One Strange Thing: Paranormal & True-Weird Mysteries One Strange Thing
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Paranormal, unexplainable, and uncanny stories aren't just in the fiction section. They happen every day, to people just like you.
One Strange Thing brings you family-friendly stories from America's newspaper archives. And they all have something in common: an element that can't be explained by logic alone.
Join us on our trek through small town U.S.A.'s oddities — and prepare to wonder what oddities are hiding in your hometown, too.
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Classic Episode: The Bunny
Laurah’s traveling all month — so while we cook up some strange new offerings for you, please enjoy this episode from our archives.
Whether presented as urban legend, murderous maniac, or ghostly avenger, the Bunnyman of Virginia has haunted a certain overpass near Fairfax--Colchester Bridge--and its residents for more than fifty years. This week, we delve into the origins of the twisty rabbit’s tale.
Order Laurah’s book, LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/
Hosted, written, and researched by Laurah Norton
Additional research by Bryan Worters
Produced by Maura Currie
Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder
Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/
Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing
You can also subscribe to premium episodes on Apple Premium and Supercast!
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OSTPod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/
and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607
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Copyright One Strange Thing Podcast LLC 2023
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Sources
Brian A. Conley, “The Bunny Man Unmasked” Fairfax County History 2009
N/A, “Man in Bunny Suit. . “ The Washington Post, 1970.
N/A, “The Rabbit Reappears . “ The Washington Post, 1970.
Richard Spong, “A Male in a. . .” The Beckley Post-Herald, 1970.
N/A, UPI, “Antics of ‘Bunny Man’. . .” The Minneapolis Star, 1970.
Matthew Kortan, “A Hare-Raising Tale. . .” The Flat Hat, 2020.
Kari Pugh, “Beware Bunnyman Bridge. . .” The Manassa Journal Messenger, 2010.
Staff, “Ghosts, Spirits, Witches. . .” The Arlington Sun Gazette, 2014.
Amelia Heymann, “Haunted Virginia. . .” CBS - 11 WJHL, 2021.
Ally Schweitzer, “The True Story. . .” WAMU, 2017.
Kari Pugh, “Bunny Man Bridge. . .” Inside Nova, 2021.
Don Oldenburg, “Boo! It’s the Bunny Man!” The Washington Post, 2003.
Atlas Obscura, Bunnyman Bridge
Google Maps -
Premium Episode 54: The Species
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the science world was overwhelmed with new findings out of Australia. One particular species was assumed to be a hoax… and even when it was established that the platypus was, in fact, real? It didn’t make these strange creatures make more sense.
Hosted by Laurah Norton
Research by Anna Luria and Maura Currie
Written, Produced and Engineered by Maura Currie
Works Cited
George Shaw, “The Duck-Billed Platypus,” The Naturalist’s Miscellany, 1798.
NA, “Scientists Trying to Save…” The Washington Herald, 1928.
Abby Ohlheiser, “The platypus is so weird…” the Washington Post, 2015.
Natalie Zarrelli, “Why 19th-century naturalists…” Atlas Obscura, 2016.
Brian K. Hall, “The paradoxical platypus,” Bioscience, 1999.
Willey Ley, “Bring our private files…” Star Tribune, 1948.
James MacDonald, “The platypus is even weirder…” JSTOR Daily, 2018.
Gilad Bino et al, “The platypus: evolutionary…” Journal of Mammalogy, 2019.
Stephen C. George, “When scientists believed the adorable…” Discover Magazine, 2023.
NA, “The lying stones of…” Geological Society of London, 2017.
Jessica Leigh Hester, “The beautiful complexity of…” Atlas Obscura, 2018.
Annetta Black, “Objects of Intrigue: Fiji…” Atlas Obscura, 2013.
Douglas Main, “We knew platypuses…” National Geographic, 2020.
John Yoon, “What scientists learned from…” the New York Times, 2024.
Mindy Weisberger, “Platypuses glow an eerie…” LiveScience, 2020.
Lucie Cutting, “Woman spurred by platypus…” ABC, 2023.
Platypus -
Classic Episode: The Moth
Laurah’s traveling all month — so while we cook up some strange new offerings for you, please enjoy this episode from our archives.
West Virginia isn’t the only region to boast its very own Mothman; since the mid-20 century, Chicago and the Lake Michigan area has had reports of flying humanoids, and those sightings have only picked up since 2011. Why have sightings of the Chicago or Lake Michigan Mothman increased, and what’s behind the mysterious wings in the sky?
Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton
Researched by Bryan Worters and Laurah Norton
Produced and Script-Edited by Maura Currie
Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder
Interested in advertising on our show? Contact Glassbox Media: https://glassboxmedia.com/contact-us/
Copyright One Strange Thing Podcast LLC 2022
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Seth Breedlove, Dir. On the Trail of the Lake Michigan Mothman, 2020.
