Lily Flagg's Signal

Lily Flagg's Signal
  • 4.7 (21)
  • History
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Lily Flagg's Signal, a lovingly-researched history podcast that explores the lore and legends of Huntsville, Alabama. New episodes are posted every other Monday through the season. Join this history-nerding adventure to learn more about our city and how the past impacts our present, including first-hand sources on well-known Huntsville lore, misconceptions about popular tall tales, and historical events and people who don’t get talked about often enough. Episode transcripts with sources cited are available here: https://lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com/episode-transcripts/

  1. 15h ago

    A Huntsville, Alabama, History Overview, Part 1: From the First Humans to Statehood

    It’s finally time for the first installment in a much-requested series: a general overview of Huntsville, Alabama, history. This episode will cover the area's past from the first humans arriving in the area approximately 11,500 years ago all the way to Alabama’s statehood in 1819. Along the way, I’ll talk about indigenous burial mounds and artifacts, the illegal squatter for whom my hometown is named, my least favorite historical president, some notable firsts and iconic early Huntsvillians like Reverend William Harris, a few political and banking scandals, and of course LeRoy Pope. That man got around. For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts and supplementary maps for this tour) at ⁠⁠⁠lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com⁠⁠⁠. You can also be awesome like patrons like Allison, Bobby, Shaw, Whitney, Pat, Huntsvillustrated, Rachel, Eric, William, Laura, Emily, Josh, Stephen, Joe, Brian, Jody, Jeremiah, Hector, Emily, Shalin, and Jennifer by supporting the show monthly at ⁠⁠patreon.com/lilyflaggpodcast

    A Huntsville, Alabama, History Overview, Part 1: From the First Humans to Statehood

  2. Oct 5

    Archaeology Education and More with Daniel Rhodes

    On today's episode, I have returning guest Daniel Rhodes, the president of the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society, a professional archaeologist, and an actual real-life friend of mine.  Join us as we chat about making archaeological education available in the classroom, what to do if you find human bones, communism in Alabama history (yes really), repatriation and respect for Indigenous groups in archaeology, Daniel saying the word "moist" multiple times in a professional context, shipwreck artifact preservation, the concept of studying other people's trash for a living, info on upcoming in-person events for archaeology and history enthusiasts, musings on future archaeologists finding Nokia phones, critiquing Indiana Jones's fashion, and how important it is to remember that this region's history didn't begin with John Hunt in 1805. For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts and supplementary maps for this tour) at ⁠⁠⁠lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com⁠⁠⁠. You can also be awesome like patrons like Allison, Bobby, Shaw, Whitney, Pat, Huntsvillustrated, Rachel, Eric, William, Laura, Emily, Josh, Stephen, Joe, Brian, Jody, Jeremiah, Hector, Emily, Shalin, and Jennifer by supporting the show monthly at ⁠⁠patreon.com/lilyflaggpodcast Links of interest, alphabetically: Alabama Archaeological Society - https://www.alabamaarchaeology.org/Archaeology After Dark - https://www.youtube.com/@alabamaarchaeologicalsocietyHuntsville-Madison County Historical Society - https://hmchs.org/Info on the Clotilda - https://www.mobile.org/things-to-do/history/african-american-heritage/clotilda/Project Archaeology - https://projectarchaeology.org/

    Archaeology Education and More with Daniel Rhodes

  3. Sep 21 ·  Bonus

    A Very Special Huntsville Historic Theater Walking Tour

    Much of Huntsville’s history can be told through its theaters, including its growth, its conflicts, its industry, its debauchery, and glimpses into everyday life for over two centuries. This audio walking tour will guide you through downtown to locations of stage and screen past to showcase the importance of these sites and how they tie in with the city’s history as a whole. Don’t worry, there are some fun scandal and moral panic in there as well, plus the story of how I’m three degrees of separation from Elvis Presley. You can either follow the audio cues to walk along the 1.3 mile route as you listen OR enjoy it from the comfort of home, as I’ll have maps, images, and links posted to the podcast’s website for you to peruse as you listen. For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on ⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts and supplementary maps for this tour) at ⁠⁠lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com⁠⁠. You can also be awesome like patrons like Allison, Bobby, Shaw, Whitney, Pat, Huntsvillustrated, Rachel, Eric, William, Laura, Emily, Josh, Stephen, Joe, Brian, Jody, Jeremiah, Hector, Emily, Shalin, and Jennifer by supporting the show monthly at ⁠patreon.com/lilyflaggpodcast

    A Very Special Huntsville Historic Theater Walking Tour

  4. 04/14/2025 ·  Bonus

    Interview with Huntsville's Historic Preservation Planner - Katie Stamps

    What's the best way to get your request approved to change your historic house's exterior? Can I put a historic marker in my yard?  What house would you steal if you were a Scooby Doo villain?  Have you ever thought about how one day, 1990s McMansions will be considered historic?  Katie Stamps, Huntsville's Historic Preservation Planner, was cool enough to come on the show today and talk about these and other burning questions about historic preservation.  Join me in this episode as I learn all about our city's historic districts, preservation laws and best practices, the occasional home restoration horror story, hot takes about the county courthouse, and so much more. To learn more about Huntsville's Historic Preservation Office, find them on the city's website (⁠⁠https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/development/building-construction/historic-preservation/⁠⁠) or on social media ⁠⁠@huntsvillepreservation⁠⁠For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts and supplementary maps for this tour) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also be awesome like patrons like Allison, Eric, Huntsvillustrated, Laura, Emily C., Shalin, Stephen, and AboveAverageBeard by supporting the show monthly at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lilyflaggpodcast⁠

