Weird Wisconsin

Josh Hughes

Weird Wisconsin explores the forgotten people, places, legends, and mysteries that shaped the Badger State. From unsolved murders and haunted locations to strange landmarks, local folklore, and forgotten history, each episode features conversations with the historians, eyewitnesses, authors, and experts who know these stories better than anyone.

  1. Oct 27

    The Exorcist From Wisconsin

    Before exorcisms became horror movies, a Wisconsin priest was performing them. In 1928, Father Theophilus Riesinger entered an Iowa convent to confront what witnesses believed was demonic possession. Nearly a century later, the question isn't just what happened in that room. It's which version of the story to believe. In episode seven of Weird Wisconsin, I explore Riesinger's exorcisms and the woman commonly identified as Anna Ecklund or Emma Schmidt. The pamphlet Begone, Satan! describes a victory over demonic forces. A lesser-known account tells a more complicated story, with repeated exorcisms, controversial revelations and predictions about the end of the world. Dr. Joseph Laycock, a religious studies scholar at Texas State University, examines these conflicting accounts, the extraordinary claims they contain and the questions the surviving documents leave unanswered. Reports of unfamiliar languages, reactions to sacred objects and a woman clinging to a wall helped make this case notorious. But how much can we establish about what actually happened? Catholic priest Father Edward Looney provides the religious perspective, explaining the distinctions between possession and oppression, what separates a formal exorcism from a blessing, and how the Church evaluates requests for an exorcism. Together, these conversations explore the history, faith and uncertainty surrounding Riesinger's most famous case, along with the influence of exorcism stories on films like The Exorcist. 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Featured in This Episode: Father Edward Looney Catholic priest and author YouTube Facebook Dr. Joseph Laycock Religious studies scholar, Texas State University Faculty Profile Books Episode Artwork by Rachal Duggan Instagram Website Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Website

    The Exorcist From Wisconsin

  2. Oct 27 ·  Bonus

    You Might Enjoy: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    Introducing Vinh Giang: How to Communicate So People Actually Listen to You from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty Communication expert Vinh Giang joins Jay to share practical tools from his first book, Before We Forget How to Connect, to help you become a more confident communicator and build deeper, more meaningful connections. Vinh explains how to become a better listener, avoid common communication mistakes, and speak so people actually pay attention. From sounding confident when you're nervous to speaking up in meetings, navigating difficult conversations, and making a great first impression, Vinh shares simple techniques to help you communicate more effectively and connect with people in every area of your life. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Instagram Teen Accounts: Built-in protections for teens. JAY'S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction 00:25 Before We Forget How To Connect 01:52 The High-Low Buffalo Icebreaker 02:45 Sharing Personal Highs 05:15 Sharing Personal Lows 11:40 Sharing Personal Buffalos 13:40 Escaping Small Talk 16:10 Overcoming Self-Judgment 17:58 Sharing Wins Without Sounding Arrogant 19:50 Communication Beyond The Script 20:40 Gen Z's Communication Struggles 23:20 Last Word, Last Letter Game 27:20 The Four Modalities Of Listening 29:50 The Three Follow-Up Questions Rule 35:50 How Do You Make A Great First Impression? 40:10 Reading the Room, Not Formulas 44:10 Finding Your Unique Voice 49:00 Life As A Book: New Chapters 50:40 Building Executive Presence 53:20 Fix Your Resting Blank Face 58:30 Filming Yourself For Self-Awareness 01:02:20 When Your Mind Goes Blank 01:06:10 The Power Of The Pause 01:09:30 How Can You Sound Confident When You’re Nervous? 01:14:40 From Texting Chemistry to Real-Life Connection 01:18:40 How to Communicate Better During Arguments 01:20:20 Learning to Speak Up In Meetings 01:25:45 How to Join a Conversation Without Feeling Awkward 01:28:20 Leaving A Conversation Gracefully 01:31:4 Embracing Vulnerability Episode Resources: Book | https://vinhgiang.com/before-we-forget-how-to-connect Website | https://vinhgiang.com/ YouTube | https://youtube.com/@askvinh Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/share/1CCPX1ChrP/?mibextid=wwXIfr LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinhgiang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Enjoy: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

  3. Oct 15

    Wisconsin's Most Haunted: The Hamilton House

    Whitewater, Wisconsin, has a reputation for witch legends, spiritualism and haunted places. Among its most recognizable landmarks is the Hamilton House, a Victorian mansion with a history stretching back to 1861 and ghost stories that have followed it for generations. But what was it like to actually live there? In episode six of Weird Wisconsin, the first installment of Wisconsin's Most Haunted, I explore the history and reported hauntings of this 23-room house through someone who called it home. DJ Phoenix lived in the Hamilton House from 1974 to 1983 while his family operated an antique business downstairs. He recalls unexplained activity throughout the house, a boy who appeared in his bedroom, a doll whose eyes seemed to glow red, and a photograph he believes captured two spirits. He also shares the increasingly troubling experiences that ultimately led his family to leave. Carol Cartwright, president of the Whitewater Historical Society, provides the historical perspective. She traces the house's owners, explains how Whitewater's spiritualist history became entangled with its witch legends, and examines claims of secret tunnels connected to the Underground Railroad. Some details have historical support. Others remain unverified. Together, these accounts explore the history, folklore and deeply personal experiences behind one of Whitewater's best-known haunted houses. 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Featured in This Episode: DJ Phoenix Antique dealer, toy collector and former Hamilton House resident Website Carol Cartwright President, Whitewater Historical Society Website Episode Artwork by Rachal Duggan Instagram Website Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Website

