Middle America Podcast
1) DIY - Punks in Peoria and Our Misfit Family
14. Wendell details some artists and venues from the history of the Peoria, Illinois underground punk music scene including Bloody F. Mess."Middle America" is a podcast using history, storytelling, an...Show More
2) Distilling - Almiran Cole and Ownership
13. Wendell remembers the man who pioneered whiskey distilling in Peoria, starting the trend that would create "The Whiskey Capital of the World" in the late 1800s. Wendell also discusses a painful cr...Show More
3) Domesticity - Betty Friedan and the Problem That Has No Name
12. Wendell discusses the woman who sparked the second wave of American feminism, Betty Friedan along with his own domestic depression during a pandemic."Middle America" is a podcast using history, st...Show More
4) Toxic - Matt Hale and Cultural Poison
11. Wendell discusses Central Illinois's ugly history of white supremacists through the story of Matt Hale and World Church of the Creator."Middle America" is a podcast using history, storytellin...Show More
5) Seeker - Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, Becoming, and Unbecoming
10. Wendell discusses the life of the first non-indigenous permanent resident of Chicago, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, as well as the events leading to his own life inside and outside of Chicago."Mi...Show More
6) On End - John Kinzie, Thomas Forsyth, and War's Cry
9. Wendell recounts his life events on September 11, 2001 while also discussing the destruction of French Peoria (La Ville de Maillet) during the War of 1812."Middle America" is a podcast using histor...Show More
7) Sermon – Robert Ingersoll and Good, Free Days
8. Wendell discusses winter holidays as humanist and atheist while reading pieces by famous 19th century orator Robert Ingersoll."Middle America" is a podcast using history, storytelling, and music to...Show More
8) Leap – Richard Pryor and the Power of Belief
7. Wendell tells the story of Richard Pryor's comedic coming-of-age in Peoria and his leap of faith in heading to NYC. Wendell also discusses his early attempts to tour full time with his college...Show More
9) Monuments - Lydia Moss Bradley and What We Make of Loss
6. Wendell tells the story of how Lydia Moss Bradley built monuments to her lost loved ones, providing Peoria with a park system, a university, a hospital, and more. Wendell also builds a monument of ...Show More
10) Names – Le Rocher Saint-Louis and Shadows Cast
5. The narrator, Wendell Bauer, continues the story of the early French in Illinois, picking up from episode 1. He also discusses how the names we give to people and things affect what they are."Middl...Show More