In 1901, a woman named Jane Toppan was arrested on Cape Cod for murder. By the time she went on trial, she had confessed to killing 31 people in Boston, Cambridge, on the Cape, and around the region, and she’s suspected of killing 100 or more. From a tragic childhood, she grew up to be a nurse. She tortured and murdered her patients in dark experiments, while being praised for her caring bedside manner. Before she was caught, she had graduated to killing entire families. Learn about the life and crimes of Jane Toppan, Nightmare Nurse in this week’s show.
Category: Episodes
Episode 6: The First Boston Revolution
Early one April morning, Boston rose up in revolt, overthrowing the widely hated royal governor. A provincial militia surrounded the city, while the Royal Navy backed British authorities. But this wasn’t Lexington or Concord. This was the 1689 revolt against Governor Edmund Andros, 86 years to the day before Paul Revere’s ride. Listen to this week’s episode to learn more!
Episode 5: Secret Nazis on Boston Harbor!
At the end of World War II, the Allied powers raced across Germany, competing to capture technology related to Nazi super-weapons and the scientists who developed them. The US military operated a secret program that located high-value scientists, smuggling them into the US and falsifying their wartime records. For many of the scientists who went on to work on the Manhattan Project or the space race, their first stop in America was a secret base in Boston Harbor.
Episode 4: Thanksgiving Mini-sode
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! This week, we’re doing a mini-sode (miniature episode, get it?) on this week’s historical anniversaries, with a quick discussion of Boston’s first Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
Episode 3: Slower Than Molasses
Update: We revisited this topic in Episode 73, with better audio, better research, and better storytelling. You should listen to that one instead!
When an industrial tank collapsed in Boston’s North End in 1919, a wave of molasses destroyed the surrounding neighborhood. 21 people were killed and at least 150 were injured, along with an untold number of horses. This tragedy is made all the worse by the fact that it was entirely preventable. Find out more in this week’s episode!
Episode 2: How Cotton Mather Saved Boston
When smallpox threatened Boston in 1721, Cotton Mather was a leading advocate of inoculation. How did this influential Puritan, best known for his role in the Salem witch trials, become an advocate for scientific medicine? Listen to this week’s episode to find out!
Episode 1: Remember Remember the Fifth of November
Update: We revisited this subject in Episode 75, with better audio, better research, and better storytelling. You should listen to that one instead!
How did early Boston “celebrate” on November 5th each year? By drinking, brawling, and burning effigies of the Pope, of course. Listen to this week’s episode to find out more!
Continue reading Episode 1: Remember Remember the Fifth of November
Episode 0: Welcome to HUB History!
Welcome to HUB History, the show that brings you fascinating stories from Boston’s history. Your hosts, Nikki and Jake, are tour guides, Boston history buffs, and now podcasters. We can’t wait to share our favorite stories from Boston’s long history.
The first episode is called “Remember remember the fifth of November,” and it will air on October 30. It involves http://healthsavy.com Boston patriots, George Washington, heavy drinking, and of course rioting. It’s the perfect Boston story!
In the meantime, be sure to subscribe in iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast app.