The rise of the Ouija board in North America involves corporate intrigue, family betrayal, a lot of litigation, and very little spiritualism. Today’s episode covers how “talking boards” went from divination tool to big business.

Research: 
“Items Personal and Social.” Denton Journal. January 31, 1891. https://www.newspapers.com/image/7111598/?terms=ouija&match=1
“’Ouija’ Board Her Advisor.” Baltimore Sun. March 26, 1905. https://www.newspapers.com/image/371127794/?terms=ouija&match=1
“Editor ‘Answers.’” Baltimore Evening Sun. August 23, 1911. https://www.newspapers.com/image/365492915/?terms=ouija&match=1
French, Chris. “The Unseen Force That Drives Ouija Boards and Fake Bomb Detectors.” The Guardian. April 27, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/apr/27/ouija-boards-dowsing-rods-bomb-detectors
“Ouija Killer Sentenced.” Spokesman-Review. July 9, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/567588953/?terms=%22dorothea%20irene%20turley%22&match=1
Clark, A. Campbell. “Automatic Writing. V.” The British Medical Journal, vol. 1, no. 1723, 1894, pp. 37–37. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20226992
“Ouija Board Maker Killed.” Evening Journal (Wilmington, Delaware). Feb. 25, 1927. https://www.newspapers.com/image/160190008/?terms=%22william%20fuld%22&match=1&clipping_id=99079163
Goodman, Edgar. “Pedigree of the ‘Witch Board.’” Omaha Daily News. June 13, 1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/738037975/?terms=%22Fuld%20vs.%20Fuld%22&match=1
“Charge of Witch Hunting Enters Assault Case – Indian Woman is Accused of Attack With Hammer.” The Buffalo News. Oct. 26, 1932. https://www.newspapers.com/image/838894818/?terms=%22lila%20Jimerson%22&match=1
Waxman, Olivia B. “Ouija: Origin of Evil and the True History of the Ouija Board.” TIME. Oct. 21, 2016. https://time.com/4529861/ouija-board-history-origin-of-evil/
Cassie, Ron. “Not Dead Yet.” Baltimore Mgazine. https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/artsentertainment/the-dark-and-fascinating-history-of-the-ouija-board-baltimore-origins/
“OUIJA!” The Norfolk Landmark. January 29, 1891. https://www.newspapers.com/image/604944772/?terms=ouija&match=1&clipping_id=99064762
“The New ‘Planchet.’” Chicago Tribune. April 3, 1886. https://www.newspapers.com/image/349738032/?terms=%22talking%20board%22&match=1&clipping_id=99068585
“The President’s ‘Witch Board.’” New York Times. June 16, 1886. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1886/06/16/109786158.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
McRobbie, Linda Rodriguez. “The Strange and Mysterious History of the Ouija Board.” Smithsonian. October 27, 2013. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-strange-and-mysterious-history-of-the-ouija-board-5860627/
“True Stories of the Supernatural, Told by Readers of the Sun.” The Baltimore Sun. February 14, 1909. https://www.newspapers.com/image/371064146/?terms=ouija&match=1
“Lie is Passed to Ouija, and By a Woman!” Chicago Tribune. Jan. 25, 1921. https://www.newspapers.com/image/355093958/?terms=ouija&match=1
Connoly, James P. “Ouija board boom on? Yes, Says Ouija Board.” Baltimore Evening Sun. May 18, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/369642710/
“William Fuld Made $1,000,000 on Ouija Board But Has No Faith in It.” Baltimore Sun. July 4, 1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/372844631/?terms=William%20Fuld&match=1&clipping_id=99076192
“Partners at Odds.” Baltimore Sun. Dec. 5, 1901. https://www.newspapers.com/image/365328757/?terms=%22William%20Fuld%22&match=1
Rensink, Ronald A., et al. “Expression of nonconscious knowledge via ideomotor actions.” Consciousness and Cognition. February 2012. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221872925_Expression_of_nonconscious_knowledge_via_ideomotor_actions/download
Murch, Robert. WilliamFuld.com. https://www.williamfuld.com/index.html
“The Ouija Craze.” Catoctin Clarion. January 22, 1891. https://www.newspapers.com/image/339101621/?terms=ouija&match=1&clipping_id=99064534
“Ouija-board Will Rejected by Supreme Court.” Newport Daily Express. Aug. 12, 1938. https://www.newspapers.com/image/659566078/?terms=Helen%20Dow%20Peck&match=1
“Former Beauty is Convicted.” Arizona Republic. June 11, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/117191175/?terms=irene%20turley&match=1
“Blame Ouija Board for Parent’s Death.” Bristol Herald Courier. Dec. 23, 1933. https://www.newspapers.com/image/585774218/?terms=irene%20turley&match=1
“Girl Kills Her Dad to Let Her Ma Wed Lover.” The Independent-Rcord. Dec. 27, 1933. https://www.newspapers.com/image/528011403/?terms=irene%20turley&match=1
“Aged Ouija Board Murderess Planning Insanity Defense.” Daily News. March 16, 1930. https://www.newspapers.com/image/412836335/?terms=ouija&match=1
Rogers, Donald. “Fickle Ouija Board Deserts Its Victim.” Oakland Tribune. July 22, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/106298034/?terms=irene%20turley&match=1
Eberle, Scott G., Ph.D. “The Ouija Board Explained.” Psychology Today. May 16, 2012. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/play-in-mind/201205/the-ouija-board-explained
Olson JA, Jeyanesan E, Raz A. “Ask the pendulum: personality predictors of ideomotor performance. Neurosci Conscious.” National Library of Medicine. Aug. 2, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5858027/
D’Agostino, Thomas. “Helen Dow Peck’s Amazing Will.” The Yankee Express. Dec. 18, 2020. https://www.theyankeexpress.com/2020/12/18/341774/helen-dow-peck-s-amazing-will

