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On this episode of Our American Stories, before the 1950s, family road trips meant unreliable motels and tired parents hopping from place to place. After one frustrating trip, Kemmons Wilson decided to change that. He created Holiday Inn—the first family-friendly, standardized hotel chain in America. His son, Kemmons Wilson Jr., shares the story of how it all began.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) 

On this episode of Our American Stories, before the 1950s, family road trips meant unreliable motels and tired parents hopping from place to place. After one frustrating trip, Kemmons Wilson decided to change that. He created Holiday Inn&mdash;the first family-friendly, standardized hotel chain in America. His son, Kemmons Wilson Jr., shares the story of how it all began.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>&nbsp;

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories tells stories that aren&rsquo;t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we&rsquo;ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

A Father Wanted a Clean Hotel for His Family... So He Created Holiday Inn

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c7696b4d-8772-453a-bfa0-b2f9015649d8/transcript

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1943, the U.S. government transformed farmland outside Oak Ridge, Tennessee, into a top-secret city of 75,000 people racing to build the atomic bomb before Nazi Germany. Cameras were forbidden, except for one.

Richard Cook, author of Ignored Heroes of World War II: The Manhattan Project Workers of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, shares the remarkable story of photographer Ed Westcott, whose images became the definitive visual record of America's greatest wartime secret.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1943, the U.S. government transformed farmland outside Oak Ridge, Tennessee, into a top-secret city of 75,000 people racing to build the atomic bomb before Nazi Germany. Cameras were forbidden, except for one. Richard Cook, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB00X4OI1E6%3Flv%3Dshuf%26channelId%3D500%26plpRedirect%3DmhFallback&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7C18bcb106510542cd897c08dee1c4302d%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639196429940254963%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=33t8AnqQ2TsRmX%2Bcg0KRpYkH788bFcJKNRR%2BAN8p7Zs%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5">Ignored Heroes of World War II: The Manhattan Project Workers of Oak Ridge, Tennessee</a>, shares the remarkable story of photographer Ed Westcott, whose images became the definitive visual record of America's greatest wartime secret.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

The Only Photographer Inside the Manhattan Project

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0cacc725-f818-43b3-aa76-b487011421ff/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard famously hit two golf balls on the Moon. For decades, NASA never revealed their brand, and Shepard never publicly told the story.

Then an estate sale in Rogers, Arkansas, uncovered a signed photograph that led Joe Murfin to an extraordinary discovery involving Daisy Outdoor Products, a longtime public relations executive, and what may be one of the greatest untold stories of the Apollo program. Joe himself tells the tale.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard famously hit two golf balls on the Moon. For decades, NASA never revealed their brand, and Shepard never publicly told the story. Then an estate sale in Rogers, Arkansas, uncovered a signed photograph that led Joe Murfin to an extraordinary discovery involving Daisy Outdoor Products, a longtime public relations executive, and what may be one of the greatest untold stories of the Apollo program. Joe himself tells the tale.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

The Estate Sale That Solved the Mystery of Alan Shepard's Moon Golf Balls

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/146f9be2-62ee-4f80-8e32-b487011421fc/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, picture a crowded parlor in the 1800s. The air is heavy, the fire is roaring, and the women are laced into corsets that leave little room to breathe. In moments like these, fainting became common, so common that homes often had special couches set aside for recovery. What we now think of as a Victorian cliché was, for many women, an ordinary interruption to daily life.

Simon Whistler, host of Today I Found Out, explains how fainting reflected the health, fashion, and culture of the nineteenth century.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, picture a crowded parlor in the 1800s. The air is heavy, the fire is roaring, and the women are laced into corsets that leave little room to breathe. In moments like these, fainting became common, so common that homes often had special couches set aside for recovery. What we now think of as a Victorian clich&eacute; was, for many women, an ordinary interruption to daily life. Simon Whistler, host of&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.todayifoundout.com%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7C18bcb106510542cd897c08dee1c4302d%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639196429940232937%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=b2OXaeu0vESm76kBoocZLzorY5HMN%2FDBBPsm4R3K2k4%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">Today I Found Out</a>, explains how fainting reflected the health, fashion, and culture of the nineteenth century.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Why Victorian Women Fainted So Often: What Science Says Now

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/cdcbda97-ad4f-4018-8902-b487011421fc/transcript

A Father Wanted a Clean Hotel for His Family... So He Created Holiday Inn

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