small steel town of Donora, Pennsylvania, a deadly cloud of industrial pollution became trapped in the valley for five days, leaving thousands sick and over twenty people dead.

In this episode of Yore Town: Small Towns, Big Stories, we dive deep into the shocking true story of the Donora Smog Disaster — a forgotten tragedy that changed environmental laws in the United States forever. What started as a normal autumn week in a hardworking steel town quickly turned into a public health catastrophe when a rare weather event trapped toxic emissions from local factories.

Residents began coughing, struggling to breathe, and collapsing in their homes as the town slowly suffocated beneath a thick layer of smog. Hospitals filled, doctors worked nonstop, and an entire community realized the air itself had become deadly.

This story is more than a disaster — it's a turning point in American history.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The true story behind the Donora Smog Disaster of 1948
• How a temperature inversion trapped deadly pollution in a small Pennsylvania town
• The role steel mills and zinc plants played in the catastrophe
• Why nearly half of Donora’s population became sick in just days
• How this tragedy helped lead to the Clean Air Act and modern environmental laws
• The investigation that changed how America thinks about air pollution
• What Donora, Pennsylvania looks like today

This episode of Yore Town blends small-town history, true events, and powerful storytelling to explore one of the most important environmental disasters you've probably never heard about.

Donora may be a small town… but its story helped reshape environmental protection across the United States.

Chapters

00:00 The Hidden Disaster of Donora
08:55 The Inversion Crisis
14:51 Aftermath and Investigation
19:38 Legacy of the Donora Disaster

If you enjoy small town history, forgotten tragedies, and real stories that shaped America, subscribe to Yore Town for more deep dives into the places most history books forget.

New episodes every week exploring Small Towns, Big Stories.

Resources

Donora Smog Museum - https://donorasmogmuseum.org/
Clean Air Act of 1963 - https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-air-act
US Steel - https://www.ussteel.com/
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - https://www.epa.gov/

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The Auburn cyanide murders shocked a quiet Washington suburb and changed how America seals its medicine bottles. In 1986, Stella Nickell poisoned Excedrin capsules with potassium cyanide, killing her husband and an innocent neighbor in one of the most chilling product tampering cases in U.S. history.

This episode of Yore Town Podcast dives deep into the true story of the Auburn cyanide murders, examining how a small-town crime triggered national panic just four years after the Chicago Tylenol murders. What started as a sudden death in a suburban home quickly became a federal case that reshaped consumer safety laws.

We break down the full timeline of the Stella Nickell case, the forensic science behind cyanide poisoning, and the courtroom evidence that led to her conviction under federal anti-tampering statutes.

What You’ll Learn:

How the Auburn cyanide murders unfolded in 1986

The science of potassium cyanide and how it kills

How Stella Nickell staged the Excedrin poisonings

The connection to the Chicago Tylenol murders

How this case changed tamper-proof packaging laws

Real courtroom testimony and forensic evidence

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Auburn Cyanide Case
00:58 The Tragic Death of Bruce Nichol
01:25 The Connection to Tylenol Murders
02:19 The Role of Consumer Trust and Packaging
04:08 Why All Towns Are Named Auburn
06:01 Small Town Life in Auburn, Washington
08:01 The Chicago Tylenol Murders and Its Impact
08:57 Bruce Nichol’s Background and Financial Struggles
10:15 How Cyanide Affects the Body
11:42 The Investigation and Evidence Gathering
13:59 Shelf Placement and Tampering Evidence
17:19 The Trial and Conviction of Stella Nickel
21:14 The Tragic Loss of Bruce and Sue Snow
24:04 The Impact on Consumer Safety Laws
25:28 The Lesson: Trust as a Weapon

This is Small Towns. Big Stories — where ordinary places collide with extraordinary crime.

If you enjoy deep-dive true crime, small-town history, and long-form storytelling that keeps you locked in, subscribe now for more episodes of Yore Town Podcast.

New episodes explore the biggest hidden stories in America’s smallest towns.

Resources

The Chicago Tylenol Murders - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Chicago Tylenol_murders
Federal Anti-Tampering Act of 1983 - https://www.congress.gov/bill/98th-congress/house-bill/3380
Cyanide poisoning information - https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/cyanide/default.html

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Times Beach, Missouri became the largest civilian environmental buyout in U.S. history. In 1983, the federal government ordered residents to leave after discovering dangerous dioxin contamination beneath their homes.

This is the full story of how a quiet Route 66 town turned into a national environmental scandal.

In this episode of Yore Town, we dive deep into the Times Beach disaster — from the origins of the contamination to the Superfund buyout, the demolition of the town, and the lasting impact on environmental regulation in America.

What began as a dust control solution on unpaved roads became a defining moment in U.S. environmental history. The contamination involved 2,3,7,8-TCDD — one of the most toxic forms of dioxin ever studied — and ultimately led to the permanent disincorporation of the town in 1992.

This is not just a story about chemicals.

It’s a story about community, trust, government response, and the turning point that erased a town from the map.

What You’ll Learn:

The true history of Times Beach, Missouri

How dioxin contamination happened

Who Russell Bliss and NEPACCO were

What the EPA discovered in 1982

Why the Meramec River flood changed everything

How the Superfund program handled the crisis

What happened to former residents

Why Route 66 State Park now sits where a town once stood

Chapters

00:00 The Contamination Revelation
02:41 The Origins of Times Beach
05:25 The Dust Control Solution
08:28 The Dioxin Discovery
11:11 The Federal Response
13:52 The Cleanup and Aftermath
16:53 The Legacy of Times Beach

If you enjoy deep dives into forgotten American towns, environmental disasters, and the turning points that changed communities forever — subscribe to Yore Town for more Small Towns. Big Stories.

New episodes every week.

Episode Quotes

"23 miles of dirt roads and dust control issues"
"The initial estimate to buy out Times Beach was $33 million"
"The town legally ceased to exist in 1992"

Resources

Route 66 State Park - https://mostateparks.com/park/route-66-state-park
Superfund Law (CERCLA) - https://www.epa.gov/superfund/cercla
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - https://www.epa.gov
Times Beach, Missouri - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Beach,_Missouri

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Joseph Force Crater’s disappearance remains one of the most baffling unsolved mysteries in American history. In 1930, a sitting New York Supreme Court judge stepped into a taxi in Manhattan — and was never seen again.

What happened to Joseph Force Crater? Was it political corruption, organized crime, or something far simpler hiding in plain sight?

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the confirmed facts behind the Judge Crater case — separating historical record from conspiracy theory. From his ties to Tammany Hall and Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt to the mysterious phone call that pulled him back to New York, every detail adds to a mystery that has lasted nearly a century.

This is not just a missing person case — it’s a political thriller rooted in 1930s New York power dynamics.

What You’ll Learn:

The confirmed timeline of Joseph Force Crater’s final day

The truth about his connection to Tammany Hall

Why he withdrew $5,150 in cash before vanishing

The role of Broadway showgirl Sally Lou Ritz

The most credible theories behind the disappearance

How the phrase “to do a Crater” entered American slang

Why the case remains officially unsolved

This historical true crime story blends political corruption, Prohibition-era New York, and one of the most famous missing judge cases in U.S. history.

If you love unsolved mysteries, historical crime investigations, and deep dives into forgotten cases — this one will stay with you. Subscribe for more true crime and historical mystery deep dives every week.

We uncover the strange, dark, and forgotten stories history tried to bury.

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