The rise of the Ouija board in North America involves corporate intrigue, family betrayal, a lot of litigation, and very little spiritualism. Today’s episode covers how “talking boards” went from divination tool to big business.
Research: 
<ul>
<li>“Items Personal and Social.” Denton Journal. January 31, 1891. https://www.newspapers.com/image/7111598/?terms=ouija&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“’Ouija’ Board Her Advisor.” Baltimore Sun. March 26, 1905. https://www.newspapers.com/image/371127794/?terms=ouija&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“Editor ‘Answers.’” Baltimore Evening Sun. August 23, 1911. https://www.newspapers.com/image/365492915/?terms=ouija&amp;match=1</li>
<li>French, Chris. “The Unseen Force That Drives Ouija Boards and Fake Bomb Detectors.” The Guardian. April 27, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/apr/27/ouija-boards-dowsing-rods-bomb-detectors</li>
<li>“Ouija Killer Sentenced.” Spokesman-Review. July 9, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/567588953/?terms=%22dorothea%20irene%20turley%22&amp;match=1</li>
<li>Clark, A. Campbell. “Automatic Writing. V.” The British Medical Journal, vol. 1, no. 1723, 1894, pp. 37–37. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20226992</li>
<li>“Ouija Board Maker Killed.” Evening Journal (Wilmington, Delaware). Feb. 25, 1927. https://www.newspapers.com/image/160190008/?terms=%22william%20fuld%22&amp;match=1&amp;clipping_id=99079163</li>
<li>Goodman, Edgar. “Pedigree of the ‘Witch Board.’” Omaha Daily News. June 13, 1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/738037975/?terms=%22Fuld%20vs.%20Fuld%22&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“Charge of Witch Hunting Enters Assault Case – Indian Woman is Accused of Attack With Hammer.” The Buffalo News. Oct. 26, 1932. https://www.newspapers.com/image/838894818/?terms=%22lila%20Jimerson%22&amp;match=1</li>
<li>Waxman, Olivia B. “Ouija: Origin of Evil and the True History of the Ouija Board.” TIME. Oct. 21, 2016. https://time.com/4529861/ouija-board-history-origin-of-evil/</li>
<li>Cassie, Ron. “Not Dead Yet.” Baltimore Mgazine. https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/artsentertainment/the-dark-and-fascinating-history-of-the-ouija-board-baltimore-origins/</li>
<li>“OUIJA!” The Norfolk Landmark. January 29, 1891. https://www.newspapers.com/image/604944772/?terms=ouija&amp;match=1&amp;clipping_id=99064762</li>
<li>“The New ‘Planchet.’” Chicago Tribune. April 3, 1886. https://www.newspapers.com/image/349738032/?terms=%22talking%20board%22&amp;match=1&amp;clipping_id=99068585</li>
<li>“The President’s ‘Witch Board.’” New York Times. June 16, 1886. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1886/06/16/109786158.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&amp;ip=0</li>
<li>McRobbie, Linda Rodriguez. “The Strange and Mysterious History of the Ouija Board.” Smithsonian. October 27, 2013. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-strange-and-mysterious-history-of-the-ouija-board-5860627/</li>
<li>“True Stories of the Supernatural, Told by Readers of the Sun.” The Baltimore Sun. February 14, 1909. https://www.newspapers.com/image/371064146/?terms=ouija&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“Lie is Passed to Ouija, and By a Woman!” Chicago Tribune. Jan. 25, 1921. https://www.newspapers.com/image/355093958/?terms=ouija&amp;match=1</li>
