On this episode of Our American Stories, what does it mean when a highway that no longer exists still carries more recognition than the roads that replaced it? Route 66 was born out of a practical need to move people across long distances, yet it quickly grew into something else entirely. Its motels, garages, and storefronts formed a line of small anchors through the heart of the country, each one shaping the rhythm of life along the pavement. Parts of old Route 66 have disappeared, but the imprint remains. Historian Jim Hinckley traces the winding tale of Route 66’s history, from its early promise to its quiet revival.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, what does it mean when a highway that no longer exists still carries more recognition than the roads that replaced it? Route 66 was born out of a practical need to move people across long distances, yet it quickly grew into something else entirely. Its motels, garages, and storefronts formed a line of small anchors through the heart of the country, each one shaping the rhythm of life along the pavement. Parts of old Route 66 have disappeared, but the imprint remains. Historian Jim Hinckley traces the winding tale of Route 66&rsquo;s history, from its early promise to its quiet revival.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

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

How Route 66 Became the World’s Most Famous Highway

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d31296aa-19f1-4366-80be-b3a70159c0a1/transcript

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Jimmy Hawkins began acting when television was still defining itself, moving from show to show with the ease of a child who learned the business early. Viewers eventually recognized him from programs that shaped mid-century entertainment, but one of his first roles connected him to a film that would outgrow its modest beginnings. In 1946, Hawkins played Tommy Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, joining a production that made little noise on release and gained its reputation only after years of quiet rediscovery.

Jimmy Hawkins looks back on that experience and the work that surrounded it, offering a grounded view of how the film came together and how the film found its place in American culture.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories,&nbsp;Jimmy Hawkins began acting when television was still defining itself, moving from show to show with the ease of a child who learned the business early. Viewers eventually recognized him from programs that shaped mid-century entertainment, but one of his first roles connected him to a film that would outgrow its modest beginnings. In 1946, Hawkins played Tommy Bailey in&nbsp;It&rsquo;s a Wonderful Life, joining a production that made little noise on release and gained its reputation only after years of quiet rediscovery.
Jimmy Hawkins looks back on that experience and the work that surrounded it, offering a grounded view of how the film came together and how the film found its place in American culture.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Inside It’s a Wonderful Life with Actor Jimmy Hawkins

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/221220c3-481c-4bbb-90e3-b3a70159c0a0/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, pinball’s story winds back to a quiet corner of European parlor culture, where small tabletop games offered a brief challenge to anyone willing to try their luck. Those early ideas eventually migrated to America, where the game weathered citywide crackdowns and the tests of time.

As the tables grew more complex, the machines slipped into public rooms that gave them steady use and helped shape the early world of classic arcade games. Jeremy Saucier of The Strong Museum of Play lays out how that path unfolded and how pinball machines became the fixtures they are today.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, pinball&rsquo;s story winds back to a quiet corner of European parlor culture, where small tabletop games offered a brief challenge to anyone willing to try their luck. Those early ideas eventually migrated to America, where the game weathered citywide crackdowns and the tests of time.
As the tables grew more complex, the machines slipped into public rooms that gave them steady use and helped shape the early world of classic arcade games. Jeremy Saucier of The Strong Museum of Play lays out how that path unfolded and how pinball machines became the fixtures they are today.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

How Pinball Found Its Way Through Bans, Backrooms, and the Arcade Boom

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5c901ea0-d7ca-480b-935c-b3a70159c0a1/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early 1920s, WSM filled its schedule with whatever talent it could gather, and one night a fiddler stepped into the studio with a tune that settled easily across the airwaves. The reaction from listeners changed the station’s direction. The music felt local in the best sense of the word, and the signal carried it into homes that had never heard anything like it. Those moments revealed how quickly a simple performance could influence the American music history taking shape around the radio.

The Grand Ole Opry emerged within that momentum, and Nashville followed along with the shift. The influence created a bridge between regional tradition and the broader landscape of country-western music, giving the early threads of country-music origins a steady place to land. Craig Havighurst, author of Musicality for Modern Humans, joins us with a look into how WSM and the Opry reshaped Nashville’s music history and left a mark that continues to guide the way the city sounds today.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early 1920s, WSM filled its schedule with whatever talent it could gather, and one night a fiddler stepped into the studio with a tune that settled easily across the airwaves. The reaction from listeners changed the station&rsquo;s direction. The music felt local in the best sense of the word, and the signal carried it into homes that had never heard anything like it. Those moments revealed how quickly a simple performance could influence the American music history taking shape around the radio.
The Grand Ole Opry emerged within that momentum, and Nashville followed along with the shift. The influence created a bridge between regional tradition and the broader landscape of country-western music, giving the early threads of country-music origins a steady place to land. Craig Havighurst, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMusicality-Modern-Humans-Listen-Artist%2Fdp%2F1958861839&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7Cef54c7fda5a548c5a8c708de31cdecab%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639002957671670517%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=j5%2FOnWvByNYTeerzR61rOzP81zMIXaVaUSVbo%2BcbH3g%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">Musicality for Modern Humans</a>, joins us with a look into how WSM and the Opry reshaped Nashville&rsquo;s music history and left a mark that continues to guide the way the city sounds today.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

How the Opry Gave Country Music a National Voice

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/dfb3d104-552a-42e0-a969-b3a70159c0a4/transcript

How Route 66 Became the World’s Most Famous Highway

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