Yore Town

Beard Laws Studio, Bleav

Yore Town Podcast is a true crime and dark history podcast uncovering real small-town mysteries, forgotten crimes, unexplained events, and buried history from places most people overlook. Each episode delivers deep-dive storytelling into true crime cases, unsolved disappearances, eerie local legends, historical cover-ups, and strange but 100% real stories that actually happened. No clickbait. No internet myths. Just well-researched, fact-checked episodes designed to keep you listening until the very end. From chilling murders and cold cases to strange historical moments and unsettling mysteries, Yore Town Podcast blends true crime podcast tension with immersive narrative storytelling. These are the kinds of stories you’d expect to hear late at night—except they’re real, and they happened closer to home than you think. Perfect for fans of: True crime podcasts Dark history podcasts Unsolved mysteries Small-town crime stories Long-form storytelling podcasts If you’re searching for a true crime podcast with real research, a dark history podcast, or a mystery podcast that focuses on small towns and forgotten places, this is it. Every town has a past. Some of them don’t want to be found. New episodes regularly on Spotify Real people. Real places. Real stories.

  1. The Disaster Nobody Talks About | Donora's Deadly Week

    4D AGO

    The Disaster Nobody Talks About | Donora's Deadly Week

    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/   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    25 min
  2. She Killed Her Husband With His Own Pills—And Started a National Crisis

    MAR 2

    She Killed Her Husband With His Own Pills—And Started a National Crisis

    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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    28 min
  3. This Town Was So Contaminated They Demolished It Completely

    FEB 23

    This Town Was So Contaminated They Demolished It Completely

    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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    28 min
  4. Joseph Force Crater's Final Night: Facts vs. Conspiracy

    FEB 16

    Joseph Force Crater's Final Night: Facts vs. Conspiracy

    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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    26 min
  5. America’s First Serial Killer Was Forgotten on Purpose

    FEB 9

    America’s First Serial Killer Was Forgotten on Purpose

    Before Jack the Ripper, America’s first serial killer was already hunting. The Servant Girl Annihilator terrorized Austin, Texas in the 1880s—one of the most forgotten true crime stories in U.S. history. In the 1880s, long before “serial killer” became a term, a wave of brutal nighttime murders terrorized Austin, Texas. The victims were mostly Black women working as domestic servants. The killer was never caught. And over time, the story quietly disappeared from history. They called him The Servant Girl Annihilator. In this episode of Yore Town, we dive deep into the real, documented history of the murders, the social conditions that allowed them to continue, the investigative failures of early policing, and why this case never became as famous as others—even though it may predate Jack the Ripper. This is not folklore. This is not legend. This is real American true crime history that was allowed to fade away. If you’re fascinated by forgotten crimes, unsolved serial killers, and the dark side of small-town history, this episode is for you. ️ About the Beard Laws Network The Beard Laws Network is home to multiple long-form storytelling shows focused on real events, forgotten history, true crime, disasters, and moments that shaped communities. Every episode is built to inform, engage, and preserve real stories—especially those tied to local and regional history. If you lived through the Ice Storm of 1998—or want to understand how fragile modern life can be—this story matters. If you enjoy deep storytelling, real history, and documentary-style episodes, consider subscribing to the Beard Laws Network.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    17 min
  6. The Ice Storm of 1998: When St. Lawrence County Went Dark

    FEB 2

    The Ice Storm of 1998: When St. Lawrence County Went Dark

    In January 1998, one of the worst ice storms in North American history brought St. Lawrence County, New York to a complete standstill. For days, freezing rain coated trees, power lines, and roads with inches of solid ice, causing widespread power outages, collapsed infrastructure, and a humanitarian emergency across the North Country. This episode tells the true story of the Ice Storm of 1998, focusing specifically on St. Lawrence County, where tens of thousands of residents lost electricity for days—and in some cases, weeks. Entire towns went dark. Homes dropped below freezing. Emergency shelters filled. Utility crews and the New York National Guard were deployed as the power grid collapsed under the weight of the storm. Through real historical facts, verified reports, and firsthand accounts, this documentary-style episode walks through the storm hour by hour and day by day—from the first flickering lights to the long recovery that permanently changed how Northern New York prepares for winter. This is not a dramatization. This is not exaggeration. This is what actually happened. ️ About the Beard Laws Network The Beard Laws Network is home to multiple long-form storytelling shows focused on real events, forgotten history, true crime, disasters, and moments that shaped communities. Every episode is built to inform, engage, and preserve real stories—especially those tied to local and regional history. If you lived through the Ice Storm of 1998—or want to understand how fragile modern life can be—this story matters. Chapters / Topics Covered: The weather system that caused the Ice Storm of 1998 Why St. Lawrence County was hit so hard Power grid collapse across Northern New York Life inside homes without heat or electricity Emergency shelters and National Guard response The quiet deaths and hidden dangers How the storm permanently changed the region If you enjoy deep storytelling, real history, and documentary-style episodes, consider subscribing to the Beard Laws Network. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    28 min
  7. The Day Texas Exploded: The Deadliest Industrial Accident in U.S. History

