The Ouija Broads: Tales from the Pacific Northweird

The story of Oregonian Kent Couch's adventures in cluster ballooning.

We discuss the case of William Toomey, a man who ended his journey in a church in Boise, Idaho and left quite a mystery behind. It's mentioned at the top, but this episode is all about somebody who died from suicide, so skip it if needed. We also touch briefly on the issue of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, but don't go into any particular detail, just acknowledging that it happen

The Broads return with a new season about castaways, explorers, and wanderers. We open with Fu Sang, the legendary land that some believe is Oregon...

We close Skid Road with the man who gave it another one of its many names: Maynardtown. What makes a middle-aged doctor leave his family in Cleveland behind and trek the Oregon Trail? How far can someone go for the chance to marry the woman he loves? Most importantly, what is a magoozle and how does it give us not just Skid Road, but Seattle itself and even the entirety of Washingt

Devon takes us down... deep down into the Seattle Underground! Let's learn about Bill Spiedel and the unique world he helped preserve beneath Seattle's streets. (We kinda allude to this at one point but Spiedel did like a dash of flavor with his history, so let's take it all with a "as told by" grain of salt. I still don't quite buy that anybody lived with reverse toilets as a dail

This time we went all in on one block. Yes, one individual singular solitary block of Seattle. But there's quite a bit to say about this block, as it turns out.This is also an episode where the story necessitates talking about the anti-Asian attitudes and policies of late 19th/early 20th century Washington State and the U.S., including the Chinese Exclusion Act and the internment o

Devon tells Liz about the Flower of the North, Klondike Kate Rockwell!Content notes: Kate gets engaged while underage (probably), and toward the end of his life, Pantages was accused of sexually assaulting a minor. No details, we basically just say 'this was the accusation, he went to trial, he was convicted, then acquitted,' but wanted to give you the heads-up. Ouija & Broads is a

In our continuing Skid Road coverage, we explore how the business of pleasure shaped early Seattle. Content notes: Plenty of mentions of sex work in here, one dude is accused of having an underage mistress, and there's a fatal shootout at the end. The West! Jeez... Ouija & Broads is available at this link. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ouijabroads Website: https://ouijabroads.co

The tale of the Golden Spruce and Grant Hadwin finds its conclusion at long last.

Welcome to Ouija Broads: Skid Road! We kick things off with the tale of Henry Yesler, Seattle's city father who's really more of a city vodka aunt, his adventures, his influences, the Seattle he knew, and the intriguing women he loved.