    Interview with Huntsville's Historic Preservation Planner - Katie Stamps

  5. 04/01/2025

    Bamboozled! ...by the confederate monument - Full Episode 33

    I love April Fool’s Day, a day of pranks and misinformation and tomfoolery, so I wanted to tackle a subject that seems to have bamboozled Huntsvillians for a while now: the confederate monument, and really the city’s relationship with the confederacy as a whole.  There’s a lot of misinformation out there, like from the people responsible for the monument, and also some pretty wild but true fun facts.  So what's the backstory on this monument to the confederacy, in a city whose representatives didn’t like the secession plans, where there wasn’t even a battle, with an inscription dedicated to a guy who barely even lived here?  Join me on a discussion of the lost cause narrative, construction disasters, terrible facial fair, and even worse poetry. For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts and supplementary maps for this tour) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also be awesome like patrons like Allison, Eric, Huntsvillustrated, Laura, Emily C., Shalin, Stephen, and AboveAverageBeard by supporting the show monthly at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lilyflaggpodcast

    Bamboozled! ...by the confederate monument - Full Episode 33

  6. 10/14/2024

    The Black Widow of Hazel Green - Full Episode 32

    If you've spent a Halloween in the Huntsville, Alabama, area, odds are you've heard the tale.  Elizabeth Evans Dale Gibbons Flanagan Jefferies High Brown Routt, the so-called Black Widow of Hazel Green, six times married and six times widowed.  That summary doesn't even scratch the surface of the full story, though, with feuding neighbors, spiteful poems, attempted murder, lawsuits, and more morphing over time into local legend.  Today, we're jumping on the true crime bandwagon to delve into the story of not just our titular woman but also the people and circumstances that led to her becoming a figure of lore. For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts and supplementary maps for this tour) at ⁠⁠⁠lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com⁠⁠⁠. You can also be awesome like patrons like Allison, Eric, Huntsvillustrated, Laura, Emily C., Shalin, Stephen, and AboveAverageBeard by supporting the show monthly at ⁠⁠patreon.com/lilyflaggpodcast

    The Black Widow of Hazel Green - Full Episode 32

  7. 10/01/2024

    House Scootin' Boogie - Full Episode 31

    Sometimes, the only way to save a historic structure from demolition is to relocate it - or as I decided to say, "scoot" it - and this was the case for multiple buildings in Huntsville’s past. Today’s episode covers a few of these instances, including the log cabins at Burritt on the Mountain, the Public Inn, the Steamboat Gothic House, the Humphreys-Rodgers House, and the Clemens House, and the various challenges and workarounds that come with “scooting” these buildings across town. For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on ⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts and supplementary maps for this tour) at ⁠⁠lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com⁠⁠. You can also be awesome like patrons like Allison, Eric, Huntsvillustrated, Laura, Emily C., Shalin, Stephen, and AboveAverageBeard by supporting the show monthly at ⁠patreon.com/lilyflaggpodcast

    House Scootin' Boogie - Full Episode 31

  8. 09/17/2024 ·  Bonus

    A Very Special 1901 Black Business District Walking Tour

    In this second-of-its-kind episode, we're doing something a little different: an audio walking tour through the northern part of downtown Huntsville, Alabama, set in the year 1901.  We'll be exploring the Historic Black Business District and discussing the people, shops, churches, and transportation as you'd have seen it over a 120 years ago.  Complete with background sound effects, this tour starts at the corner of Jefferson and Clinton and is paced such that you can follow along the 0.6 mile route on foot or listen along from the comfort of your couch. For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on ⁠Facebook ⁠and ⁠Instagram⁠ at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts and supplementary maps for this tour) at ⁠lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com⁠. You can also be awesome like patrons like Allison, Eric, Huntsvillustrated, Laura, Emily C., Shalin, Stephen, and AboveAverageBeard by supporting the show monthly at patreon.com/lilyflaggpodcast

    A Very Special 1901 Black Business District Walking Tour
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Trailer

4.7
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Welcome to Lily Flagg's Signal, a lovingly-researched history podcast that explores the lore and legends of Huntsville, Alabama. New episodes are posted every other Monday through the season. Join this history-nerding adventure to learn more about our city and how the past impacts our present, including first-hand sources on well-known Huntsville lore, misconceptions about popular tall tales, and historical events and people who don’t get talked about often enough. Episode transcripts with sources cited are available here: https://lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com/episode-transcripts/

Information

  • Creator
    Lily Flagg's Signal
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Lily Flagg's Signal
  • Show Website
    Lily Flagg's Signal

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