Tobias and Emily Wayland, “USPS Employee Reports. . .” Singular Fortean, 2020
Tobias and Emily Wayland, “Chicago Mothman Timeline. . . “ Singular Fortean, 2017.
Lon Strickler, Phantoms and Monsters, Chicago Mothman Sightings 2011-2017
Josh Terry, “People Keep Seeing. . .” Vice, 2018.
Robbie Telfer, “The Case of the. . .” WBEZ, NPR, 2019.
Ted Slowik, “Chicago’s Mothman. . .” The Chicago Tribune, 2017.
Ryan Smith, “The Mothman Cometh?” The Chicago Reader, 2017.
Josh Vince, “Wing Freak Terrorizes. . .” The Chicago Patch, 2017.
Christopher Borelli, “Fantastic Beasts. . . “ The Chicago Tribune, 2019. -
The Mine Fire
Centralia, Pennsylvania was a busy mining town until a fire of unclear origins started — and swept its way beneath the town. To this day, the mine shafts that built Centralia are destroying it. But could a curse be to blame for everything?
Hosted by Laurah Norton
Research by Bryan Worters and Maura Currie
Produced and Written by Maura Currie
Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder
Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/
Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing
You can also subscribe to premium episodes on Apple Premium and Supercast!
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OSTPod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/
and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607
Interested in advertising on our show? Contact Glassbox Media: https://glassboxmedia.com/contact-us/ -
Premium Episode 53: The Panics
Teenagers have been accused of latching on to each others’ behaviors forever. But how do we separate fads, social contagions, and honest-to-goodness crises? This episode, we dig into two instances of apparent mass hysteria at American high schools.
Hosted, Written, and Researched by Laurah Norton
Additional Research by Anna Luria
Produced and Engineered by Maura Currie
Works Cited
N/A, AP, “Girls Faint From. . .” The Yazoo Herald, 1976.
N/A, AP, “Fainting Rash Stops. . “ The Vicksburg Post, 1976.
N/A, AP, “Southern School Girls. . .” Petaluma Argus-Courier, 1976.
N/A, AP, “Reasons Probed For. . .” The Daily Herald, 1976.
N/A, AP, “Girl Students Hit. . .” The Marion Star, 1976.
N/A, AP, “Fainting Spells Making. . .” Neenah Menasha Northwestern, 1976.
David Harrison, “Absentees From Byrd. . .” The Roanoke Times, 2007.
Stuart Jeffries, “The Outbreak of. . .” The Guardian, 2007.
N/A, WSLS, “CDC Probing Strange Illness, 2007.
David Harrison, “Absentees From Byrd. . .” The Roanoke Times, 2007.
David Harrison, “School Calls In. . .” The Roanoke Times, 2007.
David Harrison, “School Officials: No. . .” The Roanoke Times, 2007.
David Harrison, “Test Find No. . .” The Roanoke Times, 2007.
David Harrison, “Twitching Arm Bothersome. . .” The Roanoke Times, 2007.
Lauren Hellowski, “William Byrd High. . “ The Roanoke Times, 2024.
David Harrison, “Stress Caused Twitching. . .” The Roanoke Times, 2007.
N/A, “Asbestos Removal Will. . .” The Roanoke Times, 2023.
Amanda Codispoti, “Board Paying For. . .” The Roanoke Times, 2007.
N/A, “CDC Probing Strange. . “ The Roanoke Times, 2007.
N/A, AP, “CDC Probing Twitching. . .” The AP, 2007.
Marvin Anderson, “School Confronts Strange. . .” The Roanoke Times, 2007.
Asbestos Information -
The Nightcrawlers
Back in 2007, the world was thrilled to discover there was a new cryptid—or alien—or something—on the scene: The Fresno Nightcrawler. And even better, it was absolutely adorable (as long as you have a fondness for walking pants). But what evidence exists for this mysterious new creature?
Check out NetSuite.com/STRANGE to get your own free KPI Checklist.
Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/
Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing
You can also subscribe to premium episodes on Apple Premium and Supercast!
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OSTPod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/
and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607
Interested in advertising on our show? Contact Glassbox Media: https://glassboxmedia.com/contact-us/
Customer Reviews
stranger ranger
laurah norton, in a voice as smooth, and dark, as molasses, brings listeners the news of the day, except for one strange thing: the news is of the paranormal, and the day is whenever something strange appeared in the local paper.
an old doll seeking vengeance (robert, please don’t come after me because i said you were old), underground tunnels on fire for decades, the moth man? maybe you’ve been there, seen that, but the delight of one strange thing is in the delivery, the suspenseful unspooling that leads to the hitch. it is smart, funny, and strangely, all gleaned from the news archives. what more could anyone possibly want? except paranormal popcorn?
So much fun
One strange thing is unique and entertaining-with great writing and the topics aren’t the same stories everyone else covers.
Very enjoyable
Interesting topics and nice to listen to.