    JAN 26

    The Day Texas Exploded: The Deadliest Industrial Accident in U.S. History

    The Texas City Disaster of 1947 remains the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history. In this episode of the Yore Town Podcast on the Beard Laws Network, we investigate the catastrophic SS Grand Camp explosion—a tragedy caused by 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate that changed Texas history and safety regulations forever. SUBSCRIBE for more dark history and local legends: [Insert Your Channel Link Here] If you are looking for US history facts or an industrial disasters documentary, this episode breaks down exactly how the largest non-nuclear explosion ever recorded actually happened. We explore the timeline of the blast, the chemical hazards explained, and the controversial legal aftermath where the government was found "not liable." In this video, we cover: The SS High Flyer and SS Grand Camp explosions. Why the fire department was wiped out in seconds. The 5,000+ injuries and the mass civil lawsuit. How ammonium nitrate created a tidal wave that destroyed the port. Check out more from the Beard Laws Network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNGk6pLmVDE&list=PLjfRSzSIJjWwhAKxgNqM2np1HpRY5QJxu #TexasCityDisaster #AmmoniumNitrate #IndustrialAccident #TexasHistory #YoreTownPodcast #BeardLawsNetwork #HistoryFacts #SSGrandCamp Chapters 00:00 The Texas City Disaster: A Tragic Morning 03:18 Understanding Ammonium Nitrate and Its Risks 11:02 The Catastrophic Explosion and Its Aftermath 16:59 Lessons Learned and Historical Significance Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    20 min
  8. The Mad Trapper: Survival, Gunfire, and Unanswered Questions

    JAN 19

    The Mad Trapper: Survival, Gunfire, and Unanswered Questions

    In 1932, one man did the impossible. He survived alone in the Yukon wilderness at $-40$ degrees, outran the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for weeks, and stood his ground against dynamite and an army of trackers.In this episode of the Yore Town Podcast, Matt (Beard Laws) and Meg dive into the chilling mystery of The Mad Trapper of Rat River. Who was Albert Johnson? How did he move faster than dog teams in waist-deep snow? And why, after his final stand, did he leave behind no fingerprints, no history, and no real name?From the first shot fired at a constable to the first-ever use of an airplane in a Canadian manhunt, we break down the survival tactics and the eerie silence of the man who chose to disappear into the ice.In this episode, we discuss:The brutal reality of survival in the Yukon Territory.How Albert Johnson turned his cabin into a ballistic fortress.The high-stakes manhunt that changed the RCMP forever.The mystery of Johnson’s perfect teeth and military precision.Subscribe to Yore Town for more true stories from the edge of history! If you're invested in true crime and believe in justice, hit the like button and subscribe to Yore Town Podcast! Listen to Full Episodes & Clips ➜ Beard Laws Network Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/@BeardLawsNetwork/shorts ➜ Main Beard Laws Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BeardLaws Follow on Socials TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and more → https://linktr.ee/beardlaws Support the Show Like, comment, and share this episode — it helps the Network grow a TON! In this chilling narrative, we explore the harsh reality of winter in the Yukon Territory, where the cold weather is not just a season but an environment that demands respect. Learn about the dangers of frost bite and the unforgiving nature of winter life in this northern living landscape. This story reminds us that in the Yukon, survival is a constant challenge. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    23 min
4
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Yore Town Podcast is a true crime and dark history podcast uncovering real small-town mysteries, forgotten crimes, unexplained events, and buried history from places most people overlook. Each episode delivers deep-dive storytelling into true crime cases, unsolved disappearances, eerie local legends, historical cover-ups, and strange but 100% real stories that actually happened. No clickbait. No internet myths. Just well-researched, fact-checked episodes designed to keep you listening until the very end. From chilling murders and cold cases to strange historical moments and unsettling mysteries, Yore Town Podcast blends true crime podcast tension with immersive narrative storytelling. These are the kinds of stories you’d expect to hear late at night—except they’re real, and they happened closer to home than you think. Perfect for fans of: True crime podcasts Dark history podcasts Unsolved mysteries Small-town crime stories Long-form storytelling podcasts If you’re searching for a true crime podcast with real research, a dark history podcast, or a mystery podcast that focuses on small towns and forgotten places, this is it. Every town has a past. Some of them don’t want to be found. New episodes regularly on Spotify Real people. Real places. Real stories.