Discover Inspiring Stories

American industrial workers in steel, grain, textiles, and shipping tell their stories of labor and life along the Erie Canal. These are the men and women who built American economic prosperity on the Canal for 150 years, and bore the brunt of its decline in the final decades of the 20th century.

WOSU Public Media, in collaboration with the Ohio History Connection, a Tribal Advisory Council, and historical, archaeological, cultural and tribal experts, is creating a 6-part digital docu-series focused on the Hopewell culture and their Ceremonial Earthworks. The Hopewell culture thrived from 1 AD to 400 AD and included diverse peoples from eastern North America. Many of Ohio's historical tribes trace their origins back to this remarkable civilization. The series will hig

MinneHistory introduces young viewers and families to diverse people and events from Minnesota history.

Hurricane Harvey became the nation’s worst rainstorm, flooding more than 154,000 homes across Harris County, Texas and forcing citizens and representatives to rethink long-term flood mitigation plans. Nearly one year later, everyday Houstonians reflect on how the storm changed their lives – from the way they define community to how they envision their future and the future of Houston.

Little Rock, Arkansas's, West 9th Street was once a vibrant, African-American business and entertainment district. Taborian Hall is the only remaining historic structure on West 9th Street and stands as a living witness of the street's former glory days.

Explore the effects of the 1930’s depression-era Dust Bowl, not only on Arizona’s economy, but also the area’s demographics and culture.

It Started Here: Early Arkansas and The Louisiana Purchase, chronicles the people and land of Arkansas, between the signing of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, leading up to Arkansas statehood in 1836.

As a child growing up along the Bering Sea in Alaska, Clyde Oxerok hunted walrus with village elders, relying on solid sea ice for nine months of the year. But as Arctic temperatures have risen, the ice is now dangerously thin, and only appears for three months. That’s transforming the foods that indigenous communities hunt, forcing them to find new prey as the temperature steadily rises. In the After the Ice series, elders from villages in the Bering Sea region of Alaska sha

Why does Minneapolis celebrate a giant pencil every year? In this episode of On Our Minds: Road Trip, hosts Zack and Helena head to the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” to explore one of the city’s most delightfully weird traditions: the Giant Pencil Festival on Lake of the Isles. From dancing pencil costumes to a dramatic annual “sharpening” ceremony, this story highlights how creativity, humor, and community spirit turn a fallen tree into a beloved public art celebration. Plus, the h

On Our Minds. Hosts Zack and Helena explore what “community” really means—from hometown sports teams and small-town festivals to unexpected spaces that bring people together.

Three historic houses and the pioneering South Dakotans who called them home. The Berdahl-Rolvaag House, Minnehaha County; the Pickler Mansion, Faulkton; and the Mellette House, Watertown.

On this episode of Dakota Life, travel the path of Custer's 1874 expedition to the Black Hills, see a wrangler's view of the Custer State Park buffalo roundup, learn about a gardening project aimed at beating diabetes on the Standing Rock Reservation, hear a green power success story from Aberdeen, and enjoy a holiday heritage meal, Scandinavian style.

Passion for Snow highlights the role of people from Dartmouth College, Hanover NH and Northern New England in developing all aspects of the modern ski industry since 1910, including initiating early alpine ski racing to leading the 10th Mountain Division in WWII to creating the Olympics, most ski resorts and all aspects of the greater ski industry.

A tall, sparking goddess from Paris. A small, flashy, desert town in the West. Las Vegas and its showgirl were an odd but perfect match. Theirs was a complicated relationship that helped lead Las Vegas to become the Entertainment Capital of the World. "The Showgirl: A Las Vegas Icon" reveals the Las Vegas showgirl’s fascinating story.

A historic look at how Pennsylvania's natural resources helped transform the state into an industrial powerhouse. With economic booms and revolutions in natural resource extraction, came an environmental price. Pennsylvanians set about restoring the state's environmental riches and in the process helped shape the national conservation and environmental movements of the twentieth century.

Quilt making has a long history in Alabama, and there are no finer examples of this art form than the motifs and craftsmanship of the quilts of Gee’s Bend.

Throughout our history and even before human habitation, the Missouri River has played a significant role in shaping not only the physical geography of South Dakota but also the human geography. This episode examines how the Missouri River has shaped human habitation in the state and region. In this collection of resources, your students will learn how the river served as a life source for many early Indian tribes and as a watery highway for exploration and settlement. It has

Discover the story of Florida during the American Revolution: a place loyal to the British Crown, shaped by international land swaps, cultural clashes, and the determination of its people.

In the shadows of the Vietnam War, the CIA organized a secret war in neighboring Laos to prevent communism from spreading deeper into Southeast Asia. The Hmong fought for the U.S. — and for themselves— to keep Ho Chi Minh’s regime from destroying their way of life.

The Bozeman Trail was an offshoot of the Oregon Trail, a shortcut to the newly discovered gold fields of Montana Territory. Cutting through the heart of Indian country. It became a flash point for a clash of cultures that would explode into warfare, destruction and tragedy. First telecast March, 2019.