• The American Countryside is truly a slice of Americana. It might be a well-known music or TV star or just someone with an interesting story that lives down the street. From Iditarod sled dog mushers, to NASA scientists... from the Rooster Crowing Championships to NFL greats...The American Countryside is sure to be of interest. Click the button above to listen to the latest show, or visit the American Countryside archives.
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Mark Twain

Little remains of the town of Florida, Missouri–or depending on how you view history–a lot remains of Florida, Missouri. While the town is gone, it was here that many of some of our most loved books got their start…

A Cattle Drive in the Grand Hall of Union Station

If you’ve been around cattle for much of your life, you know there are times when one head in the bunch just doesn’t seem to want to cooperate. That comes with the territory, but you usually don’t have to chase the animal down in a building crowded with thousands of people…

The Union Station Massacre

Some say this event was the spark that created today’s FBI. It was a crime that made national headlines and still leaves a literal mark today. We’ll dive into the gangster era…

Union Station

Grand Central Station is the largest train station in the country when measured by the actual size of the building. Who is second? The location might surprise you, but it’s still a place where trains and over 100,000 passengers arrive and depart annually…

A Pony Express Sesquicentennial

Horses are racing through the streets of St. Joseph, MO this weekend much like they did 150 years ago. It’s a venture that lasted just one a half years but still captivates residents and visitors to these historic stables.

A CIA Agent During the Cold War

Imagine a having a career that you could tell no one about. For much of his life, Tony lived in constant suspicion of many of those around him and even today, will always sit with his back against the wall and facing the door when he eats at a restaurant…

Behind Enemy Lines as a CIA Agent

Today we say hello to our listeners on KDRO in Sedalia, MO. We caught up with Tony Gallagher in your hometown and his story of life as a CIA agent behind enemy lines…

A Look at the Life of Tony Gallagher

Tony’s father wanted him to become a priest and that led Tony to become…? Well, we’ll give you many guesses, but you probably won’t figure out his twenty-year career until we give you the answer…

France’s Gift of the 40 and 8 Boxcars

Thousands of boxcars crisscross the country each day with a variety of cargo. But these boxcars were truly special, because of the cargo they hauled during the world war and because of the cargo that was inside when they were sent back to the U.S….

The 40 and 8 Boxcar

The term 40 & 8 doesn’t mean much to most Americans–unless you happened to serve in France during one of the World Wars. But the 40 & 8 still has much meaning today and the story is important to all…

Western Expansion

Daniel Boone is one of the most famous American frontiersmen. But when he crossed the Mississippi River, he went to work for a country other than the newly founded United States…

An Early History of St. Louis

It’s one of the oldest and largest cities on the Mississippi River. Although some may have heard of names like Laclede and Chouteau, why did they choose this spot for a town and why did it become the city it is today?

Levee High Apple Pie

The flood of 1993 almost washed away this restaurant. The levee saved the building and provided the inspiration behind their best selling item. Now, they’re baking and mailing pies across the nation…

Baking Cookies at the Blue Owl

1983 was the best of times and worst of times for Mary. She was going through a divorce, but it’s also the year she began baking cookies. What began in her own kitchen has grown into a national sensation…

Menno Attema

Imagine growing up on a farm and then in your early twenties traveling on your own a half a world away to begin a new farming operation. That’s what this man did…

Farming on Two Continents

As you know, AgriGold has been our sponsor of the American Countryside for the past few weeks, and I recently had a chance to meet a farmer who not only uses their hybrids, but who has a story very unique in the farming industry. His story of farming on two different continents is today’s edition of the American Countryside…

A Modern Day Perry Mason

Perry Mason was a star defense attorney on the silver screen, but we doubt he ever had to work with 3000 clients in one year. Today you’ll meet the man who does just that…

A Public Defender

Our law system guarantees everyone the right to a lawyer. Mike is the guy the court might appoint to help you…and that’s not a bad deal…

A McCrea Family Christmas

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Governor Gravesites in Missouri

govgravesiteDown dirt and gravel roads, off the main highway on paths once well traveled, but now forgotten, you can find small country cemeteries. As families moved, many are not even mowed and cared for today. But in the state of Missouri, a few of those old resting places have received special recognition because of the men buried there…