    Wisconsin's Most Haunted: The Hamilton House

  4. Oct 8

    This Week in Weird Wisconsin | October 9 - 15

    Welcome back to This Week in Weird Wisconsin, a weekly mini episode highlighting the people, places, and events that happened during this week in Wisconsin history. This week, Wisconsin shuts down public gathering places during the 1918 influenza pandemic, and exactly 39 years later Milwaukee celebrates a World Series championship. We'll also revisit the bizarre Eagle Diamond case, where a woman sold a stone for $1 only to discover it was one of the largest diamonds ever found in America. And finally, we head to Milwaukee in 1912, where Theodore Roosevelt is shot in the chest before a campaign speech and decides to speak for roughly 80 minutes anyway. Explore this week's event: Halloween Legends & Lore at Old World Wisconsin Tickets 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Website

    This Week in Weird Wisconsin | October 9 - 15

  5. Oct 1

    This Week in Weird Wisconsin | October 2 - 8

    Welcome back to This Week in Weird Wisconsin, a weekly mini episode highlighting the people, places, and events that happened during this week in Wisconsin history. This week, we dig into the bizarre early history of Bucky Badger, including the live badger that kept escaping and a raccoon named Regdab that somehow became part of the mascot story. We'll also revisit a major 1962 civil rights protest in Madison, the 1912 American Grand Prix raced on public roads around Milwaukee, the flood that nearly erased downtown Black River Falls, and the Milwaukee Police Band's unlikely path from whistling officers to performing with John Philip Sousa. And finally, we look back at the Peshtigo Fire of October 8, 1871, the deadliest wildfire in American history. Explore this week's events: Spiritualism in the Victorian Era at Black Point Estate October 2 in Lake Geneva Bayfield Apple Festival October 2–4 in Bayfield 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Website

    This Week in Weird Wisconsin | October 2 - 8

  6. Sep 24

    This Week in Weird Wisconsin | September 25 - October 1

    Welcome back to This Week in Weird Wisconsin, a weekly mini episode highlighting the people, places, and events that happened during this week in Wisconsin history. This week, Manitowoc holds an actual funeral for a steamship, Wisconsin's most famous Civil War eagle gets honored at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, and the very first Smokey Bear costume makes its public debut in Wausau. We'll also revisit the first regular-season game played at what became Lambeau Field, the Treaty of La Pointe, and Wisconsin's very first State Fair—where one of the biggest attractions was a 200-pound squash. And if that somehow isn't weird enough, Mount Horeb is also preparing to burn a giant troll. Explore this week's event: Burning Troll September 26 near Mount Horeb 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Instagram

    This Week in Weird Wisconsin | September 25 - October 1

  7. Sep 22

    A Marsh of All Places

    *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:6a3a0c03-7752-4315-b8b8-6ab9b23d03ad-2" data-turn-id-container= "request-WEB:6a3a0c03-7752-4315-b8b8-6ab9b23d03ad-2" data-testid= "conversation-turn-6" data-turn="assistant"> A viral story claims cranberry growers release spiders into their marshes to control pests and that workers must be screened for arachnophobia before wading into the water. The story is a lie. But Wisconsin's cranberry marshes are definitely not spider-free. When growers flood a cranberry bed for harvest, spiders hidden among the vines rise with the water and travel across its surface toward the safety of the dikes. For a brief moment, several acres of spiders can become concentrated in one place. But they are not attacking workers, laying eggs on people or being deliberately released. The reality of Wisconsin's cranberry marshes is far more complicated and fascinating than the internet makes it sound. In this episode, we investigate how the viral story began, how cranberries are actually grown and what really happens to the spiders when a marsh is flooded. We also explore why wild cranberry wetlands can contain far more spiders than commercial marshes and whether those spiders actually help control agricultural pests. Cranberry grower John Stauner takes us inside the ecosystem of James Lake Farms. Dr. Michael Draney, professor and curator of the Richter Museum of Natural History at UW-Green Bay, explains the remarkable diversity of spiders living in Wisconsin wetlands. USDA cranberry entomologist Shawn Steffan reveals what decades of research tell us about the complicated role those predators play in a working marsh. Together, they help us separate viral fiction from the fascinating reality beneath Wisconsin's cranberry marshes. 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok Learn More: James Lake Farms 📍Three Lakes, Wisconsin Website Dr. Michael Draney UW-Green Bay Shawn Steffan UW Entomology Episode Artwork by Rachal Duggan Instagram Website Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Website _:empty]:hidden">

    A Marsh of All Places

  8. Sep 17

    This Week in Weird Wisconsin | September 18 - 24

    Welcome back to This Week in Weird Wisconsin, a weekly mini episode highlighting the people, places, and events that happened during this week in Wisconsin history. This week, we dive into three Lake Michigan disasters, including a shipwreck still carrying its iron ore and a schooner that floated upside down for nearly two weeks. We'll also revisit one of Green Bay's largest fires, the recovery of a 3,000-year-old canoe from Lake Mendota, and one of the darkest cases in Wisconsin conservation warden history. Thankfully, we'll balance all of that out with three days devoted entirely to cheese—and a parade led by actual cows. Explore this week's event: Green County Cheese Days September 18–20 in Monroe 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Instagram   _:empty]:hidden">

    This Week in Weird Wisconsin | September 18 - 24
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About

Weird Wisconsin explores the forgotten people, places, legends, and mysteries that shaped the Badger State. From unsolved murders and haunted locations to strange landmarks, local folklore, and forgotten history, each episode features conversations with the historians, eyewitnesses, authors, and experts who know these stories better than anyone.

Information

  • Creator
    Josh Hughes
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Weird Wisconsin

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