<li>Connoly, James P. “Ouija board boom on? Yes, Says Ouija Board.” Baltimore Evening Sun. May 18, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/369642710/</li>
<li>“William Fuld Made $1,000,000 on Ouija Board But Has No Faith in It.” Baltimore Sun. July 4, 1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/372844631/?terms=William%20Fuld&amp;match=1&amp;clipping_id=99076192</li>
<li>“Partners at Odds.” Baltimore Sun. Dec. 5, 1901. https://www.newspapers.com/image/365328757/?terms=%22William%20Fuld%22&amp;match=1</li>
<li>Rensink, Ronald A., et al. “Expression of nonconscious knowledge via ideomotor actions.” Consciousness and Cognition. February 2012. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221872925_Expression_of_nonconscious_knowledge_via_ideomotor_actions/download</li>
<li>Murch, Robert. WilliamFuld.com. https://www.williamfuld.com/index.html</li>
<li>“The Ouija Craze.” Catoctin Clarion. January 22, 1891. https://www.newspapers.com/image/339101621/?terms=ouija&amp;match=1&amp;clipping_id=99064534</li>
<li>“Ouija-board Will Rejected by Supreme Court.” Newport Daily Express. Aug. 12, 1938. https://www.newspapers.com/image/659566078/?terms=Helen%20Dow%20Peck&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“Former Beauty is Convicted.” Arizona Republic. June 11, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/117191175/?terms=irene%20turley&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“Blame Ouija Board for Parent’s Death.” Bristol Herald Courier. Dec. 23, 1933. https://www.newspapers.com/image/585774218/?terms=irene%20turley&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“Girl Kills Her Dad to Let Her Ma Wed Lover.” The Independent-Rcord. Dec. 27, 1933. https://www.newspapers.com/image/528011403/?terms=irene%20turley&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“Aged Ouija Board Murderess Planning Insanity Defense.” Daily News. March 16, 1930. https://www.newspapers.com/image/412836335/?terms=ouija&amp;match=1</li>
<li>Rogers, Donald. “Fickle Ouija Board Deserts Its Victim.” Oakland Tribune. July 22, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/106298034/?terms=irene%20turley&amp;match=1</li>
<li>Eberle, Scott G., Ph.D. “The Ouija Board Explained.” Psychology Today. May 16, 2012. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/play-in-mind/201205/the-ouija-board-explained</li>
<li>Olson JA, Jeyanesan E, Raz A. “Ask the pendulum: personality predictors of ideomotor performance. Neurosci Conscious.” National Library of Medicine. Aug. 2, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5858027/</li>
<li>D’Agostino, Thomas. “Helen Dow Peck’s Amazing Will.” The Yankee Express. Dec. 18, 2020. https://www.theyankeexpress.com/2020/12/18/341774/helen-dow-peck-s-amazing-will</li>
</ul>

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Stuff You Missed in History Class

The rise of the Ouija board in North America involves corporate intrigue, family betrayal, a lot of litigation, and very little spiritualism. Today’s episode covers how “talking boards” went from divination tool to big business.

Spirit Boards and the Rise of the Ouija, Part 1

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a4e2756d-7d38-4cf8-9a11-af36016fe123/transcript

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